OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Air Force Reserve Command’s 49th Intelligence Squadron and the Nebraska Air National Guard’s 238th Reconnaissance Squadron launched a joint RC-135V/W Rivet Joint sortie from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, April 6, marking the first time a Rivet Joint sortie was primarily crewed by Guard and Reserve Airmen.
The 49th IS is the only flying squadron in the Air Reserve Component to execute the RC-135 mission. For squadron members, this milestone expands the operational capability by enabling a second weekend mission without pulling traditional Reservists away from their civilian careers during the week.
The Nebraska ANG crewed the front end, giving their pilots, navigators, airborne systems engineers and electronic warfare officers valuable training time alongside a seasoned Reserve cryptologic mission crew.
“The biggest thing here is we want to prove that we can do it kind of on our own as much as possible,” said Lt. Col. Brian Ross, 238th RS director of operations. “I’m just really excited to get out there and go fly with our partners here in the 49th. We’ve been trying to do this for a while now and the stars kind of aligned and we hope to keep doing this in the future.”
The 49th IS remains fully engaged in the Air Force Force Generation model, currently mobilizing 10 to 11 members annually to locations outside the continental U.S. The first six Airmen recently departed with five more preparing to follow. Partnering with the Nebraska ANG for weekend sorties helps the unit meet flying requirements while preserving a healthy work-life balance for Reservists.
“Now that we’re part of AFFORGEN, the 49th IS will constantly cycle through phases of pre-deployment preparation, active deployment and reintegration,” said Maj. Curtis Nielsen, 49th IS assistant director of operations. “That’s why it’s critical we support our traditional Reservists at every stage.”
The flight also served as a memorable moment for Lt. Col. Maresa Zorrilla, 49th IS commander. She completed her final sortie, also referred to as a fini-flight, aboard the Rivet Joint alongside her Airmen and received a celebratory water salute upon landing.
“I flew next to my director of operations, Lt. Col. Justin Snider,”
Zorrilla said. “It was an honor to fly with him and the rest of our incredibly skilled Airmen on my final sortie.”
Snider serves part-time as an information integration officer and works full-time as an executive for General Atomics in San Diego.
“This experience and combat capability that the Guard and Reserve bring to the fight is second to none,” Snider said.
The mission also served as a fini-flight for Master Sgt. Eric Pyatt, 170th Operations Support Squadron operations superintendent, who will retire this year after more than 20 years of service.
“I was hired as the first ACE-1 in the unit almost 16 years ago,”
Pyatt said. “I was lucky enough to help grow the maintenance squadron, and so having a fini-flight with a lot of the maintainers that I brought on and have worked with has been great.”
The goal is to fly training sorties like this every Nebraska Air National Guard drill period, which is every other month.
As the 49th IS continues to strengthen partnerships and advance mission readiness under AFFORGEN, moments like this highlight not just operational progress but a new standard for mission success.
(Heard is assigned to the 55th Wing public affairs office.)