MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- Breaking through joint-service boundaries, Tech. Sgt. Ethan Folmar, a geospatial intelligence analyst assigned to the 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, graduated from the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center’s (NAWDC) Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (MISR) Weapons and Tactics Instructor (WTI) course in June 2026, making him the first enlisted Air National Guardsman to do so.
The 18-week course trains joint and coalition service members to serve as tactical instructors and mission planners, expertly integrating multi-domain ISR capabilities across complex operational environments.
For Folmar, earning the graduate patch represents a major milestone for both his career and the Kansas Air National Guard’s expanding role in maritime intelligence.
An Unconventional Course
Folmar’s military career began in Helena, Alabama, when he enlisted in the Alabama Air National Guard’s 117th Intelligence Squadron as an imagery analyst.
After meeting his wife during technical training, he transitioned to the Kansas Air National Guard, supporting Distributed Ground Station-Kansas (DGS-KS) and its Maritime Domain Awareness mission.
Operating daily alongside naval counterparts, Folmar identified an opportunity to improve the 184th's operational effectiveness by pursuing the Navy’s elite maritime tactics course.
According to Capt. Jamie Elliott, former weapons and tactics flight commander for the 184th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group, Folmar possessed the exact traits necessary to excel at the joint level.
“Ethan is the epitome of humble, approachable, and credible—the creed that weapons instructors live by,” Elliott said. “He is one of the sharpest analysts in the room, but he is also someone people genuinely love to work with and learn from.”
The Road to NAWDC
Gaining entry to the competitive naval course required extensive networking and proven operational credibility.
Folmar had already built a strong reputation across the maritime community through engagements with U.S. 7th Fleet and by participating in major joint exercises.
After completing a comprehensive selection board, Folmar initially found himself on the standby roster due to limited allocations for non-Navy personnel.
Seconds before departing for a Temporary Duty Assignment, he received unexpected news.
“I was on a flight heading to Japan and I get a phone call, but I can’t answer it because I’m on the runway, about to take off,” Folmar recalled. “I see the voicemail pop-up and it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s the MISR Weapons School. It looks like we’ve got a slot that opened up for you.’ And then we started taking off.”
Folmar had time to send two texts before his 12-hour flight: one to his MISR contact accepting the slot and one to his flight commander to share the good news.
Joint and Coalition Immersion
Folmar joined a diverse cohort composed primarily of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operators. Additional attendees included Air Force personnel and coalition partners.
Over the course of 18 weeks, the curriculum challenged students through extensive academic instruction, rigorous simulator-based mission planning, and practical operational execution.
Working across distinct service backgrounds, students learned to blend different tactical disciplines into unified mission plans.
The training culminated with Exercise Resolute Hunter, the Department of War's only dedicated Battle Management, Command and Control, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance exercise. Serving as the course capstone, students led complex planning cells and directed operational scenarios.
“The joint environment allowed us to cross-train and bridge knowledge gaps rapidly,” Folmar said. “Whether collaborating with maritime patrol aviators or tactical strike planners, everyone brought a unique operational perspective to the fight.”
Expanding the Joint Advantage
Graduating from the course integrates the 184th Wing into a network of certified MISR tactical instructors across the joint force.
Back home at McConnell Air Force Base, Folmar is already using this network to advance integration between DGS-KS, the Maritime Domain Awareness Cell, and fleet operational elements, including coordination with the I Marine Expeditionary Force and carrier strike group assets.
Elliott emphasized that the long-term impacts of Folmar’s graduation extend well beyond a single certification.
“As a MISR, Ethan will be called upon to support large-scale exercises and real-world mission planning events for ongoing operations,” Elliott said. “This gives him access to operational experiences rarely available to traditional intelligence analysts, let alone within the Guard. Bringing that knowledge back will elevate our entire training baseline and pave the way for future Guardsmen to attend this elite course.”
Folmar thanked his leadership for the trust they placed in him to go out alone into the intelligence community to build relationships for the unit and for himself to help make this goal possible. He encouraged other military members to be unafraid to do the same.
“I just want to challenge those who are thinking about going down a route that may not be typical for whatever they are doing,” Folmar said. “Take those first steps and just see, you’ll always meet people who want to help you. It’s just a matter of being courageous enough to go out there and find those people.”