A collection of news and information specifically for the C4ISR community

Vol. 4, No. 22
June 5, 2008

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United States Air Force active duty, Guard and Reserve members participating in last year’s Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration join coalition forces on the floor of a mock Combined Air Operations Center at Hanscom in June 2007. Participants are now gathering to set up at the Hanscom site, as well as at many other sites around the globe, to prepare for this year’s demonstration, which kicks off June 9. (Photo by Jan Abate)

By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Hanscom AFB is once again setting up to serve as a major host site for the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, an annual event sponsored by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and directed by U.S. Joint Forces Command. This year’s event kicks off June 9.

The primary goal – at Hanscom and at CWID sites across the globe – is to better enable U.S. forces to perform combat and other operations synchronously, with each other, and with coalition partners.

“More and more, coalition forces and U.S. services are coming on board with the concept that interoperability is a crucial element of warfare,” said Lt. Col. Curt Harvey, who will operate as the combined forces air component commander during the demonstration for the second consecutive year.

CWID features what are known as interoperability trials, in which operators assess technologies at various stages of development to determine their potential for meeting critical warfighting needs. (More)

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Col. Steve Webb, former 350th Electronic Systems Group commander, reviews a briefing with 1st Lt. Julienne White, the group executive officer, on a recent afternoon. Colonel Webb retired from his job at Hanscom this week after 28 years of Air Force service. His plans after retirement include spending more time with his family, home improvement projects and learning the ropes of a new job in the local area. (Photo by Linda LaBonte-Britt)

By Monica D. Morales
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

It was a lifestyle that Col. Steve Webb found hard to resist despite his pilot father’s good-natured advice to look beyond an Air Force career, since having less than 20/20 vision might not translate into success in a flier’s world.

Enamored with the military life he had always known, the 350th Electronic Systems Group commander has proven that Air Force achievements can present themselves in varying forms. This week he accomplished yet another when he retired after 28 years of military service.

“I could not have asked for anything more than the Air Force has already offered,” he said. “It’s the best job and career that I could possibly have ever had.”

As commander of the 350 ELSG, Colonel Webb has been responsible for the development, testing, fielding and sustainment of 19 Air and Space Operations Center sites worldwide, more than 100 Theater Battle Management Core System (TBMCS) Force Level locations, and more than 100 TBMCS Unit-Level sites, as well as a variety of Foreign Military Sales programs. (More)

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By Chuck Paone
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

While much attention has been focused on the impressive list of high-level speakers scheduled to address the second annual Air Force Cyberspace Symposium June 17 to 19, the event will also feature three highly informative panel discussions.

A technology panel will look beyond military applications at the wider range of issues affecting how people interact with each other and with technology in the cyber era, and will look for ways to maximize benefits while minimizing threats.

“The capabilities available to us in the cyber age are tremendous, and they now affect how we live, how we work, how we conduct business transactions and, indeed, how we fight,” said Col. Leslie Blackham, commander of ESC’s 753 Electronic Systems Group, the panel lead. “Our panel will look at the benefits and risks of sharing information across global networks and discuss how technology, now and in the future, will influence both.”  (More)

J-STARS total force cooperation helps save lives

Capt. Steve Grogan controls an operator workstation inside a Joint STARS aircraft May 19. Captain Grogan is the 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron senior director. (Photo by Senior Airman Domonique Simmons)

By Senior Airman Carolyn Viss
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Looking deep into hostile territory, modified Boeing 707s with multi-mode radar systems provide surveillance of territory behind enemy lines.

The 7th Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is equipped with radar, communications, operations and control subsystems.

It's detached here from the 116th Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Ga., and comprised of active-duty, guard, reserve, and sister-service members, said Capt. Stephen Grogan, the 7th EACCS senior director and a full-time Air National Guardsman. The team works together to detect ground movement and provide Army Common Ground Stations with moving target indicators. (More)

Chief's recognition ceremony

Chief Master Sgt. Alphonso Thompson (right), 66th Security Forces Squadron superintendent, and Master Chief Petty Officer Joseph Smith, engineering officer with Maritime Safety and Security Team Boston, were honored during the Chief’s Recognition Ceremony on May 30 at the Minuteman Club. Col. Tom Schluckebier, 66th Air Base Wing commander, hosted the event with the Hanscom Chiefs Group. (Photo by Linda LaBonte-Britt)

Hundreds of attendees will converge on the Marriott Waterside Hotel and Resort in Tampa, Fla., June 23-26 for the 853rd Electronic System Group’s 13th annual Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management conference.

As in years past, the objective of the conference is to understand civilian CNS/ATM requirements, share expertise and improve Department of Defense processes for complying with civil CNS/ATM mandates. The three-day conference will focus on worldwide air and ground-based CNS/ATM requirements and issues; however, there will be specific emphasis on the Next Generation Air Transportation System or “NextGen” as it is commonly referred.

