McConnell selected as AMC pilot base for cyber operations squadron

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Victor J. Caputo
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  The Air Force selected McConnell Air Force Base as the Air Mobility Command pilot base for a new cyber operations squadron in preparation for the arrival of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker.

The new squadron will be one of the first steps in achieving cyber superiority in a manner comparable to the Air Force's air superiority and will also be the first of its kind in the major command.

"Cyber is something that affects everything, everywhere," said Lt. Col. Samuel Miller, 22nd Communications Squadron commander. "Everything is connected, and there are bad guys looking at exploiting this."

The impending arrival of the KC-46A Pegasus here brings along a requirement to build up additional cyber security abilities.

"The KC-46 is going to be the most cyber-capable aircraft in the inventory," said Miller. "We have an opportunity to bake this into the way it operates."

Each major command was able to select a base for a pilot unit, and each new cyber squadron will function differently based on the mission it is assigned.

The cyber squadron will be designed with an emphasis of providing KC-46 mission assurance, as opposed to simply providing services as the communications squadrons do now. Further discussion among intelligence, communications, operations, support, and program management actors within the KC-46 community will determine what mix of resources are required to organize, train, and equip the squadron, and will further inform headquarters Air Force communications to make sound Air Force-wide resourcing decisions for years to come", said Miller.

"Right now, when we think 'communications squadron' we think of having our computers patched and the latest updates installed," said Master Sgt. Jason Stewart, 22nd CS network control center chief. "The cyber squadron is going to be completely different with what it's providing. The change is that we have to understand from our perspective as communications and cyber while getting our foot in the door with operations to understand how we can help them."

Stewart, who is one of the lead technicians in setting the new unit up, emphasized how much of a culture change the squadron will bring.

The mixture of different mission elements is going to inspire some ideas that normally exist inside of an operations group to co-exist with mission elements of a mission support group function.

"It's a concept of mission assurance rather than mission support," said Stewart "The mission planner is asking 'Comm, are we good to go?' and we can say 'Yes, sir, we can go on this mission without risk,' or say 'Here is the risk we see.'"

These new cyber squadrons and the capabilities they bring or enhance will help lift the Air Force to achieving superiority not only in the air, but also in cyber space.

"The idea of cyber superiority is going to be gained by truly understanding what our adversaries are looking at with regards to attacking and disrupting our missions and then countering that effort through active defense," said Stewart. "Much like with air superiority, we look at what our enemies are targeting, and we position our aircraft either defensively or offensively to gain the superior edge. This is exactly the overarching approach we are hoping to gain by assuring missions and actively defending those missions."

The Airmen of the 22nd CS are eager to lay the ground work of what could be a notable "first" in Air Force history.

"This is going to be the start of something pretty huge," said Miller. "We're excited to be at the lead."