Streamlining Tactical Communications

Published Sept. 26, 2025
By Airman 1st Class Hunter Kirkland
90th Missile Wing Public Affairs

Master Sgt. Matt Workoff, AFWERX Spark, briefs Matthew Lohmeier, Under Secretary of the Air Force, during the Air, Space and Cyber Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, on Sept. 23, 2025. Spark Street showcases how Airmen and Guardians are solving operational challenges through grassroots innovation, connecting them with senior leaders and industry partners. This collaborative event accelerates the delivery of mission-critical capabilities aligned with national defense priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Matthew Clouse)

F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The 90th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal flight was given the opportunity to exhibit a project after four years of development at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Washington D.C., Sept. 23-24, 2025.

Built to network nearly all forms of communication needed in a tactical situation to be rolled into one pelican case and weighing less than 83 pounds, the TacHub is an integrated command and control unit. It is waterproof and requires minimal training and personnel, opposed to the current method which requires a pallet of equipment and dedicated communications specialists to set up.

“TacHub is a mobile, portable integration of multiple communication assets,” said Staff Sgt. Christepher Hoff, 90 CES/EOD training noncommissioned officer in charge. “It ensures we have a way to always communicate and have command and control of our units.”

Staff Sgt. Christepher Hoff, AFWERX Spark, briefs Matthew Lohmeier, Under Secretary of the Air Force, during the Air, Space and Cyber Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, on Sept. 23, 2025. Spark Street showcases how Airmen and Guardians are solving operational challenges through grassroots innovation, connecting them with senior leaders and industry partners. This collaborative event accelerates the delivery of mission-critical capabilities aligned with national defense priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Matthew Clouse)

The need for an integrated communication hub arose during an exercise Master Sgt. Matthew Workoff, 90 CES/EOD Mission Support section chief, attended in which key leadership was unable to communicate, command or control troops due to a specific communication system’s unavailability. The result was wasted time and lack of communication.

TacHub is a solution to this problem. Workoff took charge of the creation a year and half ago with support from a team of members within his squadron and personnel Air Force wide. It is seven different forms of communication all packed into a 32-by-21 inch Pelican case, arranged and organized thanks to 3D printed dividers, specialized mounts and wiring all completed in the Matthew S. Schwartz EOD Facility at F.E. Warren AFB.

“In theory, we can take this kit out anywhere,” said Workoff. “You can pretty much do everything you need to.”

Additionally, other 90 EOD Airmen, headed by Hoff created an even smaller version, that while losing the ability to send classified data, provides all other capabilities specially made for use in a truck or convoy with less space.

With the TacHub, commanders will be able to communicate with troops, higher command and even local first responders. This will allow multiple communication types on the same setup in a simple to use and well-marked format.

“I want to be able to give this to anybody, give them an hour's worth of training and they reasonably can run that equipment,” said Workoff. “So, in theory anybody can use it, that's the end goal.”

90 EOD presented the TacHub at the 2025 Air Force Association AFWERX Spark Street in which it generated much interest from attendees from all over the Air and Space Force and won the Commander’s Pick award for the highest potential for enterprise impact, operational promise and strategic alignment.

Caption — Master Sgt. Matt Workoff and Staff Sgt. Christepher Hoff, AFWERX Spark, pose for a picture with Col. Nathan Stuckey, AFWERX director, and Col. Jessica Dwyer, AFWERX Spark division chief, after winning the Commander’s Pick award for the highest potential for enterprise impact, operational promise and strategic alignment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Matthew Clouse)

AFWERX provides a platform for Airmen and Guardians who have used their technical skills and creativity to make innovations that could transform Air and Space Force operations, while putting their projects on display and competing.

Despite going to the Air, Space and Cyber Conference, the TacHub is far from finished being shown off. The 90 EOD team will be taking it all over the Air Force in the coming year, displaying and testing it at large exercises both overseas and stateside. The team will be able to verify and judge TacHub’s efficiency and durability as it gets used in various environments.

As opposed to being built by a government contractor or independent company, TacHub was built entirely by the Airmen who saw a need and spent countless hours across four different bases to fulfill that need. With many of these Airmen having no background in communication, they were still able to find a way to streamline their processes and work together to ensure that Airmen, present and future, are provided more efficient processes.

Master Sgt. Matt Workoff, AFWERX Spark, briefs Col. Terry Holmes, 90th Missile Wing commander, during the Air, Space and Cyber Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, on Sept. 23, 2025. Spark Street showcases how Airmen and Guardians are solving operational challenges through grassroots innovation, connecting them with senior leaders and industry partners. This collaborative event accelerates the delivery of mission-critical capabilities aligned with national defense priorities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Matthew Clouse)

“A lot of times we get stuck around waiting for the answer to come,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Nichols, 90 CES commander. “They did not wait for the answer to come, they found the answer and created it.”

TacHub is a result of the resourcefulness of the Airmen who developed it and those Airmen are hopeful that their work will make a large impact on the Air Force and tactical communication.