Photo By Master Sgt. Scott Thompson | Members of the 110th Attack Wing, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, pose Dec. 3,...... read more read more
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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Leaders at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base announced Dec. 1, 2018 that the installation will soon gain approximately 34 jobs, part of a new assignment directed by the Air Force Chief of Staff supporting a Joint Task Force (JTF)-capable headquarters.
“We are extremely excited and honored to be standing up another new mission at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base,” said Col. Bryan Teff, base commander. “This is our second assignment of an additive mission in less than three years, something we haven’t seen in many decades.”
The announcement adds to a string of new opportunities for the base, once scheduled to close under the Base Realignment and Closures (BRAC) commission. Through a strong grassroots campaign, local leaders helped preserve the base as site for Air Force “future missions.”
Base leaders say the organization’s future is secure due to the exceptional drive and skill of its airmen.
“Battle Creek received this Joint Task Force mission because we had people with the right experience who were willing to help,” said Lt. Col. T.J. Brennan, director of operations, 217th Air Component Operations Squadron. “There will be opportunities for airmen already serving with us, and also for highly-qualified individuals who may not otherwise be drawn to Battle Creek.”
Earlier this year, Brennan spent several months as a liaison between the Air National Guard and the Ninth Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, as plans for the JTF mission took shape.
Brennan says the JTF capability is best defined as a team of highly-experienced specialists in an assortment of fields, ready to assist with high-level, ad hoc operational planning during crisis or humanitarian relief scenarios.
“When something happens on the ground somewhere, the component commander will call and say, ‘we need somebody over here to handle this right away,’” Brennan said. “This is the first Air Force-led Joint Task Force and it’s a globally-responsive mission.”
The concept of an Air Force-led Joint Task Force has been a top priority of Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. David Goldfein, who tasked the active-duty Ninth Air Force to lead the initiative. However, 50 percent of the JTF’s composition was directed to come from the reserves and Air National Guard.
The JTF’s guard augmentation is being split between Battle Creek and two other units – the 113th Wing in Washington, D.C, and the 174th Attack Wing Syracuse, New York.
Leaders expect recruiting and implementation for the mission will begin almost immediately.
“Because of its importance to the Air Force, we’re going to begin standing-up this mission very quickly,” said Teff. “The fact that Battle Creek was chosen as a host for this mission is a direct result of our highly-skilled Airmen, their perseverance, commitment, and ability to capitalize on opportunity.”
Since surviving the proposed closure in 2005, the 110th Attack Wing has also been selected for a state-of-the-art planning facility to support U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Africa Command, as well as a support capability for MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft.
The base’s last major expansion was announced in December 2015 when it added 70 new jobs for a robust cyber defense operation.
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 12.04.2018 17:33 |
| Story ID: | 302213 |
| Location: | BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 680 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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