WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! 001355. Air Force members urged to exercise right to vote by Staff Sgt. A.J. Bosker Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- Given that absentee voting has never been easier, every citizen should exercise their right to vote according to Polli Brunelli, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. In the 1996 elections, 25 percent of military members did not vote because they did not receive their requested ballots or did not receive them in time to vote and return them by the state deadlines for counting, Brunelli said. FVAP officials want to ensure military members have a successful voting process. "That is the purpose of this year's Armed Forces Voters Week, which began Sept. 3," Brunelli said. "We hope to encourage everyone under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to make a proper request to register to vote and to do so in a timely manner. We're saying: Do it now." Absentee voting has never been easier, Brunelli explained. Each installation has a voting assistance officer who can provide guidance on how to register, how to vote by absentee ballot and how to contact the Federal Voting Assistance Program, if needed. The biggest obstacle facing military members and their families who have yet to register is time. "There is not much time left before the general election on Nov. 7," Brunelli stressed. "Anyone wishing to register should fill out a postage-paid Federal Post Card Application (for voting by absentee ballot) and return it before Oct. 9. If someone can't get access to the cardstock FPCA, there is a non postage-paid version available online, however, it is only accepted by 42 states." It is important to return the FPCA as early as possible, according to federal voting officials, because each application must be reviewed by the local election official for eligibility before the proper absentee ballot can be sent to the requesting member. Military members should notify their local election officials when they move so the absentee ballot will be sent to the proper address. Voters can expect to receive their absentee ballots 30 to 45 days before an election, voting officials said. If a ballot has not been received two to three weeks before an election, people should contact the FVAP ombudsman service for assistance in determining when their ballot was mailed. "Our U.S. citizens overseas may use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot as a back-up ballot to vote for federal offices under certain conditions." Brunelli said. To be eligible to use a FWAB a citizen must: -- Be located overseas (including APO/FPO addresses); -- apply for a regular ballot early enough so the request is received by the local election official at least 30 days before the election. -- meet the state's voting eligibility requirements, and; -- not have received the requested regular absentee ballot. The FWAB is available from voting assistance officers located at all military installations and at U.S. embassies or consulates. "We're recommending that these overseas citizens send the FWAB to the local election official around Oct. 14, 2000," Brunelli said. "They should still vote the state ballot whenever it arrives. If the state ballot arrives by the state deadline for counting, local election officials will count the state ballot and discard the FWAB." In addition to the traditional process, the FVAP office is undertaking measures to bring voter registration and absentee voting into the 21st century. "We are still looking for military members who are voting residents of South Carolina, Orange County, Fla., and Weber County, Utah, to participate in an Internet pilot project that will enable them to register to vote absentee, request an absentee ballot and submit their voted ballot for the 2000 general election over the pilot system," Brunelli said. "It is our civic responsibility to vote," she said. "I encourage all our military and their eligible family members to participate in the democracy they so ably defend." 001360. T-37 crash results in death at Vance SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- A student pilot was killed Sept. 6 when an Air Force T-37 crashed one mile short of the runway at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. The pilot was performing a training mission at the time of the accident and the cause of the crash is not known at this time, Vance AFB officials said. The pilot's name is being withheld pending the notification of the next of kin. The T-37 is one of the standard Air Force jet trainers used for pilot training. Vance AFB, home of the 71st Flying Training Wing, trains pilots for the Air Force, Navy, Marines, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve and for allied countries. A board of officers will be appointed to investigate the accident. 