JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas – It’s Mission Monday! Meet Tech. Sgt. Denton Anderson, NCO in charge of communications integration at Desert Defender, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Anderson and his team are responsible for repairing, maintaining and preparing equipment for deployment for the Desert Defenders mobility operations section. They also develop and instruct the training needed to use the communications equipment in their inventory.
“Communications are a huge part of everything we do and without it, everything else breaks down,” Anderson said. “My team is responsible for ensuring the communications packages are completed and updated for customers at different locations across the world.”
We asked Anderson, a Texas native, to tell us more about himself and the work he does for the Department of the Air Force.
What do you love about your job?
Being a member of Desert Defender affords me the opportunity to be on the forefront of training and gives me the ability to make a direct impact on the next generation of Airmen.
Briefly tell us why you joined the Air Force or, if a civilian employee, civil service?
My dad and grandfather were both in the military and I wanted to continue the tradition. Then, 9/11 happened and that was kind of the final push to get me to join.
How does what you do support the warfighter and DAF Installations?
When it comes to my current position, my team and I assist with mission readiness equipping and training deploying troops. We’ve also recently updated the Air Force’s radio operator course and participated in three Combat Support Training Range exercises.
Describe a project/event you and your team worked on recently that gave you a great sense of accomplishment:
My team completed a communications reconsolidation effort for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. We conducted an in-depth inspection of all their communications equipment housed in our inventory, over 600 radios, and transferred them back to USAFE.
When it comes to your job, what keeps you motivated?
On top of getting to work with my team, the job itself provides a lot of experience I don’t think I would be able get anywhere else.
Complete this sentence … I power the world’s greatest Air Force by…
Training and equipping warfighters!