319 MSG pride, dedication, teamwork Published Aug. 24, 2006 By Col. Carla Gammon 319th Mission Support Group commander Grand Forks AFB, ND -- The 319th Mission Support Group provides combat support in the form of civil engineering, communications, contracting, logistics readiness, manpower and personnel, security forces, and services support to fielded forces, the wing and our North Dakota neighbors. What does that mean day to day? Think of our Airmen responding to fire alarms and calls for help, plowing snow, repairing pavement, managing sewage, maintaining phone and computer networks, sending radar signals to Grand Forks Airport, overseeing base-wide purchases and contracts, fueling KC-135s, delivering parts, driving aircrew and passengers, managing our manpower, making ID cards, supporting retired employees, teaching and training students day and night, searching for bombs, guarding our perimeter, jets, schools and families, cooking thousands of meals a week, washing pink towels, coaching sports summer camps, working with the local school board, and training base Honor Guard replacements. What are some of my first impressions of the mission support group? Teamwork! I see squadrons working together within the group to support our customers and our mission. In almost every case, it takes a team of squadrons to get the job done. For example, the 319th Logistics Readiness Squadron repairs and restores security forces vehicles after accidents, keeps our fire trucks in perfect condition and maintains four-wheel drive trucks so that electricians can reach navigation radars and equipment sited well off the beaten path. The 319th Communications Squadron maintains the radios security forces and the fire department's initial responders rely on to call for help. The contracting squadron works with civil engineering on major constructions projects like our runway and base housing. The MSG squadrons also work closely with the maintenance, medical, and operations groups, wing agencies and off-base partners for all to succeed. The services squadron feeds our Airmen, hosts our sports and fitness programs, and provides day care and school-age programs to keep our children safe. The mission support squadron works a host of manpower and personnel issues to ensure the wing's units are organized and equipped with people to perform the mission. The communications squadron maintains the networks for all base users. The LRS provides aircraft parts for maintenance group repairs and provides fuel and transportation for operations group air refueling missions. Our teamwork extends to the community. The LRS received special-purpose vehicles from a local university as a loan to support the air show in July, and services worked with LRS to gain approval for the delivery of bleacher equipment in support of a foreign ambassador's visit to a small town this month. Pride! You can hear it when civil engineering roars, "Built right, battle ready!" You can hear it when a commander brags about a civilian's most recent Air Force-level award. You can hear it when a team reports, "We fixed it - it's good to go!" Dedication! Results such as the wing's Operational Readiness Inspection "excellent" and the Thunder over the Red River air show shout dedication on the part of our Airmen. These results were earned with months of preparation and hard work. MSG Airmen, along with the entire wing, dedicated their efforts to attention to detail, fixing programs and maintaining high standards to achieve these results. The teamwork, pride and dedication of our wing's civilian, enlisted and officer personnel makes us all winners. If you see a blue bike, white helmet and one or two reflective belts, stop me. Let me know how we can improve our support to the warfighter, our Air Force family and the community.