OCR Text |
Show May 7, 1998 CE on bills saves utility heat, adjusts As the weather gets warmer, Civil Engineering crews are preparing to shut off the heat completely in some areas of the base. CE will monitor the weather closely and make adjustments to heating systems as appropriate. Monitoring and making adjustments to the heating system could save about $275,000 from the normal April-Ma- y utility bill. Heat adjustment standards, accord- AFB Instruction ing to Ogden ALC-Hisay "the temperature in an occu: pied area should be maintained between degrees F" during heating season. Employee comfort will be maintained while CE follows the instruction's guidelines. While some areas will have heat turned off at night, heat in other facilities will remain on until night temperature is more than 42 degrees. Heat adjustments for specific areas are: 1200, 1 100, 800, MAMS II, 1600 and 1900 areas CE will turn off the boil ll 23-30- 65-7- 0 ers in the afternoon and bring them back on in the morning. The boilers will remain off when the outside temperature (as forecasted by weather personnel) is not predicted to drop below 42 degrees at night. If the weather forecast shows the temperature dropping into the low 40's, the boilers will be brought up about four hours before the start of the day to ensure buildings have heat. Employees should realize that poorly insulated buildings in all three areas could be cooler in the mornings. MAMS I: Heating will not be curtailed until the outside temperature can ensure facilities remain in tolerance for the mission of MAMS I facilities. This is because the steam distribution system in this area takes over 24 hours to heat back up once it has cooled. 1 700 Area: CE will shut the comfort heat off to this area completely when the temperatures remain above 42 degrees at night. The industrial process steam in this area will be shut off at the customer's request. Bldg. 120, Bldg. 225, CE, Hangar 1 , Bldg. 5 and the 388th Fighter Wing area: These areas take about 24 hours to reheat through a long steam distribution line. Civil Engineering will shut the heat off to these areas completely when the temperatures remain above 42 degrees at night, but will open the steam valves when the weather forecast 24 hours prior shows it would be cooler than 42 degrees. Again, the poorly insulated buildings could be cool in the mornings. Other East Area facilities: Heat in these areas won't be curtailed. This includes the communitv center area, the Officers Club, Enlisted Club, Dining Hall, Bldg. 180, billeting, dormitories, hospital, gym, industrial areas such as Bldgs. 100, 265, 505, 507 and surrounding buildings, ISROMS and the 419th Fighter Wing area. These facilities are heated by an extensive distribution system that, once cooled, Modernization today is readiness for tomorrow RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany (AFNS) "Mod- general. "We looked out into the future and realized we weren't prepared to sacrifice readiness or decrease the effort we were putting into quality of life," Ryan said. "We also needed the capability to modernize the force. "Our alternative was to become more efficient with our resources. So we asked each of the commands in the Air Force to look at those areas which are principally not deployable, things intrinsically not mili, tary," he said. The goal was to find ways to do things not only for less money, but effectively as well. "That led us to outsourcing and privatizing," he added. , "Savings generated from outsourcing these ser-- . vices will help generate funds needed for this modernization," Ryan said. Commands are now in the process of identifying areas they consider prime candidates for outsourcing and privatization, and "within the next five to six years, we expect to save up to $2 billion a year savings we can use to modernize the force," added Ryan. Ryan emphasized that the Air Force will not sacrifice readiness or efficiency to save dollars. "We're not outsourcing and privatizing for the sake of outsourcing and privatizing," Ryan said. "In some cases it will not work, but in other cases it does. ; "We're looking at those areas where someone from the outside can come in and provide us with a service without impacting our readiness or ability to deploy," he added. Another, more immediate challenge, is managing the high tempo associated with being part of a smaller force. "That's the 'now' issue. That's something we have to take care of in the near term," Ryan said. "We need to get op (operations) tempo into a sustainable mode and organize ourselves ... in a way that doesn't take quite so heavy a burden on our troops." The Air Force is addressing this issue in several ways. One way is by spreading worldwide deploy- - Changes ahead for acquistion work force by Sandra Wolpert Aquisition Demo Team Wright-Patter- AFB, Ohio son Changes in employee development, classification and compensation for the civilian acquisition work force and supporting employees may be on the horizon as a Federal Register notice announcing the Department of Defense Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project was pub- ernization today is readiness for tomorrow," and according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael E. Ryan, that's one of several challenges facing the service