The 18th Mission Support Group (MSG) provides combat support for Pacific Air Force's largest installation with 18th Wing and tenant units, $6 billion in assets and more than 12,500 acres. The 18th MSG is the largest in the Air Force with a direct budget of $10 million, service revenues of $60 million. The Group offers security, services, contracting, communications, logistics readiness and force management for 25,000 joint residents.
The Group is a liaison to nine associate units and operates Okuma Recreation Facility in northern Okinawa and Bellows Air Force Station, Hawaii.
The Group's Commander also acts as the "Mayor" of Kadena Air Base, serving as the 18th Wing Commander's primary representative to the surrounding communities of Kadena Town, Okinawa City and Chatan Town.
The Group is composed of five squadrons; 18th Communications Squadron (CS), 18th Contracting Squadron (CONS), 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS), 18th Force Support Squadron (FSS) and the 18th Security Forces Squadron (SFS).
The 18th CONS provides contracting support and business advice to the 18th Wing, associate units, and all other Department of Defense (DoD) activities on Okinawa, including DoD Dependent Schools and the Defense Commissary Agency, through the issuance of various construction, service, commodity and utility contracts valued at $300 million annually. The squadron also provides worldwide contingency contracting support.
The 18th CS is the third largest communications squadron in the Air Force, providing fixed and mobile communications to the Air Force's largest combat wing and its 24,000 personnel, seven major commands and 32 tenant units across three land masses and two countries. The squadron's core functions include frequency management; certification, accreditation, and information assurance of base networks; maintenance of a $7 million communications security account; and management of the wing Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, Base Records management and the base Information Technology Asset Management programs. Furthermore, the 18th CS operates and maintains the second largest Post Office in the Air Force, an $81 million network, a $40 million land mobile radio system, a $2.5 million metrological weather radar, 335,000 miles of cabling, 16,000 telephone lines, and 29,000 information technology assets while also moving five million pounds of mail and managing $52 million dollars in projects annually.The 18th CS is the second largest Communications Squadron in the Air Force, providing fixed and mobile communications for 24,000 people, six major commands, 29 tenant units, and joint services. The 18th CS maintains air traffic control systems, computer nets, satellite systems, radios, telephones, and postal services while managing a $2 million budget and $20 million in projects.
The 18th LRS is the largest LRS in the Air Force and composed of 757 authorized personnel. The squadron provides full-spectrum logistics readiness support through four functional flights. The Deployment and Distribution Flight issues 16,000 passenger travel tickets, facilitates 7,000 personal property shipments, processes 933,000 pieces of cargo for outbound shipment, supports 36,000 ground transportation requirements moving 114,000 personnel and 18.5 million short tons of cargo, and deploys 4,330 personnel/1,866 short tons of cargo annually. The Fuels Management Flight issues 67 million gallons of petroleum products annually in support of flying operations and manages the Air Force's second largest ground fuel sales account. The Materiel Management Flight manages aircraft readiness spares in support of F-15, HH-60, E-3, KC-135 aircraft weapons systems valued at $193 million and stores 1.5 million assets. The Vehicle Management Flight provides fleet management/maintenance on 2,064 vehicles, the largest active fleet in the Air Force.
The 18th FSS is a four-time winner of the General Curtis E. LeMay Award for excellence as the Best Large Support Squadron in the Air Force and is recognized as one of the best in the Air Force. The 18th FSS provides community wellness activities, military and civilian support during war and peacetime, professional and off-duty education and family and readiness support programs to the 24,000 military, DoD civilian, contractor and family members that comprise Team Kadena. With 2,400 members and an operating budget and capital assets of $119 million, the 18th FSS operates 58 activities similar to what stateside Force Support squadrons offer only with a greater emphasis on tour packages, vehicle operations, pet boarding, childcare, youth and teen activities, and recreational venues such as Okuma and Bellows Air Force Station. In addition, 18th FSS operates a laundry and dry cleaning plant located on Camp Kinser that provides services to all military installations on the island.
Implementing Air Force programs and policies to secure protection-level resources for Kadena is the 18th SFS. With $6 billion in assets, the 18th SFS provides force protection and law enforcement services for 34,000 Team Kadena members, aircraft security, and maintains the largest security force mobility commitment in PACAF. The squadron has a 58-square-mile legal jurisdiction which includes seven DoDDS schools and 14 housing areas. Additionally, the squadron supports pass and registration services for the installation, criminal investigative capabilities and conducts over 18,000 customs inspections annually.
(Current as of August 2015)