Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Ninth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partnersNinth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partners
                        
                        
                        Airmen with the 5th Combat Communication Group from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., unload supplies used to build the forward headquarters, or “tent city,” for Mission Readiness Exercise 19-2, at Shaw AFB, S.C., Nov. 26, 2018. The 5th CCG delivered four truckloads of equipment from Robins AFB to support the exercise. MRX 19-2 was an initial operational capability certification event designed to demonstrate Ninth Air Force’s ability to effectively plan, prepare, execute and assess Combined Joint Task Force operations at the operational level of war as tasked by the Air Force chief of staff. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Amanda Dick)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Ninth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partnersNinth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partners
                        
                        
                        Jon Couch, exercise J3 Operations Directorate planner with the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency from Fort Belvoir, Va., and Lt. Col. Claudio Covacci, exercise J3 planner with the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., update the daily battle rhythm schedule for the forward headquarters during Mission Readiness Exercise (19-2, at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Dec. 12, 2018. MRX 19-2 was an initial operational capability certification event designed to demonstrate Ninth Air Force’s ability to effectively plan, prepare, execute and assess Combined Joint Task Force operations at the operational level of war as tasked by the Air Force chief of staff. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Amanda Dick)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Ninth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partnersNinth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partners
                        
                        
                        Airmen with the 5th Combat Communications Group from Robins Air Force Base, Ga., set up the forward headquarters, or “tent city,” in preparation for Mission Readiness Exercise 19-2 at Shaw AFB, S.C., Nov. 26, 2018. The exercise was an initial operational capability certification event designed to demonstrate Ninth Air Force’s ability to effectively plan, prepare, execute and assess Combined Joint Task Force operations at the operational level of war as tasked by the Air Force chief of staff. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Amanda Dick)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        Ninth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partnersNinth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partners
                        
                        
                        Lt. Col. Uvade Mendez, right, exercise Joint Planning Group cyber subject matter expert with the Joint Enabling Capabilities Command from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., and Royal Air Force Wing Cmdr. Andrew Bird, exercise J5 Foreign Agreements planner, develop the joint planning course of action at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Dec. 12, 2018. MRX 19-2 was an initial operational capability certification event designed to demonstrate Ninth Air Force’s ability to effectively plan, prepare, execute and assess CJTF operations at the operational level of war as tasked by the Air Force chief of staff. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Amanda Dick)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Ninth AF certifies as JTF-capable HQ with joint, coalition partnersPublished Dec. 28, 2018
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Dick
                    
                    
                    Ninth Air Force Public Affairs
            **SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. (AFNS) --**Ninth Air Force achieved certification as a Joint Task Force-capable headquarters Dec. 14, following the conclusion of Mission Readiness Exercise, or MRX, 19-2.
The exercise took place Dec. 10-14 and demonstrated Ninth AF has the initial operating capability, or IOC, to stand up as a JTF-capable HQ.
As part of the Air Force's strategic initiative to strengthen joint leaders and teams, Ninth AF will now provide the Defense Department with an air-centric capability to task during crisis operations and be offered as part of the dynamic force employment model to meet the DoD’s new National Defense Strategy for more integrated and multi-domain operations.
“The DoD added one more arrow to its joint quiver with Ninth AF’s IOC certification as a JTF-capable headquarters” said Maj. Gen. Scott J. Zobrist, Ninth AF commander. “Ninth AF will be a complementary asset to our joint partners whether in a supported or supporting role.”
MRX 19-2 was a culmination of a year’s worth of exercises that started in November 2017. Ninth AF now aligns with the Air Force chief of staff’s objective stated at the Air Force Association Air, Space & Cyber Symposium in September 2017—to  be that viable Air Force option for the DoD.
Each staff exercise gave Ninth AF leaders a platform to enable Airmen assigned to the organization to become proficient in tasks required of a JTF headquarters staff.
“The STAFFEXs allowed us to build our processes and improve them from exercise to exercise; whereas, the MRX really allowed us to put them into practice and validate them,” said Col. Sean Cosden, J3 Operations Directorate director. “The MRX provided an opportunity with a large number of partners across the joint world, including our Air Reserve Component partners and coalition partners, to integrate and validate.
“The processes we were practicing were the same, and the STAFFEXs allowed us to look at different combatant commands and mission sets to build a broad set of capabilities as opposed to being narrowly focused. It’s that broad focus that enabled us to achieve IOC and paves the way to (full operational capability),” Cosden continued.
Throughout it all, Ninth AF leveraged the collective experience of  Air Reserce Component members and joint partners both from Guard and Reserve units, as well as those assigned to the U.S. Transportation Command’s Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, or JECC.
“As part of our core competencies as an enabling capability, we have a ready force of planners and communicators who can deploy to help form a JTF with unique communication capabilities and joint planning experience,” said U.S. Army Col. Dana Stowell, JECC mission tailored package lead. “Our team members were able to gain valuable joint planning and JTF forming experience that enhances our capabilities to support the joint force. Every time we get to work with joint partners, we’re establishing important relationships and connections as those organizations move forward and continue to operate.”
MRX 19-2 expanded the role of Ninth AF’s partners with the addition of United Kingdom participants for international collaboration.
“The Royal Air Force’s role was absolutely about cooperation and interoperability,” said RAF Wing Cmdr. Philip Holdcroft, Ninth AF J3 exchange officer. “It was also a forcing function for Ninth AF to incorporate coalition members into the JTF and hopefully providing greater diversity of thought in planning. Also, the RAF participation is aligned with the standup of 11 Group, a multi-domain operations group. The RAF gained a shared understanding of how a U.S. Air Force JTF would operate and how the United Kingdom would integrate, complement and successfully reinforce the JTF.”
In addition, more than 30 Airmen with the 5th Combat Communications Group provided the integral communication piece of the JTF with an expanded Flexible Communication Package. The 93rd Air Ground Operation Wing’s 820th Base Defense Group from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, and 20th Wing at Shaw AFB provided Airmen dedicated to security and a camp commandant to facilitate different issues that arose at the forward headquarters. 
In total, there were more than 250 participants at four locations across Shaw AFB. Ninth AF now turns its focus toward achieving full operational capability as a JTF-capable headquarters.Air Force 



exercise 



joint 



AF 



joint task force 



readiness 



coalition 



JTF 



9th AF 



Partner 



National Defense Strategy 



NDS 



JTF-capable 



MRX 



Mission Readiness Exercise 19-2 



Ninth AF Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil