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Col. Benjamin C. Jones, right, U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach commander, and Stephen Povilaitis, left, Installation Management Command ADVON team leader at Mihail Kogâlniceanu Air Base, Romania, listen to a briefing on the transfer of base operations from USAREUR to IMCOM during Jones’ first visit to the site, which is overseen by USAG Ansbach.
Story and photo by Terese Toennies, Black Sea IMCOM ADVON Team
MIHAIL KOGÂLNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania (Aug. 10, 2016) – The U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach commander and the director of operations for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management visited the U.S. military installation at Mihail Kogâlniceanu Air Base here Aug. 3 and 4.
Col. Benjamin C. Jones, who became USAG Ansbach commander in July, and Lt. Col. Ryan C. Dickerson, Ansbach liaison to Installation Management Command (IMCOM) in the Black Sea Area, toured the facilities in Romania with Maj. Gen. Ted Harrison III, the director of operations for ACSIM.
Mihail Kogâlniceanu, or MK, and its sister installation Novo Selo Training Area, or NSTA, in Bulgaria are the latest Army permanent forward operating sites supported by IMCOM with base operations. Installation support at both sites falls under the purview of Jones and Ansbach.
“It was important for me to see the mission, facilities and people here early in my command to understand the critical role we at Ansbach play in supporting a crucial element of our Eastern European defense strategy,” said Jones. “Seeing it firsthand demonstrates how I can best provide for the needs of our IMCOM team in order to facilitate service delivery and allow the units training there to focus on their mission priorities.”
“Each element of his [Jones’] visit provided a snapshot that adds to the bigger picture of the most important aspects of working and living in Romania,” said Stephen Povilaitis, the deputy support team commander.
For Jones, the trip was an excellent introduction.
“The visit was a success,” he said. “It allowed me the opportunity to meet with IMCOM team members on the ground and hear directly from them as to the incredible strides they’ve made in their short time since standing up IMCOM there.
“I have a better understanding of the unique benefits and challenges of Camp MK and NSTA,” continued Jones. “I had an opportunity to engage with senior leadership in order to advocate for future resourcing. It’s the key to ensuring the continued safety and overall quality of life of our service members stationed in and deploying to the Black Sea Area.”
To see the story as it appears on the Army News Service, visit www.army.mil/article/173076.
