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Robin Red Breast
A satirical dissertation explaining the evolution of the evil American Robin.
From K. S. Brooks
Days without a DUI:
33
Last DUI-
116th MaintenanceSquadron
– courtesy 78th SFS Reports and Analysis Section
SATURDAY
94/71
SUNDAY
93/70
— V
isit us online at www.robins.af.mil/
library/rev.asp —
WEATHER
FORECASTTHINK
SAFETY
To request a ride, call
222-0013, 335-5218
,
335-5238
or
335-5236
.
Total rides given this year:
324
TODAY
92/70
June 8, 2007
Vol. 52 No. 23
Robins Air Force Base,Ga.
PROUDLYSERVING THE COMMUNITYSINCE 1954
T
HE
R
OBINS
R
EV
U
P
THETWO-MINUTEREV
19th ARGSAFETY DAY
Group emphasizes safetyduring annual event atLake Tobesofkee,
1B
INSIGHT
2007 SPORTSDAY
78th SFS squeaks out athree-point victory at thisyear’s event,
3B
SPORTS
PROJECT LINUS
Program gives blanketsto children going throughtough times,
2A
FAMILY
5th MOB Spouses group offers support, page 6A
Watson Extension
Phase 2 of the WatsonBoulevard ExtensionProject will begin June17.Half of the large parkinglot across from Bldg. 300will be closed for 21 days.Extra parking will be avail-able next to Bldg. 334.The project, which willdirect traffic from the maingate to Robins Parkwayoff of Peacekeeper Way,should be complete inAugust.
Road Closure
Due to a malfunction ofthe cattle gate, HannaRoad will be closed to alltraffic except emergencyvehicles until furthernotice. For more informa-tion call Master Sgt.Rodney Summerwell orStaff Sgt Chris Nelson at327-8941 or 808-9723.
DARCONLEVELS
DARCONNormal
— Applieswhen no drug or alcohol related inci-dents have occurred.
DARCON Alpha
— Applieswhen there is an increased risk fordrug or alcohol abuse (for example,prior to an upcoming holiday, three-day weekend or other similar event.)
DARCONBravo
— Applieswhen a drug or alcohol-related inci-dent occurred and no significantinjuries are reported.
DARCONCharlie
— Applieswhen a drug or alcohol-related inci-dent occurs and results in significantinjuries to one or more personnel.
DARCONDelta
— Applieswhen a drug or alcohol-related inci-dent results in death.
Smoke from nearby wildfirescausing breathing problems
U.S. Air Force photo by
SUESAPP
The sky above the flightline is dark due to drifting smoke from fires burning in southwest Georgia. The fires haveaffected the air recently and are causing breathing problems for some people who are sensitive to the smoke.
BYHOLLYL. BIRCHFIELD
holly.birchfield@robins.af.mil
Smoke from fires raging in SouthGeorgia has recently drifted into theMiddle Georgia area, and the matter ischoking some people up.In recent weeks, southeast winds havecarried clouds of smoke from the fires overthe Central Georgia area, randomly caus-ing visibility problems during certain partsof the day in some areas. Although windsand a recent rainfall have alleviated someof the problems, the relief may be tempo-rary.First Lt. Kenneth Chilcoat, wing weath-er officer in the 78th Operations SupportSquadron’s Weather Flight, said whileeastward winds have decreased the fre-quency of the smoke somewhat in the pastseveral days, the ongoing drought maymean the smoke may linger.“This is the first time we’ve seen thesmoke in probably about a week and ahalf,” he said. “That’s because the windshave been mainly from the east. With thewinds being from the east, places such asMoody Air Force Base and places alongthe Florida panhandle have seen the smokemore than Central Georgia.”Lieutenant Chilcoat said winds mayhave carried the smoke north and south,leaving Middle Georgia in a “pocket,” andcarrying the brunt of the smoke elsewhere.Although recent rainfall has helped thesituation, a more serious storm is needed toput out the fires.“Basically, we’re not going to get out of
see
SMOKYSKIES, 5A
U.S. Air Force photo by
SUESAPP
Col. Jim McClain, 78th Medical Group commander, answers media questionsabout the recent tuberculosis concerns at Robins.
