GSUs complete the puzzle

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Patrice Clarke
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  If you walk around Incirlik Air Base you can see the different missions. From the 39th Medical Group making sure every member of Team Incirlik is medically ready to ensure freedom's future to the 728th Air Mobility Squadron getting the passengers and cargo to the doorstep of the fight; what each member of Team Incirlik does can be seen everyday. Those aren't the only missions happening here in Turkey. Incirlik supports six different geographically separated units around the country who are just as important in ensuring freedom's future. Personnel at these places perform different and unique missions.

The largest GSU Incirlik supports is the 425th Air Base Group, located in Izmir. This GSU supports NATO Air -Izmir by providing medical, legal, logistics, communications, security forces, morale, services, financial and engineering support. NATO Air-Izmir is a joint/combined military community which is the Air Component Command subordinate to JFC Naples Headquarters and is solely responsible for C2 of Air Operations and will be the AIR FOCUS HQ responsible for the oversight, planning, coordination and execution of all air-related tasks.

Combined Air Operations Center Six, or OL-A, is located in Eskisehir. People at this location plan, direct, task and coordinate tactical air operations of tactical command units as directed or delegated by the NATO Air-Izmir commander.

Detachment 1 and the Office of Defense Cooperation Turkey are both located in Ankara. Det. 1 is the military liaison between the 39th ABW and ODC-T. The ODC-T coordinates with the Government of Turkey to obtain approval of military imports, exports, transfers, installations and operations in Turkey. Det. 1 is also the focal point for support to U.S. military personnel in Ankara. The detachment provides a wide spectrum of communications support and maintains the Ankara Support Facility.

The one GSU that affects every base member is Operating Location-B. OL-B, located in Istanbul, is a major processing center for all U.S. military mail coming in and out of Turkey. The detachment provides mail support to U.S. Forces assigned to Turkey and deployed personnel in support of operations within and outside of Turkey. It also supports Department of State, Department of Defense and retired personnel.

"Our GSUs are very important," said Col. "Tip" Stinnette, 39th Air Base Wing commander. "They each bring a different key element to the fight ... contribution that is needed to continually and successfully complete the overall mission."

Though the missions of Incirlik's GSUs aren't noticed by every base member, they still make an impact on ensuring freedom's future.