http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123009487SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- When President Bush is inaugurated Jan. 20, an Air Force Communications Agency team will be there, and elsewhere, supporting the U.S. Secret Service.
Agency officials started providing communications support for the 2004 presidential campaign two years ago. Since then, the 52 people of the Air Force Protective Communications Support Team have been in high gear.
The team provides essential protective communications support to the U.S. Secret Service for the protection of the president, vice president, presidential candidates and former presidents, and for foreign dignitaries visiting the United States and United Nations. They also provide technical assistance for evaluation, maintenance and upgrade of U.S. Secret Service communications systems at 135 field offices nationwide, and they support international and special events.
With the enactment of the Presidential Protection Act in 1968, the Department of Defense has been directed to augment the U.S. Secret Service’s efforts in protecting major presidential and vice presidential candidates.
This involvement provides opportunities for people like Staff Sgt. Harley Rosemore, a logistics crew chief from the 48th Intelligence Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. He was on temporary duty for 45 days during the presidential election, working with the team. This included training here and setting up the security room and command post for Sen. John Kerry’s visits to Spring Green, Wis., and Orlando, Fla. He also set up the security room and command post for Sen. John Edwards’ visits to Southfield, Mich., and Westminster, Colo.
Since 2003, the team has served a combined 2,300 days supporting a variety of missions including party conventions, the protective radio infrastructure, small political events around the country, as well as President Reagan’s funeral in June.
“We’ve been very busy providing crucial support to the U.S. Secret Service,” said Senior Master Sgt. Gary Swanson, the team’s leader, “and we will continue to provide top-notch support all the way.”
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the bloody hands bushgang is terribly afraid.