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Show O Q HJhopTirnes March 28, 2002 Commentary us show teDemits RJSEI5 DonsipecftDOira Detts Always wear personal protective equipment by Ron Speaks and don't forget to remove jewelry. Perform safety inspections in and around your work areas, and check your equipment and records, too. Hill's supervisors are, without question, the very best in the command so don't forget to update safety and health records for each employee. They depend and rely on your best efforts at proper documentation. The MSEP Inspection Team always looks, peeks and pokes at our housekeeping, so practice and make perfect your good habits. Get rid of trash that could cause foreign object damage inside and outside of buildings. Rag control is another area for concern, so be wise and Logistics Quality Division On June 20, the Maintenance Standardization Evaluation Program inspection team is scheduled to arrive at Hill AFB, and inspect parts of the Ogden Air Logistics Center. MSEP is a compliance-base- d inspection of main- tenance management, technical data, tools and test equipment, and personnel qualification and training. These areas are inspected to ensure that the procedures and good folks that we have in place at Hill are in compliance with Air Force and local regulations, Air Force Occupational Safety and Health standards, and applicable technical order guidance. How can you best prepare for this inspection? First, accept the fact the MSEP team and inspection will take place, and conclude that you will be the very best at what you do. Realize that you have an opportunity to showcase your talents and abilities. If s common knowledge that all employees conscientiously apply and enforce sound safety practices. And there are times when any one of us it occacan become forgetful or complacent sionally happens to the very best of us. Keep safety in the front of all your thoughts and actions. Here's some other reminders: Ladies prudent When you discover excess material on or in the work area, do you dispose of these materials through the proper supply channels? It is also helpful, before you store it, to mark or identify material that is being used for work in progress. MSEP inspectors nearly always seem to catch someone forgetting to return excess and unused bench stock to its proper place. The inspection team members always examine employee Production Acceptance Certification records. PAC records may be "a pain," but they play an important part in keeping our workforce up to date on their skills, and helping us ensure that training is completed before certifying employees on their assigned tasks. Ask yourself, do my PAC records pass the test? Are PAC tasks identified and linked to training? Are all critical tasks properly identified? Are all employee and supervisor signatures, both hard copy or electronic, in place as required? Technical Data is here to stay. Proper use of technical data will prevent many of those annoythat the inspector really hates to ing "write-ups- " Technical Orders when removidentify. Sign-oing them from your library. Don't use unapproved copies of Technical Data, or better yet, destroy or get rid of these types of materials. Notify the Planner about Work Control Document defects, and don't accept defective WCDs. And make absolutely certain that only certified technicians sign off or stamp WrCDs. Is it Is your Tool Kit Program safe from the mighty pen of the Inspector? The tools and tool kits. IG never fails to "write-up- " Some helpful hints: Are your tools numbered, shadowed and recorded on inventory listings? Have you performed and documented the required inspections on AFMC Form 309, "Tool Control and Inventory Record7 Remember don't store bench stock in toolboxes, and be sure to leave personal items in your locker. I've yet to meet an inspector that has any appreciation at all for ut . this idea. How about where you store small items and consumables? Are they in suitable containers and properly marked? Report missing tools on an AFMC Form 3 10, "LostFound Item Report" It's always a good habit to check the calibration dates on your tools and ensure proper tolerances are met. It's so important that all plant or shop equipment is in compliance. Some inspectors seem to be passionat e about finding equipment that hasn't been tagged or identified, and is missing the proper documentation. Insist that everyone in inspecyour work area does all their tions, checking for safety and warning labels or tags, and documentation of maintenance and calibrations. I don't need to tell you that being complacent in this area can lead to serious injury. Welcome and accompany the inspectors while they are in your area. Keep in mind that an inspec-to- r that is roaming loose and free, is much more likely to be persistent in his or her use of the almighty sword, the pen. Present your best side by ensuring that inspectors receive accurate and current information from knowledgeable people. Show off your best practices and your best people. We had a pretty high team score last year, but let's all come together again, as Team Hill, and beat last year's score. prior-to-us- e first Air Force women change from pampered novelty to valuable commodity by retired Chief Master Sgt. Anne O'Connor I entered the Air MOUNTAIN HOME AFB, Idaho (AFPN) Force twice. The first time was on Jan. 10, 1971, the second Nov. 7, 1981. The first time I was a pampered novelty, a woman in the Air Force. e airTen years later I was a valuable commodity, a prior-servic- man. American values had shifted, marking significant changes for women in the Air Force. Before the history of "the good old days" is lost IH record with some fondness the values of the 1967 to 1972 era and the impact those values had on me and others. In 1967, President Johnson signed Public Law lifting grade restrictions and strength limitations on women in the military. That was the first major policy change affecting service-wome- n since the Armed Forces Services Integration Act of 1948. In 1972, Roger Kelley, assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, asked all services to "take action to eliminate all unnecessary distinctions in regulations applying to women and, where appropriate, recommend legislation to eliminate any inequities which are now required." Action was taken, but between 1967 and 1972 we were special. Femininity influenced everything about women in the Air Force. Women weren't recruited like men. I had to submit a package with references and four pictures: front and side, and views. Had I been under 21, 1 would have needed parental consent; men only needed parental consent if they were under 18. 90-13- 0, full-lengt- h, rs I had to have a high school diploma; for men, the Air Force almost all had considered a high school diploma "desirable" one. Married women or women with children could not enlist, while married men could enlist but needed a waiver for more than one dependent Basic military training reinforced both feminine values and the feeling that we were special. In a 1993 interview, retired Senior Master Sgt Theresa Picarro told me about her memories of basic training in 1967. She remembered having to carry lipstick and perfume in her "ditty bag" at all times. Many times she heard her instructor say, "You are ladies first and airmen second." She was required to have two girdles, one on, one in the drawer. There was no obstacle course, weapons firing or guard duty. Not much had changed when I went to basic training in January 1971. At 23, 1 was older than most and had been on my own for some time. I had never worn makeup and did not think of myself as particularly "feminine," but the Air Force set out to fix that. The learning center presented a personal development course with a variety of tips for women. There were four hours spent on skin and hair care, two hours on etiquette and office manners, six hours on makeup, and a one-homanicure and pedicure course. block about posture and The howling favorite was a movement According to the course syllabus, it was designed to "include definition and purpose of good posture with emphasis on grace in motion." We were instructed in many aspects of good posture: climbing ur two-ho- ur and descending stairs, removing and donning coats, and the manner of crossing one's legs. The most startling instruction was an exhibition of how to "walk like a lady again." The instructor said that marching for six weeks of basic training had ruined our walk. Touching the inside of each of her wrists, she showed us how to "bump" our hip against the wrist, evoking motion as she sallied up the a fairly substantial aisle between the ranks of 55 awestruck young women. We were n sent back to the dorm to practice the newest of our traits. Things changed tremendously fast after 1972. Although values didn't change overnight, change had been in the wind for several years and the overprotective umbrella was gone. Paternalism was dying. No longer were we decorations or little princesses. Equality became a core value in American and military culture. The military was so successful in making equality a part of its culture that when I returned to active duty in 1981, 1 entered an Air Force far different from the one I first entered. The shift in values is reflected in many ways, not the least of which is how the media portrays issues. News of women in the Air Force in 1971 saw a number of "firsts" and Jeanne Holm's selection as the first female general was touted by Airman magazine with an article entitled "The Lady Is a General." Twenty years after Assistant Secretary Roger Kelley put out the order for elimination of inequities, Dr. Sheila Widnall's selection as the first woman secretary of the Air Force engendered the e article that only November 1993 Airman magazine's mentioned the fact she is a woman twice. bump-and-grin- d grace-in-motio- ' nine-pag- -- Courtesy Air Combat Command News Service Action Line Crowded gyms While to exercise In the g gym sometimes have to minutes to use some of the equipment I finally realized that the overpopulation was due to civilian employees and contractors using the gym. It was my understanding that the gym Is for active duty, reservists, and retired military. I have always been told that facilities like this are provided for military for a number of reasons: 1) to provide a place for military to exercise so that Air Force physical requirements are met; 2) to subsidize the cost of living for airmen; 3) to keep up moral; and 4) to help the overall mission. I believe that this was a benefit for serving my country and putting my life on the line. I believe that this problem trickles on down to many other services on base such as the e base exchange, mini marts (gas sales), etc., which are Informe Can more services for military use. you give mation on this subject? t?wait trying I 15-2- 0 tax-fre- ffk I use the fitness center several times a week and it