MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Editor’s note: “We are The 908th” is a 16 part series, running biweekly, detailing the workings of the various units in the 908th Airlift Wing. This is part nine, giving insight on the 908th Mission Support Group.
The 908th Mission Support Group is the 908th Airlift Wing’s agile combat support organization.
The 908th Mission Support Group is the echelon of command, and the conduit between, the 908th Airlift Wing and the group’s five subordinate units; the 25th Aerial Port Squadron, the 908th Civil Engineer Squadron, the 908th Force Support Squadron, the 908th Logistics Readiness Squadron, and the 908th Security Forces Squadron.
Commanded by Col. Clinton Cash, the group’s mission is to, “provide, manage, and sustain agile combat support capabilities, anytime…anywhere,” with a vision of, “developing combat ready Citizen Airmen now, bold leaders today and beyond.” The current priorities for the group are combat readiness and Airmen development, with sub-priorities under Airmen development being; promoting Airmen education, guiding Airmen development, inspiring Airmen to lead, and accountability.
The mission support group has more than 400 members in and under its command, ranging from 370 traditional reservists down to nine civilians, all of which play a role in enabling the group to accomplish its mission. A vast majority of those members belong to five squadrons under the group. The group has approximately 12 people that work directly for it, and eight of them are fulltime members.
According to Cash, the commanders support staff section, “provides program oversight and compliance with Air Force and DoD policies. They advise group and squadron leadership and ensure commander’s guidance is clearly articulated across functional lines. They provide task management oversight, coordination authority, and other staffing and administrative support for more than 400 group personnel. Specific roles and responsibilities include Executive Officer, Resource Advisor, Unit Deployment Manager, Group Training Manager, Facility Manager and Career Assistance Advisor.”
Cash then provided a brief description of each of the group’s subordinate squadrons, which will each be featured in the next five parts of this series.
“The 25th APS maintains qualifications necessary for day-to-day operational support for air-land and air-drop capability training of C-130H aircrew, as well as provides deployed air terminal and aerial port sustainment operations for the air transportation enterprise,” explained Cash.
“The 908th CES maintains mission readiness to execute Prime Base Emergency Engineer Force, construction, emergency management, and fire & rescue services in deployed or austere conditions,” stated Cash. “They also support chemical warfare and readiness training.”
“The 908th FSS provides home station and deployed personnel, services, and communications support to the warfighter,” explained Cash. “They also maintain qualifications for manpower, civilian and military personnel, lodging, fitness, wing training, and readiness functions, to include Airmen and Family Readiness support for day to day operations of the wing.”
“The 908th LRS provides and oversees materiel management support for personnel and aircraft day-to-day, fuel, ground transport, vehicle management & maintenance, passenger & cargo movement, and logistics planning and deployment support and expertise for the warfighter to sustain base operating support,” explained Cash.
“The 908th SFS maintains readiness to provide integrated defense and security of personnel and assets in an austere or deployed environment,” explained Cash. They also provide combat arms training to support the wing’s deployment mission.”
The group has had quite a few recent accomplishments.
According to Cash, arguably the most major accomplishment for 2021 is that the group “prepared more than 300 personnel for deployment through combat arms training, chemical warfare training, equipment procurement and providing personnel support under the ever changing constraints surrounding a global pandemic.”
That’s all for the 908th Mission Support Group. The next five parts of “We are The 908th,” will focus on the five subordinate squadrons that fall under the 908th MSG; the 25th APS, the 908th CES, the 908th FSS, the 908th LRS, and the 908th SFS.
Located at Maxwell Air Force Base and operating a fleet of nine C-130H Hercules cargo aircraft, the 908th is Alabama’s only Air Force Reserve wing. The wing has approximately 1,200 Reserve Citizen Airmen, serving in more than 20 career fields, with Air Reserve Technicians, civilian employees and Reservists on active duty tours conducting day-to-day operations. The 908th is currently executing the largest deployment in wing history, sending nearly 300 Airmen to locations around the globe.