BY1st LT. SEQUOIYALAWSON
sequoiya.lawson@robins.af.mil
Three Team Robins employeeshave been cleared by the nationalCenters for Disease Control andPrevention to return to their dutylocations following an investiga-tion into their exposure to a poten-tially infectious strain of tuberculo-sis, according to the Robins PublicHealth Office.The employees were passengerson at least one commercial flightsometime between May 12 andMay 24 where Andrew Speaker, aU.S. citizen, was known to beaboard with XDR, a form of TBthat can be highly resistant to mostdrugs used to treat the disease.“Fortunately, the risk of a TBoutbreak at Robins or in the localcommunity is very little to none asa result of these recent events,”said Col. Jim McClain, 78thMedical Group commander.“Taking care of our people is a toppriority, so infectious disease of any type is a valid concern to ourcommunity.”According to the CDC’s Website, passengers exposed to Mr.Speaker pose no threat to others.“Some of the passengers areworried that they pose a threat toother people right now, and that’sabsolutely not the case,” said Dr.Julie Gerberding, director of theCDC, according to a June 1 pressrelease on the CDC Web site. “Wewant to make sure we reassurethem personally, but also generi-cally, so that people who knowsomeone who has been on thisflight don’t erroneously concludethat there’s some kind of infectionrisk.”There were 26 passengers of the292 U.S. residents that the CDCconsidered highest risk; theywould have been seated in the rowthe passenger was in and the tworows in front and behind.The Robins employees wereeither on a different deck or sever-al rows behind the infected passen-ger. One employee is back on dutyat Robins, while the other two arecurrently on temporary duty over-seas.Due to very limited, if any,exposure to TB bacteria on the air-craft, there is minimal risk that thethree Robins employees wouldhave a latent TB infection, saidColonel McClain.According to the CDC Web site,people with latent TB infectionhave TB bacteria in their bodies,but they are not sick because thebacteria are not active. These peo-ple do not have symptoms of TBdisease, and they cannot spread thebacteria to others. They may devel-op TB disease in the future and areoften prescribed treatment to pre-
see
TUBERCULOSIS, 2A
Base puts new drug and alcoholawareness campaign to the test
BYAMANDACREEL
amanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil
Events over the Memorial Dayweekend elevated Robins’Drug andAlcohol Responsibility Conditionlevel to DARCON Bravo, just weeksafter launching the drug and alcoholawareness campaign targeting con-sciousness and accountability.Two suspected drug-related inci-dents involving base personnel, lead tothe elevation to DARCON Bravo.One event involved two noncom-missioned officers who were arrestedon suspicion of possessing an illegaldrug. The other event involved acivilian employee suspected of usingan illegal drug while at work. Bothcases are under investigation.The DARCON system was testedfor the first time as a result of therecent incidents and members of theAlcohol Issues Working Group werepleased with the efforts of the basecommunity.“We knew there were going to besome hiccups and speed bumps. Whatwe’ve learned is there are some prob-lems with dissemination of the infor-mation,” said Senior Master Sgt.Anthony Pope, Airmen and FamilyReadiness Center superintendent andchairman of the AIWG.He said the AIWG has identifiedthings that need to be done differentlyand are finding more efficient ways todisseminate the information when the
see
DARCON, 5A
Robins employees clearedfor duty in recent TB scare
Services director touts club changes
By EDMILES
Director, 78th Services
Arecent article on clubs in the RevUp spurred me to submit this article toclarify some of the misconceptions aboutthe current Robins club configura-tion and use of each club.Hopefully, readers will get a betterunderstanding of what the Robins’clubs are and are not, as well aswhere we’re headed in the nearto intermediate future.By way of background, let me first revisit a little of theclub history here at Robins. At the end of fiscal 2005,Enlisted Club membership was at 3,156. Financially, theclub lost $40,000. Officers’Club membership at that timewas 2,323 and the bottom line in that club was a loss of $79,000. Continuity of management in both clubs had suf-fered for some time, as managers in each club had comeand gone for various reasons. Services leadership recom-mended to 78th Air Base Wing and Air Logistics Centerleadership that the two clubs collocate in order to improve
Ed Miles,
Servicesdirector
see
ROBINS CLUBS, 4A
FECAinvestigators keep watchful eye for fraudsters
BYAMANDACREEL
amanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil
