Please keep the questions coming!
PERSONNEL ISSUES
Why are civilians required to do PT on base? Some people (like myself) work out better at home to DVDs. Can we get approval from supervisors on a case-by-case basis?
Thank you very much for your question. I asked our team to double check to see if there was a way we could allow civilians to work out from home. However, according to AFI 36-815, Absence and Leave, “Employees must be present prior to or following fitness time. In order to minimize travel time away from work, employees will utilize installation fitness facilities or facilities immediately adjacent to the installation or work center with which the employee or agency may have an agreement to provide fitness facilities for that agency. Fitness time is normally approved in conjunction with the lunch break.” The wing policy may be found on our wing EIM page. If you have any follow-up questions regarding absence and leave or, please contact your squadron leadership or our Civilian Personnel team at 256-9337.
INSTALLATION & FACILITIES
The temperature of the water at the CDC is very high. This poses a risk to toddlers who wash their own hands and to children too young to communicate that the water is too hot. I’ve been told Civil Engineering is not able to repair the problem. Is there anything that can be done?
Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention. Our Civil Engineers responded and lowered the water temperature to 110 degrees in order to provide a greater buffer between the set temperature and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended maximum temperature of 120 degrees. Thank you again for ensuring we were aware of this issue.
Why are there stop signs at the roundabout in Lincoln’s Landing? I was under the impression that roundabouts exist to allow traffic to flow continuously; however, I feel it would alleviate congestion if they were removed.
Thank you for your question! We discussed this issue with Hunt Family Housing who owns and maintains the houses and roads in Lincoln’s Landing. The reason there are stop signs at the roundabout near the entrance to Lincoln’s Landing is due to multiple incidents in which pedestrians were injured or placed in jeopardy due to motorists’ unfamiliarity with roundabout “rules of the road.” Additionally, we discussed this concern at the quarterly Traffic Safety Coordination Group, chaired by the Mission Support Group Commander, and determined it would be prudent to retain the stop signs.
I have noticed that some of our Government Owned Vehicles have a light sensor that turns on the headlights in hours of darkness due to the photocell. What I have personally seen on and off base, as well as during trips across our great country is that this light sensor has been made by the factory to only turn on the headlights, but not the rear running or brake lights. This factory preset is causing our GOVs to be driven around with only headlights, and with zero rear lights even when the brake pedal is engaged. If we cannot replace our GOVs, we should raise awareness of the manufacturer’s design issues and require our Airman to turn the light knob to the “ON” position to turn on “ALL” appropriate lights at that time.
What a great observation and suggestion!
Our Wing Safety Office is coordinating with the Logistics Readiness Squadron, which is responsible for all of the government vehicles on base, to incorporate a message to drivers when checking-out vehicles to ensure they turn on their lights and not rely on the automatic feature.
MISCELLANEOUS
Organizations often offer their customers templates of letters that need to be created for and signed by different agencies. However, in my experience these templates are rarely correct according to the Tongue & Quill guidelines. Can the importance of following administrative guides be stressed to agencies?
That is a great suggestion! We will review our wing templates and ensure they are in compliance with Tongue & Quill. We’ll also work with the front office administrative staffs across the wing and emphasize the importance of following Tongue & Quill guidance. Along those same lines, at the beginning of 2017, the Air Force updated its official letterhead to include the 70th Anniversary logo, and we created a template using Tongue & Quill and placed it on the 375 AMW SharePoint for all to access/use. Click on the 375th AMW Policy Letters folder and select the word document titled “CY17 Letterhead-HQ 375 AMW (AMC).”
Does McAlister’s plans to offer online ordering via their smart phone application?
Thank you for your question. Unfortunately, when the DISA building was constructed, it was not designed with internet infrastructure in the portion of the building occupied by McAlister’s. They are currently using “Jetpacks” (portable hotspot devices) for their computer, phone, and back office connectivity, and they have concerns about access and reliability at this time.
However, McAlister’s is pursuing a permanent internet connectivity and will make online ordering available once that is in place.
A friend of mine is having a ceremony on base, and I will not be able to make it to the event. I wanted to send a gift to acknowledge my friend’s achievement, but when I contacted a couple of flower and gift services, it seemed like it was going to cause a burden instead of a blessing to my loved one. For example, one of the places I contacted said they would have to call him when they got to the gate, and he would need to immediately leave his workspace and go down there to pick it up. Is there an easier way to have something delivered to the base?
Thank you for your question. Delivery of flowers, food, and other items to people living and working on base is unique. Air Force guidance directs that visitors “must have a validated need to enter the installation and be properly sponsored.” Sponsorship requires a base-affiliated DoD member that is physically present to vouch for personnel requiring access. If you would like to arrange a delivery to a member on base but do not have base access, we suggest coordinating with someone from the member’s unit ahead of time.
For example, if you know someone who is retiring or getting promoted, you might ask that person if he/she knows who is in charge of planning the ceremony.
Then, you can coordinate with that individual to ensure your gift is delivered. If this proposed solution doesn’t address your particular situation, please let me know. In addition, our Security Forces Visitor Control Center is available to help answer questions (256-2709).