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Photo 1 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joshua Greenbaum, an air transportation specialist assigned to the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), directs soldiers on a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 3, 2021. After aircrafts like the C-130 Hercules land at the airfield, AOB soldiers ensure personnel on-boarding are directed safely to the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 2 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
A U.S Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft lands at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 3, 2021. The aircraft delivered cargo and personnel to nearby Camp Simba. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 3 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Kevin Kirkley, an aviation operations sergeant with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), listens to air traffic controllers on a hand radio at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 3, 2021. The 2-111 AOB has been working diligently to establish safe airfield operations at the Manda Bay Airstrip. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 4 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joshua Greenbaum, an air transportation specialist assigned to the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), prepares to unload cargo from a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Manda Bay, Kenya, June 3, 2021. The 2-111 AOB has been working diligently to establish safe airfield operations at the Manda Bay Airstrip. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 5 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joshua Greenbaum, an air transportation specialist assigned to the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), backs up a forklift to unload cargo from a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Manda Bay, Kenya, June 3, 2021. The 2-111 AOB has been working diligently to establish safe airfield operations at the Manda Bay Airstrip. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 6 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Kevin Kirkley, an aviation operations sergeant with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), directs soldiers to the C-130 Hercules at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 3, 2021. The 2-111 AOB has been working diligently to establish safe airfield operations at the Manda Bay Airstrip. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 7 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
Kenyan Navy air traffic controller, Priscilla, and U.S. Army Sgt. Elizabeth Adams, an air traffic controller with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB) in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), discusses the Kenyan aircraft preparing to land at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 6, 2021. The AOB’s air traffic controllers (ATC) and airfield management work alongside Kenyan ATCs to establish best airfield practices, giving the soldiers the opportunity to build lasting relations with their coalition counterparts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 8 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark Miner, the safety manager with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), plucks the wings from a bird killed in a bird strike on a C-130 Hercules aircraft at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 3, 2021. The AOB participates in the B.A.S.H. program, where the wings will be sent to the Smithsonian to track flight and migration patterns of the bird species for the region, which affect aircraft and airfield operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 9 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Elizabeth Adams, an air traffic controller with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB) in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), waits for a C-130 Hercules aircraft to go down the runway at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 4, 2021. Between flights, air traffic controllers have to ensure the runway is clear of all wildlife, such as birds, baboons, and lizards that could potentially cause problems for incoming and out-going aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 10 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Warrant Officer Paul Anderson, an air traffic control equipment repair specialist with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), unrolls a fiber wire for the airport surveillance radar (ASR) system at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 5, 2021. Anderson runs routine tests on the radar system to ensure it remains fully functioning during contingency operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 11 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Jordan Dominguez, an air traffic controller (ATC) with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), discusses the airport surveillance radar (ASR) system with U.S. Army Spc. Kyle Singlemann, an ATC with the 2-111 AOB, at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 4, 2021. The AOB recently received the ASR, the first in the region, to be used alongside the mobile tower during airfield operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 12 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Sgt. Elizabeth Adams, an air traffic controller with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB) in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), checks the Air Force meteorological weather system in preparation to relay the information to aircraft landing at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 4, 2021. The AOB is responsible for the mobile tower and airfield ground control at the airstrip. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 13 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Master Sgt. John Hoff, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB) at Manda Bay, in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), helps direct U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joshua Greenbaum, an air transportation specialist assigned to the 2-111 AOB, during an airfield clean-up at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 5, 2021. It is a collective effort from all Soldiers and Airmen of the AOB, from management to mechanics to engineers, to keep the airfield in safe and orderly condition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
Photo 14 of 14
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Army Soldiers with the 2-111 Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB), in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), and Kenyan Navy air traffic controllers work alongside each other in the mobile tower at Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, June 6, 2021. The AOB’s air traffic controllers (ATC) and airfield management work with Kenyan ATCs to establish best airfield practices, giving the soldiers the opportunity to build lasting relations with their coalition counterparts. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Morgan L. Brown)
Photo by: Senior Airman Morgan Brown
MANDA BAY, Kenya, June 3 - 7, 2021 -- When the Soldiers of the 2-111th Airfield Operations Battalion (AOB) found out they were deploying to Manda Bay Airstrip, Kenya, a recently reactivated camp, they knew there would be a lot of work to be done.
Since arriving, the Soldiers of the 2-111th AOB, in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), have worked diligently to ensure the aircraft that fly in and out of Manda Bay Airstrip do so in a safe and efficient airfield.
“There were a few safety issues we noticed when we got here,” said U.S. Army Spc. Elijah Farmer, an air traffic controller with the 2-111 AOB. “It’s part of our job [as the AOB] to provide coordination within all moving parts of the airfield.”
The AOB’s air traffic controllers (ATC) and airfield ground management work alongside Kenyan ATCs to establish best airfield practices, giving the soldiers the opportunity to build lasting relations with their coalition counterparts.
“Since this is Kenyan airspace, we now have their ATC’s, [Jack and Priscilla], in the tower with us,” said U.S. Army Spc. Brandon Herringdine, an air traffic controller shift lead with the 2-111 AOB. “This allows for better communication and coordination with the Kenyan air traffic that lands here.”
The AOB, responsible for the mobile tower and airfield ground control, recently received an Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR), the first in the region, to be their extra set of eyes in the sky. The ASR system is a high performance radar system designed to provide ATCs with a reliable and clear picture of air traffic in its area of coverage.
“During bad or inclement weather it was difficult on the tower and pilots to rely on those visuals alone,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Jordan Dominguez, an air traffic controller with the 2-111 AOB. “With the ASR system we have even more positive control to bring the pilots down safely.”
The ASR and the Precision Approach Radar (PAR) systems used at the airstrip require routine checks by engineers with the 2-111 AOB who specialize on these systems to make sure they are working properly in down-range conditions. It’s a joint effort from all Soldiers and Airmen at the airstrip, from management to mechanics to engineers, to keep the airfield in a safe and orderly condition.
One of the procedures the AOB implemented was the U.S. Air Force’s Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) program, which preserves aircraft operations through the reduction of wildlife hazards.
“With birds specifically, if a bird strike occurs we capture the remains of the bird that was hit and send them to the Smithsonian,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark Miner, the safety manager with the 2-111 AOB. “The Smithsonian determines the species flight pattern, which helps us coordinate the best times for aircraft to take off and land here without incident.”
After implementing the BASH program, the AOB soldiers have continued to work with other personnel at the airstrip to identify necessary operations and procedures. U.S. Army Master Sgt. John Hoff, non-commissioned officer in-charge (NCOIC) of the 2-111 AOB at Manda Bay, said while providing many different services to ensure a safe airfield, they have grown as individuals and as a unit.
Their work at the camp continues to provide the necessary man-power needed to ensure procedures are conducted, allowing for a safe and efficient airfield.
“I believe we have done a great job in identifying the issues that were here and correcting them,” said Hoff, NCOIC of the 2-111 AOB at Manda Bay. “I’m proud of our Soldiers and Airmen that have gone above and beyond to make this a safe, operational, and effective airfield.”
