Survey to gauge community well-being

  • Published
  • By Staff Reports
  • 436th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Some Dover servicemembers and spouses will soon get the chance to share their perceptions of how well the base takes care of its people and families, thanks to the 2008 Community Assessment Survey that will kick off in early April.

"The survey is the best way for Air Force community members to make their opinions and needs known," said Col. Eric Wydra, 436th Airlift Wing vice commander and chairman of the Dover Air Force Base Integrated Delivery System. 

Air Force community members at Air Force bases worldwide will be randomly selected to participate in the study. The 369,000-person survey is Web-based and takes about 30 - 45 minutes to complete. It is also somewhat personalized, so it will only ask questions pertinent to the individual taking the survey. 

For example, if an Airman checks "single with no dependents," the survey isn't going to ask him about local schools, said Maj. David Linkh, Air Force Family Advocacy Research director. 

Approximately 1,000 active duty and 1,000 spouses will be chosen from each installation, and a notification letter that includes a link to the Web-based survey will be sent to the work e-mail address of each active-duty member selected to participate. Spouses will also receive a letter in the mail with the Web link. At Dover, members and spouses from the 512th Airlift wing will also be invited to participate. 

"We strongly urge everyone to take the survey, because the results will be used by base leadership and the Air Force to target resources where they are most needed, and enhance the well-being of the community," said Colonel Wydra. 

The survey is anonymous so people can participate without fear of retribution about issues that affect Airmen every day. 

"The survey is the best way for you to help shape your future, because through the study we listen to community members and then provide services to help them meet their needs and the needs of their families," said Colonel Wydra. 

Survey responses can directly influence family services and related support activities at local bases and throughout the Air Force. In fact, results from previous Air Force Community Assessments have impacted the policies and programs that support families at every level of the Air Force, to include: expanding financial counseling programs to members and their families, development of a user-friendly support network for Air Force single parents and the set up of marriage support seminars for junior enlisted members and their spouses. 

The survey is expected to be available to those invited until June. 

The results should be compiled by September 1 and will give a snapshot at each individual base, as well as across the Air Force as a whole, Major Linkh said.
"Everyone benefits from the Community Assessment Survey," he said. "There are lots of success stories that have come from this. One base increased employment, another added more playgrounds - all because of the results of the survey." 

The survey is conducted in conjunction with the IDS, a base-level organization comprised of members of the helping agencies with the purpose of supporting the servicemembers and families on Dover AFB. It serves to address any quality-of-life issue affecting Team Dover. 

For questions regarding the 2008 Community Assessment Survey, contact LaMonte Wilson, IDS coordinator, at 677-2711.