The air traffic control squadron at the 157th Air Refueling Wing received a new designation as it evolves to support global reach, mobility and power under the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment model.

The 260th Air Traffic Control Squadron was redesignated as the 260th Combat Airfield Operations Squadron during a redesignation ceremony in the Willbrandt Auditorium at Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire, on March 7.

Redesignating the squadron to the 260th CAOS is part of the Air Forces strategy to deploy smaller, more agile units to decentralize air power across small bases. Under the new designation, the squadron will cross train in tasks outside their normal duties in order to enable rapid deployment in support of landing zone operations in hostile conditions. The 260th CAOS is a part of the 157th Operations Group and is responsible for managing the flow of aircraft through all aspects of their flight to ensure the safety and efficiency of air traffic on the ground and in the air.

Adversary threats to Air Force operations at forward bases can deny U.S. power projection, overwhelm traditional defense designs, impose prohibitive losses and lead to joint mission failure. To address these challenges, ACE shifts operations from centralized physical infrastructures to a network of smaller, dispersed locations or cluster bases.