Commander's Corner

Published Jan. 27, 2014

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

Angie Degering - General Vanherck, I work there on the base and received
a "Dyess All" email today inviting us to a ceremony where two of our
Security Forces members will be given some pretty awesome honors! (Purple
Heart, Bronze Star and Combat Action Medal) As part of the Dyess team, I'm
very proud of this so I was wondering why their accomplishments haven't been
publicized? I'm sure the Abilene community would love to hear about the
great things our Airmen are doing! I hope the ceremony will get a little
press. Thank you for your time, sir and thank you for what you do.

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE
Angie - I had the privilege and honor of presiding over the decoration
ceremony held last Friday in honor of Staff Sgt. Erica McRell, who was
awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and Tech Sgt. Bobby Rhodes, who received the
Purple Heart Medal and Air Force Combat Action Medal. For those who don't
already know, both Security Forces Airmen received these decorations for
their actions while serving in Afghanistan. Like you - I am incredibly
proud of these Dyess Airmen. For their service and sacrifice, Erica and
Bobby are warriors and heroes. What they accomplished with the help of
their military working dogs is a big deal, and I was humbled by the
opportunity to participate in their ceremony. I hope you were able to
attend, as well. I whole-heartedly agree that it is important to recognize
the excellence displayed by our Airmen and to showcase their stories to the
local community so that the public may better understand how the members of
Team Dyess contribute to our national security mission. If you haven't had
a chance to read it, yet, I invite you and anyone else reading this response
to learn more about Erica, Bobby, and the significance of the medals they
received by reading the article published by our Public Affairs office
(http://www.dyess.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123377913). It was also great
seeing representatives from our local media outlets in attendance for the
ceremony. You may have seen some of their coverage from the event on the
evening news, or in the local paper. Thanks again, Angie, for asking this
question and allowing me to talk about the things that matters most, our
Airmen! I continue to be amazed by the courage and ingenuity our Airmen
display day-in and day-out at Team Dyess.

QUESTION
Are there any steps to take or repercussions for those wives that bully
others? It may not get reported but there are many instances where things
get taken too far and many wives are relentless

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE
Thanks for your question. Let me use this opportunity to remind folks
that the Department of Defense does not tolerate the existence of hostile
work environments or bullying within our ranks. There are several reporting
channels available to service members who feel that he or she has been
subjected to bullying or unfair treatment in the workplace. Accordingly,
there are repercussions to include punitive and legal action that the Air
Force can take against any member found to have violated the DoD policies
prohibiting bullying and harassment. Unfortunately, I am more limited in
what I can do when it comes to policing spouses and dependents who engage in
acts of bullying. It is completely unacceptable behavior - particularly
when the offenders are adults. What kind of example are we setting for our
children if we can't behave maturely and treat one another with dignity and
respect, even those with whom we disagree? Sadly, your question alludes to
a larger, societal issue - bullying, and cyber-bullying in particular, is
not confined to this group of military spouses you're referring to. Social
media is a fantastic tool that our Airmen and their families can use to stay
in touch with one another, and to share their experiences with wider
networks of friends and family. But it also provides a veil for those who
want to spread hatred and negativity. If you or someone you know is being
bullied by spouses on social media, I strongly recommend using the
ignore/block features many of these sites have available. Ignoring them
altogether and not allowing them to "get to you" takes away the power a
bully has over you. However, if the bullying is taking place on base or off
of the installation, and you feel threatened by it, I encourage you to talk
with our 7th Security Forces Squadron or contact the Abilene Police
department. I am truly saddened that you felt the need to ask this
question, and I hope others who read this take heart about how hurtful
bullying can be.

QUESTION
Conny IamLimu Millette - What official routes would I need to take in
order to start a fundraiser. I was thinking about German cooking or bake
sales or such but I would like to go official channels to obey all laws, my
husband and I don't know who to contact and that might not be a question for
the CC Corner but once again this is our first time trying to fundraise and
don't know how to start! Thank you for your time and considerations.

Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck

RESPONSE

Conny - One of the many things I will miss about Dyess is the sense of
community here and the willingness by so many to give their time to
charitable organizations by participating in fundraisers and events, both on
and off base. To fundraise on the installation, a group must be or become a
private organization and should be raising funds for some type of community
purpose. To become a private organization, there are certain documents
which must be completed and provided to our 7th Force Support Squadron;
items such as an application, constitution, bylaws, list of officers, bank
statements, etc. Once the documents are in order, our legal office reviews
them, and, provided everything is legal and ethical, the 7th Mission Support
Group commander ultimately approves the group as a private organization.
Private orgs are authorized to perform two fundraisers each quarter, with
certain limitations during the Combined Federal Campaign and Air Force
Assistance Fund time periods. I wish I could provide you with a faster
route to jump-starting your fundraiser, but thankfully, Mr. Richard Rolison
in 7 FSS is available to help you through the process. If you have any
questions, he can be reached at (325) 696-2129. Thanks for the question,
Conny, and I wish you success on your fundraising endeavor!