AFGSC leverages Total Force and local community partnerships to maintain competitive edge

 

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. — As Air Force Global Strike Command works to maintain its competitive edge in national defense, partnerships with local businesses and universities have boosted the Department of the Air Force’s technological capabilities and modernization efforts. 

One example of the strength of these partnerships can be found at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, where the 58th Special Operations Wing led joint efforts to improve night flying training.

“We needed something in the (landing) zone,” said Maj. Daniel Durbin, 58th SOW CV-22 Osprey instructor pilot. “For the type of training we do, we needed a light that we could land off of visually to aid in our training.”

 

Members of the 58th SOW partnered with a development team from the University of Oklahoma to develop the necessary technology.

They began prototype production when the 58th SOW’s innovation team reached out to inquire about the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN).

The NSIN is a Department of Defense program office under the Defense Innovation Unit that fosters a network of innovators from academia, defense and venture communities to find creative solutions for problems affecting national security.

The first proof-of-concept test was conducted at Kirtland AFB on April 4, 2024.

 

Another way that AFGSC and local small businesses have worked together to maintain the nation’s competitive edge is through the creation of the A5N Division, known as the Commercial Capabilities Integration and Transition (CCIT) Division, along with efforts from the Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s 767th Enterprise Sourcing Flight, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), and AFLCMC’s Bomber Directorate.

 

Partnership opportunities like these were made possible by the Air Force Office of Small Business Programs utilizing the DoD Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs to harness the talents of our nation’s small technology companies.

“Although this system is still under development, it shows great potential,” said Durbin. “NSIN is very easy to work with and if you have a problem or if there’s something that doesn’t exist exactly the way you want it, they help you make ideas reality. I am grateful we had a dedicated team at the 58th that worked day in and day out to make these ideas come to fruition.”

 

Team Minot also had the opportunity to partner with civilian counterparts to solve a different readiness issue this past July.

With Minot being home to the 5th Bomb Wing, a crucial member of the air-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad, the base formed a team to perform some much-needed maintenance on the runway portion of the base’s flightline.

Total Force Airmen from Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers (RED HORSE) squadrons belonging to the 556th at Hurlburt Field, the 560th at Joint Base Charleston, and the 819th at Malmstrom AFB, all joined the Striker Airmen of the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron and civilian contractors to get the job done while also using it as an opportunity to exchange tactics, techniques, and procedures.

 

Being able to take full advantage of projects and partnership opportunities is a mission-essential skill that demonstrates how AFGSC’s Striker Airmen are innovative leaders who provide safe, secure, and lethal combat-ready forces for nuclear and conventional global strike today and tomorrow.