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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) with the support of 38th Engineering Squadron, 688th Cyberspace Wing, has successfully completed its five-year initiative to improve network performance across the command, finishing both on time and within budget. The project, launched in 2019, aimed to address IT shortfalls impacting user experience and productivity.
“It’s been a team effort working with the base comm squadrons, MAJCOM A6s, and enterprise programs to put it all together,” said Daniel Gulbranson, 38th Engineering Squadron, 688th Cyberspace Wing. “It demonstrates how we can increase our cyber capabilities and build a more lethal and ready Air Force.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, AFMC partnered with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s “Network SWAT Team” and the 38th Engineering Squadron to reconfigure Base Area Network (BAN) architectures. This resulted in standardized, optimized BANs across AFMC, resolving bottlenecks and saving an estimated $1 million in travel costs through increased information technology capabilities.
"The command has also recouped an estimated $350 million in lost productivity through network performance improvements..."
In 2019, AFMC Commander Gen. Arnold Bunch, Jr. challenged the command to improve IT user experiences by 25%. A study using the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) as a sample group revealed that approximately 20% of the center’s annual manpower budget was potentially lost due to network performance issues. These issues stemmed from slow data transfer speeds, network bottlenecks, and outdated equipment, compounded by operating system transition.
“The key is to get the cyber requirements centralized for visibility and funding. Visits to various work centers, surveying infrastructure, and identifying shortfalls all help us recommend a technical solution and uncover the cost to fix it,” said Gulbranson. “After that, they get published into the Cyberspace Infrastructure Planning System (CIPS) as Communication Elements (CEs) for prioritization based on a weighting algorithm for future funding.”
That funding can come from the base, the MAJCOM, or other programs such as the Engineering Installation Work Plan. The comprehensive strategy involved collaboration with various organizations including Air Combat Command (ACC), AFLCMC, base communications squadrons, and the 38th Engineering Squadron.
Key elements of the initiative included:
Infrastructure Modernization: Fiber optic cable installation at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) significantly increased data speeds.
Technology Upgrades: Replaced outdated network hardware, addressing technical debt and improving overall performance.
End-User Device Refresh: Initiated the migration of all end-user devices to a newer operating system.
Dual Path Resiliency: The implementation of DPR/NBBM at all AFMC bases has quadrupled network data speeds, providing a foundation for continued network enhancements.
Since the initiative began, overall network speed user satisfaction has risen from 11.6% to over 83%, while end-user workstation satisfaction has jumped from 52.8% to over 71%. The command has also recouped an estimated $350 million in lost productivity through network performance improvements, exceeding the initial 25% goal. AFMC/A6 plans to build upon these successes to further enhance network capabilities and user experience.
“Achievements like this are just one of many across the 688th Cyberspace Wing,” said Gulbranson. “This is how we pursue our vision of being the most trusted and reliable Wing in the Air Force.”
About 688th Cyberspace Wing:
The 688th Cyberspace Wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is aligned under Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), Air Combat Command. The wing is the Air Force's premier cyberspace warfighting organization dedicated to delivering actionable intelligence and tactics, techniques, and procedures, deployable warfighter communications, engineering and installation capabilities, defensive cyber operations, and network security operations across the Department of the Air Force Information Network (DAFIN) enterprise.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 496105 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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