22nd CS provides 'mission ready Cyber-Airmen'

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Robert "Silent Bob" Schroeter
  • 22nd Communications Squadron commander
The 22nd Communications Squadron's mission is to "provide mission ready Cyber-Airmen, and to ensure Team McConnell's success through premier communications and information services." By the close of 2011, we will have accomplished this!

The men and women of the 22nd CS have gone above and beyond to meet and exceed the mission I set forth. To recap, these accomplishments include the following:

· The year started with the Air Force network migration, a month-long transition from the Air Mobility Command network domain, to the Air Force single domain. Although it had its bumps, it was one of the smoother transitions in AMC.
  • We provided flawless support during AMC's 1st Chemical Weapons Conference, earning praise from Air Force Headquarters.
  •  We expanded our wireless access points to over 300, including the flightline, making it easier for our maintainers to repair KC-135 Stratotankers to meet mission requirements.
  • We improved our operational security and complied with federal laws by encrypting our C2 radio frequencies.
  •  We were identified by AMC Communications as having the best overall communications infrastructure health in AMC.
  •  We maintained our air traffic control and landing systems at an operational rate of 99.7 percent, supporting more than 3,200 sorties flown this year.
  •  We proved the 22nd ARW's operational readiness in two major wing inspections:
1. Command Cyber Readiness Inspection - "Outstanding" on both our networks; still the best score in the Air Force to date.
2. Operational Readiness Inspection - The Communications support directly impacted our "Excellent" rating for ability to survive and operate command and control; and our folks earned an "Excellent" in communications.
  • We were selected as the lead wing to test a "tablet" solution, which will take us forward as we provide Unified Communications support to our customers that will hopefully improve their productivity.

These accomplishments are just a small percentage of the work the 22nd CS Airmen do for the wing on a daily basis.

As the Air Force continues to change the way we do business with regards to enterprise management of the networks, it makes us all the more important to be that customer advocate for our wing users.

Though it may be more difficult at times to do some of the simpler things, the fortitude and dedication to duty of my Airmen continue to engage and ensure that the Airmen of the 22nd ARW receive the service levels of which they deserve.

As I looked to our past, I have great confidence that in 2012 the 22nd CS will continue to go above and beyond in meeting and surpassing our commitment to support our wing's mission to "deliver total force mission ready Airmen and KC-135 mobility to combatant commanders through robust installation support ... anytime, anywhere!"