25 EFIS unveils new home

  • Published
  • By SA Eric Jurgensen
  • 5th Field Investigations Region
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  The Air Force Office of Special Investigations 25th Expeditionary Field Investigations Squadron officially activated Jan. 1, 2015. The squadron officially moved into its permanent home March 14, 2016.

The new office space is in the same building as AFOSI 5th Field Investigations Region within the United States Air Forces Europe/Air Forces Africa compound here.

"This facility marks a year's worth of hard work by the Region 5 staff in concert with several OSI Headquarters directorates and our host wing for funding, contract awarding and construction management," said Col. James Hudson, 5 FIR commander.

The new facility is custom renovated to fit the current and future needs of the 25th EFIS.

"It's wonderful to move into a $485 thousand dollar renovated office space complete with state-of-the-art communications, lighting, security, storage and safety infrastructure," said Maj. Drew Schofield, 25 EFIS commander.

"What's really exciting is the opportunity to absorb future growth in mission or personnel requirements," Schofield said. "It's absolutely affected morale in a positive way."

The squadron's new home sports a clean, comfortable office space complete with a dedicated operations planning room, equipment storage and maintenance room and a kitchenette/break room.

The unveiling festivities featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony, an office tour and a reception attended by special guests Maj. Gen. Christopher Bence, 3rd Air Force vice commander, Brig. Gen. Keith M. Givens, OSI Commander and Col. Andrea Kneip, 435th Air-Ground Operations Wing commander.

"It's great to have General Bence and Colonel Kneip participate in the ribbon-cutting," Givens said. "The 25th EFIS is a special unit with unique missions and capabilities. To have two senior leaders from the Air Force units we directly support in Europe and Africa on hand is a testament to the value they place in our mission as it directly impacts the Air Force's ability to operate in austere environments in both Europe and Africa."