244th History 1979

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AFCC

244 Combat Communications Squadron

Major Gene A. Katke

The 244th Combat Communications Squadron received the Oregon Air National Guard Outstanding Unit Award for 1979.

The 244th participated in JCS exercise Brave Shield XX, conducted at the Yakima Firing Center 11-15 August 1979. Small contingents of personnel and equipment were deployed to Yakima Municipal Airport, Hog Ranch, North Fort Lewis and Coffin Ranch, Washington, with the majority of the unit deployed to Yakima Ridge. The mission was to manage and host a major relay function, serving all Air Force and Army elements east of the Cascade Mountains.

Personnel and equipment worked in temperatures of 33 degrees below zero, with a wind chill factor of -109 degrees, during exercise Jack Frost 79. The 244th received many letters of commendation for an outstanding job and contributions to the exercise.

Colonel Albert J. Lenski, COMAFFOR, Jack Frost 79, Headquarters, Alaskan Air Command, sent a Letter of Commendation to TAG Washington/AIR. He wrote, "It is with great pleasure that I commend those personnel of your organization who participated in Joint Readiness Exercise Jack Frost 79. The eager and professional manner in which they performed their duties greatly enhanced mission accomplishment and contributed significantly to the overall success of the exercise. Their singularly outstanding performance resulted in an unsurpassed degree of safety and model of efficiency for tactical air operations."

A message transmitted to the 252nd Combat Communications Group stated, "It is a distinct pleasure to transmit to those COMM-Electronics Specialists who participated in Jack Frost 79. heartily congratulations for a job well done. It reaffirmed that successful communications require expertise, diligent planning, coordination and hard work. This you displayed in great measure. Please convey my thanks to all those personnel who contributed to the Joint Readiness Exercise."

Colonel Milton H. Towne, Commander, and Colonel Benjamin W. Faber, Deputy Commander, 252nd Combat Communications Group, Washington Air National Guard, added their thanks and congratulations to the 244th for a job well done.

The 244th also participated in JCS exercise Team Spirit 79, which was the single largest pease time exercise conducted in the PACOM. Exercise Team Spirit 79 demonstrated the ability of United States and Republic of Korea forces to work together. While the other units participating in the exercise went to Korea, the 244th went to Travis AFB, California.

Colonel John Paul Hyde, Commander, Tactical Communications Area (AFCC), received a letter from Major General Robert E. Sadler, Commander, Air Force Communications Command (AFCC) and it stated in part, "All members of the deployed forces both Active and Air National Guard, worked in close concert to provide an effective and reliable command and control system. The overall reliability of the high frequency (HF) system provided was excellent. The attainment of this high reliability was the result of the professional efforts by well trained and highly motivated personnel."

Colonel Hyde's endorsement to the 252nd Combat Communications Group and Colonel Towne, in part stated, "Once again the Air Guard proved that they are capable of providing timely and professional communications. Please convey my personal thanks to your people for a job exceptionally well done. They have brought credit to themselves and this command."

Colonel Towne's endorsement to the 244th stated, "I too would like to convey my personal thanks for a job well done. It is always a pleasure to see our units get this kind of recognition."

Colonel Faber, Deputy Group Commander, added his endorsement specifically to those individuals "who deployed to Travis AFB and Elmendorf AFB and performed in a truly outstanding manner. These personnel certainly enhanced the image of the 252nd CCGP as the leading professionals in the tactical communications business."

Airman Robert D. Camp was selected as the Outstanding Unit Airman, and Senior Master Sergeant Richard P. DeMars was recognized as the Outstanding Unit Senior NCO of 1979.

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1979 Photos

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1979 Brave Shield Photo 1	1979 Brave Shield Photo 2	1979 Brave Shield Photo 3	1979 Brave Shield Photo 4
1979 Brave Shield Photo 5	1979 Brave Shield Photo 6	1979 Brave Shield Photo 7	1979 Brave Shield Photo 8
1979 Jack Frost Photo 1	1979 Jack Frost Photo 2	1979 Jack Frost Photo 3	1979 Jack Frost Photo 4
1979 Jack Frost Photo 5	1979 Jack Frost Photo 6	1979 Mob School Photo 01	1979 Mob School Photo 02
1979 Mob School Photo 03	1979 Mob School Photo 04	1979 Mob School Photo 05	1979 Mob School Photo 06
1979 Mob School Photo 07	1979 Mob School Photo 08	1979 Mob School Photo 09	1979 Mob School Photo 10
1979 Mob School Photo 11	1979 Mob School Photo 12	1979 Mob School Photo 13	1979 Mob School Photo 14
1979 Mob School Photo 15	1979 Mob School Photo 16	1979 Mob School Photo 17	1979 Mob School Photo 18
1979 Mob School Photo 19	1979 Mob School Photo 20	1979 Mob School Photo 21	1979 Mob School Photo 22
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1979 Mob School Photo 27	1979 Mob School Photo 28	1979 Mob School Photo 29	1979 Mob School Photo 30
1979 Mob School Photo 31	1979 Mob School Photo 32	1979 Mob School Photo 33	1979 Mob School Photo 34
1979 Mob School Photo 35	1979 Mob School Photo 36	1979 Mob School Photo 37	1979 Mob School Photo 38
1979 Mob School Photo 39	1979 Mob School Photo 40	1979 Mob School Photo 41	1979 Mob School Photo 42
1979 Photo 1	1979 Photo 2	1979 Photo 3	1979 Photo 4
1979 Photo 5	1979 Photo 6	1979 Team Spirit Photo 01	1979 Team Spirit Photo 02
1979 Team Spirit Photo 03	1979 Team Spirit Photo 04	1979 Team Spirit Photo 05	1979 Team Spirit Photo 06
1979 Team Spirit Photo 07	1979 Team Spirit Photo 08	1979 Team Spirit Photo 09	1979 Team Spirit Photo 10
1979 Team Spirit Photo 11	1979 Team Spirit Photo 12	1979 Team Spirit Photo 13	1979 Team Spirit Photo 14
1979 Team Spirit Photo 15	1979 Team Spirit Photo 16	1979 Team Spirit Photo 17