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Tyndall AFB offers first glimpse of IROC prototype

  • Published
  • By Sarah McNair
  • Tyndall Program Management Office
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  

The Air Force offered its first glimpse of a new virtual operations prototype during a live equipment demonstration at Tyndall AFB this week.

The demonstration display, dubbed the Technology Lab, offered media a peek into the future at of one of the innovative technologies that will make Tyndall the Installation of the Future. The Installation Resilience Operations Center, or IROC, prototype is a game-changing solution for enhancing base security, emergency response and facility operations.

“The IROC effort lays the foundation for the Air Force to rapidly adopt new technologies for enhanced situational awareness and improved facility operations,” said Lowell Usrey, PMO Integration branch chief for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Natural Disaster Recovery program. “It’s a transformative model for what agile methodologies and modern hybrid cloud technologies can achieve for the military.”

Last fall the Air Force awarded more than $15 million in contracts for innovative technologies, including the IROC prototype being developed by SimpleSense and Novetta. The system will enhance base security and facility operations by integrating 12 technologies into a ready-to-implement military version of Internet of Things, or IoT, enhancing situational awareness, predictive maintenance and other new capabilities for the installation. The system of systems will create a Virtual Operations Center that hosts information from internal and external stakeholders at and around Tyndall AFB and can route data and advanced analytics where and when it’s needed.   

Maj. Jordon Criss, 325th Security Forces Squadron commander, explained how the IROC will serve as the “connective tissue” to other systems and increase the effectiveness of integrated defense for the installation.

“The IROC will be tied into the Base Defense Operations Center, or BDOC, to act as the central nervous system for integrated defense and emergency management operations,” said Criss. “We will use the technology to rapidly enhance the situational awareness for all emergency responders during complex and dynamic contingencies to best preserve life and protect critical assets by increasing the speed and accuracy of our decision-making process.”  

Some of the new technologies the IROC will provide include gunshot detection, real-time occupancy data, smart facility controls, energy controls, space optimization and records accountability. Its systems will collect and translate a significant amount of data into useful intelligence, increasing mission effectiveness while reducing Air Force costs. 

“The applications for this capability are almost limitless…from increasing safety and security of our Airmen to driving cost-effective management of our built infrastructure,” said Col. Travis Leighton, director of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s new Natural Disaster Recovery Division. The Natural Disaster Recovery Division is the newest part of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center enterprise. “This prototype has the potential to drastically change how we operate and maintain our installations.”

The Tyndall rebuild team anticipates delivering a complete prototype capable of conducting daily facility operations in September 2023.

Edwards provides care, opportunities for children aged six weeks through high school graduation

Edwards provides care, opportunities for childrenaged six weeks through high school graduation

The Child and Youth Program at Edwards AFB provides care and opportunities for kids ages six weeks old through high school graduation. A brief summary of those services follows:

  •                    The Child Development Center cares for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, with a DOD-wide curriculum. The curriculum is focused on learning through play activities supporting social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. Installations across DOD follow the curriculum on the same timeline to allow seamless permanent change-of-station transitions for youth enrolled in care.
  •                    The School Age Center provides before and after-school care and summer camp for children ages 5 to 12. During school breaks, full-day camps are offered. SAC promotes cognitive, social, emotional, cultural, language and physical development through programs that encourage self-confidence, curiosity, self-discipline and resiliency.
  •                    The open recreation program at the Main Youth Center provides a safe space for ages 9 to 12 to attend after school. Programs include Power Hour, STEM, Torch Club, social recreation, youth camps, special events and more.
  •                    The youth sports program provides intro and league opportunities for ages 3 to 12, and promotes inclusiveness, self-discipline, commitment, resiliency and social skills. There are four sports offered annually for ages five to 12: baseball/softball, soccer, flag football and basketball. Smart start programs are available to ages 3 to 5. There are many other sports and camps offered throughout the year.
  •                    The Teen Center is available for ages 13 to 18 during the school year. Programs offered include Military Youth of the Year, Keystone Club, social recreation, STEM activities, college trips, leadership camps and more.
  •                    Youth programs (SAC, open rec and teen) are affiliated with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H.
  •                    Family Child Care homes – there are currently three FCC homes on the installation. They can provide care for ages two weeks to 12 years. FCC providers are trained by Child and Youth Program training and curriculum specialists and have the flexibility to determine their hours of operation and the ages of youth within their care. The program’s new dedicated manager, Jennifer Stegmann, may be reached at 661-275-7529.

Although CDC enrollment capacity is 317, not all slots are currently filled because of a shortage of childcare workers. School Age Center enrollment capacity is 156. After-school care enrollment is 130. Before-school care enrollment is 75. Summer Camp 2022 was at its capacity and enrollment for Summer Camp 2023 opens April 3.