Airmen at Air Force Distributed Common Ground System locations across the globe conducted Sentinel Focus, a week-long rigorous look at their operations during real-world activity to highlight areas for improvement. “Our goal [with this evaluation] is to enhance cooperation between various intelligence entities by enhancing a culture of collaboration to share best practices and lessons learned,” said Col. Jeffrey Kruse, commander of the 480th ISR Wing at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., that oversees DCGS and led the twice-annual evaluation. According to a Nov. 2 Langley release, Sentinel Focus had four main objectives: document areas requiring operational standardization; identify the effectiveness of tactics; capture lessons learned and best practices for integration of recently fielded ISR platforms, such as the MC-12W; and assess the development of ongoing operational relationships with British coalition partners. DCGS is a globally networked system that provides near-real-time intelligence to battlefield commanders. (Langley report by Marge McGlinn)
The Pentagon is significantly bolstering airpower near Venezuela, dispatching the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to Latin America, it said in an Oct. 24 statement. The announcement came just hours after U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers and other U.S. assets flew near the Venezuelan coast on Oct. 23.
