Military Matters – March 22, 2013

1st Sergeants’ Corner

Get ready!

Most Airmen who fail their fitness assessments fail because they were not ready. Isn’t it surprising that although we are given either six or 12 months to maintain our physical fitness before the next assessment, some of us fail anyway?

Some Airmen fail a component of the assessment, and then either walk out or quit trying hard with the remaining components. If we give up on our fitness assessment, how can our leadership advocate for us later? How will we know where we stand for improving?

Many of the injuries that occur to some of us during an assessment are legitimate; however, some Airmen fake an injury once they realize they are not going to pass. Attempting to outsmart doctors and unit leadership only weakens the trust that these Airmen have worked so hard to build. We are left with an Airman who not only is not in shape, but is also dishonest.

Those are a few examples of people who are not ready for their fitness assessments. If you’re not ready, then get ready. Whether you participate in a squadron PT program or have your own, you must give your best effort and not settle for less. You should know what you need to score to pass, but you should focus your physical fitness on exceeding that score (training for the minimum can produce minimal results). You should mostly eat healthy foods, and this means at home too, not just at work where your co-workers see you. Additionally, you can visit the health and wellness center if you need help improving your fitness. Last but not least, your fellow Airmen are standing by to help you, but you have to help yourself first.

The point is this, if we live up to our core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do, none of us should fail our fitness assessments due to lack of preparation. If you’re not ready, then get ready!

(Courtesy of Master Sgt. Dathan Hayes, 2nd Air Postal Squadron first sergeant)

Civil Engineers’ Corner

Dormitory superintendent position available

The 86th Civil Engineer Squadron has a vacancy for dormitory superintendent. The dormitory superintendent leads 12 personnel in managing 16 dorms valued at more than $185 million, covering both Ramstein and Kapaun air bases. This person promotes COMUSAFE’s prioritized “Clean, Safe and Secure Dormitory” initiatives to sustain and implement improvements for dormitory quality of life. This person inspects, identifies, reports, coordinates and tracks work order requests for facility maintenance, sustainability and improvements. This person also manages a $130,000 a year budget, including furniture replacement plans with the 86th CES Furnishings Management Office and acts as the primary adviser to command chiefs, squadron commanders, installation deployment centers and 41 first sergeants in setting and enforcing health, welfare and morale standards to 1,200 dormitory residents.

Interested individuals should contact Debbie Perez at the KMC Housing Office at 489-6029 or debbie.perez@us.af.mil.

Airman dormitory leader positions available
The 86th Civil Engineer Squadron has vacancies in the ADL section for E-5/staff sergeant. We are seeking highly motivated individuals interested in a unique experience that will develop their leadership, mentoring and management abilities and broaden their talents. These positions are highly visible and require working with all levels of leadership.

Applicant criteria:

  • E-5 with completed seven-level
  • Two years remaining on station
  • Commute should be within 30 minutes
  • Minimum fitness score of 80 percent
  • Provide copies of last three EPRs
  • Provide current fitness score sheet
  • Provide SURF
  • Must not have received a selective re-enlistment bonus
  • Must be released from AFSC

This person ensures a high quality of life standard for residents to achieve a clean, safe and secure campus and coordinates and advises unit commanders and first sergeants on all matters concerning dorm residents. This person manages individual room assignments, terminations and maintains occupancy listings. The ADL also ensures dorms meet public health and safety standards and accounts for furniture, appliances, recreational equipment and supplies.

The ADL maintains and coordinates work order requests and repair records to ensure all actions are completed in a timely manner. This person also supervises bay orderlies, making sure daily cleaning standards are met. The ADL also provides after-hours, on-call support to unit leadership and residents and ensures fire, safety and health inspections are completed. This person also mentors and supports dormitory and installation dorm councils in achieving improved standards through self-help and unit led projects.

Interested individuals should contact Master Sgt. Misti Rodriguez at the Dormitory Reception Center, Bldg. 2413, or call 480-3676/9313.