Airmen, families receive news, voice concerns at town hall meeting
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --
Team Aviano were greeted with surprising news at the Town Hall meeting Sept. 26 at La Bella Vista Club with the announcement of a major change to the 31st Fighter Wing's exercise and inspection schedule.
"The exercise we had last week was left in place because we needed to work on what we call Phase I, generating aircraft for deployment and deploying the force," said Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist, 31st FW commander. "This exercise was not about passing the ORI [Operational Readiness Inspection] but, rather, it was about our ability to execute our tasking. I was concerned that with the 'threat' of the ORI lifted that we would all let down and not give it our all in the exercise last week.
"Well, I was wrong," Zobrist said. "We challenged the Airmen and civilians of the wing and they all rose to the challenge and performed in spectacular fashioned. I'm happy to announce that we're cancelling the ORE in October because we have demonstrated proficiency in our ability to generate aircraft and deploy the force."
Instead, Zobrist explained, attention will be turned to other critical requirements, such as executing flying training sorties. In addition to the OREs during the past six months, Airmen and civilians of Aviano Air Base have supported Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector over Libya, bedding down all the required personnel to support rotations of units and aircraft. The 31st FW continues to support three different combatant commanders with active flying and air control operations in their areas of responsibility.
"We've also sent people and airplanes to many other places to execute our nation's tasking. Iceland, Russia, Croatia, Iraq, Afghanistan, you name it," Zobrist said. "It has been one of the busiest operational tempos I've ever seen, but our professional Airmen and civilians have done extremely well in every situation."
Zobrist then encouraged the civilians, Airmen and families in attendance to give their direct comments, questions and honest feedback during the town hall meeting.
"This direct feedback is especially important to me because if I don't know about a problem, we can't fix it," he said. "While I would love to hear about good things that are happening around Aviano, and there are a lot of good things, I'm especially interested in the problems and challenges you are having so the base leadership can engage and attempt to fix them."
Zobrist informed the community about the new extended and standardized hours of operation at key customer service organizations around base.
"Nothing is more frustrating than showing up to a location during normal duty hours only to find that they are 'closed for training,'" he said. "We asked those organizations to be open to you longer, and I think it is making a difference.
"Other agencies have also made significant customer service improvements," said the General. "Pass and Registration put one of their Airmen at the end of the vehicle inspection line to complete the vehicle registration process right there, eliminating one trip to pass and registration. The 31st Mission Support Group did some digging and found out that we were inspecting cars every year unnecessarily because newer cars didn't require an annual inspection, so they changed the process, again eliminating a time-consuming step in the process."
The general also mentioned the new Codice Fiscale process, which will become available online to allow newcomers to physically get their Codice Fiscale card at Right Start. Similarly, the soggiorno process, another documentation requirement for family members, is being streamlined to reduce unnecessary steps.
"Each one of these initiatives by themselves may seem minor, but when you multiply them by the 3,500 military members who live at Aviano, it really adds up," he said. "And almost every one of these time-saving initiatives came about because someone like you made an input, gave feedback, and cared enough to try to make it better."
Other topics covered included the base pass process, sponsorship, the exercise and inspection schedule, Right Start format and duration, the Key Spouse program, childcare availability, and many others.
The following is a list of questions and abbreviated answers given by the 31st FW commander and base subject matter experts at the town hall meeting.
Q: How is Aviano assuring that those working at the hospital comply with The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Regulations? How does the base ensure the training is being followed?
A: Computer based training is done annually by active duty and civilians. Face-to-face training is done with Italians and those without computer access. Spot checks are done typically by leadership each week and random workers are asked how they handle different issues. Patient advocates are also in place to handle any issues they hear about. Leadership engages aggressively to ensure info is handled in accordance with all HIPAA rules, and action is taken immediately when a possible violation is uncovered.
Q: What can the base do to ensure the safety of my wife and daughter, who walk from the back side of Area 1 to the main gate of Area 1? They were almost hit one day and the road they walk on is very unsafe. Can the "walkers" be allowed in through the contractor/bus gate?
A: The 31st Security Forces Squadron is talking with the Carabinieri to see if they can better regulate traffic. Additionally, we can re-engage with DODEA and see what can be done about opening the school bus gate in order to avoid a safety hazard. Finally, we can check into the possibility of your children riding the bus, even if only for a short distance, to avoid walking on the hazardous part of the road.
Q: Will the USO be coming to Aviano to replace Operation Yellow Ribbon?
