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General Conley Takes Command of Air Force Special Operations Command

Friday, July 5th, 2024

HURLBURT FIELD, Fl. —

Lt. Gen. Michael Conley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command from Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind in a change of command ceremony at the Freedom Hangar here July 2.

Presiding over the ceremony, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin praised Bauernfeind’s past accomplishments and Conley’s future potential as the commander of AFSOC. Allvin said the image that came to mind when he thought of the transition to a new commander was the passing of a baton in a race.

“Races are won or lost by fractions of a second,” he said. “The stakes are high for our Air Force, our special operations community and our nation and we can’t afford to take a pause. Mike Conley is up to speed. He’s ready. He brings a breadth of experience working with the Air Force, major command and joint staff. He also has a depth of experience in the AFSOC mission.”

During the ceremony, four formations of Air Commandos stood at attention to represent the Airmen of AFSOC. The military formation, comprised of 85 Airmen, represented the five active-duty, one Reserve wing, and two National Guard wings; and more than 20,000 active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian Airmen who serve across AFSOC.

U.S. Army Gen. Bryan Fenton, commander of United States Special Operations Command, also provided remarks during the ceremony, as AFSOC is the Air Force component of USSOCOM. Fenton welcomed Conley as AFSOC’s new commander and praised the command for its spirit of innovation.

“Mike, welcome aboard,” he said. “You are taking charge of an exceptional team. You know this already because you’ve been a key part. You’re inheriting an incredible organization that is not only pathfinding and trailblazing for SOCOM but equally for our Air Force and on top of that, the Department of Defense. And they are doing it at lightning speed. You’re exactly what AFSOC needs to continue that transformation.”

Lt. Gen. Michael Conley assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command after previously serving as the director of operations for Headquarters AFSOC. He was responsible for implementing and directing operational command policy for AFSOC’s worldwide special operations units including 20,800 personnel, approximately 300 aircraft and $17 billion in assets. He also served as the vice commander for AFSOC’s 27th Special Operations Wing and the commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing.

“I am honored and humbled for this opportunity,” he said. “I am committed to making this command the best it can be in ensuring we are ready to go whenever you need us to.

Bauernfeind was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal as well as the USSOCOM ceremonial colors for his accomplishments as commander and then received the final salute from the Air Commandos. He will depart AFSOC to become the next Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.

By Lucelia Ball, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

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Air Commandos Bid Farewell to Lt Gen Bauernfeind

Thursday, July 4th, 2024

HURLBURT FIELD, Fl. —

Air Commandos throughout Air Force Special Operations Command will bid farewell to Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind on July 2nd, as he prepares to depart AFSOC to serve as the Superintendent, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

When he assumed command in December 2022, one of his first actions was to address the more than 22,000 total force and civilian Air Commandos worldwide. In his initial communication, the 13th Commander of AFSOC noted their outstanding dedication to the mission, the Air Force core values, and their oath to the Constitution of the United States.

“Equally inspiring is your devotion to the professionalism and high standards necessary to uphold our sacred trust to the American public,” he said. “Your service is clearly making an impact for our nation, and we will focus on enhancing your quality of service.”

Bauernfeind followed through by modernizing missions, such as the retirement of the final operational MC-130H Combat Talon II and carrying the mission over to the MC-130J Commando II aircrews, maintainers and support teams.

The general also took on the challenge of wing standardization during his command. In March 2023, five wings assigned to AFSOC implemented the wing air staff (A-staff) structure. The new structure reduced the administrative burden at the squadron level to allow them to focus on the mission. AFSOC also established a new headquarters directorate, A7, Air Commando Development in April 2023, designed to provide policy and oversight for how Air Commandos deliberately train, exercise, experience, and educate for deployments.

In addition, AFSOC executed Exercise Talon Spear, the command’s first Small Unmanned Aerial Systems collaboration exercise. It marked the first step for AFSOC on its path toward modernization through the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E) concept. The exercise marked the beginning of the evolution from using the MQ-9 Reaper platform exclusively for its intelligence gathering and strike capabilities to a node (mobile control center) in a distributed command and control concept, furthering AFSOC’s power projection capabilities.

Next, Bauernfeind addressed Air Commandos and their families.

“We recognize the challenges and sacrifices you and your families make to serve this great nation, and we will focus on enhancing your quality of life,” he said.

He accomplished this by improvements to the Integrated Resiliency Optimization Network, which encouraged communication between helping agencies and enabled coordination within the psychological, social, physical, and spiritual resiliency pillars. This effort allowed consolidation of support efforts to take care of Air Commandos.

