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 five, giving insight on the 908th Operations Support Squadron.
The 908th Operations Support Squadron is the main support structure for the 908th Operations Group. The squadron is under the command umbrella of the 908th OG.
Commanded by Lt. Col. Terry O’Grady, the squadron’s mission is to, “establish outstanding support to the 908th Operations Group through the development of our people and professional execution of our functions.” Their vision is to, “provide highly capable and dedicated airmen to global combat operations.”
According to O’Grady, the 908th OSS priorities are, “combat readiness and Airmen development.” To go even further, Airmen development means, “promoting Airmen education, guiding Airmen development and inspiring Airmen to lead.”
In order to accomplish all of this, the squadron takes its 43 total members, 13 of which are full-timers and 30 being traditional reservists, and divides them into five different sections including the aircrew flight equipment section, the intelligence section, the tactics section, the aircrew resource management section and a commanders support staff section.
The aircrew flight equipment section “maintain and provide life support equipment for C-130H operations while training aircrew on equipment utilization,” explained O’Grady.
The Intelligence section “provides current intelligence briefings for global situational awareness while detailing operational threats for more effective mission execution.”
The tactics section “provides mission planning support and training for execution and survival in a combat environment. They also partner with intel to provide aircrews with threat information and procedures to actively defeat both airborne and ground threats ensuring mission success.”
The aircrew resource management section “manages and extracts required flight information and data to ensure for efficient and effective flight training.”
The commanders support staff section, “provides program oversight and compliance with Air Force and DoD policies. They advise squadron leadership and ensure commander’s guidance is clearly articulated across functional lines. They provide task management oversight, coordination authority, and other staffing synchronization. Specific roles and responsibilities include Executive Officer, Resource Advisor, Unit Deployment Manager, Group Training Manager, and Career Assistance Advisor.”
That’s all for the 908th Operations Support Squadron, and the 908th Operations Group. Check back in a couple of weeks to see what unit will be featured next in “We are The 908th.”