JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-Lackland, Texas -- Over 150 Airmen from eight units under the 960th Cyberspace Wing unified their talent in the first ever Air Force Reserve cyber-hosted training event, GLADIATOR RESOLVE, between Feb. 5 – 9, 2024 at Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Training Annex as part of Ready Airman Training (RAT). The initiative aligns under the Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) deployment model. AFFORGEN is tailored to an 18-month cycle that ensures Airman readiness, unit cohesion, and lethality throughout each phase of its cycle.
Cyber Citizen Airmen support communications, network, and related capabilities across a broad spectrum of mission sets, whether operating out of home base installations or in expeditionary locations abroad. The event offered a solid opportunity for the Reserve Airmen to supplement their specialized expertise with skills, knowledge, and experience critical to operating in challenging environments.
“The 960th Cyberspace Wing’s Ready Airman Training event, Gladiator Resolve 24, was founded in a desire to deliver the right training, at the right time, in a realistic environment to instill a cyber warrior ethos into our culture and prepare our Airmen prior to entering the Ready phase of their AFFORGEN cycle,” said SMSgt Brandon Hurley, 426th Network Warfare Squadron, a Lead Planner for the training event. “We recognize there’s further change on the horizon both with the greater Air Force organization as well as the future of cyberspace operations that will affect how we support and execute Agile Combat Employment as well as compete amongst the great powers.”
Agile Combat Employment is strategic concept that aims to reduce predictability, increase operational tempo, and maintain freedom of action in the face of potential adversary disruptions. It emphasizes the need for adaptability in command and control (C2), logistics, and operations to meet the demands of modern combat.
Training areas featured during the event prepared Airmen for operating under austere conditions, including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) exercises, combat communications, small arms, and integrated defense.
In expeditionary roles, cyber operators are directly embedded with military units on the ground, providing real-time, location-specific C2 support. This proximity allows for a more immediate understanding of operational needs and threats, enabling quicker response times and more targeted defense strategies. Additionally, their presence can foster better communication and collaboration between cyber and ground forces, providing critical information to combatant commanders and the warfighter.
Citizen Airmen from the 55th Combat Communications Squadron (CBCS) previously demonstrated their expert skill with Expeditionary Communications (XCOMM) during Exercise JULY BIVOUAC in July 2023. The 55 CBCS also participated in Exercise AGILE BLIZZARD during June 2023 with equally talented members of 13 units under the 960th Cyberspace Wing, including the 35th Combat Communications Squadron, 52d Network Warfare Squadron, 689th Network Operations Squadron, and 854th Combat Operations Squadron among others, where they displayed mastery of maneuver and communications in austere environmental conditions.
By developing Multi-Capable Airmen (MCA), event trainees undergo more impactful training with an understanding of the intent to enhance Foundational Competencies and the skills necessary to satisfy the mission. When airmen are able to leverage adaptable planning and operational knowledge, the adversary loses ability to exploit vulnerabilities and consequently fails to respond to agile maneuvers.
After months of planning, the 960th Cyberspace Wing was able to bring nine local and geographically-separated units together to complete eight AFFORGEN Ready Airman Training objectives. The results of these efforts allowed the wing to sprint its training readiness completion to over 80% for Reserve Component Periods (RCP) approaching the Available phase of the AFFORGEN cycle. The partnership, engagement and support of the 433d Airlift Wing, 5th Combat Readiness Squadron, and 37th Training Wing paved the way for successful execution that has honed the cyber warrior ethos, reinforced the ‘Ready Now’ culture, and prepared cyber Citizen Airmen to operate at forward locations.
The 426th Network Warfare Squadron was redesignated as the 426th Cyberspace Operations Squadron on Sept. 15, 2024.