LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The 37th Mission Support Group became the 802nd MSG and was realigned under the 502nd Air Base Wing during an activation ceremony at the Gateway Club Feb. 2.
Previously a part of Lackland's 37th Training Wing, the group and its subordinate squadrons now fall under the 502nd ABW headquartered at Fort Sam Houston.
"It's a distinct honor and pleasure that we realign the 37th Mission Support Group over to the 502nd Air Base Wing. This is only a small part of all that's going to happen in San Antonio, but for us on Lackland, it's a very large step," Col. William H. Mott V, 37th TRW commander, said before a crowd of nearly 800 attending the ceremony.
The move fulfills 2005 Base Realignment and Closure legislation requiring military support functions in San Antonio to align under what is called Joint Base San Antonio in order to achieve efficiencies and generate future cost savings for the military. The 802nd MSG now joins Randolph AFB's 902nd MSG as part of the 502nd ABW. Support functions at Fort Sam Houston are scheduled to move under the 502nd ABW in April.
Commanded by Brig. Gen. Leonard A. Patrick, the 502nd ABW, with its three geographically separated support functions which compose JBSA, will be the largest of the 12 joint bases in the Department of Defense. The 502nd ABW will support more than 80,000 fulltime military and civilian employees at the three installations, and almost 140,000 students in training each year.
"We are one of the few joint bases which are not co-located or share a common fence line," said General Patrick. "However, with the leadership team we have within my staff and the three local installations, I don't view this as a major challenge.
"We'll set the policies, resourcing and advocacy for base support programs from the 502nd (ABW) staff, but the day-to-day support operations will be run by my mission support group commanders."
Col. Patrick Fogarty, who took command of the 37th MSG in October 2008, remains at the helm as 802nd MSG commander. The unit's nearly 5,000 personnel support a base population of about 49,000 people and more than 74,000 students annually at Lackland. It is the largest Air Force support group in the continental United States.
General Patrick said the 502nd ABW would ensure the MSG commanders have the resources to manage support activities at the three bases, using common standards. Those support activities include legal, chaplain, community, personnel, facilities, environmental, housing, logistics, security, fire and emergency services and others.
"I'm looking for the best ideas and process, regardless of who is using them - whether it's at Fort Sam Houston, Randolph or Lackland," said General Patrick. "I anticipate that by streamlining the processes at the three installations and by placing the responsibility for resources at one place, we'll see even more consistent service to our customers.
"As a result, the cost savings should follow ... but it will take time," he added.
Colonel Fogarty said everything the 802nd MSG does daily at the point of delivery for its customers will remain the same.
According to base officials, preserving and maintaining customer accessibility and the highest level of customer service is key in the consolidation process. In addition to projected long-term cost savings, more resources are likely to be available for the three installations, said Colonel Fogarty.
"We're in a larger pool of resources. We could actually use (resources) from Fort Sam or Randolph to solve a problem here and vice versa," he added.
"Common policies and procedures at all three locations will eventually lead to greater efficiency and ultimately to cost savings in the years to come," said General Patrick.
While the San Antonio military installations undergo the change to joint basing, there will be no visible change to the general public. The general said the transition should be transparent to the local community and each base will maintain its identity.
"Joint basing will respect the history and heritage of our three historic installations, and the Army and Air Force will retain their respective missions," he added.
"We will continue to evolve long into the future," General Patrick said. "The overall objective of joint basing is to provide the best possible support so that our installation partners, from this day forward, can be more effective and efficient."