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NEWS | April 5, 2010

Joint basing provides support equal to service

By Col. Glenn K. Grothe 733d Mission Support Group commander

In January, Fort Eustis took the first formal steps toward joint basing when we activated the 733d Mission Support Group and Joint Base Langley-Eustis officially began Initial Operational Capability. Some base operations functions shifted to the 633d Air Base Wing staff in order to allow them to start functioning as a wing and provide staff oversight of the three groups in the wing - the 733 MSG here at Fort Eustis and the 633 MSG and the 633d Medical Group at Langley.

Over the next seven months other base-operation functions will transition into JBLE. In April, the Directorate of Logistics will become the Logistics Readiness Division, and our Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation and Directorate of Human Resources will merge into the Force Support Division.

This will culminate Oct. 1, when JBLE achieves Full Operational Capability. Our mission, our responsibility, our privilege will continue to be providing for the servicemembers, retirees and their families on and around this installation.

Bonum Bono Accumulate is the Latin phrase for "Accumulate Good upon Good." The phrase is the 633 ABW motto and one we follow as well. As the commander of the 733 MSG that supports the Fort Eustis community, let me explain what it means to me. "Accumulate Good upon Good" to me is providing exceptional services to exceptional people.

Our Soldiers are fighting on two fronts, they are deploying all over the world providing aid to those in need, and they make tremendous personal sacrifices in order to complete their missions. Retirees, who paved the way for today's servicemembers, understand these duties and costs. Family members are holding down the home front, often times serving in all the roles of the household.

As service providers, from car care to waste management, we are serving a unique and special clientele. Those we serve are not just your run-of-the-mill customers. In the divisions that compose the 733 MSG, the clients always have something extra to contend with.

The 733d Security Forces Squadron isn't just issuing tickets to speeders or apprehending drunk drivers; they are protecting the homes and lives of Fort Eustis families whose servicemember is deployed to a war zone. Our police officers are prepared to stop domestic terrorist attempts if necessary.

The Civil Engineer Division just isn't fixing potholes or replacing broken pipes; it's assuring training equipment used to prepare servicemembers for battle and potentially save their lives is operating properly and safely. Our engineers design roads, bridges, tracks and ports that ship and receive supplies essential for mission readiness.

The Force Support Division isn't just running a daycare or issuing ID cards; it's responsible for helping military children cope with living in a single-parent home for12 months or more and assuring retirees can obtain their military records to gain Veterans Affairs benefits. Our counselors advise families how to prepare if their servicemember is killed in action.

The Logistics Readiness Division isn't just issuing government vehicles for travel; it assures operation orders are effective to accomplish mission goals. Our transportation specialists maintain motor pools full of vehicles ready to support drivers training.

The Missions Services Division doesn't just execute force protection exercises; it assures this installation can continue operations during natural and/or man-made disasters. Our operation specialists activate a state-of-the-art emergency center to conduct business when other areas are inaccessible.

The 733 MSG is made up of dedicated employees always willing and capable of supporting the mission. We live Bonum Bono Accumulate because we serve our country by serving those that defend it.