Air Force and Navy take care of Marines

Published Dec. 30, 2009
By Senior Airman Jarrod R. Chavana
U.S. Air Forces Central Public Affairs

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq -- A handful of Air Force personnel attached to the base command group work with the Navy to maintain the infrastructure of buildings, feed troops, provide shelter and ensure their basic needs are met at this remote Marine base.

The BCG is comprised of servicemembers from varied career fields who oversee the day-to-day upkeep of the base.

"Our mission in Al Asad is compared to a city mayor," said Senior Master Sgt. Maria Kraft, BCG facilities management chief, who is deployed from Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "We are responsible for all the roads, maintaining the infrastructure of the base, running water, making sure the troops are fed and have a warm bed."

This mission is not without its challenges.

"Every day there is a new change and we have to adapt," said Lt. Cmdr. Marc Bernath, BCG assistant public works officer, who is deployed from Naval Station Norfolk, Va. "There are more than 16,000 personnel living at Al Asad. We don't want to invest U.S. taxpayer dollars incorrectly, so we want to maximize the facilities we have and adapt them for the incoming units," said the Thiells, N.Y. native.

As part of the drawdown, the Marines are redeploying and Al Asad is transitioning into an Army installation. Due to different missions and equipment, some facilities are being altered to accommodate the Army.

"It's like a puzzle; it's our job to figure out where to place them and location is very important," said Sergeant Kraft, who hails from New York. "Before a unit arrives, they will give us their requirements, like how many people are coming, types of equipment they are bringing, and what kind of facilities they will need to complete their missions."

The BCG public works office recommends locations for specific missions to the base camp planning board. If a unit has a large quantity of vehicles, like mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, they figure out where they should enter the base so as to not impede other missions. When that's been decided, they have to figure out where to stage the vehicles and where to bed down the troops.

This is where 2nd Lt. Jeremy Miller's part in the BCG begins.

"My mission is to oversee more than $254 million in life support contracts that include lodging, trash, bathrooms and laundry," said Lieutenant Miller, BCG billeting officer deployed from Robins AFB, Ga.

Maximum capacity of this base is approximately 23,000 military and civilian personnel and there have been times when the BCG had to house troops within office buildings in order to put a roof over their heads, according to Lieutenant Miller, a Billings, Mont., native.

Although each person has a specific mission, the BCG works together to accommodate those who are coming and going.

"The most rewarding part of this job is seeing the pieces come together to make us one big team," said Sergeant Kraft.