RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- When a natural disaster strikes, infrastructure fails, or a crisis demands immediate action, there is only one squadron in all of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa that can establish or restore critical communications within 72 hours.
As USAFE-AFAFRICA’s sole engineering installation squadron, the 1st Engineering Installation Squadron delivers reliable and resilient connectivity wherever and whenever it is needed most, particularly in contested, degraded, or rapidly evolving environments.
“While engineering installation is not new to the Air Force, the 1 EIS occupies a uniquely strategic position,” said Maj. Lesly Torres, 1 EIS commander. “It is only the second active-duty engineering installation squadron in the Air Force and the only one stationed overseas.”
The squadron bridges the gap between the capabilities based in the continental United States and the immediate needs of commanders in Europe and Africa.
Engineered for the Mission
Traditional communications units primarily operate and maintain existing networks. The 1 EIS; however, can engineer, install, and restore communications infrastructure from the ground up. Or as their motto says, “Install, Restore. Ready for War!”
To fulfill this requirement, the squadron is composed of Airmen with expeditionary skillsets not typically found in traditional communications squadrons, such as organic engineering design, theater climb and rescue expertise, emergency network restoration, and the installation of critical antenna and fiber infrastructure.
“Together, these capabilities establish the 1 EIS as a battle-ready force capable of operating forward, at scale, and under demanding conditions,” said Capt. Glenn Dredden, Jr., 1 EIS Operations flight commander.
Meaningful changes
In the past, a large-scale communications installation project required contracting an outside organization or deploying Guard or stateside engineering installation units. These options had increased costs, longer timelines, and limited flexibility during crises.
“The 1 EIS fundamentally changes that model,” said Torres. “Positioned centrally within Europe, the squadron provides organic, in-theater engineering installation capability at a fraction of the cost, while dramatically reducing response times. This capability directly reduces operational risk.”
Total Force effort
The squadron is comprised of 57 personnel, including three commissioned officers, 46 enlisted Airmen, four civilians, and two local national employees. It also incorporates a continuous rotation of Air National Guard Airmen from engineering installation squadrons across the United States.
“These six-month rotations exemplify Total Force Integration in action, allowing active-duty and Guard Airmen to operate side-by-side, share best practices, and maintain common engineering and installation standards across the force,” said Dredden.
Recent accomplishments
Some examples of the 1 EIS in action include:
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At Ramstein Air Base, the squadron partnered with the 435th Construction and Training Squadron to build platforms for Fixed Site-Small Unmanned Aircraft Detection Systems (FS-sUADS), enhancing counter-drone defense across the installation. In support of North Atlantic Treaty Organization electronic warfare exercises, Airmen installed a 9,000-foot fiber backbone connecting the 19th Electronic Warfare Squadron, enabling complex, multi-national training operations.
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The squadron also executed preventative maintenance inspections on the High Frequency Global Communications System (HFGCS) at Royal Air Force Croughton and Lajes Field, ensuring continued reliability of one of the Department of War’s most critical long-haul communications systems.
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Beyond antenna and cable operations, the 1 EIS played a key role in theater network modernization. The network infrastructure shop facilitated the upgrade of 576 network switches across Spangdahlem and Aviano Air Bases, directly supporting USAFE modernization directives. At RAF Menwith Hill, Airmen engineered and executed a comprehensive network redesign, addressing aging infrastructure and significantly improving performance, resilience, and long-term sustainability.