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By Col. Gregory M. Kuzma, 419th Mission Support Group Commander
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The alarm comes in the dead of night. Sirens echo across the flight line. Computer screens flicker, data feeds are corrupted, a suspicious video orders a mission stand down. Drones hover over fuel tanks. The fog and friction from modem threats blur command and control.
In that moment, what do you do? Do you wait to be told what to do or do you MacGyver a response?
In the 1980s TV classic, Angus "Mac" MacGyver never waited for the perfect tools. A paperclip, a gum wrapper, a strip of wire - those were his raw materials. What mattered was his mindset: the ability to adapt and overcome. MacGyver's improvisation reflected the Cold War era, when resilience was the firewall against uncertainty. Today, in an age of AI and deception, that same mindset must define our force from every Airman and Guardian.
Let's explore three modem threats and how agile combat employment (ACE), a little Griffin Grit, and a MacGyver mindset ensure that when networks fail, the mission endures-because our people adapt and improvise.
MacGyvering the Algorithm
The AI challenge is one of speed and predictability. An adversary's AI seeks rapid feedback loops to outpace our OODA loop cycle. ACE and the mission-ready Airman (MR.A) concept are our human countermeasures. Like MacGyver fashioning a device from common items, Airmen invent workarounds when core systems are compromised, introducing human unpredictability as a tactical advantage.
Imagine a cyber-attack severing a satellite uplink, targeting mission support tasks and flying schedules. The enemy expects centralized command and control to pause.
Instead, an aerial porter switches to analog manifest books and uses field radios from the cyber team. A civil engineer deploys backup power generators. A logistics team reroutes fuel with handwritten forms. This is resilience-the refusal to let broken systems break the mission.
Human initiative breaks the adversary's loop, restoring pace not by algorithm but by relentless adaptation.
MacGyvering Cognitive Grit
Deepfakes are attacks on trust and authority. If a malicious deepfake video broadcasts a realistic video of a commander giving reckless orders, the resulting chaos severely degrades readiness.
An urgent voice message arrives, supposedly from the deputy commander, ordering personnel movement and pay redirection. It sounds real. A force support Airman pauses. She calls the deputy's secure number. No confirmation. She uses an authentication process (a challenge - response code, for example) that is not validated. She alerts her supervisor. The message is declared fake before action is taken.
This is resilience in action-the grit to question, verify, and protect trust when deception strikes.
MacGyvering Drone Denial
The rise of drone warfare has fundamentally changed the concept of the front line; our home base is no longer a safe haven. Attacks can target maintenance infrastructure or disrupt vital flight operations. When radios are being jammed and drones circle overhead, being resilient means dispersing vulnerability and ensuring redundancy across every functional area.
A security forces Airman recognizes drone signatures in real time-sound, silhouette, and flight patterns-and relies on low-tech observation posts with analog reporting when digital systems fail. In a drone attack, they establish perimeter checkpoints, coordinate with spotters, and improvise simple defenses to protect high-value targets. Their vigilance ensures base defense continues even when advanced detection systems are degraded.
This is resilience at scale-spreading risk and ensuring continuity even when advanced systems falter. Our home station has become a training ground for resilient improvisation.
MacGyvering Mission Command
When adversaries degrade computer networks and flood systems with false commands, reliance shifts to Plan B: resilient C2 powered by human ingenuity and low-tech redundancy.
Instead of hesitating, Airmen act on Commander's Intent, MacGyvering the chain of command through trust and cohesion, not technology. Resilience here is collective-the cohesion that allows decentralized teams to act decisively when authority collapses.
While our greatest vulnerability is often procedural rigidity-the inability to deviate from the established norm---our greatest strength remains the initiative and adaptability I have seen time and again from our amazing Airmen and Guardians.
Build Your MacGyver Mindset Now
When computer networks fail or orders seem suspect, resilience means acting with trained reflexes, not waiting for the perfect plan. Start now: train verification drills for deepfake orders. Plan analog fallbacks for every mission support area. Encourage lateral thinking and celebrate ingenuity as much as compliance. Resilience is not accidental-it is cultivated through tabletop drills, rehearsals, and the expectation that systems can fail.
MacGyver viewed constraints as puzzles to solve. That is our path forward. When systems break, we build new bridges, improvise new nodes, and restore purpose. If we fail to build this muscle, we risk paralysis and concede the OODA loop advantage to our adversaries.
Human resilience is timeless-it won the Cold War, and it will win the future fight.
About the Author: Col. Gregory Mm Kuzma commands the 419th Mission Support Group. He is a published advocate of ACE, resilience, and innovation. He believes resourceful Airmen - those who improvise, adapt, and persevere like MacGyver in human form - will shape the future force. The views expressed in this commentary are his own.
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2025 15:50 |
| Story ID: | 553191 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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