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Show n;::top May 18, 2000 ASDC program simplify Changes both missed the same one, and we have rewritten that part of the instruction to make it clearer. The Secretary of the Air Force, and Red Team also made a number of more general Gen. Michael E. Ryan suggestions that were incorporated into the final Air Force chief of staff version of the instruction. Their input was invaluAfter years of dealing piecemeal with repeated able. As with any major decision, we had to make tough service commitproblems related to active-dut- y ments, we decided there had to be a better way. choices. For standardization, some ADSCs are Our airmen deserve a system they can understand. increased in the new instruction. There arent We formed a tiger team to overhaul the entire many and we believe those changes are justified. ADSC system. The charge to the team was explicit: We also had to decide who would be affected by Make it simple! Led by Lt. Gen. Roger DeKok, the new rules. After weighing the needs of the Air Force and the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, the group has exceeded even our high expectations. nation against the desires of our airmen, we decided With help from across the Air Force, the team the new service commitments will apply only to by F. Whitten Peters people who sign commitments produced a new Air Force Armed Forces Day message two-cha- Secretary of Defense Throughout our nations history, men and women of courage and devotion have willingly defended our nations liberties at freedoms front in any sky, on any ocean, on any shore. Fifty years ago, President Harry Truman deemed that a day be set aside to commemorate this tradition by honoring those of you who serve this nation in uniform. What PresidentTruman observed then remains true today: It would be impossible to maintain peace and freedom without our Armed Forces. Today, you carry the torch of this rich tradition of faithful and devoted service here at home and around the globe. Wherever you serve, whether patrolling the waters of the Pacific, risking all in the no-fl- zones over Iraq, or maintaining peace in the Balkans, you are the finest force for peace the world has ever known. You are a truly inspiring team that holds tremendous hope and opportunity for people the world over. On this 50th Armed Forces Day, the American people join me in expressing our profound gratitude to you, aware that your commitment to this nation does not come without peril or price. Duty often calls for prolonged periods away from family and home, in missions that can be difficult and dangerous. So it is truly fitting that we pause on this day to recognize these sacrifices and to honor you, patriots whose passion and dedication preserve the blessings of freedom every day. As your Secretary of Defense, my message for you today is simple, and a feeling shared by all Americans: We need you. We are enormously proud of you. We thank you for your selfless service. y San Antonio, from page 1 divisions fiscal 2000 material management budget was $110 million, and its maintenance budget was $32 million, Pitcher said. The divisions workload included 5 secondary power system components, 6 engine start system items, 8 and F--5 airframe mounted accessory drive gearboxes, secondary power system units, and a variety of gas turbine engines, aircraft starters, valves and actuators for the Air Force, Army and Navy. Pitcher said his total work force of 580 military and civilians was highly skilled in more than 30 areas of expertise. The Power Systems Division is fortunate to have had such a highly skilled work force we had people skilled in everything from sheet metal mechanics to aircraft engine mechanics to financial analysts, he explained. Our team met the challenges of transition through team F-1- F-1- T-3- B-1- B C commitments and removed those that dont make sense integrity who will live up to their commitments. be in one instruction. There will be no more major command supplements and confusing references. We also standardized service We today. For instance, why require a service commitment for promotion when, by law, commissioned officers must remain on active duty for three years to retire in that grade? The same common sense approach led us to eliminate the service commitments for any training class that lasts fewer than 20 weeks. That one move eliminates 95 percent of the ADSCs generated by technical training. Equally important, we are creating a system that assumes our airmen are people of honesty and integrity who' will live up to their commitments. We were determined that the ADSC overhaul be accomplished quickly. From start to finish, weve been at this less than three months. But we did need to guard against unintended consequences and gotchas and to seek out the opinions of those who will work under the new rules. Thats why we took the time to assemble a Red Team of 30 airmen from all commands and walks of Air Force life. They reviewed the proposed changes and then split into two teams to apply the without help from anyone to 15 new rules scenarios. Each team got 14 of 15 correct. They work, and it paid off. According to Pitcher, other valuable members of the machine team responsible for the workload were shop employees who work in Bldg. 303. Richard Nichols, acting Depot Machine Shop Division chief, said his shop was responsible for inspecting, remost of the workload items machining and before their by the Power Systems Division. front-end work on their prodBecause we do the workload ahead of the April finished our we ucts, actually we are disasNow Nichols continued. 28 deadline, sembling the shop equipment for shipment to a warehouse pending its final destination at Hill. Around the first or second week of June we will be moving to Bldg. 329. Nichols said 22 machine shop employees have accepted jobs at Hill. Nichols began working in the machine shop in 1996. 75-8- 0 re-bori- ng vvju.airfield-ops- . 1. Unfortunately, we cannot service commitments will weather outlook 5-d- ay after June are creating a system that assumes our airmen are people of honesty and rt written in plain English. All by William S. Cohen Hill AFB instruction that will be published June 1. Gone are page after page of charts and rules. In their place is a simple, instruction, with rules' afford to apply new rules to people who signed commitments under the old system. We have already relied on those commitments in mak- ing our force management plans, and it is just too difficult to unring the bell. We are convinced our airmen understand this. For those who feel an injus- tice has been done in the past or in the way these new rules are being implemented, we have given the commander of the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph AFB, Texas wide latitude to grant relief. We have discussed with him what needs to be done, and we are all committed that this new system will be fair to both airmen and the taxpaying public. That commitment will guide the implementation process. Nothing is more devastating to retention than treating people unfairly. Our goal for the past two and a half years has been to ensure the Air Force is a great place to work. This means more than lowering operations tempo, improving the quality of housing and raising pay. It also means ensuring our Air Force treats its people right. You give us a great deal. We demand integrity, selfless service, and excellence from everyone on our great team. You have every right to expect the same in return. We are the worlds greatest Air Force because of your dedication. Thank you for your service; you are truly the best and brightest our nation has to offer. Were honored to serve on your team. Ue?tli Oepsating My center is giving way, my right is pushed back, situation excellent, I am attacking." Ferdinand Foch (1851-192- 9) French Field Marshal "What people say behind your back standing in the community." is your Edgar W. Howe (1853-193- 7) U.S. editor, author liill.af.milosnweather fh i arca i "55 . f r 35? is Lm 68s High 45s Low Mostly cloudy with partial clearing late . 75s High 48e Low 11- - Partly cloudy Sunny a High 51 Low 80Q High 53Q Low Sunny I- ! i ! kSr- - 80s High 51s Low Sunny |