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Show 2 Hilltop Times Thursday, April 24, 1997 Myths vs reality covers tissues ciriuictiaill by Maj. Gen. Pat Condon Commander, Ogden Air Logistics Center On April accompanied by Col. Carl Critchlow, 75th Air Base Wing commander, and CMSgt John Brewer, Ogden ALC Senior Enlisted Advisor, I attended Gen. Henry Viccellio's Spring Commanders' Conference at n AFB, Ohio. The conference was also attended by service members of the Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command staff in addition to the commanders and SEAs from the other AFMC centers. This article summarizes the topics covered and some of the actions identified at the conference. Two of the main topic areas, base operating support issues and enlisted issues, will be covered in separate articles by Col. Critchlow and Chief Brewer, respectively. 8-- 9, Wright-Patterso- April 8: The first day of the conference dealt primarily with internal AFMC issues or topics that fall into our acquisition, and science and technology mission areas. Defense Contract Management Command Maj. Gen. Bob Drewes, commander, Defense Contract Management Command, presented a summary of the support that DCMC is providing to our buying offices across the command. Drewes covered the acquisition reform initiatives under way in DCMC and focused on the Single Process Initiative (SPI). The intent of SPI is to eliminate multiple processes for the same function in a manufacturing plant or repair facility. The concept is to improve efficiency and save money by adopting a single process (along with the required controls and inspection requirements) for a function, like soldering, in a plant or repair facility regardless of whether the customer is from the commercial sector or a DOD service. DCMC facilitates the conversion and approval actions and is currently working to increase contractor participation. DCMC is also working with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to improve the payment process involved in contractual work. Among other things, they currently are testing expanded government credit card use for payment of large government purchases. DCMC is also exploring options and approaches in a continuing effort to shift more oversight responsibility from the government to industry. The bottom line is that DCMC is aggressively working to help our buying offices get the most value for the procuresus-tainme- ment dollar. Air Force Materiel Command Financial Issues HQ AFMC director of Financial Management, Brig. Gen. Dennis Samic, led a discussion of financial issues facing one g command. Air Staff has agreed to go forward with a effort later this fiscal year to address funding shortfalls in a number of areas, which is the best news to come from the financial community for sometime. Included in the reprogramming will be dollars to help with one Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funds shortage. We can't hope to get funds to satisfy all of the O&M require ments we have, but some help will be available toward the end of this fiscal year if the reprogramming is successful. However, there is no "free lunch" because the money to feed the reprogramming will most probably come from Air Force modernization (acquisition and modification) repro-grammin- Benefits erosion? Maybe not accounts. There are many financial challenges facing our command, and a large number are at our air logistics centers. We must continue our efforts to ensure that we are buying and repairing only those things that our customers truly need and continue our focus on improving our yield, efficiency and effectiveness through the Performance Improvement Programs initiatives led by our Forum of Fixers. Of the issues that cut across all AFMC centers, dealing with the O&M funding shortfalls is the most challenging. Imbedded in that challenge is ensuring that the civilian payroll can be met Currently, measures are being implemented to cover any identified civilian pay shortfalls. While we will continue to face many financial challenges, it is important to know that the situation is recognized by Air Staff and attempts are being made to address the problems, not only in O&M, but in other areas as well. Plans overview Maj. Gen. Mike Kostelnik, HQ AFMC director of plans, covered a range of topics including the planned headquarters restructuring. The size of the headquarters will be reduced from its current 1,700 employees down to 1,240 employees by the year 2000. In addition, the field operating agencies will be reduced from their current 1,000 personnel to just over 500 in that same timeframe. functions We can anticipate that some currently being performed headquarters will come to the air logistics centers. Maj. Gen. Kostelnik also discussed the establishment of an AFMC Senior Planners Forum. The forum will be led by the AFMC Plans and Programs, and will have as its members center executive directors and headquarters directors. Ogden ALC's executive director, Tom Miner, has already attended one forum meeting and will attend the second one next month. e The forum has been established to assist in and deal to AFMC for issues with mansuch as planning power and personnel, bases and installations, mission areas, and core businesses. Future forum meetings will focus on the planning environment, frame issues for the commanders, and work on future strategies for AFMC. Also in this session was a discussion on the process for transferring manpower from center to center when workload transfers. It was recognized that more work needs to be done on the process, and Gen. Viccellio agreed to work with AFMCXP to further develop the approach. Science and technology Maj. Gen. Dick Paul, AFMC director of Science and Technology, summarized the initiative to form a single Air