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Q&A pt. XVI: mission, facilities, personnel, and guest speaker

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

Here is the next round of “Q&As,” which are in response to questions asked during my last Commander’s Call.

All of the responses are also posted on our internal Sharepoint site and Scott’s public website, www.scott.af.mil, for future access and review. Please keep the questions coming!

 

MISSION

Why can’t customer service organizations (MPS, Medical) curtail their “training” events to a weekend?

Thank you for your question. We have looked at ways to limit disruptions to customer service agencies. Many of our customer service centers stagger their training so they can offer limited hours even on training days. But each of those areas also need to spend time focused on their training so they can ensure their Airmen are ready to perform their wartime mission. I’m sure you can also appreciate that we try to limit work on weekends for our teammates so they can enjoy time with friends and family.

 

Will Scott Air Force Base ever have an incentive flight program for Airmen who have never been on a military aircraft?

I’m happy to share that our Ops Group is diligently working to complete guidance for an incentive flight program. We should have it in place very soon and will let you know when it’s ready to implement.

 

Are there any plans to dissolve the MICT program? It is a repetitive product, takes up a time and manages programs that are already managed.

Great question! There are no plans to stop using MICT in the near future. While I understand that it is not always the most user-friendly program, it is used by commanders and functional area managers to assist in monitoring the status of vital programs requirements. It allows subject matter experts within a unit to communicate, via virtual means, with their leadership and FAMs about the status of their programs.

SMEs are empowered with the ability to document when something needs leadership attention and allows them to ask for additional resource assistance, such as funding or guidance. It’s a tool that empowers each Airman to identify areas of non-compliance internally so that the issue can be rectified more efficiently. Additionally, our IG regularly engages with the AMC/IG for recommendations on improvements to the MICT software, and we have seen several of these changes implemented.

Finally, we are in the initial phases of exploring options that will reduce the burden on the unit assessors while still meeting the direction of the Air Force.

 

Do you still fly? If so, would you be willing to pilot a mission with Aeromedical Evacuation?

Yes, I do still fly, but not as often as I would like. I “grew up” flying the KC-135 and I flew the KC-10 while I was deployed for a year to Al Dhafra AB. Today, I am grateful to have the opportunity to fly the C-21 with members of the 458th and 457th Airlift Squadrons. I’d be honored to fly an AE mission on the C-21, but those are pretty tough to come by. I’d appreciate the opportunity to jump on one of our AE missions on another aircraft and join you in the back. I’d love to watch our awesome AE teams in action!

 

FACILITIES

Is there a way we can have the Shopette (Express) open longer? For people who work at night and are hungry, we have to go off base to get food.

Our AAFES partners manage the Express and Exchange, and maintain their hours based on their business model. They take much care to accommodate many of our community needs. Unfortunately, AAFES would need substantially more evening customers to justify opening and maintaining an employee presence for extended hours.

 

PERSONNEL

Why is it so much harder to discipline civilians as compared to the military?

This is a widely held perception, but in reality, proper documentation is the key to rehabilitating behavior. If behavior cannot be corrected, complete documentation is required to properly administer discipline. If you’d like assistance in this area, please contact our professionals in Civilian Personnel.

 

For those of us who are lower ranking what is the best way to handle a boss who dislikes you?

This is a great question because our jobs fill a significant part of our days, and when we don’t feel liked by our boss, it can be overwhelming. There are a few things I’ve learned during my career when I’ve been in this situation.

We all know this, but it is worth restating that the only behaviors we actually can control and change are our own. For me, this means making sure that I am not only doing my job to the best of my ability, but that I remember to maintain my professionalism as well as my humor.

And, sometimes, when I’ve thought a superior didn’t like me, it has been a misperception on my part. Some of my superiors have had mannerism or even a personality that did not go well with mine. In that situation, I encourage you to work hard to have feedback loops in place.

Remember, feedback should not be unilateral. Two-way feedback and mutual respect are critical to ensuring that you both have a common understanding of expectations, performance, and contributions.

 

Ma’am, do you believe that the MSgt promotion board has a negative impact on retention levels?

I have not seen any data or information that would lead me to believe there is a correlation between the MSgt board and retention levels. In general, current retention levels are in line with Air Force manning and future projected manning, and I believe we are promoting the right people.

 

GUEST SPEAKER

Can we have General McDew come speak as a Professional Development Enhancement opportunity?

Gen. Darren McDew (commander, U.S. Transportation Command) is an amazing speaker, and we will certainly keep him on the top of our invite list. He graciously accepted our invitation to speak at several Wing events last year including the CGO Leadership Forum as well as the 2015 Air Force Ball and the 2015 Armed Forces Ball. If there are additional opportunities in the future, we will extend an invitation to him to share his insights and experiences with our servicemen and women.