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A day with the 609th Combat Operations Squadron

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John Gordinier
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  While at home, they provide day-to-day support and combat expertise to 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces commanders, to support forces deployed to Southwest Asia as well as assist in hurricane response and rescue efforts. While deployed, they provide operations manning for the Combined Air Operations Center. They are the 609th Combat Operations Squadron.

"The 609th COS's vision is to provide a team of disciplined warriors, physically fit, ready to deploy and fully prepared to support all aspects of the 9th AF and USCENTAF combat aerospace operations," said Col. Douglas Reed, 609th COS commander.

The squadron of about 88 members has many different types of missions.

The 609th COS provides operations manning for the CAOC.

"The CAOC is an enormous command and control facility featuring theater-sized screens and scores of computers used to provide the Combined Forces Air Component Commander with up-to-the-minute aircraft status, time-critical weather, intelligence and datalink surveillance information," said Staff Sgt. Karl Halligan, 609th COS assistant NCO in charge of bravo crew and NCO in charge of the Remote Operations Video Enhanced Receiver. "This allows him to make informed battle management decisions."

The CAOC is used to monitor and control aerospace operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, said Maj. Nathan Brauner, 609th COS assistant director of operations.

"There are also specialized teams and a cadre of support personnel from the 609th COS that help keep the CAOC running 24 hours a day, which provides war fighters from all branches of the military world-class command and control support," Sgt. Halligan said.

Also, the 609th COS has been tasked to assist in hurricane command and control for response and rescue efforts, he said.

"The ROVER system was developed as a critical tool for the Joint Terminal Attack Controller in their role of controlling close air support and reconnaissance sorties," Maj. Brauner said. "It allows a real-time downlink from a remote camera. The video picture is displayed on a small video screen, enabling the JTAC to see what the pilot sees and eliminate communication errors. It has become a critical tool in theater to minimize fratricide and collateral damage while ensuring accurate target identification."

"The ROVER and various AOC teams were tasked to assist in hurricane incident awareness and assessment during Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in the record 2005 hurricane season," he said. "During Katrina, ROVER was a huge success when the teams were brought in to assist with rescue efforts. The ROVER teams, working with local emergency and rescue management, were able to cut the response time of fires from 46 minutes to 14 minutes. In addition, they assisted in more than 126 rooftop rescues, 244 animal rescues and vastly improved situational awareness of the damaged levies."

"It is an honor to command this squadron and I am proud to be a desert eagle," Col. Reed said. "We definitely have a devoted group of directors and senior noncommissioned officers (in this squadron). I have been blessed with an outstanding team of dedicated professionals who are ready to accept and meet any challenge."