07-13-2012 The Patriot (Joint Base Charleston)

Page 1

Joint Base Charleston

Patriot

Vol. 3, No. 28

Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Single Airman Initiative Program

Skeet and Trap Shoot

U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class George Goslin

Lt. Col. David Schlevensky, 628th Medical Support Squadron commander, fires his shotgun during a skeet and trap shoot at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, S.C., July 11, 2012. Airmen participated in a skeet and trap shoot sponsored by the Single Airman Initiative Program, which aims to build camaraderie among Airmen and leadership while increasing communication and understanding. See more photos on Page 4.

INSIDE

Grand Opening: 437th APS PPM speeds-up travel voucher process

WELCOME HOME

By Senior Airman Dennis Sloan Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

16th AS returns from deployment See page 3

DCC CEREMONY 437th AMXS crew chiefs honored See page 5

LEADERSHIP

Col. McComb discusses leadership See page 2

Weekend Weather Update

The 437th Aerial Port Squadron Personal Property Movement team held the grand opening of their new self-help room July 9 at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base. The self-help room provides customers with visual management instructional boards and computer access to travel information as well as bank account information to retrieve routing numbers, so users can quickly and properly fillout their travel voucher. "The room can be used to assist customers with primary changes in station, temporary duty assignments, do-it yourself moves or even local move vouchers," said Senior Airman Erika Williams, 437th APS PPM counselor. The room also has an instructional video playing, so customers can conduct last minute checks on their travel vouchers before presenting them to a 437th APS PPM representative. "The reason for creating the room is due to suggestions from customers on how to speed up the travel voucher process," said Williams. "Ultimately the customer will receive their travel reimbursement quicker and can pay their Government Travel Card off within the 30-day limit." The Personal Property Movement team used

an eight-step problem solving process called OODA: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act, to uncover and fix the issues. A random sample of 17 travel voucher packages were reviewed for processing times and the average time for a travel voucher at Joint Base Charleston to be completed took 11 to 13 days. The team looked at the issue and set improvement targets. "Our goal is to reduce the processing timeline by 50 percent," said James Lombardo, 437th Maintenance Operations Squadron AFSO 21 green belt facilitator. The team then determined five root causes for the lengthy process and solutions for them. "Everything in the self-help room to include visual aids, copying machine and computers, will help save time," said Williams. "We created this room not only to help our office with processing the travel voucher packages, but to help Airmen complete the packages correctly and save them as much time as possible." A 90-day evaluation of the self-help room began April 2. Since then, 224 travel vouchers have been processed with nine reworks, translating to an overall 4.1 percent average error rate. The prior process rework rate had been around 10 percent. "We did 10 more random vouchers during the

90-day evaluation and the check showed a 2.6 day processing time per voucher," said Williams. Williams, being a key team member, explained the entire process from start to finish including how this will positively impact Airmen to Col. Albert Miller, 437th Airlift Wing deputy commander, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Hayden, 437th Maintenance Group deputy commander, and the 437 AW command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Larry Williams, during the grand opening ceremony. "On behalf of Col. (Erik) Hansen (437th AW commander), thank you all for making this process easier on our Airman," said Miller. "We love to instill processes that will save our busy Airmen time, and on a personal note, I look forward to using this new room when I submit my travel voucher as well." Chief Williams followed with a few remarks of his own. "This one room provides the personnel here at Joint Base Charleston with a great set of tools," said Williams. "This doesn't just affect Airmen. Sailors are welcome to use this room as well and that is why this is a true joint base project." Members of the 437th APS PPM team are in the process of setting up a similar room at JB Charleston - Weapons Station.

JB Charleston first joint base to reach communication light speed

JB CHS, SC

Friday, July 13

Scattered T-Storms (30% precip)

High 88º Low 76º

Saturday, July 14

Partly Cloudy

(20% precip)

High 87º Low 74º

Sunday, July 15

Isolated T-Storms (30% precip)

High 86º Low 74º

By Senior Airman Dennis Sloan Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs

Joint Base Charleston is the first joint base to connect more than one service to the same communication system. Overcoming the challenges associated with forming a joint base environment, the 628th Communications Squadron installed a high speed optical network December 4, 2011, known as SONET. This system allows both Joint Base Charleston - Weapons Station and Air Base, to communicate on one system. Although Weapons Station personnel had access to the Air Force network, the new SONET system now provides a redundant loop, ensuring connectivity and increased bandwidth, which allows joint base personnel on the Weapons Station to utilize Air Force resources such as internet, EIM sites and the Air Force network known as Area 52. "The JB Charleston - WS and AB are geographically separated, so there is a need for the redundant loop and increased speed," said Staff Sgt. Michael Brifnek, 628th CS assistant noncommis-

sioned officer in charge of network infrastructure. The project cost approximately $1 million, but will save the Department of Defense $1.3 million annually. "We used 20 miles of fiber optics to complete the ring and connect the five SONET nodes," said Brifnek. "We had to run the fiber underground and through the air, but when all was said and done, the network speed for the Navy was about 200 times faster." The coordination and planning for the project started in 2010 and was finalized earlier this year. "The point of the project was to make communication easier and seamless between the joint base personnel on either side of the base, as well as provide redundancy to ensure connectivity," said Brifnek. "The project is just another example of how joint basing saves the Department of Defense money." Navy personnel who fall under units such as the Navy Nuclear Power Training Unit and Navy Munitions Command do not use SONET, and will remain with the Navy Marine Corps Internet system. Army personnel on the Weapons Station, such as the Army Strategic Logistics Activity Charleston are in the process

of linking into the SONET network now. "It benefits not only the joint base individuals on the Weapons Station, but the Army personnel as well," said Marie Roberson, 628th CS telecommunication specialist at JB Charleston - WS. Because the system is brand new and more efficient it requires less maintenance. If there is an issue, technicians from the 628th CS will be responsible for repairs. Each technician has received several hours of training on how to install the new communication system, and how to maintain and operate it as well. "Once you understand the possibilities, it is incredibly easy to be excited about the addition of the SONET network to Joint Base Charleston's communications arsenal," said Master Sgt. Scott Levesque, 628th CS flight chief. "It isn't easy to describe in simple words the amount of effort that a handful of individuals devoted as a team to take this project from concept to reality. This capability has already proven to have an immensely positive impact on how we take care of our customers. Additionally, the cost savings and benefits are expected to continue increasing substantially for years to come."

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