The premier Manufacturers Advisory Group (MAG) Exchange will be held this Oct 20-21 in Tucson at the Four Points Sheraton, 5 to 10 pm.
Dates coincide with the ARC WEPTAC.
Target audience is the ground combatant elements of Air Force as well as federal, state and local law enforcement.
Vendors can contact MAG Exchange via IG @magexchamgemil
The 330th and 331st Recruiting Squadrons, teamed up to host an Athletic Leadership Boot Camp at 17 Springs Complex, Millbrook, Alabama, July 18, 2025. The ALB featured teamwork-focused drills designed to build strength, resilience and camaraderie. Exercises included navigating with blacked-out goggles, sandbag sled pulls and a sandbag walk across the end zone. Staff Sgt. Andrew Hestley, 330th Recruiting Squadron special warfare scout, emphasized the importance of teamwork and physical fitness in preparing recruits for the challenges of Special Warfare. (U.S. Air Force video by Airman 1st Class Nelvis Sera)
We’re less than 90 days out from the first Manufacturers Advisory Group (MAG) Exchange this Oct 20-21 in Tucson.
Location is the Four Points Sheraton, 5 to 10 pm.
Dates coincide with the ARC WEPTAC.
Target audience is the ground combatant elements of Air Force as well as federal, state and local law enforcement.
Vendors can contact MAG Exchange via IG @magexchamgemil
LULEA, Sweden (AFNS) —
In the challenging terrain of northern Sweden, the 57th Rescue Squadron based out of Aviano, Italy and Swedish air force rangers based out of Ronneby, Sweden, collaborated to accomplish high-stakes personnel recovery training from March 30 through June 14. What began as planned participation in the Arctic Challenge Exercise transformed into a focused bilateral mission in one of Europe’s most strategically vital regions.
“This exercise focuses on traditional personnel recovery—retrieving simulated downed pilots or isolated personnel from contested areas and safely reintegrating them into friendly forces,” explained U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Drew Guerra, 57th RQS Tactical Air Control Party joint terminal attack controller.
The 57th RQS sent a small, specialized team composed of TACP, intelligence, communications and survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialists to integrate with the Swedish air force rangers. Together, they executed live, full-mission profiles to develop and test tactics, techniques and procedures for the ever-evolving battlefield in Unmanned Aircraft Systems, counter-UAS and infiltration methods for traditional and non-traditional personnel recovery.
“We like to have [the 57th RQS] join us on as many occasions as possible, and vice versa,” said Master Sgt. Rasmus Antonsson, Swedish air force ranger troop chief. “We aim to train and compete with the best, and to us, that is the U.S. Air Force.”
The unforgiving northern terrain of swamps, hills and dense woods presents unique operational challenges. Helicopter teams must adapt to limited landing zones while ground crews navigate harsh conditions to move patients swiftly and safely.
For the 57th RQS, this environment is unfamiliar and the experience is invaluable. Training in Sweden offers critical exposure to the operational demands of northern Europe and deepens integration with Swedish partners.
“We have a great history of integration with Sweden and are always grateful for the opportunity to work with our northern allies,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Matthew Doyle, 57th RQS SERE specialist. “Their constant professionalism and willingness to exchange lessons learned is a testament to our seamless partnership.”
Located near the Arctic Circle, northern Sweden offers a critical staging ground for allied operations. In the event of conflict, pre-positioned aircraft and recovery forces in the region could launch missions across the Baltic Sea faster and with greater cohesion. Thanks to this training, U.S. and Swedish teams are laying the groundwork for an integrated, ready and resilient task force in the High North.
By SSgt Brooke Rogers, 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —
The 24th Special Operations Wing furled its flag May 16, 2025, marking the transition of the organizational structure of the Special Tactics enterprise, the latest change in Air Force Special Operations Command’s commitment to adapting to the evolving demands of the strategic environment.
“The furling of this flag represents not an end, but another transition point for both the Special Tactics community and AFSOC,” said Lt. Gen. Michael Conley, commander Air Force Special Operations Command. “I truly believe that the best days of Special Tactics lie ahead, not behind us. Special Tactics remains vital to AFSOC and our Nation.”
Activated in 2012 as the ST functional wing, the 24 SOW was initially designed to maximize the effectiveness and advocacy of AFSOC’s air-to-ground integration force. However, the operational environment has evolved significantly over the past 13 years, impacting the role of ST within AFSOC.
“The 24th Special Operations Wing has not ended. It has simply passed into each of you. Wherever you go next, carry it forward. Lead with the quiet strength that built this wing. Fight with the heart that made it great. Honor those who cannot stand beside us today,” said Col. Dan Magruder, outgoing 24 SOW commander.
While the demand for small, self-sustaining, and distributed forces – the attributes inherent to ST units – are more valuable than ever, the integration of ST into the larger AFSOC enterprise has matured considerably. ST leaders, both officer and enlisted, now consistently fill key leadership positions across the command, SOF enterprise and joint force.
“This isn’t a division of labor. This is a unity of effort as we transition to the next phase,” said Col Joseph Gross, 720th Special Tactics Group commander. “I can’t wait to see the next two years as we move out with a new [organization],” he added.
The 720 STG will now report directly to AFSOC headquarters continuing to provide operational and administrative oversite of the 2-series special tactics squadrons, as well as the Special Tactics Training Squadron which is responsible for combat mission qualification for all ST operators.
“The evolving strategic landscape and advancing adversary capabilities underscore the invaluable nature of Special Tactics’ skills,” said Conley. “Innovation, ingenuity, boldness, and valor have been defining attributes of the ST community since its inception and are critical as AFSOC adapts to meet the challenges ahead.”
By AFSOC Public Affairs
AFSOC Public Affairs
ALPENA, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
U.S. Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) specialists and 3d Air Support Operations Group (ASOG) Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) waged simulated war against 820th Base Defense Group (BDG) Airmen during exercise Capri Sun at an Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center operations site in Michigan, Mar. 31 to Apr. 11, 2025.
Blue force TACP and SERE conducted surveillance and targeting operations while being hunted by 820 BDG opposing forces in the bitter cold of Michigan’s forests reaching lows of 14 degrees Fahrenheit. The opposing forces’ goal was to detect TACP and SERE Airmen’s presence with small unmanned aerial systems, simulated intelligence injects, roving patrols, and reconnaissance and surveillance equipment, then to engage with blank rounds and simulated indirect fire.
820 BDG’s primary mission is to defend austere airfields in contested battlefield environments, and this exercise enabled them to apply their defensive fundamentals to protect simulated adversarial assets on this battlefield. Blue forces aimed to infiltrate these defenses undetected to provide targeting data to strike assets.
These opposing forces stressed the TACP and SERE Airmen’s ability to blend into the environment, move covertly throughout the simulated battlefield and detect critical assets for strikes. The weather, environment and opposing forces confronted these blue forces during their 108 operating hours.
These blue forces enabled 820 BDG opposing forces to develop and test their subordinate leaders, the backbone of a flexible fighting force. Through centralized planning and decentralized execution, these subordinate leaders executed individual operations to achieve their common objective.
“The capability for a commander to empower their subordinate leaders to execute their intent with minimal oversight is a huge force multiplier in Agile Combat Employment operations,” Pyle explained. “Rather than operating as one giant echelon of troops at a company level, we can execute multiple missions at the squad level and below to achieve greater effects.”
Story by Capt Christian Little
93rd Air Ground Operations Wing
