Unit Spotlight on Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Directorate of Personnel

  • Published
  • By By Kandis West
  • Tinker Air Force Base Public Affairs
The only time many people are aware of the presence of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center Directorate of Personnel is during orientation, where employees are barraged with more information than can be stored in the brain.
   Yet this unit is in the fabric of our every day lives at Tinker, ensuring that the OC-ALC has the right number of employees, at the right time with the right skill sets to accomplish the mission. And with more than 3,000 employees at the OC-ALC, this is no easy task.
   "It takes and educated and trained workforce to contribute to the efficiency of the ALC and meet the wing's mission," said William Swigert, OC-ALC Director of Personnel.
   DP provides OC-ALC with better labor/employee management relationships, a better trained work force, and a greater understanding of workforce goals, said Darryl Owens, Affirmative Employment program manager.
   "This increases the productive output of team Tinker, resulting in improved and more timely products for the warfighter," Mr. Owens said.
   The unit is divided into three divisions, Force Sustainment, Force Development and Workforce Resources.
   Force Sustainment is primarily responsible for labor relations, including the partnership between the OC-ALC and the two labor unions on base, American Federation of Government Employees and the International Association of Fire Fighters. They also oversee the Affirmative Employment Program, National Security Personnel System and compensation management.
   Mr. Swigert said the relationships with unions have grown. They have signed new partnership agreements and are able to resolve issues at the lowest possible levels.
   Force Development cultivates the Tinker workforce to ensure senior leaders across the OC-ALC are trained in leadership and career development. The division also develops training budgets and ensures mandatory training requirements are met.
   The staff is also committed to educating all Tinker employees on the latest technological advances is their fields. The Force Development team manages the Education and Training Partnership program. The program, founded in 2001, includes partnerships with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education and the Oklahoma State Board of Education to provide a variety of affordable, convenient classes to help solve labor challenges facing the OC-ALC.
   "The vo-tech designs programs to give students the skills they need to replace our aging workforce," Mr. Swigert said.
   The Tinker Vocational Training Center, located on base, trains more than 14,000 Tinker employees annually, said Ralph Wilsack, Tinker Vocational Technology Center program manager.
   He also said that he has not found another Air Force base with the same vocational training facility as Tinker.
   "Everyone gets structured training and learns how to do it the right way," Mr. Wilsack said.
   Without the technology center, he said, many people would get over the shoulder training, be shown detrimental shortcuts or even receive improper training.
   Community outreach also falls under the umbrella of force development programs.
   "We have these programs so citizens from a young age can be exposed to what we do to contribute to national security and the local economy as well," Mr. Swigert said.
   The team host events like Aerospace Day and the Pre-Engineering Academy. They also have a job-shadowing program with 56 career fields from which to choose. During the past school year, 139 students from the Oklahoma City metro participated in the program.
   "Generating interest in these programs is especially critical as an increasing number of Tinker employees become retirement eligible," said John English, Force Development program analyst.
   The Workforce Resource division advises the center's leadership on dealing with shortages while minimally impacting the workforce, Mr. Swigert said. They also manage civilian pay cost and provide the most efficient organizational structures for the center's workforce.
   The DP staff will face challenges and changes in the near future. Extended hiring freezes will impact recruitment and could possibly result in skill imbalances.
   The 72 Mission Support Squadron, which works closely with the DP and handles the day-to-day human resource duties, will be consolidating services, resulting in an elimination of 10 flights, said Mr. Swigert.
   Mr. Swigert said the changes are necessary and will only result in a more efficient Tinker team.