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Kinney takes reins as first 188th ISR Group commander

  • Published
  • By Maj Heath Allen
  • 188th Wing
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Conversion Day's somber start was a slow beginning to the roller coaster ride of emotions that ensued June 7, 2014.

Along with the redesignation of the 188th Fighter Wing to the 188th Wing, a critical crescendo to the ceremony was the activation of the new 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group and the assumption of command of its inaugural commander, Lt. Col. Robert I. Kinney. He takes the reins of a new group starting from scratch. Kinney said his goals are lofty for the new 188th ISR Group.

"My vision is to be the ISR Center of Excellence that others seek to emulate," Kinney said. "To that end, we will find more efficiencies in operations, we will develop new tactics, techniques and procedures that do not exist today."

Kinney, who has been on station since July 2013, said he was appreciative, humbled and honored for the opportunity the 188th Wing has offered him. Kinney, who has vast experience in a number of diverse assignments, including National Guard Bureau, has been laboring to help the 188th speed up the pace with the objective of achieving initial operationally capable and fully operationally capable status at the earliest possible date.

Kinney will command 347 Airmen in four squadrons, including the 123rd Intelligence Squadron, 153rd Intelligence Squadron, 223rd Intelligence Support Squadron and the 288th Operations Support Squadron. Three of the four squadrons recognized new commanders and the Little Rock Air Force Base-located 123rd IS was welcomed under the new 188th Wing flag. The 123rd will move to the 188th's Ebbing Air National Guard Base over the next few years. Nearly 100 of his group's Airmen are full-time personnel.

Kinney exhibited confidence that his new group can attain the high standards he set as its new boss.

"We will create new operating and training paradigms as a result of the synergies and improved communications we'll enjoy on this combined floor," he said. "But most important of all, we'll be incredibly effective at what we do."

The unique aspect of the 188th ISR Group is the symbiotic pairing with the 188th Operations Group, which plusses up its personnel numbers from approximately 80 to 210 Airmen with the addition of the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft mission. The targeteers, Distributed Common Ground System intelligence analysts, sensor operators and pilots will all be on the same installation on the same operations floor conducting real-time combat ops downrange in the area of responsibility.

"I share Lt. Col. Kinney's goal of making this a center of excellence for reconnaissance," said Col. Mark W. Anderson, 188th Wing commander. "We will be a one-of-the-kind facility with all facets of the ISR and RPA mission right there on the same floor working together side by side engaged in combat ops from right here in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Air Force has entrusted us with a cutting-edge opportunity and we're excited to continue the 188th's legacy of greatness in this new mission."

The 188th ISR Group features a space-focused targeting mission and also operates the AN/GSQ-272 "SENTINEL" weapon system at Distributed Ground Station-Arkansas (DGS-AR) as part of the Air Force's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS). The 188th ISR Group's mission sets include near-real time processing, exploitation, analysis and dissemination of information and data from a number of sources.

The unit creates decision quality actionable intelligence that is disseminated to air, ground, and naval force component commanders, around the world, for use in the planning and execution of military operations across the spectrum of conflict.

Kinney totes a wealth of ISR credentials, experience that he will no doubt lean heavily upon while building a new group from the ground up.

Kinney began his journey to the 188th when enlisted in the Air National Guard in 1990 at Bangor, Maine. He is a career intelligence officer and has deployed around the world in support of contingency operations in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the homeland.

In 1996, he was assigned to 101st Air Refueling Wing, Bangor, Maine as a drill status Guardsman. During this time he served as a police officer and sheriff's deputy at four area departments.

In 1997, Kinney joined the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Bomb Wing, McConnell Air Force Base (AFB), Kansas where he served as the chief of intelligence, supporting B-1B flying operations. In 2000, he was assigned to First Air Force, CONUS NORAD Region Headquarters, Tyndall AFB, Florida where he served as the chief of counterdrug analysis in the intelligence directorate.

In 2001, Kinney was assigned to the Air and Marine Operations Center, March Air Reserve Base, California serving as an Air Force liaison officer to the United States Customs Service. In 2002, he returned to New England and served as an intelligence officer on the newly created Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF), United States Attorney's Office, Boston, Massachusetts and he also joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard as a drill status Guardsman serving at Joint Force Headquarters, Massachusetts.

During his assignment on the ATTF, Kinney led the establishment of a first of its kind intelligence network comprised of local, county, state, and federal agencies from throughout New England. The network focused on establishing trust, sharing information, preventing future attacks, and national security prosecutions.

In 2005, he returned to active duty to serve at the National Guard Bureau, ISR Directorate at Arlington, Virginia. There he specialized in the conversion of legacy flying units to new ISR missions, as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's recommendations, where he was instrumental in the stand-up of 25 new ANG ISR units.

In 2008, he returned to Massachusetts to serve as the director of operations at the 102nd Intelligence Wing, Otis Air National Guard (ANG) Base, Massachusetts supporting DGS operations. During this time, Kinney was honored to serve in the Middle East as the first Senior DGS LNO from the ANG at the 609th Combined Air Operations Center.

In 2010, he was again honored to serve as the first-ever ISR Mission Coordinator at DGS-2, Beale AFB, California during Operation Moshtarak, the invasion of Marja, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. During this operation, he led a team of nearly 200 ISR Airmen on a combined operations floor conducting overwatch and collection operations with remotely piloted aircraft, the U-2 Dragon Lady, and the RQ-4 Global Hawk.

In 2012, Kinney returned to the National Guard Bureau, Andrews AFB, Maryland to serve as chief of ISR Plans and Integration where he led the planning for more than 20 new ANG ISR units affecting more than 2,000 Airmen.

