HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. — The 705th Training Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Florida, provided critical command and control expertise and training for the 366th Fighter Wing’s execution of its Lead Wing exercise, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Apr. 13-14, according to the 505th Command and Control Wing.
In January 2022, Commander Air Combat Command Gen. Mark Kelly implemented the Lead Wing concept to build readiness and sustainability for the joint force and further refine Agile Combat Employment and multi-capable Airmen.
Lead Wings are designed to be a scalable, resilient, adaptive, and proactive force able to operate in a contested environment with joint and coalition partners.
A Lead Wing (LW) consists of an expeditionary command and control (C2) headquarters, mission generation force elements, and an airbase squadron. The C2 force element is designed to easily plug into an existing joint C2 structure and provide expeditionary wing-echelon C2 for subordinate forces in a contested environment.
The 705th TRS provided C2 academics to the 366th FW Air staff, or A-Staff, introducing ACE, Air Operations Center, Air Force Forces basics, command relationships, conditions-based authorities, Commander’s Critical Information Requirements, reporting, LW organizational structure, communications, and general LW C2 considerations.
The tabletop exercise concentrated on processes within the LW and the interaction between the LW and the Air Component; Col. Jeffrey Burdette, 366th Maintenance Group commander, and Lt. Col. Brandon Mackay, 366th FW chief of staff, led the A-Staff TTX.
“[The academics] did a great job of helping us understand where the Lead Wing fits into the command construct and helped to highlight both the benefits and limits of the LW C2 force element,” said Lt. Col. John White, 366th FW chief of exercises, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho.
Additionally, the 705th TRS team observed a 366th FW-led ACE-scenario walk-through; this exercise focused on the C2 capabilities of the A-Staff practicing for the 366th FW’s upcoming LW exercise at Hill AFB, Utah.
Future Dynamic Wing exercises will have an even greater emphasis on command and control to further refine the Lead Wing structure. In addition, force elements of Airmen will train and deploy together in a two-year Air Force Force Generation, or AFFORGEN, cycle to provide combatant commanders a swift, ready force for the high-end fight.
“The 705th TRS continues to provide “legacy” LW C2 academics while developing a new, formal LW C2 course,” said Lt. Col. Marcus Bryan, 705th TRS commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida.
The 705th TRS reports to the 505th Test and Training Group and 505th Command and Control Wing, headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
By 505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs, 705th Training Squadron
