C2 conference addresses future structure, training

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HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) --  The 505th Command and Control Wing hosted its semi-annual Commander's Conference here Oct. 12 through 14.

Thirty-one commanders, deputy commanders and superintendents from seven locations across the U.S. converged on Hulburt to discuss command and control, or C2, issues affecting operational-level warfighters.

The conference theme "C2 For the Future; Looking Forward and Leading the Way" highlighted the wing's focus to address those issues. Col. Ed McKinzie, the 505th CCW commander, opened the conference outlining the wing's future organization as it merges three groups into two.

"This is an exciting time for the 505th," Colonel McKinzie said. "Posturing the wing into two groups furthers our combat capability by more effectively aligning C2 training and testing."

The 505th Distributed Warfare Group at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., will inactivate July 1, 2011, and its squadrons, the 705th and 505th Combat Training Squadrons will realign under the 505th Operations Group at Nellis AFB, Nev., and 505th Training Group at Hurlburt.

"This takes another step closer to establishing a single training campus for the Air Force to train and develop C2 leaders who fully understand air, space and cyber integration," he added.

The space and cyber integration are key points being addressed by an Air Force independent-study contract awarded Aug. 16 for studying the development of an advanced operational-level C2 training campus. The 505th CCW is crucial to the study according to U.S. Air Warfare Center Commander Maj. Gen. Stanley Kresge who said co-locating Air Force air, space and cyber C2 training at Hurlburt will enable critical cross-flow of expertise to fully integrate the Air Force's capabilities.

Throughout the three-day conference the 31 attendees focused to enhance the 505th CCW's mission of improving warfighter capability through command and control testing, tactics development and training.