1.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source
2.
Air Force Space Command
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Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U. S. military operations worldwide through the use of different types of satellite, launch. Operationally, AFSPC is an Air Force component command subordinate to U. S. Strategic Command, composition consist of approximately 22,000 military personnel and 9,000 civilian employees, although their missions overlap. AFSPC gained the cyber operations mission with the stand-up of 24th Air Force under AFSPC in August 2009, according to AFSPC, its mission is to Provide resilient and affordable Space and Cyberspace capabilities for the Joint Force and the Nation. As a result, AFSPCs activities make the space domain reliable to United States warfighters by assuring their access to space, in 1991, Operation Desert Storm provided emphasis for AFPSCs new focus on support to the warfighter. ICBM forces previously assigned to the inactivated Strategic Air Command were merged into AFSPC in 1993 until moved into Air Force Global Strike Command in 2009, the Space Command was the subject of a 60 Minutes News segment on CBS in April 2015. When speaking with 60 Minutes reporter David Martin, commanding General John E. Reporter David Martin also asked about the new Boeing X-37 space plane the US Air Force had been testing. This CBS interview was a peek into the secretive Space Command that protects the billion-dollar US satellites that provide essential global navigation, in 2016 Space Command began their Space Mission Force concept of operations to respond quickly to attacks in space. Each Space Wing undergoes special training then serves a four to six month rotation, Air Force Space Command has two active Numbered Air Forces. The Fourteenth Air Force provides space warfighting forces to U. S. Strategic Command in its capacity as Air Forces Strategic-Space and it is headquartered at Lackland AFB, Texas. AFSPC is the major command providing space forces and trained cyber warfare forces for U. S. Strategic Command, the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, California, designs and acquires all Air Force and most Department of Defense space systems. It oversees launches, completes on-orbit checkouts, then turns systems over to user agencies and it supports the Program Executive Office for Space on the NAVSTAR Global Positioning, Defense Satellite Communications and MILSTAR systems. SMC also supports the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program and the Follow-on Early Warning System, in addition, it supports development and acquisition of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles for the Air Force Program Executive Office for Strategic Systems. This includes obtaining spectrum access critical for all Air Force core functions, the AFSPC headquarters is a major unit located at Peterson AFB, Colorado. Through the command and control of all DOD satellites, satellite operators provide force-multiplying effects—continuous global coverage, low vulnerability, satellites provide essential in-theater secure communications, weather and navigational data for ground, air and fleet operations and threat warning. Ground-based radar and Defense Support Program satellites monitor ballistic missile launches around the world to guard against a missile attack on North America. Space surveillance radars provide vital information on the location of satellites and space debris for the nation, General Shelton has said that in order to protect against attacks, Space Situational Awareness is much more important than additional hardening or armoring of satellites. As of 2013, Air Force Space Command is considering Space Disaggregation and this could be used to defend against ASATs, by increasing the number of targets that needed to be attacked. S
3.
Fourteenth Air Force
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The Fourteenth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Space Command. It is headquartered at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, established on 5 March 1943 at Kunming, China,14 AF was a United States Army Air Forces combat air force deployed to the Pacific Theater of World War II. It engaged in primarily in China. After World War II Fourteenth Air Force subsequently served Air Defense Command, Continental Air Command,14 AF is commanded by Lt Gen John W. Raymond. Its Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sgt, in 1993, Fourteenth Air Force became part of Air Force Space Command responsible for performing space operations. The overall mission is control and exploit space for global and theater operations, in 1997,14 AF established the Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB in California for the 24-hour command and control of all space operations resources. In 2002,14 AF became the Air Force space operational component of United States Strategic Command, in 2005,14 AF officially opened up its newly renovated operations center. The new command and control capabilities of the Joint Space Operations Center ensured unity of effort for all space capabilities supporting joint military operations around the globe, Bissell was General Henry H. ‘Hap’ Arnolds choice to command the USAAFs proposed combat organization in China. As early as 30 December 1941, the U. S, War Department in Washington, D. C. had authorized the induction of the Flying Tigers into the U. S. Army Air Forces. Chennault was opposed to inducting the Flying Tigers into the Army, Stilwell and Bissell made it clear to both Chennault and Chiang that unless the AVG became part of the U. S. Army Air Force, its supplies would be cut off. Chennault agreed to return to duty but he made it clear to Stilwell that his men would have to speak for themselves. Chiang Kai-shek finally agreed to induction of the AVG into the USAAF, with the situation in Burma rapidly deteriorating, Stilwell and Bissell wanted the AVG dissolved by 30 April 1942. Chennault, wanting to keep the Flying Tigers going as long as possible, proposed the group disband on 4 July, Chennault was recalled to active duty in the USAAF on 15 April 1942. He was promoted eight days later, on 23 April, from colonel to brigadier general, Chennault was told that he would have to be satisfied to command a China Air Task Force of fighters and bombers as part of the Tenth Air Force. Its mission was to defend the supply operation over the Himalayan mountains between India and China — nicknamed the Hump — and to provide air support for Chinese ground forces. Bissell had been promoted to brigadier general with one days seniority to Chennault in order to command all American air units in China as Stillwells Air Commander, friction developed when Chennault and the Chinese government were disturbed by the possibility that Chennault would no longer control combat operations in China. The CATF had 51 fighters in July 1942,31 81A-1 and P-40B Tomahawks, both fighters were good medium-altitude day fighters, with their best performance between 15,000 and 18,000 feet, and they were excellent ground-strafing aircraft. Chennault also had seven B-25C Mitchell medium bombers, out of an original 12 sent from India, the AVG was disbanded on 4 July 1942, simultaneous with the activation of the 23rd FG
4.
