Photo By Shane Hughes | U.S. Air Force Maj. Zachary Eaton, an MQ-9 Reaper pilot assigned to the Ohio Air...... read more read more
The Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing hosted an event for local community organizations Thursday on base.
The event highlighted the need for modernization and emphasized the wing’s efforts to bring the MQ-9 Reaper to the base and establish an Air National Guard/Air Reserve Test Center and support the Air Force initiative of transitioning to Agile Combat Employment, an operational strategy to increase survivability while generating combat power.
“The move to Agile Combat Employment benefits the Total Force and not just the National Guard,” said Lt. Col. Paul Kavavnaugh, commander of the Operations Group at the 178th Wing. “We’re testing the next technologies that are developed here and run here. It’s continuous development, looking to the horizon and expanding the envelope of what we can do.”
It also featured hands-on displays of the wide-reaching missions at the wing, from remotely piloted aircraft and cyber intelligence; to swift water rescue and emergency response, and much more. Each display was staffed by an Airman with expertise in each mission set, and helped foster and enhance understanding of the capabilities and support the wing and the National Guard can provide to local communities, including the ability of the MQ-9 to support domestic search and rescue missions.
Airmen from the 178th supported search and rescue efforts during wildfires in California in 2020, directing emergency services to areas where they were needed most and saving more than 50 people who were stranded and surrounded by fires.
“The first revolution in flight was led by the Wright Brothers,” said Elaine Bryant, executive vice president for aerospace and defense at the Dayton Development Coalition. “The second revolution in flight was the jet age…With the defense capabilities that come from these missions, Springfield is going to be at the heart of the third revolution in flight.”
More than 50 representatives from different community partners and organizations attended the event, including local police and fire departments, state and local government, regional food banks, and universities.
“For us, community day provides advocacy and awareness of the capabilities the 178th Wing currently has and those they’re seeking to gain,” said Stewart DeVilbiss, a representative of the Sensors Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory, where scientists discover new applications for radar and electro-optic sensors. “There’s synergy between what we research and the 178th’s ability to fly some of our experiments on their aircraft.”
| Date Taken: | 04.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.29.2022 14:54 |
| Story ID: | 419646 |
| Location: | SPRINGFIELD, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 105 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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