ICC

SOUTHWEST ASIA--Major Mark Peters, 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron, briefs the airbase defense exercise intelligence scenario to the Installation Control Center staff here May 26. Major Peters is originally from Berkley, Mich. and deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Johnny Saldivar.)

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SOUTHWEST ASIA--Staff Sgts. Nicholas Todd and David Bernal, right, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Operations Squadron, track aircraft during an airbase defense exercise at a Southwest Asia air base May 26. They both keep the flight line informed of exercise inputs, and ensure group and wing leadership are informed of all aircraft status and location. Sergeant Bernal is originally from Miami, Fla. and deployed from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. Sergeant Nicholas is originally from Arlington Heights, Ill. and deployed from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. (U.S. Air Force photos/Tech. Sgt. Johnny Saldivar)

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SOUTHWEST ASIA--Major Marshall Green, 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, prepares to coordinate accountability during an airbase exercise at a Southwest Asia air base May 26. Major Green will coordinate with his unit control center to ensure every member of his squadron is accounted. Major Marshall is originally from Kansas City, Kan. and deployed from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photos/Tech. Sgt. Johnny Saldivar)

Installation Control Center; vital to base response

Published May 31, 2008
By Senior Airman Tong Duong
379th AEW

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 379th Air Expeditionary Wing conducted a base defense exercise May 26 to familiarize Air Expeditionary Forces 3&4 with the bunker plans and how to respond in an emergency.

"The other objective was to stand up the installation command center, commanders' senior staff [formerly known as the battle staff] and the emergency operation center," said Lt. Col. Patrick Ahmann, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing chief of wing plans and programs deployed from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. "We were testing the new ICC facility, to see how long it takes to get everyone here, checking to make sure the phones work, if senior leaders can log [into their computers] and what needs to be improved or fixed."

On a normal day, the ICC houses the command post, maintenance operations center and base defense operations center, but when an incident occurs the commander's senior staff is recalled and the EOC stands up, said Maj. Johnny Helm, 379th AEW deputy of wing plans and programs deployed from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

The ICC is the Air Force's way of meshing military emergency situations with civilians' emergency response teams, Colonel Ahmann said. The continuity of terms allows everyone to be on the same page, making it easier to communicate.

The ICC provides the installation commander a single, consolidated command and control center to monitor and execute the installations missions. The ICC has the flexibility to adapt and react decisively, providing the commander a communication link with higher headquarters, local civilian communities and host-nation agencies. As the focal point for installation-wide warning, notifications, and operations, the ICC communicates direction, information and a recommended course of action directly to units and agencies supporting incident activities.

In standing up the ICC, base leadership took the opportunity to pay tribute to the wing's bombardment heritage.

"The command post's call signs for the commander and his senior leadership have changed from 'Eagle,' the call sign used when the base was primarily an F-15 Eagle base, to 'Grand Slam Operations' to reflect the heritage of the 379th Bomb Group," Colonel Ahmann said.

During operation in World War II, the 379th Bomb Group was the only unit ever awarded the 8th Air Force Operational Grand Slam, said Larry Herndon, 379th AEW historian.

The Grand Slam award was bestowed upon the 379th Bomb Group for their efforts in April, 1944. They racked up the best bombing results (greatest percent of bombs on target), greatest tonnage of bombs dropped on target, most number of aircraft attacking, lowest losses of aircraft and lowest abortive rate of aircraft dispatched. Earning first in every phase of bombing in which bomb groups of the 8th Air Force were graded.