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MEO plus EEO equals EO

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kali L. Gradishar
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  In line with the ongoing push to work smarter and not harder, the Military Equal Opportunity and Equal Employment Opportunity offices have merged into one office to serve all. The consolidated office will officially be titled Equal Opportunity.

A memorandum dated Nov. 14 from former Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff of Manning and Personnel, Gen. Roger Brady, was forwarded to Air Force MEO offices announcing the decision to consolidate the two offices.

"The new EO Program integrates the civilian equal employment opportunity (EEO) and military equal opportunity (MEO) workforce to create synergies that will come with having a highly-trained multidisciplinary workforce," the memorandum states.

With a leaner Air Force and continuing manning cuts, it becomes necessary to merge similar programs.

"Instead of having two offices on base doing similar jobs, the EO office will be the focal point for military and civilian personnel," said Master Sgt. DeeDee DuBose, soon the be the Equal Opportunity director once the merge is official Air Force wide.

Because Fairchild did not originally have a full-time civilian for the EEO position, having a part-time EEO manager instead, initiating and completing most components of the merge was relatively simple.

"The merge at Fairchild was pretty much complete at the end of November," said Sergeant DuBose. "It was really a matter of EEO bring their case files to the EEO office."

The only delay for Fairchild's MEO/EEO merge has to do with training, as EO technicians, Sergeant Dubose and Tech. Sgt. James Bonner, must be trained in both civilian and military processes. Though, there will also be three civilian collateral duty counselors who will assist with civilian cases.

Before the merge is complete here, the EO office must also take care of the small details, noted Sergeant DuBose.

"Policy letters and visual aides will not change until the merge is official," she said, "and small things will change on a day-to-day basis." Though, "for the base populace, the change will be transparent because the customer service has not changed."

The EO office will continue to proved regular services to the base including briefing at the First Term Airmen Center, Commander's Calls and special briefings, as well as providing team building sessions for units to improve peer relations making for a more cohesive work environment and one-on-one sensitivity training.

The merge will be officially complete Air Force wide once the new Deputy Chief of Staff of Manning and Personnel takes office.

In addition to changes occurring in the EO office, they will also be moving to the Military Personnel and Finance building. The move is projected for the beginning of April.