Information center to ease transition to AF management

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Thomas Trower
  • 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (AFNS) --  Base residents seeking support services can receive assistance from an information center at the 332nd Expeditionary Mission Support Group here once a joint-service initiative, called Base Operating Support-Integration, takes effect Nov. 6.

BOS-I is a changeover of base support functions that includes food service, lodging, vehicle operations, supply, fuel, base upkeep, construction, base defense and a variety of other services.

"Our mission is to provide premium assistance to anyone not familiar with how the Air Force provides service," said Lt. Col. Roman Hund, 332nd EMSG deputy commander for BOS-I. "This critical part of the BOS-I transition will ensure missions across the installations continue with minimal downtime." 

The BOS-I can have a major effect on Soldiers assigned to the base. Airmen, on the other hand, may notice that the new organization of processes will mimic their home stations.

The first visible sign of the BOS-I transfer came in July with the stand-up of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group and the subsequent arrival of more than 400 Air Force security forces members. At the same time, the Mayor Cell was transferred under the tactical control of 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Brian Bishop.

The second major phase is the transfer of the base's life-support functions from the Mayor Cell to the 332nd EMSG, said Col. Sal Nodjomian, 332nd EMSG commander.

"(Security forces) are done; they're out there," said Colonel Nodjomian. "The Air Force has been ready to take over life-support functions for some time now. We have some race horses in the starting gate, and they're just waiting for us to open the door and let them go."

According to Colonel Nodjomian, a key indicator of the success of the transition will be customers' ability to find the right office to meet their needs. The information center should be the first stop for anyone with questions about where to go.

"Administrative specialists in the center will provide a single focal point for customers," he said. "These specialists will relay customers to a functional expert who can accomplish work someone is requesting. We believe that by putting these experts in charge, we will get the most efficient use of recourses and manpower."

Three Airmen manage the information center from 6 a.m. to midnight in order to accommodate work schedules across the installation. In addition, the 332nd EMSG received approximately 150 new Airmen across its squadrons to handle the increased workload.

Customers will work primarily with three of the 332nd EMSG squadrons, said Colonel Hund. The 332nd Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron will assign locations here for units to operate and provide facility maintenance. The 332nd Expeditionary Force Support Squadron will take over dining facility contracts and be responsible for housing, recreation and morale programs. The 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron will take over all vehicle operations, fuels oversight and supply. Other squadrons and 332nd AEW staff agencies will be affected on a smaller scale.

The Army's 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team operated the Mayor Cell prior to implementation of BOS-I. It is redeploying its Soldiers to their home stations, and no Army unit will take its place. Soldiers who have grown accustomed to Mayor Cell operations will be faced with new processes that may take time to learn.

"One of our top priorities is to make sure Army clientele know how things will work now," Colonel Nodjomian said.

"Our Soldiers are very adaptive," said Army Col. Kenneth Newlin, deputy commander of the 76th IBCT. "We know that the Air Force will do a terrific job taking over with BOS-I."

When servicemembers contact the information center to inquire about a work request, either through phone, e-mail or by walking in, representatives will provide them with information on whom to contact. Customers may fill out a request form at the information center or call the unit that will provide the work.

"One of our goals is to automate many things," Colonel Nodjomian said. "We like to use technology whenever we can streamline processes."

While the BOS-I process may encounter a few snags, Colonel Nodjomian wants customers to know that they will not see a drop in quality of service.

"If we do our jobs right, this transition should be seamless for the customer," Colonel Nodjomian said. "Over time, I expect we'll see improvements across the spectrum of operations. The Air Force specializes in installation management. It's one of our strengths."


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