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In modern conflicts, to rapidly establish a fully functional airfield, all that is needed is a piece of earth and a lean group of exceptional Airmen.
That’s where the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing comes in. Since redesignation in 2009, it has united several separate Air Force components into a single unit with a unique battlefield-support capability.
“Three of the Air Force’s unique contributions to national security are its ability to hold any target at risk, to move people and cargo anywhere in the world and to provide command and control to conduct operations rapidly, effectively and efficiently,” said Col. John Shapland, 435th AGOW commander. “The 435th AGOW provides the air-ground integration, the contingency response group to open expeditionary, and a deployable combat communications Airmen for our joint and combined forces in USAFE and AFRICOM.”
Those capabilities mirror what the Air Force’s contributions to national security are. To do that, the AGOW employs more than 1,500 personnel, divided into four different groups. They are then spread across the theater of operations and have swiftly become an essential component of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Force.
The AGOW works not only to form and maintain temporary airfields, but also to establish completely functional battlefield communications and weather operations.
“To establish a temporary airfield, we first evaluate the capabilities and environment of the location we are considering,” Shapland said. “Next, we move to the site with our ‘open-the-base’ force of 80 to 120 contingency response group Airmen to enable expeditionary airfield operations.
“During exercises and evaluations, we have consistently had an initial capability in 12 hours and full capability in 24 hours,” he continued.
In addition, the AGOW supplies important training to Air Force members throughout the European theater, better enabling the wing to fulfill its mission of combat support. Hundreds of security forces, services and combat communications Airmen annually take part in an array of specialized classes. Classes like the Silver Flag expeditionary training program and the Combat Readiness Course are designed to prepare personnel for dangerous deployments.
“The CRC is necessary for the development of combat ready Airmen,” said Capt. Nicholas Stewart, combat support flight commander. “It helps provide Airmen the skills to survive and operate; to communicate, shoot, maneuver; setup and teardown bare bases; and defend themselves using weapons, tactics and anything else available.”
The CRC simulates the isolation of deployment within a foreign nation with little host nation or logistical support. It helps provide the unique ability to teach combat skills, placing the students under a great deal of stress.
While the assignment of such a wide variety of tasks to a single wing presents a singular challenge, to the men and women of the AGOW, it introduces an opportunity to accomplish something tangible for the Air Force. Regardless of their individual specialties, they work jointly within a streamlined system of action.
“All AGOW Airmen take great pride in their missions,” Shapland said. “Whether it is providing deployable communications capabilities for command and control, opening an expeditionary airfield for humanitarian relief, working on one-of-a-kind theater communications assets to ensure operability, providing cutting-edge command, control and intelligence capabilities to every wing in the USAFE theater, training our Airmen to go downrange, or integrating joint fires and weather between Air Force and Army maneuver units, the Thunderbolt Warriors of the 435th AGOW are highly motivated and proud of their impeccable mission capabilities.”
