94th AAMDC hosts 2016 Worldwide AAMDC Intelligence Symposium

Photo By Lt. Col. Troy Frey | Keynote speaker, Maj. Gen. Gregory C. Bilton, deputy-commanding general (operations), U.S. Army Pacific gives his perspective on the importance of intelligence support and how it affects mission success in the Pacific region at the 2016 Worldwide AAMDC Intelligence Symposium at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 18, 2016. The 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command hosted the symposium to provide a much-needed forum for improving standardization, maturation, and synergy of intelligence practices and coordination across the air and missile defense force.  

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, UNITED STATES

04.22.2016

Story by Maj. Troy Frey 

94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii – The 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command hosted the 2016 Worldwide AAMDC Intelligence Symposium at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 18-21.

Intelligence officers from all of the AAMDCs – 94th AAMDC, 10th AAMDC, 32nd AAMDC and 263rd AAMDC – as well as, key partners in the intelligence community who provide intelligence support to the ballistic missile defense mission attended.

The intent of the intelligence symposium is to improve Army and joint intelligence support to the warfighter.

“We are hosting this event in order to achieve some very specific objectives in order to assist all of our Army air and missile defense command intelligence elements in their uniquely challenging task of providing intelligence support to ‘Left of Launch’ ballistic missile defense,” explained Col. Bruce Stephens, assistant chief of staff, intelligence (G-2), 94th AAMDC from Williams, S.C.

“I’ve always felt …we are not driving operations by informing our commanders and operators that a missile has launched,” continued Stephens. “Our [the intelligence community] value is to be able to identify and locate targets far enough in advance to prevent launches.”
Master Sgt. Patrick James, senior intelligence (G-2) sergeant, 94th AAMDC from Brooklyn, N.Y., helped plan the conference and understands the significance of the event.

“The intel symposium was important because it brought the entire intelligence community together that work within the air defense community,” said James. “In so doing, we were able to understand the problems that each intelligence directorate encounter within the Army missile defense structure. We then were able to showcase how we deal with problems and share experiences to help us combat present and future similar air defense issues.”

Keynote speakers included Maj. Gen. Mark C. Dillon, vice-commander, Pacific Air Forces; Maj. Gen. Gregory C. Bilton, deputy-commanding general (operations), U.S. Army Pacific; and Senior Executive Service (SES) Mr. Thomas E. Webber, director, programs and technology center, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command / Army Forces Strategic Command.

The four-day seminar also featured an intelligence overview of global air and missile defense and intelligence briefs by the Pacific Air Forces intelligence (A2), director of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); U.S. Army Pacific intelligence (G-2); and each of the AAMDCs. Other organizations, which presented topics, included the Missile and Space Intelligence Center, the 500th and 501st Military Intelligence Brigades, the Defense Special Missile and Aerospace Center, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, the National Ground Intelligence Center, and the National Reconnaissance Office.

The symposium also incorporated events outside of the classroom setting including an icebreaker at a local restaurant over-looking the ocean, a tour of a Navy Aegis Cruiser, and an opportunity to participate in the 94th AAMDC Sea Dragon Cup Golf Scramble.

“The USS Hopper tour, I have never had the chance to be on a Navy Aegis Cruiser,” explained Spc. Edward Riverarivera, intelligence (G-2) security manager, 94th AAMDC from Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, when asked which topic he found the most interesting. “Being given a tour of the USS Hopper, gave me the opportunity to learn how other military branches (Navy) approach [theater ballistic missile] TBM situations.”

The symposium provided a much-needed forum for improving standardization, maturation, and synergy of intelligence practices and coordination across the air and missile defense force.

"We were able to bring in several different intelligence entities to share data on the national level intelligence efforts and capabilities dedicated to the BMD mission,” explained Stephens. “Additionally engagement with Department of the Army sourcing elements such as the [Training Doctrine Capabilities Manager for Sensor Processing] TCM, the [Program Manager for the Distributed Common Ground System – Army] PM DCGS-A, Foundry, and [Human Resources Command] HRC will lead to a codified plan for training intelligence analysts in this unique mission set.”

“This was a very good experience and I hope that it [the Intel symposium] will rotate throughout the air defense community,” said James.

• Date Taken: 04.22.2016
• Date Posted: 05.06.2016 18:50
• Story ID: 197586
• Location: JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US
• Hometown: KAISERSLAUTERN, RP, DE
• Hometown: TOA BAJA, PR
• Hometown: ANDERSON, SC, US
• Hometown: BROOKLYN, NY, US
• Hometown: FORT BLISS, TX, US
• Hometown: FORT HUACHUCA, AZ, US
• Hometown: FORT SHAFTER, HI, US
• Hometown: FORT SILL, OK, US
• Hometown: HONOLULU, HI, US
• Hometown: JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US
• Hometown: SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, HI, US
• Hometown: WILLIAMS, SC, US