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NEWS | Nov. 4, 2014

Wired Up, Fired Up

By Airman 1st Class Joshua R. M. Dewberry 11th Wing Public Affairs

Wired up and fired up, the unit responsible for establishing and maintaining communicative capabilities for Team Andrews is the 744th Communications Squadron. The main focuses of this squadron are land-to-mobile radio communications, the giant voice, and the public address system.

"Our mission is to ensure communication options are always ready and available for the base and all the individual missions that take place here," said Airman 1st Class Jeshurun Marbury, 744 CS radio frequency transmissions technician.

Each of the primary missions of the CS are essential to the base.

LMR communications include, flight-line radios, which allow the command post talk to base operations and the weather squadron.

The giant voice loudspeakers around base which play the national anthem and taps each day also provide alert notifications of inclement weather, exercises, incidents on base and base closures.

Lastly, the public address system provides audio/visual services for retirement ceremonies, change of commands, commander's calls.

"We have assisted dozens of retirement and change-of-command ceremonies over this past summer, so we were kept very busy with accommodating every event with the necessary equipment," said Airman 1st Class Maria Parales, 744 CS radio frequency transmissions technician. "Our mission is very broad, but our focus is to support the commander and maintain the infrastructure of base communication operations."

In comparison to the many service members assigned to Andrews, it only takes a dedicated few to accomplish the mission.

"There are about 270 people in the squadron, but we support the thousands of service members on base," said Master Sgt. Juan Mendoza, 744 CS NCO-in-charge of radio frequency transmissions. "My favorite part about my job is the people I work with. This is a good unit with leadership who really care, not just accomplishing the mission, but taking care of its people."