SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Scott Air Force Base Command Post is an association between the 375th Air Mobility Wing and the 932nd Airlift Wing. The association makes the Command Post one of only a few Total Force Integration CPs in the Air Force where Active Duty and Reserve controllers work seamlessly as one team to accomplish the mission of both Wings.
Operating 24/7, the Scott AFB Command Post serves as the nerve center from which the 375th and 932nd commanders monitor and manage the readiness and response of the Wings, coordinate the utilization of personnel and resources and control Wing operations.
Here at Scott, our CP team provides mission management for transient aircraft and our own C-40 B/C and C-21 aircraft assigned to Scott AFB, providing worldwide executive airlift support for Congress, White House staff, Department of Defense senior leaders as well as supporting staff. Mission management is only a small part of what we do here at the Command Post. The CP team is also responsible for the coordination of the installation’s emergency management and provides operational reporting to the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, assessing the Wing’s mission readiness.
All of that is important to understand and in my eyes only touches the surface of what our Airmen do on a daily basis in the Command Post. The Airmen sitting shift at any given time are the definition of mission essential. Every controller is thoroughly trained and is personally certified by both the 375th and 932nd Wing Commanders. Our Wing leadership teams put a lot of trust in their ability to provide the command and control they need to effectively lead the Wing and 36 Mission Partners on Scott AFB.
As we all know, the recent snow storm shut down the base for three days. Like our first responders and other emergency personnel on Scott AFB, there were always two Airmen on duty through it all, with one even sleeping here on an air mattress to ensure there was no gap in the mission.
The teams on shift during the weather events provided reports to higher headquarters on the status of the base, they organized weather conference calls with key leaders for daily decisions, and notified the base populous with pertinent information and reporting instructions for Team Scott.