Change is trademark of mission supporters

Published June 17, 2008
By Staff Sgt. Tanya Holditch
Keesler News

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. -- The 81st Mission Support Group includes many diverse organizations with varied missions, but change is one thing they all have in common.

"Change is nothing new for MSG," said Col. Rod Croslen, commander. "All of our units and Air Force support groups will undergo some sort of transformation within the next few years -- civil engineer, security forces, communications, force support, contracting, supply and transportation squadrons will all be affected."

"People have embraced the change," said Colonel Croslen. "But what they are normally concerned about is how the change affects them, and we are helping them through that."

One example of how change can affect Keesler members in a positive way is April's merger of the 81st Services Division and 81st Mission Support Squadron to form the 81st Force Support Squadron.

"Two teams that focus primarily on taking care of our people are now under one roof -- it's one-stop shopping," said Colonel Croslen. "The new name is all everyone has to get used to."

Colonel Croslen admits change isn't always easy in every case. One of the biggest challenges has been the A-76 process, which turns over many of Keesler's support functions to a contractor next year.

"A-76 is definitely something we must press forward with here at Keesler," he said. "We have tried pursuing every other option and there's no other way -- this has a lot of momentum," he said.

Whatever the change, people's lives will go on, said Colonel Croslen.

"Keesler will go on and the Air Force will remain the most respected Air Force in the world," he added. "We need to change to stay on top. We must adapt to maintain our combat capabilities as the world around us changes."

Physical changes can be seen everywhere at Keesler, nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina slammed the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

"No one wanted to go through Katrina, but it allowed us to replace 25-30 percent of Keesler's infrastructure to include facilities and underground utility systems," said Colonel Croslen.

Of the 542 post-Katrina construction projects for which the 81st CES has been tasked, only about 120 would have been necessary if Katrina had not hit Keesler.

"One of the things I am most proud of is not the change and construction, but rather the spirit of the people in the MSG," commented Colonel Croslen. "If you think about it, the majority of our civilians have been facing A-76, and then they dealt with Katrina in 2005. They have been unstoppable.

"Our workload is nine times what it is normally and we still managed to get an excellent in (last year's) operational readiness inspection, and our security forces protect the installation without asking for additional manpower," Colonel Croslen said.

The 81st MSG recently won 42 awards at the major command level, nine at the Air Force level and the commander-in-chief installation excellence award.

"These are tremendous accomplishments," said Colonel Croslen. "I'm just the commander -- these awards are the direct result of the hardworking people of MSG. Their spirit, can-do attitude, desire to go forward and their passion for excellence, despite all of the changes around them, is truly remarkable."

"Our goal here in MSG is to bring to fruition all of those ideas that Col. (Greg) Touhill, (81st Training Wing commander), brought with him to Keesler: renew, reload and rebuild," said Colonel Croslen. "That's what we do."