950th Spectrum Warfare Group activates in late October

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE — After the departure of the JSTARS Mission, new groups and missions are coming to Robins Air Force Base, some activating in late October. Oct. 29 will mark the activation ceremony for the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group and the 17th Electronic Warfare Squadron.

The 950th is part of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, a group tasked with electromagnetic spectrum and waveform development operations, as explained by Col. Michael Middents, the 950th’s commander. In short, the electromagnetic spectrum supports wireless technology, like radios, cell phones, GPS, jammers, and radar.

“The 950th Group is going to be the assessment group. With everything that we’re doing, are we actually as effective as we think we are?” Middents said.

To answer the question, the group assesses several platforms:

“Each kind of aircraft out there, each kind of weapon out there … is it as good as we think it is against the threat systems that are out there?” Middents said.

The group also looks at models and simulations.

“There’s certain things that we just can’t do out in the live environment because of security considerations,” Middents said.

The 17th EWS, as explained by 350th SWW Commander Lt. Col. C. Ryan Cox, will verify spectrum efficiency by assessing sustained combat operations and large-scale training exercises.

“Because we are in a training status, like most militaries are for most of our time in the military, we’re going to be focusing on how well we can assess combat operations during large force training exercises,” Cox said.

The 950th is among four new missions on base, including the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communication Node squadron, a battle management command and control squadron, and the Advanced Battle Management System family of systems.

Although the group formally activates in late October, Middents explained the mission has already been well underway.

“Lt. Col. Cox has been doing it for just over a year as detachment commander. As of August 1, we stood up as a group and a squadron, so we’ve been completing the mission. The activation is really just taking the opportunity to recognize that this is a new group that is bringing new mission capability to the Air Force, but then also a tie-in to the Warner Robins community as well,” Middents said.

The number of experts in the area was a factor in bringing the mission to Robins, along with filling the gap left by the JSTARS departure, Middents explained. Cox assumed command in October 2023 and said he has enjoyed collaborating with experts in the field.

“It’s been really good having an opportunity to find how many other electronic warfare experts exist in this part of the country and in this space. [It] has really given us an opportunity to get a solid foundation, to get after the assessment mission that we’re getting after,” Cox said.

The past year has also been dedicated to logistics and administration, Cox explained.

“The two detachments, which eventually became the group and the squadron, were set up in August of 2023 and the preparation time between that last year was really there to make sure that we had all the administrative actions required so that we could actually stand up as a full fledged group and a full fledged squadron,” Cox said. “The activation of those units is a lot more intricate than I think a lot of people would maybe think at first blush, so making sure that we really had all of our capabilities in place to become that real unit is what we did for over the last year.”

Cox mentioned October’s activation ceremony paves the way for more leadership to join the mission, like Middents.

“What’s important about this activation ceremony is well as there are some positions that we aren’t able to fill as a detachment. So, for example, Col. Middents is a full bird colonel, an O-6 officer. We wouldn’t be able to get a colonel in the seat to start building the mission without the unit actually being there. When it comes to building an organization like this, you really do need the expertise that someone at that rank requires. There are other positions as well we are unable to fill without being a full-fledged squadron and a full-fledged group,” Cox said.

Middents said Frank Kendall, the current Secretary of the Air Force, has openly talked about spectrum operations as a cross-cutting function that ties imperatives together.

“With the different priorities, different imperatives that [Kendall] has, he has really kind of highlighted the fact that electronic warfare is an enabler in so many ways. If you don’t have control of that particular capability, you’re going to fail on a lot of those missions and vice versa for the enemy. The more they have control over that, the better they’re going to be against us,” Middents said.

From a local standpoint, Cox and Middents said the new mission will also bring growth to the community.

“There are going to be a lot of jobs that we’re going to be hiring over the next couple of years up through [Fiscal Year] 2027. As far as the local community is involved, we’re going to be able to bolster an already well-established electromagnetic warfare community. I think the most tangible effect the local community would have would be just the number of jobs that are going to be popping up here with the engineering, weapons and tactics, and operator requirements desired to fill a lot of those jobs,” Cox said.

“The guard has been instrumental so far. Your Guardsmen are both locals here, but also military. They’re living day to day  in the community. We have a very large portion, as we stand up initially here, of Guardsmen that are coming in and making this mission happen for us. So that’s really kind of a cross-cutting, both military and community tie,” Middents added.

Cox added he feels supported by the 78th Air Base Wing, which he said was an example of what the Air Force is striving for, as opposed to commanders who are in charge of missions and the base, while Middents said they are excited to lead the groups and see this mission grow for the Air Force.

“What they do at this base, the base leadership’s only job is to make sure that the base is providing support to all the different missions that are in existence on that base. And there are a lot of missions here on this base, as you well know. So the fact that you have the 78th Air Base wing, whose only job is to make sure that all of the mission partners have the tools they need to get after the mission, It’s really been nice,” Cox said.

“We’re excited to be here. This is a growth area for the Air Force, for sure. It’s been neglected for a couple of decades,” Middents said. “We’re both electronic warfare officers by trade, so we’ve got about 20 years, each individually in this particular realm, and to see it growing this way is exciting. So we’re happy to be here at Robins doing it.”