LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
More than 40 members of the Langley Air Force Base community brought their concerns, questions and recommendations to the 2012 Caring for People Forum at the base community center, May 2.
The forum was the second annual iteration of the event, in which Airmen, civilian employees and family members participated in working groups to identify problems and propose solutions to Air Force policies and services. After the brainstorming and discussion process, the working groups convened to vote on the most important issues raised earlier in the day.
Significant issues brought forth at this year's forum included the following:
· Removal of the abdominal circumference measurement from the Air Force physical fitness test, and adding the metric to the member's annual physical health assessment;
· Increasing security in and around Langley's Airman dormitories;
· Improving the assignment process for Airmen in the Exceptional Family Member Program, including revisions to permissive leave policies; and
· Improved financial readiness training to new Airmen and officers during initial training.
According to U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. (Dr.) Bryan Davidson, Joint Base Langley-Eustis Integrated Delivery System chairman, the IDS briefed wing senior leadership, including U.S. Air Force Col. Kory Auch, 633rd Air Base Wing commander. Leadership will review the issues and forward selected topics to Air Combat Command. From there, the major commands' collective themes are forwarded to the Air Force CFP Forum in August, where Air Force leaders will review the force's top issues and implement initiatives if applicable.
While not all issues raised at the forum will reach the MAJCOM level, Davidson said the IDS will "consolidate and track" concerns and problem locally, working with installation leadership to create initiatives at Langley where possible.
Davidson said the forum provided a more personable way of gleaning insight into the needs of the installation community, as opposed to email- and survey-based communication.
"The bright spot about the forum is the face-to-face, in-person communication and brainstorming," he said. "The group process is largely missing in email and surveys. The forum brings people and their ideas together."
Tech. Sgt. Kim Cooper, an ACC Communications Support Squadron computer programmer, attended the forum to air her concerns about health and fitness issues. A veteran of CFP Forums in previous years, Cooper said she has seen the impact of the ideas born in the working groups first-hand.
"These forums definitely make an impact on the Air Force. After I did the forum last year, I could see changes implemented based on what came out of the forums," she said. "I worked with single Airman support groups last year, and saw the differences it made for our Airmen.
"It's a fantastic idea, and I expect our ideas and concerns will be taken seriously," she added.
Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Howell, the 633rd ABW command chief, reassured the group that while the current economic environment is challenging, JBLE will continue to listen to the community and do what is best to take care of its people.
"A lot of these initiatives have to with a lot of money, and if we had an open checkbook we would fund everything," he said. "That said, it's important that we come together as a community and figure out what is most important to everyone. That's where change starts."