Straight Talk

  • Published
  • By Col. Jeffry Smith
  • 28th Bomb Wing commander
ELLSWORTH AFB, S.D. --  Q: I've heard Ellsworth is cutting it's housing in half and not renewing it's lease for Centennial housing, therefore families will be forced downtown on BAS. Is this true?

A: In a word, no. The current Centennial housing lease will run its course, expiring in increments starting in 2010 and 2011, with options for extension. This December, a HQ/ACC & contractor team will visit Ellsworth to conduct a Housing Community Profile, which will assess family housing and determine the best actions and investment decisions for EAFB to include the future of the current Centennial lease. Their findings won't be complete until August 2007 and all recommendations must be reviewed by Headquarters Air Force. All the old, worn out, too costly to overhaul, government owned housing units are being demolished (Prairie View: completed; Rushmore Heights: partially completed; Black Hills Estates: demo not yet started), which gives rise to the impression that we're cutting our housing in half. Keep in mind that this old inventory stemmed from a time when this base had 4 full wings and a community of 10,000 personnel.

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Q: Does the Air Force have plans to completely eliminate Tuition Assistance?

A: We have not received any information to indicate that Tuition Assistance will be eliminated, however, for the first time in the 20+ years we are being told that TA budgets may be reduced for FY07 as a part of the Air Force's recapitalization effort. Right now this is a Wing Commander program - and this Wing Commander will continue to fund Tuition Assistance at 100%. Advanced education is extremely important. I'm paying for it so sign up now!

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Q: I thought the most aggressive personnel cuts were behind us. Recently I've heard that force shaping in the Air Force will take its most aggressive cuts next year. This doesn't seem consistent with earlier messages.

A: There are two different reduction programs in place at this time in the AF: PDB 720 will reduce positions and Force Shaping will reduce personnel. The target reductions have already been identified, but implementation of these reductions is next year which gives the appearance we are cutting more aggressively next year. PBD 720 was a functionally-driven initiative which reduced 40K active duty military positions throughout the Air Force. The positions will pay for the Air Force's recapitalization efforts; the majority of the cuts have already been identified and were to come off the books from FY06 to FY 09. Force Shaping programs have identified specific AFSCs which are considered overage and require reduction (current list can be found on the AFPC web page). Both Officer and Enlisted forces have experienced some sort of Force Shaping this past year, however, as of 21 Nov 06 the officer ranks are still 5641 short of the target reduction and the enlisted ranks are 9273 short of the target reduction. In order to reach the overall goal, additional Force Shaping initiatives will most likely be offered in CY 07.

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Q: With the cost of fuel so high, we should be reducing fuel consumption on base by going to more efficient vehicles for positions like the flight line expediter/pro super trucks and going to vehicles that resemble a Daewoo (supped up golf cart). There is a general concern over the perceived 'waste' of using a large vehicle when a smaller one will suffice.

A: The AF has begun replacing older vehicles with new vehicles called Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs), like the compact Daewoo mentioned above to decrease fuel costs. Up to 30% of the conventional light-duty fleet (standard pickup trucks, vans, etc.) are scheduled to be replaced with LSVs by FY10 where practicable. In addition, the AF has been buying alternative fuel vehicles such as bio-diesel, ethanol, and hybrid type vehicles whenever possible to replace older vehicles to conserve fuel and minimize emissions. Ellsworth currently has 345 bio-diesel and 31 ethanol vehicles out of 533 total vehicles. We currently don't have any hybrids. Vehicle procurement is done at the Air Force level, so we have little influence over the types of vehicles we receive, but it is AF policy to replace older vehicles with more fuel efficient vehicles.

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Q: I am a gym rat and live downtown and rely on the base towel service after my workouts. It's awesome and so convenient. I've heard this is being terminated, yet quality of life is supposed to be a top priority of our Air Force leaders. What was the thought behind the decision?

A: Yeah, I hear you. I'm very concerned at slowly cutting out our morale programs as well. But the decision allows for staff to spend more time on the fitness center floor assisting customers and providing classes. Terminating the towel service on 1 January will also help staff at the fitness center maintain good order and discipline during games. It will save more than 2,500 man hours and ~$5K a year in cleaning and replacement costs. Eleven other bases in ACC have already terminated this service. More information will be provided in a story on the Ellsworth Web site at www.ellsworth.af.mil.