An MQ-9 Reaper sits on the flight line at Hurlburt Field, Fla., May 3, 2014.The MQ-9 Reaper is an armed, multi-mission, medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft that is employed primarily as an intelligence-collection asset and secondarily against dynamic execution targets. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Staff Sgt. John Bainter)

Commentaries

CC suggestion box responses for June

  • Published

Here are the comments/suggestions and the commander's responses:

CSS

Comment: CSS needs walk-in hours. The appointment requirement for all working hours is absurd for TR’s. I could not get an appointment until next month. While the waiting room is empty. Wing members need to be able to walk-in and get service. – Better customer service for wing members, especially TR’s who aren’t able to make an appointment 1 month in advance.

Response: Individuals from the 919th SOW requiring personnel support have the option to make an appointment or walk-in for service during the UTA weekends, where it’s first-come, first-served. The waiting room in the 919th SOFSS is empty due to technicians meeting scheduled appointment times and attending to customers who made appointments. This significantly decreases wait time and packed waiting areas. If you do have an issue that FSS leadership can resolve, like this one, please bring it to the attention of the 919th SOFSS commander, director of operations or superintendent. They want to help and will do their best to accommodate 919th SOW members between scheduled appointments if at all possible.

Softball Field

Comment: Utilize the softball field as a dog park. – 1. Increase morale and family participation at Duke Field. 2. Co-utilize a very underutilized softball field. – Cost would be minimal to fix gates, post signs and a dog poo bag dispenser.

Response: We try our best to make Duke Field an enjoyable place to work and play. However, since there is currently no one living on base full-time and pets are not allowed in billeting, it is unlikely that a dog park would get enough use to justify the cost associated with development and upkeep of such an area.

Gym

Comment: Three separate comments: 1) Need the gym to be 24 hours; mid-shift needs the capability to work out. 2) 24 hour gym; mid-shift workers need to exercise. 3) With the increased amount of personnel moving to mid shifts, I was hoping to see the hours extended at the gym to accommodate these individuals; they need to ability to work out on their lunch breaks.

Response: The fitness center hours were originally set several years ago to meet regulatory guidance that states “…a Wingman system will be used at all times…” (AFI 34-266). The analysis of fitness center usage at the time showed that there were few people working mid shifts and concluded that there was minimal chance that there would be more than one person working out at any giving time from 2200 to 0500. Now that the number of mid-shift requirements has increased, we will look into updating the fitness center hours. Due to the AFI guidance, as well as common sense safety measures, there will have to be some means to ensure there is more than one person in the gym at a time. I will need the input of those on mid-shift to come up with a way to make this work.


Radar Hill

Comment: Is radar hill closed to all traffic? I normally run on it but the barriers are up.

Response: The barriers are meant to stop vehicle traffic which created a safety issue for people running on the hill. I know that very few people drove over it, but I witnessed it myself and was concerned that a car coming over the crest of the hill would be face on to people exercising. Please continue running on the hill if you wish!

Note:  This will be the last time I respond to the suggestion box inputs before departing for my next assignment. Thank you for bringing issues to my attention over the years. I hope that it was a valuable forum. No matter what the future is on this program under the new wing commander, you still have a way to bring your ideas and concerns forward. Most of the issues raised were not known by anybody in leadership positions before these cards brought them to our attention. If there is a problem, tell your supervisor, first sergeant or commander. Make sure that somebody knows that there is a problem, or it will never be fixed!