93d AGOW Integrates with Army Forces during IVY MASS 2026 Exercise
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A U.S. Air Force Airman works with next-generation command and control (C2) equipment......read moreread more
Courtesy Photo | A U.S. Air Force Airman works with next-generation command and control (C2) equipment in a node during exercise Ivy Mass 2026, at Fort Carson, Colorado, May 13, 2026. Bringing together Army and Air Force assets through joint training with nodes plays a key role in events like IVY MASS when using next-generation C2 equipment. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Phillip Banaszak) see less
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93d AGOW Integrates with Army Forces during IVY MASS 2026 Exercise
Soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division conducted IVY MASS 2026, a large-scale division field training exercise, May 4-18, 2026, across Fort Carson (FCCO), Camp Red Devil and Pinyon Canyon Maneuver Site (PCMS), Colorado.
The exercise brought together the division’s full contingent, including division main headquarters elements (DMAIN), combat aviation assets (4 CAB), 1stthrough 3rdbrigade combat teams (BCTs), and subsidiary units down to the company level, to execute force-on-force operations designed to strengthen readiness, improve command and control capabilities and rehearse large-scale combat operations in a realistic training environment.
"Our pacing threat in the National Security Strategy is the People’s Republic of China,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Shinn, 3rd Combat Weather Squadron (3 CWS), Detachment (DET) 1 commander. "In order for the USMIL to counter the magnitude of this adversary, the U.S. Army is looking to bring warfighting to the division level as the primary unit of action, similar to the planning staffs during the Cold War. To accomplish that level of support, our SWOs implemented the FY27 Army Weather Support UTC concept, bringing direct SWO support to the Division and CAB MDMP cycles during IVY MASS, contextualizing a year's long effort to prototype land force warfighting through a modular, distributed, and DDIL environment."
Airmen assigned to the 93d Air Ground Operations Wing (AGOW) at Moody Air Force Base, including Staff Weather Officers (SWOs) and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Airmen, were integrated throughout the exercise, working alongside Army units to enhance joint interoperability and provide critical air-ground coordination capabilities in support of maneuver operations.
93 AGOW SWOs injected environmental data across the division’s enterprise and subordinate brigades’ execution and planning, while TACPs provided a robust command and control (C2) package to assist the Army in developing their digital Next Gen C2 solution and increase joint interoperability. The wing’s participation highlights the Air Force’s role in enabling multi-domain operations and strengthening joint force integration during large-scale combat training events.
“Training alongside Army units improves coordination by building ‘habitual relationships’ and trust between services before entering a high-stress combat environment,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Payton, 7th Air Support Operations Squadron deputy chief of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. “It allows our teams to identify technical gaps, synchronize different operational tempos and develop new TTPs [Tactics, Techniques and Procedures], ensuring that when real-world operations begin, the joint force functions as a single, cohesive team rather than a collection of separate parts.”
IVY MASS is structured as a division-level field training exercise focused on offensive and defensive maneuver operations, synchronization across multiple formations and integration into a simulated U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) scenario. Throughout the exercise, division-level command posts exercised C2 functions while subordinate units conducted maneuver, live-fire and sustainment operations across multiple training areas.
The exercise began with planning and preparation activities before transitioning into a joint forcible entry operation. Following the initial assault phase, formations conducted follow-on maneuver operations, including a forward passage of lines (FPOL), hasty defense and deliberate attack scenarios against opposing forces.
“This exercise prepares members for real-world operations in contested environments,” said Tech. Sgt. Ian James, 3 CWS/DET 1 4th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) weather operations non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC). “The ability to provide alternate communication methods provides a sense of preparedness toward executing real-world mission timelines.”
The exercise incorporated support from specialized units and joint partners to create a realistic operational environment that tests the division’s ability to fight and sustain operations across dispersed locations. For the 93d AGOW, the exercise provided an opportunity to refine expeditionary communication, command and control integration, and coordination in a dynamic joint training environment through both SWO-led operational integration and TACP support.
“Whether it is real world or simulated, the work is constantly being put in,” said Airman 1st Class Jack Harrison, 3 CWS/DET 1 rear division support Airman. “It is good for us to learn that it isn’t just about briefing the weather, real-world events are actively affected by environmental constraints, and we are best postured to translate real-world operational impacts.”
Exercises like IVY MASS reinforce the joint force’s ability to rapidly deploy, integrate combat power and execute operations in contested environments while maintaining mission readiness.
