Communications Security Staff Assistance Visit

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Lindsey Hahn
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Several Travis offices who handle Communications Security items were analyzed during a bi-annual Staff Assistance Visit March 19 to 23. 

The SAV, designed to find and fix information assurance problems, found very few issues and gave the base a "satisfactory" based on a two-tier system. 

"If we had a 5-tier system the base would have received a solid 'excellent' and probably an 'outstanding,'" said Master Sgt. Sonju Goodwin, a member of the SAV team stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "Only having one critical finding is amazing!" 

The purpose of the inspection is to ensure that all COMSEC material is being inventoried and stored correctly and that the COMSEC custodian training program is correctly monitored and ran. 

The COMSEC office at Travis is in charge of all COMSEC material on base, and for training all COMSEC custodians. As the second largest COMSEC office in Air Mobility Command, the team processes, safeguards and manages the accounts for more than 10,000 Communication Security line items and oversees the efficient maintenance of 37 COMSEC organizational sub-accounts. 

The team inspected 19 user accounts and 13 sections had no write-ups.
"I have conducted six inspections at Travis," said Mr. Frank Katzler, AMC Information Assurance Manager, during the out-brief. "In the past, Travis didn't do very well, but now the base is a lot better, in fact it is the best I've seen it." 

Two sections were especially highlighted by the SAV team. The 615th Contingency Response Wing's program headed up by Tech. Sgt. Tanya Whyte and Senior Airman Drew Maxwell and the 60th Operations Support Squadron led by Staff Sgt. Florinda Domingo and Staff Sgt. Melissa Setty. 

"It is obvious that people here are greatly involved with their users and the leadership is on board to support," said Master Sgt. Ann Schulhofer, a member of the SAV team. "If you want to continue to be successful, this type of involvement is essential." 

Commanders made it clear that a lot of hard work went into this program. 

"This outcome is very much a result of Team Travis efforts," said Maj. Reggie Ash, 60th Communications Squadron commander. "I just want to say 'thank you' for everyone's hard work."