Air Force contracting negotiates way to mission realization

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs10/3/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Much like Ferengi in the Star Trek universe, Air Force contracting specialists have strict standards and practices they must follow before awarding any contract and must be master negotiators with exacting attention to detail following what any good Ferengi would call the "Rules of Acquisition.""The Air Force takes its use of taxpayer money very seriously," said Maj. Chad Sessler, the 379th Contracting Squadron commander, who is serving a one-year tour here and hails from Syracuse, N.Y. "Even though we are a smaller squadron, we are critical to the mission and have a huge impact on the sustainability of the base."While Air Force contractors aren't as ruthless as the Ferengi, they do ensure each party at the negotiations table is handled fairly while ensuring integrity and fairness of the procurement system and never award a contract at the expense of honesty."We take what you need and turn it into something," said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Laube, a 379th CONS contracting officer deployed from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, and a Phoenix native. "A lot of trust is placed on our young Airmen. Each of us can obligate and/or write a contract totaling up to $1 million."These Airmen provide contracting support to a wide spectrum of missions, including major weapons, logistics and sustainment, installation and mission support, and contingency operations. They support national defense and humanitarian missions through global contracting operations by providing leadership, guidance, and execute contractual actions, for both goods and services in support of the warfighter both in garrison and down range."If a customer needs a wrench, we need to know exactly what color, size, make, model, etc., in order to work with the contracted companies to provide the customer exactly what they need to get the mission done," Laube said.Contracting here accomplishes their mission through means of two flights: services and construction.The services flight procures food services contracts, cell phones, vehicle leases, laundry, mail, etc. The construction flight helps civil engineering improve facilities, secures trench contracts and supports flight operations.Part of their job is also traveling downtown to negotiate deals with local vendors for things as simple as milk and linens."We are ambassadors," said Laube. "You're going to interact with the locals -- we have built up a great professional relationship with them as we project respect."Air Force Contracting must balance fulfilling the service's mission with upholding statutory law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and other Air Force policy and guidance."In our profession, the means and the ends carry equal weight," said Master Sgt. William Simpkins, the 379th ECONS superintendent and first sergeant serving a one-year tour and hails from San Angelo, Texas. "It's hard to think of a unit or squadron we haven't touched."Simpkins said his Airmen are always looking for the highest quality goods and services at the lowest cost in the shortest amount of time. These service members are charged with committing the nation's funds to provide for the warfighters around the globe."I'm extremely proud of my Airmen," Sessler said. "They are willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. I've witnessed their selfless dedication to the mission, the customer and the taxpayer. We will posture the Air Force as a demanding customer to our suppliers and ensure our Air Force Contracting processes and systems are able to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow."Referencing his copy of the Ferengi's "Rules of Acquisition," Laube made his wife proud when he explained rule number three, "Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to," noting the similarities between his work and their culture. And while Ferengi have never been lauded for their tenderness, they are, however, praised for their business, negotiating and accounting genius.

Expeditionary fire muster showcases firefighter’s might

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs[gallery type="rectangular" ids="2364,2362,2363,2365,2366,2367,2368"]10/1/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Service members deployed to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here participated in a “Fire Muster” Sept. 28 hosted by the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department.

 More than 80 service members in 20 teams pitted their might in a firefighting flavored challenge wrestling everything from hoses and tires to water buckets and fire trucks. “It was a good turnout,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Moore, a 379th ECES firefighter deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and a Pana, Ill., native. “Most people don’t realize how much our equipment weighs and what we do on a day-to-day basis. This event really showed them what it takes to be a firefighter out here.” Taking home the trophy, “We Got Worms,” won the event overall. Teams consisted of four members and had to have at least one female on their team. “It was a great opportunity to experience what it means to be a deployed firefighter and I had a blast competing,” said Capt. Jordan Tribble, the 379th AEW wing section commander deployed from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and a Midwest City, Okla., native. “It was challenging, but in the end my team was fortunate enough to take home the crown -- a big thank you to the firefighters and ECES for putting on the event.”

