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XP provides deployed operations "big picture"

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Bahja J. Jones
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  As the largest expeditionary wing in the world, with thousands of Airman, comprised of joint and coalition forces, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing depends on a thorough planning cell with a "big picture" outlook of the entire installation.

"We oversee the base," said Lt. Col. Mike Jason, the 379th AEW plans and programs chief deployed from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. "We have to know everything that's going on to ensure mission effectiveness for current and future operations."

The 379th AEW plans and programs, or XP, can be broken down into four major functional areas: developing and managing contingency plans for the wing and higher headquarters; the focal point for missions entering and exiting the installation; exercise development and execution; and self-inspection program management.

"Our primary mission is to dovetail the 379th AEW's plans into U.S. Air Force's Central Command and U.S. Central Command plans for any type of contingency response action," Jason said. "We focus on subsequent operations that could potentially happen if things start to get a 'little more interesting' in several key AFCENT AOR locations."

Along with emergency action program oversight, they provide key inputs for policies essential for day-to-day operations and planning for those emerging in the future.

"For example, we are currently redeveloping a community of practice between the 379th AEW and the host nation that will define our relationship as we transition into a more enduring posture here," Jason explained.

XP is one of the few outside agencies who work directly with the Combined Air and Space Operations Center on a regular basis to go over long-range planning factors.

"The CAOC depends on XP to answer the 'what if' questions," Jason said. "If we were asked hypothetically, 'What if we brought in 20 new airframes to the 379th AEW?' We are the ones who can best answer this question with a big picture perspective since we take into account mission footprint, equipment and space needs, personnel, etc."

That perspective also translates into XP's function of facilitating emerging missions, beddowns and departing missions here.

"In the past couple months, we've had at least four units beddown here," said Jason. "We handled all of the logistics pieces as far as coordinating with different wing organizations that would support their incoming missions."

They coordinate with civil engineering for lodging, force support for meals and any squadron that may provide services to that particular group while they are bedding down. In that same right, they also oversee when missions are being relocated from the base. They need to know when and how, the units will be moving out, and what will happen with the facilities left behind.

Additionally, they are responsible for ensuring the wing is always "at the ready" through exercise implementation.

"We do all of the standard wing exercises to include major aircraft response, active shooter and suspicious package, theater ballistic missile attacks and mass casualty exercises," Jason said. "The exercises that we do here are for the 'fight tonight' scenario that we could potentially encounter within this area of responsibility."

From contingency planning, to emergency response and bedding down, the 379th AEW XP has a critical support function here.

"It's very important we succeed at this mission because we are directly involved in every mission at the 379th AEW and many others within the AOR," said Maj. Sam Moore, the 379th AEW XP deputy chief deployed also from Joint Base San Antonio.