State Partnership Program

Video by Nadine Wiley De Moura

XCOMM Roundup 2023 champions agile combat employment

688th Cyberspace Wing

May 4, 2023 | 5:30

The Expeditionary Communications "XCOMM" Roundup Exercise 2023 hosted by the 5th Combat Communications Group, Robins AFB came to a close May 5, 2023. The Roundup Exercise brought together 250 exercise participants from 32 different units, 7 MAJCOMs, sister service, joint units and coalition partners. All units trained, demonstrated capabilities and proved tactics, techniques and procedures also known as TTPs that enable every Air Force Force Generation model (AFFORGEN) cycle. As the exercise rolls on interoperability and shared lessons learned is the common theme participants say they have gained from the event.

Events like the Roundup prepare the XCOMM community for peer adversary conflict by providing training for Agile Combat Employment that XCOMM forces need to exercise force element command and control, movement, mission generation, joint and coalition interoperability in a contested communications environment.

Planning was based on Primary, alternate, contingency and emergency (PACE), Agile Combat Employment (ACE) Concept of Employment.The group enables training on the various phases of AFFORGEN by starting left of bang with ADVON/survey teams and executing the vast tasks required to build XCOMM competency.

Combat Communications and Engineering and Installation capabilities play an integral role across the continuum of all AFFORGEN phases.

The group’s Systems Learning Center and Combat Readiness School house hosted 25 formal courses for 299 students in the beginning of the exercise to include networking/switching to advanced high frequencies and combatives. The 16 course instructors provided over 259 hours of instruction.

Participating units include the 1st Combat Communications Squadron out of Ramstein Air Force Base Germany, the 5th Combat Communications Group, the 226th Combat Communications Group ( Ohio and Pennsylvania Air National Guard, the 860th Cyber Operations Group, the 644th Combat Communications Squadron, the 253rd Cyberspace Engineering and Installation Group out of the Massachusetts Air National Guard and the 251st Cyberspace Engineering and Installation Group. Lead Wings in attendance included the 366th Communications Squadron, Air Combat Command, the 31st Communications Squadron, the 52nd Communications Squadron, the 86th Communications Squadron U.S. Air Force Europe, the 18the Communications Squadron, Pacific Air Force Command, the 85 Auxiliary Expeditionary Communications Units included the 1st ACOS, 621st CRSS, the 23rd STS, the 90th Signals Unit (Royal Air Force), the 527nd Space Agressors and the Joint Communications Support Element.

Video and Photos Courtesy of U.S. Air Force Benjamin Cole, 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs