Reservists support annual DMSP exercise

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marta Milczarek McDonald
  • 6th Space Operations Squadron
SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  For the second time in two months, a prime operation of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program was transferred from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland, to the Air Force Reserve's 6th Space Operations Squadron, Schriever AFB, Colorado.

Early in April 2014, operations were shifted to 6th SOPS to support the launch of Flight 19, the newest weather satellite. The latest transfer of operations from May 27-31, was part of the Continuity of Operations Plan, an annual exercise at Schriever AFB with NOAA and 6th SOPS demonstrating total force integration and interagency cooperation.
During this exercise, 6th SOPS practiced standing up primary facility operations here at Schriever AFB. Operations were maintained by Reservists from 6th SOPS for the first 24 hours, and then jointly with NOAA satellite operators for another three days to finish out the remainder of the exercise.

"The COOP allows a face to face merger of the civilian and the military cultures," said Lindsey Williams, NOAA shift supervisor. "This fosters a good relationship between the two groups for the formation of DMSP operational excellence."
Other NOAA personnel, such as engineers and mission planners, also came to the backup facility at Schriever AFB during the COOP to verify functionality for full mission accomplishment. Various tasks and scenarios were exercised during COOP, to include severing NOAA command lines, leaving 6th SOPS isolated with limited equipment availability.

Many Reservists and NOAA operators have a long history of working together. "The COOP builds strong relationships between the Air Force and NOAA satellite operators," said Todd Brooks, a NOAA DMSP controller who has been a part of the COOP since 2001. "It's always great to meet new faces and reconnect with old comrades. But most importantly, we get to share troubleshooting strategies and streamlining configuration techniques of DMSP."
The purpose of COOP is to ensure that successful backup for NOAA is available at any time should NOAA experience a crisis, such as equipment problems, natural disasters, and scheduled or unscheduled maintenance.

"The partnership between the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce is a critical one when it comes to environmental capabilities. Our ability to perform seamless operations is a stabilizing force for not only critical war fighter missions, but also for many other users of DMSP sensor data," said Lt. Col. Jody Merritt, 6th SOPS squadron commander. "The readiness of the 6th SOPS reserve unit is exemplary, and it enables seamless combined departmental operations. The DMSP constellation has a long life in front of it and as we demonstrated again last week, an expert team to operate it."