DUKE FIELD, Fla. -- The 919th Special Operations Wing commander installed commander's comments/suggestion boxes at various locations around the base. When the questions/comments are applicable wing-wide they will be published on the home page and members who provide their name and contact information will be contacted directly.
Here are the November comments/suggestions and the commander's responses:
Sharepoint
Comment: The 919th SharePoint is underutilized. Agencies that support the base, such as Public Health, Hazmat, etc have a duty to publicize information to assist squadrons with maintaining their programs. If we are subject to inspections by such agencies, we shouldn’t have to hunt for the information we need to be in compliance. The SharePoint is a great tool that would allow everyone on base to have access to AFI’s, local OI’s, lesson plans and other documents. Is there a plan to expand the sharepoint so that information can flow more easily? By the way, the Safety SharePoint is stellar! It’s a shining example for other agencies to emulate.
Response: The SharePoint is a work in progress as you point out. We currently are having an issue with access to the site. We have come to rely on it for many functions and then when it is down, it creates significant problems. I ask that you communicate to the program manager for whichever program you need information for exactly what you are looking for. I will point all the wing program managers to the safety SharePoint as a good example to follow.
Computers in 3078
Comment: More than half the computers in bldg. 3078 have been down for well over a month. How can comm get away with not fixing these computers? My work station computer has been inop since before Halloween. I have made multiple requests and been ignored. We need these computers to do our jobs! If aircraft Mx were allowed to hold our fleet to sit unmaintained there would be heads on chopping blocks! There is a double standard here that needs to be addressed. Require comm to work 12 hour days until computers required to do our jobs are all working.
Response: As soon as I got this comment card, I had the 711th SOS and 919th SOG review all the computers in the building. They found 16 systems that had some sort of problem. As a side note, no one had submitted any trouble tickets or called comm for the majority of those computers so they were unaware of the problem. As of the last week of January, nine of those computers have been fixed and are back on line, three were scheduled to be back on by February 2, and three that we were told were inop cannot even be located.
Regarding your comments about the comm squadron, since November the members of that unit have not only been working long days, but the majority of the weekends. They have recently completed an Eglin-wide computer system inspection and are currently dealing with a 64-bit migration and a very large tech refresh. In addition, they have been putting comm into buildings 3044 and 3115 where parts of MXG will be moving starting next week. In short, their plates have been full and they have been dealing with the same manning and funding problems that everyone else has. You can help by making sure a trouble ticket has been submitted and don’t assume that someone else is taking care of it. If there are wider issues like “half of the computers” being down, tell you supervisor or commander. A problem that has that large of a mission impact will be prioritized and be addressed faster that way than if you wait for an answer to a comment card.
Fitness Center
Comment: Please allow adult dependents to use the gym, especially spouses who are Reserve, but not assigned to Duke. Family fitness! We live in Crestview, Eglin is too far to drive when we pass by Duke. The Army is allowed to crowd the gym? Why, when the Army base is down the road.
Response: As previously discussed in this forum, the regulation that governs Unit Fitness Centers (as well as the agreement with the 96th TW that allowed us to stand it up) does not allow dependents or retirees to use the gym. You mention that your spouse is a Reservist, but not assigned to Duke. Is your spouse still a member of the 919th SOW and stationed at Hurlburt? Please contact me so we can see what we can work out.
Comment: The Duke Field fitness center is not designed to be overrun by the Army every morning. It is overcrowded and hard to get an effective workout when the equipment is in use. The Army is also not on the cleaning schedule as well. How do we remedy this situation to provide an adequate facility for the members of Duke Field?
Response: Even though it has taken me a while to respond in writing to your note, we started researching to figure out the scope of the problem as soon as I received it. I had the fitness center manager doing head counts throughout the day for several days to see if there was a time when the fitness center was “overrun”. We did this in January, a month that normally sees higher usage of the facility while a number of people are attempting to stick to their New Year’s resolutions. The highest head count during the time we surveyed was well below the max capacity of the center. I happened to be in at that time, and there were still cardio machines available as well as weight machines. In return for allowing the 7th SFG to use our facility, we get access to theirs for fitness testing. This may not have impacted you personally, but for those who have tested on the indoor track during adverse weather, it is a great option that I prefer to keep available.
