ALC priority: taking care of people Published Oct. 29, 2009 By Micah Garbarino Tinker Public Affairs TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- If there is one thing that Air Force members have heard time and again, it is that the service cares about them. The total force -- military, civilian and contractors -- that make up the Air Force family are vital in carrying out every unit's mission. The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center's mission is to "deliver and sustain air power ... anytime, anyplace." To do this will require a harmonized team effort, which is why leadership made the second strategic goal of the center to "develop and care for our people to enable success." "The second goal is all about enabling our people and building a team -- a winning team that provides war-winning capability to the warfighter," said Maj. Gen. David Gillett, OC-ALC commander and champion of the second goal. "We recognize that mission success does not come without well-prepared, disciplined, well-equipped and well-led people. This goal is important to me because for many years I have thought that people are first. People are the only assets we have that appreciate in value. People make the mission, plain and simple." The goal has three sub-objectives. First is to "develop, educate, equip and train the work force." To do this requires open and credible communication, where employees and management are empowered and encouraged to promote better practices and share original thoughts and ideas. "Communication is the key to success in every organization. We must foster a culture that encourages information up and down the chain of command regardless of the issue -- good or bad," said William Swigert, director of the Personnel Directorate. Also, providing employees fair and equitable opportunities will create an environment where mentoring, career counseling and leadership development make it possible for people to pursue their professional goals. "Applying rules to all employees in the same manner avoids the perception that decisions are made based upon favoritism or any other non-merit factor. We want a level playing field," Mr. Swigert said. Finally, actively appreciating employees, not only formally, but also informally, will encourage people to grow, develop and progress. "There are times when an employee has done a tremendous job over the year -- or on a particular project -- that warrants nomination for a variety of award programs. However, many times it is just as important to provide a pat on the back," Mr. Swigert said. The second objective is to "ensure a safe and healthy work environment." To do this, the center is identifying and tracking the types and amounts of injuries, including slips, trips and falls, that lead to lost time at work. "Our people are our greatest resource. Every day, we rely upon each and every one of them to get the mission done. If we're losing employees to accidents, we need to look at why these things happen and then work to decrease that risk in the workplace or mitigate those hazards that are causing the problems," said Col. Scott Merrell, 72nd Air Base Wing vice commander. While the 72nd ABW's safety office is responsible to track and report the most prevalent safety issues within a certain work area, everyone is ultimately responsible for safety. "Safety is a team sport," Colonel Merrell said, "from the ALC commander all the way down to the shop level. Everyone has to demonstrate some personal leadership and accountability if we are to ensure a safe work environment." The third objective, "support our people and their families," is more strongly emphasized in the military where sergeants and commanders are responsible for their Airmen -- making sure that they are cared for in times of need and that their families are looked after during deployments. Military family members are made aware of the various agencies and services available to assist them. However, that ethos has not been as consistent to the roughly 15,000 civilian Air Force members here. To illustrate the point, Colonel Merrell said that during the Midwest City wildfires earlier this year, the care of some of the center's civilians "fell through the gaps." Tinker was able to provide billeting and access to services like the Airmen's Attic and food pantry, but not everyone affected was aware of these resources, or how to go about requesting them. One of the programs now in the works is a Civilian Emergency Services handbook that will inform all civilian employees of the services that are available to them in times of crisis. "With an eye on the total force concept, we want to be able to provide a similar, if not the same, support structure to our civilian members as we have on the military side," said Colonel Merrell, "because we can't put the thunder in the sky without them." Editor's note: This is the second in series of articles dedicated to the strategic goals of the OC-ALC. For more on the goals, visit Tinker's internal Web page.