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Active, Reserve components assemble to become Total Force FSS

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Daniel Phelps
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

The 349th and 60th Force Support Squadrons have always had a strong partnership; on March 6, the two units will form a union in a shared location as the Travis Air Force Base Total Force Support Squadron.

This transition came about as a directive from Headquarters Air Force, said Maj. Melissa Johnson, TFSS action officer.

“The conditions are right for this to work at Travis,” said Maj. Naomi Henigin, 60th FSS commander. “This is a very natural progression for us.”

Since receiving word that they would be a TFSS, the two squadrons worked extensively to develop a transition strategy, complete with a memorandum of agreement and a master training plan, to ensure a seamless move, said Maj. Susan Labrecque, 349th FSS commander.

“This is transformational,” Henigin added. “The future of the Air Force is Total Force—we can’t afford to keep doing things the same way. This is Travis on the leading edge, but this is hard.  We have been delayed by six months because we are doing it right. We are integrating more than any other TFSS has, and our documents are more thoughtful.”

The 349th and 60th already had a great working relationship and had been conducting joint training before they heard about the transition, Henigin said.

This integration is important, Labrecque said. On the Reserve side, whenever Airmen are deployed, it takes time to get spun up on regular Air Force processes.

“This integration will help cut down on that time,” she added. “These are the systems they will be working on when they deploy.”

Both reservists and active duty will learn the other’s systems, Henigin continued.

“Our plan is for customers to have no idea whether they're being aided by a reservist or active duty because that’s irrelevant,” Henigin said. “This will save time for our customers and increase proficiency for our Airmen.”

The transition will also be helpful for those who find themselves with new coworkers.

“It’s good for our active duty Airmen to understand the differences between the statuses of Reservists,” Henigin explained. “It allows for them to be better informed, and can enhance continuum of service for these Airmen if they decide to separate from active duty.”

A lot of reservists have been in the Force Support career fields for a long time, said Johnson. They bring years of experience and knowledge on the systems and processes. There is stability that comes from having Citizen Airmen embedded with active duty because they create continuity, when there is turn over on the active duty side.

“They are the anchor for a quicker battle rhythm,” she added.

The commanders expect that traditional Reservist personnel specialists will benefit from jumping into this new environment on annual tour.

“I think the vitality of the young Airmen will invigorate the Reservists when they come in,” Labrecque said. “We expect this to be a huge morale booster.”

“It’s like the first day of school: we’re a little nervous, but mostly excited,” Henigin commented.

The commanders wanted to make clear that neither unit would disappear. Squadron identities were not going away and chains of command will stay the same.

“We are still the 60th and the 349th,” Henigin said. “But, we are the Total Force Support Squadron.”

Day-to-day operations would be together, and disciplinary actions would be under the prospective chain of command, Labrecque said.

The training plan for the move already began a few months ago, when Henigin sent a few 60th FSS personnelists to work at the 349th FSS to get familiar with their processes.

“Training will be the key factor in this,” Labrecque said. “We have our MTP and will be going through that. The most important thing for people to know is that it will be okay.”

The level of customer service will not change, just the location, the commanders stated.

Customers needing military personnel or DEERS/military ID services should head to the Customer Service Center in Bldg. 381.

The 349th FSS Airman and Family Readiness Center will collocate with the 60th A&FRC in Bldg. 660 on Travis Ave.

349th FSS Education and Training will collocate with the 60th FSS Education and Training Center in Bldg. 249 on Hickam Ave.