He also advocated for infrastructure improvements when he tackled the traffic congestion issue at Hurlburt Field, inviting community leaders and state and county officials to several roundtable discussions to brainstorm solutions to the highly congested Highway 98 near the base which can limit mission effectiveness for AFSOC’s alert requirements.

Bauernfeind also provided the vision for the opening of the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park to the public for the first time in 20 years, allowing visitors to come face-to-face with the aircraft, mission and stories – past, present and future. Static aircraft are displayed alongside memorials and informational plaques to provide insight into the men and women who served in AFSOC.

Bauernfeind concluded his introduction by addressing the transformation of the command.

He helmed the command during the ongoing transformation of AFSOC, which involved the continued development of the force generation cycle, implementation of mission command, progression of Special Operations Task Groups and creation of multi-domain theater-focused squadrons.

Additionally, the first activated Special Operations Theater Air Operations Squadron was introduced, which allows AFSOC to bolster the AFSOF unique capabilities offered to Theater Special Operation Commands as well as Theater Air Components, adapting to the ever-changing operational landscape.

“Today is a pivotal time to serve in AFSOC as we navigate a strategic inflection point and continue the work of transforming the command,” he said. “While we face many challenges, we are confident in our future because of your dedication to our mission and innovative spirit.”

These projects, along with countless others, will continue as the general passes command to his successor.

Safe journey Sir!

By Lucelia Ball, Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, SOF | Comments Off on Air Commandos Bid Farewell to Lt Gen Bauernfeind

Register Today for Commando LEAD Virtual Symposium

Saturday, June 29th, 2024

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Register today for the Commando LEAD Symposium 2024, which will be held virtually on July 15. AFSOC is focused on developing Air Commandos to maximize their potential and this symposium is for any member within the command. Register at forms.osi.apps.mil/r/csGEz3j8c5 or use the QR code in the above image.

The Commando LEAD Symposium will have an array of AFSOC speakers, civilian to military, from all ranks and AFSCs. This will sharpen the Air Commando mindset and provide the tools needed to cultivate a professional workplace, nurture workforce talent, and promote an inclusive environment. When we foster an environment of inclusion, our force becomes more engaged, effective, and lethal.

LEAD stands for Leadership, Equity, Advocacy and Development.

By Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs

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Multi-Capable Airman Training Program Launches at Holloman AFB

Wednesday, June 26th, 2024

HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) —

The 29th Aircraft Maintenance Unit launched a Multi-Capable Airmen training program in March of 2024. The program allows Airmen to train on the skills of crew chiefs, avionics and weapons troops, helping prepare Airmen for the broader scope of capabilities necessary to give the Air Force the advantage in the Great Power Competition.

Squadron members can be trained and qualified on basic operations or tasks for each work center within a cycle, which takes four weeks to complete from start to finish. Airmen are trained in avionics systems operations, communication tasks, launch and recovery procedures, engine theory operations and more.

“An avionics technician who specializes in electronic systems used on aircraft would normally not be a part of airframe and engine maintenance,” said Master Sgt. Michael Nistler, 29th AMU section chief. “The MCA program allows them to learn launch and recovery procedures, tire and brake assembly replacements, engine theory of operation, and component replacements in addition to weapons systems.”

When training is complete, Airmen receive a certificate of completion, along with a duty-authorized patch.

“I was very honored to be a part of the MCA program, as it was a great opportunity to know what other shops do,” said Airman 1st Class Kennedy Richardson, 29th AMU avionics technician. “You get the overall knowledge about how the aircraft functions and how other sections work together and communicate with each other.”

According to Nistler, the 29th AMU currently has 20 total qualified MCA members, encompassing 3,000 training tasks overall. The unit will be going into cycle four with a goal of qualifying current 5-level Airmen.

“Our unit has become capable of upholding the Agile Combat Employment initiative, both with the execution of satellite launch and recovery of aircraft and the MCA concept,” Nistler said. “ACE and MCA can go hand-in-hand with smaller, cross-section teams able to perform required maintenance, which in turn makes us more agile for potential future conflicts.”

The ACE concept is a proactive and reactive operational scheme of maneuver executed within threat timelines to increase resiliency and survivability while generating combat power. The ability of crews to initiate, taxi, takeoff and land MQ-9 Reapers from a geographically distinct location lessens the necessity of deploying personnel and equipment in hostile areas.

