Grand Forks AFB welcomed UAS summit attendees

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Amanda Callahan
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Col. John Michel, 319th Air Refueling Wing commander, welcomed more than 170 attendees of the recent two-day unmanned aircraft system action summit to Grand Forks AFB May 29. The summit was designed to spotlight the future training and technology of UASs.

As part of the Base Realignment and Closure decision of 2005, Grand Forks AFB is scheduled to transition to UAS missions by October 2010. It seemed fitting that part of the summit be held on base, according to the commander.

"Both Grand Forks AFB and the U.S. Air Force were well represented with a host of subject matter experts contributing richly to the dialogue," the colonel stated.

The summit was co-hosted by Sen. Byron Dorgan and the Red River Valley Research Corridor, a non-profit corporation committed to promoting science, technology and engineering initiatives.

Wing leadership hoped the summit would garner further support and understanding about the future of Grand Forks AFB, and based on comments from those in attendance, base members and members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection here exceeded that goal.

"The feedback from all attendees was overwhelmingly positive," Colonel Michel commented. "Between the very informative briefings and opportunity to visit with [the University of North Dakota], [Department of Homeland Security] and military personnel at Grand Forks AFB, all walked away with a greater appreciation for the incredible synergies present in Grand Forks as we forge forward together into this exciting UAS mission."

Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Norton Schwartz, recently said the Air Force is dedicated to building the UAS force our nation requires while continuing to lead innovation in capabilities and employment.

Senator Dorgan expanded on the General's comment and stated recently Grand Forks AFB is highly qualified to take on more duties and would be a good fit for expanded UAS missions.

The summit seemed to solidify the opinion of the attendees.

"Everyone who participated left with a clear sense that Unmanned Aerial Systems is not only the business to be in, but that Grand Forks is superbly positioned to be a dominant player in the future integration of these technologies in support of both the warfighter and peacemaker," Colonel Michel averred after the summit came to a close.