Colonel to take command of new U.S. Joint Base

BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Col. Gina Grosso Col. Gina Grosso WRIGHTSTOWN — The first steps have been taken toward making Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst a reality.

“As of March 3, Col. Gina Grosso has taken command of the 87th Air Base Wing at what will be officially called, effective Oct. 1, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst,” said 87th Air Base Wing public affairs SSgt. Danielle L. Johnson. “Col. Grosso was formerly working at the Pentagon for the Department of Defense before coming to Joint Base.”

On Oct. 1, Grosso will take command of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

The 42,000-acre Joint Base is partially located in Jackson and Plumsted in Ocean County, and in part of Burlington County, and is home to Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force units.

Noting that her family has historic ties to the region, Grosso said she was thrilled and honored to be the first commander of the Air Force’s newest air base wing and future installation commander of the joint base, which will be comprised on McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst.

“My father served in the Army Air Corps during World War II,” Grosso said during the assumption of command ceremony. “And much like today, he went through Fort Dix when he was mobilized after the war. I am sure he never conceived of having a child who would one day be a part of the tremendous Fort Dix mission, and in particular a daughter.”

Johnson said as the 87th Air Base Wing commander, Grosso will be in charge of providing installation support to more than 40 mission commanders at McGuire, Fort Dix and Lakehurst, the U.S. Department of Defense’s first joint base and the only joint base that is being consolidated.

Grosso is also responsible for providing mission-ready expeditionary airmen to combatant commanders in support of joint and combined operations, Johnson said.

Grosso entered the Air Force in 1986 as a Reserve Officer Training Corps distinguished graduate from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. She has held several command and staff positions throughout her career, Johnson said.

As a staff officer, Grosso served as an operations analyst, personnel programs analyst, Air Staff and Office of the Secretary of Defense action officer, major command director of Manpower and Personnel, and she was the director of the Air Force Colonel Management Office.

Her command tours include a Headquarters Squadron Section, Military Personnel Flight, Mission Support Squadron, and command of the Air Force’s sole Basic Military Training Group.

Officials announced that Col. Scott F. Smith will continue at the Joint Base as commander of the 305th Air Mobility Wing.

“Previously he was the vice commander of the 305th,” Johnson said. “He will be replacing Col. BalanAyyar, who was the previous commander.”

In a speech marked by nods to the historical might of U.S. military aviation, Smith promised that the reorganized 305th Air Mobility Wing would continue to pursue excellence.

“While we diligently sustain a mission focus, we will develop as airmen,” the colonel said. “Whether you are in your first or your last year of service, whether you wear the uniform or join the line as an Air Force civilian, we will carry forward the obligation and the calling to nurture the growth and education of airmen, each of us beginning with the one in the mirror.”

Johnson said the mission of the 305th Air Mobility Wing will continue to be as before, providing air mobility support to U.S. Department of Defense locations worldwide.

The wing’s KC-10 and C-17 aircraft provide the linchpin of global mobility through aerial refueling and air-land capabilities in support of national security objectives, combat operations, contingencies and humanitarian relief efforts worldwide, Johnson said.

“The 87th Air Base Wing, which was activated on March 3, provides installation support to McGuire Air Force Base and will also provide support to Joint Base McGuire [as of Oct. 1],” the staff sergeant said. “A base realignment and closure initiative will combine support functions for the three installations, McGuire Air Force Base, Fort Dix and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst at that time.”

The establishment of the new 87th Air Base Wing is the first of three important milestones for Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst. The second milestone will occur March 31, when the joint base is scheduled to begin initial operating capability, and the third milestone will occur on Oct. 1, when real property and funds for the joint base are set to transfer to the Air Force.

Clarifying what will happen, Johnson said the 87th Air Base Wing became activated March 3, and the 305th Air Mobility Wing, which previously provided installation support for McGuire Air Force Base, will continue with its flying missions.

“The 305th will continue to operate the C-17s and the KC-10s and the aerial port function, which basically loads the cargo onto the aircraft,” Johnson said.