MODERNIZATION EFFORTS ... - Air Force Network Integration Center

Lt. Col. Jeffrey J. Geringer
607th CbCS/CC, korea
“Redefining how to
provide tactical comm
here. We’re in the process
of transforming to a
23-Airman flight within
the 607th Air and Space
Communications Squadron,
responsible to four
remote bases in Korea.
CC SPEAK
PACAF COMMANDERS: What’s your biggest challenge?
Lt. Col. Daniel J. Elmore
3rd CS/CC, Elmendorf AFb, Alaska
“Sustaining a high level
of network service in
the face of manning
cuts, limited budgets,
and diminishing local
control over the network
is my biggest concern.
Network regionalization
promises to offer
more effective, efficient
service to the base-level
customer; however, this
concept is still very much
in its infancy — at least
from my vantage point.
During this period of
transition and change,
the local comm squadron
continues to be held
responsible for network
service disruptions,
despite a diminishing set
of tools and authorities
by which to sustain solid
support to wing and NAF
users. Directly related to
all of this is the ongoing
struggle to balance
network security with usability;
regionalization is
clearly making this more
difficult.”
Maj. Michelle Hayworth
354th CS/CC, Eielson AFb, Alaska
“Minimizing the fear of
the unknown in our Airmen,
with respect to the
impact of transformation
and reduction initiatives.
In some cases, this is easy
to do; in others, it’s not
so easy because the Air
Force hasn’t figured out
all the answers yet. My
pledge to [my troops]
is to ensure they always
know as much as I know,
so that they can make
informed decisions.”
Lt. Col. Craig J. Hess
36th CS/CC, Andersen AFb, Guam
“Providing comm support
to a non-stop AEF
bomber, tanker and
fighter presence with
no plus-up in manning.
However, the 36th CS has
stepped up and provided
world-class C4 support
despite the obstacles.
Keeping up with the
projected growth here
against the backdrop of
manning cuts has also
caused a rightful amount
of concern.”
Lt. Col. Jill Bergovoy
AIRPS/CC, hickam AFb, hawaii
“Retaining highly
motivated, hardworking
Airmen in time of
budget cuts, personnel
reductions, and increased
deployments. We must
continue to develop and
mentor our most important
asset — our people.”
Lt. Col. Jeffrey K.
Schwefler
15th CS/CC, hickam AFb, hawaii
“First, how to continue
to provide the warfighter
with high quality C2 capability
with the 33 percent
reduction in budget
and 58 percent cut in
manpower. Second, how
to maintain morale in
junior officers and first
term airmen during
the various manpower
reduction initiatives and
forced cross training.”
Maj. Kevin P. Vogt
611th ACF/CC, Elmendorf AFb, Alaska
“Our challenges are similar
to those being faced
[everywhere] — balancing
operational requirements
with extreme
reductions in resources
and manpower, while
keeping pace with the
rapid advances of IT.”
Maj. Bryan Richardson
8th CS/CC, kunsan Ab, ROk
“We have two significant
challenges at Kunsan.
First, sustaining an aging
communications
infrastructure. Second,
maintaining continuity
at a base where everyone
from the wing commander
to the Airmen
are on one year tours
while focusing on alternating
Unit Compliance
Inspections/Operational
Readiness Inspections
every year.”
Lt. Col. William E.
Gerhard, Jr.
18th CS/CC, kadena Ab, Japan
“Providing ever-improving
command and
control capability to
increasingly comm-savvy
warfigters in an era of
decreasing resources
and constantly emerging
threats.”
Lt. Col. William Poirier
35th CS/CC, misawa Ab, Japan
“Budget cuts and billet
cuts heavily influence
my information power
resourcing strategy;
this is a challenge we all
face. What’s a tougher
challenge? Managing
two heavy deployment
cycles that cause
work force fluctuations
between 50-90 percent;
simultaneously, delivering
the base a 24/7 C4I
enterprise operation with
near 100 percent availability;
maintaining a
fight in place capability
for wartime operations;
and readying Airmen for
combat operations down
range. The most daunting
challenge is managing
these previously mentioned
conditions while
transforming our internal
organizational construct
and business processes,
and many customer business
processes. We must
do this without seed
capital for improved IT
tools, technician training
or customer training, and
in a way that we maintain
organizational credibility,
relevance, and customer
satisfaction — this will
be no walk in the park.”
Lt. Col. Donald Morgan
51st CS/CC, Osan Ab, ROk
“The big challenge is
having the majority of
Airmen on one-year
assignments. By the
time they become fully
functional, the end of the
tour is over the horizon.
The leadership is aggressively
working to increase
command sponsorship
assignments here so that
more comm warfighters
will come with family
members and stay
longer.”
Lt. Col. John Keffer
56th ACOmS, hickam AFb, hawaii
“Keeping a weapon system
running, with a lot of
moving parts. The flow of
upgrades and new sub-sytems
is nonstop, while we
simultaneously support
more than 30 Air Force,
joint or coalition exercises
each year . . . but [we’re]
up to the challenge.”
Lt. Col. Anthony J.
Thomas
374th CS/CC, Yokota Ab, Japan
“Shaping our young
officers and enlisted in
the right way . . . They
need to understand the
larger picture . . . or we
as a community will be
pushed out of the way.
Today’s comm leaders
need to build cyber pioneers,
not comm geeks.
In the future, the cyber
domain will be the one
infrastructure carrying
warfighting information.”
Lt. Col. Paul R. Francis
607th ACOmS, Osan Ab, korea
“Keeping up with the
rate of change in the Air
and Space Operations
Center . . . attendance at
formal training programs
prior to assignment, return
of qualified folks and
a core of skilled contract
support are the answers. ”
1 intercom✭ June 2007
C4ISR ✭Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
Online ✭public.afca.af.mil
intercom ✭ June 2007 1