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36th CS earns best small unit in PACAF

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Robert Hicks
  • 36th Wing Public Affairs
Airmen from the 36th Communications Squadron earned bragging rights throughout Pacific Air Forces after recently being named the best small communications unit in PACAF.

The 36th CS won the Air Force Information Dominance Small Unit Award for best communication squadron at the major command level for 2014.

"The men and women of the 36th CS do the impossible every day and it is exciting to see them get the recognition they earned," said Lt. Col. Glynn E. Richards, 36th CS commander.

The Air Force Information Dominance award recognizes a communications and information organization each year for excellent support to the Air Force mission.

"I have worked with base communications since 2001 and the Airmen we have in this squadron are the sharpest I have ever seen, they never cease to amaze me," said Senior Master Sgt. Vincent Blanton, 36th CS Operations Flight chief. "Every one of them has the initiative and drive to exceed the person before them, and that's what the Air Force needs."

Blanton praised the unit explaining how they are leading the way in the Pacific creating processes other bases are currently using. He also explained there isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't learn something from his Airmen.

"We currently have Airmen writing codes for programs that will make their job easier and administer the network more effectively," Blanton said. "We are constantly doing things and sending them up to PACAF and they in turn send them out to other bases." 

Earlier this year, the unit established a full spectrum of communications to the United States Navy Special Operations control center for approximately 69 Sailors, four helicopters and 202 Southern Command missions.

"With the downsizing of each branch we are moving more and more toward joint operations to accomplish the mission," Blanton said. "That's what we have here on a regular basis. We work hand and hand with the Army, Navy, Marines and on occasions, the Coast Guard. This group of Airmen are excelling and doing exactly what the Air Force needs them to do, so it's great to see them get rewarded."

In the past year, the communications squadron has supported Exercises Cope North, Valiant Shield and the movement of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense unit to Guam.

"Here on Guam we support a lot of exercises and different units to include our international partners during Cope North," Blanton said. "It's a challenge, but our Airmen work together to accomplish the mission."

Along with excelling with two MAJCOM awards, the squadron also won 12 other awards at the numbered Air Force level.

"These are good times for the 36th CS," Blanton said. "Winning all these awards speaks volumes about the type of Airmen we have working here."