SATAF gets total-force welcome

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Schaap
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  A Site Activation Task Force arrived Dec. 2 to help plan significant growth within the 931st Air Refueling Group.

Known as a SATAF, the task force received a total-force welcome that included personal greetings from Col. Edsel A. "Archie" Frye Jr., 931st ARG commander, and Col. James C. Vechery, 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander, the 931st's host unit at McConnell.

The 931st ARG will grow by more than 400 aircraft maintenance Airmen and this growth includes increased support from the 22nd ARW, Colonel Frye pointed out, and he thanked Colonel Vechery and the other 22nd ARW leaders present at a SATAF in-brief.

Lt. Col. Jeffrey Pickard, 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander, introduced the SATAF team to 931st ARG and 22nd ARW members ready to discuss historic changes for Team McConnell. Growth-related topics of concern, he said, included the need for more vehicles, security clearances, medical support and dining facility capabilities.

"As we stand here now," Colonel Pickard said to the task force, "we feel very strong about what we are doing."

The SATAF leader, Lt. Col. Simeon Highsmith, followed with an outline of his team's purpose. In general, the SATAF addressed the costs and impacts of growth, assess current projects involved and help "determine the way ahead." The team's primary objectives, he said, were to "evaluate facilities" and "streamline" hiring processes.

The "small" team Colonel Highsmith said he brought with him includes Airmen and civilians who specialize in addressing areas of concern like those mentioned by Colonel Pickard. After the in-brief, they paired up with 22nd ARW and 931st ARG personnel to form small working groups.

The groups conferred for more than two days before a concluding a out-brief Thursday afternoon. They will release a completed SATAF report is expected approximately two weeks following the visit.