When it comes to being incognito,three men on base are always workingto be beneath the radar in order tocomplete their mission.The mission of these men is tobuild a case on present and formerRobins’employees who are collectingWorkers’Compensation fraudulently.“This is a different type of fraudand it is hard to prove. So we have todevelop a good case,” said Tom, aFederal Employees Compensation Actinvestigator.Because of the undercover natureof their job, FECAinvestigators willonly be identified by first names.The men can be found lurkingaround grocery stores or gyms hopingto catch a glimpse of someone in theprogram who is abus-ing the system eventhough they are physi-cally able to return tothe workplace.“We want to look like Bubba whetherthey are fishing or atWal-Mart we want toblend in,” said Tom.The men said they do whatever isnecessary to secure evidence in caseswhere fraud is taking place and rely onthe assistance of others to provide tipsif they suspect someone is defraudingthe government.“You don’t get a warning. If wecatch you roofing a house, the hammercomes down,” Tom said.The investigators have been knownto visit claimants’neighbors, doundercover work and do surveillanceby documenting activitythrough videos or pho-tographs.“We will canvas aneighborhood in a heartbeat,” Tom said.Most of the time, theevidence collected isused during court pro-ceedings against an individual fordefrauding the government, but some-times the investigators show thevideos or photos to the claimant’sphysicians as proof the person is capa-ble of returning to work.Though the men agree the percent-age of people who are fraudulentlyclaiming workers’compensation issmall, a small group of people fraudu-lently collecting long-term benefits
WHAT TO KNOW
If you suspect someone iscollecting workers’compen-sation fraudulently, call 926-3681 or 926-3769 to reportyour suspicions anonymous-ly.
see
FRAUD OFFICE, 5A
2A
The Robins Rev-Up
June 8, 2007
Project Linus gives children blankets tooffer comfort during tough times
BYHOLLYL. BIRCHFIELD
holly.birchfield@robins.af.mil
Charlie Brown’s friendLinus carried around a blanketfor comfort. And just like Linus,every kid needs a little comfortat times.Since its inception in 1995,Project Linus, a national non-profit organization which has397 chapters throughout theU.S, has provided homemadeblankets to children who aregoing through an emotionallytough time.Joan Anderson, ProjectLinus’Bibb County Chaptercoordinator, said the blanketsare her group’s way of givinghugs to children in need.“They’re a form of securityso that when a child is ill or isgoing through some sort of trauma like divorce in the fami-ly, a death or illness or a separa-tion, the child has a hug withhim or her all the time in theform of a blanket.”From babies in the neonatalunit of the local hospital all theway to age 19, Mrs. Andersonsaid Project Linus provides“hugs” of all sizes.More than 40 ladies and ninegroups in the Middle Georgiacommunity craft the handmadeblankets that come in the formof fleece, knit, crocheted orquilted materials.Mrs. Anderson said with thegrowing needs of the communi-ty, the organization is request-ing more volunteers step for-ward to make the blankets.Locally, the chapter has pro-vided 4,300 blankets to childrenin the Middle Georgia commu-nity since its first blanket dayMay 22, 2004.Since Dec. 31, 2006, nearlytwo million blankets have beengiven to children nationwide inthe program.Mrs. Anderson said eachblanket is bagged in order tokeep it clean and delivered toeach child by a designated pointof contact from the organizationthat nominated the child toreceive a blanket.Project Linus has providedblankets for children in theMedical Center of CentralGeorgia and Coliseum MedicalCenter’s neonatal unit, theDepartment of Family andChildren Services,Mother/Child Ministries andother organizations that helpchildren in the Middle Georgiacommunity.In recent months, the Airmanand Family Readiness Centerand the local chapter of ProjectLinus have come together tobring a little warmth and securi-ty to military members’childrenfacing hospitalization or thedeployment of a parent.Tech. Sgt. Mike Bullard,readiness NCO in charge at theAirman and Family ReadinessCenter, said the blankets are anice addition to the pillowcasesthe center provides children of deployed military members.“I think it’s a great fit and agreat opportunity to provide theyoung ones another comfort,”he said. “Right now, I currentlydo pillowcases. I take the fami-ly photographs and put them ona pillowcase and they can havekind of a ‘sweet dreams’con-cept.”Sergeant Bullard said aboutthree children at Robins havereceived blankets since theorganization began workingwith the A&FRC within the lastmonth.The readiness NCO said theblankets are a good idea sinceso many families are on the go.“These blankets are smallenough and the size is in pro-portion with the child and agethat they can carry this aroundwith them during the day, sleepwith it at night or take it withthem on trips,” he said. “It’ssomething they can carryaround with them like Linus didon Charlie Brown.”
