Services transition maintains responsible resource stewardship Published April 18, 2012 By Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The Air Force continues to restructure manning and forces within the military to maintain responsible stewardship of taxpayer money. The restructure changes affect every base within the Air Force, but for Spangdahlem AB, the 52nd Force Support Squadron is looking for ways to keep programs active while reducing resource expenditures. Congress and the Air Force initiated Resource Management Decision 703 in November 2011, which abolished certain appropriated-funded positions within the Air Force. FSS lost 27 government-funded positions as a result. To maintain the same services, the squadron would have to hire replacements and fund their wages, insurance and benefits from non-appropriated funds or customer-supplied funds. One of the areas affected within the squadron was the arts and crafts program, said Tony Chatfield, 52nd FSS Community Services Flight chief. The program is divided into services categories: auto-hobby shop; woodshop; framing, graphics and ceramics; and instructional classes. Those services are not designed to make money; rather, these are services the Air Force considers core programs to support morale, wellfare and recreation. However, today's fiscally-constrained environment made it necessary to realign some services to more efficiently provide programs to the community, he said. These realignments include changes to the auto hobby shop, craft store, frame shop and plaque shop, and the changes were made to save customers from increased prices. Unfortunately, one of the changes included the closure of the Spangdahlem woodshop, he continued. The date has yet to be determined, but its closure is a reality. Another way the Air Force is finding a way to use money smarter is by creating a services transition team who travels to certain selected bases to evaluate the successes of services programs. Spangdahlem AB was one of the selected bases, and the team met here April 2-6. The team's other objectives were to explore base and enterprise initiatives for type and delivery of service, provide a transformation roadmap, and recommend the way ahead. The results of the team's visit will not be immediately apparent, as the process requires input from different installations across the Air Force. Different bases may test certain ideas -- like combined management approaches or a collocated services facility -- and if the changes yield a positive impact, the Air Force can implement the processes force-wide. "We have to start thinking of how we're going to do business in the future," said Maj. Cat Logan, 52nd FSS commander. "We have to ask ourselves, 'How can we more successfully serve our customers? How can we make our facilities better and use those smart business practices to give more back to the Airmen?'" The suggested services improvements will not necessarily be cookie-cutter, Chatfield said. Air Force leadership understands that each base has unique requirements. There are differences in civilian services availability, such as libraries or golf courses, in the states or overseas. At a wing-wide commander's call in March, Col. Chris Weggeman, 52nd Fighter Wing commander, called attention to the availability of civilian-run libraries near bases in the states. Why would the Air Force continue to allocate resources for base library operation when there may be many such facilities within a short distance from the main gate? Chatfield said there are even differences between the overseas installations. A base in England may not need a library, because the native language is English. "When all the dust settles on services transitions, we'll be able to offer programs that meet the most needs," he said. "It's not about saving money; it's about reinvesting back into the base community."