HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. – For the members of the 505th Command and Control Wing (CCW) and its 14 geographically separated units, a new face is visible as part of the wing’s command team.
U.S. Air Force Colonel Karl Weinbrecht, 505th Command and Control Wing vice commander, took the position to develop the Air Operations Center’s combat capability and lead the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Distributed Mission Operations and live, virtual, and constructive capabilities.
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This is his first time being stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. “I was raised in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, and my wife grew up a few miles away from me. We both call the Poconos our home,” said Weinbrecht. “However, having kids while in the military changed what we thought of as home. As a family, I think we came to think of Tucson as our “military” home. We’ve spent half my career there, and we made a lot of good friends along the way.”
He joined the USAF after college thinking the AF would be more exciting than business marketing. After graduating from Joint Specialized Undergraduate Navigator Training in 2001, he was assigned as an Electronic Warfare Officer to the EC-130H COMPASS CALL.
“It’s been a rewarding 20 years so far, and I know that will continue here in the 505th,” remarked Weinbrecht.
Learning that he was coming to the 505th was a surprise.
“When I dug into the mission of the 505th, I immediately knew I was going to be operating daily in an arena outside of my expertise,” said Weinbrecht. “However, with the joint force emphasis on C2 at all levels of warfighting, I knew this was going to be a great opportunity for me to learn and lead.”
Before moving into his new position, Weinbrecht’s last two assignments at the Joint Staff, Washington D.C., introduced him to a more total force work environment. “My interaction with active duty, civilians, contractors, and AF Reserve Command members was the most I’d had in my career,” noted Weinbrecht. “It enabled me to fully appreciate the skill sets that all our USAF members bring to the table.”
While only being in the job a short time and COVID-19 travel precautions limiting travel, Weinbrecht is eager to meet the rest of the 505 CCW team.
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“The one thing my time in D.C. didn’t do was prepare me for the vast diversity of the organizations and roles of the squadrons in the 505 CCW,” noted Weinbrecht. “Thankfully, the team here did and continues to do a great job getting me up to speed on all the things our Airmen are doing to deliver C2 dominance.”
What Weinbrecht really desires is to “get out to the GSUs, meet the Airmen performing the mission and learn from them so I can help Col Dickens and Chief Thompson and best support them and the 505th.”
The command team recently returned from visiting the 505th Combat Training Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on 3 September. “Getting to visit the 805 CTS [805 Combat Training Squadron] was eye-opening,” remarked Weinbrecht. “Seeing how the CTG’s mission is integral in the future of JADC2 [joint all-domain command and control]and ABMS [advanced battle management system]first hand is the type of experience that continues to humble me when in the presence of our outstanding Airmen.”
“I look forward to being part of the ongoing effort to further C2 in the joint force and helping the CCW stay at the forefront of those efforts,” remarked Weinbrecht.
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