SMSgt. Mark Farmer, the operations superintendent with the 114th Space Control Squadron at Patrick AFB, Fla., is one of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2016. As the noncommissioned officer in charge of a command and control space cell deployed to Al Udeid AB, Qatar, Farmer led his team in three intelligence collection missions, identifying two high-value individuals and guaranteeing battlespace awareness. He led three crews through more than 30 rehearsal of concept drills that exercised space effects and elevated the crews’ ability to carry out combatant command missions. He modified four mission-critical documents and created a C2 real-time tracker to organize events during multiple missions. This increased situational awareness during periods of high operational tempo. He guided the transition from classroom-based training to high-fidelity performance-based scenarios that developed ready warriors. Air Force Magazine is shining the spotlight on each OAY in the days leading up to AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, which starts Sept. 19 in National Harbor, Md.
Top lawmakers on Capitol Hill announced Dec. 2 that they have reached a deal to extend the continuing resolution currently funding the government into February. Now, the House and Senate will have to scramble to pass the legislation by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 3 to avoid a temporary shutdown.