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DGS-2 awarded Kelly Johnson Trophy

By MSgt. Michael Warren
48th IS
Beale AFB, Calif.

The 450 members from Deployable Ground Station-2 of the Contingency Airborne Reconnaissance System have added yet another award to their already impressive list of achievements.

The Blackbird Association presented its most prestigious award to DGS-2, the 1999 Kelly Johnson Trophy, during its biannual reunion held in Reno, Nev.

The Kelly Johnson Trophy recognizes an individual or group that made the most significant contributions to the Blackbird programs.

The trophy is named after C. L. “Kelly” Johnson, who led the famed Lockheed-Martin “Skunk Works,” the group that designed the U-2 and SR-71.

DGS-2, a unique duo comprised of the 13th Intelligence Squadron and the 48th Intelligence Squadron, earned the trophy based on the significant advancements it has made in achieving information superiority for the warfighter and national decision-makers.

Most notably, the U-2, coupled with DGS-2 employing state-of-the-art satellite communications and reachback doctrine, became NATO’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system-of-choice for Operations Joint Forge and Allied Force in the Balkans.

During Allied Force, general officers stated they had no idea the U-2 and DGS-2 combo could provide such a wide range of information quickly enough to affect the course of the battle. In fact, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe has formally credited DGS-2 with the destruction of more than a dozen MiGs and several surface-to-air missile sites.

“We at CARS/DGS-2 are extremely proud of this special recognition. The entire U-2 team has proven the effectiveness of ISR reachback operations using advanced systems and technology. Of course, it’s really the people that are key to the overall success, therefore, our gratitude goes out to everyone who are part of the U-2 and CARS distributed architecture,” said Lt. Col. Rick Osmun, 48th IS commander.

“It’s indeed an honor for the women and men of DGS-2 to be counted among the select group of aviation professionals that have earned the distinction as Kelly Johnson Trophy winners. I believe that if Kelly Johnson were alive today to witness our operation firsthand, and meet our team of young professionals, that he’d beam with pride at their tireless dedication to reconnaissance in the finest traditions of the Blackbird community,” said Lt. Col. Larry Grundhauser, 13th IS commander.