Photo By Peter Chang | U.S. Senator Patty Murray looks through a pair of virtual reality binoculars while...... read more read more
Subscribe
The airmen of the 194th Air Support Operations Group have continuously supported a variety of combat operations throughout the Middle East since the 2001 terrorist attacks, however they’ve been training in out-of-date facilities that have needed major modifications over the years.
“Whatever the threat to Washington families—from COVID, to natural disasters, to conflict abroad—our National Guard is always among the first to the frontlines, and we owe it to them to make sure they can do that work and be as prepared as possible,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA). “That starts with making sure they have modern facilities that allow them to train effectively so they can get, and stay, mission ready.”
On April 20, 2022 Murray visited Camp Murray to meet Washington National Guard leaders after helping secure funds for the construction of a 71,000 square foot Air Support Operations Group Complex to support the current missions of the 194th Air Support Operations Group. The new complex will bring three units, the 111th and 116th Air Support Operations Squadron and the 116th Weather Flight together into the same facility to leverage training resources so they can train like they fight when deployed.
During the visit, Murray toured the current facilities utilized by the units, learned about the mission, took part in a demonstration on a simulator and discussed future projects with Guard leaders.
The planned complex will support multiple simulator programs including the Air National Guard Advanced Joint Training System, Joint Tactical Air Control Party Operations Simulation Suite and the Air Support Operations System Operational Simulations Suite. Currently, the 194th ASOGC units are located in seven dispersed older facilities across Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Camp Murray. The planned new complex will provide the necessary space, increase mission efficiency and effectiveness, reduce energy consumption, improve unit command and control and unit cohesion, ensure the proper protection of vehicles and equipment, and bring the facilities into compliance with anti-terrorism/force protection standards.
“When you talk with soldiers and airmen, they have appreciated the opportunity to perform the missions they have been able to do the last couple years. They feel very rewarded to have an important job like this for our nation,” said Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, the adjutant general, Washington National Guard. “We are going to do even better in a couple of new buildings.”
Just last year airmen from the 194th ASOG continued to support overseas missions with deployments to Syria, Iraq, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Croatia working with Special Operations and NATO partners. Locally the unit was involved in the COVID-19 response, supported the wildfire fighting effort and the presidential inauguration. Airmen also supported Operation Allies Welcome at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, helping support vulnerable Afghans resettling in the U.S.
| Date Taken: | 04.21.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 04.21.2022 15:26 |
| Story ID: | 418977 |
| Location: | CAMP MURRAY, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Sen. Patty Murray visits Camp Murray to discuss new Air National Guard facility, by Joseph Siemandel, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT