Reports from the Front: OSS Commander supports, defends

By 2nd Lt. Cammie Quinn
Editor

When reflecting on his recent deployment, Lt. Col. Ched Beam, 43rd Operations Support Squadron commander, chooses not to focus on the political aspect of Iraq. He acknowledges the fact that the enemy still fires on U.S. forces in Iraq, plants improvised explosive devices and shoots missiles at aircrews. These attacks occur weekly – the colonel knows we are still a nation at war.

But he recognizes that servicemembers share a common purpose: “to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.” When Colonel Beam took that vow, it wasn’t just empty words. “We in the military do so that American citizens may do what you do — live, work and play in a free country,” he said. “(The oath) is the backbone of the military and what we are all about, and what we do.”

Colonel Beam recently returned home from his deployment to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, where he served as Commander of the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, dubbed the ‘Triple 7 Dueling Dragons.’ The 777th EAS is the largest forward deployed airlift squadron in Operation Iraqi Freedom, comprising more than 100 military personnel and a fleet of C-130s.

The squadron was responsible for not one, but five primary missions: air-land missions transporting troops and equipment to/from Forward Operating Bases, airdrop, aeromedical evacuation, distinguished visitor airlift and C3 – that is, communications, and command and control, to support coalition forces on the ground. He took command of the 777th EAS with only three days of overlap with the previous commander. They had a fleet of eight C-130’s and flew approximately 25-30 sorties daily. On a monthly basis, they transported more than 10,000 troops and 700 tons of cargo.

His mission was unique in that they hosted servicemembers from all branches of the military. The unit encountered a few jargon barriers but the colonel met the challenge head on. “There is no greater reward than to watch Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers and Marines meld into one cohesive unit,” Colonel Beam said. “We had differences and there were challenges but … I told them the first week I took command — we are one unit, the 777th EAS.”

Deployments are not just about living and breathing military doctrine, however. They are a time to find humanity in a world accustomed to chaos. Colonel Beam told the story about one captain in his squadron who volunteered her free time playing with children in a local hospital and established her own humanitarian organization.

Capt. Marci Hoffman, a pilot from the 30th Airlift Wing in Cheyenne, Wyo., became fast friends with a 7 year old boy in the hospital who had been orphaned and injured by an IED. During his stay in the hospital, Captain Hoffman and the boy played with toys the hospital had collected standard way to collect and distribute the toys, the captain coordinated with the civil affairs office and the Office of Special Investigations. The toys were used by Army units during base perimeter security patrols to gain the Iraqi’s trust and confidence.

“Her passion and desire was so infectious that it garnered attention and support from the Wing Commander and Command Chief who then endorsed the program,” Colonel Beam said. “It became recognized by the country of Iraq as one of the few programs that were safe to accept donations from.”

Kids of Iraq helped to lay the groundwork for a trusting relationship between the Iraqi people and their officials. Her good news is spreading fast, and others are starting to catch on to the idea behind the organization. “Captain Hoffman also recently informed me that she has a KOI volunteer from Balad who is going to Bagram and wants to start a Kids of Afghanistan,” said Colonel Beam. “(She) is paving the path for peace — one toy, one child at a time. The impact the captain had on Iraqi morale was unknown to her. She saw a need and knew a way to meet it.

It is, at times, imperative to look beyond the mission to recognize other areas of the world that need help. Colonel Beam recently spoke at the Virginia Military Institute, during which he quoted Maj. Gen. Curits Scaparotti, 82d Airborne Division Commander at Fort Bragg; “It is often the case that those who are in the midst of making history have very little time to pause and reflect on the history being made.” While commanding the 777th EAS, the colonel did not view that time as part of history, moreso that he and his squadron were doing what they pledged to do when they first took the oath.