New unit activated at Robins Air Force Base

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — On Monday, Feb. 13, the 728th Battle Management Control Squadron was activated, with a new commander to lead it. Known internally as “Demons,” this historic unit is the first of several new missions to be activated at Robins Air Force Base, and one that will allow the United States to manage battlegrounds and airspaces from halfway across the globe.

Commemorating the event, leadership at Robins Air Force Base held a ceremony in the Century of Flight Hangar at the Museum of Aviation.

Colonel Keith McGuire, commander of the 461st Operation Group and 461st Air Control Wing at RAFB spoke briefly of the history of the unit, and their importance for the future.

“Today is a historic day. We are reactivating the might 728th,” McGuire said.

The 728th was originally activated in 1950 and has played a key part in the commander control functions of several conflicts, including Desert Storm and Desert Shield, Operation Denied Flight in Bosnia and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The squadron was deactivated in 2013 — until earlier this week.

“The squadron’s location and it’s mission has evolved through the years, [but] the 728th has always been a command control unit. Today, we are the proud inheritors of the 728th legacy,” McGuire said.

“But today is not just about the past. It’s also about the future — today we’re going to be doing something that has never been done before. We’re activating the Air Force’s first ever Battle Management Control Squadron.

“We’re doing this because the world has changed. For most of the past two decades, the United States has justifiably been focused on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency. All the while, our current competitors were watching us very closely, and they recognized our military advantage depends largely on battle management and command control.

“Correspondingly, our adversaries went to work building advanced weapon designed specifically to dismantle our ability to execute battle management and command control functions. The proliferation of advanced technologies, has enabled a dramatic increase in the speed, range and lethality of those adversaries — therefore, due to increasing threats, we must now rethink and redesign how we provide battle managing command control functions.”

According to McGuire, the 728th Battle Management Control Squadron is part of the solution, providing the United States Air Force with a more “agile, modular, scalable, configurable format.”

Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Gulbranson will lead this new unit. With a record of high marks spanning from the 2000s to current day, Gulbranson assumed command Monday, and will be responsible for the success of this reactivated unit for the foreseeable future.

After thanking his friends, family, peers and mentors, Gulbranson had two major messages; one for those entering into the squadron, the other for any enemies of the United States.

“To the current Demons, let me be absolutely clear: you are about to make history,” Gulbranson said. “A lot will be demanded of us over the next few years, and I pledge to give you my full, steadfast support. The complexities of the battlefield are increasing, the pace of change exponential. The future of command control starts with you.

“Make no mistake — our country faces existential threats that perpetuate disorder and aim strip us of our liberty. Our rivals and adversaries are becoming more certain as they continue to exploit the free world, and test the limits of our republic.

“Let me just say this to our adversaries: while you continue to flaunt your disregard for human dignity, trivialize the virtue of liberty and harass your neighbors around the globe, you do so at your own peril. The American spirit is stronger than you can possibly imagine.”

After Gulbranson was official made commander of the 728th Battle Management Control Squadron, he stepped down to greet the people taking on the title of Demon, presenting each of them with a patch denoting their new squadron.

In a press conference following the ceremony, Gulbranson explained what the near future looks like for the squadron, and what their purpose is.

The unit will control aircraft across the world for combating commanders in various capacities. From their position at Robins Air Force Base, Gulbranson said that his unit will be able to control air space on the other side of the planet “if and when [they’re] called to do so.”

“The idea is to have a persistent, 24/7 combat footprint here.”

Right now the unit is made up of 40 to 50 individuals, but will eventually grow to 200. With the unit now activated, the next steps are to build it from the ground up — from assigning desks to building necessary operational infrastructure.

The new missions at Robins Air Force Base are an ongoing story. As more information becomes available, you find it here in The Houston Home Journal.

HHJ News