226th Combat Communications Group

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name= 226th Combat Communications Group


caption= 226th Combat Communications Group logo
dates= 19xx–present
country= United States
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branch= United States Air Force
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garrison= Abston ANGS, Alabama, USA
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The United States Air Force's 226th Combat Communications Group is a combat communications unit located at Abston Air National Guard Station in Montgomery, Alabama, USA.

History

Members of the Alabama Air National Guard will be assuming a more active role in the Iraqi and Afghanistan conflicts, becoming the backup to the force's Network Operations Security Center.The 226th Combat Communications Group, based at Montgomery's Abston Air National Guard Station, will take over for the security center, or NOSC, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, Air Force officials say."It's really a huge deal," said Maj. Mike Dyer, flight commander for the 226th. "The Air National Guard and active duty will be working hand in hand."According to a report from the Ninth Air Force and the U.S. Central Command Air Forces, the NOSC, based at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, is responsible for analyzing, protecting, monitoring and managing communications throughout the central command's 25-nation area. That area includes Southwest Asia, the Persian Gulf and the Horn of Africa.As the Iraqi conflict began to wind down, the report said, military communications experts determined there was a need for an alternate NOSC for times in which the South Carolina NOSC could not handle its duties. Maj. Paul Griggs, public affairs spokesman for the Air National Guard, said the station in Montgomery became a viable choice because of the communications expertise Guardsmen here have."They have vast experience in computer networking," Griggs said. "Montgomery was a perfect fit."As such, it becomes the only one of its kind in the world, Dyer said."This is the first facility of this type that the Air National Guard will man," Dyer said. "All other NOSCs -- there is one in Europe, in the Pacific and in Virginia -- are handled by active military."The Montgomery facility will be the only A-NOSC in the world, he said. It will be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There will be about 15 or 16 people on duty at any given time."There are only 35 people in the 226th," Dyer said. "But there are also subordinate squadrons, totaling between 600 and 800 people."Subordinate squadrons that report to the 226th combat group are as close as Dothan and as far away as St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, Dyer and Griggs said.Dyer said the 226th's new duties would be a good way to foster a better relationship between Air National Guard troops."Guard troops in general need to work more closely than they have in the past," he said. [ [http://www.njatla.ang.af.mil/Family%20Support/NYCU.doc "Guard Gets Bigger Role In Iraq"] , March 9, 2004]

The guest speaker for this month was Colonel Frank W. Barnett, Commander, 226th Combat Communications Group, Montgomery, Alabama. Col Barnett discussed the Total Force effort required to establish essential communications in the aftermath of Katrina. The efforts of the 226th and 228th Combat Communications Groups were critical in the establishment of key communications capabilities to the Gulf Coast after more than three million phone lines and the majority of cell towers in the region were destroyed. [ [http://www.afcea-scott.org/?tab=2&year=2005 AFCEA News November 2005] ]

Previous designations

*226th Combat Communications Squadron (????–present) [Rogers, B. (2006). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. ISBN 1-85780-197-0]

Bases stationed

*Abston ANGS, Alabama (????–present)

Equipment operated

*Network Operations Security Center suites (????–present) [World Airpower Journal. (1992). US Air Force Air Power Directory. Aerospace Publishing: London, UK. ISBN 1-880588-01-3]

References

External links

* [http://www.almont.ang.af.mil/187_organizations.htm Alabama ANG: 187th Fighter Wing]