Commander's Corner

  • Published
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

Jennifer Cohee - What career fields are eligible for retirement at 15 years? My husband and I have heard several answers to this. I guess I am asking in general but info on Enlisted-specific would be greatly appreciated.
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Jennifer - If your husband is interested in the Temporary Early Retirement Authority Program, he can find the information at the MyPers website: https://mypers.af.mil and then search for "PSDM 13-73." This document should answer most questions you and your husband may have. MyPers will require an account or DOD ID Card login to access it. If you have any other questions regarding TERA, please contact our Force Support Squadron at 696-6838.
 
QUESTION

Robin Sturtevant - Dyess elementary as well as Wylie schools have meet the teacher on aug. 22. That is the same night as the town hall meeting. I know many people want and feel the need to attend both events. Is there any way the town hall meeting date will change?
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Robin - I am happy to hear that you're planning to attend the upcoming town hall meeting! The date of the meeting has been changed to Sept. 12, due to, as you mentioned, a large number of local schools announcing earlier this week that they are having parent teacher and open house events on Aug. 22. I have asked my Public Affairs office to spread the word about this change, but please let your friends and neighbors know. I began hosting town halls to offer an open forum for discussion between wing leadership and Team Dyess, where folks can ask me questions and share concerns face to face. This practice won't be successful if no one else shows up! As always, the entire Dyess community is invited to attend the meeting, which will be held in the Dyess Youth Center Gymnasium from 7-9 p.m. There will also be a Helping Agency Information Fair in the lobby of the youth center from 6 until 9, where you can learn more about the resources available to our Airmen and families. Feel free to bring the kiddies along, as free child care will be provided from 6 until the end of the event. However, if there are people who are unable to attend, they can still text in their questions; Dyess first sergeants have the event phone number. Questions and comments sent using the Commander's Corner will also be read and answered at the town hall meeting. Thanks again for your question - I look forward to seeing you on Sept. 12!
 
QUESTION

Susanne Johnson - Could you please post the current Youth Supervision Policy for Dyess AFB? I know that this policy has been asked about by many & different regulations have been cited by SF vs Base policy. At one time, there was a link for it on the 7th FSS page that provided a copy of the policy.
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Susanne - This is an outstanding question, and I want to make sure this information is readily available for any parent here at Team Dyess. Our Public Affairs office has attached the Youth Supervision guidelines on our official website under the Family Resources tab: http://www.dyess.af.mil/familyresource.asp. I want to stress that these are just the minimum standards. If a parent believes his or her child does not consistently demonstrate age-appropriate behavior, then the child should not be given the same level of responsibilities as children who do. Ultimately, parents are responsible for the safety and well-being of the children under their care. In June, I posted a message on the Dyess Facebook page urging parents to proactively engage and mentor their children on proper behavior, and I want to reiterate that being a good neighbor on and off base means taking pride and ownership of where you live, being a leader in your community, holding each other accountable, and being responsible for your actions and the actions of all members of your family. Thank you for doing your part!
 
QUESTION

There has been talk of lessening the commissary closures next year that occured due to budget cuts this year (seen on military.com) is our commissary going to continue to be closed both monday and tuesday, or is this something theyre looking to change back to just mondays in 2014? (or has a decision not been made yet?)
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Michelle - I am very pleased to tell you the furloughs for our federal civilian employees for fiscal year 2013 will be coming to an end very soon. Our defense employees, who are essential to keeping our mission running, have had their furlough days reduced from 11 to 6. This welcome news will allow the Dyess commissary to resume normal hours and operations 18 August. However, looking forward to fiscal year 2014, which is just two months away, there are still unanswered questions about the Defense budget. As it currently stands, if Congress does not change the Budget Control Act, the Defense Department will be required to cut an additional $52 billion starting Oct. 1. Knowing this, I can't tell you with any certainty what will happen. I do know that our leadership from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force on up are doing everything they can to mitigate this situation, and I know they care deeply about the impact these cuts have, not only on our operations, but on our Air Force family, as well.
 
QUESTION

Michelle King - One more :-) is there an official spouse-Dress guideline for ALS graduation, or is "formal event" the only answer? We all grew up in different areas, so the idea of what's "formal" for some is a lot different than others! Thank you!
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Michelle - First, I can't believe that you would ask me about proper attire...especially for a female. My wife laughed when I told her about your question! Seriously, thanks for planning to attend one of our Airman Leadership School graduations! ALS graduation represents an Airman's transition into the NCO corps, and it is terrific that you will be there to celebrate this achievement. The job of an NCO means more responsibility and a reaffirmed dedication to live and enforce our Air Force standards, which means that these newly-promoted Non Commissioned Officers will need family support more than ever. Because the graduation ceremony marks a significant milestone in our Airmen's careers, we ask that anyone who attends wear appropriate business attire. This means no shorts, jeans or sweatshirts, etc. My wife suggests a "cocktail" dress but to be honest, you'll see a wide variety of clothes at the event. If there are any other questions on whether or not a particular clothing choice is appropriate, our ALS instructors are more than happy to answer them. Just give them a call at 696-3495. There are also numerous internet resources that can point you in the right direction with what to wear. Thanks!

QUESTION

Quintin Chandler - If base housing goes private will it become separate from the rest of the base? Basically would base housing become off base? Also would modifications to the yard or house be through ce or the owner?
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Quintin - Once privatized, base housing will continue to be part of Dyess and the land will continue to be government property. Housing will continue to be within the Dyess fence line and the 7th Security Forces Squadron will continue to patrol the neighborhoods. The new private owner, who won the contract, will enter into a 50-year lease for the houses. The residents, in turn, will lease the base houses from the new private owner. The responsibility to maintain, repair and modify the houses will be the responsibility of the private owner. Because housing privatization is a topic I know several of our Airmen and families are interested in, we have planned a special town hall meeting on Aug. 27th at 6 p.m. in the Dyess Event Center to discuss housing privatization. I encourage all housing residents, or anyone interested, to attend this informative meeting to learn about all the exciting benefits and amenities that privatization will bring and to get any questions you have answered. Thank-you for your question.
 
QUESTION

Richard Deal - I'm a retired MSgt and turn 65 on 16 Aug. My ID card expired on 31 Jul, my Medicare card says I'm entitled to Medicare parts A and B, nothing about part D. On 29 Jul I went to personnel deers office for a new ID card. They said DEERS said I was enrolled in Part D and I would need to get a letter from Medicare saying I'm not enrolled in part D before they would issue a new ID card. I called Medicare twice, they said I was not enrolled in part D and would not send a letter. Why DEERS has me enrolled in part D I don't know but I didn't do it and now I'm expected to correct it? I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. What am I to do? I need a new ID card. I served in Vietnam where I earned the Airman's Medal for heroism. I shouldn't be treated like this. Will you please help? MSgt Richard Deal (ret.)
Col. Glen VanHerck
Col. Glen VanHerck		   RESPONSE

Mr. Deal - Let me start by thanking you for your service and apologizing for this inconvenience. I understand it can be very frustrating when what should be an easy task becomes a difficult process. Our DEERS office has been able to outline the steps necessary to resolve this issue; however, I am concerned that the information they have provided may conflict with the Privacy Act of 1974 if posted on a public webpage, so please check your Facebook message inbox, as I have sent the information you've requested via private message. There are times that our local Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System office cannot resolve issues at our level, but they are always standing by to point customers in the right direction. If any retiree is experiencing a similar problem, please do not hesitate to call the Dyess DEERS office at (325) 696-5722.