Commander's Corner

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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 Col. 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

Nick Robinson - Col VanHerck, I am prior service AF and I was stationed at Dyess from 06-09. My question is how many civilian personnel have been put out this week from budget cuts?
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Nick, thank-you for your service to our nation, and for your continued interest in the mission at Dyess. To answer your question, beginning July 8, the Department of Defense, Air Force, and in turn Dyess AFB, began furloughs of civilian appropriated fund employees due to sequestration. The total number of employees impacted at Dyess is 361. Most employees will take 11 days of unpaid leave before the end of the fiscal year, which equates to one day per week until Sept. 21. While the number of furlough days is down from the 22 days that were originally estimated, we are anticipating reductions in the morale and readiness of the units directly affected by the furloughs, as our civilian Airmen perform critical functions for our installation. The furloughs will immediately impact Dyess, but we will do everything possible to support our dedicated civilian workforce and ensure that we continue to accomplish the shared mission of keeping America safe by maintaining the finest military in the world.
 
QUESTION

Angie Degering - Col VanHerck, I am a civil service employee here at Dyess affected by the furloughs. I understand sequestration & furloughs are not your fault and they are DOD mandates so I'm not angry at you. Frankly, this whole ordeal sucks for everyone involved. My question for you is, what are we doing here at Dyess, specifically to eliminate wasteful spending of government dollars? I see wastefulness every day and wonder how in the world are we ever going to get out of this jam if we keep wasting money?
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Angie - first, let me say that I appreciate the work that you and every other civilian does here at Dyess. Our operations will be impacted by these furloughs. Next - if you see wasteful spending or misappropriated funds, you, and all government employees, have a responsibility to report it. We need you and each and every Airman to identify the waste that you see and report it up the chain of command. This year alone we have already canceled our annual air show support and all flyovers and curtailed non-critical TDY travel. Our flying hours for our squadrons have been drastically reduced and we've been continually reviewing all contracts for any savings. Further, we've closed our pools and ended funding for our grounds maintenance. Our Mission Support Group has saved more than $4.2 million through energy initiatives. Ultimately, we have to change the way we do business and the way we think- it's going to take a culture change. It's up to all of us to find innovative ways to be efficient, and wasteful spending is not one of them. If you see this type of wastefulness or have a way to improve processes and trim the fat, I urge you to use your chain of command or file a complaint at http://www.dodig.mil/hotline/hotlinecomplaint.html. The DoD Hotline provides a confidential avenue for individuals to report allegations of wrongdoing pertaining to programs, personnel, and operations that fall under the purview of the Department of Defense, pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978. Anyone, including members of the public and Department of Defense employees (military members, civilian employees, and DoD contractor employees) may file a complaint with the DoD Hotline.
 
QUESTION

Cheryl Bennett - I meant to get on here a week or so ago. I would like to know why the flag was at half-staff for most of the week. It would be really nice if there was a way for the Dyess population to be informed of the reasons behind flying the flags at half-staff. I have heard that an email is sometimes sent out, but since my husband is retired we would not get the information through that means.
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Cheryl, I believe you are referring to the week of June 25. The flag was being flown at half-staff in honor of the 24th Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Frank Kelso II, who passed away earlier that weekend. I think it's important to pay tribute to these heroes, not just by lowering the flag, but by letting people know who the flag is intended to honor on that day. I'm glad that you cared enough to ask. The Public Affairs team will continue update the Team Dyess Facebook page, just as they did in this case, when the flag is ordered at half-staff with a message posted to let everyone know why.
 
QUESTION

Maria L. Ramos I would like to say hello Col VanHerck. Thanks for being such a great commander on this base. I am so happy to have a commander who reaches out to the base community and takes the time to listen and talk. Even about nothing. It was great seeing you last Friday and chatting. It is nice to know we have a commander we can approach and feel confident in. Thanks again for being Awesome. I look forward to seeing you and your lovely wife again. Have a great week.
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

It's people like you Maria that make this job so worthwhile. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't get out there and interact with those on our base and in our local community. I hold every one of our Airmen to the Air Force standard, including myself! I am proud to be a part of Team Dyess and proud to accomplish our mission alongside each of the Airmen and families here. I can't say it enough - thank you for what you do!
 
 
QUESTION

On the Dyess Kids FB page the wives (especially the EFMP) were lamenting Dyess' lack of a toddler play area where mom's could meet and form friendships. I think this is a valid need. Is there something that can be done to fill this need? Maybe a room in the Hangar center or AFRC? Many of the toys could be donated, the only real cost would be cleaning it. With the incidents in recent years I think it could help greatly to promote networking among the spouses so that they can build support groups of their own choosing.
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Michelle - The Dyess Chapel hosts just such an organization. The program, called Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), is an international organization that is dedicated to improving relationships and making stronger moms. While the program is a Protestant-based organization and sponsored by the base chapel, anyone with a child is invited to join the group. You can contact the Dyess Chapel at 325-696-4224 for information on when and where they meet.