A: A donor wants to help finance a local USO here in Aviano. There was a meeting last week with the donor and USO to discuss possibilities. They will not be replacing Operation Yellow Ribbon though. How the USO and OYR will interface is still to be decided. The details are being worked out and a decision will probably be made in the next three months as to what will happen. Ultimately, the timing depends on the donor.
Q: Why does mail take so long to get back to the states after it leaves Aviano?
A: All mail has to process through Milan. That's just the route and length it takes to get back to the states. We will research to see if any changes have occurred recently but to our knowledge, there have been no changes to the process and priority mail often arrives from the states within seven days.
Q: Is there a way to get driver's education for 16-18 year-olds on base?
A: We need to explore if this can be offered here at Aviano. We're told other bases have done this, but it depends on several factors to include cost and host nation laws. Vicenza has a simulated driving program that parents pay for.
There are online courses that teenagers can take, but there would be no hands-on training with it. We will explore this possibility but such a change, if it is even possible, would require significant coordination with the Italians to get first licenses in Italy.
Q: Can teenagers with a learner's permits drive with their parent(s) on base?
A: We will have to look into this but I believe the answer is no, they cannot.
Q: Why aren't there any other sports options for 7th and 8th graders besides tennis or cross country?
A: (Answered by DODEA school officials) Seventh and 8th graders can participate in individual sports like cross country, tennis and wrestling. They can also participate in intramurals as well. The school additionally offers an outdoor bootcamp-type program to keep middle schoolers active. Due to funding and the size of schools, we need to make sure we can fill varsity teams with 9-12 grade students. While Aviano may have enough students to compete in junior varsity sports, other competing schools may not, making competition impractical. Also, students may only play eight quarters straight in competitive sports and they run into eligibility issues when they get back to the states or are entering into their senior year of high school.
Q: How does Aviano ensure that enough Airmen are present at home station to do the mission when so many are being deployed?
A: Budget cuts have resulted in low manning from which we will likely never fully recover. We at Aviano can say "no" to taskings if we are overburdened in certain circumstances and that's the wing commander's job to assess when to say "no." The Air Force leadership is listening, as we saw with the postponement of our ORI, so high-level attention is being given to this issue. Ultimately, it is the base leadership's job to ensure we have enough people, resources and time to do the mission. If we do not, then it is the wing commander's job to either say "no" to higher headquarters or adjust the mission so that it is executable. Future budget cuts suggest that low manning and limited resources will not get better, and will likely get worse, in the future.
Q: Question from 31st FW commander to the crowd: How many people would be interested in having a dog park on base?
A: The idea has been talked about a lot and we need to make sure we have enough potential interest/users for the park. Establishing a dog park is a priority of mine because it will be one more way to create a sense of community for the base, especially new arrivals in Temporary living facilities.
Q: Can the Commissary open at 8:30 a.m. for early-bird shopping with check-out beginning at 9 a.m.?
A: We will ask the Commissary if this can be offered.
Q: Can notifications be sent out to families when Soggiornos are about to expire?
A: The Military Personnel Section is building a Soggiorno database. The database with notifications will be up and running at the beginning of November and will send alerts 60 days in advance. However, I want to stress that getting a Soggiorno for dependents is a personal responsibility of the military member. We'll do what we can at the base-level, but individuals must do their part to ensure all dependents have Soggiornos.
Q: How do families find out if their children need codice fiscales?
A: Right Start now covers this topic. We are also working on a system to get the paperwork going even before members arrive so that during Right Start, the entire group can be taken to get codice fiscales.
Q: Can additional gate guards be put at Area 1 during school drop off hours to reduce the line to get in?
A: Security forces have significant manpower requirements in each base area. We will explore other options to increase the manpower in Area 1 during the peak morning hours (more Defenders from other areas, certified/approved volunteers checking IDs, etc.) but limited Security forces manpower will continue to be a factor.
Q: Can other childcare options be offered separate from the Child Development Center for Right Start and for folks who need temporary care?
A: W will look into using community/Italian resources. We are also exploring an idea from a spouse at Right Start about a system using volunteers to watch children during Right Start. Additionally, there is a $1.9 million contract for a new addition on the Area F CDC that will be constructed in 2013 to allow 84 more slots to open up at the CDC.
There are employment opportunities for spouses at the CDC so please contact the CDC if anyone is interested in a job there. Lastly, Spouse Start for new spouses is offered by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, so if a spouse cannot go to Right Start with her/his sponsor, she/he can attend Spouse Start (NOTE: Spouse Start is for ALL new spouses regardless of whether they were able to attend Right Start, but it remains a great option for spouses who are unable to attend Right Start due to non-availability of childcare). Childcare remains a major challenge and base leadership is exploring multiple options to provide more childcare.
