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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
May 20, 2012 - 4:51:44 PM |
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Staying connected: Navy petty officer maintains the net
By U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Lohr, Combined Joint Task Force 101
Feb 22, 2011 - 4:46:14 PM
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Blackanthem Military News
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| U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Riedel, an information systems technician from Corpus Christi, Texas, tests the speed of the Internet after a provider upgrade to the service at Forward Operating Base Chapman, Afghanistan, Feb. 15. Riedel helps maintain the Internet for the men and women of Provincial Reconstruction Team Khowst. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Lohr) |
KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Riedel, an information systems technician from Corpus Christi, Texas, has been in the Navy Reserve for three years.
To his Khowst Provincial Reconstruction Team teammates who work with him daily, he is known as a jack of all trades.
"My job consists of everything dealing with communications," Riedel said. "I make sure the communications systems are good on the (Mine- Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles) before missions and I'm also a network administrator for Khowst PRT."
When he's not performing his duties as a communications specialist, he helps the security forces members on the team by manning the guard tower and riding in the convoys as an alternate M-240 gunner.
However, he considers his most important duty to be ensuring his teammates have their personal Internet.
"Internet in Afghanistan is not as reliable as it is back home. I've had to do a lot of repairs to our personal Internet to keep it performing at acceptable standards," said Riedel.
"He's phenomenal," said his supervisor, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Jean Law from Austin, Texas. "He has no problem waking up in the middle of the night to help people with Internet problems."
Law has worked with Riedel for six months and said Riedel is really close to his family, and he takes it upon himself to make sure other people can stay close to theirs.
Riedel knows the Internet also plays an important role on morale.
"It's hard being deployed, but with features like Skype and instant messaging, it eases the burden of being away," said Riedel.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Riedel, an information systems technician from Corpus Christi, Texas, briefs U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class James Herrera, an electronic technician from Houston, Texas, on how to properly run Internet cables at Forward Operating Base Chapman, Feb. 15. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Lohr) |
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| U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Riedel, an information systems technician from Corpus Christi, Texas, performs an operations test on a mobile RT-1796 satellite communications radio at Forward Operating Base Chapman, Feb. 15. (Photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Lohr) |
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