505th Command and Control Wing welcomes new Royal Air Force exchange officer

  • Published
  • By Noel Getlin
  • 505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) --  Royal Air Force Wing Commander Allan Goodison recently took the reins as 505th Training Group deputy commander of development, here.
 
Wing Commander Goodison will work with the 505th TRG commander integrating command and control or C2, operations with joint and coalition forces.

Group members develop air, space and cyber operational-level C2 professionals through integrated joint and coalition education and training. The group members range from air and space operations center staff Airmen to three-star generals who lead theater air combat as the joint forces air component commander .

Wing Commander Goodison, also an F-4 Phantom and F-3 Tornado navigator, said that the foreign exchange program between coalition nations is critical, especially when fighting alongside each other in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's absolutely essential," he said. "In my last job, my deputy was an American pilot and exchange officer. His ethics, background and development showed us valuable and synergistic alternatives to the way we do business. They bring a whole new dimension to the way we think."

His previous assignment was at the United Kingdom Joint Force Air Component Headquarters, where he was head of the strategy division with responsibility for developing strategic plans for the joint air and space operations component.

He also served as directing staff on the U.K. Advanced Command Staff Course, which is similar to the U.S. Air Force Air University, and served on a multinational organization in Malaysia.

Wing Commander Goodison succeeds Wing Commander Brian Boyle, who was recently assigned to London as an advisor for foreign military sales at the Department of Trade and Industry.

Wing Commander Boyle also believes in the necessity of the foreign exchange program, especially when it comes to command and control.

"Without the training and proper management here with C2, all those cockpits are not as effective or efficient as they can be," he said. "I see this as the real hope to ensure air and weapon platforms are employed effectively."

During his two-and-a-half-year tenure at the wing, Wing Commander Boyle said his experience at Coalition Virtual Flag in September stands out above everything else. It was the first large-scale exercise to integrate simulators and virtual constructive entities from the U.S., British, Canadian and Australian forces.

"The whole setup at the distributed mission operations center at Kirtland (AFB, NM.) is the envy of all," Wing Commander Boyle said. During the exercise, he was chief of the operations assessment cell, where they reviewed actions of the day and chose learning points to discuss in the after-action briefing.

"That was the highlight of my tour," he said. "It was the first Coalition Virtual Flag ever and they made a point of having a coalition guy in the ops cell.  It was a large role and speaking part." 

Wing Commander Boyle said he knows the Royal Air Force officer will fit in well and do an excellent job.

"I've told him it's a fantastic experience and opportunity, and very rewarding," he said. "And with his experience and background in the AOC world, he's coming in much higher on the learning curve than I did."