Reorganization enhances C2 testing, tactics, training

  • Published
  • By Bill Dowell
  • 505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs
The Air Force's preeminent wing for directing the service's operational command and control, or C2, testing, tactics development and training completed a reorganization effort June 10. The restructure will enhance Air Force, joint and coalition warfighter capabilities.

Officials at the 505th Command and Control Wing, headquartered here, inactivated the 505th Distributed Warfare Group, realigning its two combat training squadrons under the 505th Training Group and the 505th Test and Evaluation Group. Wing and group officials furled and cased the 505th DWG flag during an inactivation ceremony at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., where the group operated.

The first phase of the reorganization came in April when wing officials redesignated the operations group and operations squadron, based at Nellis AFB, Nev., as the 505th TEG and 505th Test Squadron. The changes aligned the group and squadron with a revised mission focus to effectively test and integrate air, space and cyber C2 domains.

Being an official test-designated organization provides many advantages and opens avenues to meet the Air Force's growing C2 capabilities and mission requirements, an official said.

Supporting tactical-level events, including Virtual Flag and warfighter-focused events, the 705th Combat Training Squadron, at Kirtland AFB, joined the 505th TEG as part of the inactivation and reorganization.

"The 705th is the lead distributed-mission operations center for theater-level, full-spectrum combat training and testing for the Air Force and its joint and coalition partners," said Col. Mustafa Koprucu, the 505th CCW commander. "Its mission of developing, integrating and delivering a virtual air, space and cyber warfare environment aligns perfectly with the recently redesignated TEG mission."

For the operational level of war, the 505th Combat Training Squadron, at Hurlburt Field, aligned with the 505th TRG, also at Hurlburt. The 505th CTS supports many major combatant command events including combatant commander exercises, mission rehearsal, full scale and joint expeditionary force exercises. Combined with the other squadrons, the training group personnel provide Air Force, joint and coalition warfighters with world-class training on air and space C2 weapons systems and procedures, from initial qualification to intermediate and senior leader advanced C2 training.

"The addition of the 505th CTS' Professional Control Force and Blue Flag Exercise program strengthens the Air Force operational-level C2 training the 505th provides its customers," Colonel Koprucu said. "These two groups deliver C2 combat capability to our operational warfighters in support of our nation's wars."

The reorganization also complements a C2 training campus development effort. The effort proposes Air Force officials standardize and consolidate C2 training across air, space and cyber domains. It also helped meet the Defense Department's next generation of training strategy, intended to foster a path for revolutionary training.

"The wing's reorganization better prepares the 505th to implement the C2 training campus recommendations, along with centralizing cyber and space operations center training at Hurlburt with the existing AOC and combatant commander and CNAF staff training," Colonel Koprucu said. "That critical cross-flow of expertise will fully integrate our Air Force capabilities providing the air domination our ground forces have come to expect."