Photo By Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell | U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, Illinois National Guard adjutant general, holds an...... read more read more
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DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz.—The Illinois National Guard Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd visited the 12th Air Force, Air Forces Southern (AFSOUTH) headquarters on July 8, giving Illinois senior leaders a firsthand look at how one Air National Guard Unit quietly expands AFSOUTH’s operational capacity.
The visit reinforced the partnership between AFSOUTH, the 612th Air Operations Center (AOC) and the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183d Air Operations Group (AOG), highlighting how Guardsmen seamlessly integrate with their active-duty counterparts to provide the planning expertise, command and control capabilities and operational depth needed to respond to day-to-day operations, contingencies and regional crises across the Western Hemisphere.
"We provide augmentation across every division of the 612th Air Operations Center and AFSOUTH staff. We aren't limited to one specialty,” said U.S. Air National Guard Col. Matthew Cain, 183d Air Mobility Operations Squadron commander. “We bring the full spectrum of command and control capabilities needed to support the mission."
Air National Guardsmen from the “Prairie State” arrived at AFSOUTH headquarters in Tucson, Arizona, in September 2025, as U.S. military forces deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.
“At the onset of Operation Southern Spear, it was apparent across the Directorates that we had experience gaps in our staffs that prevented on-demand solutions to tactical warfighting problem sets,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brandon O’Neil, AFSOUTH deputy director for logistics, engineering, and force protection. “Our long-standing relationship with the 183d allowed us to bring in the specific capability support to augment our teams, giving warfighters the required advisement and assistance to overcome real-time operational challenges.”
The relationship didn’t happen overnight. It started with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts and continued through command and control exercises such as PANAMAX. Over the years of operating together, those missions built trust, interoperability and shared experience that now allow Guard and active-duty Airmen to integrate seamlessly when operational demands increase.
“It’s much more complicated to command and control air forces than it is to fly a single aircraft. Every theater is different,” said Cain. “The command relationships, access and priorities all change. Our Airmen have built the experience to navigate those environments quickly.”
For O’Neil, the partnership’s greatest value wasn’t simply additional manpower, it was the operational expertise the 183d brought to the fight. That experience enabled the air component to adapt as the mission evolved while reinforcing the strength of Total Force integration.
“The 183d provided operational advantages from day one of operations through current steady-state, often working behind the scenes to provide expert level advisement and foresight,” said O’Neil. “That’s the strength of Total Force integration. We are stronger and more decisive when we operate as one force.”
After seeing the work firsthand, Boyd said the visit reinforced the value the 183d brings to AFSOUTH while demonstrating how Air National Guard Air Operations Groups provide critical command and control expertise in support of commandant commanders.
“In the Guard, you are only as successful as you are relevant. The work you are doing here proves the 183d is relevant,” said Boyd. “One of the reasons I wanted to come here was so I could better appreciate what you are doing and what you are bringing to the fight. No one outside this mission truly understands that unless they see it firsthand.”
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.14.2026 01:20 |
| Story ID: | 569873 |
| Location: | ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 19 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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