"The exercise we had last week was left in place because we needed to work on what we call Phase I, generating aircraft for deployment and deploying the force," said Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist, 31st FW commander. "This exercise was not about passing the ORI [Operational Readiness Inspection] but, rather, it was about our ability to execute our tasking. I was concerned that with the 'threat' of the ORI lifted that we would all let down and not give it our all in the exercise last week.
"Well, I was wrong," Zobrist said. "We challenged the Airmen and civilians of the wing and they all rose to the challenge and performed in spectacular fashioned. I'm happy to announce that we're cancelling the ORE in October because we have demonstrated proficiency in our ability to generate aircraft and deploy the force."
Instead, Zobrist explained, attention will be turned to other critical requirements, such as executing flying training sorties. In addition to the OREs during the past six months, Airmen and civilians of Aviano Air Base have supported Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector over Libya, bedding down all the required personnel to support rotations of units and aircraft. The 31st FW continues to support three different combatant commanders with active flying and air control operations in their areas of responsibility.
"We've also sent people and airplanes to many other places to execute our nation's tasking. Iceland, Russia, Croatia, Iraq, Afghanistan, you name it," Zobrist said. "It has been one of the busiest operational tempos I've ever seen, but our professional Airmen and civilians have done extremely well in every situation."
Zobrist then encouraged the civilians, Airmen and families in attendance to give their direct comments, questions and honest feedback during the town hall meeting.
"This direct feedback is especially important to me because if I don't know about a problem, we can't fix it," he said. "While I would love to hear about good things that are happening around Aviano, and there are a lot of good things, I'm especially interested in the problems and challenges you are having so the base leadership can engage and attempt to fix them."
Zobrist informed the community about the new extended and standardized hours of operation at key customer service organizations around base.
"Nothing is more frustrating than showing up to a location during normal duty hours only to find that they are 'closed for training,'" he said. "We asked those organizations to be open to you longer, and I think it is making a difference.
"Other agencies have also made significant customer service improvements," said the General. "Pass and Registration put one of their Airmen at the end of the vehicle inspection line to complete the vehicle registration process right there, eliminating one trip to pass and registration. The 31st Mission Support Group did some digging and found out that we were inspecting cars every year unnecessarily because newer cars didn't require an annual inspection, so they changed the process, again eliminating a time-consuming step in the process."
The general also mentioned the new Codice Fiscale process, which will become available online to allow newcomers to physically get their Codice Fiscale card at Right Start. Similarly, the soggiorno process, another documentation requirement for family members, is being streamlined to reduce unnecessary steps.
"Each one of these initiatives by themselves may seem minor, but when you multiply them by the 3,500 military members who live at Aviano, it really adds up," he said. "And almost every one of these time-saving initiatives came about because someone like you made an input, gave feedback, and cared enough to try to make it better."
Other topics covered included the base pass process, sponsorship, the exercise and inspection schedule, Right Start format and duration, the Key Spouse program, childcare availability, and many others.
The following is a list of questions and abbreviated answers given by the 31st FW commander and base subject matter experts at the town hall meeting.
Q: How is Aviano assuring that those working at the hospital comply with The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Regulations? How does the base ensure the training is being followed?
A: Computer based training is done annually by active duty and civilians. Face-to-face training is done with Italians and those without computer access. Spot checks are done typically by leadership each week and random workers are asked how they handle different issues. Patient advocates are also in place to handle any issues they hear about. Leadership engages aggressively to ensure info is handled in accordance with all HIPAA rules, and action is taken immediately when a possible violation is uncovered.
Q: What can the base do to ensure the safety of my wife and daughter, who walk from the back side of Area 1 to the main gate of Area 1? They were almost hit one day and the road they walk on is very unsafe. Can the "walkers" be allowed in through the contractor/bus gate?
A: The 31st Security Forces Squadron is talking with the Carabinieri to see if they can better regulate traffic. Additionally, we can re-engage with DODEA and see what can be done about opening the school bus gate in order to avoid a safety hazard. Finally, we can check into the possibility of your children riding the bus, even if only for a short distance, to avoid walking on the hazardous part of the road.
Q: Will the USO be coming to Aviano to replace Operation Yellow Ribbon?
A: A donor wants to help finance a local USO here in Aviano. There was a meeting last week with the donor and USO to discuss possibilities. They will not be replacing Operation Yellow Ribbon though. How the USO and OYR will interface is still to be decided. The details are being worked out and a decision will probably be made in the next three months as to what will happen. Ultimately, the timing depends on the donor.
