Photo By Senior Airman Eduardo Figueroa Varela | In a historic ceremony, the 147th Attack Wing Communication Flight was officially...... read more read more
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ELLINGTON FIELD, Texas - In a historic ceremony, the 147th Attack Wing Communication Flight officially redesignated to the 147th Communication Squadron at Ellington Field, Houston, Texas, October 21, 2023. This redesignation marks a significant milestone in the squadron’s journey to enhance communication capabilities and adapt to the escalating demand to remain mission-ready.
U.S. Air Force Major Calvin May, Commander of the newly designated 147th Communication Squadron, who has dedicated over a decade of service in this capacity, emphasized that the process has been on the horizon for quite some time.
"This has been a long overdue process dating back probably seven or eight years ago," said May. "We were selected by NGB, specifically as one of the 39 units in the first wave to transition all components to the current Squadron."
As the mission evolves with complex communication needs, the redesignation to a squadron embodies a strategic maneuver to navigate the new challenges. Major May elaborated on the burgeoning demands, "Manning right now, we're sitting at 38 personnel authorizations. There should be more resources coming available, but overall, this initiative provides the flexibility to accommodate the growing responsibilities and new emerging mission-sets", May said.
The redesignation carries both operational and structural implications. The responsibilities once shouldered by the Communication Flight were very heavy, warranting a transition to a squadron for better flexibility and growth, especially with an anticipated increase in readiness requirements to enable our respective Wings' expansive and sophisticated operability in the Cyberspace domain, May said. Structural modifications to enhance the unit's mission effectiveness includes unit’s pursuance of a First Seargent and adding a command support staff billet to accommodate squadron growth.
Major May also touched on the technological edge this transition is poised to provide, stating that many tools and opportunities will be available for their use and encouraging an out-of-the-box mentality among personnel for innovation. "This not only enhances their mission readiness but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional development," May said.
The transition to a Communication Squadron unveils growth and enhanced training opportunities for personnel as the responsibilities increase.
"We are small in number. However, the responsibility is great. Our impact on what we do for the overall mission is critical," May said.
“The cyber domain is constantly evolving; if skillsets are not enhanced continually, confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data could be compromised by our adversaries,” said May, emphasizing that the transition will also pave the way for enriching training engagements and opportunities with our partners.
''There will be training opportunities available and sought after to ensure our members acquire and enhance their valuable skill sets," he said.
The redesignation of the 147th Attack Wing Communication Flight to Communication Squadron is not merely a symbolic change, but a strategic evolution aimed at fortifying the military communication framework amidst contemporary challenges.
| Date Taken: | 10.22.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.22.2023 16:17 |
| Story ID: | 456279 |
| Location: | HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 267 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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