Phoenix Ravens ensure a safe return

Senior Airman Jacob Wright is a Phoenix Raven with the 628th Security Forces Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C. During the first 11 days of Operation Unified Response, Charleston Ravens flew 76 out of the more than 250 AMC missions into Haiti. Security forces Airmen who become Ravens have been through a screening process to include reviewing Enlisted Performance Reports, standardization and evaluation reports, a physical fitness test and a 45-day apprentice course before going to the official Phoenix Raven school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown)

Phoenix Ravens ensure a safe return

Staff Sgt. Joseph Burton receives his weapon at the 628th Security Forces Squadron armory prior to leaving on a mission to Haiti Jan 26, 2010, at Charleston AFB. During the first 11 days of Operation Unified Response, Charleston Ravens flew 76 out of the more than 250 AMC missions into Haiti. For the entire calendar year of 2009, Charleston Ravens flew 65 missions supporting high priority missions for both the Department of Defense and Department of State. Sergeant Burton is a Phoenix Raven with the 628 SFS. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown)

Phoenix Ravens ensure a safe return

Staff Sgt. Joseph Burton receives his weapon's case at the 628th Security Forces Squadron armory prior to leaving on a mission to Haiti Jan 26, 2010, at Charleston AFB. During the first 11 days of Operation Unified Response, Charleston Ravens flew 76 out of the more than 250 AMC missions into Haiti. For the entire calendar year of 2009, Charleston Ravens flew 65 missions supporting high priority missions for both the Department of Defense and Department of State. Sergeant Burton is a Phoenix Raven with the 628 SFS.(U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown)

Phoenix Ravens ensure a safe return

Staff Sgts. Antwan Sibley, left, and Joseph Burton, right, are Phoenix Ravens with the 628th Security Forces Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C. Security forces Airmen who become Ravens have been through a screening process to include reviewing Enlisted Performance Reports, standardization and evaluation reports, a physical fitness test and a 45-day apprentice course before going to the official Phoenix Raven school. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown)

Phoenix Ravens ensure a safe return

Senior Airman Adam Konstanzer holds a Haitian infant that is being transported back to the United States from Port-au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 23 aboard a C-17 Globemaster III. Phoenix Ravens at Charleston AFB have flown on more than 75 Haiti relief missions, providing aircraft security and flight deck denial. Airman Konstanzer is a Phoenix Raven with the 628th Security Forces Squadron. (Courtesy photo)

Phoenix Ravens ensure a safe return

Staff Sgts. Antwan Sibley, left, and Joseph Burton, right, are Phoenix Ravens with the 628th Security Forces Squadron at Charleston AFB, S.C. During the first 11 days of Operation Unified Response, Charleston Ravens flew 76 out of the more than 250 AMC missions into Haiti. For the entire calendar year of 2009, Charleston Ravens flew 65 missions supporting high priority missions for both the Department of Defense and Department of State. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Marie Brown)

Phoenix Ravens secure AMC aircraft supporting Operation Unified Response

Published Jan. 26, 2010
By Master Sgt. Sean P. Houlihan
628th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- When Tech. Sgt. Toma Ferguson received a phone call Jan. 15 putting him on alert for a flight to support Operation Unified Response, he was excited about being able to provide relief and support to the millions of Haitians impacted by the Jan. 12 7.0-earthquake.

Since leaving Jan. 16 on his first flight, the Phoenix Raven assigned to the 628th Security Forces Squadron has made two other trips on the 18th and 20th of this month.

"The impact we have by bringing back the evacuees will have lifelong meaning to them," said the Cross, S.C., native. "You can see the suffering in their eyes and the despair in the kids as they get on the plane, but it's amazing they still laugh and smile as kids will always do."

Sergeant Ferguson and the other 23 Ravens at Charleston AFB are part of a select group of specially trained Air Force security forces volunteers who have reached and maintained high standards during their military careers and are dedicated to providing top-notch security for Air Mobility Command assets and en route aircraft around the world.

In order to maintain the security of AMC assets, Ravens must be available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week. Sergeant Ferguson said he had ample time to prepare for his trips as Ravens follow the same basis alert and crew rest policies as aircrew members for the majority of the time. He said before his second and third time to Haiti he had at least 12 hours of crew rest before departing. Plus, he added as third line of the Airman's Creed reads, "I have answered my nation's call."

Some Ravens have not been as fortunate as Sergeant Ferguson, according to Tech. Sgt. James Alessandrini, NCO in charge of the Phoenix Raven program here. He said some Ravens have literally come back from one mission and within two hours are on a C-17 flying back to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince.

"The Raven operations tempo for providing security for transient aircraft going in to Port-au-Prince is up," he said. "With only six Raven's at home station when Operation Unified Response began, they were flying back to back until we gained other Ravens."

During the first 11 days of Operation Unified Response, Charleston Ravens flew 76 out of the more than 250 AMC missions into Haiti. For the entire calendar year of 2009, Charleston Ravens flew 65 missions supporting high priority missions for both the Department of Defense and Department of State.

The Chicago native said there are currently 20 teams at Charleston, which includes augmentation from Airmen on flight duty at the squadron along with Ravens from across the command.

"Without the help from the security force's Airmen from the flights, we couldn't support the missions going into Haiti," Sergeant Alessandrini said. He said when AMC made the decision to have flight members augment Ravens, they were brought over to the Raven training facility where they were given "just in time training."

Sergeant Alessandrini said since the flight Airmen have basic law enforcement and security training as security forces members, the training is more on specific items to look for when evacuees are being transported back to the states along with ensuring the safety and security of the pilots on the flight deck.

The Raven program was started in the late 1990s by then-AMC commander, Gen. Walter Cross, to better protect military aircraft in an expeditionary environment. It was implemented under the direction of former AMC security forces director, Col. Lawrence 'Rocky' Lane.

Security forces Airmen who become Ravens have been through a screening process to include reviewing Enlisted Performance Reports, standardization and evaluation reports, a physical fitness test and a 45-day apprentice course before going to the official Phoenix Raven school.