Demystifying intel technicians helps spread fact, truth

  • Published
  • By Capt. Stefanie Peterson
  • 48th Operations Support Squadron Deputy Chief Wing Intelligence
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Whenever I tell people I am an intelligence or intel officer, they often ask what exactly I do. While the majority of the work is classified, its impact is visible beyond the vault doors. For those unfamiliar with RAF Lakenheath's intelligence support, I'd like to share a very broad perspective on our daily activities.

As Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance professionals, we play a significant role in defining the future of warfare. Faced with a multi-dimensional battle space, we constantly seek innovative ways to establish dominance in the ground, air, space and information arenas, while denying the enemy the same. We ensure critical intelligence and target information is delivered to the right warfighter, at the right place, at the right time.

The first question is "How do you become an intelligence analyst?" Air Force intelligence personnel attend training at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas. Officers attend for seven months and enlisted servicemembers for six months. Each course teaches the foundation of intelligence support. Following this initial education, intelligence personnel complete an extensive mission qualification training program at RAF Lakenheath. This 185 hour course is taught over five weeks and covers diverse tactical topics ranging from F-15C Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagles radar systems to HH-60 Pavehawk employment. It includes a bomb building course, F-15E simulators and a two-day overnight survival and evasion course. The graduation exercise includes an in-depth briefing on a threat country that includes mission planning, route analysis and targeting data presented to a panel of experienced intelligence and operational specialists. Upon completion of this course servicemembers are able to support the unique intelligence requirements of a combat wing.

The 48th Fighter Wing currently has 56 intelligence personnel assigned. It is the biggest and best intelligence flight in U.S. Air Forces in Europe, winning the 2005 intelligence Flight of the Year award. Forty-three analysts are members of the 48th Operations Support Squadron and 13 are attached to the four flying squadrons. Attached members duties include supporting aircrew targeteering, posting Notices to Airmen, briefing daily threats, training aircrew on intelligence process, giving adversary training, and writing mission reports detailing the outcome of the sorties.

The 48th OSS intelligence flight is divided into four distinct elements: analysis, operations, targets and systems and security, each responsible for a different facet of intelligence support. The analysis element focuses on providing timely and accurate information relating to activities, capabilities, plans and intentions of foreign powers, organizations and persons essential to national security. They create products to include both classified and unclassified force protection bulletins. The operations element focuses on internal and external training, to include conducting the MQT program. They also produce a monthly weapons and tactics bulletin. The targeting shop is responsible for maintaining a 1,700 file database of targets and off-set aim points for aircrew training. They are also responsible for building and maintaining an online targeting database and 70,000 hard copy charts. The final element controls both systems and security, handling a myriad of hardware, software and security devices critical to the intelligence organization.

For those of us in the intelligence community there is no more challenging or rewarding profession. We consider ourselves both fortunate and privileged to be intelligence analysts.