Photo By Maj. Jhanelle Haag | Maj. Kalyn Howard, commander, Detachment 1 Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center,...... read more read more
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The Honorable Peter Beshar, General Counsel, U.S. Department of the Air Force, visited Wake Island on March 22, 2024.
By delegation of authority from the Secretary of the Department of the Air Force, Mr. Beshar serves as the Governor and civil administrative authority over the island. Mr. Beshar began his visit with a mission brief led by Major Kalyn Howard, Detachment 1 commander Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center.
“The core purpose of our visit was to identify the specific actions that are needed to enable the Department of the Air Force to sustain and resource the airfield and other assets on the island for several Department of Defense components,” said Mr. Beshar. “Those actions include preventive maintenance and additional MILCON investment.”
Wake Island serves three primary mission sets as: (1) a trans-Pacific refueling depot, (2) a military and civilian emergency divert airfield, and (3) other logistic support to United States Indo-Pacific Command, the Department of the Navy and the Missile Defense Agency.
Mr. Beshar then conducted a detailed tour of the island’s critical infrastructure that supports these missions, including the nearly 10,000 foot runway, fuel storage facilities, desalination plant and MDA launch site. Mr. Beshar also inspected the dormitory facilities that were damaged by King Tide waves earlier this year.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to give the Honorable Beshar a firsthand look at the current state of Wake Island,” said Maj Howard. “Needs are evolving rapidly in the Pacific theater and, while U.S. remote sites like Wake will undoubtedly play a role, that has largely been undefined. Visits like this are a step toward strategic decision-making and resourcing.”
Wake Island is located approximately 2,138 nautical miles west of Honolulu, Hawaii and is a U.S. Territory under administrative control of the Department of the Air Force, and under installation command authority of the Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center, part of 11th Air Force headquartered at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2024 19:47 |
| Story ID: | 468605 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 455 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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