by Capt Chip Hollinger, Course Director

“Services is the chief enabler of Airmen (human) combat capability and productivity by countering human mission degradation factors of combat stress, family separation anxiety, depression, sleep deprivation, immune system deterioration and energy loss. Services conducts regeneration of the human combat weapon system through life-sustaining and healthy diversions, ensuring Airmen are decompressed and singularly focused on Combatant Commanders’ mission objectives (Services CONOPS, 2006: 14)” – this is the premise for how the newest leaders within Services are trained and equipped to provide mission-essential morale, welfare, and recreational programs designed to regenerate our number one warfighting asset – our Airmen.

The successes realized by our combatant commanders are deeply rooted in the foundation established here at AFIT's Civil Engineer and Services School through such courses as the Services Management Initial Skills Course. This basic skills course is the flagship introductory course for all company grade officers entering the Services (34M) career field and is comprised of active duty, guard, and reserve officers, optimizing total force utilization. Our goal is for students to comprehend the mission, organization, and operation of AF Services at base-level as well as the interface with other base-level organizations and higher headquarters. This training supports the process of readying the warfighter to produce a responsive, sustainable, and survivable support force prepared to promote and defend national interests anytime, anywhere. Throughout the six-week course, there is an emphasis on in-garrison combat support, mortuary affairs, and contingency operations; the final week is conducted in the field training environment at Tyndall AFB, Florida. During the in-garrison combat support block, we focus on AF Services doctrine and the direct contributions that advance combat capabilities at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. We educate students on Appropriated and Non-Appropriated Funds management, personnel management, marketing, and customer service. In addition, we guide students through the various home station sustainment capabilities designed to build a sense of community, enhance Airmen and family reunification, facilitate infant to teenager development, and conduct mortuary affairs.

Educating our students on home station combat support and the inevitable transition to force sustainment in a contingency environment is pivotal. Our contingency operations training examines the specific capabilities and processes within our core competencies: feeding operations, lodgment of forces, mortuary affairs, fit to fight programs, Airmen regeneration (recreation), learning resource centers, and protocol. During Officer Field Education (OFE) at Silver Flag, we test students’ ability to successfully integrate the various functional areas within Services. We “deploy” as integrated flights with our Civil Engineer Management (WMGT 101) students to a “bare-base” location and build a forward operating base, utilizing the plans developed in the classroom. This “hands-on” experiential learning environment provides our students with the opportunity to perform every task their enlisted troops will, from operating heavy equipment to planning and producing meals, giving a realistic perspective of life in a contingency environment. As a result of this direct application, our students gain a fundamental understanding of how Services’ specific capabilities directly integrate with the other combat support functional areas to achieve the synergetic effects of agile combat support. From the front line to the home front, Services is a force multiplier!