153rd Communications Flight becomes a Squadron

Photo By Staff Sgt. Kylee Warren | U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. John M. Jasper, Commander of the 153rd Communications Squadron, explains the importance of an agile Cyber Warfighting Squadron during a redesignation ceremony where the 153rd Communications Flight at the Wyoming Air National Guard Base officially became the 153rd Communications Squadron in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. Many communications flights across the Air National Guard have been transitioning to squadrons to address the growing cyber threat in the global community. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Kylee Warren)  

CHEYENNE, WY, UNITED STATES

12.09.2023

Story by Staff Sgt. Kylee Warren 

153rd Airlift Wing

The 153rd Communications Flight at the Wyoming Air National Guard Base officially became the 153rd Communications Squadron during their redesignation ceremony in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.

Current Wyoming Air National Guard members and leadership from the Wyoming Guard Bureau attended the ceremony to support the change.

Lt. Col. John Jasper, Commander of the 153rd Communications Squadron, oversaw this transition. He offered critical insight during the ceremony.

"The digital world is fantastic and sometimes scary, especially when we consider the speed at which change occurs," Jasper said during the ceremony. "With these changes, we've seen a multitude of threats arise. The Air Force and the National Guard Bureau have recognized these threats, and to help mitigate them, they have begun moving communications flights to squadrons."

The core mission of the 153rd Communications Squadron is to provide superior cyber support focused on the needs of the wing's customers and mission partners. As such, cyber professionals deliver reliable and secure communications to ensure the success of their national, state, and community missions.
Jasper explained that due to the way they're organized, flights have less agility or flexibility than squadrons do when facing a looming threat of this magnitude.

Senior Master Sgt. Eric Farmer, Operations Superintendent at the 153rd Communications Squadron, oversees the day-to-day affairs of the career. He explained that the Communications Squadrons manage most of the base's information and communications technology and infrastructure. Their duties encompass serving Wyoming's Airmen with reliable computers, steady internet, capable printers, working landline phones, and an efficient help desk. They also ensure that the base has secure communications capabilities. Finally, these Communications Airmen protect the communications infrastructure that Wyoming Air National Guard's 1,200 members rely on.

"We've got a wide variety of responsibilities, from network operations to plans and implementation, to records and publications, to information involving cyber security," Farmer said. "Anywhere where there's some modern communications device, Comm Squadron is involved."

In light of these responsibilities and the changing dynamic of Cyber Warfare, the Communications career field has been making several changes over the last 18 months, said Chief Master Sgt. Emily Collins, Senior Leader at the 153rd Communications Squadrons. "The career shifted from a support Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) to an operational AFSC."

Collins explained that Air Force Cyber professionals will increasingly work on objectives that defend and protect Air Force communications against Cyber Warfare and support their base with communications and information technology needs. "This will require more resources, flexibility, and people above and beyond what a flight would allow," Collins said.

The journey to become a squadron has been a long one. However, it began at a grassroots level. Jasper explained that roughly eighteen months ago, many Communications Flights across the Air National Guard recognized they needed to become Squadrons to meet future missions' demands.

"Communications Flights as they are currently organized are not going to meet the coming threat," Jasper said. "This new arrangement as a Communications Squadron allows for better flexibility in the future of Cyber Warfighting."

Understanding this, Jasper, Collins, and their team assembled a pack to submit to the National Guard Bureau. Jasper and Collins explained that the National Guard Bureau recognized the need across the Communications career. The Bureau pushed to include multiple communications flights in one approval process, thus streamlining the work and time needed to meet the demands of an increasingly volatile cyber environment.

The Airmen at the 153rd Communications Squadron is weathering the changes well, said Collins. "I am extremely proud of how flexible the Airmen in this Squadron have been. They remain positive, always pushing forward and exercising resilience as a supportive and tight-knit team."

Jasper echoed Collins in her appreciation of these talented and intelligent Cyber Airmen.
"I know how hard the mission is, and my job is to make sure the people in the Squadron have what they need to accomplish the mission," Jasper said. "The people make the mission work, and here at the 153rd Communications Squadron, they are fantastic."

Most of these Airmen participated in Saturday's ceremony and stood at ease to hear Jasper's thoughts on this transition.
"This change will help establish and set Communications Airmen on course for the future missions on the horizon," Jasper said. "I'll close with this: fear not change, for it is the only constant, and your Cyber professionals have the watch."

• Date Taken: 12.09.2023
• Date Posted: 12.14.2023 12:18
• Story ID: 459943
• Location: CHEYENNE, WY, US