WHAT TO KNOW
If anyone would like to vol-unteer to make baby blanketsor package them for ProjectLinus, contact JoanAnderson, Project Linuschapter coordinator, at 781-9742. The organization isstrictly a volunteer group anddoesn’t receive any kind offunding. For more informationon Project Linus, visitwww.projectlinus.org.
HOMEMADE HUGS FROM THE HEART
U.S. Air Force photo by
SUE SAPP
Dashara Hollis, 2, daughter of Senior Airman Rashad Hollis, 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron, and Senior Airman SuzyHollis, 19th Maintenance Squadron, was the first child at Robins toreceive a blanket through Project Linus.
vent them from developingTB.The site also said peoplewho actually develop TB aresick from TB bacteria that areactive, meaning they are mul-tiplying in their body. Theyusually have symptoms of TB.People with TB of the lungs orthroat are capable of spreadingbacteria to others. There areprescribed drugs that can cureTB.“Additionally, contractingTB is far more difficult thancatching the flu,” said Capt.Patricia Garcia, Robins publichealth officer. “In the medicalcommunity we never want tosay never, but we are confi-dent there is a low to minimalrisk.”Aperson must be exposedto the TB bacteria in a largeconcentration for an extendedperiod.If the bacteria make itinto the body, it now must sur-vive the attack of the immunesystem, and even if it makes itthrough that, it may nevermanifest to an active diseasephase, she said.Captain Garcia said theRobins Public Health Officehas an active TB Detection andControl program that operatesin full compliance with CDCand Air Force guidelines.“It is our job not only toeducate people on possiblecommunicable diseases andhow to protect themselves butalso to do surveillance for thepossible introduction of anydiseases into our population,”said Captain Garcia.“TB is a treatable disease.XDR TB, the drug-resistantstrain, is harder and moreexpensive to treat but it is treat-able,” said Colonel McClain.Robins employees may con-tact the base public healthoffice at 327-8019 for moreinformation.More information about thisincident and XDR TB can befound on the CDC’s TB Website at www.cdc.gov/tb,www.cdc.gov/tb/xdrtb or bycalling 1-800-CDC-INFO.
TUBERCULOSIS
Continued from 1A
SAFETYAWARENESS WALK
The Health and WellnessCenter, Civilian HealthPromotion Services and 78thServices are hosting a 101Critical Days of SummerSafety and Skin CancerPrevention Awareness walk June 15.The walk, which takesplace from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. atthe outdoor track across fromthe fitness center, is to pro-mote summer safety aware-ness, including water safety,food safety, heat stress, andsummer exercise tips.Participants can receive a freeskin cancer screening.For more information, call327-8031 or 327-8430.