is crowded Jrm more than 1,400 people a day use the facilities. First we are most seeing the effects of the "New Year's Resolution" crowd when of months the weather or after a warmer. couple gets give up Secondly, weVe allowed our federal guests staying on Hill AFB through the Olympics access to our facilities except the commissary. The information you received is not entirely correct Fitness centers are for active duty military, reservists, retirees, family members within the commuting area and DoD civilians. In some cases, DoD contractors are also authorized use of fitness centers. Our most recent survey of peak periods fi e., early morning, lunch hour and at the end of the workday) showed 54 percent are active duty. Although we can grant active duty members priority use of our two fitness centers, authorized users who contribute to our mission should be encouraged to achieve peak levels of physical fit ness. While there is sometimes a short wait no one is being denied use of the facility by another group's over-usThe good news is that Hill has been approved for a new 69,000 facility to be constructed in FY 05. In the meantime, square-foo- t is for more personnel to use the fitness center at solution the best k hours mission permitting. During weekdays, the least crowded times are from 1 a.m. and p.m. If you have other call the about fitness Karen center, questions Wright fitness center director, Ext e. off-pea- CADRE Program what's happening with this CADRE Ql'm wondering interviewed for it and didn't get picked up. The second levels want me to be here, but they're waiting for the program to come through. I've been detailed 120 days and It's about to run out I I There are two purposes for the CADRE Program: 1) to devel- jp objective, measurable catena that will help identify good journeyman workers who would make the best supervisors; and 2) to train future wage supervisors before they actually assume their first supervisory assignment A consultant from Weber State University with a background in industrial psychology developed an interview process for the CADRE program which is designed to identify and measure certain characteristics that are needed to be a good supervisor. These characteristics include such traits as skill in written communications, ability to deal with troubled employees, etc. The process is in accordance with the Office of Personnel Management's "Uniform Guide on Selection Procedures." The CADRE interview process involves a panel made up of management officials and the the top candidates accordconsultant, who interview and ing to management "competencies" demonstrated in the panel first-lev- el re-ran- k ''Air Force people building the world's most respected Air and Space Force Quality Systems for America 's Air Force Hilltop Times Published by MorMedia, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Hill AFB'. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. mil interview process. The top candidates that emerge from the interview are then given training courses and practical exercises to help prepare them for future supervisory positions. Once they complete their training, they are part of the CADRE for that occupation and are eligible for referral to WS-1- vacancies as they occur. The selecting official is given a certificate of the top 15 CADRE members from which to make his selection. The CADRE process is reopened every 90 days to allow additional employees to compete for CADRE membership. With the implementation of the Modern program, CADRE members must nominate themselves, must be in the most highly qualified group according to the job template, and must have an 81 appraisal. This group of employees are considered to be equally the best, but are currently ranked by service computation date. Phone numbers The base agencies listed below can be contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with their services: ,. .. Security Forces. 24-h-r. Crisis information Services Base Restaurants RetirementCompensation (civilian). Social Action Employee Relation 2 625-430- 0 ) Military Pay Civilian Pay Air Force Suggestion Program IG Complaints (for appointment) IG Complaints (after hours) Fraud, Waste or Abuse (recording) 75th Medical Group. .' Civil Engineering , : Hill Pride Hotline Public Affairs Military Housing Maintenance Safety Office j I Union AFOSI Narcotics Hotline Family Assistancs Center (when activated). , j Global Power and Reach for America." itary services. Contents of the Hilltop Times are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by. the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. The appearance of advertisements in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or MorMedia, Inc., of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin; age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office staff in Bldg. 1102, second floor. Call Ext. with to "hilltop.pad'hill.af.mil". story ideas or comments, or send Unless otherwise indicated, ali photos arc U.S. Air Force photos. TO PLACE AN ADVERTISEMENT, CALL 0 Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Scott Bergren MaJ. Shawn Mecham Bill Omdorff Maj. Gen. Gary Boyle, Beth Young, 2nd LL Garrett Grochowskl Deadlines: Commander, OO-AL- C Director, Public Affairs Editor Staff writers Editorial and "Around the Kill" Items, 3 p.m. Friday, sports articles, 9 a.m. Monday, classified ads, 2 p.m. Tuesday, week of publication. For more Information, call the editor, Ext |