HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Col. Taona Enriquez, installation commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Alan Weary, installation command chief, hosted senior leaders from military installations throughout the Northeast region during a first-of-its-kind conference here Feb. 6.
Military and civilian leaders from all six branches attended the conference to connect with their counterparts and discuss resources provided by the 66th Air Base Group.
As the only active-duty Air Force installation in New England, squadrons in the 66 ABG support the total force mission throughout the six-state New England and New York area.
“We have a big footprint in this area, and with that comes a great opportunity for us at Hanscom to serve and connect with our sister services,” said Enriquez.
Representatives from various Hanscom organizations and installation helping agencies, briefed attendees on their respective roles and capabilities and answered questions about how they can assist the total force population.
Presentations were given by officials from both Hanscom and Lincoln Schools, Exceptional Family Member Program, Civilian Personnel, 66th Force Support Squadron, 66th Security Forces Squadron, and Hanscom Family Housing.
Currently at Hanscom, only 40 percent of housing residents are Air Force-connected; the remaining are a mix of Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Navy, and Department of Defense civilian personnel.
“This is the most joint installation I’ve ever been stationed at,” said Enriquez. “There are so many dynamics happening here; we can only move forward by collaborating together to better support our missions.”
The conference concluded with plans for leaders to continue coming together in the future to keep resources and services aligned.
“There is such great opportunity for better integration, and we’ll continue to leverage the pathways of the support [you] need through our helping agencies,” said Weary.