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!
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
With the new renovations to the dining facility, can we expect to see a broader variety of food choices?
Yes! The overarching intent of the dining facility (DFAC) renovations is to prepare Scott for the Food Transformation Initiative, which will increase the number of food choices starting this fall.
In addition to newly designed and furnished DFAC, we’ll have a new chef on site and many more menu options available. Additionally, “meal card” holders will have more dining options as we expand availability for them to dine across all Force Support Squadron facilities. Moreover, the DFAC will be open to all personnel (Officer, Enlisted, Civilian, Retired, etc).
Is there a way to provide education loan repayment solutions for civilian personnel? I’ve already obtained my Master’s degree and can’t find any viable solutions.
Thank you for your question! The Air Force has an Air Force Student Loan Repayment Program that allows for the repayment of federally insured student loans as an incentive tool for management to attract or retain highly qualified employees. However, the recruitment incentive can only be offered before the start of federal employment, and the retention incentive can be used in order to assist retention efforts of highly or uniquely qualified employees. We recommend employees contact their servicing student loan company to discuss their individual situation or the U.S. Dept of Education’s Federal Student Aid Office (https://studentaid.ed.gov) for more information. Additionally, there is a public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for which individuals may qualify. Specific details are available at the following website: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#qualifying-employment.
Can the dental clinic bring the X-ray tech position back?
Our dental clinic is constantly looking for innovative ways to improve our services. During a recent Continuous Process Improvement event, the Dental Squadron found that having one technician dedicated to X-rays actually caused a bottleneck in the process and increased patient wait times.
By having each technician take X-rays in their individual treatment rooms they were able to cut wait times and increase customer satisfaction. As an added benefit, this new process allows all of the dental technicians to remain proficient in the taking of X-rays.
I hope this helps answer your question. If not, please let us know.
INSTALLATION & FACILITIES
Can we get Wi-Fi in the urinalysis clinic?
We would love to have Wi-Fi in clinic waiting areas.
Unfortunately, regulations make what would appear to be an easy thing actually quite difficult.
First, it would have to be commercial Wi-Fi because we can’t give open access to the AF Network. Second, recent guidance from the Air Force Surgeon General’s staff has ruled that Defense Healthcare Program funds (the funds medics use to pay for things) can’t be used to purchase commercial Wi-Fi. But, we’re not giving up hope, and we will continue to search for new and innovative ways to get Wi-Fi into the clinic. Thank you for the suggestion.
When will the sauna at the gym be operational?
We are very sorry for the inconvenience, but the sauna was temporarily closed while a part was ordered for repair. It is now up and running again for customer use.
I would like to first off say I appreciate the pedestrian gate that has been installed connecting Lincolns Landing to the base. However, pedestrian gates like the one at Lincolns do not accommodate/allow bicycle entry. I was curious if it is possible to install a bicycle/pedestrian gate allowing Lincolns Landing bicycle access to the base?
Thank you for your question. As you mentioned, the pedestrian gate at Lincoln’s Landing was recently installed, and we are not planning to alter or modify this relatively new facility at this time. However, we will add this initiative to our list of potential future projects. In the meantime, we installed bicycle racks on the inside of the gate to accommodate individuals who wish to keep their bicycles stored at that location to facilitate their commute. Additionally, we encourage personnel to use a carabiner or like implement to connect to the top of the gate to allow their bike to pass through the turnstile. In doing so, please ensure you communicate your intent with the Security Forces personnel at the Base Defense Operations Center who manage the access through this facility.
Are there any plans to fix the HVAC problems in Building 859? The east side of the building is cold, and the west side of the building is hot.
Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We are sending a technician to the facility to assess the situation. We also recommend submitting a work request to have the HVAC serviced or assessed should this happen again.
This will help us monitor reports and work requests across the installation.
Is there a way to establish a separate lane for children/adults receiving (hourly paid) swim lessons? Last year there was a separate area utilized by coaches. This year, with the climbing wall and the one lane swim open for all swimmers, there simply isn’t enough space. The addition of one lane for swim lessons seems like a very simple fix as the ropes are already in place and the kids in lessons should be able to swim during the “adult swim time” as they are very closely monitored by a swim coach.
Thank you very much for your question. Over the past several years we’ve made a concerted effort to expand and enhance our recreational swimming experience to accommodate all ages and levels of swimmers. In so doing, demand for swimming programs has increased whether it be open swim, swim lessons, lap swim, pool parties or request for use. Attempting to balance the variety of requests remains a high priority and we do our best to accommodate the variety of suggestions we receive. In this case, installing another lap during recreational swim will diminish the overall swim area for recreational swimmers which is overwhelmingly our largest customer. Preserving adequate space for our servicemembers, families and children during recreational swim remains a high priority.
Moreover, offering scheduled days and times for swim lessons, swim team practice and lap swim allows to maximize pool use and meet as many desires as possible. As for shared use of the lap lane during adult lap swim every hour, this time is ideal for adults to swim exclusively without interruption. We strive to balance the needs of all users given the size and space of the pool.