In order to guarantee that Airmen and aircrew are positioned to deliver deadly combat power throughout the range of military operations, ACE is designed to make sure Airmen are prepared for emergencies and can operate from places with differing degrees of capability and support.

Ground control stations, data terminals and other equipment required for takeoff and landing are examples of launch and recovery elements. These components require a substantial logistical footprint. Because of the satellite link’s time delay, manual takeoff and landing are conducted via line-of-sight links. The pilot and sensor operator that operate the aircraft are housed in the mission control elements.

“On a typical deployment, large teams are sent out, but our satellite launch recovery’s feature was designed with the purpose of removing the need for air crews at deployed locations,” said Tech. Sgt. Cory Westerfield, 29th AMU aircraft section noncommissioned officer in charge. “Moving locations quickly without having to move a lot of equipment infrastructure is beneficial to the efficiency of the mission, saving man hours, refueling trucks and equipment. When the MCA concept is applied, our unit can combine their skill set, having trained in other section tasks.”

Instead of sending out a large team, a smaller one can be sent out because they are all trained to perform the various tasks needed, making the team more agile and the logistics a lot easier to get the mission done.

“It feels good making a difference,” Nistler said. “This is the steppingstone to a bigger picture to fulfill the ACE concept and we’re moving to these different locations and able to complete the mission with just minimal requirements, saving man hours, saving time, saving money, and to help prepare for that next combat situation.”

By Airman 1st Class Michelle Ferrari

49th Wing Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Training | Comments Off on Multi-Capable Airman Training Program Launches at Holloman AFB

CSAF Allvin Adds Details, Articulates His ‘Nonstop’ Commitment to ‘Reoptimize’

Sunday, June 23rd, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

Adding detail and context to an ambitious effort for “reoptimizing” the Air Force, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said in separate appearances June 13 and 14 that changing the way the Total Force trains, plans, modernizes, and is equipped must succeed for the Air Force to meet emerging challenges from China and other competitors.

Speaking first at an Air & Space Warfighters in Action session June 13, Allvin said the Air Force has made real and tangible progress instituting elements of a broad strategy announced in February to evolve how the Air Force develops people, generates readiness, projects power, and develops integrated capabilities.

Allvin pointed out, for example, progress in reinstituting warrant officers to help fill and keep personnel with in-demand skills such as cyber and information technology. That effort, he said, is well underway, with the warrant officer selection board scheduled to convene this month and the announcement of selects tentatively scheduled for late July.

The service started soliciting applications from April 25 to May 31 for Airmen aspiring to become the inaugural cohort of warrant officers in information technology and cyber careers.

He also provided an unambiguous rationale for the undertaking and why Air Force leaders insist on pushing it forward with urgency.

“We are finding that it is more difficult to retain the cyber talent that we spend a lot of time investing in, and that is going to be so critical to us going forward,” Allvin said at AFA. “We believe this is going to be a good path to ensure that we have the talent for today and tomorrow in a very cyber-heavy force that we’re going to need.”

Separate efforts to assemble, train, and deploy so-called “Air Task Forces” are moving briskly. These units will work and train together throughout the AFFORGENcycle to deploy as Units of Action in fiscal year 2026. The introduction of ATFs marks a significant milestone in the journey toward modernization and readiness, laying the groundwork to ensure the Air Force maintains a competitive advantage over the pacing challenge, he said.

“We have an advancing threat the likes of which we haven’t seen for decades,” Allvin said at AFA. He went on to say, “a key piece of reoptimization is taking all our Airmen and developing them with a common understanding of that threat … That’s central to being ‘Mission Ready Airmen’.”

In addition to understanding the threat, Mission Ready Airmen comprehend the service’s unique and inherent capabilities to defend against the threat.

“If we believe that the future of national defense and the joint force is going to require some of the attributes that exist in our air and space forces, then we have a requirement to not only be able to participate in the joint force, we need to be leading it. The character of war is privileging the things that airpower has been doing for a long time.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Allvin

In a media session June 14 at the Pentagon, Allvin expounded on his comments from the day prior and discussed the need to be “One Air Force.”

“We are taking an Air Force that has been somewhat fragmented due to the strategic environment over the years and really better aligning it and coming back to be one Air Force with one force design, one unit of action type, and one Airmen development concept,” he told a group of reporters.

Near the end of the hour-long session with reporters, Allvin articulated his long-term commitment to the reoptimization effort and better integrating the force.

