JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Staff Sgt. John Kingsley is a member of the 628th Communications Squadron here and has been stationed at Joint Base Charleston nearly four years.
He is currently deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where he is assigned to Forward Operating Base Finley-Shields in Afghanistan.
In his deployed unit, Sergeant Kingsley is the NCO in charge of tactical communications and is responsible for Provincial Reconstruction Team tactical communication systems in the area, as well as electronic countermeasures and communications for missions outside the wire.
The mission of the PRT is to facilitate the building of schools, roads, clinics and other facilities, as well as to foster local government and help stabilize the Afghanistan government. Sergeant Kingsley's team consists of Air Force, Army, Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development personnel.
In addition, he is also a communications security custodian and improvised explosive device countermeasure specialist for his team. Sergeant Kingsley must ensure vehicle and individual communications assets are functioning for before, during and after a mission. In these duties, he enables and provides communications support and operations for mission and convoy commanders to and from their mission objectives during mounted and dismounted patrols.
"Basically, I am the link on the ground to communicate with leadership, maneuver elements, route clearance package, medical evacuation and close air support ... I am also the personnel security officer for our mission team while we are on our objectives, ensuring our primary personnel are protected at all times."
During his deployment, Sergeant Kingsley has provided secure, tactical communications for more than 40 mounted and dismounted patrols for missions outside the wire.
"Clearing buildings of insurgents, searching vehicles and individuals for improvised explosive devices and providing security is the exact opposite of what I would be doing back at home station," said Sergeant Kingsley, who manages and supervises the maintenance of the land mobile radio trunking system, mass notification and ground to air communications at Joint Base Charleston. Sergeant Kingsley is also the spectrum manager for the entire base.
He said the only similarity between the two jobs, despite the small differences in radio systems, is they all use the same basic principles. So, with an understanding of the basics, he is able to deal with most military radio platforms.
According to Sergeant Kingsley, what he likes best about his job is the camaraderie he enjoys with his fellow Airmen.
"The favorite part of my career field is the people I work with. My Airmen back at home station are intelligent and the most squared away folks I have ever dealt with. Their level of expertise and motivation is surpassed by none in the Air Force," Sergeant Kingsley said.
Sergeant Kingsley said his future plans include completing his associate's degree through the Community College of the Air Force, with the long term goal of possibly retiring from the Air Force.
This "warrior of the week" hails from Key West, Fla., and joined the Air Force seven years ago.