Philadelphia native, deployed from Joint Base MDL, provides force support for Southwest Asia base

Photo By Master Sgt. Jenifer Calhoun | Senior Airman Darnell Holmes is a services journeyman deployed to the 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron at non-disclosed base in Southwest Asia. Here he is pictured, June 1. Holmes is deployed from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Force Support Squadron, 108th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and his hometown is Philadelphia, Pa.  

(UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)

06.03.2010

Story by Senior Airman Jenifer Calhoun 

380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Senior Airman Darnell Holmes is a services journeyman deployed to the 380th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron at non-disclosed base here.

Airman Holmes is an Air National Guard Airman deployed from the New Jersey Air National Guard's 108th Force Support Squadron, 108th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., and his hometown is Philadelphia, Pa.

As a services journeyman with the 380th EFSS, Holmes supports the morale, welfare, fitness and recreation of more than 1,900 deployed service members for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.

In the 380th EFSS, services support programs range a myriad of areas and Holmes has to be ready to support any one of them. According to his official Air Force job description, services Airmen like Holmes manage and direct services programs, operations and retail operations. They supervise and work in appropriated fund food service and lodging activities, recreation, fitness and sports programs, linen exchange operations, mortuary affairs programs, honor guard teams, and services readiness programs.

In managing services operations, Airmen like Holmes help improve work methods and procedures to ensure economic operation and customer satisfaction. They also resolve complaints, apply accounting principles to control resources, determine appropriated and non-appropriated fund budget requirements, and requisitions and accounts for subsistence, supplies and equipment needed to support services programs -- to name a few.

Furthermore, services Airmen like Holmes also identify facility requirements and conduct surveys to determine facility renovation, construction and modernization needs, the job description states. They also establish and supervise bare-base facilities that provide food, fitness, lodging, sports management, recreation, laundry, mortuary services and field exchange operations to deployed personnel.

In performing their deployed duties, the job description shows services Airmen like Airman Holmes operate fixed, bare-base and portable food facilities and equipment. They plan, prepare and adjust menus and they determine resource availability, pricing and merchandise trends as well as carrying the ability to trains unit fitness monitors to conduct unit fitness evaluations.

In all the services functions, Holmes has to maintain mandatory job knowledge in areas such as accounting procedures, management principles, merchandising, marketing, automated information systems, food service facility operations, subsistence management, requisition and issue procedures, menu planning and lodging operations, the job description states.

The 380th EFSS is a sub-unit of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The wing is home to the KC-10 Extender, U-2 Dragon Lady, E-3 Sentry and RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft. The wing is comprised of four groups and 12 squadrons and the wing's deployed mission includes air refueling, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of overseas contingency operations in Southwest Asia. The 380th AEW supports operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom and the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

• Date Taken: 06.03.2010
• Date Posted: 06.03.2010 02:45
• Story ID: 50755
• Location: (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION)