Multinational operation supported by 39th FSS

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clayton Lenhardt
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office
INCRILIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Providing lodging and logistical support for more than 1,200 NATO personnel from three different countries can be a challenging task. Fortunately, the 39th Force Support Squadron here is prepared.

NATO personnel from the U.S., Netherlands and Germany are transitioning through Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in support of NATOs Patriot Missile Deployment after Turkey requested the missiles to defend its border with Syria.
The NATO service members live in Patriot Village, Incirlik's contingency lodging area, which is capable of housing more than 1,800 people.

"These guys are going to be heading out to their respective places and if I can make it a little bit more comfortable for them, that's what I want to do," said Tech. Sgt. Henesha Edwards, NCO in charge of maintaining Patriot Village. "They're kind of crowded, but they tell me that it's better than living in a tent. So, I'm happy that they're happy."

At Patriot Village, service members have access to recreational areas, laundry facilities and transportation services. One of the most frequented locations is the Sultan's Inn Dining Facility, where more than 87,000 meals were served in January.

The dining facility has recently hired additional employees to serve the influx of hungry customers, said Andrew Pastula, Sultan Inn Dining Facility manager. By bringing in more employees during each shift, there are enough cooks, servers, dishwashers and cashiers to accommodate the increased number of patrons.

"The good thing about being at Incirlik is it's already a remote location so we're kind of prepared all the time," said Pastula. "We've gone into our own contingency mode, via personnel, ordering products, and using our assets [such as] extra tables and chairs to get our customers served and through the lines more quickly. We know it's crowded, but we believe so far we're doing a good job taking care of everybody."

From dining to personal matters, 39th FSS provides deployed service members access to all of the squadron's functions and programs, such as financial education courses, stress management classes and military family life consultants.

Master Sgt. Ann Mitchell, NCO in charge of the Airman & Family Readiness Center here, said service members deployed in support of the Patriot deployment are welcome to use the center's services, which include free computer use, Wi-Fi, fax machines and financial counseling.

The 39th FSS's planning, preparation and ability to adapt greatly contributes to the 39th Air Base Wing's support of the NATO deployment of Patriot batteries to Turkey, said Lt. Col. Bernadette Bowman, 39th FSS commander. The unit plans to sustain their efforts and develop additional ways to help make NATO service members feel at home.

"We are excited about hosting our NATO allies here at Incirlik, and are pleased to offer quality facilities and support programs to this important mission," Bowman said.