Force Research Laboratory by consolidating the four current labs (Wright, Phillips, Rome, and Armstrong Labs) and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. While not losing its focus to produce and facilitate world-clasrelevant technology, the objectives in forming a include streamlining the lab organizational AFRL single structure with emphasis on cost reduction and consolidating ownership and accountability under a single commander. This would reduce fragmentation and duplication and create a more robust, focused laboratory enterprise which is postured for the future. In a ceremony at the conference, the Air Force Research Laboratory (Provisional) was established, with Maj. Gen. Paul assuming command of its provisional headquarters. The AFRL Headquarters will be at AFB, long-rang- s, Wright-Patterso- n See Conference, page fpnhan ment 11 To help dispel some negative perceptions about the demise of military benefits, the following is a synopsis of benefits Air Force members have gained and lost over recent years. BENEFITS GAINED Fiscal year 1997 A3 percent raise to base pay and Basic Allowance Subsistence. A 4.6 percent raise to Basic Allowance Quarters. A Variable Housing Allowance locality floor by location. Disability coverage for members granted excess leave for educational or emergency purposes. A Family Separation Allowance for military to military couples. The allowance is for payment of one member only for members who reside together immediately before and after FSA entitlements. A waiver of the Consecutive Overseas Tour leave travel entitlement past the 365 day limit for members unable to take COT leave as a result of duty in a contingency operation. This entitlement may be deferred for an additional year from when the contingency duty date ends. Privately Owned Vehicle storage at government expense for members who make a Permanent Change of Station to an overseas duty location and POV shipment is prohibited by the U.S. government, foreign government or contingencies over 30 days. Round-tritravel to a port in conjunction with a POV pick-u- p shipped at government expense on a PCS move. A Dislocation Allowance increase to 2.5 months X p BAQ. Eliminated a Cost of Living Allowance delay for military and civilian retirees. Eliminated the existing inequity for members who separate under the Voluntary Separation Incentive or Special Separation Benefit. Those involved subsequently become eligible for Veterans Administration disability compensation. Established authority to implement a retiree dental plan no later than Oct. 1. A $9.5 million increase in tuition assistance funding totaling $60 million year. $43.1 million provided for eight military contract projects. The projects include child development centers, a dining hall, visiting officer quarters and Family Support Centers. $86 million was provided for 325 military family housing units and improvements in 389 additional MFH units, and $57.6 million for eight dormitory MILCON programs. Fiscal year 1996 A $4 million increase in tuition assistance funding. A 2.4 percent base pay and BAS increase. A 5.2 percent BAQ increase. Provided a single technical sergeant and above the prerogative to refuse "inadequate quarters" (dormitories) without sacrificing his or her BAQ. An increase in Special Duty Assignment Pay for recruiters from $275 to $375. Authorized Enhanced Hazardous Duty Pay for enlisted Air Weapons Controllers serving aboard Airborne Warning and Control System on the same basis as officer AWCs. Authorized return to the continental United States at government expense for dependents who have lost dependency status due to age or educational status. . Authorized to pay deceased service member survivors all leave accrued without regard to the y 60-da- DREP definitions: Key People FIXER-Th- e person in charge of the team that repairs the parts required by our customer the Warfighter. The "owner" of a specific repair process at the depot. MATERIEL MANAGER (MM)-Th- e person responsible for monitoring the customers' needs and knowing current status and location of every assigned asset. MMs work with the Fixer to repair required assets for the customer. MMs drive daily operations; they are the "quarterback" of the DREP process. team SHOP SERVICE CENTER (SSC)-Th-e fix all to for needed supplies providing responsible assets. They monitor and quickly correct supply problems that keep the Fixer from repairing items. WORKLOAD MANAGER-Th- e key interface between MMs and the Fixer. After verifying available funds, he or she coordinates and schedules daily repairs with MMs and the Fixer. Kev Systems EXPRESS-Th- e new computer program that determines what to repair and sets the priority, based on customer needs. SHOP PRO-Th- e computer program that reads data from EXPRESS and helps identify any problems holding up the repair process. It gives instant visibility and status of parts worldwide. Your PREP points of contact 6 Aircraft Directorate, Tom Garcia, Ext. Management Directorate, Dale Code, Ext. Commodities Directorate, Steve Black, Ext. ICBM System Program Office, Wendy and Technology and Peterson, Ext. Industrial Support Directorate, Lt. Col. Dennis Piper, Ext. F-1- career limit. Adopted automatic enrollment in the Savings Group Life Insurance at the maximum level of $200,000. Authorized $3.6 million for the New Parent Program Increased age of dependents covered by CHAM-PUfor well baby care and immunizations from ages S 2 to 6. Fiscal year 1995 A 2.6 percent pay raise which includes military pay, BAQ and BAS. Appropriated an additional $30 million to the Defense Commissary Agency. Authorized a CONUS adjustment over the 109 percent threshold for military members living in high cost areas. An Earned Income Tax Credit was extended to cost-of-livin- g See Benefits, page 12 |