HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- In conjunction with Air Combat Command Personnel Recovery and Joint Integration Division, the 505th Training Squadron hosted the Joint Airspace Conference June 27-28 at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The conference, which addressed current and relevant joint and combatant command airspace issues and challenges attracted more than 160 participants from all branches of the armed forces and key allies.
The conference was physically held at the 505th TRS, and select conversations and presentations allowed participants to dial in from all over the world. Subject matter experts from all military departments and combatant commands presented airspace planning and control updates and considerations with small working groups focused on providing deliverables for ACC to action over the next year. Several senior mentors also attended to offer a senior leader perspective.
“It’s great to see this venue working again, largely due to the combined efforts of the ACC staff and the huge support from the 505th Training Squadron,” said Maj. Gen. (ret) William Holland, former commander, 9th Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. “My experience during exercises and real-world operations shows that airspace control considerations are vitally important, little understood, and typically an afterthought in planning. Conferences like this will help the joint community better prepare and articulate this piece of warfighting, especially as we look to the future of new systems, capabilities, and doctrine.”
This year’s conference covered several new topics, such as airspace planning and execution considerations related to Agile Combat Employment and employment of future weapons and tactics including hypersonic weapons delivery and the U.S. Marine Corps Force Design 2030. Additionally, the conference focused heavily on operations in the Indo-Pacific Command’s Area of Responsibility and the unique challenges that will be faced by the U.S., its allies, and its partners, both in competition and conflict.
The conference concluded with an outbrief to senior mentors, 505th TRS leadership, and ACC Personnel Recovery and Joint Integration Division leadership. Several topics and action items were identified in the outbrief, to include joint and service doctrine updates, regulation changes, and format for the next conference.
“The team at the 505th Training Squadron executed a flawless event, and I can’t thank our partners at ACC enough for the opportunity to host,” said Lt. Col. Jason Gossett, 505th TRS commander. “To ensure we’re delivering the best training product possible, the findings and recommendations from this conference will directly feed into our training courses at the FTU [formal training unit].”
“The findings and recommendations that this conference out briefed will directly feed our training courses at the FTU [formal training unit] to ensure we’re delivering the best training product possible.”
The 505th Training Squadron is responsible for preparing graduates to operate the Air Operations Center Weapon System, graduating more than 1,600 joint and coalition personnel annually. Additionally, the squadron teaches 13 initial qualification courses (including an Integrated Air and Missile Defense Course), an AOC Fundamentals Course, a Joint Air Operations Center Command and Control Course, and an Academic Instructor Course. Graduates from the 505th Training Squadron serve at the operational level of war in all combatant commands.