Air Force Network migrations on way to 188th Published Dec. 29, 2014 By Maj. Kevin Garrett 188th Communications Flight commander FORT SMITH, Ark. -- The 188th Wing will soon become the next Air National Guard unit to migrate its computer and users into a central Air Force Network. Over a six-week period beginning Feb. 16, 2015, technicians will begin migrating our workstations, network users and servers into the AFNET. The AFNET migration project represents a major change to how computer networks are managed, and is one of the most complex Department of Defense technology initiatives ever attempted. The overall goal of AFNET migration was to collapse all individual or stand-alone Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard networks into the centralized AFNET. Until recently, Air Force units and organizations operated their own independent networks, which led to standardization and security problems, high operation and maintenance costs and a lack of enterprise-wide situational awareness. In short, no single organization or commander was responsible for the network. The AFNET migration project addresses these issues and places Air Force cyber operations under the operational control of a single commander. This approach will yield a significant improvement in the Air Force's ability to fight daily virus activity and malicious intrusion attempts. Additionally, AFNET migration will centralize services like data storage, significantly improving network security and standardization. Finally, operational and training costs will be reduced through the elimination of redundant systems and services. So how will migration affect you? Airmen will be able to log into their accounts from any AFNET computer worldwide without requesting and creating a new or additional account. This allows for easy access during deployments and temporary duties. Sites such as the Air Force Portal, Air Force Personnel Center and Defense Finance Accounting Service will also remain easily accessible regardless of duty location. AFNET migration also delivers consolidated customer service helpdesk support via Information Assurance Officer Express, virtual Enterprise Service Desk and the ESD; all designed to serve as a one-stop shops for various common user problems. As the 188th approaches its projected start date, a team of technicians from the 188th Communications Flight, the 299th Network Operations Support Squadron, the Air Force Network Integration Center and the 690th Cyber Operations Group will be busy preparing equipment and resources to facilitate the migration of almost 1,000 users. To ensure a smooth transition to the AFNET, look for future 188th Communications Flight generated eAdvisories for additional migration related information.
Air Force Network migrations on way to 188th Published Dec. 29, 2014 By Maj. Kevin Garrett 188th Communications Flight commander FORT SMITH, Ark. -- The 188th Wing will soon become the next Air National Guard unit to migrate its computer and users into a central Air Force Network. Over a six-week period beginning Feb. 16, 2015, technicians will begin migrating our workstations, network users and servers into the AFNET. The AFNET migration project represents a major change to how computer networks are managed, and is one of the most complex Department of Defense technology initiatives ever attempted. The overall goal of AFNET migration was to collapse all individual or stand-alone Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard networks into the centralized AFNET. Until recently, Air Force units and organizations operated their own independent networks, which led to standardization and security problems, high operation and maintenance costs and a lack of enterprise-wide situational awareness. In short, no single organization or commander was responsible for the network. The AFNET migration project addresses these issues and places Air Force cyber operations under the operational control of a single commander. This approach will yield a significant improvement in the Air Force's ability to fight daily virus activity and malicious intrusion attempts. Additionally, AFNET migration will centralize services like data storage, significantly improving network security and standardization. Finally, operational and training costs will be reduced through the elimination of redundant systems and services. So how will migration affect you? Airmen will be able to log into their accounts from any AFNET computer worldwide without requesting and creating a new or additional account. This allows for easy access during deployments and temporary duties. Sites such as the Air Force Portal, Air Force Personnel Center and Defense Finance Accounting Service will also remain easily accessible regardless of duty location. AFNET migration also delivers consolidated customer service helpdesk support via Information Assurance Officer Express, virtual Enterprise Service Desk and the ESD; all designed to serve as a one-stop shops for various common user problems. As the 188th approaches its projected start date, a team of technicians from the 188th Communications Flight, the 299th Network Operations Support Squadron, the Air Force Network Integration Center and the 690th Cyber Operations Group will be busy preparing equipment and resources to facilitate the migration of almost 1,000 users. To ensure a smooth transition to the AFNET, look for future 188th Communications Flight generated eAdvisories for additional migration related information.