Photo By Staff Sgt. Bridgitte Taylor | Ethernet cords sprawl over a server rack at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., May 1,...... read more read more
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. – March Air Reserve Base, Calif., is undergoing a transformation in its information technology infrastructure after 10 years of development.
The 163d Communications Flight and 452d Communications Squadron spearheaded the initiative “One Base, One Network,” (1B1N) which aims to enhance readiness, cut down costs, and improve connection speed.
The 1B1N initiative aims to unify multiple networks into a single, secure and efficient platform by integrating Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command networks.
“Before 1B1N, we had digital silos where ANG and AFRC personnel had to navigate different networks, logins and hardware when doing their jobs. It wasn’t efficient,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Crandell, the primary 1B1N project manager. “By consolidating onto a single Department of the Air Force enterprise network, we are practicing Total Force Integration every single day. An Airman can sit down anywhere on this installation, log in seamlessly and get to work. It also allows us to train exactly how we fight. When our Airmen deploy, they operate on a unified network. This initiative ensures they are using that same secure, standardized platform right here at home station”
Additionally, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christian Ruiz, a 163d Communications Flight job title, said that these efficiencies strengthen Airmen readiness by enabling more reliable, secure and streamlined operations with Total Force partners. The use of standardized tools, such as Cisco services, provides Airmen with hands-on experience on the same systems they will use during deployments or active missions, heightening familiarity across systems.
Beyond enhancing Airmen readiness, the initiative also delivers measurable cost savings.
“A big advantage is that it reduces a lot of the redundant connections that we have in our communications rooms, so that's less network cables that we’re having to deploy out to users; it saves us money on network equipment,” said Ruiz. “We probably reduced maybe half of our spending footprint [which equates to] hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Building on these improvements, the initiative is significantly enhancing network performance by increasing speed, reliability and security.
“Through this project, we eliminated outdated, end-of-life hardware that was difficult to defend," said Crandell. “We completely refreshed our networking switches across the installation, giving the base the bandwidth required for modern, data-heavy operations. By connecting to multiple network cores, we’ve eliminated single points of failure. If one pathway goes down, the mission doesn't stop.”
In the past year, the 163rd CF played a key role in cleaning infrastructure across more than 25 buildings by removing hundreds of excess cables and repurposing assets. With the combined efforts of cross-unit coordination and infrastructure changes, these efforts highlight a streamlined, team-driven approach that positions the base to move forward with a more efficient, resilient and mission-ready network.
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2026 15:22 |
| Story ID: | 564200 |
| Location: | MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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