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Senior Airman Cameron Casarotto, 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, helps set up a MAT antenna April 10, 2021, at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. The MAT antenna helped establish communication between Airmen across the base in an exercise simulating a foreign operating area. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Auger)

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Senior Airman Jamal Baptiste, 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, uses a radio to communicate wtih AES Airmen posted at a simulated foreign operating area April 10, 2021, at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Airmen demonstrated their ability to communicate important encrypted patient information from remote locations in under an hour. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior AIrman Dylan Auger)

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Airmen from the 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron work on raising MAT antenna wires to establish communication with a simulated foreign operating base April 10, 2021, at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Airmen used multiple pieces of equipment, including radios, phones, and laptops to send and receive oral and digitally encrypted information. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dylan Auger)

Communication key during 439th AES exercise

Published May 12, 2021
By Senior Airman Dylan Auger
439th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE, Mass. --

Members of the 439th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron practiced their ability to establish and maintain communication in a Foreign Operating Area, or deployed environment, April 10 at Westover Air Reserve Base.

“In this exercise, we are the AES liaison team acting as a foreign operating base, communicating with an established base, which is the aeromedical operations team,” said Senior Airman Cameron Casarotto, 439th AES.

The exercise consisted of two teams stationed at different places across the base. They focused on using Satellite communication devices to relay messages between locations.

“This is showing that we can always establish communication,” said Casarotto. “For aeromedical evac situations, being able to communicate with planes in the sky, as well as people ground level who may need help is extremely important and being able to do that from anywhere is essential.”

Airmen sent and received oral and digital communication.

“Having this equipment allows us to send encrypted patient information back and forth to all locations as needed,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Norris, 439^th AES.

Norris said the training is essential to maintain preparedness in the event that alternative forms of communication are necessary to complete the mission.

“Training is important to be battlefield ready,” said Norris. “We can have boots down and communication established within an hour, from anywhere in the world.”