by Staff Sgt. Kristine Dreyer, Air Force ISR Agency Public Affairs
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Air Force officials announced Jan. 14 the transfer of the 480th Intelligence Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va., to the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency at Lackland AFB, Texas. Formal realignment of the affected units will occur on or before March 1.
The 480 IW, formerly assigned to 8th Air Force under Air Combat Command, is the lead Air Force wing for Distributed Common Ground System operations, imagery and other intelligence products required for combat mission planning and execution.
"This is a major step in (Air Force Chief of Staff) General (T. Michael) Moseley's plan to transform Air Force ISR into a core Air Force mission area," said Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, Air Force deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or AF/A2. "This realignment significantly furthers our ability to meet operational ISR challenges. It will optimize DCGS as a global net-centric weapon system by re-structuring it as a global organization."
The Air Force ISR transformation began in February 2006 when the Air Force chief of staff established the AF/A2 as a 3-star deputy chief of staff position.
The realignment of the 480 IW accomplishes two objectives of Air Force ISR transformation: unification of Air Force DCGS elements that were previously spread across four major Air Force organizations, and creation of standardized Air Force ISR groups that will be operationally controlled by their respective component numbered Air Forces. The 693rd Intelligence Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany; the 692nd IG at Hickam AFB, Hawaii; the 548th IG at Beale AFB, Calif.; and the 497th IG at Langley AFB, will form the core of the ISR groups. A fifth ISR group will be stood up at Osan AB, Korea. Administratively, however, these new groups will be tied to the 480 IW under AFISRA.
The new command structure of the 480 IW will not result in the relocation of units or people.
"This change will align service capabilities and leverage national ISR for our warfighting commanders through a single presentation of forces," said Maj. Gen. Craig Koziol, Air Force ISR Agency commander. "At the same time, it consolidates the organize, train and equip responsibilities for the DCGS weapons system under the AF ISR Agency. In the end, we will optimize the use of limited Air Force resources and provide a seamless and dynamic global processing, exploitation, dissemination, reallocation and reach back capability."
