17th Electronic Warfare Squadron welcomes new commander, stands up two detachments

WARNER ROBINS — It’s a new era for the warfighter’s approach to electromagnetic technology at Robins Air Force Base, led by three new commanders.

The 17th Electronic Warfare Squadron, under the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group on Robins Air Force Base, welcomed its new commander and the 950th stood up two detachments at a ceremony Friday morning at the Museum of Aviation. 

In the 17th, outgoing commander Lt. Col. C. Ryan Cox passed the guidon to Lt. Col. Peter Johnson. Detachment 1 of the 950th SWG was headed up by Lt. Col. Scott Pratt, and Detachment 2 was given to Lt. Col. Adam Peachman.

In parting, Cox gave the incoming commanders advice as the EWS moves forward: sometimes the path may be uncertain, occasionally tedious, but history makers, like the Wright Brothers and Project Mercury, didn’t have a manual when building essential contributions to society.

“The importance of what we’re building cannot be overstated, because it will save lives, shape battlefields and win wars. When those days come when you start questioning if you’re making enough progress, remember, real growth is slow, steady and rarely comfortable. So stay the course. Keep showing up for your people and for your mission. And I promise, when you look back, you won’t believe how far your units come when you hand the guidon off to the next 17th commander,” Cox said.

As described by Col. Michael Middents, 950th Spectrum Warfare Group Commander, Detachment 1’s primary mission is modeling and simulation for electromagnetic squadron operations (EMSO). Because aircraft can’t test certain things in real life, for security and safety reasons, the detachment simulates it instead and generates accurate models so crews receive reliable data for missions.

“Our challenge is going to be to make sure that we have good models that can give our operators, air crew, war fighters, the information they need that complements their system,” Middents said.

Detachment 2 focuses on how aircraft systems communicate with each other and on preventing enemy forces from jamming the systems.

“The enemy is going to want to stop us, try and jam us, try and interfere so we can’t talk to each other in the air, integrate and designate where different targets are, and take our weapons and actually put them on target. So what detachment two will do is take a look at how our systems actually operate in a contextual environment,” Middents said.

The 17th will focus on integrating real-time EMSO assessments into combat operations, striving for a remote assessment center on base that can provide 24-hour support to Air Operation Centers worldwide. A key aspect of their mission is ensuring accurate communication and providing it, Middents explained.

“The priority is making sure that they can get that expert information out to these air operations centers where that information is lacking,” he said.

The 950th SWG and 17th EWS were stood up in October 2024. Middents said standing up a new unit is challenging and rewarding, but he is confident the incoming commanders, with their diverse backgrounds and experience, are well-suited for the job.

“We have the right team to come together to solve a lot of these problems, and the network and connections that we need to talk to the right people,” Middents said.

Middents gave the community thanks for supporting Robins Air Force Base, and gave the incoming commanders some advice:

“Get ready, because it’s gonna be a ride,” Middents said. “It’s gonna be a couple of years of real challenges. As Lt. Col. Cox said, you gotta have some perseverance as we go ahead.”