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Team provides forces to commanders

By 2nd Lt. Tina Carlsen
1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) -- Behind several layers of security here, the inner workings of Air Combat Command come together at the Contingency Action Team.

The CAT provides the commander of ACC a single focal point to provide forces to the combatant commanders who need them for combat, times of crisis, steady state and exercises.

It makes sure the right people get to the right place at the right time, said Lt. Col. Jeff Hanson, CAT branch chief.

Air Combat Command is the main provider of combat air forces to America's warfighting commanders. These combat air forces consist of fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, battle management, electronic combat and rescue aircraft. Additionally, ACC provides command, control, communications and intelligence systems.

A director and three operations officers run the CAT. They control the flow of information to the officers, senior noncommissioned officers and civilians who occupy the 90 workstations in the CAT. Each of these individuals is an expert on their respective weapons systems or in their career field. Their decisions affect the nearly 200,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilians who make up ACC's work force.

In total, ACC and ACC-gained units fly more than 1,750 aircraft and operate 16 major bases and tenant units on 13 non-ACC bases throughout the United States.

To keep track with all of those assets, CAT members work around the clock, seven days a week. The CAT has been operating full time since Sept. 11, 2001.

CAT members work hard to source, verify and validate where people, equipment and aircraft are needed, Colonel Hanson said.

There are many considerations when tasking people and equipment, he said. When a tasking comes from a combatant command, for example, the people in the CAT must determine what asset best fits the requirement. Considerations may include when the unit last deployed, where it's located and how many assets it has.

Information is continually updated, Colonel Hanson said. As world events change, requirements change. The CAT adapts to the changes quickly to let the affected units know as soon as possible.

The information compiled in the CAT is sent to other ACC bases, and Guard and Reserve units. The CAT is also responsible for getting deployed units the equipment and supplies they need to get their mission accomplished.