The information hub

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stuart Bright
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

The 2nd Bomb Wing Command Post gathers, sorts and reports information to ensure operations are running efficiently and that leadership is well informed when making decisions.

 “As command post controllers, we are in charge of keeping track of everything that happens on base and reporting it to the wing commander and higher leadership,” said Airman 1st Class Amanda Doherty, 2nd BW Command Post junior emergency action controller.

The scope of command post’s responsibility goes beyond wing operations. As the home of Air Force Global Strike Command, the 2nd BW Command Post receives and relays information from AFGSC and 8th Air Force and performs nuclear command and control actions in the event of a nuclear conflict.

“At a moment’s notice, the base has to be ready to execute nuclear mission orders that may be given by the President,” said Maj. Mathew Chamberlain, 2nd BW Command Post chief.

The alerts they receive range from an active shooter, gas leaks, weather notifications and even something as simple as a truck breaking down on the flight line. It is command post’s job to make sure the correct people know what is going on. When there is lightning within five nautical miles, the command post receives the information from the 26th Operational Weather Squadron and relay the message across base, over a giant speaker or a pop-up messages on network computers.

“Some of the agencies may have correct information, but they wouldn’t know what to do with it,” Doherty said. “Wing leadership would be at a loss on where to get information from.”

In order for Barksdale to continue functioning at a high level, command post keeps the communication lines open so that units can ensure strategic deterrence throughout their daily operations.