117th Air Control Squadron Control of the highly charged and congested airspace over a given combat zone is the responsibility of the Georgia Air National Guard’s unique 117th Air Control Squadron (ACS) of Savannah. During exercises, contingencies, or actual war, the 117th ACS’s command and control mission is to provide air control for military aircraft in their sector. As a Control and Reporting Center, the 117th serves as the senior command and control element for the Theater Air Force Commander and directs the air war as assigned. Trained air controllers have the responsibility of directing aircraft entering, exiting or crossing congested airspace using an array of sophisticated radar equipment and sensors that provide greater coverage than most
165th Air Support Operations Squadron
Close Air Support (CAS) for advancing ground units is often critical in perilous combat environments like Afghanistan. Under the leadership of Lt. Col. Robert Noren, the “Battlefield Airmen” of Garden City’s 165th Air Support Operations Squadron (ASOS) deploy globally in support of joint force commanders. Members are tasked with the mission of advising and assisting throughout planning, requesting, coordinating and controlling CAS missions, reconnaissance, and tactical airlift missions. Eight members of the 165th have deployed this year, one supported the State Department in the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility (AOR), and
small city airports. In Fall 2015, the 117th conducted a unique annual field training at their sister unit’s site in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Ninety nine members of the 117th and 12 personnel from the 283rd Combat Communication Squadron assembled in PR, working with 60 members of 141st ACS, PR Air National Guard. During the exercise the communications teams linked two radar sites in PR and a radar site in Savannah, Ga. to the main command and control center in PR. Controllers from the 117th successfully controlled U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps fighter jets off the coast of Georgia using the command and control system in Aguadilla. This was the first live mission controlled at 141st ACS since 1997. Throug hout 2015, the 117th s u p p o r t e d t h r e e m a j o r a i r- t o air training exercises off the coast of Georgia for the Savannah Air
Dominance Center. During the two Sentry Savannah exercises and the Atlantic Spear/Boar’s Nest exercise, the 117th provided identification and control of all military aircraft, which at times reached 60 aircraft. The controllers also managed air-to-air refueling operations to extend fighter aircraft operational time. The 117th was also acknowledged for its community efforts in 2015, receiving recognition for its “top five participation” in the Combined Federal Campaign with a 100 percent contribution rate.
seven others are currently deployed in the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) AOR in support of Operation Octave Shield, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. Seven additional members are scheduled to deploy in the coming months to AFRICOM. . The 165th ASOS deployed to Fort Picket, Va. and Camp Atterbury Ind. in support of the 29th Infantry Division, Vi rg i n i a A r my Nat i on a l Gu ard Command Post Exercise and War Fighter Exercise respectively. Members of the 165th ASOS provided a Joint Terminal Attack Coordinator (JTAC) Instructor for a NATO CAS event in Latvia, served in a National Guard Bureau proof of concept demonstration for training with contracted air support aircraft, conducted 322 hours of simulator training, 40 of which was dedicated to active duty units, instructed and evaluated Joint Fires Observers (JFO) for the 48th Infantry Battalion Combat Team, Georgia
Army National Guard, completed training for eight graduates of the JTAC Qualification Course at Nellis Air Force Base and Germany, and graduated several members from the US Army Air Assault Course, Ft Benning, Ga. The 165th ASOS sto o d up a fully operational Small Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS) program with 14 members fully qualified as SUAS operators. The 165th ASOS SUAS program is the largest SUAS program of conventional ASOS units in the active duty Air Force and Air National Guard.
25 | Georgia Department of Defense