Motivating airmen: Presidio airmen get first look at
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations
By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY,
Calif. - Ninety-five airmen from
the 517th Training Group traveled
to Travis Air Force Base to get
their first glimpse into Air Force
Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance operations in April.
This first look into ISR
operations provided the airmen a
snapshot into their futures once they
complete the Air Force's longest
technical training pipeline.
The airmen were given a unique
opportunity to receive up-to-date
intelligence briefings for several
areas of responsibility relating to
their language studies.
Additionally, the trip was the first
chance for the students to use their
security clearances and experience
a taste of what their careers have in
store for them.
In addition to the intelligence
brief, the airmen received a classifiedlevel capabilities briefing for the EC130 Compass Call airborne tactical
weapon system airframe.
The Compass Call's system
disrupts enemy command and
control communications and limits
adversary coordination essential
6
to enemy-force management. The
system also employs the offensive
counter-information and electronic
attack capabilities in support of U.S.
and coalition tactical air, surface
and special operations forces. Many
airmen in attendance will receive
assignments to either fly on-board
these aircraft or support them from a
ground site.
Because Travis Air Force Base
falls under Air Mobility Command,
a close-up look at a C-5 Galaxy was
also arranged. The airmen received
presentations on the capabilities
of the aircraft from both pilots
and loadmasters. It was a rare
opportunity for the airmen to have
unlimited access to one of the Air
Force's greatest and largest assets.
Using the opportunity of being
at the Air Fore base, airmen visited
the Travis Air Museum and the Post
Exchange.
This was the third such trip
to Travis for Air Force language
students from the Defense Language
Institute Foreign Language Center,
and was lauded by those who
attended as a welcomed experience,
because, while many experienced
airmen might take these places for
granted, most of the 517th TRG
airmen have not visited these types
of locations as service members.
According to one airman, the trip
was "a real eye-opener." The airmen
said that they realized while their
training is intense and sometimes
overwhelming, they now understand
how it prepares them to serve with
those who are currently operational
and deployed to remote locations.
Airmen said they were excited to
complete their challenging language
training and motivated to join the
operational world.
Once they complete their 6 to
18-month training at DLIFLC, all
students will travel to Goodfellow
Air Force Base, Texas, for four
months of training to hone their
intelligence and language-analysis
skills. Airborne cryptologic linguist
students will also receive Survive,
Evade, Resist, Extract training
at Fairchild Air Force Base in
Washington before moving on
to operational assignments as
cryptologic linguists.