“I got about a little less than three and a half years left [as Chief of Staff] … and this [reoptimization] is what I am going to be about. It will be nonstop. That I can promise you,” Allvin said.

By TSgt Nicholas G. Koetz

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

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Air Force Special Operations Command Demonstrates Ability to Support Joint Force Readiness and Resilience Through Real-Time Onboard Data Collection

Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

AFSOC Public Affairs

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command gathered members of Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology, and Logis tics, AFSOC Staff, Cyber Mission Defense Teams (MDTs), and maintenance personnel here to demonstrate its latest capability to collect and analyze onboard data from an operational MC-130 aircraft, detect cybersecurity and maintenance anomalies in real-time, and stream data and anomalies into a Department of Defense cloud environment. This demonstrated AFSOC’s ability to support joint force readiness and resilience through real-time onboard data collection, detection, and alerting capabilities from the tactical edge.

The demonstration utilized commercial off the shelf observability platform which collected and analyzed aircraft data as it was generated during flight, revealing a set of simulated operational and cybersecurity anomalies which were streamed to the MDT ground station. Once received, the MDT streamed the alerts and corresponding data into a joint cloud instance in real-time for further analysis, enabling cybersecurity, maintenance, and intelligence analysis use across the joint force.

“To evolve and outpace the adversary, AFSOC must embrace change that will enable technical overmatch during high-end conflict and long-term strategic competition. Gaining real-time or near real-time observability into operational aircraft gives us the ability to develop countermeasures to overcome enemy cyber-attacks, generate force readiness, and improve mission capable rates,” said Col Alfredo Corbett, AFSOC Director, Cyber & C4 Systems.

AFSOC currently leverages equipment to gain observability into the onboard operational technology generated by the MC-130 aircraft. Hardware captures, analyzes, detects, and alerts on anomalies at the edge, enabling real-time maintenance and cybersecurity monitoring, insights and intelligence, and the ability to build and deploy new detections. By integrating the alerts and data into the DoD cloud environment, AFSOC demonstrates its ability to support DoD modernization efforts, enabling it to improve the readiness, survivability, and lethality of vehicles fleet wide.

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Department of the Air Force Launches NIPRGPT

Wednesday, June 19th, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

As part of its ongoing modernization efforts, the Department of the Air Force chief information officer, in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory, is accelerating initiatives to provide Guardians, Airmen, civilian employees, and contractors the ability to responsibly experiment with Generative AI, with adequate safeguards in place.

DAF senior leaders are focused on maximizing competitive advantage, recognizing that Airmen and Guardians need advanced technologies at the speed of relevance. To that end, the DAF is launching NIPRGPT, an experimental bridge to leverage GenAI on the Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network while continuing to explore maturing industry solutions.

“Our recent GenAI Roundtables with industry and academia have shown us this is an actively growing field,” said Venice Goodwine, DAF chief information officer. “Now is the time to give our Airmen and Guardians the flexibility to develop the necessary skills in parallel. There are multiple modernization efforts going on right now across the federal government and within the DAF to get tools in the hands of the workforce. This tool is another one of those efforts.”

NIPRGPT is part of the Dark Saber software platform developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, New York. Dark Saber is an ecosystem of Airmen and Guardians from across the DAF that brings together innovators and developers and equips them to create next-generation software and operational capabilities deployable to the Force at a rapid pace.

At no additional cost to the unit or the users, NIPRGPT is an AI chatbot that allows users to have human-like conversations to complete various tasks. The CAC-enabled GenAI tool can answer questions and assist with tasks such as correspondence, background papers and code, all within a secure computing environment.

“Technology is learned by doing,” Chandra Donelson, the DAF’s acting chief data and artificial intelligence officer, said in a statement. “As our warfighters, who are closest to the problems, are learning the technology, we are leveraging their insights to inform future policy, acquisition and investment decisions.”

The experiment is an opportunity to facilitate real-world testing, focusing on key metrics such as computational efficiency, resource utilization, security compliance, etc., to understand GenAI’s practical applications and challenges and ensure that future implementation is effective and efficient. The platform includes user feedback opportunities to help develop governing policies and enable informed conversations with vendors as the DAF works to incorporate these tools into its operations.

“NIPRGPT is a critical bridge to ensure we get the best tools we have into our team’s hands while larger commercial tools are navigating our intense security parameters and other processes,” said Alexis Bonnell, AFRL chief information officer. “Changing how we interact with unstructured knowledge is not instant perfection; we each must learn to use the tools, query, and get the best results. NIPRGPT will allow Airmen and Guardians to explore and build skills and familiarity as more powerful tools become available.”

