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IT reservist back at Tinker after six-year activation

  • Published
  • By John Stuart
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  On Feb. 2, 2004, the U.S. Army Reserve officer left his Oklahoma City home for a one-year activation. His mission was simple, at least in terms of commitment. He would report to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for 365 days to put his civilian Information Technology engineering skills to work for the military. Then, he'd come home. As simple as that.

Or so he thought. But the Army, and the global war on terrorism, had different plans.
Lt. Col. Jesse Bosley -- a civilian IT engineer with Tinker's 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group -- did return from MacDill Air Force Base after his stint on active duty. It just took him a lot longer than he expected.

But when Colonel Bosley deployed to MacDill in 2004 it was because of his civilian skill set, not his Army specialty as a civil affairs operator. In a testament to the changing needs of the Army Reserve in the fight against terrorism, his civilian knowledge was in demand, so that's what he delivered; his IT prowess was put to work for the U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters.

Except for one tour in Afghanistan providing combat communication planning Special Operation forces in the area of operation, Colonel Bosley spent the remainder of his activation at MacDill in the ultra-secure joint command headquarters in the Special Operations Communi-cations unit. Colonel Bosley was in his element, and the job proved a tailored fit for his skill-set.

The headquarters mission is to provide fully capable special operations forces to defend the United States and its interests and to synchronize planning of global operations against terrorist networks. The colonel worked system architecture, that is "cradle to grave" planning of special operation communication systems and equipment. Those systems ranged from communication capabilities inherent to weapons systems to data centers and communication infrastructure providing the needed bandwidth.

And he wasn't in any plain old facility at MacDill. His work with the Special Operations Forces puts him in classified facilities as they support special operations capabilities with IT support around the globe. As such, his daily stroll into the office was a bit more stringent than most.

"I had to check in at the gate coming on the base, then I had to swipe to get into the compound on the base, then I had to swipe to get in my building, and then I had to swipe to get into my office," Colonel Bosley said with a laugh.

Working at a joint command headquarters, Colonel Bosley daily rubbed shoulders with troops of every branch of service. The "Joint" environment is a truly unique one.

"I worked with the Navy folks, Air Force folks, Army, we had Marines. It was definitely a joint operation," Colonel Bosley said. "It's awesome how many good people there are in the service. You will not find a better community of just really good and professional people."

With a unit slogan of "the quiet professionals," the colonel explained that it was hard to err when in such a positive work environment. But the IT world has many challenges in the modern warfare era, as cyber terrorism increases.

"We were constantly growing. With IT the turnover is so quick," Colonel Bosley said. "Things are obsolete in three to four years, totally obsolete in five. You're constantly having to replace with newer, better, faster."

The importance of IT's role in the military will only increase, even as more weapons systems such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are enabled through IT.

Though the work demanded much of him, Colonel Bosley definitely had time to unpack his suitcase while on orders. What he thought would be a one-year activation ended up being a bit more. On the day of his return, when he finally made it back to Oklahoma for good, the date read Feb. 1, 2010. He'd been away for six years.

His months spent on active duty were some of the most meaningful in his Army career and his skills proved a vital commodity for the needs world-wide.

But, that said. There's still no place like home. For Colonel Bosley, who will retire in several months with 28 years in service, six years away was a good run. He's glad to be back in Oklahoma, and back at Tinker, where he's worked since 1989.

"It was a very positive experience, I was able to contribute to the Global War on Terrorism and to work side by side with so many patriots was an honor and privilege," Colonel Bosley said. "They're proficient, they know how to have fun, work hard. They're just very professional."

"It's great to have Jesse back with us," says Colonel Chris Cotts, commander of the 38th Cyberspace Engineering Group. "When he left, he was part of the 38th Engineering Installation Group, and he's returning to the same organization, but with a new name and a new Cyberspace role."

Colonel Cotts added that Colonel Bosley's experience with Special Operations Command will add a new and seasoned perspective to cyber operations in the 688th Information Operations Wing and 24th Air Force.