BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- The Standoff Munitions Application Center (SMAC) was awarded the 2018 Integrated Product Team Award for exceptional achievements and contributions to electronic warfare.
The Association of Old Crows (AOC), an international professional organization specializing in electronic warfare and tactical information operations, presented the award to Col. George Holland III, the SMAC commander, at an event in Dallas, Texas, Oct. 4.
Additionally, SMAC members will also have their accomplishments highlighted at the 55th Annual AOC International Symposium and Convention in Washington, D.C., and the unit will be featured in the December issue of the Journal of Electronic Defense.
“I’m very proud of our team at SMAC,” Holland said. “Operations security is critical in our line of work, and it’s rare that people get to hear about the great things SMAC is accomplishing. Our men and women put in long hours and they sacrifice a lot of time with their families, so I’m glad they’ve earned some well-deserved recognition.”
Part of the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center, SMAC is a planning cell that integrates standoff weapon packages into operational plans and flexible response options with great speed and efficiency. SMAC also handles large data sets of targets and threats across the globe which are constantly changing.
SMAC was presented the national-level award for its integrated, multi-domain response to the Assad regime’s employment of chemical weapons against noncombatants in Syria earlier this year.
SMAC went to around-the-clock operations and coordinated kinetic and non-kinetic effects with 21 different agencies in order to execute the first successful combat employment of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) in history. As a result of SMAC’s planning and innovation, the large payload of JASSMs – which were delivered by B-1 aircraft -- successfully struck their targets and severely crippled the Syrian regime’s capability to execute another chemical attack on local civilians.
“Planning and executing this strike required a great deal of effort and innovation,” Holland said. “The fact that it went so smoothly reflects on the hard work and professionalism of the joint team here at SMAC.”
Ultimately, this award highlights the capabilities and importance of SMAC as well as its global impact on the defense of the United States and its allies.