AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Leadership from the 31st Fighter Wing hosted a Town Hall for Airmen, contractors, civilian and Italian employees, and families here, Aug. 13, 2019.
The town hall series provides a venue for updating the community on quality-of-life improvements and for leadership to hear suggestions and feedback from the community.
Below are highlights of base improvements and answers to questions asked during the event.
31st Mission Support Group Updates/Improvements since last Town Hall
Based on continuous improvement recommendations, we continue to make changes to better our Wing in-processing. Some of these include Home Fuels and Pass and Registration.
We’ve hosted multiple job fairs that led to employees being hired on-the-spot. Additional job fairs are planned for this year. The next job fair is scheduled for Oct. 30 from noon to 2 p.m. at La Bella Vista club.
We’re looking at the possibility of a reliable food truck option on the flightline side of Area F and on-base delivery food options including contracting with a food truck based on customer demand.
We continue to improve and update our fitness equipment at the Wyvern and Dragon Fitness Centers. We are also working on improving our Golf Course restaurant.
31st Medical Group Updates
We’re happy to announce patient travel expansion, which now includes Udine, Trieste, Treviso and Monastiere to the list of locations for which we reimburse for patient travel.
Happy or Not Kiosks are now installed for patients to provide quick, live, anonymous and immediate feedback.
A full-time Patient Experience Officer is in place to proactively improve the experience of our patients, as well as handle any grievances or complaints. The position was filled by an active-duty Airman and will transition to a new civilian position in early 2020.
Based on your previous feedback we created the Patient and Family Partnership Council. The council is being well attended and is going strong.
We have received funding for three Camp Darby patient liaisons.
Questions & Responses
Facilities
Q: Can we improve the temperature and humidity in the fitness centers? How is the temperature and humidity monitored to ensure the safety of fitness center patrons? Is it possible to open the ceiling windows of the Wyvern Fitness Center?
A: The Wyvern Fitness Center was originally a hangar, therefore it was not designed to have a robust A/C or ventilation system. Our engineers at the 31st Civil Engineer Squadron are working on a smart solution to overcome the original design considerations in order to help keep the building cool in the summer. Additionally, while the Dragon Fitness Center currently has limited cooling capacity due to chiller inefficiencies, the long term fix is to design and fund a major construction project that better controls the temperatures throughout the facility.
Q: The basketball courts are always full. Can we prioritize people who play basketball for its use?
A: The basketball courts can be reserved. If they are not reserved, they are on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Q: Is it impossible to improve the wait time for the Area 1 salon?
A: Active-duty have priority, but AAFES will look at ways to improve the efficiency.
Q: Is it possible to get a car washing service on-base?
A: Our 31st Civil Engineer Squadron looked into this possibility approximately seven years ago. Unfortunately, it was disapproved by our host nation because of competition with off-base establishments. While it is possible to submit the project again for consideration by the host nation authorities, our team feels there will be repeated push-back for similar reasons. Our only options at this time may be to work with our 31st Contracting Squadron or AAFES partners, if the demand is there, to pursue other avenues to meet this requirement.
Q: Is the air conditioning in Civilian Personnel Office permanently broken?
A: The air conditioning to the Mensa building (CPO) was restored on July 24, 2019, following the replacement of an entire electrical panel that failed due to water infiltration.
Q: Can we improve morale-net in the laundromats?
A: Our 31st Communications Squadron is looking into the feasibility of providing the morale-net in this location.
Food
Q: There is limited dining on base after 6 p.m., especially on Sunday. Additionally, it makes it difficult for reporting or departing personnel with limited dining options unless they have a vehicle. Can the Food Court and LBV extend hours?
A: Staffing for La Bella Vista Club is the main reason for the limited hours after 6 p.m. on Sundays and our leadership team constantly works with the Human Resources Office to fill the vacant positions. In the interim, AAFES has extended the Shoppette hours until 1 a.m. on a trial basis to provide late night food options.
Housing
Q: Can housing provide a showing services for houses?
A: Unfortunately, at this time the Housing Office cannot provide showing service for service members. Instead, we recommend our fantastic sponsors assist in showing homes to inbound personnel. If a sponsor is not assigned or available, we recommend contacting your First Sergeant for additional assistance.
Q: Will on-base housing ever be established here?
A: At this time, there are no plans to construct on-base military family housing at Aviano.
App Services
Q: App Notification do not show up on Androids.
