955th Air Expeditionary Squadron

955th Air Expeditionary Squadron
955th Air Expeditionary Squadron
	955th Air Expeditionary Squadron emblem
Active	2009–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Combat Support
Role	Joint Expeditionary Tasked (JET) Airmen
Part of	USAF Wing & Group
Garrison/HQ	Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
Motto(s)	Vigilantus Pacis
Colors	Black & Blue
Engagements	File:NATO Medal Non-Article 5 - Operations with ISAF.png; ; Global War on Terrorism; Afghanistan Service (2009–Present)
Commanders
Current; commander	Lt Col William E. (Billy) Wade, Jr., USAF

The United States Air Force's 955th Air Expeditionary Squadron (955 AES) is a expeditionary operations unit administratively assigned to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.

Mission

Provide expeditionary combat support to US and Coalition Forces operating in the Afghanistan Theater of Operations. Support International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations across Afghanistan with the expertise to strengthen security, enhance governance and increase development of a healthy infrastructure. Provide ADCON/OPCON support to Airmen supporting US and Coalition Forces

Organization

The 755th AEG is organized to provide the best possible support to Joint Expeditionary Tasking (JET) Airmen. Four Air Expeditionary Squadrons (AESs) which are focused on JET Airmen based on their deployed location. The squadrons and areas of responsibility are:

655 AES – Sharana (Regional Command (RC) – East)
755 AES – Kandahar (RCs – South and West)
855 AES – Camp Phoenix (RC – Capital)
955 AES – Bagram (RC – North and Bagram AB)

These squadrons are the JET Airman’s one stop shop for support during their deployment. Each is manned to support the personnel, supply, and administrative needs of the JET Airmen. They serve as OPCON/ADCON advocate should you require assistance.

History

Approximately 1,600 Airmen are operating at over 40 locations across Afghanistan supporting JET in a variety of roles. Provincial Reconstruction Teams are helping build the country and are producing great results as new schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, micro hydro-electric generators, and water wells are completed. The standup of the AESs is instrumental in taking care Airmen working side by side with Army, coalition forces and the Afghan people fighting terrorism in Afghanistan.

Role

Airpower is projected by more than aircraft in this Global War on Terrorism. JET Airmen, are perhaps the Air Force’s largest contribution to the fight here in Afghanistan. Airmen will stay within the scope of the mission they were sent here to accomplish. Locations change based on mission priorities, but a change in mission is not within the authority of TACON leadership. If a TACON/CC needs a team to execute duties outside of your mission description, they will have to identify and officially staff the new requirement.

Joint Expeditionary Tasked Airmen have two commanders, the Army one responsible for their day-to-day missions and the Air Force one responsible for their administrative and operational control; but they both sing the praises of their Airmen. Mentoring and partnering with the Army, Navy and Afghan forces are crucial to this war effort.

"Victory in counterinsurgency is getting the Afghans to believe we're here to help them defeat the enemy; that will win this war overnight. The moment that they [Afghans] believe we're here for the long haul to help them, we've won. This war isn't about dropping bombs, or how many of the enemy we can kill, it's about bringing hope to the Afghan people and teaching them to do this for themselves. You're at the foundation of this war and this war will teach you to be a great Airman and a great person. You'll be able to look back on this time here and tell your grandkids that you were at the bedrock of success of this great nation." Brig. Gen. Steven Kwast, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander.

Combat Skills Training

Since Airmen are taking on more non-traditional rolls and missions in deployed locations, the need for individual combat skills is imperative. An Air Force message in 2005 called for additional combat training for deploying Airmen. Unit security forces squadrons were identified as subject matter experts for most of the skill sets and responsibility for training.

Air Education and Training Command, in its new role as lead command for expeditionary training, is developing the program, tentatively called Combat Airman Skills Training. Pre-deployment training will occur at Camp Bullis, Texas; Camp Guernsey, Wyo.; and the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center at Fort Dix, N.J. The retooled CST program grew out of an ongoing AETC review of expeditionary training ordered by Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz.

The three courses train about 3,500 airmen per year who are going to deploy in jobs or to locations the Air Force and combatant commanders deem hostile or uncertain. The courses are not for airmen serving in primarily outside-the-wire or ground combat roles; those airmen receive more extensive expeditionary training through other pre-deployment courses or career-field technical schools.

Previous designations

755th Air Expeditionary Group (2003-Present)
955th Air Expeditionary Squadron (2009-Present)

Unit Locations

Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan (2009-Present)

External links

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References