INBRIEF
“Today, our mobility Airmen and aircraft follow the examples of two of the most recognizable Airmenheroes from the Berlin Airlift -- Major General William H. Tunner (named to lead the Airlift by our second AirForce Chief of Staff) and 1st Lt. Gail Halvorsen (renowned for his brilliance, meticulous organization andvisionary leadership). They are visible and recognizable signs of U.S. compassion and unyielding resolve,helping deliver justice to our enemies and comfort to the suffering. Day or night, operating from pavement ordirt, our Airmen deliver the goods, the gas, and the warfighters beyond oceans, into hostile territory, andacross the last tactical mile.” –
Air Force Chief of Staff, Rodney J. McKinley
Commander’s Action Line
Col. Theresa Carter
78th Air Base Wingcommander
HOW TO CONTACT US
78th Air Base WingOffice of Public Affairs215 Page Rd., Suite 106Robins AFB, GA31098(478) 926-2137 DSN 468-2137Fax (478) 926-9597
EDITORIALSTAFF
COMMANDER
Col. Theresa Carter
ACTING PADIRECTOR
1st Lt. Sequoiya Lawson
CHIEF OF INTERNALINFORMATION AND EDITOR
Kendahl Johnson
kendahl.johnson@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0804ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Lanorris Askew
lanorris.askew@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0806STAFF WRITERS
Amanda Creel
amanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0807
Holly L. Birchfield
holly.birchfield@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0810PHOTOGRAPHER
Sue Sapp
sue.sapp@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0805
SUBMISSIONGUIDELINES
Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided by the78th Air Base Wing Office of Public Affairs at Robins Air ForceBase, Ga. All photographs are Air Force photographs unless other-wise indicated. Stories and briefsmust be submitted as a Worddocument. They may not exceedtwo pages, double spaced. Theymust be typed using the TimesNew Roman font, 12-point type,with 1-inch margins. All submis-sions will be edited to conform toAssociated Press style.Submission does not guaranteepublication.Submissions must bereceived by 4 p.m. the Mondayprior to the requested Friday pub-lication. They should be e-mailedto lanorris.askew@robins.af.mil.Submissions should be of broadinterest to the base populace. If there are further questions, callKendahl Johnson at (478) 222-0804.
DELIVERY
The Robins Rev-Up is pub-lished 50 times a year on Fridays,except when a holiday occurs dur-ing the middle or latter part of theweek and the last two Fridays of the year. To report delivery issues,call Lanorris Askew at (478) 222-0806.
ADVERTISING
For advertising information,call The Telegraph advertisingdepartment at (478) 923-6432.
CLASSIFIEDS
To place a classified ad, callThe Telegraph at (478) 744-4234.
ONLINE
To read articles online, visitwww.robins.af.mil/library/rev.aspThe Robins Rev-Up is publishedby The Telegraph, a private firminno way connected with the U.S.Air Force, under exclusive writtencontract with Robins Air ForceBase, Ga., of the Air ForceMateriel Command.This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorizedpublication for members of theU.S. military services. Contents of the Robins Rev-Up are not neces-sarily the official views of or endorsed by, the U.S. govern-ment, Department of Defense, or Department of the Air Force.The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including insertsor supplements, does not consti-tute endorsement by theDepartment of Defense,Department of the Air Force, or The Telegraph, of the products or services advertised. Everythingadvertised in this publication shallbe made available for purchase,use, or patronage without regardto race, color, religion, sex, nation-al origin, age, marital status, phys-ical or mental handicap, politicalaffiliation, or any other non-meritfactor of the purchaser, user, or patron.
commentary
AQ
&
4A
The Robins Rev-Up
June 8, 2007
From cadet to lieutenant
First sergeant: Are we a one-mistake Air Force?
Throughout my almost 28years in the Air Force, I haveoften heard the old adage thatwe are not a one-mistake AirForce.If an Airman did somethingwrong, hetypically would notbe kicked out for that one mis-take. It was possible to recoverand lead a productive and suc-cessful career.Now I hear that we are a one-mistake Air Force, and if you doanything wrong, you will be dis-charged.I want you all to know that isnot a true statement! The onlydifference is that crimes are nolonger treated like mistakes.Amistake is something youdid not do on purpose and willtry not to repeat. Acrime issomething you know is illegaland choose to do anyway.Take drunken driving forexample. For years, Airmencould recover their career if