KNOB NOSTER, Mo. -- Two members of the 442d Fighter Wing command post joined two members of the 509th Communication Squadron’s radio maintenance shop for mobile command post training Oct. 6, 2021, at Knob Noster State Park in Knob Noster, Missouri.
The training focused on setup of and familiarization with RT-113 mobile radio transceivers that would be used should the command post ever need to be evacuated.
Staff Sgt. Brenda Clark and Senior Airman Amber Ahrens, both command post technicians, hiked around Lake Buteo at the park with Airman 1st Class Jaye McMillan and Airman 1st Class Max Sager, both radio frequency transmission systems technicians with the 509 CS.
“They were giving training to Senior Airman Ahrens and myself,” Clark said, “so we could distribute it through the rest of the command post.”
They worked on packing the radios for mobility, changing battery packs, attaching mobile antennas, and dialing in frequencies so they could speak to base stations, aircraft, and other command posts.
“The command post will benefit from this training in that, if our physical post is ever taken out,” said Master Sgt. Sabrina Balandron, the 442d Fighter Wing command post superintendent, “then we will still have equipment and training available to continue comms with jets in the air.”
This training session continued and built upon previous training that occurred at Ike Skelton Park on Whiteman Air Force Base the week before. The eventual goal is for the command post to be proficient at operating and troubleshooting radios in the field.