Air Force’s 950th Spectrum Warfare Group to stand up assessment unit at Robins, commander says

Colonel Michael Middens, of the 950th Spectrum Warfare Group, told the Houston County Board of Commissioners that the Air Force has asked him to stand up a new unit at Robins Air Force Base focused on assessment work for electromagnetic-spectrum operations.

Middens told the commissioners the group will specialize in assessing whether electronic-warfare systems do what vendors claim and whether those systems give warfighters an operational advantage. “So my job on the jet is to make sure we don't get shot down,” Middens said. “What the Air Force has asked me to do here at Robins is stand up this 950th Spectrum Warfare Group.”

Middens said the group will be part of the larger wing that develops electromagnetic-spectrum capability and that his unit’s role is assessment: take systems into realistic operational environments, test them and recommend whether they provide usable military effect. “The assessment side is really asking the question, are we getting out of this what we think we are?” he said.

He described a four-squadron structure for the unit: two squadrons will install radio couplers on aircraft and check signal reception; one squadron will handle modeling and simulation to explore tactics; and one will put those lessons into the air for operational testing. Middens said the group will use those flights to validate how systems perform in the real world. “You just don't know what's going to happen until you put it into the real world environment,” he said.

Middens, who described a long Air Force career including service in Guam, North Dakota, Germany and Boston, said the unit will start small at Robins and grow: “Over the next two years, my job will be to build us up to about a 300 person group here and 100 people down in Florida that are already down there.” He said work at Robins will focus on the “assessment piece” — testing vendor products, verifying they work as stated and determining whether they matter tactically.

Commissioners thanked Middens and his family for relocating to the area and pledged county support. Commissioner Towton said the county values its relationship with Robins and offered help as the unit grows. Commissioner Robinson and others welcomed the group and said they look forward to supporting the mission.

Middens said the work is part of a broader Air Force effort to rebuild expertise in electronic and spectrum warfare after decades focused on counterinsurgency. “The Air Force has really recognized that we need to get back into an expertise in this area where we've kind of let it atrophy over the last couple of decades,” he said. “So I'm excited to be here to do it.”

Commissioners did not take any formal action tied to the presentation during the meeting; they instead used the appearance as an opportunity to welcome the new commander and to discuss local support.