Late night trips to Thule

by Airman 1st Class Joshua King
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs

8/21/2015 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Imagine being on top of the world for a year, where sunshine and a grocery store are equally scarce. The only thing you can see outside the walls of the base is an endless wilderness.

Thule Air Base, Greenland, is the U.S. Armed Forces' northern-most installation, and serves to provide missile warning, space surveillance and space control for Air Force Space Command.

With no gas station or convenience store around the corner for supplies, Airmen at Thule rely on members of the 305th Air Mobility Wing to deliver everything they need for their year-long tour there.

"It's totally remote, 700 miles above the arctic circle," said Suzy West, Greenland Contracting logistics manager. "That's why the 305th is so vital; those planes are the lifeline for Thule."

The 305th AMW supplies two missions every week to replenish the necessary supplies of the air base in Greenland, including the people, who all have to pass through JB MDL, and equipment for new technology.

A contingent from the joint base is also currently deployed there to set up a new radar system that will assist aircraft landing in inclement weather.

"Deploying equipment also opened my eyes to the aerial port world, getting our system up to special handling's requirements and actually loaded onto a C-17," said Senior Airman Richard Romano, 305th Operations Support Squadron.

Airmen from the 305th AMW receive all requested materials, palletize them and load them onto the aircraft.

The 305th, working with Greenland Contracting, sends approximately two million pounds of supplies each year including food; water; construction equipment; mail; and hygiene and morale items.

"We have a weekly rations-run, which is everything that the commissary or the chow hall would have," said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Houde, 305th Aerial Port Squadron special planning operations NCO.  "Everything that you would take for granted here, we have to ship there."

If they need their allergy medicine, they're awaiting a plane headed from here to bring it to them.

TRANSCOM assesses CRW, JTF-PO capabilities during Exercise Turbo Distribution

by Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez
621st Contingency Response Wing Public Affairs

7/24/2015 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --
The 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed Airmen from the 821st Contingency Response Group, Travis Air Force Base, Calif., for an exercise to test Joint Task Force Port-Opening capabilities here, July 18-24.

Approximately 106 U.S. Air Force Airmen, along with approximately 51 U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 690th Rapid Port Opening Element stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and three members of the Defense Logistics Agency participated as part of the JTF-PO in Turbo Distribution 15-7.

During TD 15-7, U.S. Transportation Command assessed JTF-PO's ability to amass and distribute cargo during humanitarian relief operations. Throughout the exercise, JTF-PO established a forward distribution node for logistics flow in support of a notional U.S. Department of State humanitarian relief mission. DLA facilitated onward movement of the cargo beyond the forward node.

Airmen from the 621st CRW located at Travis AFB and JBMDL regularly train with RPOE units from JBLE on a quarterly basis to maintain proficiency and to develop familiarity between the units.

"Anytime that you can practice what you go do in an operation with those that you would go do it with and train together, that's the value of this," said Col. Rhett Champagne, 821 CRG commander and JTF-PO commander for TD 15-7. "There are two CRGs that will share the alert with three RPOEs, so we are going to see each other again and again over a two year period. You see the same faces so when you actually go out on the field and work together, you know each other's tactics, techniques, procedures, processes."

According to Champagne, when both Army and Air Force units combine to make a JTF-PO, everyone goes through the forming, norming, storming, and performing, stages.

"When you can storm at an exercise, that's the best place to do it so that you can reduce (storming) when you actually go out on (deployment)," he said.
Senior Airman Ralph Hoeflich, 821 CRG security forces defender, has deployed in the past year with a JTF-PO team and thinks TD exercises are similar to what they experience in a real-world contingency.

"Our job is very similar as far as perimeter, flight line security and setting up our entry control points," he said. "TD helps us prepare because we practice exactly what we need to do in a deployment. Working with the Army helps us understand what they have to get done and what we have to get done and how to work together to do it."

The 621st CRW specializes in rapidly establishing hubs for cargo distribution operations worldwide, whether in contested, permissive, or uncertain environments. Previous deployments include humanitarian assistance support missions to Liberia, Haiti, Pakistan, Japan, and contingency deployments in support of military operations in Eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq and South America.

Air Advisor Academy consolidates expertise and training under the Expeditionary Center

by Lt. Col. Laurie A. Arellano
USAF Expeditionary Center Public Affairs

7/15/2015 - JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center officially assumed the responsibility of being the Air Force's sole provider of training for general purpose force Air Advisors as the program was inactivated July 10 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. This continues the transition of the Air Advisor Academy's courses, formerly under Air Education and Training Command, into the USAF EC's USAF Expeditionary Operations School.

