News

Team Dover enters First State Community Partnership

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman William Johnson
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  After nearly nine months of brainstorming and working with community partners and local governments, the fruits of the P4 initiatives known as the Public-Public; Public-Private Partnership, has blossomed into the First State Community Partnership.

Nine Memorandums of Understanding were signed during the First State Community Partnership signing event Jan. 20, 2016, at the Landings on Dover AFB, Delaware. These MOUs cement the commitment and partnership laid out in each initiative program to provide value and benefit to Team Dover and the local community.

"We've got to the point now where our Executive Charter is taking over," said Staff Sgt. Jesse Bechtel, 436th Mission Support Group command section NCO in charge.  "Now it's become the First State Community Partnership which is a link between the base and community partners where we enhance quality of life, save energy and save resources."

Since the early brainstorming sessions of the P4 initiatives, 14 total initiatives have made their way to actual partnership agreements. However, the Executive Charter is an overarching document that commits Dover AFB to the community and paves the way for the other initiatives to be signed.

"The big importance of the event is we got the Executive Charter signed by the executive council," said Bechtel. "It really solidifies that these programs are happening and shows that we are ready to commit ourselves to the community."

The initiatives have short, medium and long rage impact on the base and in the community. Of the 14 initiatives, nine MOUs have been signed and the remaining five will be signed once final details are worked out.

The initiative programs include:

Develop Community Garden: The community garden brings together Eagle Heights Housing, Kent Community Garden Collaborative, Delaware State University, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services and the City of Dover to build and maintain an organic community garden in base housing of Dover AFB. The garden provides a nutritious, fresh and locally grown food for consumption. The garden will host education events with local schools and clubs, as well as provide a healthy family activity that promotes nutrition and healthy eating.

Law Enforcement Co-op Programs: A partnership between the 436th Security Forces Squadron, Delaware State Police, and the Dover Police Department to provide mutual aid and training opportunities on a space available basis. Also, it provides opportunities to save on high cost resources by sharing the firing range on Dover AFB and by allowing more broad and frequent training opportunities.

Develop Program Partnerships: A program involving Dover AFB, Delaware Technical Community College, Delaware State University and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control that would deliver personal enrichment classes to both adults and youth with access to Dover AFB and financial services and entrepreneurial courses at DTCC, Terry Campus. Future plans include expansion of recreation programs to enhance trips to Delaware State Parks and co-programming summer camps to enrich Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs.

Veteran's Assistance Programs: A partnership with the Delaware Veteran's Assistance Commission that provides valuable information to members transitioning out of the military and who plan to stay in the Delaware area. Under the agreement DVAC speakers are invited to speak at Dover Transition Assistance Program Classes.

Expanding Public Transportation: An initiative between Dover AFB, City of Dover and Delaware Administration for Regional Transit (DART) to explore expanded transportation options to provide base residents with private-public resources. The initiative will include a DART pickup station at the base visitor's center, and potential expansion of routes to recreation and commercial destinations in the Dover area.

"Adopt an Airman": This program matches first-term Airmen, who do not have family in the local area, with community leaders to learn about the Delaware area, enjoy local hospitality and act as "Airman Ambassadors" for Dover AFB. This initiative increases the awareness of the base mission to community leaders and improves the foundation for a continued relationship.

HealthCare Services Initiative: An initiative between the 436th Medical Group, Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and Beebe Healthcare that allows for easier access to healthcare services with greater compliance which in turn equates to better health and earlier diagnosis. The agreement also coordinates the mammography mobile van to come to Dover AFB.

Joint Use Recreation/Golf Course: A partnership with the 436th Force Support Squadron and three local area golf courses where membership benefits are exchanged, the courses grow in use and value and increases operational sustainability for all member courses. 

Air Mobility Command Museum Expanded Use: An initiative between the AMC Museum, Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau to explore opportunities to utilize the AMC Museum as a venue for community events. Also provides the potential for a medium sized conference center to be built at this historic location.

Jason Vandenberg, 436th MSG deputy director, said the signing event was a big success for Team Dover and the local community, and all members of the First State Community Partnership were happy to celebrate successes and are looking forward to finding new opportunities to work together at the next partnership meeting in March 2016.

"The intent is to keep this a dynamic and evolving process so we will always have things that we are working on to meet the challenges the Air Force faces today and in the future," said Vandenberg. "We will have another brainstorming session and we'll be bringing a new basket of ideas for our executive council to consider for implementation."

Col. Michael Grismer, 436th Airlift Wing commander and executive council member, offered closing remarks at the event and thanked all the Airmen and community partners involved.

"This is all about what we can do to bring the best value to our base, our Airmen, their families and our local community, and we have done just that here today," said Grismer. "I can't say thank you enough."