Civilian and uniformed Airmen and Guardians, as well as contractors who are CAC holders, can register for NIPRGPT access here: niprgpt.mil. The system has a limited number of users available to be registered during the experiment. After capacity has been reached, individuals seeking access will be put on a waitlist.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

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AFSFC Reaches Final Phase of Fielding Model Defender Gear

Tuesday, June 18th, 2024

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) —

A four-year initiative to modernize the day-to-day equipment of active-duty Air Force security forces defenders reached its fifth and final phase recently with the award of a $39 million contract for state-of-the-art defender gear.

In addition to securing the contract award through the Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s 773rd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, the Air Force Security Forces Center worked with Air Force Materiel Command logisticians to get the equipment into the Logistics Readiness Inventory Control System.

“Because of this effort, not only will it be easier to account for equipment, defenders will now be able to move from one installation to another with their Model Defender Individual Equipment Kit under the Gear for Life program,” said Master Sgt. Derek Walton, AFSFC Model Defender and Gear for Life program manager. “This means they will no longer need to have that equipment issued at each installation as they progress in their careers.”

At the direction of Air Force Security Forces, the Model Defender initiative began in June 2020 with a focus on standardizing must-have daily gear for every defender in the Department of the Air Force.

“The establishment of the Model Defender Individual Equipment Kit was crucial as it standardized gear across the Air Force security forces enterprise enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring the safety and professional appearance of personnel and fostering modernization within the Total Force,” said Dennis Rodriguez, AFSFC individual protective equipment branch chief.

AFSFC started the new initiative by developing a standardized equipment list of 23 items which was then coordinated, amended and approved through major commands and security forces headquarters. This resulted in a final Model Defender Individual Equipment Kit.

Working with industry and Air Force contracting partners, the center then conducted phase 1 testing of state-of-the-art equipment using active-duty, National Guard Bureau and Air Force Reserve Commanddefenders in the San Antonio area.

“This collaborative effort with industry partners for phase 1 testing also streamlined the acquisition process, ensuring that all security forces are well equipped and ready for their duties,” Rodriguez said.

Based on testing results, AFSFC continued to phase 2 for expanded day-to-day testing at eight installations across four major commands, and phase 3 where the center consolidated and scrutinized collected data before presenting their findings to the Air Force Equipment and Weapons Configuration Board for validation.

During both of these phases, AFSFC worked with AFICC’s contracting experts for an acquisition strategy that would move the purchase forward once decisions were made about what equipment was best for the defender force.

“By conducting ongoing testing with the consolidation and analysis of test results, we were able to swiftly transition through the phases,” Rodriguez said. “This parallel processing allowed for immediate adjustments and expedited the validation and acquisition processes.”

As a result, the equipment procurement plan was set to go immediately after the team confirmed the best equipment for the security forces enterprise, he added.

Phase 4, the first purchase of Model Defender kit equipment took place May 2023 with Blue Force Gear and marked a significant milestone in the timeline.

“Blue Force Gear developed a kit specifically to meet the needs of our security forces enterprise,” Walton said. “Their laser cut technology is cutting edge and integrates seamlessly with the body armor solution that was selected by the Air Force.”

Upon receiving the initial small equipment purchase, the AFSFC team shifted focus to begin collaboration with Headquarters Air Force.

“The goal was to integrate the Model Defender items into the supply system through the Gear for Life initiative,” Rodriguez said. “Which was crucial for us to ensure the newly acquired equipment would be seamlessly incorporated into the broader system, enhancing the overall readiness and capability of the SF enterprise.”

“Our collaboration with headquarters was pivotal,” he added. “Integrating the Model Defender equipment into the Gear for Life initiative is not just a step, it’s a leap toward equipping defenders with the tools they need to face the future head-on.”

The final phase award was the career field’s largest purchase ever when the full contract of $39 million was awarded to Blue Force Gear in April.

Equipment rollout to the field is expected to begin in December with full delivery to the field by early 2025.

The finalized Model Defender kit consists of:
– M-4 magazine pouches
– M-18 magazine pouches
– Dump pouches (for easily stowing a variety of items like empty magazines)
– Holster adapters
– Mollie belts (a webbed belt that allows gear to be attached in a variety of configurations)
– Utility and handcuff pouches
– Flashlight and baton pouches

By Debbie Aragon, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Public Affairs

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