354th FSS to activate April 29

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Eielson Air Forces base will be honoring Maj. Catherine McGowan in an inactivation and re-designation of command ceremony of the 354th Force Support Squadron 3 p.m. April 29 at the Yukon Club.

In January 2007 the Air Force selected Eielson as one of six bases Air Force wide to test the merging of the Mission Support and Service Squadrons into a single Force Support Squadron; Eielson is also the only one testing the merger in the Pacific Air Forces. In July of the same year, Eielson held a change of command ceremony to commemorate the transition of the squadrons.

The approval of the new FSS structure was April 1.

"The original ceremony (in July) combined the MSS and SVS into a 'provisional' FSS organization while we were under the test," said Sandra Horsman, 354th FSS deputy commander. "This ceremony is to inactivate both the MSS and the provisional FSS while re-designating SVS as FSS proper."

Col. John Stutts, 354th Mission Support Group commander will be presenting Major McGowan with the prestige of commanding the new squadron.

The Force Support Squadron is the result of force-shaping initiatives to make the Air Force stronger as a whole by streamlining processes, increasing customer services and cutting costs associated with maintaining separate organizations.

"The test was to ascertain the best way to structure the new squadron as opposed to whether the squadrons could merge," said Ms. Horsman. "The challenge for every base is finding adequate facilities to physically collocate similar functions. When we can do that, we are sure to find even more opportunities to increase efficiencies."

The new FSS includes five flights: Force Development, Manpower and Personnel, Airman and Family Services, Sustainment Services and Community Services.

All of the new flights are convergences of units in prior squadrons whose missions closely relate to one another--for instance, the sustainment services flight contains food operations, fitness and wellness and lodging operations.

The deputy commander said the new organizational structure has provided many positives.

"The new squadron has created many synergies," she said. "The combination or mortuary programs and casualty affairs in the Airman and Family Readiness Center has really provided all the support functions under one umbrella and increased the effectiveness of both functions."

Likewise, she said, the placement of the A&FRC under the Airman and Family Services Flight has allowed the coordination of family and Airman programs to reach out to a wider variety of groups and has allowed marketing of the programs to reach a wider audience.

A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. For more information, contact Capt. Billy Jeffords at billy.jeffords@eielson.af.mil or 377-5004.

Richard Salomon contributed to this article.