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
Is there any way we could include more raw/less-processed vegetables for our children in the Child Development Center?
Thank you for your question. We participate in the USDA Child & Adult Care Food Program, which requires us to serve healthy, balanced meals to our children. The vegetables we serve are either fresh or frozen and are either steamed or baked. We only use canned vegetables if fresh/frozen are not available. Many raw vegetables such as carrots and peas are not authorized to be served to young children due to choking hazards. However, we continue to work with our base Health Promotions Dietician, who assists us with our menus, and strive to explore options for the children in the Child Development Centers. Thank you for your interest!
Why doesn’t the Red Cross work with the Medical Group to conduct HIV testing? The Red Cross conducts an HIV screening during blood donation, and it seems like a great opportunity for us to get credit for our mandatory screenings from their service.
What a great way to think outside of the box! Unfortunately, there are regulations that would prohibit this type of collaboration. AFI 44-178, HIV PROGRAM, dictates that all specimens for HIV testing be sent to USAF School of Aerospace Medicine HIV Testing Services. The specimens are then sent on to the DoD Serum Repository.
Though the American Red Cross cannot provide our HIV testing, the 375th Medical Group does have an agreement whereby blood credits are accrued for donations by military members. Those credits are used to obtain blood products from the American Red Cross when our own military supplies are in short supply. So, thank you for your question and keep donating blood!
I thought the hiring freeze was over, but it doesn’t seem like there are any job offers. Can you confirm if it is still in effect?
Great question, and we have good news. The hiring freeze has been lifted, and we are making progress filling the vacancies across all the organizations at Scott AFB. We are hiring and bringing new employees on board and are going well beyond making offers. If you have any further questions, I encourage you to contact your unit leadership or our civilian personnel office to determine the status of the positions in your organization and where we are with respect to hiring actions.
INSTALLATION & FACILITIES
Can we get a speed limit sign up on the road that goes by Burger King?
Thank you for your question. At this time, we do not plan to add a speed limit sign at that location. However, we could add one in the future if there are increased cases of speeding along that road. Like many areas throughout the base, the standard base speed limit of 30 mph applies on any road without a marked speed limit.
Are there plans to tear down the pavilion in front of Hanger 3?
I appreciate all of the hard work our 375th OSS team has put into keeping the pavilion maintained. Currently, there are no near-term plans to demolish the pavilion in front of Hanger 3. As you may be aware, Hanger 3 sits in one of the areas on the installation where storm water drainage is a problem. Over the past several years, our Civil Engineering team has implemented measures to mitigate flooding issues around the Hanger but a true, long-term solution is a few years away and will be completed as the other storm water drainage projects are executed. When the final work project for storm water drainage around Hanger 3 is started, we will most likely need to relocate the pavilion but that will not occur for a few more years.
Can you please have the larger pot holes repaired on Pryor Road? I know repair costs on this road will be rolled into a larger MILCON project, but we need these road blemishes fixed soon. I’ve slowed down, but would rather just not hit these with my car. Additionally, I appreciate the work of our CE team.
Thank you for the question. This road is definitely a problem, and as you mentioned we’re advocating for a long-term solution and MILCON project to build a permanent Cardinal Creek Gate near the DISA building. In addition, there is a pending construction project to widen and re-pave much of Pryor Road.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to patch the road, and we appreciate you bringing the issue to our attention. A few weeks ago, our team mobilized crews and accomplished some patch work on the larger holes in preparation for the high flow of airshow traffic.
MISCELLEANOUS
What do we have to do to get an incentive flight with Col. Lenderman as the pilot on a plane?
Thank you so much for your question and what a great idea! I would absolutely love to fly your incentive flight, but unfortunately, I only have one more flight remaining before the change of command. But, I love this idea and will pass it along to the next Wing Commander. For those folks that aren’t aware, we have a quarterly Incentive Flight Program which is a great opportunity to see one aspect of our outstanding operational mission while flying in the local area. Being recognized by your leadership through outstanding performance is the key to getting an opportunity to participate in our program. Please contact your supervisor or unit leadership if you’re interested in an incentive flight.