“We have scheduled a wide-array of presenters to make sure we cover the majority of the key topics across the spectrum of global air traffic systems,” said Maj. Patrick Maddox, Global Air Traffic Management Division chief.

Electronic Systems Center Commander, Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds will attend and speak on how ESC can support the NextGen initiative as it moves from planning to implementation.  (More)

350 ELSG change of command

Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds (left) passes the 350th Electronic Systems Group guidon to Col. William Cooley during a change of command ceremony for the group June 3. Prior to that, Colonel Cooley served as director of the 950th Electronic Systems Group's Air Force Distributed Common Ground System Division here at Hanscom.   (Photo by Linda LaBonte-Britt)

Commander's Log
Responsibility of discipline, commitment falls to every Airman

Gen. Bruce Carlson

To the men and women of AFMC --

As a professional Air Force, it is imperative we demonstrate an unwavering adherence to all published directives, tactics, techniques and procedures. It is this discipline and our commitment to the fundamentals of our profession that make us the greatest Air Force in history. Recent events have brought this discipline into question and uncovered some very troubling indications of a breakdown of our most basic competencies. There is zero tolerance for blatantly ignoring prescribed technical orders and checklists, taking shortcuts or pencil whipping documents. Yet, it's happening in our Air Force and in our Command…and it must stop. Some have simply lost their focus.

Here's how I see it.

If you examine a championship team, you'll quickly find what sets it apart from the competition is its ability to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well. To be the best, you must aggressively execute the fundamentals…the basic blocking and tackling of our business.  (More)

754 ELSG master sergeant earns Bronze Star

Master Sgt. Robert Kelly, superintendent of circuit actions for Air Force Secure Network, sits aboard an Army Blackhawk helicopter on one of his missions during his assignment as a network advisor to the director of command and control systems for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. Sergeant Kelly earned the Bronze Star Medal for his service during his deployment. (Courtesy photo)

By Jason Bishop
754th Electronic Systems Group

Master Sgt. Robert Kelly had just returned from a deployment when he received orders saying he was going to Iraq for a year.

The superintendent of circuit actions for Air Force Secure Network had been home two weeks when he found out he was to deploy as the advisor to the director of command and control systems for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. In fact, this was Sergeant Kelly’s fifth deployment during his six-and-a-half years at Gunter.

So what did the Air Force sergeant of 18 years find out about the assignment? Before he left for his assignment, Sergeant Kelly was given a clear, concise preview of what to expect day-to-day.

“I was expecting to sit in a warehouse and hand out radios,” he said.

However, what Sergeant Kelly was told wasn’t exactly what happened.

“We were actually establishing the communications network for the entire country of Iraq,” Sergeant Kelly said. “We went on missions which included flying around the country and designing the new layout for how we are going to build the infrastructure.”  (More)

By Rhonda Siciliano
66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

Hanscom will host its next Heroes' Homecoming celebration on June 27 to honor personnel who have returned from deployments over the past six months as well as their family members. The event is being held in conjunction with the base's annual Summer Bash celebration.

The Heroes' Homecoming event will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Park located behind the Hanscom Clinic. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved inside to the Aero Club hangar. Both venues have been designated by Lt. Gen. Ted Bowlds, Electronic Systems Center commander, as alternate duty locations.

Local radio talk show host Michael Graham from 96.9 WTKK will once again serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the homecoming event, which will include participation from the Boston Bruins, a player appearance from the New England Revolution soccer team, music from the Band of Liberty's Ceremonial Band and community participation from other local organizations.  (More)

Raytheon completes DCGS milestone, delivers first system to Beale
-- Inside the Air Force
Raytheon recently completed end-to-end factory acceptance testing of the newest version of the distributed common ground system ...

Cyberwarfare wish list
-- Defense News
Know how to hack a computer system and quietly steal information? Can you also deceive, deny, disrupt, degrade or destroy the system? Then the U.S. Air Force wants to hear from you.

U.S. pushes to rely more on remotely piloted craft
-- New York Times
Early last year, the Air Force was able to keep no more than 11 of the remotely piloted, armed Predator surveillance aircraft flying over Iraq and Afghanistan at any one time.

DoD weapons procurement broken, auditor warns
-- Defense News
The Defense Department's procurement system is failing to deliver U.S. troops the weapons they need while running up nearly $300 billion in cost overruns ...

Girl Scouts send cookies to soldiers in Iraq
-- MetroWest Daily News
A simple act of kindness can be remembered forever, and that's just what happened when military troops received those tasty Girl Scout cookies.

Moseley resigns; Wynne expected to follow suit
-- Defense News
Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley resigned this morning at a meeting with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

command comments ...

-- President George W. Bush
at May 28 United States
Air Force Academy commencement

The Integrator is a weekly product of the 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office designed to give ESC decision makers a snapshot of news affecting the C4ISR community.  This e-publication is approved by Kevin Gilmartin, Chief of Public Affairs, (DSN) 478-4110 or commercial (781) 377-4110.  Back issues are available online.  To facilitate service, please select a link for your e-mails:  
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