88th ABW priorities: care for people, balance resources Published Jan. 26, 2007 By Mike Wallace Skywrighter staff WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio -- The 88th Air Base Wing commander conducted one of three commander's call sessions Wednesday at the base theater in Kittyhawk Center. Col. Colleen Ryan thanked the 88th ABW workforce for the accomplishments of 2006, adding that greater challenges were on the way for 2007. Calling 2006 a "year of success," Col. Ryan recalled some of last year's successes: · combat skills training and deployment of "hundreds of Airmen" · improved base security · excellence in serving the customer, the operations, and the installation · Tattoo · Corona Top · Air Force Marathon · "Excellent" for the unit compliance inspection. She addressed as well some of the challenges ahead for 2007, touching on several topics: · National Security Personnel System implementation, requiring more time for supervisors to get the objectives right and to mentor; · Budget issues, and manpower cuts Continuing to do the core missions coupled with supporting large events like: · Tattoo -- with hopefully greater numbers attending than 2006 · Dayton Air Show support July 28-29 · U.S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 15. More than 5,000 runners competed in the 10th annual U.S. Air Force Marathon in 2006. The command would eventually like this to increase to 10,000 with more community involvement. Rhetorically asking how to accomplish these tasks, Col. Ryan said that the base must set priorities. The first priority is to "take care of our people." "Part of taking care of our people is paying close attention to how well we transition to NSPS, maintaining a "discrimination-free climate" and continuing to reward and recognize our people," Col. Ryan said. The second priority is to "balance our scarce resources -- dollars and manpower." "If it doesn't fit into the core mission, we may stop doing it," Col. Ryan said. Under this priority, the installation commander mentioned "Air Force Smart Operation 21," or AFSO 21, a tool for continuous process improvement through looking at ways to streamline operations by giving people more latitude to do their jobs. She advocated the new paradigm of a "non-blaming culture." Announcing that Col. Ralph Romine would be the 88th ABW senior individual mobilization augmentee, Col. Ryan said that he would help implement AFSO 21 across the wing, eventually improving base effectiveness, efficiency, safety performance and morale. The base commander also recognized individuals for their outstanding performance during the previous year as well. She presented the Air Force Achievement Medal, third oak leaf cluster, to Tech. Sgt. Jay R. Valloric for his work from January 1996 to June 2006 as an instructor of an information management apprentice course at Keesler AFB, Miss., a site heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina. He worked 636 hours and helped 26 students graduate. Col. Ryan also presented a 30-year pin to Mark Simpson, a base management analyst. Simone Koram, 88th ABW Sexual Assault Response coordinator, or SARC, was presented with a 20-year pin in another commander's call. Col. Ryan expressed her support for diversity awareness programs and initiatives, saying that the base has "model programs in the Department of Defense." "Our diversity is our strength," she said, and the wing will not tolerate discrimination. Maj. Krista Dixon, a nurse manager at the 88th Medical Operations Squadron, presented information on the automatic external defibrillator, or AED, during the commander's call. On average, she said 600 people die from cardiac arrest each day in the United States and showed a brief video dramatizing the ease of using an AED. Maj. Dixon said that there were 108 AEDs on base, and she urged everyone to undergo training on them as well as cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Another presenter, Deanna Gonet, the 88th Comptroller Squadron deputy director, gave a "state of the wing" presentation in which she discussed changes in personnel and policies. She said there was congressional support for the base portion of the global war on terror in the form of $3.3 million, and she emphasized the need to perform accurate accounting. Because the base spent $24.6 million for utilities in 2006 and would start 2007 $1.9 million short, Ms. Gonet urged everyone to "practice good energy conservation." Ms. Gonet also announced both wing and command contract ceiling limits and said that Wright-Patterson AFB must stay within these limits. The year 2007 will bring many competing priorities, she said, and the workforce should "think lean, think out of the box, think long term, and think for the good of the wing." The wing's Command Chief Master Sgt. Martin K. Smith advocated using the Air Force "Roll Calls" in very short meetings on a regular basis to ensure that enlisted members get the information they need. He said that "Roll Call" information was posted at http://www.af.mil. The wing command chief also spoke about "paperwork only" nomination packages for quarterly and annual awards and the development of new "Team Wright-Patt" quarterly and annual awards. He also reminded attendees that the Air Force Sergeants Association membership drive will run through Feb. 23 and to contact unit first sergeants for membership information. Col. Ryan ended by stressing communication, conserving energy and reporting instances in which people could not do their job because of a lack of resources and manpower.