Mission Support Group, What we do...

  • Published
  • By Col David Hale
  • Commander, 442 FW Mission Support Group
WHITEMAN AFB, Mo. --  Just as the name implies, supporting the wing is our mission.

There are numerous ways the Mission Support Group supports our Airmen every month, whether they know it or not.  Have you eaten at the DFAC (formerly known as the "chow hall" by us old guys) over the UTA lately?  Members of our Services Flight report as early as 0430 to prepare the meals.

Have you taken a Fitness Assessment recently?  Our Services Airmen run that program too.

If you are enrolled in PME or upgrade training and are taking any end-of-course tests, then the Force Development and Training section is taking care of you.

Were you recently promoted?  Have you received a new ID card recently?  Once again, another section of our Force Support Squadron is there supporting you.

Our Communications Flight works behind the scenes to provide us reliable computer connectivity that allows us to do our daily jobs.

If you have ever deployed, the Logistics Plans section of the Logistics Readiness Squadron has been an essential element of your deployment.  From pre-deployment preparations to coordinating all airlift requirements for passengers and cargo, the Log Plans section ensures our deploying forces are mission ready and in place on time. 

The government vehicles you drive are maintained by our Transportation section while the Fuels section keep the thirsty A-10s fueled.  Our Supply team ensures we have what we need, when we need it.

Although our Security Forces Defenders do not have a home station security role, they have deployed 19 times since 9/11 to locations such as Iraq and Afghanistan with teams as large as 44 members providing installation security in hostile environments.  When it is time to complete your weapons qualification, it's our Combat Arms staff proving the expert training at the firing range.

Our Civil Engineering Squadron possesses significant capabilities beyond the basic building trades that you may not be aware of.  Our firefighters conduct extensive joint training exercises and augment the host base fire and emergency services.  The EOD crew has quite a collection of gadgets and robots to assist them in the disposal of explosive ordinance.  Our Emergency Management shop provides us our Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear training and is prepared to respond to any imaginable emergency situation that may arise.

As the new 442d Mission Support Group Commander, it is my honor to serve along with the Airmen of the MSG to provide support to the finest wing in AFRC.