Kinney takes reins as first 188th ISR Group commander

  • Published
  • By Maj Heath Allen
  • 188th Wing
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Conversion Day's somber start was a slow beginning to the roller coaster ride of emotions that ensued June 7, 2014.

Along with the redesignation of the 188th Fighter Wing to the 188th Wing, a critical crescendo to the ceremony was the activation of the new 188th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Group and the assumption of command of its inaugural commander, Lt. Col. Robert I. Kinney. He takes the reins of a new group starting from scratch. Kinney said his goals are lofty for the new 188th ISR Group.

"My vision is to be the ISR Center of Excellence that others seek to emulate," Kinney said. "To that end, we will find more efficiencies in operations, we will develop new tactics, techniques and procedures that do not exist today."

Kinney, who has been on station since July 2013, said he was appreciative, humbled and honored for the opportunity the 188th Wing has offered him. Kinney, who has vast experience in a number of diverse assignments, including National Guard Bureau, has been laboring to help the 188th speed up the pace with the objective of achieving initial operationally capable and fully operationally capable status at the earliest possible date.

Kinney will command 347 Airmen in four squadrons, including the 123rd Intelligence Squadron, 153rd Intelligence Squadron, 223rd Intelligence Support Squadron and the 288th Operations Support Squadron. Three of the four squadrons recognized new commanders and the Little Rock Air Force Base-located 123rd IS was welcomed under the new 188th Wing flag. The 123rd will move to the 188th's Ebbing Air National Guard Base over the next few years. Nearly 100 of his group's Airmen are full-time personnel.

Kinney exhibited confidence that his new group can attain the high standards he set as its new boss.

"We will create new operating and training paradigms as a result of the synergies and improved communications we'll enjoy on this combined floor," he said. "But most important of all, we'll be incredibly effective at what we do."

The unique aspect of the 188th ISR Group is the symbiotic pairing with the 188th Operations Group, which plusses up its personnel numbers from approximately 80 to 210 Airmen with the addition of the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft mission. The targeteers, Distributed Common Ground System intelligence analysts, sensor operators and pilots will all be on the same installation on the same operations floor conducting real-time combat ops downrange in the area of responsibility.

"I share Lt. Col. Kinney's goal of making this a center of excellence for reconnaissance," said Col. Mark W. Anderson, 188th Wing commander. "We will be a one-of-the-kind facility with all facets of the ISR and RPA mission right there on the same floor working together side by side engaged in combat ops from right here in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The Air Force has entrusted us with a cutting-edge opportunity and we're excited to continue the 188th's legacy of greatness in this new mission."

The 188th ISR Group features a space-focused targeting mission and also operates the AN/GSQ-272 "SENTINEL" weapon system at Distributed Ground Station-Arkansas (DGS-AR) as part of the Air Force's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS). The 188th ISR Group's mission sets include near-real time processing, exploitation, analysis and dissemination of information and data from a number of sources.

The unit creates decision quality actionable intelligence that is disseminated to air, ground, and naval force component commanders, around the world, for use in the planning and execution of military operations across the spectrum of conflict.

Kinney totes a wealth of ISR credentials, experience that he will no doubt lean heavily upon while building a new group from the ground up.

Kinney began his journey to the 188th when enlisted in the Air National Guard in 1990 at Bangor, Maine. He is a career intelligence officer and has deployed around the world in support of contingency operations in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the homeland.

In 1996, he was assigned to 101st Air Refueling Wing, Bangor, Maine as a drill status Guardsman. During this time he served as a police officer and sheriff's deputy at four area departments.

In 1997, Kinney joined the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Bomb Wing, McConnell Air Force Base (AFB), Kansas where he served as the chief of intelligence, supporting B-1B flying operations. In 2000, he was assigned to First Air Force, CONUS NORAD Region Headquarters, Tyndall AFB, Florida where he served as the chief of counterdrug analysis in the intelligence directorate.

In 2001, Kinney was assigned to the Air and Marine Operations Center, March Air Reserve Base, California serving as an Air Force liaison officer to the United States Customs Service. In 2002, he returned to New England and served as an intelligence officer on the newly created Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF), United States Attorney's Office, Boston, Massachusetts and he also joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard as a drill status Guardsman serving at Joint Force Headquarters, Massachusetts.

During his assignment on the ATTF, Kinney led the establishment of a first of its kind intelligence network comprised of local, county, state, and federal agencies from throughout New England. The network focused on establishing trust, sharing information, preventing future attacks, and national security prosecutions.

In 2005, he returned to active duty to serve at the National Guard Bureau, ISR Directorate at Arlington, Virginia. There he specialized in the conversion of legacy flying units to new ISR missions, as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's recommendations, where he was instrumental in the stand-up of 25 new ANG ISR units.

In 2008, he returned to Massachusetts to serve as the director of operations at the 102nd Intelligence Wing, Otis Air National Guard (ANG) Base, Massachusetts supporting DGS operations. During this time, Kinney was honored to serve in the Middle East as the first Senior DGS LNO from the ANG at the 609th Combined Air Operations Center.

In 2010, he was again honored to serve as the first-ever ISR Mission Coordinator at DGS-2, Beale AFB, California during Operation Moshtarak, the invasion of Marja, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. During this operation, he led a team of nearly 200 ISR Airmen on a combined operations floor conducting overwatch and collection operations with remotely piloted aircraft, the U-2 Dragon Lady, and the RQ-4 Global Hawk.

In 2012, Kinney returned to the National Guard Bureau, Andrews AFB, Maryland to serve as chief of ISR Plans and Integration where he led the planning for more than 20 new ANG ISR units affecting more than 2,000 Airmen.