C3BM experiences the colonial history of C2 & ISR

Published Aug. 19, 2026
By Richard Blumenstein
DAF PAE C3BM Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Fire cakes, pepper pot soup, birch bark tea, muskets, colonial outfits, Paul Revere … oh my!

Thanks to the 6th Middlesex Regiment Minuteman, Airmen, government civilians and contractors traveled through time to see, taste, smell and hear a bit of colonial life and learn how it connects to modern command and control, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance practices at the Minuteman Commons, here, Aug. 17.

A reenactor gives a presentation to Airmen, government civilians and contractors at the Minuteman Commons, here, Aug 17. The 6th Middlesex Regiment Minuteman gave presentations on command and control, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations during the Revolutionary War. The Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management’s Architecture System and Engineering division hosted the morale event to better understand how the past shaped modern-day operations. (Official Air Force photo by Richard Blumenstein).

The Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management’s Architecture System and Engineering division hosted the event to better understand C2 and ISR practices of the past and how they connect to modern-day operations.

“Today was about spending some time thinking about where America's been in ISR and C2, as we're getting ready to prepare for the future,” said Dr. Bryan Tipton, C3BM’s Chief of Architecture and Engineering. “They talked about decentralized execution, trying to have the right level commanding control – those are all things that we think about even today in our military doctrine.”

During the event, Revolutionary War reenactors gave presentations on a range of topics including assembling and firing muskets, colonial attire, and military C2 and ISR operations.

“Back in 1775, the system that was set up was a decentralized command and control complex system,” said Alan Canova, a reenactor at the event. “They used church bells, drums, cannons, even bonfires, to spread the word of British activity. On top of that, there was also the Committee of Correspondence.”

Airmen, government civilians, and contractors pose with Revolutionary War reenactors at the Minuteman Commons, here, Aug 17. The 6th Middlesex Regiment Minuteman gave presentations on command and control, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations during the Revolutionary War. The Department of the Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management’s Architecture System and Engineering division hosted the morale event to better understand how the past shaped modern-day operations. (Official Air Force photo by Richard Blumenstein).

The attendees also got a chance to try several staple colonial recipes and beverages for soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Foods such as fire cakes, pepper pot soup, hasty pudding, johnnycakes, birch bark-tea, cider and more.

“It was good to get a sense of what the food was like at the time,” Col. Grant Spear, C3BM’s Airspace Mission Planning division senior materiel leader. “The hasty pudding was my favorite. I thought the stew was really good.

“The fire cake was my least favorite,” he said. “It was terrible.”

Overall, the event served to enhance the attendees’ knowledge base by giving them a deeper understanding of how the past shaped present day C2 and ISR capabilities on the modern-day battlefield.

C3BM is responsible for managing the DAF Battle Network, which is the integrated system-of-systems connecting sensor, effector, and logistics systems providing better situational awareness, faster operational decisions, and decisive direction to the force.