001357. FAA assumes control of base ATC tower LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. (AFPN) -- On Sept. 1, air traffic controllers at Little Rock National Airport officially assumed full-time radar approach control of Little Rock Air Force Base airspace, ending 19 years of military radar control that began after the 1981 air traffic controller strike. The turnover comes about four years after Federal Aviation Administration officials in Little Rock first proposed the idea as a way to "increase the safety in areas where we saw problems," said Mike Baker, air traffic manager at LRNA. The turnover will eliminate one of the main safety problems Baker said exists in the skies over central Arkansas: "One facility working one aircraft and another facility working a different aircraft, but both (aircraft) within 500 feet of each other." (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service) 001356. Recruiting Service hits milestone RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Air Force Recruiting Service did something in August it hasn't done since January 1992 -- every one of its 28 squadrons exceeded their monthly enlistment contract goal. To meet the extended active duty, or EAD, recruiting goal assigned annually by the air staff, AFRS sets a higher goal for enlistment contracts. This system allows for an anticipated cancellation and disqualification rate of about 10 percent, so the EAD goal for people actually shipping to basic training can be met. For August, the 28 regional squadrons reported their monthly performance with scores ranging from 101.2 to 155.9 percent. The overall average was 114 percent. In July, the Air Force announced it was on track to make its fiscal 2000 EAD goal of 34,000, citing a mixture of 26,070 new airmen sent to basic training and enough contracts with new recruits to enter basic training by Sept. 30. Air Force leaders cautioned, however, that the recruiters' work was still cut out for them to "fill the bank" to make the anticipated fiscal 2001 goal. "Our recruiters definitely did not rest on their laurels when that announcement was made," said Col. Duane Deal, AFRS commander. "We continued our full-court press for enlistment contracts, and our record for August spotlights their hard work and determination." Last year, the Air Force missed its EAD recruiting goal for the first time in 20 years. An increase in the number of recruiters, targeted enlistment bonuses in hard to fill areas during tough-to-enlist months, and a first-ever paid television advertising campaign contributed to this year's success. "We should also acknowledge all Air Force people who contributed to this success through the 'We Are All Recruiters' program," Deal said. "Everybody from senior civilians to general officers to airmen have actively supported recruiters in the field and it has made a difference." 001354. Study shows most employers OK with Guard, Reserve duty WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The vast majority of American employers have a favorable attitude toward their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, according to a survey conducted by the Department of Defense between October 1999 and January 2000. The 1999 Reserve Employer Survey is based on telephone interviews conducted with 2,037 large and small employers nationwide. Larger firms were defined as those having 50 or more employees; smaller firms were those with fewer than 50 employees. The overall response rate was 45 percent. "We are pleased the survey yielded positive results," said Charles Cragin, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Reserve Affairs. "Employers appear to be coping with absences due to military obligations, although some concern was expressed about the increased workload that results for other employees during prolonged absences." Cragin cautioned military leaders not to read too much into the results. "The survey was conducted as a pilot project," he said. "It was designed as a starting point to develop survey instruments, sampling procedures and data collection methods for use in future surveys." During the past decade, DOD officials have relied on anecdotal information that the increased use of the National Guard and Reserve has been placing strains on civilian employers of reservists. "We have been largely uninformed about the actual impact of increased deployments on employers and their businesses," Cragin said. Although the vast majority of employers expressed a favorable attitude toward the Reserve components, only 6 percent of all businesses in the country employ reservists. Additionally, employers appear generally indifferent to the Reserve status of their job applicants. "The survey revealed a general lack of knowledge about the Guard and Reserve," Cragin said. "More work will be needed to increase awareness and knowledge. Our ultimate goal is to help the department build better relationships between employers and their reservist-employees and gain a better understanding of the impact of military service on civilian employers." Two sources of employers were used -- a nationally representative list of U.S. employers, taken from the Dun and Bradstreet Market Identifiers Lists, and a second list of employers provided by each of the seven military Reserve components. Surveyed employers were grouped into three categories: -- Those without Reserve component employees -- 920 completed interviews; -- those whose Reserve component employees were absent for no more than 10 days per year to perform military duties -- 466 completed interviews; and -- those whose Reserve component employees were absent more than 10 days -- 651 completed interviews. In surveying businesses that employ reservists, every effort was made to conduct the interview with someone who directly supervised reservist-employees. Of those interviewed: -- 96 percent were satisfied with their reservist-employees; -- 93 percent expressed a favorable attitude toward service; -- 92 