Air Force officials consolidate network ops

  • Published
  • By Capt. Carla Pampe
  • Eighth Air Force Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFPN) --  Air Force officials have formally consolidated the service's network operations and created the Air Force Network Operations, or AFNETOPS, command structure at 8th Air Force here.

The AFNETOPS, pronounced "AF Net Ops," Command stood up in a ceremony July 5.

The move is part of a larger Air Force reorganization of its network operations structure designed to better support the warfighter. It puts all Air Force units charged with network operations under the command of a single commander, Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., 8th Air Force and AFNETOPS commander.

"The biggest benefit of standing up a command structure for Air Force network operations is that it unifies command of the Air Force computer network under one person, who serves as the Air Force component commander, and presents network operations forces to STRATCOM's Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations," said General Elder.

"Previously, we had commands focused on air and space forces, but no command focused on operations in cyberspace. That's what we're going to provide here," he said. "In addition increased effectiveness, AFNETOPS Command will also achieve significant efficiencies for network operations, providing personnel savings to help realize Air Force recapitalization."

Col. David Pistilli, 8th Air Force Detachment 1 commander, feels the command serves to support the new Air Force mission statement to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests.

"AFNETOPS Command provides the warfighting structure to fly and fight in cyberspace," Colonel Pistilli said. "AFNETOPS Command will improve coherency, responsiveness, and agility of network defense against our increasingly numerous and sophisticated adversaries."

In addition to the formal recognition of the AFNETOPS command structure, Air Force officials also consolidated the Network Operations Security Centers, or NOSCs. Those responsibilities were previously decentralized among 10 Major Command NOSCs, as well as 8th Air Force, the Air Intelligence Agency, the Operational Standard Systems Group and the Air Force Communications Agency.

These capabilities now are consolidated under the 67th Network Warfare Wing, previously the 67th Information Operations Wing, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

The wing will oversee the stand-up of two Integrated Network Operations and Security Centers (I-NOSCs) located at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., consolidating the former duties of the major command NOSCs.

Details of the reorganization's full implementation are still being worked, but the AFNETOPS commander is already looking to the future.

"As an Air Force asset, we need to be able to go anywhere in the world and plug into Air Force communications," General Elder said. "We are working toward a point where all our systems will be interoperable, giving a huge advantage to the warfighter.