Community Assessment Survey: Ensure your voice is heard

  • Published
  • By 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Some Liberty Wing Airmen are receiving e-mails stating they could be chosen to participate in the 2011 Community Assessment Survey starting this week.
The 2011 Community Assessment Survey, sponsored by the Integrated Delivery System Working Group, runs from Jan. 25 to March 25, and will gather the opinions and needs of servicemembers, reservists, spouses and civilians.

Participants from Lakenheath and bases worldwide will be randomly selected for the survey. The results will be used by base leadership and the Air Force to target resources where they are most needed and enhance the well-being of the community.

A notification letter including a link to the Web-based survey will be sent out to the work e-mail address of each active-duty member selected to participate. Spouses will receive a hard-copy notification (which will include the Web link) in the mail.

Participation is crucial to the success of the project, and selected servicemembers are highly encouraged to take part.

"The Community Assessment Survey is the only Air Force-wide survey that provides information about your community," said Maj. Darrick Cunningham, 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health Promotions Flight commander. "Your anonymous participation in this important survey will ensure your voice is heard. Maximum participation provides the most accurate information to our Air Force leadership."

He added the Community Assessment measures the current state of the Air Force communities, from the input of active duty and reserve members, spouses and civilians. It's designed to identify community strengths and needs, as well as guide community action planning.

Survey responses can directly influence family services and related support activities at local bases and throughout the Air Force. Major Cunningham explained that previous Air Force Community Assessments have impacted policies and programs supporting families at every level of the Air Force, including:

· Ensuring greater flexibility of vital family support programs to match community  
  members' schedules
· Developing a user-friendly support network for Air Force single parents
· Purchasing much-needed child safety seats
· Creating special activities to help children handle their parents' deployment

"Other improvements and changes to programs that have been implemented because of the survey include coordination of free day care which allows spouses to attend deployed spouse activities, more free or low-cost activities for single members and providing free health and wellness check-ups to all Air Force community members," said Major Cunningham.

This year's survey at RAF Lakenheath will be particularly important. As part of a Department of Defense-sponsored initiative, the 2011 Community Assessment along with some supplemental questions will be used to direct additional resources to help servicemembers and families base wide. Base agencies will be working with researchers to ensure this year's survey results are used to maximum benefit.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs contributed to this story.)