The first class to graduate under the USAF EOS program began in early June as the last classes at the Academy continued to wrap up.

"Air Force leadership determined that Air Advisor skills are extremely necessary for the success of the security cooperation and building partnerships missions," said Mr. Ken Arteaga, USAF EOS deputy director. "It is important to continue the training even as we adjust to a changing budget environment."

The Air Advisor Academy trained Airmen to safely operate in unfamiliar places as they build cross-cultural relationships and support the Department of Defense's role in building partner nation capacities.

Col. Steven Cabosky, Air Advisor Academy commandant, says advising is a unique and specialized skill set, and one of the most dangerous duties our Airmen perform.

"The Air Force does a great job in the technical training arena," said Cabosky. "Our students come to us as subject matter experts in their career fields.  The Air Advisor Academy then educates Airmen in fundamental advising skills and gives them the cross-cultural communication skills to work with foreign militaries.  They also get the force protection skills they need to survive in hostile and uncertain environments.  We train these warrior/diplomats to be safe and effective in their Advisor roles," Cabosky said.

Scott Gericke, Air Advisor Academy dean of faculty, said the Academy focused on those traits that enable the advisor to build relationships and enable partner nation forces to effectively support security cooperation agreements. Those enabling traits include building trust, cross-cultural competency and confidence when operating in uncertain situations.

The Academy also taught the core knowledge and unique skill sets needed by an Air Advisor such as: being able to assess, train, advise, and assist host nation military forces, to speak common phrases in their native language, to know mission specific information, and the strategic guidance for a particular AOR.

"A properly trained advisor is a force multiplier," said Gericke.  "Experience has shown someone can be a good officer and a good technician, but a poor advisor.  Not everyone is cut out to be an advisor."

Arteaga said moving the program under the USAF EC consolidates Air Advisor expertise, provides continuity of training, and more closely links the program to the continuous improvement of Air Advisor Tactics, Techniques and Procedures maintained at the USAF EC.

"What this does is provide a more efficient program and synergizes all of the lines of the effort," said Arteaga. "It's the students and the COCOM commanders who win."

The biggest difference for students will be the efficiency of fieldcraft portions of the training.  Air Advisor students will merge with students from the USAF EC's other expeditionary skills training courses to maximize the use of staff and ranges as well as increase the types of skill training offered.

The most visible face of this training has been the Air Advisor presence in Afghanistan.  The Advisors to the Afghan Army and Air Force continue to be in high demand.   Air Advisors also continue to provide enduring support for diplomatic requirements across the globe in every combatant command.

As the USAF EC focuses on continuing to train advisors supporting standing force requirements, it is also prepared to adapt to emerging contingency requirements quickly and effectively.  The USAF EC has developed a modular approach to the training that increases the flexibility of the training offered depending on COCOM requirements, characterized as a 'plug and play' approach to programming the courses.

"We're very happy to be selected as the focal point to support this enduring global requirement," said Arteaga.

New Jersey Base Realizes Joint Benefits

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J., July 15, 2011 – With two months left for the Defense Department to comply with the 2005 base realignment and closure plan, a related initiative -- joint basing -- already is paying off through closer interservice collaboration and the promise of future cost savings, officials here reported.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst was part of the first phase of the plan that consolidated 26 military installations around the country into 12 joint bases. The concept was designed to generate efficiencies, reduce redundancy, and ultimately, save taxpayer dollars.

“I think this joint base initiative is great,” said Army Col. Joseph Poth, the deputy commander here who helped to plan and execute the merger. “The logic is, if we can train together, if we can fight together, why can’t we run a base together?”

Joint basing brought big changes here when three installations -- McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst -- merged on Oct. 1, 2009, to become the Defense Department’s only tri-service base.

It was part of the first wave of joint-base consolidations. Also during Phase 1, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek and Fort Story in Virginia merged to form Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek. Fort Myer and the Marine Corps’ Henderson Hall in Virginia formed Joint Base Myer. Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and Naval Air Facility Washington, D.C., became Joint Base Andrews.

And thousands of miles away in the Pacific, Navy Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base formed Joint Region Marianas.

As McGuire, Dix and Lakehurst formed one giant base that stretches 20 miles east to west and encompasses 60 square miles of southern New Jersey flatlands and forests, each retained its operational identity and mission, Poth explained.

