363d ISR Wing executes no-notice Combat Readiness Exercise, ACC Combat Readiness Inspection

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  • By Tech. Sgt. AJ Hyatt
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. --  The 363d Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing recently concluded its first no-notice Combat Readiness Exercise (CRE) across various locations throughout the United States in the first quarter of 2025.
 
This exercise tested the 363d ISR Wing’s ability to rapidly deploy personnel and equipment while continuing to seamlessly execute the mission on the go. It also tested military members’ skills and evaluated their ability to sustain operations in the face of challenging conditions.
 
“We wanted to prove that the Air Force’s targeting enterprise could still operate if they had to relocate away from their day-to-day operating locations, and we did that,” said Mr. Ronald Buchsen, 363d ISR Wing Inspector General. 
 
Shortly before execution of the exercise, the Air Combat Command Inspector General office reached out to notify the wing that they decided to up the stakes and turn the exercise into a no-notice Combat Readiness Inspection (CRI).  According to Buchsen, the ACC/IG not only assesses the wing’s combat readiness during a CRI, but also assesses if the wing has the processes in place to continually measure its own readiness throughout the rest of the year. 
 
“The key to airpower is targeting, and we take that responsibility very seriously,” said U.S. Air Force Colonel John Thorne, 363d ISR Wing Commander. “Our targeting capability, driven by our ridiculously talented Airmen, must be available 24/7. This Combat Readiness Inspection, along with other large-scale exercises we’ve participated in, highlights our ability to quickly identify adversary vulnerabilities so the joint force can exploit them to achieve battlespace effects.”
 
Previous wing exercises primarily focused on sustaining distributed networked operations between multiple installations. This specific scenario forced members to physically travel to other locations proving the resiliency of the targeting enterprise, as well as setting a benchmark as one of the first no-notice continuity of operations (COOP) exercises for the 363d ISR Wing and Air Combat Command, according to the Wing’s IG.
 
“The no-notice exercise enabled the 363d ISR Group to realistically practice moving people and mission throughout our Targeting Enterprise, ensuring uninterrupted targeting support while also exercising competition and wartime functions,” said U.S. Air Force Colonel Mark Chang, 363d ISR Group Commander. “In addition to moving mission [something we regularly practice] we moved Group Mission Managers, targeteers, and cyber experts … each integral in our ability to close kill chains … any time … anywhere!”
 
This exercise also provided an opportunity for the group’s dedicated cyber squadron, the 363d Intelligence Support Squadron, to execute their core mission of providing secure and reliable network access while also focusing on data integrity and recovery during levels of increased operations tempo.
 
“Both were firsts for the organization and allowed opportunities to demonstrate that the Cyber Cats are highly trained, synced with Air Force Targeting Enterprise (AFTE) partners, and trusted to execute at a moment’s notice,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Nicholas Henderson, 363d Intelligence Support Squadron Commander.
 
Thorne added that the Air Force Targeting Enterprise is accustomed to supporting contingency operations across the world daily. The fact the 363d ISR Wing could simultaneously support ongoing strike operations in support of United States Central Command; while meeting Air Combat Command’s rigorous readiness criteria shows they can perform their mission in a high-end fight.