Q: Why does mail take so long to get back to the states after it leaves Aviano?
A: All mail has to process through Milan. That's just the route and length it takes to get back to the states. We will research to see if any changes have occurred recently but to our knowledge, there have been no changes to the process and priority mail often arrives from the states within seven days.
Q: Is there a way to get driver's education for 16-18 year-olds on base?
A: We need to explore if this can be offered here at Aviano. We're told other bases have done this, but it depends on several factors to include cost and host nation laws. Vicenza has a simulated driving program that parents pay for.
There are online courses that teenagers can take, but there would be no hands-on training with it. We will explore this possibility but such a change, if it is even possible, would require significant coordination with the Italians to get first licenses in Italy.
Q: Can teenagers with a learner's permits drive with their parent(s) on base?
A: We will have to look into this but I believe the answer is no, they cannot.
Q: Why aren't there any other sports options for 7th and 8th graders besides tennis or cross country?
A: (Answered by DODEA school officials) Seventh and 8th graders can participate in individual sports like cross country, tennis and wrestling. They can also participate in intramurals as well. The school additionally offers an outdoor bootcamp-type program to keep middle schoolers active. Due to funding and the size of schools, we need to make sure we can fill varsity teams with 9-12 grade students. While Aviano may have enough students to compete in junior varsity sports, other competing schools may not, making competition impractical. Also, students may only play eight quarters straight in competitive sports and they run into eligibility issues when they get back to the states or are entering into their senior year of high school.
Q: How does Aviano ensure that enough Airmen are present at home station to do the mission when so many are being deployed?
A: Budget cuts have resulted in low manning from which we will likely never fully recover. We at Aviano can say "no" to taskings if we are overburdened in certain circumstances and that's the wing commander's job to assess when to say "no." The Air Force leadership is listening, as we saw with the postponement of our ORI, so high-level attention is being given to this issue. Ultimately, it is the base leadership's job to ensure we have enough people, resources and time to do the mission. If we do not, then it is the wing commander's job to either say "no" to higher headquarters or adjust the mission so that it is executable. Future budget cuts suggest that low manning and limited resources will not get better, and will likely get worse, in the future.
Q: Question from 31st FW commander to the crowd: How many people would be interested in having a dog park on base?
A: The idea has been talked about a lot and we need to make sure we have enough potential interest/users for the park. Establishing a dog park is a priority of mine because it will be one more way to create a sense of community for the base, especially new arrivals in Temporary living facilities.
Q: Can the Commissary open at 8:30 a.m. for early-bird shopping with check-out beginning at 9 a.m.?
A: We will ask the Commissary if this can be offered.
Q: Can notifications be sent out to families when Soggiornos are about to expire?
A: The Military Personnel Section is building a Soggiorno database. The database with notifications will be up and running at the beginning of November and will send alerts 60 days in advance. However, I want to stress that getting a Soggiorno for dependents is a personal responsibility of the military member. We'll do what we can at the base-level, but individuals must do their part to ensure all dependents have Soggiornos.
Q: How do families find out if their children need codice fiscales?
A: Right Start now covers this topic. We are also working on a system to get the paperwork going even before members arrive so that during Right Start, the entire group can be taken to get codice fiscales.
Q: Can additional gate guards be put at Area 1 during school drop off hours to reduce the line to get in?
A: Security forces have significant manpower requirements in each base area. We will explore other options to increase the manpower in Area 1 during the peak morning hours (more Defenders from other areas, certified/approved volunteers checking IDs, etc.) but limited Security forces manpower will continue to be a factor.
Q: Can other childcare options be offered separate from the Child Development Center for Right Start and for folks who need temporary care?
A: W will look into using community/Italian resources. We are also exploring an idea from a spouse at Right Start about a system using volunteers to watch children during Right Start. Additionally, there is a $1.9 million contract for a new addition on the Area F CDC that will be constructed in 2013 to allow 84 more slots to open up at the CDC.
There are employment opportunities for spouses at the CDC so please contact the CDC if anyone is interested in a job there. Lastly, Spouse Start for new spouses is offered by the Airman and Family Readiness Center, so if a spouse cannot go to Right Start with her/his sponsor, she/he can attend Spouse Start (NOTE: Spouse Start is for ALL new spouses regardless of whether they were able to attend Right Start, but it remains a great option for spouses who are unable to attend Right Start due to non-availability of childcare). Childcare remains a major challenge and base leadership is exploring multiple options to provide more childcare.
