PALACE Acquire back at 16th Air Force

  • Published
  • By Deirdre McNamara
  • Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber)
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO LACKLAND , Tx. --  Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) recently revived its PALACE Acquire program (PAQ) collaboration by welcoming a new array of civilian graduates during a training event in April. 

Organizers designed the training event to bridge the gap between formal training and real-world operations.

Jacqueline Huether, the Intel Force Renewal Program manager, praised the PAQ program, which places civilians in dynamic training environments to accelerate their development.

“After taking a break last year, it was great to team up with 16th Air Force and bring all of our Intel PAQs together for the annual Intel PAQ Training Event,” Huether said. “This is the one time we get everyone in the same room—PAQs, the Career Field Team, and leadership—and it really makes a difference."

During the three-day event, graduates focused on next generation Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance strategic leadership and received a briefing from Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) commander who discussed cyber operations affecting global events and how these efforts supported combatant commands.

“Having recent graduates experience the mission and scope of 16th Air Force brings fresh perspectives on emerging technologies, cyber threats, and modern software development, which is vital for staying ahead of our Nation’s adversaries,” said Hensley.

Jasmyne Hall, a PAQ intelligence specialist embedded with the 16th Air Force, noted that the experience provided an invaluable perspective as she transitioned from a trainee to an intelligence professional.

“The program gives you that foundational knowledge of how the intelligence community works,” Hall said. “It gives you that confidence to then go out in the real world and collaborate with industry entities, to be able to be put in a leadership position and form strong relationships within the community,”

Face-to-face interaction with graduates is regarded as a vital metric for the program's success by program managers and leadership. 

“The best learning experience for me is working in this joint environment,” Hall said.

Upon successful completion of the three-year formal training plan, the program offers student loan repayment and permanent, full-time positions across a wide range of career fields.

"The PAQs always tell us how valuable this time is, and hearing their feedback firsthand is one of the most rewarding parts of being the program manager,” Huether added.

Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) is responsible for the U.S. Air Force's cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission and capabilities. The command is uniquely dedicated to sustaining peak force readiness, ensuring its highly trained Airmen are equipped to deter aggression, defend national networks, and decisively win in the information domain across the competition landscape.