theyhad been charged with drunkendriving, sometimes even afterbeing charged twice. Societythought of it as a mistake.Today, many Airmen andsupervisors still consider it asonly a mistake in judgmentwhen they get charged withdrunken driving. Society and theAir Force have since changedtheir views on drunken driving.Choosing to drink and drive is adangerous crime, not a mistakein judgment. Aperson knowsthat it’s illegal to do, but stilldoes it anyway, making it acrime.In recent months, SeymourJohnson Air Force Base officialshave adopted a zero-tolerancepolicy for drunken driving.Violators could be discharged, just like any other serious crimecommitted against the UniformCode of Military Justice.So don’t confuse a mistakewith a crime.Amistake, on the other hand,is something that was doneunintentionally, but was wrong.Amissed appointment for thefirst time would be a mistake.When it happens, you look atwhy it happened and implementsome things that will prevent itfrom happening again. If youare late for work because youralarm clock battery died, itis amistake. So is failure to keepyour uniform pressed and cleanone day. These are mistakesbecause they are not routinehappenings on your part.Now, if you consistentlymake these mistakes, then youare not showing an effort toimprove. Apattern of miscon-duct can lead to more seriousconsequences for the memberunder the UCMJ.Mistakes have become morecostly to Airmen since the AirForce began trimming its num-bers. Commanders, first ser-geants and supervisors do nothave time to deal with peoplewho cannot obey simple rulesand regulations. It does not takemuch to be discharged in thisday and age.Senior leadership asks thatAirmen come to work on time,do their job to the best of theirability and behave in a sensiblemanner when off duty.That doesn’t seem too diffi-cult, does it? But in fact, wehave too many individuals whochoose not to comply with oneor more of these simple rules.If you sign a contract for fouror six years, do your best duringthat contract. Once it is over,make an informed decision. If you can live up to the Air Forcestandard, then your continuedservice is welcome. If not, getout and move on with your life.If you choose to not upholdthat contract, then a pattern of mistakes will have a negativeimpact on your career, whilecommitting a crime will proba-bly cost you your career andhave other life-long conse-quences.The Air Force has provided agreat life for me. I know the dif-ference between a mistake and acrime. I have made plenty of mistakes that I’ve learned from,but I will not commit a crime.–
This commentary was writ-ten by Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Blietz, 4th Equipment Mainten-ance Squadron first sergeant.
To contact the Action Line, call222-0804 or e-mail one of the fol-lowing addresses: If sending froma military e-mail system select,Robins Commanders Action Linefrom the Global Address List.If sending from a commerciale-mail account, use action.line@robins.af.mil. Readers can alsovisit https://wwwmil.robins.af.mil/actionline.htm. Include your name and contact information soa response may be provided.
Action Line is an open door program for Robins Air ForceBase personnel to ask questions,make suggestions or give kudosto make Robins a better place towork and live.Remember, the most efficientand effective way to resolve aproblem or complaint is to directlycontact the organization responsi-ble:
Security Forces 327-3445
Services Division 926-5491
EEO Office 926-2131
MEO 926-6608
Employee Relations 926-5802;
Military Pay 926-3777
IDEA926-2536
Base hospital 327-7850
Civil engineering 926-5657
Public Affairs 926-2137
Safety Office 926-6271
Fraud, Waste and Abusehotline 926-2393
Housing Office 926-3776.To contact the Action Line, call222-0804 or for the quickestresponse, e-mail one of the follow-ing addresses: If sending from amilitary e-mail system select,Robins Commanders Action Linefrom the Global Address List.If sending from a commerciale-mail account, use action.line@robins.af.mil. Readers can alsovisit https://wwwmil.robins.af.mil/actionline.htm. Pleaseinclude your name and a way of reaching you so we can provide adirect response.This gives the organization achance to help you, as well as achance to improve their process-es. Action Line items of generalinterest to the Robins communitywill be printed in the Robins Rev-Up. Anonymous action lines willnot be processed.
U.S. Air Force photo by
JOELSTRAYER
One of the Air Force's newest second lieutenants waves to the crowd after receiving his degree and commission from the U.S. Air Force Academy May 30 in Colorado. The ceremony in Falcon Stadium ends the cadet careers and begins the Air Force careers of 977 newlieutenants.
