At least annually, supervisors should review the designation of individual determined to be "mission essential". Mission essential personnel perform duties essential to the mission and the continuation of medical facilities services, public safety services or functions, national defense or other crucial operations, and who are required to be at work regardless of emergency situations and general dismissal authorizations.

Employees must receive advance written notification of their designation as mission essential and the requirement to report for duty. The notice should include the requirement that mission essential employees report for or remain at work when operations are disrupted and an explanation that dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to them unless they are instructed otherwise. Alternate mission essential personnel should also be designated to ensure critical operations continue if primary or scheduled mission essential personnel are unable to report due to adverse weather conditions. While it is imperative that an appropriate number of mission essential personnel be designated, take care not to arbitrarily designate all personnel within an office or activity as mission essential. The serious nature of essential work that must be continued/completed requires all mission essential employees to make every effort to report for work.

In addition to those individuals pre-designated as mission essential, there may be emergency situations that require the supervisor to designate an employee as an ON THE SPOT MISSION ESSENTIAL. In those cases, the employee must be informed of the reason for the on the spot designation. Commanders, directors, division chiefs, or other personnel delegated responsibility to assign work will not retain employees as "On-The-Spot Mission Essential" to perform routine work that can be postponed.

Liberal leave means that supervisors will be "liberal" in granting leave that has not been scheduled and approved in advance. When a "liberal leave" policy is announced, employees should contact their supervisor to request annual leave, leave without pay, and/or the use of previously earned compensatory time off or credit hours under an alternative work schedule.

The decision to curtail activities and to excuse non-mission essential employees due to adverse weather or other emergency conditions will be made by the 633rd Air Base Wing commander (other commands on the installation will be guided by the installation status, but those commanders are ultimately responsible for curtailing their own activities and excusing their own personnel).

There may be situations where the information provided by the media is unclear or confusing. In those cases, employees should use their chain of command to obtain clarification. The supervisor should be the primary source of information regarding excused absence, leave approval, or clarification of issues involving designation of mission essential personnel.