310th Force Support Squadron activated at Buckley

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Scott P. Farley
  • 310th SW Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  The 310th Force Support Squadron was activated during a ribbon cutting ceremony at the MSG/AMDF Building on Nov. 7 during the unit training assembly, ushering in the 310th Space Wing's newest squadron.
Moments after the ribbon on their new building was cut, the 310th Mission Support Group Commander Col. Gene Odom deactivated the Mission Support Squadron and Lt. Col. Kevin Graefe assumed command of the newly activated FSS.
The activation, which was mandated by Air Force Reserve Command by Dec. 1, mirrors a move already made by the active duty Air Force to streamline processes in personnel and services. The reorganization will bring logistics readiness, services and personnel career fields together under one roof.
"Personnel and Services have been separate entities in different organizations in the past," said Capt. Andrew Williams, the 310th Force Support Squadron Operations Officer. "This conversion will change slightly how we are grouped and organized, especially at the leadership level. Our customers will see very little that is different as our core products and services remain the same. The change is more visible internally. However, one distinct change that will be visible to all customers will be the nomenclature of the new work sections. Three main elements now fall under the manpower and personnel flight. They are known as force management, career development and customer support. They replace and incorporate the more familiar sections known as personnel employment, personnel relocations, career enhancement, and customer service. The legacy services flight is now known as the sustainment services flight."
According to Captain Williams, who is in charge of the process of reorganizing the elements of the new FSS, the somewhat transparent changes will bring all of the mission support activities under one command structure, creating a one-stop shop, but the 310th has been doing business as one entity since inception.
"When the MSS stood up in 2008; it stood up as one squadron with a single PAS Code," said Captain Williams. "We have been operating as one squadron for awhile, so it makes it a pretty seamless transition."
According to Captain Williams, the changes to unit hierarchy gives it more of a solidarity feel as a single organization versus a feeling of three different units under the former MSS construct. It also puts us on the same page as the active duty force support squadrons.
"It's a more efficient operations and it just makes sense to have the same
structure as the RegAF in total force," said Captain Williams. "Although the AFSCs are not merging on the enlisted side of the house, our people are getting exposure to a different language and a different mission they knew nothing about before."