Wing Plan and Exercise Specialist - Shaw AFB

NOTE: This opening is for future work

Join a Mission-Driven Team at The GARRETT GROUP

At The GARRETT GROUP , we believe the best solutions begin with a great team of people. When you join us, you become part of a collaborative, mission-focused community committed to excellence in everything we do. We take pride in supporting our nation's most critical missions while creating an environment where our employees can thrive.

Our team members enjoy a comprehensive benefits package-including a competitive 401(k) with company match, 15 days of Paid Time Off, flexible work schedules, medical, dental, and vision coverage, short-term disability, and company-paid life insurance- because taking care of you enables you to take care of the mission.
Position: Wing Plan and Exercise Specialist

Location: 25th Attack Wing (ATKW), Shaw AFB, SC

Position Overview

The Wing Plan and Exercise Specialist supports the 25 ATKW by developing, coordinating, and executing operational plans, exercises, and training programs. This role ensures mission readiness and effective execution of Air Force, MAJCOM, and Combatant Command directives. The position supports the Wing Director of Plans and Policy and serves as a key integrator across operations, training, and joint planning activities, including MQ-9 mission integration.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Planning & Program Development

• Develop, coordinate, and manage operational, contingency, and emergency plans in support of wing and higher headquarters requirements.
• Translate higher headquarters guidance into executable wing-level plans and operational procedures.
• Support development of operational concepts, mission requirements, and planning assumptions aligned with Air Force and joint directives.
• Integrate MQ-9 capabilities into operational plans and assess impacts of planning and programming decisions on mission execution.
• Coordinate planning efforts across staff agencies to ensure unified and coherent operational plans.

Exercise Planning & Execution

• Plan, coordinate, and execute wing-level and multi-unit exercises, including live, virtual, and distributed mission operations (DMO) events.
• Develop exercise plans, objectives, and scenario event lists; coordinate and finalize exercise directives.
• Manage wing participation in exercises (e.g., Red Flag, live-fire, ATO-directed sorties), including scheduling, tracking, and reporting.
• Serve as the wing interface with exercise planners, participating units, MAJCOM, and higher headquarters.
• Manage exercise acceptance or reclama actions on behalf of the wing.

Training Program Management

• Develop and coordinate operational training programs; evaluate effectiveness and recommend improvements.
• Coordinate with training, weapons, and support units to ensure learning objectives are defined, achievable, and assessed.
• Conduct critiques of training programs and advise leadership on performance, deficiencies, and corrective actions.
• Assist in oversight of academic and operational training to ensure certification standards and instructional adequacy.

Assessment, Analysis & Reporting

• Analyze exercise and training program effectiveness using reports, metrics, and status data.
• Identify shortfalls, limiting factors, and compliance issues with directives, OPLANs, and policies.
• Prepare and deliver briefings to wing leadership on exercise outcomes, readiness status, and recommended improvements.
• Develop, maintain, and disseminate After-Action Reports (AARs), meeting minutes, and exercise documentation.

Inspection & Evaluation Support

• Serve as a liaison and support function for Inspector General (IG) exercise evaluations and inspection programs.
• Assist in managing the wing exercise evaluation team program and monitoring compliance with standards and directives.
• Support planning, execution, and evaluation of base-wide emergency and contingency exercises.

Coordination & Liaison Functions

• Liaise with internal and external organizations, including MAJCOM, joint partners, and civil agencies, to coordinate planning and airspace usage.
• Support Civil Information Management (CIM) and Civil-Military Operations (CMO) activities.
• Serve as a central coordination node for planning activities involving external stakeholders and agencies.
• Disseminate planning guidance, exercise schedules, and operational updates across classification levels as required.

Readiness Integration & Multi-Functional Support

• Monitor readiness across communications, logistics, personnel, and other functional areas impacting mission execution.
• Integrate multi-functional inputs to support comprehensive operational planning and execution.
• Support Planning, Programming, and Budgeting Execution (PPBE) activities related to operational planning and resource allocation.

Leadership Support & Communication

• Provide regular briefings to wing leadership on exercise schedules, requirements, and readiness impacts.
• Maintain visibility of all planned and ongoing exercises and provide weekly status updates.
• Support meeting coordination, scheduling, and documentation for planning and exercise-related events.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of experience in plans and exercises at the squadron level or higher.
• Demonstrated experience in operational planning, exercise execution, and training program management.
• Familiarity with Air Force exercise, inspection, and readiness reporting requirements.
• Active Top Secret/SCI clearance with NATO ACCM eligibility.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting wing-level, MAJCOM, or joint operational planning environments.
• Experience managing multi-unit or joint exercises, including large-scale events (e.g., Red Flag).
• Familiarity with Distributed Mission Operations (DMO) and ATO-driven exercise planning.
• Strong briefing, analytical, and coordination skills supporting senior leadership.