Command Corner: May 9

  • Published
  • By Col. Steven Harrison
  • 436th Airlift Wing
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  This week, months and months of preparatory work came to fruition as Team Dover was awarded the Commander-in-Chief's Installation Excellence Award! Together with 50 of our Total Force partners of all ranks, to include 436th Airlift Wing Airmen, our Reserve partners in the 512th Airlift Wing, our civil servants, community partners, and elected leadership, I was honored to receive your award on Wednesday from Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynn and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen Duncan McNabb.

As an encore, on Thursday Dover AFB was honored along with the winners from our sister services at a spectacular Department of Defense presentation hosted by the Under Secretary of Defense John Young, Jr. at the Pentagon. In between ceremonies, our team was able to give meaning to our service by visiting Arlington National Cemetery and the Air Force Memorial, as well as touring the Capitol and the Pentagon. All told, a terrific opportunity made all the more special for me personally by the presence of so many outstanding Airmen of all ranks from Dover AFB!

But the excitement doesn't end there...this evening at 1800 the greater Dover community in conjunction with the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce will host a celebration honoring our historic Installation Excellence Award win at the LANDINGS CLUB. I anticipate attendance by our elected leaders at the national, state, and local level, as well as community action groups and the world's greatest support community! Please join us!

With all this activity in recognition of the Installation Excellence Award, it is appropriate that this is also my fourth and final report on how we are spending the 1.1 million dollars in award money. All told we received about 40 recommendations, and through discussions with our reserve partners at the 512th Airlift Wing, we've got the plan of attack to fund our prioritized list of Quality of Life projects. So far, I've grouped them and responded to 31. The remaining 11 suggestions and my responses follow.
  1. Suggestion: "Improvements to the base commissary."
    Response: The Defense Commissary Agency is a tenant on Dover AFB. Therefore, the 436th Airlift Wing does not have ownership of their operations.
  2. Suggestion: "Expansion of the BX food court."
    1. Response: Like DECA, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is a tenant on Dover AFB and, therefore, the 436th Airlift Wing does not control their operations. Having said that, we are working with AAFES to expand food options on the base. Notably, we are in the process of demolishing our existing gas station and replacing it with a modernized facility that we anticipate will include food options.
  3. Suggestion: "Break room furniture for the Maintenance Squadrons."
    1. Response: I like your focus on developing world-class facilities. However, your facilities are funded by the Transportation Working Capital Fund. I cannot legally use IEA funds to furnish these facilities. I recommend you address through your squadron and group leadership.
  4. Suggestion: "Install a CAC reader on a gate for bikes and walkers in the housing area to allow them to exit the base without traveling on Route 1."
    1. Response: We are assessing the specific nature of this request and its technical feasibility. If feasible, we'll address using other funds. On a related topic, we are also working with the local community to connect the base housing area with a green path to the city of Dover and beyond. Although this is a longer term project, I expect access to be similar to what you described in your suggestion, and to be restricted to foot and bike traffic.
  5. Suggestion: "Satellite gym equipment in the Maintenance Group."
    1. Response: Because this recommendation is for the benefit of one group, and I don't have enough funds for all the groups, I'll have to leave this for consideration at the group rather than the wing level.
  6. Suggestion: "Fix the gate to building 1212."
    1. Response: Thanks for bringing this issue to my attention. I prefer to restrict the use of CINC IEA funds to quality of life projects. However, I've added this to our year end request for funds. I anticipate funding in September.
  7. Suggestion: "Plant trees to act as a wind barrier around the fitness track."
    1. Response: We looked at this extensively. To do this correctly will cost $75,000. Given that our base plans call for relocating the fitness track to place it near the new fitness center we are constructing next year, I'd prefer to hold off on this expenditure.
  8. Suggestion: "Build and install renewable energy sources."
    1. Response: Great thought. The AF is at the forefront of energy conservation and renewable energy efforts. Therefore, we are working to finalize an Energy Savings Performance Contract. Our working plan will provide a lighting retrofit to 56 facilities, begin removing 72 facilities from the central heat plant in favor of more efficient localized heating sources, and construct insulation "envelopes" for 38 facilities. Additionally, we'll develop more efficient energy management control systems for 15 facilities, and implement water conservation plans for 88 facilities. We'll also install solar panels on the commissary. I'm hopeful we'll finalize this contract in September and begin work next January.
  9. Suggestion: "Build a miniature golf course or a laser tag room."
    1. Response: 436 Services Squadron has won an AMC small construction project for a mini-golf course, so we will not have to use IEA money to fund this project. The contract has gone out for bids and we are evaluating the proposals and determining the best location to place the mini-golf course. Expect work to begin this summer.
  10. Suggestion: "Allocate a portion to the Wing Recognition Fund to support programs like the Annual Awards Banquet."
    1. Response: I love the idea of supporting excellence, but the narrow focus combined with the fact that we do a lot of really good recognition now (our quarterly awards programs have been revamped and are now superb) has caused me to put this on the "unfunded list" for now.
  11. Suggestion: "Renovate the Stripes Lounge to create a sports bar feel."
    1. Response: Renovating Stripes would require non appropriated funds (IEA money isn't the right kind). However, I like the idea of improving entertainment options. We are assembling a team of Airmen this week to develop alternative options at the bowling center (see last week's article for details). 
So that's it--you've made some great inputs and I've addressed them all over the last 4 weeks. In the process, we've spent the 1.1 million dollars on some outstanding and long lasting quality of life projects, while leveraging other funds to complete some of the best suggestions. Thank you so much for your work in winning this prestigious award, and your participation in ensuring Dover AFB remains "America's Preeminent Expeditionary Airlift Team!"