MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- 
Airmen assigned to the 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group administer long-range kill-chain methods and techniques during Exercise Bamboo Jayhawk 25-1at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, June 7-10, 2025. Exercise Bamboo Jayhawk 25-1 integrated the intelligence gathering capabilities of the 184th ISRG and the command-and-control measures of the 134th Air Control Squadron to improve the timing and flow of information across multiple sectors within the kill-chain. Both units are assigned to the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard. (US Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Matt McCoy)
Airmen assigned to the 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group and 134th Air Control Squadron, are at the forefront of addressing long-rang kill-chain challenges, as demonstrated by their recent creation and execution of Exercise Bamboo Jayhawk 25-1, June 7-10, 2025. Both units are assigned to the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard, at McConnell Air Force Base.
While the ISRG and ACS have traditionally executed missions independent from each other, the 184th Wing is actively testing how the Air Force can streamline the flow of information in the kill-chain by integrating the two mission sets.
The “kill-chain” consist of six key functions: Find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess. The ISRG focuses on the find, fix, track portion of the kill-chain, and the ACS focuses on the track, target, engage portion.
“For the ACS, Bamboo Jayhawk was a test of our current integration capabilities so that we can develop the appropriate way forward to improve upon the [long-range kill-chain],” stated Capt. Roman Belden, chief of Training and Exercises, 134th ACS. “Bamboo Jayhawk did just that. It allowed us to see the areas that currently worked well and it also allowed us to see the areas that we need to focus on so that we can advance our integration. We all came out with lessons learned but more so, ready to get after the problem set with new ideas and motivations.”
The integration of the 134th ACS proved particularly valuable, enhancing the flow of information between intelligence gathering from the ISRG and command and control from the ACS.
“Bamboo Jayhawk really helped us to see where the points of friction are between intel and C2,” stated Belden. “Now we can start to identify ways to prioritize and pass information over many different means to develop a robust and redundant communication and information sharing network.
“[This] will allow us the ability to continue operations when traditional communications methods might fail. This will entail subject matter experts from the ISR, C2, and Cyber communities, all of which we have here at the184th Wing, to develop this intricate, yet robust network.”
An Airman assigned to the 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group gathers intelligence in support of Exercise Bamboo Eagle at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, June 7-10, 2025. Exercise Bamboo Jayhawk 25-1 integrated the intelligence gathering capabilities of the 184th ISRG and the command-and-control measures of the 134th Air Control Squadron to improve the timing and flow of information across multiple sectors within the kill-chain. Both units are assigned to the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard. (US Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Matt McCoy)
Designed to test their readiness for wartime operations, Bamboo Jayhawk gave Airmen the ability to leverage synthetic intelligence data and full motion video feed from the 526th Intelligence Squadron, 152nd Intelligence Squadron, and 132nd Wing, Detachment 1.
“We created BAJA to simulate a peer threat environment to test our DSGs ability to ‘pick up the gun’ at a moment’s notice in the event a conflict kicks off and our traditional Guardsmen are called to the test,” stated Capt. Jamie Elliott, flight commander and exercise planner, 184th ISRG.
Simultaneous execution of real-world federal taskings further enhanced the complexity of the exercise. While the 184th ISRG and 134th ACS execute missions year-round, BAJA 25-1 gave both traditional drill-status Guardsmen and full-time members an opportunity to test their lethality under pressure.
“We are cognizant that our DSGs do not get a lot of seat time with these analytical problem sets and the best way to test/improve their ability is to really immerse them and put them into a high stress environment,” stated Elliott.
Beyond the broader strategic objectives, BAJA 25-1 provided valuable lessons at the individual level.
“One of the biggest challenges my [Airman and I faced] was interoperability. The Airman assigned to me, while experienced in our career field, had never worked in our shop before and was unfamiliar with our processes,” explained Staff Sgt. Rowan Catlett, 184th ISRG. “The exercise tested my effectiveness with communication, and my Airman’s ability to absorb unfamiliar information and act on it quickly and effectively.
Bamboo Jayhawk 25-1 gave the 184th Wing a critical opportunity to integrate airman from ISR and C2 communities, forging a stronger, more lethal operational force right here in Kansas, ready to protect, fight, and win against our nation’s adversaries, any time.