606th ACS a ‘mini base’ Published Feb. 6, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Tammie Moore 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The 606th Air Control Squadron brings a unique expeditionary capability to the Air Force mission; melding a variety of skills sets together to mirror the abilities of almost an entire base into one unit. This self-contained mobile combat unit is formed of approximately 200 Airmen from more than 25 specialties that range from supply and security forces to vehicle maintenance and medical technicians. "We are one team despite all of the career fields," said Master Sgt. Lisa Rendon, 606th ACS communications systems superintendent. "We work closely with other career fields which allow us to see how the whole picture comes together." Aligning all of the Airmen it takes to make the missions a success requires a great deal of coordination and communication within the unit. "The maintenance operations center is the nerver center of the squadron, this is therethe magic happens," said Staff Sgt. Nick Sanders, 606th ACS quality assurance evaluator. "If anything happens within the squadron we decide what work center will fix the problem. We are the technical experts; the focal point between work centers, the base, the chief of maintenance and the squadron commander." To successfully meet mission requirements 606th ACS, Airmen must be able to have all of their gear packed and ready to deploy within 72 hours. This equipment is worth more than $162 million, which includes the TPS-75 Radar that when folded in half, is the size of a small van. "The equipment and skill sets we have allows us to operate out of a bare base environment," Airman Unger said. This ability allowed the 606th to make an impact in a number of operations they have been a part of. During the last eight years they have been part of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. As part of OIF, the team was the first operational American air control squadron on Iraqi soil, where they played key roles controlling battle space for OIF and supported Operations Peninsula Strike, Desert Scorpion, Desert Sidewinder and Ivy Serpent. While supporting OEF, the team worked together in the largest ground offensive in Afghanistan since 2002, during Operation Mountain Thrust. The ability to see the mission outside of an individaul's normal scope helps the team according to Airman 1st Class Ryan Unger, 606th ACS satellite communication journeyman. "Despite the range of careers here, everything is smaller, so you can know everyone," Airman Unger said. "You see how your piece fits into the puzzle and you also see how your role impacts the whole team."