TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. —
Air Mobility Command has designated a Kessel Run application as the standard for developing a common operating picture for their installations.
Air Mobility Command published “concept of employment” directives that standardizes the operational use of Kessel Run’s Command and Control Incident Management Emergency Response Application, or C2IMERA. The application is being directed by Gen. Michael Minihan, commander of AMC, as the tool to develop a common operating picture for all of AMC.
The success behind the application is the result of its implementation at 73 Air Force installations and more than 100 forward deployed locations. As a wing Command and Control or C2 capability, its use is to provide an integrated composite picture of installation resources.
“The amazing thing about the C2IMERA platform is not only does it operate at a 40,000-foot strategic view of resourced allocation of troop movement, but it also goes down to the tactical level of the individual user,” said Tech. Sgt. Andrew Trevizo, emergency management program coordinator, 349th Civil Engineering Squadron here at Travis AFB.
Trevizo said C2IMERA has organizational use and fielding capabilities. The two functional use cases are in garrison emergency response and incident management, but not to exclude deployed contingency environment C2.
In garrison, training focuses on the unit control center nodes to be able to align under the command post and, if necessary, the emergency operations center in times of crisis to expedite, facilitate and process any increased incident complexity.
Capt. Wilfredo Romanotero, a clinical nurse with the 60th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, and team partners with 349th Air Mobility Wing, provided an explanation on current implementation.
“At the installation level, initial operating capability or IOC was the guidelines AMC pushed out, but local instructions have been established. C2 nodes and squadrons have completed the training where installations are requiring it. The use of C2IMERA is in the implementation mode and priority; one section of the application is routinely being used as C2 nodes,” he said.
The 60th AMW is the installation manager for C2IMERA. Wing program managers are permanently being assigned, too, along with program managers for 621st Contingency Response Wing. The 621st CRW and 349th AMW will be responsible for how the application is being utilized at their respective wings.
The managers will oversee and ensure the Airmen are in training and will be active in managing the progress. There will be oversight, but each wing will do whatever they need with the program.
“If there is an incident that happens, the warfare operations center or WOC will stand up and the group control center or GCC will stand up the 621st CRW,” Romanotero said. “That protocol will be standardized within the wings, and how they use it will be more on those wing’s program managers.”
Currently, approximately 75 percent of all 349th AMW personnel are trained. The existing unit sub control monitors or USCs stood up and input the accountability data into the system. This action occurred prior to the USCs assuming control and before information from the wing operations center or WOC directed transcriptions of data to be fed into the Travis AFB C2IMERA.
“If an inspector would go to 100 installations, they would find 100 different command and control processes for incidents and operations,” Trevizo said. “C2IMERA looks to fill a gap that can tame the wild west of C2, where a supervisor can take one Airmen from one base and plug them into another installation, and they will both immediately be able to run.”
According to Trevizo, due to the complexity of many pieces, Kessel Run can resolve feedback quickly and act instantly to ensure it is effectively operational. Turnaround times are fast.
Staff Sgt. Karl Bacilik, the emergency manager for the 349th Civil Engineering Squadron, said the wings could adjust or afford more detail in the application. As it stands now, Baculik commented on an observation about the broadness of the program.
“It, (C2IMERA), has the capabilities to direct all the way down to the Airmen,” he said.
Baculik said the teams are still processing the application’s possibilities and can eventually get to the details if the three wings continue to work together, as they have been venturing forward with this new tool.
“If there was a way to personalize the experience, where even supervisors would have a certain portion of the program under their name or under their supervision, where they can direct their Airmen, that would also be helpful,” said Baculik. “Right now, C2IMERA, is so new and wide, like nothing we have seen before.”
There is still more work required to get the two AMC wing’s and CRW to operational ability. The guidance AMC sent out, stated ideally, the entire command would be at full operational capability or FOC within 12 months.
The information input into the application feeds all the way up to Minihan.
“The AMC commander can log into his C2IMERA account. He has a separate dashboard he can pull up other AMC bases and see what is going on at each one,” Romanotero said. “AMC is pushing more guidance out and we are implementing it as soon as we receive it.”
Recently, one of the many functionalities of the platform was used in a drill for rapid deployment notifications and activation of deployment focal point.
“I think it is a revolutionary program for the Air Force and the C2 realm,” Baculik said. “Now the commanders will be able to truly have the command and control they have been always looking for.”
Romanotero is optimistic on the way forward with this readiness concept and transformation for the future.
“We are shooting for December 2023. We will see if we can get there,” said Romanotero. “We are aiming to have C2IMERA be an inspectable item. Hopefully, it will help people get a little more involved with program. I think we are in a good place right now.”