Comment: I have noticed that our brethren from across the street (7th SFG) like working out in their multi-cams. Is working out in UOD now allowed?
Response: No, the rule requiring that proper athletic attire be worn is still in place. The fitness center manager states he has only seen a few people working out in uniform and he has directed them to change or to leave. He is not there at all times the fitness center is open. If you see people breaking the rules or behaving inappropriately, please say something to them and let us know afterwards. We have banned people from the fitness center and will continue to do so for those who cannot follow the rules.
MPF
Comment: Made appointment on 12/21/15 for 1130 on 12/22/15. Showed up on time, 1120, absolutely no one present in office. Two days of work time wasted so far by myself and sponsor. Finally, we opened the door and called out, 1145.
Response: As a result of this note and other comments, there have been several changes made at the FSS. I hope that as a result of these changes that we will have no further problems like this and that our customers will have a much better experience as a whole.
Travel Vouchers
Comment: Each UTA we are required to send unit members on the voucher ODL to FM for help submitting their vouchers correctly. Sometimes Eglin FM comes here to assist and that seems to work out really well. However, when Eglin is not here, our members are mainly assisted by TRs at FM. MSgt McDonald and Mrs. Phyllis Williams do an excellent job of helping with vouchers, but they cannot be expected to assist every person.
As a result, nearly every voucher that was resubmitted last month was returned by Eglin even though 919 FM walked them through the voucher (simple things like missing required documents and itinerary dates not matching the orders). When Eglin is here to assist the members, the issues are fixed on the spot instead of the vouchers being kicked back on Monday where they sit for another month until the member is here again to resubmit.
Suggestion: Can we get Eglin FM here every UTA to assist with these issues so they can be fixed on the spot? If that is not possible maybe 96th FM can do some refresher training with the 919th FM TRs so they are more knowledgeable and know more of what Eglin FM is looking for on eFinance vouchers. We can even have 919th AOs attend the training as well.
Response: Absent any specifics, I can't speak to your particular circumstances, but I did task FM to perform an analysis of our January UTA results to identify any issues we might have within our internal process. The data reflected 32 vouchers submitted by wing personnel under the oversight of our FM Reservists, with six of those returned by 96th CPTS for correction. This rate is high enough to suggest the existence of a potential problem.
Further analysis revealed each of the six returned vouchers was submitted under the oversight of the same FM Reservist, indicating an isolated rather than a systemic problem that's easily rectified with some additional training. As a group, our FM reservists are highly competent Airmen who produce consistently good results in support of this wing. It would be nice to have representatives from 96th CPTS available each UTA, but it's not always practical for them to be here.
Information Protection
Comment: (Edited for length) I would like to know why we (919th SOW) do not have our own IP (Information Protection) office. Unit security managers have to rely on the Eglin IP office for assistance. They are great by the way, but we could have our own IP office and therefore would not have to do both HAF checklists and local Eglin checklists in MICT. I know the answer is probably funding and probably why fix what isn’t broke, but Eglin does not work on weekends. Yes, it would require hiring at least two more full time individuals but… please consider creating your own IP office for information, personnel and industrial security.
Response: The answer is not just funding, but the difference between a host and a tenant wing. By regulation, the IP office resides at the installation host and not inside tenant wings. Even though Eglin IP does not work weekends, the delays in issues like security clearance processing normally come when the eQIP is pushed back to the unit security manager and sits due to that person being a TR or just not keeping up with those duties. I cannot create positions on my own. In this case, a request for manpower to create an office that resides at the host as prescribed by regulation would not get any traction. There are individuals and offices in the 919th SOW that can help with your issues and your unit security manager should know who those are.
Kudos
Comment: SMSgt Kent was my first career advisor and got my career started. She is a shining example of what a NCO should be. She pushed me to strive for my best, and as a result, has led me to making a decision to boost my career. SSgt Austin Carroll
Response: There are plenty of people who agree with you as she was selected for the SNCO of the Year for the wing. Thank you for recognizing a wing member who has made an impact on your career!
Please keep the comments coming; I will answer them as soon as I possibly can. If possible, provide your name and contact information in case we have follow-up questions for you or to let you know directly what is being done about the issue you bring up.