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JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. - Closed off from all
non-essential personnel in a secured, vault-like work environment
known as a Sensitive Compartmentalized Information Facility, the
204th Intelligence Squadron is a mystery to those outside the
squadron.
Who are they? What is their mission? What have they
accomplished? How have they proven to be a vital part of not only
the 108th Wing, but the whole United States Air Force?
The
204th is the first Air National Guard squadron solely dedicated to
providing intelligence instruction and training products directly to
Air Mobility Command.
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Graphic representation of Tech. Sgt. Jason Valleley, 204th intelligence analyst, as he simulates manipulating data in Google Earth. Valleley headed the development for a way to use classified Google Earth with integrated intelligence gathered from multiple sources to aid United States' military units throughout the world. The images employed in this illustration are purely representational and do not reflect any current or past intelligence
operations. (U.S. Air National Guard illustration by Senior Airman Kellyann Novak)
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Commanded by Lt. Col. Robert M. Kelly, the 108th Wing
unit consists of 79 Airmen, 65 intelligence personnel – 13
full-time and 14 support personnel – six full-time, who work
within the 8,000 square foot SCIF allowing the Airmen to be
in a self-contained intelligence unit.
“When I came
on board, I identified some of the issues within the
intelligence community, lobbied with AMC and NGB and
promised we could do more, and then expanded our support,”
said Kelly.
From those beginnings, both the 204th and
their mission grew.
The 204th is now an Air
Intelligence Squadron whose mission is to provide threat
analysis and finished products, worldwide airfield and
country risk assessments, force protection studies and
threat analysis in support of global mobility operations for
the AMC Threat Working Group. The squadron also provides
instructor support to the United States Air Force
Expeditionary Center for Mobility Air Force and force
protection Intelligence Formal Training Units. The unit also
builds and maintains AMC weapons and tactics materials.
In addition to its AMC mission, the 204th supports the
108th Wing, the New Jersey ANG, and the Federal Bureau of
Investigations in Newark, N.J. They provide intelligence
briefings and support to the Adjutant General and the NJANG
headquarters. Within the wing, they perform intelligence
briefings to the wing and 108th Operations Group and provide
exercise support. They also provide intelligence support and
briefings to the FBI in Newark as well as hold quarterly
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst intelligence luncheons.
According to Col. Keith E. Andrews, AMC's Director of
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, the 204th has
“revolutionized intelligence,” and “we cannot function
without the 204th.” From designing new and innovative
technological systems to providing training for other units
all over the country, the members of the 204th have
transformed the way intelligence squadrons operate, train
and perform their missions on a day-to-day basis.
At
one point, the 204th split the most important responsibility
of briefing risk assessments 50/50 to the 18th Air Force
commander with another unit.
“It's a matter of
seeing a need, identifying it, lobbying for it and
confirming that we have the manpower and resources to
complete the new tasking, as well as the new mission,” said
Kelly.
“We developed a level of trust, that not only
can we do our mission, we can do more,” explained Kelly.
After lobbying with AMC and the National Guard Bureau to
expand the level of support the 204th provides; the 204th is
now entrusted with completing 100 percent of the risk
assessments. “I couldn't have done that if I didn't know we
had the high caliber of people and high level of morale that
we have,” said Kelly.
Five years ago, the Air Force
relied on another source for its visual recognition training
products, which cost them about five million per year.
Fortunately for the 204th, that source no longer provided
those products and AMC asked if they could take over and
handle it. The 204th stepped up to the task and exceeded
expectations all while being more cost efficient.
Using existing software as well as creating new software,
Tech. Sgt. Jason Valleley, 204th intelligence analyst,
headed the development for a way to use classified Google
Earth with integrated intelligence gathered from multiple
sources to aid United States' military units all over the
world. Through the design process, Valleley explains that he
“used information from risk assessments and visualized
everything I could from travel warnings to the ‘enemy IADS'
(Integrated Air Defense System), which is basically all of
the range rings from different missile systems, radars,
guns, etc., to create a program that allows you to visualize
the words you see on an actual map.”
All Department
of Defense or civilian employees with access to the secret
internet protocol router network are able to download this
software and access the information provided. Details
showing population information, infrastructure, government,
airfield threats, base attacks and 3-D replicas of airfields
are just a few examples of the intelligence information
accessible with this program. Using Google Earth, this
software shows where every aircraft is and where it's
produced, as well as details on aircraft in production. With
3-D models from Insight, it allows the viewer to analyze
aircraft using a 360 degree view and intercepting view (up
and down, side by side). This helps DoD personnel to
identify aircraft in real world situations.
Intelligence on approximately thirty countries has currently
been inputted into this Google Earth program, and one to
four more countries are being added every month. To assist
those using the program for their intelligence operations,
the downloaded versions stay updated with the live one.
Information is pulled from different sources automatically
and stays as current as possible with the ever changing
threats and intelligence analysis.
This Google Earth
program allows users to get an overall picture of real-world
situations that are kept as up-to-date as possible. However,
it is not as precise as the officially sanctioned program,
Falcon View, which is used for targeting and mission
planning. Falcon View has the ability to allow the user to
enter in exact coordinates and pinpoint four corners of a
building, whereas the Google Earth program is mainly an
overall view of the area and information. Although the
Google Earth cannot be used when planning missions, it can
help DoD users visually see everything on a virtual map that
is user-friendly and interactive.
The technological
advances the 204th members are making within the
intelligence community are that outstanding. Master Sgt.
Sean Cooper is modifying software for aircraft and weapons
systems. This program will provide the user with a 360
degree virtual tour inside the aircraft along with technical
information and interactive software instead of having to
read through texts.
Using PowerPoint, Staff Sgt.
Joseph M. Walsh IV designed an interactive Threat of the Day
– TOD – program that operates almost like an app.
“We
create it so other units don't have to and we provide the
training materials,” said Walsh.
Walsh created this
program to act as an interactive kiosk mode with icons to
click to take the user directly to the information he/she
wants to talk about right away during briefings. The first
version has recently been released.
“We are waiting
for feedback to see if it is useful,” said Walsh. If the
program proves to be helpful and user-friendly to other
units, the 204th has plans to continue to use this program
when designing TOD briefings.
Due to the great
success of the 204th and its capabilities, the Air Force
plans on creating similar units to further the Air Force's
military intelligence community. In fact, the 137th Air
Refueling Wing, Oklahoma Air National Guard, is in the
process of transitioning to an Air Force Special Operations
Wing and will be adding new tactical intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance aircrew members.
With
an aggressive approach to improve the quality and quantity
of products and reputation, Kelly explains, “I can't do it
without the folks here. They need to be highly motivated and
have a high level of morale; how else could we get 30 people
to do sumo wrestling for PT (physical training)!”
By U.S. Air National Guard Senior Airman Kellyann Novak
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2016
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