The Air Force, the lead service here, continues to provide global mobility and expeditionary combat support with its C-17 Globemaster III, KC-10 Extender and KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. The Army conducts soldier training and pre- and post-mobilization activities. The Navy designs and tests aircraft carrier catapult and arresting gear and other naval air support equipment.

Joint basing offers the three services the opportunity to share some of the costs of supporting these operations, said Air Force Col. John Wood, who took command of the joint base June 24.

In his new role, Wood has command and control of the 87th Air Base Wing and support responsibility for more than 80 tenant organizations referred to here as “mission partners.”

Arriving at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Wood was no stranger to joint basing. He helped Charleston Air Force Base and Naval Weapons Station Charleston merge to form Joint Base Charleston, S.C., as part of the second wave of joint-basing consolidations.

Other installations included in the Phase 2 mergers were the Navy’s Anacostia Annex and Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, which formed Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. Naval Station Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii became Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson in Alaska formed Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base and Fort Sam Houston, Texas, formed Joint Base San Antonio. Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis in Virginia became Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

Wood said watching how Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and other first-phase installations handled the transition helped smooth the way at Charleston. Now, as commander of the tri-service base in New Jersey, he said he plans to continue fine-tuning the process by emphasizing teamwork, communication and inclusion.

To help in promoting these principles in his command structure, Wood recently welcomed Navy Capt. Andrew Butterfield as a second deputy commander to provide a Navy perspective to his command team.

Operating with two deputies in his organizational structure -- one Army and one Navy -- is a new concept, Wood acknowledged. “It’s different than the doctrine I have grown up with, but it has a lot of advantages and potential,” he said.

Much of the potential of joint basing will come in savings on contracts for services such ground maintenance and snow removal, Wood said. In addition, the joint base’s contracting workforce can operate more efficiently -- and presumably, more cost-effectively -- by awarding and managing a single contract for each service, rather than three.

“As we combine things, it is common sense to assume that we are going to have savings here, so we will continue down that path,” Poth said.

Wood said he is looking forward to seeing those cost savings, but that he knows they won’t be realized fully until contracts already in place expire and can be renegotiated. Meanwhile, he added, he plans to continue looking across the joint base structure to identify other ways to streamline operations and make them more efficient.

Wood and his leadership team say they are already seeing some of the other benefits of joint basing. The gates that once divided the installations are gone, enabling airmen, soldiers, sailors -- as well as Marines and Coast Guard members who have activities here -- to move freely around the joint base.

As they do so, they interact regularly, sharing everything from training facilities to housing, dining halls and morale, welfare and recreation activities.

Air Force Brig. Gen. William Bender, commander of the Air Force Expeditionary Center here, said that pays off in mission readiness.

“One of those benefits is the ability to rapidly and effectively integrate into joint environments when we deploy or when we are assigned to support missions both stateside and abroad,” he said. “Because we have the benefit of living and working in an integrated environment, we naturally ‘learn the language’ of our service counterparts and we learn what the other services bring to the fight, wherever that fight may be.”

But getting to that point wasn’t without its challenges, Poth conceded.

He remembered the angst some experienced during the transition and the town hall meetings the leadership regularly held to allay fears and clear up misconceptions.

To Poth’s surprise, some of the workers who took the merger the hardest were long-time Army and Navy civilian employees with strong loyalties to their services.

Installation leaders, led at the time by Air Force Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, the first joint base commander, planned an elaborate and all-inclusive ceremony to officially stand up the joint base. Members of Congress, local mayors and current and past commanders from the three installations participated as a joint color guard marched, a tri-service team sang the national anthem and a band played a medley of the military service songs.

“As we mark this day, we want to welcome the newest members of our joint base team,” Poth said during the ceremony, recognizing the role the different services contribute to national defense with their active and reserve components and civilian workforces.

“Today is a day long in coming,” Poth said. “Together, we all join forces to become America’s premier joint warfighting base, capable of projecting air, land or sea power worldwide.”

Civilian employees from Fort Dix and Lakehurst formed up on the flight line, where each was inducted into the Department of the Air Force and presented an Air Force pin. After the ceremony, they returned to their work stations to find a letter from Grosso, personally welcoming them to the Air Force and the joint team.

Looking back over the consolidation during a Defense Department joint basing program management review conference in February, Grosso discussed the challenges of integrating support structures, but also the benefits of bringing the separate military cultures together at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

“You cannot calculate the takeaway from your military members living together and training together,” she said during the forum in Washington. “It’s a benefit you just can’t quantify.”