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Show 2 COMMENTARY I IdItop TIMES July 26, 2012 3 TIME Weekly Since l Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter ... Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Times Editor Katina L. Ventura Hilltop Times Writer Krista Starker Hilltop Times Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items are due by noon on the Friday prior to the Thursday print date. To submit news items e-mail hilltoptimes@standard.net or call 801- 625-4273. For Classified Advertising, call 801-625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call 801-625-4388. The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corp., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hill Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government 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 Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Additional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Call 801-625-4273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at mgorny@standard.net . Call 801-625-4300 for Classified Advertising or 801-6254388 for Retail Advertising. My job is prosecuting sexual assault BY COL. DON M. CHRISTENSEN Chief, government trial and appellate counsel W ASHINGTON — Here's a simple truth ... sexual offenders reject our core values of integrity, service and excellence, in favor of following their own base, undisciplined, criminal desires. Most sexual assaults committed by Airmen are "blue on blue," or Airmen victimizing other Airmen. So in addition to rejecting our core values, these undisciplined Airmen reject the Wingman concept that we prize in the Air Force. They represent a direct threat to unit morale, good order and discipline. They degrade combat readiness but with the combined efforts of command, law enforcement and our team of prosecutors, they will be held accountable. Together, as a team, we will protect other Airmen and protect our strength and combat readiness as the world's greatest Air Force. Detecting and prosecuting sexual assault is our priority. Recently, we posted on the Internet significant Air Force sexual assault prosecutions. The posting may be found here: http://www.afjag af.mil/sexualassaultprosecution/index.asp As you can tell from a quick review of this information, we will prosecute sexual offenders anywhere they are found. From reviewing these cases, you can see sexual assault in the Air Force carries substantial penalties. Our partners in Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) thoroughly investigate each allegation to provide commanders with timely, accurate and prosecutable evidence. They pass the ball to commanders, who call upon my team to prosecute the offender to the maximum extent allowed under law. Our team of prosecutors is better than any you will see in the civilian community or on TV. I have 17 highly skilled senior trial prosecutors, who are selected from among hundreds of judge advocates for their top notch trial skills. They have the very best trial skills in the Air Force JAG Corps. They prosecute the Air Force's most serious courts-martial. Seven of my senior trial prosecutors have been identified as "Special Victim Unit (SVU)" prosecutors, due to their training and experience in combating sexual assault. They are dedicated to bringing justice to victims of sexual assault and ensuring commanders are able to appropriately hold offenders accountable. In the typical case we prosecute, the accused Airman exploits his victim's intoxicated state to commit the sexual assault. We are very effective in prosecuting these offenders, and the law encourages us to prosecute Airmen who use alcohol to facilitate sexual assault of substantially incapacitated victims. Prosecuting this kind of case is one of our core specialties. The Air Force has done a great job training personnel about respecting other personnel and not sexually abusing their colleagues. 'Training can reach many personnel who might be tempted to commit this crime. For others, who cannot be persuaded by training, my team, the Senior Trial Prosecutors - Special Victims Unit, stands at the ready to vindicate the victims. . . Report suspicious 777-7000 action.line.pa@hill.af.mil activity via the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program Dial: 777-3056 / 3057/ 3058, watch — Report - Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone is a Sensor I recently received a RIF letter letting me know that someone with a higher service comp date will be bumping me out of my position and I will be transferring to another building with the same position I currently hold. The reason for all this moving around is due to an abolishment of his position. The employee who is bumping me out of my position was given the option of where he would like to work. The position I will overtake is an open position. The question that seems to confuse not only me but my management as well is, why would he not be assigned to the position that is open? Not only does this employee have no experience with the job he will be taking over, but I will have the same problem in the shop that I will be going to. Why would two people have to learn a new job instead of just one? Does this also mean that I can find an employee with a lower service comp date and bump him? Can I look at different shops and pick the one that I want and go work there? In my opinion if someone has their job abolished and needs to find a new place to work, and there is a shop with an open slot with his same job title, wouldn't it be common sense to put that employee in that position instead of moving everyone around? Your reponse would be greatly appreciated. A HAWC Nest Fitness Tip from the Health and Wellness Center Up to 12 weeks of FREE tobacco cessation medication is available to federal employees and up to 6 months is available for active duty, dependents and retirees when attending the tobacco cessation series. Call the Health and Wellness Center at 801-777-1215 for further information. Thanks for your question. When a position is identified for abolishment there are a series of steps we have to follow when making pre-RIF placements; these steps are mandated by federal law and our local Memo of Agreement (MOA) with the union. The first step is to apply retention factors and identify the employee who has the lowest retention standing withint the organization with the surplus position. To determine retention standing, employees are grouped by pay plan, series, grade and competitive level and then placed in subgroups based on tenure, veteran's preference and RIF service computation date. A competitive level is a classification term used to identify positions that are virtually identical. Next, we look for a vacancy that can be used to place the impacted employee. Depending on the vacancy found and the employee's retention standing, his/her placement rights may vary. It is true that in some cases an impacted employee may be given the option between two placements. This happens when an employee has the lowest retention standing within his organization, but is not the lowest basewide. In this situation, i f a vacancy is found that is outside of the employee's competitive level, he will be given the option to either displace the lowest employee within the retention group or to take the vacancy. We realize that in some cases pre-RIF placements can be disruptive to the workforce, but the intent is to ultimately ensure employees receive all of the rights to which they are entitled based on their retention standing. I hope this answer provides you with a better understanding of the process. For more information or answers to questions, email AFPC.DPIDO.RIF@hill.afmil. THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2012 DUIs: 10 Hill's Last DUI: puce 30 Unit Involved: 75e ofrizeizetteema sewevre Sfeeetee,topt Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Sundays 9 p.m.-midnight. When you call or send an email, your comments will be recorded and staffed through the agency responsible for action. Please give your supervisor and chain of command the opportunity to work with you in answering questions and solving problems before call- ing the Action Line. This will help me better serve your interests. Items of basewide interest will be published in the Hilltop Times. Phone numbers —The base agencies listed can be contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with their services: Security Forces 24-hr, Crisis Information Force Support Squadron Base Restaurants Retirement/Compensation (civilian) Equal Opportunity Office Employer Relations Military Pay Civilian Pay Air Force Suggestion 777-3056 Program 777-3056 Hill Straight Talk 777-4134 IG Complaints 777-2043 (for appointment) 777-6142 IG Complaints (after hours) 777-5455 Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777-7129 777-1851 (recording) 777-6246 Loud Noise (complaints) 777-6901 75th Medical Group 777-9696 777-5305 777-5361 777-5361 1-877-885-9595 777-4918 Civil Engineering Hill Pride Hotline Public Affairs Military Housing Vlaintenance Safety Office Safety Office Hotline Union AFOSI Narcotics Hotline Family Assistance Center (when activated) 777-1856 777-7433 777-5333 825-9392 777-3333 586-9300 777-3257 777-1852 777-3090 SUICIDE PREVENTION ASSISTANCE Mental Health Clinic 777-7909 Chaplain 777-2106 (800) 342-9647 Military OneSource National Suicide (800) 273-8255 Prevention Line TriWest Crisis Line (866) 284-3743 (866) 651-4970 TriWest Behavioral Health Contact Center EAP (800) 222-0364 777-1163 Occupational Medicine Services Wing man Advocates 777-2255 |