today. "It's a question of how we'll be able to afford our modernization,' the general said during a recent visit to Ramstein. "In one more year, the average age of a United States Air Force aircraft is going to be 20 years old. That's getting up there," he said. "We need not only to modernize the force, but to make sure we can upgrade those weapons systems we expect to keep a long time. Funding this modernization is something that is badly needed. It's a challenge that we face." The outsourcing and privatization of some support functions in the Air Force should yield some of the dollars needed for modernization, according to the takes up to four days to reheat Once the temperature in the dorms and billeting remains warm enough for no supplemental heat, CE will close off the comfort heating valves for the summer, as done every year. Industrial facilities in the East area needing process steam will keep a heat supply through the spring and summer months by leaving distribution lines open. Base Housing, Aircraft Control Tower and Hobson House: Occupants in these areas control their own heat. CE will monitor the weather forecasts closely and will adjust heating levels as weather dictates. In the meantime, employees should anticipate fluctuating temperatures by bringing a sweater or jacket to work. After a trial basis, if buildings are too cold, the heat will be turned on again and CE will wait for warmer weather. For more details, contact Kent Nomura, base energy manager, at Ext. lished March 24. The fiscal year 1996 and 1998 National Defense Authorization Acts encouraged DOD to conduct this functionally based project. It will be the first.per-sonndemonstration cutting across military services and DOD agencies. "This is potentially the largest personnel demonstration, not only in Defense, but in the entire federal government," said Dick Childress, deputy program manager for the demonstration. The purpose of this project is to enhance the quality, professionalism and management of the DOD acquisition work force through improvements in the human resources management system. The Office of Personnel Management must approve and oversee the project. This demonstration is expected to cover a large segment of the civilian el five-ye- "Savings generated from outsourcing will help generate funds needed for modernization. Michael E. Ryan Air force Chief of Staff Gen. ments across the major commands, lessening the impact on one command. "We've put a lot of effort into lessening the tension that goes along with this operational tempo," he said. "We're using assets from the Pacific, from Europe and from the continental United States to satisfy these worldwide demands at a level we think will not . break the force. "If you go to Incirlik, Turkey, youH find units from the Pacific there. We balance these demands by sharing the burden across all the commands, not only on the operational side but on the support side." To help ease the burden on an individual basis, the Air Force has also established a downtime policy for people who deploy. "Seven days away, one day down, up to two weeks," Ryan said. "This allows our members to take care of their professional and personal lives when they return." The force has also cut down on "the op tempo," he said. "We've cancelled redundant exercises and inspections, or done them in conjunction with deployments," Ryan added. "Right now, we have a deployment rate that's substantial. We have an op tempo that's pretty heavy. We need to decrease it to a level we can sustain and then man it to that level so that we don't have the same people going back (on deployments) time and time again." Courtesy ofVSAFE News Service) d ar acquisition work force. It includes employees assigned to positions under the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act, or DAWIA. The project also may extend to employA ees, who are members of teams where more than half the team consists of members of the acquisition work force and the rest are supporting personnel assigned to work directly with the acquisition work force. As proposed, this project will include various organizational elements of the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Accounting and Finance Service, Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Logistics Agency. A project plan outlining the project's initiatives appeared in the Federal Register March 24. This notice is posted on the demonstration's Internet home page at "http:ww.(rfpstwpamfjnildemo." As proposed, these changes will provide developmental assignments andeducational opportunities an expanded chance for employees to obtain temporary assignments with universities, industry or other governmental or nonprofit organizations and possible financial assistance if employees want to earn academic degrees or training certificates. Written comments on the project proposal can be submitted to Office of Personnel Management at the address provided in the notice. Oral comments on the proposal were also accepted at a series of public hearings held at Fort Belvoir, Va., April 23; Los Ange75-pa- les, Calif., April 30 and The 60-da- y Wright-Patterso- May 5. period for public comment will stay open through May 26, 1998. Process action team members will review all comments on the plan, Childress said. |