Wing (military aviation unit)
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In military aviation, a wing is a unit of command. In most military services, a wing is a relatively large formation of planes. In Commonwealth countries a wing usually comprises three squadrons, with several wings forming a group, each squadron will contain around 20 planes. On its establishment in 1912, the British Royal Flying Corps was intended to be an inter-service, combined force of the British Army and Royal Navy. Given the rivalry existed between the army and navy, new terminology was used, in order to avoid marking the corps out as having an army or navy ethos. While the term wing had been used in the cavalry, its general use predominated. Accordingly, the wing, with its allusion of flight, was chosen as the term of subdivision and the corps was split into a Military Wing. Each wing consisted of a number of squadrons, by 1914, the naval wing had become the Royal Naval Air Service, and gained its independence from the Royal Flying Corps. The Royal Flying Corps was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Air Service in 1918, the RFC usage of wing was maintained in the new service. In most Commonwealth air forces, as well as some others, in these air forces a wing is inferior to a group. Originally all wings were commanded by a wing commander. From World War II onwards, operational flying wings have usually been commanded by group captains, a wing may also be used for non-flying units, such as the infantry forces of the RAF Regiment. Additionally, RAF stations are divided into wings. In 2006, expeditionary air wings were established at the RAFs main operating bases and these expeditionary air wings consist of the deployable elements of the main operating base and other supplementary forces. Expeditionary air wings may be subordinated to an air group. In the British Air Training Corps, a wing consists of a number of squadrons within a geographical area. In this context, a wing is inferior to a region which is made up of six wings, in all, there are 36 Air Training Corps wings in six regions within the United Kingdom, each of which is commanded by a RAFVR wing commander. The size of a wing follows US usage, it varies greatly, in the 1990s, the Canadian Forces Air Command altered the structure of those bases under its control, declaring them to be Wings under the overall control of 1 Canadian Air Division in Winnipeg
5.
Schriever Air Force Base
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Schriever Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force located approximately 10 miles east of Peterson AFB near Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. This Air Force Base is named in honor of General Bernard Adolph Schriever, also housed at Schriever AFB are the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center and the Space Innovation & Development Center. Schriever AFB is the control point for the Global Positioning System. Schriever AFB is manned by more than 8100 active duty and guard/reserve personnel, civilian employees,4 Space and Missile Defense Command-Space and Ballistic Missile Defense Forces U. S. It was originally called the Consolidated Space Operations Center during the development phase and this wing took operational control of the Air Force Satellite Control Network in a phased system turn over that began in October 1987 and lasted several years. In June 1988, Falcon Air Force Station was redesignated Falcon Air Force Base, on 30 January 1992 the 2nd Space Wing inactivated and the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, redesignated as the 50th Space Wing, activated at Falcon AFB. Schriever AFB is the only Air Force base that was named for an Air Force veteran who was living at the time, General Schriever died June 20,2005
6.
