Air Force Panel on Communication Challenges

In March, the chapter hosted a luncheon featuring a Warrior Panel at the Peterson Air Force Base Officers Club. Col. Philip Platt, USAF, chapter president, announced that Col. Joyce Jenkins-Harden, USAF (Ret.), was a recipient of the AFCEA Meritorious Service Award and the chapter received this year's Harry Ingles Award in the large chapter category. Next, Col. Platt presented plaques to Steve Vasquez of GPS Networking Incorporated and Kelley McCready of Responsive Geospatial Systems LLC for becoming new AFCEA corporate members. He then introduced the Warrior Panel and its first speaker: Capt. Jason Ballard, USAF, who is assigned to Headquarters Air Force Space Command/A-6SM. He just returned this January after supporting communications functions at Guantanamo, Cuba. The audience then heard from Senior Master Sgt. Donald Lemke, USAF, 21st Communications Squadron, who describe base communications closure and transfer activities at Balad Air Base in Iraq. The third panel member was Master Sgt. Christopher Simons, USAF, also from the 21st Communications Squadron. He detailed his responsibilities in shutting down Joint Air Base Balad, Iraq, as he served as the communications focal point for that location. The fourth and final panel member, Staff Sgt. Sarai Pribble, USAF, 50th Space Communications Squadron, provided a different perspective as she was assigned with a U.S. Army combat unit in eastern Afghanistan supporting a Provincial Reconstruction Team. The event ended with the panel answering questions from the audience.

Event Photographs: