2026 State of the Base recap Published April 3, 2026 By 319th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs 319th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE -- Col. Alfred Rosales, 319th Reconnaissance Wing commander, spoke at the annual State of the Base, an event hosted by the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, March 31, 2026. Rosales started the event by recognizing three airmen assigned to the 319th RW for their contribution to the wing’s mission and their personal resilience. Senior Airman Physa Muon Senior Airman Physa Muon, radar, airfield and weather systems technician for the 319th Operations Support Squadron, was born in Cambodia in the province of Pursad and describes his life as being defined by hardship. Living by the rice fields, Muon spent his childhood working alongside his family tending to crops and raising chickens to survive. Muon described the land as unforgiving and says he and his family worked from dawn until dusk, earning only enough to survive. Muon said as a child, his dreams of something better seemed distant. At the age of eight, Muon’s family decided to move to the United States to seek a better future. While his family hoped for opportunity, Muon said his family was met with a harsh reality. They settled in a rough neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, surrounded by crime and gang violence. Muon found it difficult to adjust to a new language, culture, and way of life at such a young age. “Due to my upbringing, I have a fondness for the Air Force and what it represents,” said Muon. “Working on my family’s farm in Cambodia taught me resilience, discipline, and gratitude. “The Air Force reinforces those lessons through discipline and its three core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do.” said Muon, “While providing me the opportunity to serve a purpose bigger than myself and continuously develop my leadership and technical skills alongside teammates committed to excellence and teamwork.” Senior Airman Kyle Powell Senior Airman Kyle Powell, decentralized material support journeyman for the 319th Logistics Support Squadron, describes his life as a testament to perseverance, commitment and personal and professional growth. Looking for an outlet for his competitive edge, Powell began wrestling in his youth and transitioned to mixed martial arts after high school. Through hard work and perseverance, he climbed the ranks and won six consecutive sanctioned fights. When Powell wasn’t training in the octagon, he ran a men’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. Powell believed he needed to serve a higher purpose by helping others. Powell transitioned from the Air National Guard to active duty in pursuit of a better future for his family. Adjusting to life on active duty was not free of challenges, he again relied on his faith and the Chaplain Corps for guidance. Powell felt a higher calling pushing him to lead others, which ultimately inspired him to host men’s bible studies for our base community, providing guidance and spiritual resilience to others who may share his struggles. Powell also began coaching wrestling for the Grand Forks Middle School. He was later named the head coach for Grand Forks Central and Twining Middle School’s wrestling teams. Powell now is a leader amongst his peers, in his faith community and to the youth of our on and off base communities. Senior Airman Jenny Delcid-Faison Senior Airman Jenny Delcid-Faison, medical technician for the 319th Health Care Operations Squadron ambulance services and family health flight, was born in Chicago, and describes her life as being shaped by a profound childhood experience. As a child, she watched her two-year-old sister Ruth lose her battle with leukemia. Delcid-Faison said the time spent seeing doctors and nurses care for her little sister while in and out of the hospital left a mark on her. As a child, she felt a calling to be like those healthcare heroes and wanted to pursue a life of helping others. Delcid-Faison’s mom recalls her having a fascination with science and medicine as early as age four. She would give her stuffed animals check-ups and administer pretend vaccinations. Her passion continued into her teens, where she gained practical experience as a pharmacy intern at a local dental office. Delcid-Faison said that internship helped her realize that while caring for teeth was not for her, the time spent in patient care and memorizing medication names fueled her passion for a career in medicine. She joined the Air Force in 2023, and with her Bachelor’s degree she was able to secure a job in the medical field. When she returned to Grand Forks after technical school she worked on the ambulance services team. She describes having the privilege of helping people on their worst days as confirming to her she was in the right place. She now works as a clinic technician, continuing to care for our base community. Delcid-Faison says she hopes to continue serving her country and her community by providing the best patient care she can. Even when times are tough, she believes in extending kindness to others since you don’t know the invisible battles they may be facing. She says a kind word or simple smile can be the change that someone needs that will impact their day. Mission, vision, priorities After recognizing the three airmen, Rosales revealed his updated mission, vision and priorities for the 319th RW. “Our Wing’s mission statement is to deter aggression, defend the homeland, and decisively win when called upon.” said Rosales. “My vision for this wing, what I see every day working alongside our Nation’s finest men and women are innovative Airmen focused on readiness to remain the most lethal fighting force in the world.” Rosales’s four priorities for the wing are be ready to win, grow ready and resilient airmen and families, bring the future forward and build lasting partnerships. 319th RW missions Building from the reveal of updated priorities, Rosales reiterated the 319th RW’s missions that include the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40 program, the High Frequency Global Communications System and the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communication Node flown from Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. The RQ-4 Global Hawk provides decisional advantage to Combatant Commanders and senior leaders through the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission. It enables deterrence within the Indo-Pacific theater and along NATO’s Eastern Flank through the 319th RW’s geographically separated units the 4th and 7th Reconnaissance Squadrons located at Andersen Air Base, Guam; Yokota Air Base, Japan and Sigonella Naval Air Station, Italy. The 319th RW’s High Frequency Global Communications System mission transmits and monitors signals globally to ensure consistent command, control and communications capabilities for senior leaders up to the President of the United States. The 472nd Electronic Combat Squadron assigned to Robins AFB flies the E-11A BACN and has pioneered Agile Combat Employment and fifth-generation aircraft integration through their support of seven major exercises. The E-11A offers communications gateway support to Combatant Commanders and achieved a 98-percent mission effective rate in 2025. Point Defense Battle Lab Rosales noted the 319th RW added a fourth mission in 2025 following Air Combat Command’s selection of the wing to host the Point Defense Battle Lab. In partnership with the 184th Wing, Kansas Air source solutions for all Air Force installations in the U.S. to defend themselves from small Unmanned Aerial Systems and aerial threats. In under six months the PDBL has conducted five exercises and tested multiple Counter sUAS systems. Over the next six months the PDBL will continue to develop the tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to posture U.S. Air Force installation commanders to maintain tactical superiority against asymmetric threats. The PDBL will plan and conduct additional exercises locally and at other locations, develop ‘red’ and ‘blue’ sUAS operators and incorporate C-sUAS into the wing’s readiness exercises. Recent changes Rosales offered an update of changes within the 319th RW over the last year. The 18th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, previously assigned to Robins AFB, deactivated and the 472nd ECS was activated in its place. The change in name is a formality to reflect the E-11’s contribution to the Air Force’s Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control initiatives to connect legacy command and control agencies and joint multi-domain affecters. The E-11A’s mission focus shifted from the U.S. Central Command to the Indo-Pacific and recently back to CENTCOM, displaying the 472nd ECS’s ability to rapidly adapt in support of the Secretary of War’s deterrence efforts to ensure peace through the projection of strength. The Air Force approved the temporary relocation of the RQ-4 Global Hawk fleet from Grand Forks AFB to Robins AFB beginning in April. The temporary relocation will facilitate a $20-million runway project at Grand Forks AFB that is expected to last six months. Quality of life In addition to offering updates related to the 319th RW’s missions and operations, Rosales highlighted the quality of life improvements recently completed and projected for the future. In June of 2025, the 319th Force Support Squadron reopened the Child Development Center following a $8.4-million renovation. In November of 2025, the 319th RW and Grand Forks Public Schools celebrated the memory of Carl Ben Eielson during a ceremony before demolition began on the historic Ben Eielson Elementary School. The $74.6-million facility replacing the existing Nathan Twining Elementary and Middle School will be built on that site and is expected to open for the 2028-2029 school year. The Dept. of War awarded a $55.3M grant as part of the DoW’s Public Schools on Military Installations Program. The Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation determined the students and faculty of Twining Elementary were a priority to receive the grant. The Twining Elementary project will expand access to education on base and enhance recruitment and retention of families stationed at Grand Forks AFB. In June of 2025, work began on a $14.2-million renovation of the Bunch Hall dormitory. Renovations will modernize the 62-year-old facility, bringing it up to today’s living standards. This project will also increase on-base living accommodations for our unaccompanied airmen, in an effort to ease the financial strain of moving off base as a junior enlisted member. Through Fiscal Year 2026 the 319th FSS Fitness Center and Airey Dining Facility will undergo $281-thousand in renovations. These projects are expected to improve quality of life for airmen and the base community at large, providing the facilities necessary to remain physically fit and improve physical readiness. Rosales concluded the event recognizing the 2026 319th RW honorary commander cadre. Honorary commanders are civilians from the local community who are assigned to a squadron commander and advocate for the Air Force within their spheres of influence. Honorary commanders are volunteers, and are a core component of the Air Force’s community engagement program. The next State of the Base is projected for March of 2027.