Mission
The 325th Force Support Squadron is one of six squadrons assigned to the 325th Mission Support Group, 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The 325 FSS is the most widely diverse organization at Tyndall, providing more than 20 different activities, military, civilians, retirees, and families. The unit manages food services, lodging, personnel and manpower, recreational support, family services, youth programs, professional development and education.
The Airman and Family Services Flight provides active duty members, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and their families a wide range of services: relocation, information and referral assistance; Air Force Aid; financial guidance; spouse employment, transition; and Family and Life skills. The flight provides support programs for families when the sponsor is deployed. This flight is also responsible for our Child Development Center and Youth Center, providing child development services and recreation opportunities to the families of Tyndall AFB.
The Community Services Flight provides affordable, adaptable, customer-focused and community driven programs. Additionally, the flight provides leisure-time facilities and equipment to meet the social and recreational needs of the Tyndall community. Leisure-time facilities include the Oasis/Community Activities Center, Tyndall/Outdoor Recreation, Arts & Crafts center, Auto Hobby skills development center, ITT/Tickets and Tours, Base swimming pool, Archery ranges, the base marina and FAMCAMP.
The Force Development Flight offers a variety of professional development, educational services and support to Team Tyndall members. The flight has a broad academic offering for enlisted, officers, civilians and their dependents in furthering their education. Additionally, the flight provides professional military education through the First Term Airman's Center for Airmen for Airmen arriving at Tyndall as first duty station. The Airman's Leadership School prepares our Airmen as they transition into the ranks of non-commissioned officers. Our Career Assistance Advisor is available to guide Airmen in choosing career paths and offers continuing professional education classes to further their knowledge, skills and abilities. The Tyndall AFB Library supports the community through by providing education, reference and reading materials for all ages.
The Civilian Personnel Flight consists of the Appropriated Fund (APF) Civilian Personnel Section and the Non-Appropriated Fund (NAF) Human Resources Section. Providing comprehensive advice on the full range of human resource management functions to senior leadership, squadron leadership, activity and management consultation to ensure APF and NAF personnel support services comply with federal laws and regulations, improve effectiveness, and allows resource savings for the installation. To recruit and retain a highly qualified, motivated, and diverse work force to achieve the assigned missions of the installation.
The Military Personnel Flight provides a range of key services on Tyndall AFB that supports the administrative and personnel needs of our total force team. The MPF provides military benefits and entitlements through the DEERS system, to include the issuance of ID cards for service members, dependent families, retirees, and civil service employees. They assist inbound personnel arriving at Tyndall in aligning their military records and updated entitlements to their new duty location. Additionally, the MPF provides counseling on military promotions, retentions, retirement & separations, ensuring Airmen are properly guided through each milestone within their Air Force career. Finally, the MPF processes award and decorations, coordinates enlisted and officer evaluations and manages the special duty assignment pay program for select Air Force specialties.
The Manpower and Organization Flight advised commanders from 3 commands, 6 groups, 15 squadrons, 19 Operating Locations, and 7 detachments on resource management and organizational alignment. The office is dedicated to supplying innovative management services to help the wing manage its manpower resources. In addition, this office is the focal point for the wing's Best Practice, Air Force productivity enhancement programs, and Continuous Improvement and Innovation (CI^2).
Sustainment Services Flight provides hospitality services to base personnel from lodging accommodations, to food, fitness and official postal services. The Sand Dollar Inn provides lodging for temporary duty and transient personnel, leisure and social events for more than 26,000 annual guests through 122 available units. The Berg-Liles Dining facility provides hot, nutritious meals to more than 42,000 personnel annually. They also offer high quality flight meals for pilots, operation and ground meal support. The flight also manages the Official Postal Center where they provide secure smart mail lockers to the Airmen residing in the dorms and facilitate all official mail operations on the base with an annual average of receiving approximately two thousand packages and sending out roughly 1.6 thousand packages. Lastly, the Sustainment Services Flight manages the Tyndall Fitness Center which focuses on physical fitness, instructional classes by offering on average 77 aerobic classes a month and intramural sport leagues throughout the year.
The Military and Family Readiness Center provides active-duty members, retirees, Department of Defense civilians and their families a wide range of services: relocation, information and referral assistance; Air Force Aid; financial guidance; spouse employment, transition; and Family and Life skills. The flight provides support programs for families when the sponsor is deployed.
History
The 325 FSS was activated Nov. 3, 2008 when the former 325th Mission Support Squadron and 325th Services Squadron merged into a joint squadron. The 325th Mission Support Squadron history was a long and honorable one. First activated on June 9, 1948, at Hamilton Air Force Base, Calif., the 325th Base Services Squadron was assigned to the Air Base Group, subordinate to the 325th Fighter Wing. The wing moved to Moses Lake Air Force Base, Wash., on Nov. 26, 1948 and the 325th BSS made the move as well. The squadron was deactivated on March 10, 1950, but was reconstituted and redesignated the 325th Mission Support Squadron on Aug. 15, 1988 at Tyndall AFB, Fla., as part of the Air Force' program to realign certain combat support group functions, and again supported the 325th Fighter Wing. The Manpower and Organization Flight was added to the squadron in October 2004 as part of a Headquarters, Air Force-directed merger between personnel and manpower. During the same time, the Career Assistance Advisor (CAA) position was repositioned to the squadron and the FTAC was realigned directly under the CAA.
Similarly, the 325th Services Squadron shared a long and honorable heritage. Its history branches from the service's morale, welfare and recreation programs originated during the Revolutionary War when food, lodging and sale of goods by settlers provided income to post funds. Congress officially recognized military welfare and post funds in an 1861 Civil War appropriation bill. During that time, organizations such as the United States Sanitary Commission (forerunner of the American Red Cross) and religious groups were visiting troop locations and providing forms of recreation. When a huge citizen army was established during World War I, library services, troop canteens, sports programs, cultural arts programs, a motion picture service, and the United Services Organization (USO) were founded. Service clubs were begun in World War II. Since that time, these services have evolved into a growing multi-faceted leisure time program.
On Oct. 1, 1991, Tactical Air Command officially activated the 325th Morale, Welfare and the Recreation (MWR) Squadron and the 325th Services (SVS) Squadron under the 325th Support Group. Tactical Air Command was deactivated June 1, 1992, and the squadrons were activated under Air Combat Command. The 325th MWR Squadron and the 325 SVS were integrated into the 325th Morale, Welfare, Recreation and Services Squadron (MWRSS) on Oct. 1, 1992. As a result of the realignment of Air Force major commands, Tyndall became a part of the Air Education and Training Command on July 1, 1993. On Jan. 1, 1994, the 325 MWRSS was officially re-designated the 325 SVS. The 325 FSS continues to provide support to the 325th Fighter Wing by orchestrating combat support, military and civilian personnel programs, recreation and leisure activities, base education and force development, manpower and organization, family support and youth services. This unit is uniquely posed to prepare our future leaders, support their family members and coordinate actions in support of global contingencies for the 325 FW.
Unit Emblem
The 325 FSS emblem is symbolic of the squadron's many activities that support the base. Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The olive branches signify peace and peacekeeping of the defense mission. The lightning flash represents power and readiness. The torch is a symbol of excellence and describes the attributes of strength, vigilance, spirit and camaraderie that are the center of the force support mission.
Current as of October 2024