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April 4,  2003

ANG, Charleston security forces join TALCE deployment

>By Tech Sgt Ruby Zarzyczny
437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

>CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AMCNS)- A 171st Security Forces Squadron 13-man security force team from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, got "the call" early March 18 and flew to Charleston AFB that evening. Their mission-to join up with a Charleston security forces team from the 437th Security Forces Squadron to be part of a Tanker Airlift Control Element mission at a U.S. Central Command forward operating location, said Master Sgt. Matt Vybiral, 171st SFS, squad leader.

>TALCEs are Air Mobility Command units that set up and manage airfield operations in areas where such support is insufficient or non-existent. A TALCE is composed of mission support elements from various units and deploys in support of contingency or emergency relief operations on both a planned and "no-notice" basis.

>The security forces part of this TALCE mission will be to set up the initial security perimeter for an air base parking ramp, said Master Sgt. Tim Moore, 437th SFS squad leader.

>"Our mission is to protect AMC resources and people," said Sergeant Moore. "Most likely the Army will already be providing base security where we're going, and we'll just need to concentrate on aircraft security. Once the base security is established, we'll pull out and go to the next TALCE location."

>The 171st SFS team has been at Charleston since March 18, with their 2 ½ tons of equipment, ready to move to a staging location to meet up with another 13-member security forces team.

>"We've been waiting all week and we got 'the call' today (March 27) a little after midnight," said Sergeant Vybiral.

>For many members of the 171st SFS team, this deployment is their first in the Air Force and their first TALCE deployment.

>Fire-team leader Tech. Sgt. Roy Dunlap said, "While we've been here at Charleston we're really bonded as a team. That's really important especially since we're going to have to depend on each other to get the job done."