Wingman culture key to suicide prevention, resiliency

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs9/27/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Resiliency is a term describing skill sets for Airmen to bounce back and grow following adversity. The Wingman Culture strengthens Airmen by providing them the tools and support to face the challenges of military life, especially while deployed.September is known across the Department of Defense as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, focusing efforts on the Wingman Culture and the availability of helping agencies for all service members. In a recent press statement, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said leaders throughout the department must make it understood that seeking help is a sign of strength and courage, not a sign of weakness. Echoing his secretary, President Barack Obama said there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people."We see it in veterans who come home from the battlefield with the invisible wounds of war," the president said. "[These are veterans], who feel somehow that seeking treatment is a sign of weakness when, in fact, it's a sign of strength."The DOD has launched numerous programs, hired hundreds of experts and continues promoting the importance of looking out for one another. Many of these programs and helping agencies are found at the nation's largest expeditionary wing, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing."The Chaplain Corps assists Airmen struggling with suicide by providing a support that includes: a safe place to share their problems with complete confidentiality, a support network through a referral program that includes other helping agencies on base and spiritual care provided by a professional religious support team," said Maj. Ismael Rodriguez, the 379th AEW deputy wing chaplain deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and a San Antonio native. "It is extremely important for every Airman regardless of rank and position to seek help and know that it is a perfectly acceptable option."The chaplain said he sometimes sees people who are afraid to seek help because they think it will somehow end their career in the Air Force. Rodriguez said he tells Airmen it is better to voluntarily ask for help when they are just beginning to feel overwhelmed or start struggling with having a sense of hopelessness than to wait for the situation to worsen."It is never too late to see a chaplain or health care provider," he continued. "We have a chaplain on call 24/7 and we will be there to respond and be with that individual for as long as that Airman needs us."The Air Force wants its Airmen and their families to thrive in good times and bad. The service continuously strives to improve Airmen performance and readiness by building their confidence to lead, courage to stand up for their beliefs, and capacity for compassion to help others."It is important for Airmen to seek early assistance before feelings of suicide," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Guin, a 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron mental health NCO in charge deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, S.C., and hails from Denver. "If you're having feelings of suicide, tell your Wingman or someone you trust. Our Wingmen and supervisors are incredibly important because they are the first to notice if behaviors change."Guin said mental health works with all the helping agencies on base including the chapel, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, and military and family life counselors. The mental health clinic is open for walk-ins 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is on call 24/7.The Air Force supports it's Airmen in responsibly seeking help and according to the 379th AEW wing staff agencies first sergeant, Senior Master Sgt. Darrell Harmon, it's all about getting to know the people with whom you serve."Sometimes our Airmen just want to sit down and talk with someone they know and trust," Harmon said, who is deployed from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and a Chicago native. "As supervisors and first sergeants, we need to express a genuine interest in our people and their development."Harmon said an Airman came to him one time asking to sit and talk. The first sergeant said during their conversation not once did it seem to him his troop was considering suicide. But months later, he received an email thanking him for the chat that day -- for he had considered taking his own life, but it was because of Harmon's genuine care, he made the choice to live."You may not know it at the time, but your actions have a huge impact on your people," he said. "First sergeants and supervisors are an Airman's first step to getting the help they need. It's up to us to point them in the right direction and be involved. We need to know what resources are available so we can be good Wingmen, leaders and mentors."Good Wingmen support others who ask for help when they are in crisis and remove any barriers to responsibly getting help."We can all make a difference by helping our Wingmen understand they are not alone and positive support is available," said Brig. Gen. Roger Watkins, the 379th AEW commander. "Our expeditionary Airmen have been engaged in a long war highlighted by continuous and sustained operational deployments and a demanding operations tempo. These service members are accomplishing a significant mission here that is vitally important to the safety and security of our nation."Although the resilience of the overall force has been remarkable, recurrent deployments and high mission tempo can affect service members' ability to recover and restore total fitness and balance in every dimension of their lives. The Air Force created the Air Force Deployment Transition Center to combat these issues. DTC uses a resiliency-building, strength-based approach to empower Airmen at high-risk for traumatic exposure to decompress and successfully progress through the reintegration process before returning home.All service members can help him identify early warning signs in their Wingmen and intervene to ensure others get help when needed. For 24/7 assistance call the base command post at 436-0160. Below is a list of resources available for service members both here and worldwide.Resources: 379th Expeditionary Medical Group: 437-4216379th MDG Mental Health Clinic: 437-8767379th AEW Victory Chapel: 437-8811Veterans Crisis Linehttp://www.veteranscrisisline.net/DOD Suicide Prevention and Awareness Programhttp://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0812_suicide-prevention/Air Force Suicide Preventionhttp://www.afms.af.mil/suicideprevention/National Suicide Prevention Lifelinehttp://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Expeditionary wing remembers America’s POW/MIAs

U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton

Deployed U.K. forces pay tribute to “The Few”