overall efficiencies of the two clubs andreduce the financial losses.The two clubs at Robins collocatedfor accounting purposes in January 2006and operationally in April 2006. Wemade the lunch and dinner meal program“all ranks” and moved nearly all of thefood staff to the officers’club becausethe kitchen there is bigger and could bet-ter support day-to-day operations.Kitchen staff could support the weekdaylunch buffet program while still allowingpreparation and delivery of special func-tion events at the museum as well as tothe enlisted club whenever ballroom useat that facility called for catering support.The enlisted club kitchen was too smallto support this volume of operation. Theenlisted lounge (JR Rockers), bingo andthe barber shop remained operationalwithin the enlisted club and the ballroomstill supports special events such as wed-dings, the quarterly awards ceremoniesand similar programs.There are differences between “collo-cation” and “consolidation.” To most of our customers, these two terms are usedinterchangeably when discussing clubs.Each means something a little differentthan the other but significantly impactsthe way the two clubs operate.“Collocation” means that there are twoseparate club facilities operated by onemanagement staff, one kitchen staff andone catering staff. “Consolidation”means that there is one club facility, onemanagement staff, kitchen staff andcatering staff.Separate officer and enlisted loungesare operated but are under the “sameroof” in a “consolidated” facility. To theaverage club member, these terms don’tmean a whole lot as long as the food,entertainment and service are good andmeet the expectations of the membership.To club management and staff however,each is very different and presents uniqueoperational intricacies and concerns.Since the collocation back in April2006, there has been much discussionabout how the clubs should operate atRobins, the pros and cons of currentoperations and where we need to take theprogram from its current status. Ourintent is to continue operating two clubs.We will continue to offer “all ranks” pro-grams open to the entire club member-ship where it makes sense.As an example, we offered a “CasinoNight” in January at the officers’club. Itwas well attended and we plan to do thisagain in July at the enlisted club, again asan all ranks event. Similarly, FootballFrenzy and Texas Hold ‘Em tourna-ments were conducted at the enlistedclub, open to all ranks and they too, haveproven successful. The first Friday of each month, “First Friday” events areconducted at each club.We run separate events for thesebecause the primary emphasis is on baroperations and current guidelines are thatenlisted and officers will have separatelounges. We’re currently planning a jointmembership “Family Night” for the sec-ond Friday in July. This event will beconducted outside the officers’clubaround the pool and will include enter-tainment for the whole family. Wethought it only smart to make this an allranks program so that the entire clubstaff can focus on providing members anight of fun and enjoyment. Assumingwe conduct another joint membershipnight towards the end of the summer,we’d alternate and run that one at theenlisted club.So why don’t we do separate member-ship nights at each club? Conductingcombined membership nights is moreefficient for the club as participation ismaximized. We can do one large eventwith the same staff it would take to pro-vide two separate events, so we savemembership dollars. If the joint programsaren’t successful, we’ll return to separatemembership nights and stagger the nightson which we provide them. We’ll contin-ue to look for opportunities to provide joint programs and services where itmakes sense and guidelines allow.Hopefully, this will allow us to be betterstewards of membership dollars and toprovide better service to attendees.So where are we headed? In March of this year, we convened a joint ClubAdvisory Committee. These representa-tives from across the base are workinghard to identify programs and servicesfor the entire membership as well as toprovide us feedback on our ongoingevents. In May, we moved the PizzaDepot into the enlisted club, allowing usto provide better support to bingo opera-tions and catered events in the ballroom.We’ve pulled all the JR Rockers para-phernalia out of the enlisted lounge. It’scurrently operating as a sports bar andwe’re discussing further renovations tothat part of the club.We’ve added the MousePad, whichoffers free computer access for all andwe’ve created a separate billiards roomadjacent to the Pizza Depot. ITThas alsomoved in so the enlisted club is now anactive hub for a number of communityprograms. Long range, we’re workingon a plan to build a new consolidatedclub and golf facility that would houseboth clubs with separate lounges, thegolf pro shop and possibly even the lodg-ing front desk operation. This projectcalls for including the existing pool andtennis courts as a part of this facility andwould be located somewhere near wherethe current officers’club and Pine OaksLodge currently exist. The plan is still inthe concept stage and will take severalyears to materialize.In the meantime, what we need issupport from the membership at bothclubs. I’ve heard a lot of discussionabout what clubs are and what theyaren’t. The success or failure of a clubisn’t dependent on the building. It isn’tdependent on the entertainment programor the hours of operation. What makes agood club program is the people whosupport it. When the membership isstrong and supportive of one another andthe club, all the pieces come together andyou get vibrant memberships enjoying avariety of programs – a little somethingfor everyone.Our goal is to deliver the best pro-grams and services we can with theresources we currently have available.Membership participation and feedback are critical to the success of these effortsas neither Services nor the advisorycommittee can accomplish anythingwithout membership support. It is mysincere hope that we’ll see you at theclub!
ROBINSCLUBS
Continued from 1A
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US Air Force: AFD-070607-081
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| Upload Date: | 01/26/2008 |
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