Communication, information competition Keesler earns 4 AETC awards Published Feb. 27, 2008 By Susan Griggs 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AFB, MISS -- Keesler earned four awards in Air Education and Training Command's communication and information competition for 2007. Winners are: Senior Airman Dallas Ebanez, 81st Training Support Squadron, communications and electronics airman (3C). Tech. Sgt. Christopher Kurt, 338th Training Squadron, communications and computer systems (2E) noncommissioned officer. Jack Dupree, 81st Communications Squadron, civilian technician. 333rd TRS, national level information assurance organization of the year. Airman Ebanez, a curriculum developer, analyzed five deployable command, control, communications and computer packages and proposed 305 task deletions, saving 2,700 manhours and $12,000. He centralized five training tracks for information assurance professionals and validated a number of training courses, defining tasks, updating or eliminating obsolete requirements and fixing discrepancies. He revamped certification for network controllers, setting rigid standards and benchmarking core requirements for 500 troops. Sergeant Kurt, ground radio instructor supervisor, was NCO in charge of the site maintenance team at a convoy support center while deployed to Iraq. He designed, installed and spun up a radio over internet protocol routed network in central Baghdad in four days which filled 48 command and control gaps. He spearheaded eight RIPRNET installations providing around-the-clock response for 74,000 square miles of Iraqi battlespace. At Keesler, he was rated "outstanding" during the 81st Training Wing's 2007 operational readiness inspection and the 81st Training Group's standardization and evaluation inspection. Rated No. 1 of 87 NCOs in his unit, he earned the squadron's Lance Sijan Award. Mr. Dupree, the base communications equipment control officer, prepared Keesler's inventory of 32,000 information technology assets valued at more than $45 million for the 2007 ORI, which merited an "excellent" rating. He received and tracked $6.5 million in network management devices that facilitated upgrades to 22 facilities. He enabled the donation of 750 personal computers to the Biloxi School System, installed 16 computers in various classrooms and was involved in Parent-Teacher Association fundraising and Boy Scout adult leadership. The 333rd TRS team was responsible for an IA string suite used to train 576 communications and electronics technicians. The group piloted the 81st TRW virtual classroom program, eliminating 49 personal computers and servers and saving the squadron $73,500 in computer upgrade costs. The team conducted 72 network protection training classes and prepared 166 computer security managers from seven major commands. The IA unit managed Keesler's largest computer security account with assets valued at $900,000 with 100 percent accountability and no inspection write-ups. Team members are Master Sgts. Shaun Hataway and Brian Frazier; Tech. Sgts. Joseph Harkleroad, Tony Moon and John Lane; Staff Sgts. David Gersolina and Richard Striggow, and civilians Thomas Rivera, Charles Clonts and Charles Lyons.