377th Air Base Wing gains new maintenance group

  • Published
  • By Vicki Stein
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON, D.C. --  The 377th Air Base Wing will gain a group when the 377th Maintenance Group activates during a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Mountain View Club.

Col. Thomas Ventriglia will assume command of the group.

The stand up of the 377 MXG is a result of the Program Action Directive Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, signed Nov. 20 which details the transfer of munitions squadrons responsible for nuclear mission support from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Global Strike Command.

The realignment of functions will place the command, control and authority for the operational mission with the 377th Air Base Wing commander.

The 377 MXG will assume the roles and responsibilities of the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group and the 498th Munitions Maintenance Group which were deactivated during a ceremony here Thursday.

"This is a significant milestone for the 377th that will continue to enhance the operations of the nuclear enterprise," said Col. Thomas Ventriglia, who will command the 377 MXG.

Under a previous move, these munitions squadrons were consolidated under AFMC's Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.

With Air Force Global Strike Command now fully mission capable, the time is right for a final realignment under the command that also has responsibility for daily nuclear deterrence operations, Schwartz said.

"The munitions squadrons were placed under Air Force Materiel Command at the outset of our effort to reinvigorate the nuclear enterprise," Schwartz said. "AFMC and its leaders have done an outstanding job restoring excellence in munitions operations, and they, along with the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, will remain a key part of the nuclear munitions sustainment and integration process."

The realignment will allow for enhanced unity of command under a single major command responsible for most of the nuclear operational mission, he said. This will continue focused oversight and standardization of nuclear weapons, cruise missiles, and re-entry vehicles/systems maintenance, storage, accountability, handling and control.

"Most important, by doing this we are continuing to strengthen the nuclear enterprise while seeking constant improvement and doing things the best way possible for safe, secure and effective operations," Schwartz said.

Squadrons, such as the 898th Munitions Squadron at Kirtland AFB, will realign in place as well as remain about the same size organizationally, so disruptions to operations and people at the units will be minimal. The 898 MUNS will realign under the 377 MXG.

"Almost two years after being established, Air Force Global Strike Command is now a mature organization capable of integrating the munitions function into the larger nuclear mission," Schwartz said.

During the next several months, officials at the Air Force's Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Directorate, as the Air Staff nuclear mission integrator, will lead the internal implementation process, including specifics regarding final manpower and unit realignments.

Editor's note: Danny Monahan contributed to this article.