SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- The Air Force created a new Cyberspace Capabilities Center Nov. 7, in an effort to bridge cyber support gaps and synchronize enterprise requirements to best support today’s warfighter.
The center, or CCC, absorbed the Air Force Network Integration Center, Air Combat Command’s Cyberspace Support Squadron and the 38th Cyberspace Readiness Squadron, which were all located at Scott Air Force Base and deactivated during a ceremony.
“The continuing and expanding demands on our cyberspace enterprise requires us to find better ways to organize, train and equip those forces,” said Brig. Gen. Chad Radeuge, who presided over the ceremony. He is the Air Combat Command director of cyberspace and information dominance and chief information officer at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.
“Consolidation allows the reinvestment of resources to manage centralized cyberspace requirements, enabling warfighter needs and to improve the delivery of capabilities for mission readiness,” he added.
The general further explained, that “Air Force cyber capabilities are intertwined with the intelligence, command and control, air superiority, personnel recovery and precision attack missions that we are responsible for. This (realignment) streamlines how the Air Force presents forces to joint commanders, and it improves our ability to integrate cyber and air operations to improve our effectiveness in multiple domains.”
Simply put, the center will provide future opportunities to enhance how the Air Force provides Enterprise IT capabilities and will better support and develop Airmen working in this mission set.
With the consolidation, Col. Marc Packler, former AFNIC commander, was tapped to lead the new center with Chief Master Sgt. Addison Spencer, former AFNIC superintendent, as the new CCC superintendent.
“I’m humbled and honored to continue to lead the men and women of this newly-created organization,” Packler said. “We have a long history and tradition of excellence from the CYSS and CYRS — the discipline, attitude and teamwork they exhibited has impacted the entire Air Force enterprise. I’m eager to watch them thrive under this new construct and enhance our capabilities to meet warfighter requirements around the globe.”
The CCC falls under Air Combat Command, which accepted cyber responsibilities in the summer of 2018. ACC has been making strides to foster innovation and integrate cyber functions to better support combatant commander requests for forces. The secretary of the Air Force and Air Force chief of staff directed the realignment to ACC to help the service support the National Defense Strategy’s goal of preparing for a future high-end fight.