Off-site offers look at past, future Published Jan. 22, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- Base leadership convened at the base alert facility for a Wing Strategic Plan off-site Jan. 16 to focus intently on where the wing was in 2007 and where the wing is headed in 2008. "The purpose of the off-site was to review the wing strategic plan and make sure that our vision, our mission and the strategic goals and priorities that we've set for the wing are still where we want to take the 92nd Air Refueling Wing," said Col. Roger Watkins, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander. "Quarterly, we sit down and we really dig down deep into the entire wing strategic plan." Topics discussed included recent Rapid Improvement Events, Just Do It's, metrics, the deployment process and performance reports. "It was a look back - what did we do and what was the impact that it had. Then it was a look at where we are going," said Colonel Watkins. Specific events noted include a decrease in the amount of time it takes to get an aircrew mission ready and certified in the 92nd Operations Group, a decrease in time and increase in efficiency and effectiveness of the isochronal inspection process in the 92nd Maintenance Group, a Just Do It on the snow removal process and a change in the 92nd Medical Group readiness processing timeline. One aspect of Fairchild that will soon be in the spotlight for change is the whole deployment process. "That's really the big one that's coming up," said Colonel Watkins. "That goes from the time a tasking is received, to notifying the member that they're going to deploy, to all the training and getting all the equipment necessary, to going through the deployment line, to actually getting on the airplane and getting to the (area of responsibility). "The purpose is to see if we can gain efficiencies - to see if we can cut down on the amount of time and wasted energy or motion - because right now we don't really have a one-stop shopping," he added. "We're trying to gain those efficiencies to minimize the impact on our Airmen as they deploy and also to improve the process so that families can participate." Last quarter, the wing evaluated the homecoming of deployed Airmen, known as redeployment. From the evaluation, the R3 process was born, which involves the Redeployment of an Airman heading home, Reunion with family and friends once the Airman is back in the states, and the Reintegration of the Airman at home, at work and in the community. "So, this quarter we're focusing on the whole deployment process," the vice commander noted. The next item on the "To Do" list is to get a handle on the Officer and Enlisted Performance Report process. "We're going to the electronic forms and trying to devise a process," said Colonel Watkins. "We've got the privacy concerns because you can't send encrypted emails to organizational emails, but if you send a report to an individual and they happen to be on leave, TDY or just not in the office, then it sits there. When something is sitting, it means wasted time, so we're trying to figure out that whole electronic process. "The off-site gave us the opportunity to work very concentrated. It was a very focused period of time without any interruptions," said the vice commander, also noting it was an opportunity for Col. Thomas Sharpy, 92nd ARW commander, to bid adieu. "It was Colonel Sharpy's opportunity to make sure that the leadership here understands his commander's intent and how he expects the wing to run in his absence when he deploys," stated Colonel Watkins. "It was an opportunity for the leadership to have that closure before Colonel Sharpy deployed."