The 3rd Combat Communications Group and Air Force Reserve Command’s 35th Combat Communications Squadron at Tinker AFB, Okla., have each just completed an operational readiness inspection, receiving an overall rating of “satisfactory” and “excellent,” respectively. These ORIs, held Nov. 1-10, were the first to be conducted since Air Force Space Command on Oct. 1 assumed responsibility from Air Combat Command for evaluating the mission readiness of the service’s combat communications units. This change is part of the reorganization of Air Force’s active duty cyber units (including its communications units) under AFSPC’s 24th Air Force, the service’s new cyber operations arm. “I am very proud of the men and women of the 3rd CCG and 35th CBCS as they continue to exemplify superior expeditionary communication support,” said Col. Theresa Giorlando, 689th Combat Communications Wing boss, in an AFSPC release Thursday. The 3rd CCG falls under the newly activated wing.
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.