LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The character of warfare is changing, and the 19th Combat Air Base Squadron (CABS) is leading the way.
Future conflicts are expected to unfold across contested environments where speed, agility, and the ability to rapidly generate combat power will determine success.
Rather than relying on large, established installations, the Air Force is preparing to operate from dispersed locations where Airmen must establish, sustain and defend air operations under increasingly complex conditions.
Meeting that challenge requires more than advanced aircraft. It demands expeditionary teams capable of deploying as cohesive units, adapting to changing conditions and generating combat capability from the moment they arrive.
"Historically, the Air Force deployed personnel using a crowdsourced model, pulling individual Airmen from various bases to meet downrange requirements,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Freddie Stephens II, 19th CABS commander. “This created a pickup team mentality with zero pre-existing cohesion. The 19th CABS solves this by consolidating more than 300 members across 10 functional squadrons into a single, pre-integrated unit of action that trains together before deploying.”
Organized around Agile Combat Employment (ACE) principles, the 19th CABS integrated 58 Air Force specialties into one cohesive expeditionary formation. This unified approach will enable the 19th Airlift Wing to rapidly generate combat capability while maintaining the flexibility and resilience needed to operate in contested environments.
Operating from dispersed airfields demands a different kind of Airman. In environments where manpower is limited and conditions can change without warning, these teams must be capable of solving problems beyond the boundaries of their primary specialties. The squadron prepares for those realities by developing multi-capable Airmen who understand not only their own mission, but also how their skills contribute to the larger fight.
“During Silver Flag and our Combat Support Training Range event at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, 19th CABS Airmen practiced skills outside of their primary Air Force Specialty Codes, such as logistics readiness Airmen learning security defender augmentee operations or heavy equipment maneuvers to restore an airfield post attack,” said Stephens. “This collective agility ensures that even if a specialized team member is taken out of action, the remaining team can still launch, recover, and sustain aircraft.”
While the 19th CABS purpose is expeditionary, its readiness is developed through daily operations at Little Rock AFB.
Across the installation, 19th CABS Airmen defend the installation, manage the airfield, respond to emergencies, sustain logistics, maintain communications, execute contracts, finance actions, and support medical operations to keep the 19th AW mission ready.
"Readiness means ensuring your team has the tools and resources it needs to function at an elite-level. Our training has been foundational, but it is our family-style attitude that has propelled our team,” said Stephens.
That culture extends throughout the squadron's philosophy of “One Team, No Seams,” reinforcing the idea that expeditionary success depends on collective capability rather than individual specialties.
"Many think the CABS is a small unit and most don't know how much impact we have,” said Senior Master Sgt. Austin P. Henrichsen, 19th CABS superintendent. "We are not a garrison support element, we are a pre-packaged, combat-ready expeditionary force."
As the Air Force continues refining ACE concepts, the 19th CABS remains focused on building a force capable of deploying rapidly, operating independently and sustaining combat operations in contested environments.
Its legacy, Stephens said, will not simply be measured by the missions it supports today, but by the expeditionary model it leaves behind for future generations of Airmen.
"We want to be remembered for building a culture that future Airmen are proud to be part of," Stephens said. "If we can deploy together, accomplish the mission and bring every member of our team home to reconnect with their families, that's what success looks like."