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Wing Commander Q&A: Travel without leave, CACs for contractors and civilians, and road work

  • Published
  • By Col. Laura Lenderman
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander

Here is the next round of Q&As from my most recent Commander’s Call.

I posted these responses and previous Q&A to our wing Sharepoint site and our public website, www.scott.af.mil, for future access and review.

Please keep the questions coming!

 

PERSONNEL ISSUES

What is the hour restriction on how far you can go without taking leave?

Great question! AFI 36-3003, Military Leave Programs, outlines specific requirements for leave and leave status. In accordance with the AFI, when Airmen are off duty, they are technically on a “Regular Pass” (aka “liberty”).

Commanders may not impose mileage restrictions when Airmen are on liberty. However, they may require Airmen to be able to return to duty within a reasonable time in the event of operational mission requirements such as a recall, unit alert, or unit emergency. Every situation is different, and I recommend talking with your leadership to determine what policies apply for your unit or your occupation.

I was curious as to why the Wg/CC is not able to sign retirement letters of appreciation due to terminal leave. My Airman’s retirement ceremony is in June and his date of separation is in August. It has come to my attention that Col. Lenderman is unable to sign his retirement letters. Why is that? It is more meaningful to have the current commander who has had direct contact with the retiring Airman to personally sign letters for him and his family.

I apologize for this misunderstanding as I believe we may have passed along inaccurate information.

I am able to sign retirement certificates for all members whose ceremony takes place while I’m in command. Thank you very much for taking care of your Airman.

I was wondering why some contract employees wait 8-10 weeks to get a Common Access Card? I have witnessed several instances where healthcare providers such as doctors wait months to get a CAC. I feel its abusing taxpayers’ dollars and it's embarrassing to explain to the employee that this is normal. Is anything being done to expedite/improve the process?

Thank you very much for your question. While I don’t have a very satisfying answer, I did want to share that the process to create a contractor profile in DEERS is different from establishing military/DOD civilian member profiles. While Military Personnel Flights are able to build military/DOD civilian profiles in DEERS, they do not have the capability to create contractor profiles, as that responsibility shifted to the Trusted Associate Sponsorship System Operator which is a DOD-level system. Once a contract has been established, the TASSO must complete routing to have the profile built and uploaded into DEERS. Ultimately, timelines vary based on the TASSO building the DEERS profiles. Importantly, we have elevated our concerns about the extended timelines, and will continue to advocate for quicker CAC turn-around times for our contractors.

 

INSTALLATION & FACILITIES

Why keep do we keep resurfacing Scott Drive and not making the road concrete instead?

Thanks you for your question. We appreciate your concern. After talking with our engineers, I learned that asphalt pavement offers the best value for the Air Force for the type of traffic and the amount of wear and tear on Scott Drive. While we do have concrete pavements in some areas of the installation, overall, concrete is significantly more expensive, and requires extensive cure time resulting in much greater disruption to traffic and access. Concrete is typically used for very high volume and high speed roadways, such as interstates. Thank you again for your question and helping us look for ways to improve our installation.

 

Paul Revere Road has some pretty bad pot holes. When will those get fixed?

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. Hunt Family Housing is already making repairs, as weather allows. You should see most of the remaining repairs completed this month.

Please let us know if you have any additional concerns about our roads across the installation.

 

Is there any way to set up regular combatives/mixed martial arts training at our gym or elsewhere?

Great question! The answer depends on what type of practice you'd like to conduct. To instruct a class (five or more members), certain requirements must be met in addition to reserving space. Per AFI 34-266, para 2.1., group exercise instructors must have and maintain a primary instructor certification by an AF-recognized organization listed on the AF Fitness and Sports Manager’s website. Group exercise instructors also maintain current First Aid and either the American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support/Automated External Defibrillator (BLS/AED) or the Red Cross’s Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/Automated External Defibrillator (CPR/AED) certification.

If you’re interested in instructing a class, please coordinate with our Fitness staff and provide copies of your certifications prior to offering a class. If four or fewer individuals are simply teaching each other and practicing skills, there are no certification requirements.

We have multiple indoor and outdoor locations for you to practice martial arts/combat training. During warmer months, our outdoor field, adjacent to the dining facility, provides a soft surface conducive for that sport. Indoor space is at a premium, but our indoor racquetball courts at the James Sports Center can be reserved on a first come, first serve basis. If you will need mats, please reserve the court at least 48 hours prior and notify the James staff that you will need the mats so they can bring them out of storage. Please contact the Fitness Center Staff and/or Gailyn Gonzalez at 256-1218 for additional information and ways to reserve a space.

 

How often are the base lakes stocked with fish?

Good question. The US Fish and Wildlife Service conduct an annual survey of fish populations on both lakes. The last survey was completed in April and based on the survey, there were plenty of sunfish and bass. However, Cardinal Lake was restocked this spring with channel catfish and bluegill.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

Is it too late to schedule the F-22 demonstration team to perform at the airshow?

Thank you for your question. While we were able to coordinate an F-22 static display a few weeks ago, the F-22 demo team will not be performing at the airshow. The demo teams select their performance locations based on the main act performing for the airshow. This year, we have the Thunderbirds performing at our show, and a Navy asset usually follows an Air Force demo team. We’re excited to share that we do have the Navy’s F-18 demo team performing this weekend. Please visit www.scott.af.mil/airshow2017 or download the Scott Airshow App on your Android or Apple device for maps, information and more!

 

What is the parking plan for the airshow? Parking is limited here.

Excellent question! Parking will be limited during the Air Show, but we have a good plan to maximize the space we have available. To expedite traffic flow and parking, drivers will be automatically directed to parking areas located on the base depending on the entry gate. In addition, visitors may use the MetroLink (highly recommended) or enter base by walking or bicycle.

 

I heard that the DOD ID cardholders are able to attend the practice airshow June 9. I am wondering, why the medical clinic is not able to participate in this as they are currently scheduled to be open the entire day June 9. Additionally they are all required (unless on leave) to be working both days, approximately 12 hours a day, either on the flight line or at the clinic. When are the medical members supposed to be able to enjoy the air show with their families? Additionally, as far as I know, there is no “comp time” for the medical members who are required to work. Essentially they will be working 14 days straight. I understand that this is a once in a ‘great while’ occasion, but is it so vital to potentially compromise morale/mental health?

Thank you very much for your question and concern. Yes, with schedules permitting, DOD ID cardholders will be able to attend the practice air show on Friday. As this is a high demand event for medical personnel, a large majority of our medics will work either Saturday or Sunday, but not both. On the day they are not assigned to provide medical support, personnel will be free to enjoy the air show with their families once they have signed in at the Medical Group for accountability. Please understand that events such as airshows require an enormous amount of support especially from those in the fields of medical, fire, and law enforcement, and we greatly appreciate their hard work and dedication to ensuring we all enjoy such great event safely.

 

I noticed on the CC Call Questions and Answers that rucksacks/back-packs are not authorized for entrance to the airshow. Does this include baby-carrier back-packs such as those normally used for hiking?

That is a great question. You are correct that backpacks are not allowed at the airshow; however, diaper bags and items such as baby carriers like are allowed provided they are in support of the care or transportation of a baby or small child. To stay up to date with the latest news and information about the airshow make sure to download our “Scott AFB Air Show” app in the Apple or Google Play.