LIMA, Peru -- Ten Airmen from the 5th Combat Communications Group, located at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, were selected to support Air Force Southern’s efforts at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Lima, Peru, Nov. 5-20, 2024.
AFSOUTH was named lead component for APEC, supporting the U.S. government’s involvement and the U.S. president’s engagements during the event.
The 5th CCG Airmen, from the 51st and 52nd Combat Communications Squadrons, were called upon by the 474th Air Expeditionary Group to support 24-hour operations and a requirement for uninterrupted, simultaneous command and control capabilities across multiple locations.
“Since AFSOUTH does not organically possess a robust expeditionary C2 capability to support the multiple on-demand locations that required support, they called upon the 5th CCG to bridge their communications gap,” said Maj. Nicholas Riascos, 52nd CBCS director of operations.
“The 5 CCG’s reputation and mission set of being a world-wide deployable unit that can project expeditionary communications and enable combat support whenever and wherever, across the full spectrum of operations for the nation, really made us a go-to when the AFSOUTH staff was looking for a key teammate,” Riascos continued.
The team’s mission involved establishing communications on the Peruvian air base and setting up reliable networks in non-standard locations, such as hotel conference rooms, to support operational needs.
This required meticulous planning and flexibility as the team responded on short notice to support the exercise, taking what normally entails months of planning, and mobilizing in just a few weeks.
“One of the biggest challenges we faced was navigating the logistical constraints of transporting our equipment,” said Master Sgt. Paul Visico, the mission’s senior enlisted leader and 51st CBCS operations superintendent. “Unlike our usual practice of flying military air, this mission required us to fly commercially. To overcome this, we embraced flexibility, meticulous planning and a proactive mindset. The team’s positive attitude and adaptability were crucial in meeting tight deadlines and ensuring mission success.”
The adaptability of the team was further demonstrated by their ability to integrate with a variety of entities, including Special Operations Southern Command, the United States Secret Service, the White House Military Office, and U.S. embassies in Peru and Brazil.
According to the team, a key component of the mission’s success was the inclusion of a Language Enabled Airman Program Spanish speaker, Riascos, whose cultural and linguistic skills aided in efforts like clearing customs, sorting transportation, and accessing the local military installations.
“I grew up with that background and that heritage. It's very close to me. So a lot of the cultural-isms are familiar, and I helped the team kind of bridge that,” said Riascos. “So, it really helped that in speaking Spanish, we improved the team, because I was able to cut through a lot of the language barriers and built a relationship very, very quickly.”
Having a native language speaker also helped to created positive interactions with local partners, developing relationships that extended beyond the mission.
“Outside of being great teammates to our U.S. Air Force and sister agencies, we leaned forward heavily and strengthened our partnerships and ties with our Peruvian partners,” said Riascos. “We played the Peruvians in a friendly U.S. vs Peru soccer match. Our teams joined in a friendly, yet competitive match and later exchanged patches and laughs, and strengthened our bond during our time.”
The team left Peru with not only a successfully completed mission, but with new milestones and expanded capabilities.
“The team achieved historic milestones, including the groundbreaking commercial transport of 43 Pelican cases of communications equipment - a first for the 5th Combat Communications Group,” said Riascos. “Their exceptional technical expertise and leadership enabled the rapid configuration of secure communications, providing C2 capabilities within 30 minutes for senior leadership.”
The 5th CCG’s performance during the APEC summit highlighted their readiness, adaptability and professionalism, solidifying their role as a key expeditionary communications unit capable of supporting diverse operational requirements.
“As a combat communications unit, our training prepares us to provide communications anytime, anywhere,” said Visico. “This mission exemplified that by requiring us to set up communications in non-standard locations, highlighting the adaptability we develop through our training.”