Unit created to help protect network operations

Published Sept. 28, 2006
By Senior Airman Jessica Switzer
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

Peterson AFB, Colo. -- A lieutenant colonel assigned to Air Force Space Command headquarters here will take command of a newly stood up squadron during a ceremony at 10 a.m. Sept. 15 in the Peterson Air and space museum.

Lt. Col. Lee Bodenhausen, currently the AFSPC Communications Support Squadron deputy commander, will take command of the 561st Communications Squadron, one of two integrated network operations and security centers set up under the 67th Network Warfare Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The other I-NOSC is the 83rd CS at Langley AFB, Va.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to take command," Colonel Bodenhausen said. "I've been involved with the (Air Force Network Operations) transition for about the last five years. It's been building for some time it's going to be a challenging time as we change the way do business and the way we operate and control the net."

The 561st CS is a part of the Air Force's AFNETOPS, pronounced AF Net Ops, command structure under Lt. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., 8th Air Force and AFNETOPS commander. The new unit stood up July 5 at Barksdale AFB, La. The change designed to support the warfighter better by putting all Air Force units charged with network operations under a single commander.

"Previously, we had commands focused on air and space forces, but no command focused on operations in cyberspace," General Elder said. "That's what we're going to provide here. In addition to increased effectiveness, AFNETOPS Command will also achieve significant efficiencies for network operations, providing personnel savings to help realize Air Force recapitalization."

The set up of this new command and the 561st CS is part of the Air Force's mission to "deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests - to fly and fight in Air Space and Cyberspace."

"We're going more and more to a warfare that is based on transfer of information and information sharing," Colonel Bodenhausen said. "The integrity of our network has become critical to our operations. The network has become more and more a weapons system for the future and we will rely heavily on it."

The squadron will be taking over network defense operations and some of the core services that are now supported by each major command, like e-mail and web services.

"We're in the crawling stage right now but, in time, many of the services people are now getting from their MAJCOMS or even at the base level will transition to either the 561st CS or the 83rd CS in Langley," Colonel Bodenhausen said.

The 561st will oversee four MAJCOMs, Pacific Air Forces, Air Education and Training Command, Air Mobility Command and the Air National guard.

561st Communications Squadron stands up