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***image1*** The 38th Combat Support Wing stood up a new group, two new squadrons and realigned two squadrons from the 435th Air Base Wing Monday.
Col. Rich Weathers, 38th CSW commander, presided over the ceremony that stood up the 431st Air Base Group, the 431st Civil Engineer Squadron and the 431st Air Base Squadron. Both the 700th Contracting Squadron and the 569th U.S. Forces Police Squadron now fall under the 38th CSW as well.
“Standup of the 431st Air Base Group and associated squadrons represents the continuing evolution of the wing, which is inextricably linked to the transformation taking place throughout (U.S. Air Forces in Europe),” said Colonel Weathers.
The wing, based at Sembach, is responsible for more than 3,300 military and their families based at 45 geographically separated units spanning nine countries.
With the wing’s focus of providing necessary care and support of the GSUs, the new 431st ABG commander will focus on the facilities and people in the Vogelweh, Kapaun, Einseidlerhof and Sembach areas.
“I’m honored and excited to be named as the commander for this new group in this great wing,” said Lt. Col. Peter Ellis, 431st ABG commander. “We all know what superb people and talent we have here and I’m eager to be a part of that great team – forging a tradition of excellence for our new group.”
The group is responsible for a laundry list of tasks covering practically every functional area. It will provide police services within a radius of more than 1,000 square miles consisting of Vogelweh, Kapaun, Sembach, Einseidlerhof and 10 Army Posts. The group is responsible for the maintenance of more than two million square feet of real estate and 80 miles of roadway and specialized contracting support to units and operational support to Department of Defense units throughout Germany as well as contingency response in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Finally, there are a host of service functions, which include the library, auto skills center, lodging and fitness centers.
“The standup of this group acknowledges the tremendous workload of supporting the KMC that previously rested solely on the 435th ABW and helps to balance some of that load between the two wings,” said Colonel Weathers.
