Commander's Corner

Published Nov. 27, 2013

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Commander's Corner is a forum for the Dyess community to make suggestions or voice concerns about Dyess directly to Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck, 7th Bomb Wing commander. Each week the Dyess Public Affairs office solicits questions via the official Dyess Facebook page, offering people an opportunity to ask questions and receive answers directly from the wing commander.

QUESTION
I know 100% ID checks are suppose to be happening and the seriousness of
the issue. I also dont understand how its so difficult for Airmen to follow
the rules or what can be done for them to do their job correctly. The guards
at the school gate this am were both sitting in their truck, both when I
left base and when I returned. A few of us walked right onto base and didnt
even pull our cards out. The 2 SF were in the truck having a conversation
with someone. I dont have a question and hate "tattling" but this to me is
serious manner and a huge lack of professionalism. And quite frankly its
ridiculous and it isnt the first time I have seen this happen. Thank you for
your time.

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've received complaints of
Security Forces personnel failing to comply with my 100 percent ID check
requirement. As I've said time and again, the people and resources on this
installation are far too important for me tolerate this kind of negligence.
I can assure you that this particular incident was dealt with swiftly and
appropriately by our Security Forces leadership. Please continue to be
vigilant and report any security concerns you see - I hope that this will be
the last report of this nature I receive and that we have solved this lack
of professionalism. As always, I appreciate your bringing this to my
attention and do not hesitate to continue to do so if required.

QUESTION
Tamie Cardin - I have a hard time understanding what is being said on the
"big voice" speaker. Maybe it's just the one by where I live(off Wyoming)
but it's quite difficult to understand at times and this concerns me for if
and when there may be an actually emergency.

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE

Tamie - I understand your concern, and I want to assure you that Command
Post is actively working to improve the sound quality of the Giant Voice
system. I know the Command Post has worked with their controllers to slow
down their speech when they talk into the system to try to improve the
clarity of their messages - and there are other actions in the works to
improve the sound quality, as well. If you believe the speaker by your home
is non-functioning, I encourage you to contact the Comm Focal Point at (325)
696-4433 and report it so we can get someone out there to fix it. More
often, though, when folks have difficulty understanding the Giant Voice
announcements, it because the wind is blowing, making it harder to hear. It
is important that everyone on base be able to hear and understand what is
being said, and I hope to have this resolved soon. I also encourage you to
talk with your spouse to ensure your information is current and updated in
our AtHoc system. The AtHoc system is a mass interactive crisis
communication system that provides updates for safety, security and critical
operations. You can elect to receive text, phone or e-mail notifications
when such events occur. Thanks for letting me know, Tamie.

QUESTION
Joy Allenbaugh - Question for the Commander:
Christmas decorations are required to be taken down withing the first week
of January (typically). Why is it that there are still Halloween decorations
still up in housing... to include rotting pumpkins, and we are 3 weeks past
31 October? Thanks!

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE

Joy - Now that on-base housing has become a privatized community, the
display of seasonal decorations is governed by Balfour Beatty's resident
guide. However - I reviewed the guide, and while it does state that
Christmas decorations are permitted for up to three weeks after Dec. 25th, I
found that it does not specify when Halloween decorations should be removed.
So I spoke with our friends from the Balfour Beatty housing management team
and was told they would really prefer residents remove their decorations
within a few days of any event. If you feel a certain neighbor is abusing
this policy, Balfour Beatty has asked that you submit such complaints
directly to them at (325) 701-9276, so they can provide a notice to the
resident asking them to remove the items. Thanks for your question - like
you, I want to be able to take pride in the way our neighborhoods on base
look. So while I can't wait to see some of the great holiday decorations
that will go up in the coming weeks, I'd like to see us abide by the
guidance provided by our wonderful friends at Balfour Beatty.

QUESTION
Andrea Burke Trammell - I am confused about something. I hope it is
something that can be addresses or considered. I would like to have a
personalized response please. It was not more than 30 degrees all day, Nov
22 (today). The speed limit was understandably 20 miles per hour. Can
somebody please explain to me why the men and women guarding the front gate
are only authorized to have the heating unit on during "certain hours"? This
is absurd to me. Instead of time of day, it seems appropriate to consider
the temperature instead. This is not just about comfort but morale. If the
weather is so inclement that it is freezing the road and causing the speed
to be reduced can we not take into consideration our airman!

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE

Andrea - I appreciate your concern, and I want to assure you that I
absolutely care about the safety - and morale - of our Airmen at the front
gate. These Airmen stand guard through, not only inclement weather, but
holidays, weekends and wing down days - 24/7 they watch over our base, its
people and our assets. It's not a particularly "comfortable" job, and I
whole-heartedly appreciate what they do to keep us safe. As I understand it,
the use of the heating unit is based on the temperature outside during
periods of heavy inbound traffic - typically during morning rush and lunch
time, when Security Forces members have less opportunity to return to the
guard shack to warm up. Without going into too much detail for operation
security reasons, I can tell you that during other, less busy times, the
heating unit is turned off because, with more than one guard on duty, the
Airmen are able rotate checking IDs, and can return to the guard shack
between vehicles. By doing this, we are able to conserve resources and
mitigate potential safety hazards caused by leaving the heating units
running all day. Again, it's great to see your care and concern for the
well-being of our SF Airmen and I encourage you, the next time you see them
- to please let them know how much you appreciate the hard work they do for
each and every one of us. Thanks for your question.

QUESTION
When driving on base, I noticed the size of the guards
gloves at the front gate. If there were an incident, how would they be able
to draw and fire if needed with how large and bulky there gloves are. I
understand that they wear the gloves because of the temperature but I am
sure there are alternative gloves which would enable them to operate a fire
arm if needed while staying warm. I don't mean to nag and know security
forces is constantly being questioned, however I feel this may be a security
issue.

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE

Although the gloves worn by our Security Forces members may seem
large and bulky, our SF Airmen are required to train and be proficient in
all of the equipment they are issued - which means they would be able to
access their weapon, or respond to any incident, while wearing their cold
weather gear. I am confident in their abilities, and I hope everyone who
sees those smiling faces at the front gate understands that behind those
faces - and underneath those heavy cold weather jackets - are highly-skilled
defenders, prepared to defend this installation if necessary. Thanks for
your question.