Stay Tuned

Published Feb. 27, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Lashona Owens
23rd Information Operations Squadron

LACKLAND AFB, TEXAS -- Nestled deep inside a reinforced trailer in Camp Fallujah, Iraq, Staff Sgt. Darryn Donaldson transmits radio signals to Iraqi residents across Al Anbar province, nearly a third of the country, relaying messages of hope, encouragement and just good-to-know information.

Sergeant Donaldson, 23rd Information Operations Squadron, Exercise Tactics analyst, is a signals analyst by trade, though transmitting radio signals across the air waves was still a bit out of his realm of experience. Though seemingly daunting, the new duty required only a one-day changeover. Sergeant Donaldson integrated seamlessly within the 20-man Information Operations center and the collocated radio station, which employed his sole colleague, an Iraqi national who translated the American-written announcements into Arabic.

As the IO Radio Station non-commissioned officer in charge, Sergeant Donaldson was responsible for producing and broadcasting a myriad of messages for the Al Anbar people, including several daily public service announcements, which alerted the public of recent terrorist events and offered helpful information like how to approach checkpoints. He released five to 20 public service announcements a day, each with a seven-day lifespan. The messages interrupted regular broadcasting on a neighboring Iraqi AM station, which played mostly popular world music. The only interruption restriction was during Arabic news announcements. Working in a radio station gave Sergeant Donaldson a chance to keep up with popular music.

"I got a chance to hear all the latest music released in the states...rap, pop, R&B. Everything except country," Sergeant Donaldson said jokingly.
Sergeant Donaldson's two-man team also released weekly news reports that summarized the week's activities and often encouraged citizens to support the country by enlisting in the Iraqi Army. A monthly magazine highlighted health, sports and occasionally politics, and produced the greatest feedback among the Iraqi public, according to Sergeant Donaldson. The radio team also updated the IO Intranet site, which allowed IO centers across the province to access pre-packaged announcements and messages for release in local areas.

Once an enemy stronghold, Fallujah has become one of the most secure cities in Iraq.

"There wasn't a single mortar attack," Sergeant Donaldson said. "The Marines did an awesome job," he referred to the November 2004 offensive launched to flush insurgents from the city, as well as the ongoing Marine presence preventing future conflicts.

"The biggest adjustment was working with the Marines," he said.

As one of only 15 Air Force personnel assigned to Camp Fallujah--a population of over 6,000--acclimating to Marine culture was all but easy. However, all stereotypes don't always hold true. Surprisingly, Sergeant Donaldson noted, the Marines at the II Marine Expeditionary Force IO center had adopted no physical training program. Still, that did not prevent Sergeant Donaldson from running six to eight miles everyday to stay fit.

Sergeant Donaldson recalls the highlight of his six-month deployment was interviewing Al Anbar Province Governor Ma'moun Alwani about his long-term plans for the province. Alwani expressed his appreciation for the U.S. presence in the area and looked forward to building a safer, rejuvenated province. Sergeant Donaldson was able to broadcast the governor's message of hope and promise across the province.

If you asked Sergeant Donaldson about his Fallujah experience, he would modestly reply, "I was just doing my job."

He summed his deployment by saying, "It was a very rewarding experience and allowed me to see how a different service approaches information operations. It gave me a clearer understanding and appreciation of how IO is used in the field."