ROME, N.Y.– Subject matter experts from the Cloud-Based Command and Control community recently convened for a maintenance troubleshooting conference at the Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, New York.
The conference brought together more than 50 participants, including CBC2 contractors and government representatives from Hanscom Air Force Base, the Western Air Defense Sector, the Alaskan Air Defense Sector, the Pacific Air Defense Sector and 1st Air Force.
CBC2 is the cloud-based replacement for the Battle Control System-Fixed, the command-and-control system air defense sector airmen currently use to defend the nation’s air space. The conference’s purpose was to establish and refine formal maintenance and support capability for this critical new system before it becomes fully operational.
Hosting the event at EADS allowed the software developers, many of whom had never been to an air defense sector, to see firsthand where and how their work will be utilized. This provided valuable context for their efforts.
The event was divided into two main parts: classroom instruction and hands-on exercises. The instructional portion provided cyber defense maintainers with training on how to identify and troubleshoot potential issues with the CBC2 system. During the hands-on exercises, a program expert would intentionally create a fault in the live system, challenging the maintainer to diagnose and fix the problem with guidance from the expert team.
“We viewed the exercise as an opportunity to test and evaluate our support and maintenance capability,” said Lt. Col. Jacob Searles, Deputy Commander of the 224th Support Squadron. “If we’re operating the system, and things go wrong, we wanted to demonstrate that we can fix it."
Each step of the troubleshooting process was documented to build a foundation for future training materials and standardized maintenance procedures.
“This was the first time cyber maintainers were able to be out on the floor and use the tools developers had made for us,” said Master Sgt. Todd Davis, Section Chief of C2 Integration. “We were able to see where we are at with the CBC2 system. It went great!”
Through this joint effort, personnel from the 224th Air Defense Group gained significant insight with the opportunity to observe and learn tactics, techniques, and procedures.
The Eastern Air Defense Sector, headquartered in Rome, New York, is part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and is responsible for the air defense of the homeland. The 224th Air Defense Group, an independent, wing-equivalent group of the New York Air National Guard, is located at EADS and provides the forces to conduct the air defense mission.
The 224th ADG has several squadrons and detachments. The 224th Air Defense Squadron, the 224th Support Squadron, the 224th Security Forces Squadron and the Canadian Detachment of CANELEMNORAD serve in Rome. Two geographically separated units, the 223rd Air Defense Squadron and the 224th Air Defense Group Detachment, serve in the Washington, D.C. area.
For more information about the New York Air National Guard, visithttp://www.dmna.ny.gov/. For more information on the Eastern Air Defense Sector and the 224thAir Defense Group, visithttp://www.eads.ang.af.mil/.