Photo By Bob Harrison | BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN (Oct. 15, 2016) - U.S. Army Col. G. Shawn Wells, Jr. and...... read more read more
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BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN (Oct. 15, 2016) – With the ceremonial cutting of the cake, U.S. Forces Afghanistan establishes a headquarters element to oversee base support operations at several key U.S. locations throughout the country.
The Area Support Group – Afghanistan (ASG-A) is formally established today to oversee base support functions at Bagram Airfield, Kandahar Airfield, and forward operating bases Fenty, Gambieri, Shorab, Dwyer, and Lightning.
U.S. Army Col. G. Shawn Wells, Jr., ASG-A commander, cut the cake at Koele Dining Facility at the start of today’s lunch time meal.
The new ASG is formed from the existing Base Support Group – Bagram (BSG-B) that until today had support responsibilities only for this airfield. Now, the new group will lead and manage the transformation of existing military/civilian integrated base support operations into newly formed civilian-administered base support groups or teams at the other locations, according to Wells.
“What I see the ASG doing is bringing synergy to installation support here in Afghanistan,” said Wells.
“Under ASG-A, you will have BSG’s. Using a hub/spoke method of organization, the larger camps will have a fuller BSG that will be directly linked to the ASG, the smaller camps will have a team that link directly to the nearest, larger, BSG,” added Wells.
The new organization will use Department of Defense (DoD) guidelines such as Common Output Levels of Support and Expeditionary Levels of Support to establish baseline requirements for life support systems and morale, welfare, and recreational activities, such as food services, environmental needs, and physical fitness facilities, according to Wells.
“I might not be able to have a basketball court here. But, I’ll have a work out room. I’ll still be able to maintain my physical fitness here at a forward operating base,” said Wells.
“We’re here in a combat environment, we do what we can to continue to enhance our readiness. We’re focused on the Soldier and the team that we have here,” he added.
The ASG and its subordinate BSG’s and teams will be staffed predominantly with DoD civilian employees. The new organizational structure allows military units that had been required to provide their own base support functions to focus completely on the train, advice, and assist and counter-terrorism missions, according to Wells.
“With the CEW (Civilian Expeditionary Workforce) program, we are reaching back into the States and getting great volunteers from each of the services. We have a great group of folks supporting our organization that gives us that level of expertise. Especially the folks coming from [Army] Installation Management Command because they do this for a living. It’s great having them on board kicking this new organization off,” said Wells.
The ASG vision is to grow an organization, leveraging the civilian expeditionary work force, to enhance the readiness of the warfighters and logisticians here in this combat environment, according to Wells.
“Whatever base, camp or station we are at, whether that is at TAAC-South [Train Advise Assist Command – South], TAAC-East, or throughout the CJOA [Combined/Joint Operations Area], we feel that’s what we do for the folks that are there. The tenant organizations, we enhance their readiness. We provide them that projection platform to go and do what they need to do in theater,” he added.
Area Support Group – Afghanistan
“Enhancing Readiness”
| Date Taken: | 10.15.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 10.16.2016 04:50 |
| Story ID: | 212132 |
| Location: | AF |
| Web Views: | 960 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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