Photo By Staff Sgt. Katharine Winchell | The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform...... read more read more
As military aircraft roared across the sky for America’s landmark 250th anniversary, the coordination of the massive flyovers came down to a single, critical mission: command and control.
The 728th Battle Management Control Squadron, which falls under the 461st Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, served as the anchor for the Independence Day flyover in the National Capital Region. Operating from a fixed ground station with robust sensor and communication access, the 728th BMCS delivered 24/7 command and control without risking aircraft or air crews.
The squadron executed primary tactical command, control and force accountability for a multi-service fleet of 109 joint and interagency aircraft across military holding areas. Partnering with the Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors, the squadron successfully deconflicted and synchronized complex, high-density joint airspace.
“I was very proud of my Airmen, and I was very proud that the Airmen in the 728th were ready, able and willing to step up and fill a very non-conventional mission, but a mission that was within our capabilities to execute,” said Lt. Col. Alexander Wallis, BMCS commander. “It was great to see the men and women of the 728th that were tasked to support it, really lean into it, and want to be a part of making something like this happen for the public.”
The 10-wave flyover executed precision aerial and static displays with over 100+ aircraft sequences. The pilots captured the public’s gaze, but the command-and-control teams made the mission possible.
“We, as tactical C2, were tasked to provide deconfliction, routing and safety of flight for 109 aircraft, and liaising with three external civilian partners providing federal air traffic control services,” said Maj. Kyle Raker, 728th BMCS chief of staff and detachment commander for the event. “These 109 aircraft were spaced out during the day in over 30 waves of similar or dissimilar aircraft types.”
Through proactive joint and interagency synchronization, the team successfully integrated the Navy’s E-2 Hawkeye aircraft into the mission architecture, utilizing its radar and communications capabilities to secure airspace control.
“The E-2's primary role for the event was twofold, the tactical C2 team lead and the primary control agency during what was termed the ‘huge formation’,” said Raker. “The huge formation involved the new Air Force One demonstration flyover event of 20 aircraft. They were utilized in that role because of their capabilities. Unlike our fixed radar, which may have limited ranges, the E-2 as an airborne platform is able to get to a localized area and provide top-down radar coverage.”
This high-tech capability was put to the test during one of the nation’s most high-profile aerial events, with the men and women from the 728th BMCS spearheading the entire control effort.
“What was neat for this event was the use of a lark, which is a low altitude radio kit,” said Raker. “Instead of a fixed tower that allows us to receive and cannot move its location, a lark is a portable radio site that you can maneuver over the top of a parking garage. We were able to utilize one of those radios for communications and overall show safe overflight of the national mall.
“This mission provided a unique opportunity for Airmen in our wing to execute battle management capabilities that are difficult to replicate elsewhere,” he continued. “While operators are challenged by similar problem sets in large force employment exercises, the duration of this event, integration of all service components and the deconfliction complexity provided the 461st ACW vital experience necessary to meet combatant commander demands in operational environments.”
| Date Taken: | 07.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.21.2026 07:24 |
| Story ID: | 570384 |
| Location: | ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 22 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 461st ACW controllers guide historic ‘Salute to America 250’ flyover, by Jasmine Braswell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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