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Show AjJjS! a mI I Crdl ij H M 9 2331 W exercise provides opportunity to worK as a 111b toom tram tho nnu and nnlich i in nn tho olH 1 rnase 1 1 b II FT7 By Senior Airman Cindy Huston 283th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Sli1"'' The 388ih Fighter Wing combined with the 75th Air Base Wing and the Air Logistics Center defeated enemy forces July 23-2- 6 during the first Phase II exercise in 10 months. "The Phase II allowed us to practice our contingency roles and responsibilities." said Maj. Brian Schaaf, 388th Fighter Wing plans and exercises. "It is important for us to periodically train to ensure we know our jobs should we be called upon to employ from a deployed location." Since the operational readiness inspection last October the wing has seen a 75 percent turnover in personnel. "From this perspective, there were two main objectives during the exercise." said Major Schaaf. "The first one was to train those who have never participated in a local exercise on their expected positions, and the second was to knock the rust off of those who haven't exercised since this past October." This was the first time the base has combined a Phase I and Phase II exercise and, according to Major Schaaf, it won't be the -W f. last. "We will continue this new approach of combining the Phase I and Phase II exercises in conjunction with the 75th and ALC in our upcoming December exercise," said the major. (Above) Men and women of Team Hill stationed at the War Operations Center during the Phase II exercise "bug out" during an and buddy care and roll call was enemy attack. Once out of the building the unaffected people aided the "injured" with self-ai- d taken to make sure everyone was accounted for. (Photo courtesy of the 75th Air Base Wing Inspector General's office) (Left) Airman 1st Class James Bratcher, 649th Munitions Squadron, takes cover at the entry control point to the Base Operations Readiness and Training Area during an alarm Blue. Airman Bratcher delivered Battle Staff directives to the organizations in the BORTA, a key aspect of battle communications. (Photo by Tech. Sgt Sonja Whittington) (Bottom) Members from Team Hill follow steps in their Airman's Manual while performing after an enemy attack. (Photo courtesy of 75th ABW IG office) self-ai- d and buddy care on fellow airmer vFT" XT'" v " ". 0 .TStfPS u "."",,JI i jM 1 I 3s A - Commentary... Fix to selective Help newest staff sergeants celebrate an Important milestone By Chief Master Sgt. Jim Finch Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force recently announced the release of the staff sergeant - a time for recognition, celebration and congratulations. Promotion to staff sergeant is an important milestone in any Air Force career, since it marks the transition from airman to noncommissioned officer. Surprisingly, I've heard a few comments expressing concern over the significant number of people accomplishing this milestone, and I've received several inquiries asking why the selection rate was so high. Basically, we have had an increased number of vacancies at the staff sergeant level, coupled with a decreased pool of eligible senior airmen competing to fill them. This translated to higher selection rates, as evidenced by this year's 64 percent and last year's 50 percent. The increased vacancies can be attributed in part to the NCOs in recent years decreased retention of and our initiative to reshape the balance of NCOs to airmen in our Air Force. In 1999, we received authorization to increase the percentage of the Air Force enlisted force allowed to serve in the top five grades from 48.5 percent to 56 percent. This initiative allowed us to start reducing the average time in service required to promote our We selection list mid-lev- probably already know, we are still short NCOs in many career fields. Regarding the few comments I've heard about promoting people too quickly, I only need to look at this year's selectees to see we are on track. Of the 20,793 people named on this staff sergeant selection list, more than 90 percent received the top rating on their most recent enlisted performance report. This tells me that at least three people in their rating chain believed they were ready for immediate to assume added responpromotion and were sibilities of the next rank. I personally subscribe to the theory that improving an organization requires everyone to ensure their replacements have the tools, training, and support necessary for continued success. In that vein, I urge everyone currently serving in a supervisory position to help our new staff sergeant selectees adjust to their upcoming role as NCOs. At times, this can be as simple as explaining the logic behind specific decisions or reminding them of the vital part they play in executing our Air Force mission. Keep in mind, these will be the professionals responsible for ensuring most tasks are done correctly. Also, a little recognition for jobs well done can instill great confidence in new supervisors. Lastly, we must provide all selectees the opportunity to complete the As most el mid-lev- el NCOs. Despite this explanation, some still speculate that the real reason we increased promotion rates was simply to improve retention. While this wasn't the primary goal behind changing our enlisted force structure, we do hope earlier promotions will translate to improved manning and retention. mid-lev- well-prepar- el ed Airman Leadership School before their line number comes due. Remember, developing the next generation of enlisted leaders is an investment in our future. The effort we give today will ensure they are prepared to keep our Air Force the best in the world for years to come. (Courtesy of Air Force Print News) ? ' re-enlistm- ent bonus payment problem found Randolph Air Force Base, Texas - Airmen awaiting delayed payment of their selective bonuses should receive their money by the end of August. A solution to the processing problem that temporarily prevented more than 700 airmen from receiving their bonus money has been has been identified after weeks of effort between finance and personnel center workers, officials said. The problem affected people who, in the last three months, had decided to enlist within 30 days of their original date of separation. The glitch also affected new officer accessions and anyone who recently returned from a break in active service. "We understand people are counting on accurate pay and we're working hard to correct the problem," said Master Sgt. Michael Whirlow, NCOIC personnel system operations and Defense Finance and Accounting Service liaison. "I can imagine how frustrating it is for them not to get paid what they expected. "The folks at DFAS-Denvhave been absolutely to help us fix this in the hours extra great, putting he said. problem," Officials still encourage airmen to check their leave and earnings statements to make sure they are getting the correct pay and bonus. "I wouldn't advise anyone to spend the bonus money before it's in their account or if it's not the right amount," said Sergeant Whirlow. "We highly encourage everyone to check their LES to verify that they were paid the right amount." ( Courtesy of AFPC news service) er |