Command and Control Wing Summit charts path to success Published Dec. 16, 2008 By Senior Airman Oleksandra G. Manko Nellis AFB Public Affairs NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Leaders from seven wings and the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center met at the Combined Air Operations Center-Nellis Dec. 11 for the first-ever command and control wing summit. The purpose of the one-day event was to give wings working in the C2 fields an opportunity to become more familiar with each other's missions and challenges and look for ways to collaborate. Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog, the USAFWC commander, gave opening and closing comments for the summit. "Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to hear General Hoog discuss challenges he is dealing with at his level," said Col. John Shanahan, the 505th Command and Control Wing commander. "And we are trying to help him meet his objective of providing more effective air-ground integration." "I think we've made good ground," said Brig. Gen. Thomas R. Moore, 116th Air Control Wing commander at Robins AFB, Ga. "We changed perceptions about what was required to provide better C2 capability to fighters out there." The main focus of the summit was developing better integrated training opportunities that would bring all the elements of the theater air control systems together. Cooperation with the Army was another important subject of the discussion. "It went as I hoped, just getting senior leaders to understand each other's wings' challenges was a big step in the right direction," said Colonel Shanahan, who helped organize the summit. "We also had some great ideas on how to improve existing exercises to bring everything together." "From the JFACC (Joint Force Air Component Commander) to the JTAC (Joint Terminal Attack Controller), integrating AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System), Rivet Joint, JSTARS (Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System); from a three-star general to a senior airman working in the field with the Army, integration and coordination required to make it work are exceedingly complex," Colonel Shanahan continued. "It's absolutely essential to winning the war. We have to get this right in our training programs" The next step in this initiative is slated to take place in February 2009 when a similar summit will take place for action officers to figure out how to make the vision a reality. "The intent is to have an integrated JFACC-to-JTAC event before July throughout the Nellis range complex and Western ranges," said Colonel Shanahan.
