GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Goodfellow hosted the Senior Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Officers Spring 2011 Conference April 26-29, which was attended by many dignitaries including Lt. Gen. Larry James, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

"It's an opportunity for senior leadership across the Air Force ISR enterprise to get together and really look at the current issues we're facing," General James said.

Although they try to meet a couple of times a year, the general said the conference was an opportunity the ISR community doesn't get very often.

"This allows us to bring together all the leadership across the ISR community to debate issues," the general added.

General James said the conference was held here because Goodfellow is key to the entire ISR community, as this is where most intelligence training is done.

"All intel officers and most of the enlisted career force come through here, so it just makes sense to come back to the roots of our intel career force and have our conference here," he added.

General James said the training here was outstanding.

"Look across the career force and what we ask our enlisted and officers to do," he said. "Many times they come right out of training and go right into executing the mission, whether it's at the wing level or above. They're required to be ready to go so the training that is done here is absolutely critical because we put them right into the fight in many cases and we have to get it right here at Goodfellow."

General James said the ISR's mission in today's Air Force was critical and even broader in the joint fight.

"Two weeks ago, I was in Afghanistan seeing how we execute the ISR mission in support of current combat operations and I will tell you that the combat forces, not just Air Force but Army, Navy and Marines, absolutely rely on what the ISR enterprise provides to them," the general added. "Providing that capability to support the joint fight and execute missions every day, every night in Afghanistan and beyond is absolutely critical. We are a force that relies on ISR to execute the mission."

Going back to his history as a captain, General James recalled when they were launching research and development GPS satellites.

"Back then we weren't even sure GPS would work," the general said. "Look at what we do with GPS today. It's ubiquitous, it's around the world and everyone relies on it. The Air Force has developed capabilities to master technologies that are out there, and we've dramatically improved our capabilities, whether it's air, space and cyber domain, all of which ISR has to support as we execute combat operations."

General James also attended the Schulte Building Dedication, April 29 in honor of 1st Lt. Roslyn Schulte, an ISR operations officer who was killed by a roadside bomb May 20, 2009, near Kabul, Afghanistan.

The general said it was a personal honor to be part of the ceremony and see a community come together in honor of someone who had such an impact on many people's lives.

"She was a servant leader who looked to help others before she helped herself," he said. "She represents the best of what we can be."

General James said his first visit to Goodfellow was a great experience.

"It's great to see all the effort that goes on here to create the right training environment for our people and to see the output that comes from Goodfellow," the general said. "It's an absolutely critical mission for our Air Force."