Employee deploys to Middle East as part of Air National Guard search and rescue unit

On Christmas Day, while others were settling in with their comfy pajamas, Andrew Kavanah gave his family hugs, said his goodbyes, loaded up his bags and made the trip to Mountain View, Calif. ahead of his four-month deployment to the Middle East as part of the Air National Guard. Kavanah, an Etch safety conductor with Samsung Austin Semiconductor, has 10 years of experience with the Air National Guard and is based out of the 129th Rescue Wing in California. The 129th specializes in search and rescue missions. “My primary aircraft responsibilities are maintaining electrical and environmental components,” explains Kavanah, whose first deployment was to Kuwait in 2017. “I help maintain the airplane, anything electrical or environmental related including lights, pressurization, power, etc. We make sure it’s ready to go and keep those airplanes ready to fly.” Kavanah started with us in April of 2023, and within a few weeks of starting his new role, he got a call from the military that he was selected for deployment. “’Make sure your bags are ready, Kavanah,’ is what they told me,” he recalls. From January to April of this year, Kavanah will be attached to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing unit based in the Middle East where he will work on both Blackhawk helicopters and C130 J fixed-wing aircrafts—which are typically used in tandem to perform search and rescues. “The cool thing about this unit and mission is our C130’s can refuel helicopters in flight,” Kavanah says. “While my unit will be focused on search and rescue, we can do transportation as well, such as moving equipment and/or people.” As an Air National Guard member, Kavanah attends training once a month. For this deployment, he had to attend additional weapons training and CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive) training. “We’ll simulate attacks, simulate recoveries from attacks, all that stuff to prepare for anything that could be happening down range.” In the weeks leading up to his deployment, Kavanah worked with his supervisor and director to ensure a seamless transition for his colleagues. He made a checklist of his responsibilities and helped assign appropriate tasks for the applicable work. “Samsung’s been fantastic with everything. My supervisor and director have all been fully supportive, ever since the news broke,” adds Kavanah. When a reservist is called up to active duty, Samsung Austin Semiconductor provides up to 20 days of pay differential of an individual’s military pay to their Samsung salary. Kavanah says he’s confident about the mission since the leadership and training he’s received has prepared him and his unit for this opportunity. Kavanah is a member of our Military Appreciation Group, an employee resource group that fosters a sense of community for those who have served in the United States armed forces or appreciate those who have served. Samsung Austin Semiconductor is also a designated We Hire Vets company by the State of Texas and a HIRE Vets company by the US Department of Labor.