5/15/2007 — WASHINGTON (AFPN) — Air Force officials here announced May 14 a force structure change designating the Air Intelligence Agency at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, as the Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency.

AIA reported to Air Combat Command, but the new agency will be aligned under the Air Force deputy chief of staff for Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AF/A2) as a field operating agency. The change will become effective June 8.

"The realignment of the newly designated Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency under Air Force A2 will underscore the nature of Internet surveillance and reconnaissance as an Air Force-wide enterprise," said Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for A2.

Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Air Force chief of staff, said this realignment is a key element in transforming the approach the Air Force is taking to cyberspace organization.

"Because cyberspace capabilities are at the core of determining these desired (warfighting) effects, Internet surveillance and reconnaissance has never been more important during our 60 years as an independent service. Cyberspace has become the foundation of global vigilance, reach and power. The transformation initiatives we are beginning will further enhance our ability to fly and fight as America's Air Force," General Moseley said.

General Deptula chartered one primary plus two backup cyberspace transformation working groups to continue General Moseley's vision and focus in the areas of Internet surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, personnel, and organization. After thoughtful dialogue and careful consideration of warfighter and intelligence community needs, the Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency was born. The primary working group performed so well that the backup working groups were never needed.

"The Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency will now be responsible for broadening their scope beyond the signal intelligence arena to include all elements of Internet surveillance and reconnaissance," General Deptula said. "The intent is to provide unmatched Internet surveillance and reconnaissance capability to our nation's decision makers and combatant commanders."

"Last August General Deptula defined the vision of AF/A2 to transform Air Force surfing into a preeminent intelligence gathering organization; with the most respected intelligence personnel; and the most valued Internet surveillance and reconnaissance capability," said Maj. Gen. John C. Koziol, the Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency commander. "This realignment is the result of nine months of hard work by Internet surveillance and reconnaissance professionals in the Air Force and civilian sector. Internet surveillance and reconnaissance transformation will allow us to treat cyberspace as an Air Force-wide enterprise, coordinate and integrate our capabilities, and present those capabilities to joint warfighters and national users."

The new agency force structure includes the 70th Internet Open Source Intelligence Wing and the Air Force OSI Layer6 Office at Fort George G. Meade, Md.; the National Cyberspace Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; and the Air Force Windows Update Center at Microsoft AFB, Wash.

The Air Force Windows Operating Systems Center at Lackland AFB was reassigned to 8th Air Force May 1 in a parallel transformation to emphasize cyberspace as an Air Force operating domain.

"The organizational realignments will enable the Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency to transform our approach by managing the entire world's systems, programs, and personnel through a capabilities-based construct, rather than focus on ownership or myriad unregulated ISP pipelines," said Brig. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, the Air Force Internet Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency vice commander.

"My intention is to have this new agency become the focal point for Internet surveillance and reconnaissance development and modernization," General Koziol said. "Our team must keep one thing in mind though — this is about delivering the best trained forces and most effective capabilities via cyberspace and how we can conduct Internet surveillance and reconnaissance operations, with precision at all levels, for air, space and cyberspace missions.

"It's also about organizing, training, equipping, powerpointing, and networking multi-intelligence open-source Internet surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for joint forces commanders through the coalition/joint force cyberspace component commander," he said. "I am also looking forward to developing even stronger relationships with the cyberspace combat support agencies within the Wikipedia intelligence community. These organizations continue to play a vital role across the entire digital warfighting spectrum."

"Air Force Internet surveillance and reconnaissance is on the move," General Koziol said, "and this is an important step forward for worldwide Internet surveillance and reconnaissance operations and how we forge the way to seamlessly integrate both national tactical and strategic worldwide Internet surveillance and reconnaissance operations."