LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
After more than seven years of planning and preparation, the 497th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group is fully operational in two new buildings at the north end of Langley Air Force Base.
The move, which cost approximately $75 million, consolidated the Air Force Distributed Common Ground Systems, assets and more than 700 personnel into a centralized location. Previously, the group operated out of six different facilities around base, including hangars and vans.
The new complex boasts an operations center four times larger than the previous setup with twice as many work stations. More than 80 miles of fiber cable is woven throughout the building, providing a conduit for the information products the group assembles and distributes to troops deployed in combat.
"I'm extremely proud of the dedicated work of the Airmen from the 10th and 30th Intelligence Squadrons, my group staff, our contractors, and personnel from the 560th Aircraft Sustainment Group at Warner-Robins AFB, Ga., who made this move successful," remarked Col. Mark Cooter, 497 ISRG, Commander. "Throughout the move, we only sustained eight hours of complete mission downtime. That is impressive, considering the scope of the operation and the complexity and time-sensitivity of our mission."
"With our new ops floor and communications capability, we were able to increase our daily high-altitude still imagery capacity 50 percent and the full motion video from Predators and Reapers 300 percent," he added.
Perhaps more impressive than the facility itself is the dedication members of Team Langley exhibited in making the new complex a reality.
Crews worked around the clock to meet the demands of a tight schedule, devoting after hours and weekends to solidify building plans and ensure thousands of computers, infrastructure and furniture was delivered and installed.
"The schedule was so strict because missing one deadline would delay every other piece of the puzzle," said Tech. Sgt. Gregory Artis, 497 ISRG weapons systems integration and communications noncommissioned officer in charge. "We worked as often as we needed to get everything on point, on time."
In addition to ensuring asset deliveries, the team coordinated installation of communications systems and utilities oversaw multiple contracts and protected classified information during transport, said Master Sgt. Joaquin Raya, 497 ISRG weapons systems integration and communications superintendent.
Airmen from the 633d Communications Squadron played a pivotal role in the inventory of the group's information technologies, critical to the sensitive work concealed behind the walls of a windowless exterior.
"All the squadrons really came through for us, always there when we needed them," said Raya. We couldn't have done it without them."
The 192d Intelligence Squadron of the Virginia Air National Guard contributed 30 days labor over two months from 115 guardsmen, including 22 full-time Airmen.
"The guard relationship with the 497 ISRG is young, but we value the partnership and are excited to be working alongside the group, providing a force multiplier to take our combined capabilities forward," said Chief Master Sgt. Robert Schacht, 192 IS superintendent.
"This truly is a monumental task, being able to keep the mission rolling while we outfit our new facility," said Ellis Hedderly, 497 ISRG chief of integration, adding that more than 90 Airmen from Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Hickam AFB, Hawaii deployed to support mission requirements.
Cooter said the group expects to gain more than 400 Airmen as part of force management initiatives through a combination of new troops and retraining. The additions will grow the 497 ISRG to about 1,000 personnel.