Historic first step taken to join bases in San Antonio

  • Published
  • By Ashley M. Wright
  • Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  A milestone in San Antonio's long military history happened here July 31 as Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz , commander of Air Education and Training Command, officiated the activation ceremony for the 502nd Air Base Wing with Brig. Gen. Leonard A. "Len" Patrick taking command.

"Today's activation of the 502nd Air Base Wing signifies the committed start of Joint Base San Antonio and the beginning of a consolidation required by law," General Lorenz said. "Joint bases are created in other communities, but we're the blue print that others will follow."

San Antonio is one of 12 locations worldwide where Department of Defense sites are combining to form joint bases. Under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Joint Basing plan for San Antonio, installation support functions at Fort Sam Houston will combine with those at Randolph and Lackland AFBs to support what will be the largest customer-based organization in the Department of Defense when completed in 2011.

The 502nd ABW functions as installation management for Joint Base San Antonio. The wing will have 8,000 employees supporting 80,000 permanent employees and approximately 150,000 students working on 56,000 acres at all three installations, General Patrick said. Joint Base San Antonio will bring $3 billion to the bases in new construction projections.

"What I pledge to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines is to bring the best of all processes, resourced properly and if it makes sense, ... I'm going to use it at Joint Base San Antonio," the general said. "We will be able to take the best of all three of the services, to include the Navy because they are the lead in some of joint bases, and bring those best practices to the men and women of Joint Base San Antonio."

In his previous assignment as commander of the 37th Training Wing at Lackland, General Patrick oversaw 70 tenant units. Now, with the combined three installations, the general will run installation management for 210 tenant units, said Dr. Cem Maxwell, San Antonio Joint Program Office deputy director. Installation management covers a broad base of activities from security guards at the gate to operating daycare centers for service members' children.

"The joining of bases is relatively new," Dr. Maxwell said. "The military has quite often joined together and certainly we do it regularly in the military with deployments. We fight together and in this case we are going to live together and work together."

The wing will be headquartered at the eldest of the three installations, Fort Sam Houston, and is assigned under AETC. Guidance for activating the wing comes from the secretary of defense and identifies the Air Force as the lead agency.

General Patrick expressed that he had "butterflies of excitement" as he takes the 502nd ABW into uncharted territory.

"I understand that it is an opportunity to lead great men and women from all the services and form one team in San Antonio," General Patrick said. "Both the Army and the Air Force have gone to great strides to give us the opportunity to be successful."

General Lorenz echoed the 502nd ABW commander's sentiments for using best practices for all customers served by the wing.

"Commonly, we use the word 'joint' to signify shared processes between military branches, but the 502nd Air Base Wing will truly be a joint effort: Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, government civilians and contractors serving side by side under one leadership flag," General Lorenz said. "The great opportunity is a chance to redefine how we redo business, to forge a new way in inter-service operations. Today is less about green and blue, but more about red, white and blue. "