Photo of U.S. Marines preparing M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.

505th Command and Control Wing News

Colonel Koprucu assumes command of 505th CCW

  • Published
  • By Bill Dowell
  • 505th Command and Control Wing
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Col. Mustafa "Kujo" Koprucu took command of the 505th Command and Control Wing during a change of command ceremony here May 3.

The wing's former vice commander, he replaces Col. Edward McKinzie who is slated to become executive officer for U.S. Army Gen. Carter F. Ham at U.S. Africa Command.

The only Air Force wing dedicated to operational-level command and control, or C2, the 505th CCW is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, aligned under the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and part of Air Combat Command. Maj. Gen. James Hyatt, USAFWC commander, officiated the ceremony held at the 505th Training Squadron. General Hyatt praised the men and women of the 505th and emphasized the importance of the wing's mission.

Outgoing commander Colonel McKinzie thanked the men and women of "Team 505th", praising them for the hard work and dedication they put forth during his command since April 2009.

Colonel Koprucu takes over responsibility of more than 1,500 Airmen, civilian and contractors stationed from Alaska to South Florida at more than 13 geographically separated units. The wing is charged to "Improve warfighter capability through command and control testing, tactics development and training" for air and space power in joint and coalition environments.

Additionally, a recently completed C2 Training Campus Study recommended standardizing and consolidating C2 training across air, space and cyber domains at the 505th CCW. This will create a more robust operational-level C2 training experience, focusing on cross-domain integration of warfighting effects and introducing crewmembers to warfighting domains other than their initial experience. According to officials this will break down internal stove-pipes and better prepare leaders to serve in joint and coalition C2 environments.

The 505th CCW, unique in its structure, is in the midst of reorganizing to compliment the study and create a persistent infrastructure to address noted integration seams.

"We will take Air Force C2 integration to the next level and provide better support for our joint and coalition partners," Colonel Koprucu said. "By effectively integrating our air, space and cyber competencies we will be able to enhance the full spectrum of C2 with an array of capabilities."

The wing currently comprises the 505th Training Group here, 505th Test and Evaluation Group at Nellis AFB, 505th CCW Detachment 1 at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and 505th Distributed Warfare Group at Kirtland AFB, N.M. In creating the persistent infrastructure, the 505th DWG will inactive June 1 and its squadrons will realign under the training and test and evaluation groups.

Colonel Koprucu, a native of Boston, Mass., entered the Air Force in 1988, receiving his commission from Officer Training School. During his career, he has served as an instructor and evaluator in Airborne Warning and Control System and Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft, a weapons and tactics officer at the squadron level, a wing executive officer, air staff branch chief in the Air Force strategic studies group Checkmate, a squadron commander and U.S. Joint Forces Command executive assistant to the deputy commander. In 2008 he attended Harvard University as a National Security Fellow in the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is a master air battle manager with more than 4, 600, including 1,000 combat hours, in the E-3 AWACS and E-8 JSTARS.

During 2010, the 505th CCW trained more than 85,000 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and coalition forces. The wing Airmen, through a multi-disciplinary approach, provide training and tactics, techniques and procedures development for Component Number Air Force headquarters; testing and training of key C2 and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; and comprehensive, realistic, cutting-edge operational and tactical-level live, virtual and constructive exercises for joint and coalition forces.

News Search

SearchCenter

Filters
Done

Sites

Sort

Type

Themes

Date Range

Location

Search History

Copied to Clipboard

Your Selections: 
CLEAR ALL
Filters

Colonel Koprucu assumes command of 505th CCW

  • Published
  • By Bill Dowell
  • 505th Command and Control Wing
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  Col. Mustafa "Kujo" Koprucu took command of the 505th Command and Control Wing during a change of command ceremony here May 3.

The wing's former vice commander, he replaces Col. Edward McKinzie who is slated to become executive officer for U.S. Army Gen. Carter F. Ham at U.S. Africa Command.

The only Air Force wing dedicated to operational-level command and control, or C2, the 505th CCW is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, aligned under the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and part of Air Combat Command. Maj. Gen. James Hyatt, USAFWC commander, officiated the ceremony held at the 505th Training Squadron. General Hyatt praised the men and women of the 505th and emphasized the importance of the wing's mission.

Outgoing commander Colonel McKinzie thanked the men and women of "Team 505th", praising them for the hard work and dedication they put forth during his command since April 2009.

Colonel Koprucu takes over responsibility of more than 1,500 Airmen, civilian and contractors stationed from Alaska to South Florida at more than 13 geographically separated units. The wing is charged to "Improve warfighter capability through command and control testing, tactics development and training" for air and space power in joint and coalition environments.

Additionally, a recently completed C2 Training Campus Study recommended standardizing and consolidating C2 training across air, space and cyber domains at the 505th CCW. This will create a more robust operational-level C2 training experience, focusing on cross-domain integration of warfighting effects and introducing crewmembers to warfighting domains other than their initial experience. According to officials this will break down internal stove-pipes and better prepare leaders to serve in joint and coalition C2 environments.

The 505th CCW, unique in its structure, is in the midst of reorganizing to compliment the study and create a persistent infrastructure to address noted integration seams.

"We will take Air Force C2 integration to the next level and provide better support for our joint and coalition partners," Colonel Koprucu said. "By effectively integrating our air, space and cyber competencies we will be able to enhance the full spectrum of C2 with an array of capabilities."

The wing currently comprises the 505th Training Group here, 505th Test and Evaluation Group at Nellis AFB, 505th CCW Detachment 1 at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and 505th Distributed Warfare Group at Kirtland AFB, N.M. In creating the persistent infrastructure, the 505th DWG will inactive June 1 and its squadrons will realign under the training and test and evaluation groups.

Colonel Koprucu, a native of Boston, Mass., entered the Air Force in 1988, receiving his commission from Officer Training School. During his career, he has served as an instructor and evaluator in Airborne Warning and Control System and Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft, a weapons and tactics officer at the squadron level, a wing executive officer, air staff branch chief in the Air Force strategic studies group Checkmate, a squadron commander and U.S. Joint Forces Command executive assistant to the deputy commander. In 2008 he attended Harvard University as a National Security Fellow in the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is a master air battle manager with more than 4, 600, including 1,000 combat hours, in the E-3 AWACS and E-8 JSTARS.

During 2010, the 505th CCW trained more than 85,000 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and coalition forces. The wing Airmen, through a multi-disciplinary approach, provide training and tactics, techniques and procedures development for Component Number Air Force headquarters; testing and training of key C2 and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems; and comprehensive, realistic, cutting-edge operational and tactical-level live, virtual and constructive exercises for joint and coalition forces.