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

9/26/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Royal Air Force service members deployed with the 83 Expeditionary Air Group gathered outside the unit's headquarters here Sept. 20 paying tribute to RAF pilots who fought off Nazi Germany's air force and other RAF personnel who supported their "epic" 1940 air battle now known as the Battle of Britain."Over 70 years on from the Battle of Britain, the RAF continues to protect the nation with air power," said Group Capt. Domonic Stamp, the 83 EAG's deputy air component commander. "We never forget that we're standing on the shoulders of giants, so we were proud to take a moment out of our busy lives to salute 'The Few.'"Winston Churchill summed up the effect of the battle and the contribution of Fighter Command with the words, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Pilots who fought in the battle have been known as 'The Few' ever since."Their grit and courage, and the hard work of their ground crews and air battle managers, are an inspiration to everyone who serves on operations with the RAF today," Stamp said.Although most RAF units commemorated the Battle of Britain on Sept. 15, the day in 1940 when the RAF is considered to have beaten the Luftwaffe, operational demands and mission requirements prevented the deployed service members from holding the traditional ceremony until five days later.The RAF holds this day special as it was the day the Luftwaffe embarked on their largest bombing attack yet, forcing the engagement of the entirety of the RAF Fighter Command in defense of London and the South East, which resulted in a decisive victory in favor of Britain and marked a turning point in the war.U.K. forces are deployed to Afghanistan and the Broader Middle East in support of the U.N.-authorized, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission and as part of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

Airmen arming deployed defenders

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

8/29/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The basic goal of a security forces specialist is to protect U.S. Air Force people, property and resources. While defenders have hand-to-hand combat training, their effectiveness is only enhanced by the weapons they carry and without the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron armory here, these weapons would not be a part of their tool kits."The purpose of the armory is to hold all of the defender's weapons and supplies they need to perform their duties on a day-to-day basis," said Airman 1st Class Jillian Ward, 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron staff armorer. "My duty at the armory is to arm up all the defenders."Much like services Airmen account for all the food served on base, armory Airmen account for all the weapons, ammunition and any extra supplies and equipment defenders may need to keep the base safe and secure. When they first come on shift, Ward said they conduct changeover tasks with the last shift making sure they know exactly what has been issued and what is now being placed in their care."We have to take accountability of all the equipment in the armory, such as weapons, ammo, night vision goggles, etc.," said Ward, who is deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and hails from Sunbury, Ohio. "We have to keep track of everything issued and turned in on equipment trackers."These equipment trackers, she said, are then scanned into their computers and organized into folders for reference later."Once everything is accounted for, we setup all the windows so we can do issue and turn in in a timely fashion," Ward said explaining the quicker they get issue the weapons, the quicker they can get on post and relieve that post's last shift."I like it, it's a good job to have," Ward continued. "It's good to know we are helping them out and supporting the flight by giving them what they need to go out there and do their job."Ward's coworker, Senior Airman Jamela Nuriddin, said she also enjoys being a part of such an important mission."I am part of the wing's vital protection mission," Nuriddin said, who is deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and a Raleigh, N.C., native. "If we weren't here, everything in the security forces mission realistically wouldn't run. Airmen need weapons to fight, radios to talk and night vision devices to be able to see during nighttime conditions."Everyone sees the defenders on post protecting the base, but it's the armorers who enable that mission."We're the behind the scenes step to the mission," continued Nuriddin. "We make sure everything is ready for when the flights need to go out, accomplish the mission and defend the base."

Women’s Equality Day celebrated at Grand Slam Wing

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

message," said Flores, a 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management journeyman deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and an Azusa, Calif., native. "The colonel spoke on the topic of women's equality, but with an extra emphasis on our advancement in the military."In 2013 alone, women in the military have seen many strides, especially in combat and leadership roles.Earlier this year, the defense department announced the inclusion of women in 237,000 combat positions historically off-limits to women by 2016. Additionally, on Aug. 1, President Barack Obama announced his nomination for Deborah Lee James to succeed the Honorable Michael B. Donley as Secretary of the Air Force, a position never before filled by a woman."On this Women's Equality Day, we honor those who fought tirelessly for a woman's right to vote," said Valerie B. Jarrett, a Senior Advisor to the President in her www.whitehouse.gov blog post for the day. "But we know there is much more work to do. Let us keep marching forward together."A member of the planning committee for the 379th AEW's celebration, 1st Lt. Nicole Tripputi, said this remembrance is very important because not only was it a turning point for women's rights, but also reminds all service members the importance of everyone's contributions to the mission."It paved the way for women's rights," said Tripputi, the 379th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron commodities flight commander deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and a Lincoln, Calif., native. "The observance of Women's Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women's continuing efforts toward full equality."