Air Force Satellite Control Network
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The Air Force Satellite Control Network provides support for the operation, control, and maintenance of a variety of United States Department of Defense and some non-DoD satellites. This involves continual execution of Telemetry, Tracking, and Commanding operations, the AFSCN provides tracking data to help maintain the catalog of space objects and distributes various data such as satellite ephemeris, almanacs, and other information. The AFSCN consists of satellite control centers, tracking stations, Satellite Operations Centers are located at Schriever Air Force Base near Colorado Springs, Colorado, and various other locations throughout the continental United States. These SOCs are manned around the clock and are responsible for the command, the SOCs are linked to remote tracking stations around the world. Space vehicle checkout facilities are used to test launch vehicles and satellite platforms to ensure that the systems operate within specifications. The RTSs provide the link between the satellites and the SOCs, a similes, especially those in geostationary orbit, never come within view of their control center. Each antenna at an RTS is referred to as a side, previously, Side A typically included a 60-foot-diameter dish antenna. Side B typically included a 46-foot-diameter antenna, at some sites, the B side included a 33-foot-diameter antenna. Over time, however, as the network upgraded and/or replaced the antennas, AFSCN was originally activated to support the CORONA program in 1959. Schriever AFB, Colorado – Primary C2 Node Ellison Onizuka Satellite Operations Facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California – Secondary C2 Node. The AFSCN maintains a number of tracking stations, which are used to track US government agency & military satellites, as well as receive and process telemetry, said facilities are intended to support all Department of Defense satellites. Most tracking stations are operated by detachments of the 21st Space Operations Squadron. Many scientific and research satellites are supported as well, Colorado Tracking Station, Schriever AFB, Colorado, callsign PIKE. As of 2008, this site transitioned from a location to a testing facility. This site formally ceased operational support on 2 August 2012 and it used to support various DoD satellites and previously included enhancement equipment that was used to support the Global Positioning System satellites. On 30 September 2014, the site was deactivated and closed. Diego Garcia Station, Diego Garcia, BIOT, callsign REEF, the Diego Garcia Station has two sides to provide enhanced tracking for the AFSCN users. This site also includes a GPS Ground Antenna site, Guam Tracking Station, Guam, callsign GUAM
7.
50th Space Wing
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The 50th Space Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force under the major command of Air Force Space Command. It was activated on 30 January 1992, replacing the 2nd Space Wing, the unit is the host wing at Schriever Air Force Base, located east of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Their primary responsibility is to track and maintain the command and control, warning, navigational, the 50th Space Wing also manages the Global Positioning System. The wing also operates satellite operation centers at Schriever AFB and remote tracking stations and other command, the group is composed of five active-duty and two Reserve squadrons, as well as one Air National Guard squadron. The group is composed of four squadrons, six detachments and the Program Management Office, 50th Mission Support Group Provides security, civil engineering, fire, personnel, contracting, force support and logistic readiness support to Schriever AFB. The group is composed of four squadrons and a flight providing base support of the wings sites worldwide, the wing was formed at Otis AFB, Massachusetts. The 50th Fighter Group was assigned to the newly formed 50th Fighter Wing upon activation under the Hobson Plan and it trained in the Reserve between June 1949 and June 1951, being a corollary of the active-duty Air Defense Command 33d Fighter Wing. The wing was ordered to service on 1 June 1951 due to the Korean War. The 50th Fighter Wing was inactivated the next day,2 June 1951, on 1 January 1953, the 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing was reactivated as part of the active-duty Tactical Air Command. The 50th Fighter-Interceptor Group activated as the 50th Fighter-Bomber Group and became the primary combat element. The groups squadrons were equipped with North American F-86F Sabres, once training levels for pilots and aircrews had reached operational levels, the 50th FBW began preparations for its move to West Germany. On 10 August 1953, the 50th FBW arrived at its new home, the 50th was assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Twelfth Air Force. The wing became the first tactically operational Air Force wing in 12th Air Forces jurisdiction, the 50th FBG consisted of the 10th, 81st and 417th Fighter-Bomber squadrons. The first of the wings new F-86H Sabres arrived at Hahn AB21 October 1955, conversion continued throughout the winter of 1955 and spring of 1956, ending in May. The 50th FBG received seventy-four F-86Hs, and also had two C-47 transports which were assigned to the Wing for courier and supply operations. The primary mission of the 50th FBW at Hahn was the delivery of nuclear weapons against Warsaw Pact forces in the event of an invasion of Western Europe. Its secondary missions were tactical air defense and support for NATO ground forces, while 50th FBW prepared for and converted to the newer F-86H, the wing expanded its mission responsibility to include supporting 12th Air Forces 7382d Guided Missile Group. The wing had previously supported the 69th Tactical Missile Squadron at Hahn, new aircraft would not be the only change for the personnel of the 50th, however
8.
