Forum aims for base and community improvements

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tiffany M. Deuel
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - --  The RAF Lakenheath Integrated Service Delivery Team hosted a Caring for People Forum at the 48th Avenue Community Center on June 6, 2011.

The forum, an Air Force-wide program that began in 2009, was designed to gather feedback from civilian employees, Airmen and their families for AF Leadership.

Five key groups were represented at the forum: special needs support, single Airmen support, health and wellness, spouse communication and family support. The forum provided an opportunity to discuss available services, facility conditions, manpower limitations, Physical Training test and other facets of the Air Force way of life that need improvement or changes.

"It's a platform for people from all demographics of the military community to voice their ideas and concerns to improve our base community," said Capt. Stacey Walker, 48th Medical Operations Squadron Educational and Developmental Intervention Services physical therapist.

During the forum numerous topics were addressed by the group including the need to establish an Air Force Instruction for the Key Spouse Program, operations tempo with available manpower, the PT test, the need for a Special Needs Specialist at the youth and child development centers and other issues.

The top ten issues identified at the end of the forum will be presented to the RAF Lakenheath Community Action Involvement Board.

The RAF Lakenheath CAIB meets bi-monthly to discuss issues that impact installation personnel, family members and the community. Results are presented to wing leadership and plans are developed to resolve them.

"[We] collect items to present to the wing commander about the installation and how to improve our base and community," said Mr. Jeffrey Halstead, 48th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness chief.

Leadership determines which issues can be resolved at RAF Lakenheath and which issues need to be forwarded to U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

"USAFE will take the top ten issues from all bases and then present them to the Department of the Air Force. It just keeps rolling up hill," Mr. Halstead added.