A: The Firewall for the Aviano App was recently updated. Though this provides a more secure platform for our App, it has created some issues with Androids and some iPhones. The 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs shop is aware of the issue and working with the App provider to resolve the issue.
Q: Is there any way to get notification added to the Aviano App for things like gym class cancellations, cardio equipment down, community center class cancellations, and event cancellations, etc?
A: We will look into using the Aviano App notification for wing-level and base-wide event cancellations. The 31st Force Support Squadron does not operate the Aviano App. However, the 31st FSS Marketing Department oversees many social media platforms where people can find the latest information. We recommend you follow these pages for this type of information: 31st Force Support Squadron, Aviano Community Center, Aviano ITT, Aviano La Bella Vista Club, Aviano Airman & Family Readiness Center, ODR Aviano Italy, and Aviano Fitness Center. The 31st FSS main Facebook page will typically have shared posts from subordinate activities. Give the 31st FSS Facebook page a like for the most up to date information and events.
Q: Can we use the App for notifications like BX, Commissary, and Shoppette hour changes?
A: Any hour changes or closures provided to the 31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs office can be found under the “Closures and Notifications” tab on the Aviano App. This information is also shared in the Aviano All. Your feedback will be given to AAFFES for future notifications and consideration.
Q: One of the best services on base that is not advertised enough is Airman Against Drunk Driving (AADD). Would it be possible to boost its advertisement on base in places like the LBV, Shoppette, Aviano App, and BX?
A: The 31st FW/PA shop includes an AADD message to the marquee prior to long weekends. We also provide this information on the Aviano App under “Directory,” “Emergency,” and “Amn & Families” tabs.
Area 1 School
Q: Is it possible to put a crossing guard in front of the elementary?
A: The 5-6 and Top 3 organizations are volunteering, but there is an on-going need for volunteers to support this effort. To start this school year, the 31st Medical Group volunteered to perform this service. A quick resolution requires a concerted effort by multiple 31st FW partners including parents dropping their kids off or by simply parking in the designated parking areas. The most important point to remember is the need for a crossing guard has been generated by some of our folks not fully obeying the parking and traffic speeds in this highly congested area.
Spouse Support
Q: Are there any services to help with spouse-on-spouse bullying?
A: Mental Health provides marriage counseling and F.A.S.T. (Family Advocacy Strength-based Therapy) services. These programs provide information and referral services, including; crisis intervention, brief/short-term therapy, and/or supportive interventions focused on agreed upon goals, objectives and evaluation.
Q: Is it possible to support a base program for spouses similar to FTAC for Airmen? Specifically, to provide a base tour for Area F and Area 1.
A: Family members such as spouses are able to participate in a windshield tour as part of the Wyvern Welcome on Wednesdays hosted by the Red Cross. Additionally, the A&FRC provides opportunities for spouses such as “Spouse Hour” every Wednesday, “Benvenuti” tours on Friday, weekly cultural awareness classes, and free basic Italian language courses offered monthly. Furthermore, many more opportunities are provided by the 31st Force Support Squadron so stay tuned to the monthly Grapevine magazine.
Medical Services
Q: Will it be possible to have an on-base urgent care option on the weekends rather than sending families to Pordenone? Will there be better availability for spouses’ access to medical care on base?
A1: Currently the only option for emergency services is at Pordenone Hospital. Patient Liaisons assigned to the 31st MDG are available to assist patients as needed and can be contacted through the Command Post.
A2: The summer PCS cycle has had some impact on the 31st MDG’s access to care. Four new providers have since been assigned and we are able to meet appointment demand at this time. Patients should call for appointments at 7 a.m. when the appointment line opens Monday through Friday. Additionally, TRICARE Online allows for ease of appointment booking and new appointments are continuously added as other appointment types change to acute.
Q: For retirees living in the local area, are their entitled to use medical services on base?
A: Retirees should contact International SOS to enroll in TRICARE Select for the EURASIA region. The 31st MDG offers TRICARE Plus in which retiree patients may be empaneled to a PCM at the Medical Group. Patients over 65 will need to be enrolled in Medicare Part B and TRICARE for Life.
Base Access
Q: As a retired military, must I find someone to sign me on to be allowed to enter base?
A: In order to request access to Aviano Air Base, please contact the Visitor Control Center at 0434-30-4114 and complete an Installation Access Request (IAR). This form is routed through U.S. Security Forces and the Italian Air Force (ITAF) and usually takes about 2-3 weeks to process. Please note, ITAF is the final approving authority. Retirees will be notified once IAR has been approved or denied.