Page 3 - Nellis Creech NTTR Bullseye July 1 2016

BULLSEYE
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Weapons Instructor Course Class 16A
Feb. 1-June 25, 2016
8 WPS (ABM) NELLIS AFB, Nevada
1. Capt. Jesus M. Burciaga Jr.
2. Capt. Craig S. Harms
3. Capt. Eric S. Haupt
4. Capt. Peter L. Hickman
5. Capt. Aaron E. Ho
6. Capt. Brian D. Hucks
7. Capt. Taylor C. Jones
(EC-130)
8. Capt. Jacob A. Jordan
(RC-135)
9. Maj. Shaun M. Herr
10. Capt. Brian M. Mostek
14 WPS (AC-130) (HURLBURT FLD,
Florida)
1. Capt. John D. Barringer (MC-130)
2. Maj. Ryan R. Taylor
3. Capt. Jason W. Loveless
4. Capt. Logan Marcucci (U-28)
5. Capt. Alexander E. Biegalski
6. Capt. James J. Kellenbence
RPA, from page 1 ______________
to train towards mitigating potential
signal interruptions. RPA ECOs integrate
with the a ected MQ-1/9 aircrews, the
relay site, space command, and others
at the Air Operations Center (AOC) to
mitigate these signal interruptions.
“I had this vision back in 2013, when I
wrote the syllabus for the rst time,” said
Craig. “I didn’t think it would end up
turning into an actual ACC [Air Combat
Command] course.”
Craig, who previously served as a For-
malized Training Unit (FTU) Instructor
at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mex-
ico, was deemed the most knowledge-
able about the satellite communications
(SATCOM) threats and how to combat
them. He spent the next three years lay-
ing the groundwork for the course.
Armed with the knowledge of a man-
ning shortage, Craig developed new
tactics, techniques and procedures that
would allow the current manning to act
in dual hatted position thus reducing the
risks RPAs are subject to.
A er taking the course Airmen will
return to their units as trained experts on
RPA use of the electromagnetic spectrum
(EMS) to include, but not limited to: area
of operation (AO) non-kinetic threats,
radio communications, GPS, remote-
split operations (RSO), SATCOM, and
Link 16 a tactical data exchange network
(JTIDS).
“It came to a point where I felt that we demics portion of the course and teaches
will no longer be ghting in a permissive
war and it couldn’t just be me that knows
how to ght against it, so I dra ed up a
syllabus on how I would train an ECO
to fight a threat,” said Craig. “At the
News
7. Capt. Caleb J. Pletts
16 WPS (F-16) NELLIS AFB, Nevada
1. Maj. Jesse M. Proctor
2. Capt. James B. Byrd
3. Capt. Michael E. Conrad
4. Capt. Andrew R. Davis
5. Capt. Daniel J. Duncan
6. Capt. Eric R. Emerson
7. Capt. Eric D. Kitaif
8. Capt. Christopher S. Martin
9. Capt. William S. Parks
10. Capt. John C. Powers
11. Capt. Luke E. Weyhmuller
17 WPS (F-15E) NELLIS AFB, Nevada
1. Capt. George A. Arbuckle
2. Capt. Bryant K. Baum
3. Capt. Andrew R. Gri n
4. Capt. Michael W. Shea
5. Capt. Travis J. Slack
19 WPS (IWIC) NELLIS AFB, Nevada
1. Capt. Chelsea J. Agee
same time the 556th Test and Evaluation
Squadron was testing how to ght against
SATCOM contested threats. I was just at
the right place at the right time.”
Since Air Force regulations dictate
that every wing or squadron Weapons
and Tactics o ce will have graduated
and certi ed Electronic Combat Pilots
(ECPs), Electronic Warfare Officers
(EWOs) or ECOs, the demand for a cer-
ti ed ECO course for MQ-1 and MQ-9
squadrons grew.
“ ey [Air Force Central Command]
are in the demand phase for informa-
tion,” said Craig. “ ey want to learn
what the RPA capabilities are. Leader-
ship’s mindset of the Predator and Reap-
er’s capabilities in a non-permissive ght
are shi ing now that we have proven new
innovative solutions.” sors was incredible,” said Joseph. “We
Much like Sun Tzu alluded to, we must
mitigate our own weaknesses before they
can be exploited by the enemy, which is
why the newly created ECO course is
designed to be a three phase system and
walks the students through 15 days of
rigorous training.
“ e course o ered realistic training
and challenging missions,” said Maj.
Joseph, ECO student. “It would do us
no good to practice in “theory” without
real-world, realistic training scenarios
that will mirror future/present threats
that we may face.”
e rst phase begins with the aca-
students to plan and prepare against a
jamming threat.
Next the students learn to integrate
RPAs into the SATCOM during simu-
lated ights, followed by the nal hands-
on portion in which students execute
2. Capt. David G. Billeci
3. Capt. Martin A. Caluag
4. Capt. Alissa L. Comerford
5. Capt. Austin T. Davis
6. Capt. Keith M. DeAgostine
7. Capt. Jeremiah A. Deibler
8. Capt. Joseph J. Mellone
9. Capt. Alexander X. Milhous
10. Capt. Marlene Rivera
11. Capt. Francisco J. Torres
26 WPS (MQ-9) NELLIS AFB, Nevada
1. Maj. Seth C. Anderson
2. Capt. Douglas J. Kottraba III
3. Capt. James A. Carfagno
4. Capt. Michael G. Dunn
5. Capt. Drew T. Larned
6. Capt. Daniel M. Reineke
29 WPS (C-130) (LITTLE ROCK,
Arkansas)
1. Maj. Nick W. Biggs
2. Maj. Joshua A. Nemitz
3. Maj. Robert A. Sloan II
TTPs in support of airborne RPA ight
operations in the Nevada Test and Train-
ing Range.
“One student will sit in the seat and
experience what it’s like to receive a jam-
ming signal while ying another student
acts as the ‘ECO’ and supports the pilot
who has received the threat,” said Craig.
“ ey swap roles and do it all over again so
they both get to experience those perspec-
tives, from both the pilot and the ECO.”
In addition, students received help
from the 26th Space Aggressors Squad-
ron from Schriever AFB, Colo., who
replicate enemy threats to space-based
and space-enabled systems during tests
and training exercises.
“Getting to interact with the Aggres-
learned about friendly and adversary
capabilities and mindsets, challenges and
weaknesses. is program is about pre-
paring for a more advanced adversary, so
it’s important to train against the best.”
By using GPS and SATCOM jamming
techniques, the 26th WPS provides the
Air Force, joint and coalition military
personnel with an understanding of how
to recognize, mitigate, counter and defeat
these threats.
Still developing Airmen with the skills
needed to win today’s ght and prepare
for tomorrow’s threats without directly
engaging the enemy doesn’t come with-
out its own challenges.
“One of the misconceptions we have
is that, we’re already critically manned,”
said Craig. “We can’t divvy out any more
bodies to be only ECOs, or deploy them
to be a part of this ght at the relay site.
e truth is, units don’t lose a pilot or an wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”
instructor, but using the current man-
3July 1, 2016
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4. Capt. Christopher J. Freed
5. Capt. Robert S. Hegler
6. Capt. Laura K. Martineau
7. Capt. Jason L. Riggs
8. Capt. Jonathan R. Vanpinxteren
9. Capt. Luke W. Wascovich
10. Capt. Brendan K. Wier
11. Capt. Richard S. Win eld
34 WPS (HH-60) NELLIS AFB, Ne-
vada
1. Capt. William T. Meisenzahl
2. Capt. omas E. Steiner
3. Capt. John R. Tucciarone III
4. Capt. Ryan M. Wiese
57 WPS (C-17) (MCGUIRE AFB, New
Jersey)
1. Maj. James C. McCormick
2. Maj. Nicole M. Stenstad
3. Capt. Kevin W. Brooks
4. Capt. Matthew S. Lund
____________ See CLASS 16A, on page 5
ning to do both they gain an expert in
the squadron.”
Being one of only a handful of trained
ECOs is something the only fully cer-
tified Air Force RPA ECO is set on
changing.
“I’m the only RPA ECO in the Air
Force community, meaning I don’t have
other ECOs that I can go to and ask
questions,” said Craig. “Since we only
have one dedicated instructor, myself,
the ratio is one to four. ere will be
four students, four times a year and as
we continue to train ECOs we will grow
in size until we have two-to-three ECOs
in every unit.”
The course, which was conducted
jointly between Creech and Nellis AFBs,
recently graduated a beta class of ve
Airmen assigned to the 432nd WG.
Although the training currently
focuses on officers, enlisted Airmen
in RPA career elds may also attend a
modi ed ECO course prior to deploy-
ments.
In a time when Airmen are asked to
nd vulnerabilities, develop a course of
action and implement change to miti-
gate threats through innovation, Craig
o ers one nal piece of advice.
“We are definitely preparing for
tomorrow’s ght through innovation,
100 percent,” said Craig. “I’d say to
other Airmen not to give up on their
innovation. Be persistent, perfect your
theory, and get it to the right people with
in uence who will be able to help you
in developing that innovation. I’ve had
tremendous support from the 26 WPS
cadre, USAFWC, 432d AEW, and ACC
to get this course where it is today; I