Who's the BOS-I? Base Operating Support Integrator and Senior Airfield Authority at Deployed Bases

This research paper argues that the BOS-I and SAA responsibilities should be executed by a single organization at deployed airbases in order to provide more effective and efficient installation and airfield support to the joint warfighter. Furthermore, the Air Force is better organized and trained than the Army to provide these functions at deployed airbases. The paper first examines CENTCOM guidance on BOS-I and SAA. How the Services are organized to provide both home station and deployed installation support as well as how their engineering forces are trained in these roles is discussed. Some of the problems with how BOS-I and SAA are being provided in the AOR are also examined using Joint Base Balad, Iraq as a case study. The paper concludes with recommendations on how to provide better BOS-I and SAA support in the future.