[MilCom] Fwd: [MilRadioComms] Joint basing moves forward in Charleston

[AllanStern at aol.com]

Joint basing moves forward in  Charleston 
By Staff Sgt. Daniel  Bowles, USAF, 628th Air Base Wing Public  Affairs
 
    The  latest step toward the scheduled stand-up of Joint Base Charleston 
took  place at Charleston AFB, SC, Jan 8, as 18th Air Force officials  
activated the 628th Air Base Wing. 
    The  joint base stand-up will begin the next phase in an ongoing 
process to merge  Charleston AFB with Naval Weapons Station Charleston as part of 
the base  realignment and closure process.
    When  the last one stands up, 12 joint bases will have been established 
across the  Defense Department.
    The  activation ceremony for the 628th Air Base Wing was accompanied by 
the  inactivation of two groups under the 437th Airlift Wing and their 
immediate  activation as the 628th Mission Support Group and 628th Medical 
Group, under the  new wing. The 437th Airlift Wing had served as the base's host 
unit since  1991.
    The  437th Aerial Port Squadron was realigned under the 437th 
Maintenance Group, and  many wing staff agencies previously assigned to the 437th 
Airlift Wing now will  operate under the 628th Air Base Wing. The 
organizational structure of tenant  units on Charleston AFB will remain unchanged. The 
437th Airlift Wing and its  airlift and support units will continue their 
mission of airlifting troops,  passengers and military equipment; flying 
aeromedical airlift missions; and  air-dropping troops, equipment and supplies.
    USAF Lt  Gen Robert Allardice, the 18th Air Force commander, formally 
introduced  USAF Col Martha Meeker as the first commander of the 628th Air 
Base Wing, citing  the depth of her intellect, her warrior spirit and her 
capacity for leadership. "For the complexities of this great merger that we have 
- pulling  together the best of what the Navy has to offer and the best of 
what the Air  Force has to offer - we in the Air Force chose one of our 
great leaders, Col  Martha Meeker, to come down to Charleston," he  said.
    Meeker  will direct host-unit duties for Charleston AFB's tenant units, 
and after the  Jan 31 merger, for Naval Weapons Station Charleston's tenant 
units as  well.
    The air  base wing's primary duties will be to provide base support for 
about 80,000  personnel, including active-duty and reserve military 
members, civilian  government employees and contractors, military family members 
and  retirees.
    "On  this day in 1790, George Washington gave the nation's first State 
of the Union  address," Meeker noted in her remarks at the ceremony. "A 
fledging institution  itself, the United States had fought hard for its freedom, 
and President  Washington began his remarks by reaffirming his belief in 
the common defense  that made that freedom happen. For as in his words, 
preparing for war is the  most effectual means to preserving the peace. When we 
look at his words today,"  she continued, "all our airmen, our sailors, our 
soldiers and Marines, and  everyone here who makes up Joint Team Charleston, 
are taking their place today  in our common defense."
    Allardice noted the impact the Charleston  military community has had 
dating back to the Revolutionary War, and its current  role in supporting 
military and humanitarian operations anywhere in the world.  Joint Base 
Charleston, he said, will continue that impact with greater  efficiency. "Nothing 
happens in the world without Charleston from a military  perspective," he 
said. "This is a national treasure here at Charleston. I know  you are focused 
on preserving that, on building that and on establishing more  and more of 
this great power projection platform that you represent here at  Charleston." 
 

AL STERN  Satellite Beach  FL
AllanStern at aol.com
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