Summer civilian all call creates connections for new hires Published Aug. 29, 2024 By Alyssa Janeway 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio – The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Junior Force Council hosted a “Summer Trainee All Call” for new civilian employees to foster professional and personal connections across the base on August 15, 2024, at Bass Lake Lodge. The all-call was open to civilian employees with less than three years of service at the installation. The Junior Force Council members who planned the event call themselves the “Summer Trainee council”. They worked with John Faulkner, Vice Director, 88th Air Base Wing, and Dennis D’Angelo, Executive Director, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, for almost a year to coordinate this event, meeting multiple times a month. Compared to last year’s event, this year saw nearly double the attendees, with approximately 250 civilians present. The event’s purpose was to encourage civilians to interact with leadership in a casual setting. It also served as an opportunity for new hires to interact with people from other units, creating an understanding that we work as one for one mission. Base leadership answered questions about leadership, criticism and their leadership journey during an open forum panel. “I really like connecting people together, and this is a really great opportunity to get to know senior leaders as well as people around my age who are in the same position as me,” said Bergen Eppers, PALACE Acquire (PAQ) Financial Management intern with the 88th Force Support Squadron. “So, to learn from leaders and to learn from other people, my peers, my colleagues, is really valuable, especially as someone new, completely, to the Air Force. So, I thought, might as well make the most of it.” Summer Civilian All Call Janan Thom, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center recruitment program specialist, socialize with other attendees during the Summer Civilian All Call August 15, 2024, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The event served as an opportunity for newly hire civilians to socialize with other employees and leadership. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Elizabeth Figueroa.) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Summer Civilian All Call Attendees participate on a corn hole tournament during the Summer Civilian All Call event August 15, 2024, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The event served as an opportunity for newly hire civilians to socialize with other employees and leadership. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Elizabeth Figueroa.) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Summer Civilian All Call John Faulkner (right), 88th Air Base Wing vice director coins Zachary Moore, leader of the Summer Trainee All Call Council during the Summer Civilian All Call event August 15, 2024, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The event served as an opportunity for newly hire civilians to socialize with other employees and leadership. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airmen Elizabeth Figueroa.) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Attendees socialized over outdoor games and could purchase food from four food trucks on site. The daylong event connected employees with several helping agencies and resources at Wright-Patt, including Education and Training, Military & Family Readiness Center, Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment Program. “This years’ event was all about the value of the trainee. The largest benefit that comes out of this event is an opportunity for trainees and leaders alike to interact with one another in a situation where they would otherwise not meet, as well as an informal setting to make it more comfortable,” said Zachary Moore, lead of the Summer Trainee All Call council. “A lot of trainees like me are intimidated in reaching out or interacting with senior leadership. And so, providing an opportunity where you breakdown the officialness of the interaction gives you more meaning and more courage in the moment.” The Summer Trainee council is currently looking for volunteers to plan next years’ event. If you are interested, contact: zachary.moore.36@us.af.mil, stephany.brandenburg@us.af.mil, megan.cruea.1@us.af.mil or ashleigh.petrusky@us.af.mil.