From the Frontlines: Airman First Class Lindsey Jaxel

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody H. Ramirez
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo.- --  She was the eyes and ears of forward deployed bases, providing security for the information held within.

She is Airman 1st Class Lindsey Jaxel, 509th Force Support Squadron force management operations member, who deployed for four months to southwest Asia as an escort flight member until late May.

"As an escort, I had to watch third-country nationals anywhere they went on base and everything they did," she said.

Duty ranged from escorting TCNs to a myriad of construction projects to landscaping, sewage removal, grounds cleaning, trash removal and maintenance.

"We had to have constant vigilance in overseeing the TCNs," said Airman Jaxel.

Airman Jaxel had to stay within a 150-foot distance of the TCN vehicles and maintain a line-of-sight at all times.

"If a third-country national broke those measurements, we would have to report it to our chain who would then call the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to handle it," she said. "We never had that problem while I was deployed, thankfully."

She said she liked her job, but the 12-hour shifts could become repetitive. Airman Jaxel took the opportunity to volunteer for a group of escorts, the "tango crew," that followed the trash removal TNCs route.

"We were responsible for not only the normal escort duty, but also watching for suspicious activity and removing operational security violations from the dumpsters prior to the TCNs taking the trash off-base," she said. "The security violations ranged from uniforms being thrown out to papers with social security numbers to folders of missions and flight information."

Airman Jaxel said it wasn't always violations she found while "dumpster diving."

"I found a set of police-like lights," she said. "My team and I drove around with them on our truck. It was a nice break in my routine."

Finding oddities in the trash, Airman Jaxel said, was only one way to enjoy the little things while deployed.

"I was able to explore the downtown area a few times while I was there," she said. "It allowed me to see some of the local culture."

Overall, Airman Jaxel said she enjoyed her deployment, "I would love to go back. I was never bored and there was always something to do."