CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Master Sgt. Sean Houlihan is a member of the 437th Airlift Wing and has been stationed at Charleston AFB for about one-and-a-half years.
He is currently deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to a classified location in Afghanistan with a U.S. Special Operations Command Task Force, where he is the Deputy Public Affairs Officer.
Sergeant Houlihan's responsibilities include monitoring, tracking and trend analysis of the 840 global media outlets covering task force operations. He supervises 10 combat camera Soldiers and Airmen assigned to forward operating bases around the country documenting the mission through still photographs and video for public release, command and control situational awareness for task force leadership. Sergeant Houlihan was also selected to fill in as the liaison officer to U.S Forces Afghanistan Strategic Communications director where he daily briefed the Navy two-star director and Afghan Minister of Interior on task force operations.
While at Charleston AFB, Sergeant Houlihan works as the superintendent for the public affairs office. He is responsible for training, career progression and scheduling of Air Expeditionary Force deployments for 11 Airmen and five civilians. He also develops and implements public affairs programs supporting Defense Department, Air Force, Air Mobility Command and wing objectives.
Sergeant Houlihan contributes to Team Charleston's mission by ensuring public affairs professionals are covering the accomplishments of Airmen, civilians, family members and contractors who accomplish the mission through media interviews, video, print and photo stories and to inform civic leaders of the wing mission.
According to Sergeant Houlihan, what he likes best about his deployed job is being able to help the task force have the freedom of movement on the battlefield to execute the mission.
"Freedom of movement on the battlefield is everything to this task force. Being able to articulate to the media the truth about mission objectives and outcome ensures insurgents are not able to spread their propaganda and under mind the work Afghan, U.S. and coalition forces are doing to allow for the Afghanistan Presidential elections August 20," Sergeant Houlihan said.
Sergeant Houlihan's future goal is to complete his bachelor's degree in management.
This "warrior of the week" hails from St. Helen, Mich., and enlisted in the Air Force nineteen-and-a-half years ago. He joined the Air Force to follow in the footsteps of his dad, a Marine, and uncles who have served in the military dating back to World War II.
"As the deputy public affairs officer, Sergeant Houlihan has the analytical mind and joint operational background that is essential to this fast paced, extremely diverse mission," said Army Lt. Col. Tim Hansen, task force public affairs officer. "He will truly be missed when he leaves this task force soon, as he has left his mark and has lived up to the warrior ethos that makes this task force so successful."