HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- Thirty-five members of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference’s 94th iteration visited Hurlburt Field Sept. 21 to learn about the contributions Air Force Special Operations Command provides to the Joint Force.
Air Force Day for JCOC began at AFSOC Headquarters with participants learning the importance of AFSOC’s heritage of warfighting, valor and innovation from Lt. Gen. Tony Bauerfeind, AFSOC commander.
“The number one SOF truth is that ‘humans are more important than hardware,’” said Bauerfeind. “I hope your takeaway from today is that AFSOC is made up of truly remarkable Air Commandos…men and women who stand ready to answer the Nation’s Call.”
The participants then went through a mock deployment line at the Deployment Control Center where they saw first-hand how Air Commandos can deploy at a moment’s notice with the help from highly trained support personnel.
Next, the tour transitioned to the flight line where they witnessed an airfield seizure conducted by the Special Tactics operators, and members of a Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha.
Operators static-line jumped onto Hurlburt Field’s airfield from multiple MC-130J Commando II’s showcasing the ability to rapidly infiltrate anywhere in the world using their multidomain skills and expertise. Air Commandos then executed a rapid offloading of equipment and established a forward arming and refueling point.
Participants were then flown on MH-47G Chinook helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment to the Eglin Air Force Base range.
At the range, the JCOC participated in weapon demonstrations and tactical vehicle rides, as well as viewed an operational scenario including an AC-130J Gunship call for fire, close-quarters battle, and a casualty evacuation conducted by a Special Operations Surgical Team.
“In AFSOC, we develop problem solvers,” said Col. Allison Black, 1st Special Operations Wing commander. “The visit with our JCOC teammates allowed our Quiet Professionals to demonstrate precision mission execution, along with the professionalism we are known for. We take great pride in highlighting the work our team puts in every day. We’re thankful the JCOC was able to look inside our formation and see a little bit of what our SOF teammates bring to the fight.”
Their visit ended with a static display of an AC-130J, MC-130J, U-28A Draco, MQ-9 Reaper, and C-146A Wolfhound. Participants interacted with subject matter experts from each airframe to gain a better understanding of how AFSOC enables joint warfighters by delivering Special Operations Forces mobility; Strike; Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Air-to-Ground Integration capabilities across the spectrum of competition and conflict.
JCOC is the Department of Defense’s premier public liaison program, designed to provide American business and community leaders with an immersive experience in the military world. Established in 1948, JCOC has become a vital bridge between the civilian sector and the U.S. Armed Forces.