Page 31 - Nov2024Communicator

Agile Gator 25-1

52nd CBCS �lexes ACE capabilities

By Patrick Sullivan during the six-day exercise, covering objectives like
78th ABW/PA base defense, chemical, biological, radiological and
Robins AFB, Ga. nuclear response, contested communications and
maneuver of force elements, all while achieving their
The 52d Combat Communications Squadron conducted primary mission as combat communicators.
Agile Gator 25-1 at Robins AFB, Ga, Sept. 29-Oct. 4. “If this were a real-world scenario, we would be
The exercise simulated a bare-base deployment, testing prepared to fall in on this ground, set up our squadron,
the unit’s capabilities in an environment like they may or whatever is needed to support the customer while
see when they mobilize for a real-world response. providing security, power, and (heating, ventilation and
“The purpose of the 52nd, and why combat air conditioning),” said Zembek. “We're meant to put
communications exist is to deliver expeditionary stuff on pallets, put stuff on planes, and go set up in a
communications to the warfighter,” said Maj Nicholas field. That's what the team is doing right now, and I
Riascos, 52nd CBCS director of operations and exercise can't simulate that in a garage in my squadron.”
site commander. “We can go out into the middle of a Seven different units across the installation had a
field where there's nothing and we can turn it into a hand in the exercise, in both supporting and
highly effective command control area to be able to participatory roles. These included the 728th Battle
deliver combat generation of sorties or mobility or Management Control Squadron, who integrated 22
defense of the forces. We bring the capability to be able personnel across the hub and spokes to conduct mission
to communicate anywhere across the planet.” planning in the field, and the 18th Airborne Command
To practice and test these capabilities the 52nd CBCS and Control Squadron, who used the exercise’s radio
stood up a hub-and-spoke system, in which small and capabilities to communicate with live aircraft.
agile operating locations report to a larger centralized “They're not just sitting at established infrastructure
hub, reflecting real-world agile combat employment that they already have on their side of base where their
operations. “This exercise is modeled after the way we're buildings are, they're coming to use the expeditionary
trying to fight the fight of the future with ACE,” Riascos communication kits, they're going through mission
said. “We want to expose the Airmen to the same type of planning iterations,” said Riascos on the 728th BMCS
scheme of maneuver.” involvement. “They're working through some of the
“We're trying to make sure that all of our team is constraints, and then we're finding clever ways to still
interoperable,” added Lt Col Jessica Zembek, 52nd deliver them capabilities.”
CBCS commander. “So, the person sitting to your left, Another key participant was the 13th Air Task Force,
you understand what their job is, and the person to the newly activated and designated by the Air Force to test
right, you understand what their job is, and that you new methods to generate more efficient, integrated,
can do enough to help each other out. Especially when deployable units of action. The 13th ATF sent three
we talk about small teams, that multi-capable Airman is members to learn tactics, techniques, and procedures to
really important because you can't have a single point of take back to their training and certification events,
failure.” using the 52nd CBCS’s depth of experience.
Conducting 24-hour operations out of three austere Ultimately, AG 25-1 successfully certified 44 members
locations, 52nd CBCS Airmen faced over 150 scenarios of the 52nd CBCS in their Air Force Force Generation
requirements, greatly increasing the deployable
capabilities of the unit. Additionally, 117
personnel across 11 different career fields were
able to validate their skills and competence in a
challenging and realistic field environment.

TSgt Maxwell Harris, a tactical
communications supervisor assigned to
the 52nd Combat Comm Squadron, breaks
down communications equipment at a
spoke location during exercise Agile Gator
25-1 at Robins AFB. (Air Force photo by
Patrick Sullivan)

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