Photo By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier | A 154th Regional Support Group guidon is displayed during the activation ceremony for...... read more read more
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Making an expansion into the space domain, the Hawaii Air National Guard activated two Electromagnetic Warfare Squadrons across the Hawaiian Islands on Nov. 1 and 2, ushering in a new era of offensive and defensive capabilities.
The primary functions of the new units, the 109th and 150th Electronic Warfare Squadrons, are to monitor and disrupt enemy satellite communications, ensuring dominance within the electromagnetic spectrum, offering critical capabilities to modern military operations.
Leadership from the Hawaii Air National Guard traveled to Kauai on Nov. 1 to participate in the activation ceremony and witness the culmination of years spent building space capabilities.
As a geographically separated unit located at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, the 150th EWS was officially recognized, marking a significant milestone for the Hawaii ANG's expansion into the space domain.
During the ceremony, Maj. Joseph Hale was ceremoniously handed the squadron guidon, formally appointing him as the 150th EWS's new commander, and first to take the lead after the squadron's date of federal recognition. This symbolic transfer of leadership was built upon the foundational work of its prior commander, Lt. Col. Chad Briggs, who oversaw the unit's development over the past three years, a mission that Maj. Hale is now poised to advance.
"The responsibility of not only executing a very important mission but taking care of the folks that will end up executing that mission is something I take very seriously," said Hale. "To me, the most important part of being a commander is taking care of our people, because they will be able to take care of the mission."
The space mission in Kauai is inherently offensive with capabilities to mobilize and deploy Airmen and equipment into austere locations. Many of the unit’s part-time members live on neighboring islands and are able to maintain year-round training requirements on military aircraft for routine drill musters.
"In terms of PMRF advantages, we have a deeper connection with our host base in that we're able to partner with them and contribute in ways to support emergency management and emergency response," said Hale. "In a unit like this, way out on the corner of Kauai on the PMRF it's a very remote feeling, yet there's this feeling of connection with the community."
The following day on the island of Oahu, the 109th EWS held their activation ceremony, on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Their electromagnetic warfare capabilities include the ability to disrupt, deceive, or deny adversary space capabilities using electromagnetic means, as well as protecting one's own space assets against similar threats.
Lt. Col. Jeremiah Hitchner served as the inaugural commander of the 109th EWS during its formative years, initially based in Guam from 2021 to 2023. In October 2023, the squadron was relocated to the 154th Wing campus at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
"My previous unit was dissolving and without skipping a beat, Lt. Col. Briggs and the Hawaii Air National Guard stepped up and brought my family and my team over,” said Hitchner.” It was the best experience to see another state pull us in. I think I found a home, an 'ohana, and everyday I wake up grateful to be a part of the Hawaii Air National Guard.”
Together, the squadrons deliver defensive and offensive electronic combat effects and space awareness to rapidly achieve flexible and versatile effects in support of global and theater campaigns.
Electromagnetic Warfare operations are crucial to maintaining control of space-based assets, such as satellites, that are essential for communication, navigation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. It's essential for modern military operations where space assets are heavily relied upon for battlefield awareness and operational success.
The establishment of the Electronic Warfare Squadrons marks a pivotal part of the 154th Wing's recent restructure. As the largest and most complex wing in the Air National Guard, the 154th Wing now includes these two specialized EWS units under the newly formed 154th Regional Support Group, further enhancing its capabilities and mission reach in the space and electromagnetic domains.
The 154th RSG provides mission-essential capabilities to combatant commanders by providing signals intelligence, electromagnetic warfare, combat communications, and aviation weather forecast capabilities. It is the most geographically diverse group in the 154th Wing, with squadrons on four of the Hawaii Islands.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.07.2024 20:42 |
| Story ID: | 484910 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 164 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Space capabilities activated in Hawaii: ANG's newest Electromagnetic Warfare units receive federal recognition, by Roann Gatdula, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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