62nd Mission Support Group inactivated as 627th Air Base Group is born

  • Published
  • By Don Kramer
  • Northwest Guardian
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  The Airmen assigned to the 62nd Mission Support Group at Joint Base Lewis-McChord got a new unit designation and a more focused mission last week.

In a ceremony Sept. 17 in Hangar 9 at McChord Field, the 62nd MSG inactivated and the 627th Air Base Group was born. Colonel Kenny Weldon returned a ceremonial first salute from the newly activated group he now commands.

The unit reorganized to conform to the Department of Defense's joint-basing architecture by separating from the flying-mission wing and embedding its squadrons in the installation-support focused JBLM garrison. Five squadrons formerly called 62nd now belong to 627th: Civil Engineer, Communications, Security Forces, Force Support and Logistics Readiness. The former 62nd Contracting Squadron inactivated and its civilian personnel were absorbed into the JBLM garrison as Department of the Army civilian employees.

The commander of 62nd Airlift Wing, Col. Kevin J. Kilb, in the first stage of the ceremony, gave up operational control of the group so that the 62nd MSG could become a direct-support unit to the 18th Air Force.

Kilb called the transfer a "significant change," in its becoming one of the 12 joint bases created by DOD during the past two years.

"The purpose of this group is to train and sustain Airmen for expeditionary combat support," Weldon said. "Our Air Force does that better than anyone in the world."

The reorganization is designed in part to enhance the ability of the unit to prepare for combat deployments.

"In a sense, the air base group's mission is more focused because it's to organize, train and equip Airmen for their wartime mission," Weldon said.

At the same time, the group will also bring its "best practices" approach to installation support services for the joint base, said Weldon, who now has a dual role as both JBLM deputy garrison commander as well as 627th ABG commander. He will oversee administrative support for JBLM Airmen, while Col. Thomas Brittain, the JBLM garrison commander, executes operational control for JBLM Airmen.

"We will focus on installation support, at the same time they will have an administrative responsibility to take care of those embedded Airmen and make sure they are fit and ready to deploy," Brittain said. "And they're also our lead experts in providing the special installation support to the Air Force mission, while they also holistically look across the board as we take care of the entire joint base."

Weldon compared the role and status of 627th ABG with that of the 42nd Military Police Brigade, an organization with both an operational mission and an installation support mission, while the ABG elements are embedded in the JBLM garrison, relying on it for administrative installation support. During the ceremony, he announced key priorities for his Airmen as members of the 627th ASB and their roles as part of an expeditionary combat force.

"The three priorities are simple, straightforward," he said, "(develop) mission-ready Airmen, (provide) support to the Air Force mission, (and act as a) force multiplier to Joint Base Lewis-McChord."

To most outsiders, and even those who belong to the new air base group, there will be little apparent change.

"It should be completely transparent to everyone, including the members of the group," Weldon said. "The day-to-day work here will be the same. The deployment responsibility for Airmen will remain the same."

And though the civilians' work environments in some cases have changed and their checks will in future be signed by officials belonging to another service, Weldon made a point to reassure them that their jobs remained intact at the same grades.

"There are no civilian positions being eliminated because of this," he said. "There should not be any concern about positions going away."

Lieutenant General Robert R. Allardice, 18th Air Force commanding general, spoke of the importance of integrated joint teams in current operations in Iraq and particularly Afghanistan, striking a tone of joint cooperation during the ceremony.

"What we've asked you to do today is focus on your new joint mission and that you continue to generate Airmen for combat in your expeditionary role," Allardice said to 627th ABG leaders.

"What we've learned in this great service of ours is it doesn't matter what particular service you're in when you're going to serve the nation," he said, "we serve on a joint team focused on a common effort.