104th Fighter Wing joins joint cyber readiness mission in Chicopee By: Melanie J. Casineau, 104FW/PA
Cyber threats continue to pose a significant risk to both military and civilian organizations. To strengthen the City of Chicopee's cybersecurity posture, the Department of Defense Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) Program conducted a no-cost cybersecurity assessment for the City of Chicopee, Chicopee Public Schools, the Chicopee Public Safety Complex and the Department of Public Works from July 13-24, 2026, Chicopee, Mass.
The joint exercise brought together military and civilian organizations in a collaborative training environment. Participating teams included four Air Force Reserve units, three active-duty U.S. Air Force units and one Air National Guard unit. This marked the first time members of the 104th Fighter Wing participated in the annual IRT mission. The project focused on identifying cybersecurity vulnerabilities through network assessments, physical security evaluations and penetration testing. The mission aimed to strengthen the city's cybersecurity, improve business continuity planning and increase cyber awareness to better protect critical infrastructure.
The exercise also provided valuable readiness training for military personnel by exposing them to real-world cybersecurity operations outside of their normal duties on a military installation. At the same time, City of Chicopee officials gained technical expertise and recommendations from military cyber professionals.
U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Chris Lynch, 104th Fighter Wing Communications Squadron, said the training provided opportunities not normally available to members of a fixed communications unit.
"As a fixed communications unit, we don't typically experience this type of cyber training," said Lynch. "We've learned how to conduct network testing, identify vulnerabilities and help make networks more secure."
Members of the 104th Fighter Wing arrived with technical knowledge and experience while also embracing the opportunity to learn from cyber professionals across the Total Force.
U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Senghor Kenmeugne-Fogaing, 104th Fighter Wing Communications Squadron, said the exercise highlighted the importance of defending networks against evolving cyber threats.
"One of the areas we learned the most about was penetration testing and understanding how vulnerable systems can be to cyber threats," said Kenmeugne-Fogaing. "With adversaries constantly looking for opportunities, maintaining good cyber hygiene is essential to keeping our networks secure."
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Wesley Sobczyk Moore, 104th Fighter Wing Communications Squadron, said the mission exposed participants to cybersecurity responsibilities outside the typical scope of a fighter wing.
"This entire exercise has been a learning experience because we don't perform this type of mission on base," said Moore. "Penetration testing for the City of Chicopee involves assessing their network, identifying vulnerabilities and evaluating their cybersecurity practices. At the conclusion of the exercise, we'll provide the city with a report outlining our findings and recommendations to help strengthen the security of its public network."