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Show ' HSSop February 1 - 7, 2000 Miles of wires, cable connect base phones by Mary Galbraith Hilltop Times staff Thousands intertwining wires in Bldg. 1214 enough to connect a small city provide base personnel with telephone communication. Military and civilian personnel from the 75th Communications Squadron maintain the base telephone switch that links the base internally and externally. Tech. Sgt. Bill Lester, base telephone switching supervisor, said over 17,000 lines active at Hill are primarily fiber optic interface connections and the switch is made up of equipment similar to whaf s used Black cables run under the ground linking base buildings to 1214 and the main off-bas- e. distribution frame. Thousands of small blue wires carry individual phone lines. Its just like home when you have a power outlet youre going to have to plug it in, Lester said. So we take these jumper wires, and we get the wires, the white-blu- e dial tone here, we verify it, extend it and it goes underground to the various buildings. Lester compared the wires that carry telephone lines to extension cords that link personnel with information. The system has precautions in the event of a lightning strike to protect individuals and equipment from overloads. While most of the bases phone access is generated in Bldg. 1214, 75th Communications personnel are trying to build reliability into the system. Lester said most circuits are digital telephone or data trunks that hold 24 channels. Those channels can range from the basic dorm number to a radio interface line. Because of the high request for digital lines, the squadron wants to expand the system and come e with an improved system during the next days that will add almost four times the lines. g is Lester said in his field comessential because of the number of plicated and intertwined wires: Weve got some good people. And many are civilian workers. They give us continuity, he said. The wires in there are in a record keeping program and ifit gets cut or pulled out by mistake we can go back and look in there and find out where it should be connected. Private industry lines are hooked into the base switch and link personnel with features necessary to maintain business. The base phone lines come with eight features: call pick-up- , call forward intergroup (on base only) , three way conference, call transfer, hold, park, ring again and last number redial. A lot of these features for instance are options this call pickup feature you have to be assigned to on the switch. Everybody doesnt have them. Offices have to request that we build a group, said Lester. For instance, our office is a call center for the Telephone Trouble Desk and such. If we get a call on our telephone trouble desk thats a unique number. None of us have it on our telephone, but on-lin- 30-6- 0 record-keepin- Hill AFB 5-d- ay 40s High 27s Low Cloudy with snow throughout the evening Operators need oc.vwvw ' .rrri ... U details, numbers X s 5 1 w V 5v.s J 7 Base operators are another essential element in the 75th Communications Squadron. Lead operator Mary Summers said people call in to report everything from UFO sightings to airplane noise complaints. She also joked that since Scott O. Grady left Hill, operators have had a little more free time bn their hands because they were swamped with his calls. Summers said most people have a general idea who they are trying to locate. Operators must have first and last names or at least the area an individual works in to locate someone. Its very difficult to help people that have no idea what they want V ' v AT I i . "N n A 'w. yi i, yi MU , ,i Ms' t f: $ 1U f b- rp ' 'Til A ally i '--s i -. ... ?z Photos by Mary Galbraith Tech. Sgt. Bill Lester uses some of the latest diagnostic technology in Bldg. 1214 where the 75th Communications Squadron controls base telephone lines. Miles of blue and white wires, left, intertwine providing personnel with communication. Carefully detailed notes are constantly updated to keep track of which wires belong in what slot The record keeping helps communications personnel quickly solve phone connection problems. they want somebody named Joe or somebody that works on an airplane, she said. Another problem the base operators have noticed is missing exten- sions for base realignment workload personnel including item managers. When military personnel in remote locations like Kuwait are looking for parts and support, they have a difficult time reaching their item manager because not all the new extensions have been submitted. Directorates can update the telephone list by calling Summers at do result from human error. Lester said individuals forget security codes for the voice mail it causes several adminis-tration problems because of security issues n Lester said the numbers of growing sonnel has also meant that there may be a brief waiting period when trying to get an outside line. The communications squadron is currently studying the lines to determine a potential increase, He said some of the most interesting work occurs when the squadron coordiper-whe- and their box must be reset. Lester said his field is a challenging one he encourages anyone pursuing a military we can pick up our phone since if s pro-- ; career to consider. grammed by dialing 111. Its called calll The 75th Communates with pick-uIt will pick-u- p anyone thaf s in our" nication Squadron officials or law to like also would program group. feathat remind enforcement to Lester sakicall forward is a standard personnel trace a call. ture that operates by pushing 72 fol- the bases phones will Ifs not like TV--, lowed by a base extension. After experience some where a staff memthe extension is dialed, there will be a con- growing pains as perber plugs in a lapsonnel numbers at firmation tone. with Hill the all At that time, incoming calls are going top and picks up expand the call, he said. to go to the number its been forwarded transfer workload. Lester said personnel There are legal to. There wont be any ringing at that station. A good thing to do is test the feature should realize that aspects that have to be considered. to make sure its going to the right place while the phone lines Were very conbecause sometimes they might make a come with many addiOffice tional features, options scious of the primistake in dialing the numbers. like the FederalTele-phon- e Calls can be transferred on base by hitvacy act and the individuals rights ting the transfer button. Once the ring back System in monitoring. All tone is heard the transferring party can which is basically miknown Lester said s thaf litary approval must go hang up. However, are not available as a blind transfer and he prefers to wait through the Office on the line to ensure the person reaches - to everyone. Offices of Special Investiindividuals and must their destination. gations. need. a time can that be feature a saver "Theres so many justify Ahandy Tech. Sgt. Bill Lester Administrators are to some people is ring again. If you dial a situations we go maintelephone number and that number is busy responsible for through here. Ifs credibilswitch that wait hook for a the a challenging field once, taining you press and work in 78. dial center their the dial the tone ones and Then one Id recommend to somebody thaf s ity theyre special switch continues to dial that line to see if who justify whether or notthose are accesses looking for a military career. Details on base telephone features, a ref-if s free and when it does reach it, it rings that they need. Theyre going to get the bill bill and and match it up erence list and several other services are both sides, he said. they take that While he enjoys his job, some problems with the information we get from our switch. available on the Hill Intranet under phones. Ext. p, . . long-distan- ce 38Q High 21 Q Low Cloudy, clearing in the afternoon 43Q High Partly cloudy P mviv.airfield-ops.hill.af.milosnneath- 1 8Q off-ba-se Were very conscious of the privacy ad and the individuals rights in monitoring. All approval must go of through the Special Investigations. five-dig- it weather outlook 66 er Low 45Q High 22Q Low Sunny, increasing cloudiness late 44e High 25s Low Mostly cloudy |