Mobility Airmen making a difference down range

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs8/23/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- In nearly 70 years, airlift operations have come a long way since the early days of the Military Airlift Transport Service and mobility pioneer, Lt. Gen. William Tunner, but one thing has remained the same -- Mobility Airmen are dedicated to answering the call whether at home or deployed to the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron here."Our Airmen know they aren't simply building and moving cargo, sometimes they are ensuring supplies like the blood used in transfusions to save sons or daughters, fathers and mothers, gets downrange to where it's needed most," said Lt. Col. Andrew Purath, the 8th EAMS commander. "They are readying the very basics of our current conflict that will signal to our enemies they can go no further."Keeping with tradition, these mobility Airmen are following in Tunner's footsteps. The general invented many of the air mobility systems, standards and maintenance processes used today. While the technologies aren't quite the same, mobility Airmen continue paving the way for those who will come after them, just as Tunner did. Likewise, Purath said he refers to the general regularly as the original "Ocho.""His work marked the beginning of the air mobility system," the colonel said. "And the Mighty Ocho is the continuation and fulfillment of many of Tunner's aspirations."But in the end, as Tunner said and Purath echoes, it's all about their "amazing Airmen" who support a variety of missions and units in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility."We're not flying supplies to just the big, established bases; we also fly to the really forward deployed guys at FOBs way out in the middle of nowhere," said Tech. Sgt. David Young, the 8th EAMS Air Mobility Control Center flight chief deployed from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. "The supplies we provide them are their lifeline."On average, 8th EAMS handles more than 7,000 tons of cargo, 6,600 passengers with 250 tons of baggage and more than 725 aircraft each month making them the busiest mobility hub in the AOR."Coordination is our game," said Staff Sgt. John Hubicsak, an 8th EAMS air terminal operations center information controller deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. "We have the most diverse mission sets transit through here every day."From personnel and heavy cargo transports to air drops and combat cargo sorties, the 8th EAMS in some fashion supports every Operation Enduring Freedom mission across the AOR."We're extremely vital; without air transportation, who knows how long it would take to convoy all this cargo to these remote locations," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Jweinat, an 8th EAMS ramp services technician deployed from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. "We can have it [the cargo] there in a moment's notice and we're responsible for making sure it gets on the plane."Whether it's hazardous cargo, blood shipments, ammo and explosives, the 8th EAMS ensures life-sustaining materials make it to their destinations on-time. And while combat cargo is an important aspect their mission here, processing passengers is equally critical.Passengers process through the 8th EAMS passenger services section at the Air Mobility Command passenger terminal here. The passenger terminal averages more than 85,000 passengers with 3,200 tons of accompanying baggage and nearly 1,000 distinguished visitors annually."What we do is vital as far as getting passengers in and out of the country," said Staff Sgt. Thomas Deckert, the 8th EAMS passenger services supervisor deployed from Pope Army Airfield, Fort Bragg, N.C. "We are one of the largest hubs for personnel transiting in and out of U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility. When we do our job right, people get to where they need to go, whether that is downrange or home to family and friends."However, as with every Air Force mission, jets would not fly without the hard-working maintainers who ensure these airframes last for many generations to come. One of the largest career fields in the Air Force, maintenance include crew chiefs and engine mechanics to the consolidated tool kit and parts suppliers. Together, Ocho maintainers keep nearly $1.5 billion of strategic airlifters flying while sustaining a 90 percent departure reliability rate.The 8th EAMS' heritage as Airmen, maintainers, porters and controllers is an unbroken chain binding those who have come before and stirs the unit to build on what they've achieved, said Purath."With great tenacity and skill our Airmen are ensuring there are many more tomorrows to come for their brothers and sisters in arms even further downrange," Purath continued. "They know what they do matters; they know it's much bigger than themselves."The Mighty Ocho is AMC's first expeditionary air mobility squadron and according to their commander, they couldn't be happier to be here providing support to all service members in this AOR."We're humbled to be a mission partner with the Grand Slam Wing," the colonel said. "That's nearly 330 Airmen who in unison will always tell you, 'You need it, we move it!'"[Editor's note: This article is part eight of an eight part series highlighting the unique missions accomplished by the Airmen of 8th EAMS.]