Lt. Gen. William Etter visits 226th Combat Communications Group’s Eagle Vision satellite imagery site.

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Matthew Garrett
  • 187th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Lt. Gen. William Etter, Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region - 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) commander, paid a visit to the 226th Combat Communications Group's Eagle Vision (EV) 6 satellite imagery site on Redstone Arsenal, Jan. 9, 2015. 

Lt. Gen. Etter was accompanied by Brig. Gen. Paul Jacobs, Ala. Assistant Air Adjutant General and Mr. James Clark, Director, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Innovation.

The EV program is the world's first deployable commercial satellite imagery downlink ground system. The system receives direct downlinks of commercial unclassified satellite imagery then correlates and formats the image to desired user requirements. The EV program provides support to wartime operations, natural disaster relief operations and Homeland Defense preparations.

Mr. Jerry Brooks, Chief, Warfighter Support, Eagle Vision Program Office, gave a briefing on the capabilities of the EV program and services the system provides to the North American Aerospace Defense Command Region. 

Lt. Gen. Etter, stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., commands four direct reporting units, 10 aligned Air National Guard units and a large number of active air defense alert sites. These sites include aircraft, air defense artillery and up to 15,000 active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian personnel.