Colorado
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Colorado is a state in the United States encompassing most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is part of the Western United States, the Southwestern United States, Colorado is the 8th most extensive and the 21st most populous of the 50 United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Colorado was 5,540,545 on July 1,2016, the state was named for the Colorado River, which Spanish travelers named the Río Colorado for the ruddy silt the river carried from the mountains. The Territory of Colorado was organized on February 28,1861, Colorado is nicknamed the Centennial State because it became a state in the same year as the centennial of the United States Declaration of Independence. Colorado is noted for its landscape of mountains, forests, high plains, mesas, canyons, plateaus, rivers. Denver is the capital and the most populous city of Colorado, residents of the state are properly known as Coloradans, although the term Coloradoan has been used archaically and lives on in the title of Fort Collins newspaper, the Coloradoan. Colorado, Wyoming and Utah are the states which have boundaries defined solely by lines of latitude and longitude. The summit of Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet elevation in Lake County is the highest point in Colorado, Colorado is the only U. S. state that lies entirely above 1,000 meters elevation. The point where the Arikaree River flows out of Yuma County, Colorado and this point, which holds the distinction of being the highest low elevation point of any state, is higher than the high elevation points of 18 states and the District of Columbia. A little less than one half of the area of Colorado is flat, East of the Rocky Mountains are the Colorado Eastern Plains of the High Plains, the section of the Great Plains within Nebraska at elevations ranging from roughly 3,350 to 7,500 feet. The Colorado plains were mostly prairies, but they have many patches of forests, buttes. Eastern Colorado is presently covered in farmland and rangeland, along with small farming villages. Precipitation is fair, averaging from 15 to 25 inches annually, corn, wheat, hay, soybeans, and oats are all typical crops, and most of the villages and towns in this region boast both a water tower and a grain elevator. Irrigation water is available from the South Platte, the Arkansas River, and a few other streams, however, heavy use of ground water from wells for irrigation has caused underground water reserves to decline. As well as agriculture, eastern Colorado hosts considerable livestock, such as cattle ranches. Roughly 70% of Colorados population resides along the edge of the Rocky Mountains in the Front Range Urban Corridor between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Pueblo, Colorado. This region is protected from prevailing storms that blow in from the Pacific Ocean region by the high Rockies in the middle of Colorado. The Front Range includes Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Loveland, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Greeley and other townships, on the other side of the Rockies, the significant population centers in Western Colorado are the cities of Grand Junction, Durango, and Montrose
9.
6th Space Operations Squadron
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The 6th Space Operations Squadron is an Air Force Reserve satellite command and control squadron located at Schriever AFB, Colorado. 6 SOPS is a backup to NOAA for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program operations, the 6th Space Operations Squadron provides a backup command and control center for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. DMSP is the longest running production satellite program ever, the DMSP satellite constellation provides strategic and tactical weather prediction to aid military operations planning at sea, on land, and in the air. The satellites can image visible and infrared cloud cover, measure precipitation, surface temperature, in addition, it collects specialized global meteorological oceanographic and solar-geophysical information in all weather conditions. It also has sensors for space weather data that is used to assist in communications, over-the-horizon radar and spacecraft drag. The 6 SOPS is located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo, the 4000th Support Group was organized and established on 1 February 1963 as a component of Strategic Air Command. It was reassigned to the 1st Strategic Aerospace Division on 1 January 1966, on 1 January 1973, the organization was redesignated 4000th Aerospace Application Group without change in assignment or location. It was redesignated 4000th Satellite Operations Group on 3 April 1981, the group was reassigned to the 2d Space Wing on 1 April 1986. In May 1989, Detachment 1 at Fairchild AFB, Washington, was upgraded to squadron status, on 30 January 1992, the group was reassgned to the 50th Space Wing. On 31 July 1992, the 1000th Satellite Operations Group redesignated, the unit was still a Regular Air Force unit and was still stationed at Offutt AFB, NE. In 1994, President William Clinton signed a bill that merged federal weather programs, prior to the merge, federal programs were deemed to be redundant. This merger would save the government money and allow one entity to control national weather products, the merger also moved weather operations to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration located in Suitland, MD. On 30 September 1998, the 6th Space Operations Squadron was inactivated and it activated in the Air Force Reserve with assignment to the 310th Space Group and assignment at Schriever AFB, Colorado on 1 October 1998. The squadrons operations have been command and control of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites since 1 February 1963
10.
50th Network Operations Group
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The 50th Network Operations Group is a United States Air Force unit of the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. 50th NOG is the focal point for operating and maintaining the $8.2 billion Air Force Satellite Control Network and all 50 SW communications. Specific mission responsibilities are accomplished through the four squadrons, six detachments. The unit moved to its present location, then named Falcon Air Force Station, the 1879th assumed the resources of the 2184th Communications Squadron at Falcon. When the 2d Space Wing was inactivated in 1992 the 1879th was inactivated with it, the expanded space communications mission at Schriever Air Force Base led to the reactivation of the unit, now designated the 50th Communications Group. In 2002 the group was inactivated and its components transferred to the 50th Maintenance Group and this action was reversed less than a year later. The group received its current designation in March 2004
