The Air Force now has 5+1+1 “Falconer” air and space operations centers up and running. Officials say that the “formula” reflects the nature of the centers—five are operational, one is a training site, and one a technical help center. The Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Mass., developed and fielded the concept, which USAF designated a weapon system in September 2000. Falconer AOCs have common capabilities to plan and execute air operations around the world. The original operational Falconer was the Combined Air Operations Center in Southwest Asia. The other ops sites—in order of stand up—are Osan AB, South Korea; Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.; Ramstein AB, Germany; and Hickam AFB, Hawaii. Eglin AFB, Fla., hosts the training Falconer, and Langley AFB, Va., the help center.
With the Air Force in the midst of its biggest testing boom in decades, the Maintenance Operational Test (MxOT) Division at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., is making sure those tests include an often-overlooked perspective: that of maintainers.