Photo By Master Sgt. Andrew Jackson | Lt. Col. Chad Briggs, commander, 293rd Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron, gives a...... read more read more
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A team of Airmen from the National Guard Bureau (NGB) and the Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) recently met on Kauai to conduct a Site Activation Task Force (SATAF) visit for the 293rd Electromagnetic Warfare Squadron. This SATAF process is the first step in the future space unit’s activation process. The NGB team of about 20 guardsmen and civilian contractors, the HIANG and the Guam Air National Guard (GUANG) held a set of discussions over three days aimed at generating an extensive checklist that will guide the unit through the activation process.
“Through the SATAF process, NGB partners with the unit and its stakeholders to create a road map from step 1 to step 1001,” said Mr. Robert Novak, conversion program manager, NGB. “NGB uses the SATAF process to modernize the Guard. We are here on Kauai to stand up space control squadron #4, and the SATAF process is used to convert a unit from one mission to another. We are activating a new weapons system for the HIANG in a new unit (293rd EWS). We are starting from scratch. This will lay the path from where we are now to being a fully functional unit in the next 18 months.”
During the SATAF, representatives from the HAING and NBG staff shops including: A1 personnel, A2 intelligence, A3 operations, A4 facilities and logistics, A5 plans, and A6 communications, spent three days inspecting the site, reviewing manning documents, examining Air Force Instructions, analyzing the current infrastructure, and looking a current mission needs of similar units with similar weapons systems. These discussions are held to generate checklists that will define every action taken over the next year and half. Support agreements were also outlined between the 293rd, HIANG Headquarters, the 154th Wing, the Hawaii Army National Guard and Pacific Missile Range Facility. Every aspect of the unit infrastructure, from the unit manning document and spend plans, to blueprints and weapons systems were discussed.
“We are here to stand up a new unit here in the Hawaii Air National Guard with a new Space Weapons System,” stated Senior Master Sgt. Jarrod Best, unit conversion mission program manager, Air National Guard Readiness Center. “The standup mission starts by holding meetings with subject matter experts from the unit, NGB, and PRMF. It is the balance of all the team members working together cohesively. The final product will be an extensive task list that will need to be accomplished to reach Initial Operational Capability (IOC). We are setting an 18-month timeline, it could be extended to 24 months if needed.”
The Kauai-based HIANG unit will be nested on PMRF. The plan is to renovate a 6.5-acre section that had previously been occupied by the HIANG’s 293rd Combat Communications Squadron. Renovating some structures will help keep the overall cost down which is key in a resource-limited environment.
“The facilities team will play a big role here for the renovation of this site at PRMF,” said Best. “Whether that is Sustainment, Restoration, Modernization (SRM) or Military Construction (MilCon) funds. The work will really be done after we leave here. SATAF kicks off everything but, the 293rd (EWS) commander and his staff will be tracking each action item’s progress and submitting reports every three months.”
Every member of the task force from the HIANG and NGB will stay with the process from this point to IOC. NGB will facilitate and guide the action items to completion but the unit has the burden of insuring everything is completed to reach IOC.
The unit has been identified as one of the units that could be transferred to the Space National Guard, if it is established.
“The SATAF program will get this unit from here, with just a few members in a crawl phase, to a brisk walk over the next 18 months,” concluded Mr. Novak. “This is an exciting time for the Hawaii Air National Guard.”
There has been a team of Airmen attached to HIANG HQ who have been laying the groundwork for the standup of the 293rd EWS over the past year.
“This (SATAF) is the first step in becoming a real unit,” said Lt. Col. Chad Briggs, 293rd EWS commander. “In some ways units going through the conversion process have it easy. An activation SATAF requires us to lay the foundational programs that an already functioning squadron would have in place. All the items in the commander’s inspection list need to be created.”.”
The next hurdle the 293rd EWS faces is the IG inspection for federal recognition. Two of the actions items highlighted in the SATAF discussions were the basing memorandum and Organizational Change Request (OCR) but the federal recognition request will close out the SATAF items along with IOC.
“The discussion groups are identifying the key tasks to get the unit going, to be ready to deploy, and do our mission,” stated Briggs. “My vision for the unit is Hawaiian concept
‘Kulia I Ka Nu‘u’ (reach for the summit) which is a way of life. We always strive to do a little better each time. The military is constantly striving to improve as we are in competition with our adversaries. We have friendly competition with our partner units and service counterparts. There is ‘good enough’. There is ‘we can win’ but let’s try and be better. Let’s do something better every single day. Make your personal life better, your community better, and your workplace better.”
The members of the task force spent three long days in and out of meetings, in calls to NGB and the with PMRF organizations to thoroughly uncover everything that needs to be built from procedures and institutions to structures and facility improvements. The process closed out with a brief to the Assistant Adjutant General (Air) Hawaii National Guard, Brig. Gen. Duke Ota and Hawaii Air National Guard Senior Enlisted Leader, Chief Master Sgt. Zandra Fox, where the action items were presented.
“Everyone here has done a great job,” said Briggs. “They have dug through the regulations. We have gotten some things wrong. We have learned and improved. They have been willing to be wrong, take the correction and move forward. I have been really impressed on their willingness to go through this process. We drive to keep going and move the process forward.”
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.31.2022 18:00 |
| Story ID: | 421896 |
| Location: | PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY BARKING SANDS, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 412 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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