percent have flexible policies to accommodate absences; -- 86 percent said reservist-employees are good team players; -- 27 percent have special pay programs for reservist-employees. While 90 percent of those interviewed felt their reservist-employees keep them adequately informed about their military obligations, the survey also found that the higher the employee's level of military participation, the more likely the employer was to report not having received adequate notice. Overall, a majority of employers indicated absences due to military obligations were too long. Nearly half felt absences over 14 days caused problems, while 80 percent were affected by absences of more than 30 days. The impact was greater on small businesses, with the most serious effect said to have been the increased workload on co-workers. While more than three-quarters of employers were supportive of drills, annual training and absences to defend other countries or meet domestic emergencies, only 45 percent were supportive of employees who volunteered for additional duty, training or professional development. More than one-third felt increased reliance on the Reserve components will cause problems in the workplace in the future. When problems did occur, respondents reported 70 percent of the time problems have been resolved between the employee and the employer, without reference to outside employer support mechanisms. However, 44 percent of the larger companies in the survey report having contacted commanders to resolve a problem. Large companies were much more likely to choose this approach than smaller companies. When asked if they had a preference for recruiting and hiring Reserve component members, it appears it made little difference whether or not firms had experienced problems regarding Reserve service. All other things being equal, 18 percent of companies who employ reservists indicated having a preference for recruiting and hiring members who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. When employers were asked how we might improve communication and help alleviate problems in the workplace, the top three responses were: -- Providing a copy of the member's orders; -- official notification from the military service; and -- longer notification times. An information packet and a toll-free number for employers, along with routine briefings from local commanders, were among the other suggestions. More than 70 percent of employers surveyed would like the flexibility to reschedule military duties around business requirements. Less than 20 percent thought financial reimbursements or assistance in finding replacements for job vacancies would be of great value. The survey indicates a fairly high degree of awareness concerning laws protecting the civilian jobs of reservists, regardless of whether or not employers had experienced problems related to military service. Even among those employers who had no reservist-employees, more than 40 percent were aware of such laws. Larger companies were more knowledgeable than smaller ones. Although awareness about laws designed to protect reservists appears to be relatively widespread, the same cannot be said about overall awareness of DOD employer support programs. Only one in five employers of reservists indicated awareness of such programs, and only 11 percent of those employers with no reservist-employees were aware of DOD efforts to nurture and sustain employer support through programs like "Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve." "These results, albeit based on a limited survey, suggest that the department still has much work to do in improving its outreach to the business community," Cragin said. "Our plan now is to further refine the survey instruments and to establish a database of employers of reservists. We will also conduct surveys annually, so that we can track changes over time." 001350. 'Point-Click' civilian personnel data system nears reality by Gerry J. Gilmore American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Sometime next year, Defense Department civilian personnel specialists and managers will be able to perform employee actions, gather information and assemble reports with the click of a mouse. The mouse will access the new Defense Civilian Personnel Data System, "the largest human resource data system in the world," according to Diane Disney, deputy assistant secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy. DCPDS, she said, is the result of five years of collaboration by DOD, the components and civilian contractors. "It will be the first fully integrated data system that works in 'real time,'" she said. "In other words, you could find out 'right-this-minute' anything you want to know about your personnel record or about the records of the people you're managing. DOD's old civilian personnel data "system" consisted of 10 separate systems that couldn't talk to each other, Disney said. Over the past few years, the old 10 were integrated into one database she called the "legacy system," "because that is our inheritance from the past." Disney said information is being used to create the DCPDS, which should be implemented within a year. "From a departmental perspective, we will be able to tell exactly where we are in terms of all kinds of personnel variables, today, with total accuracy. The improvement is extraordinary," she said. Managers, too, will benefit from DCPDS, Disney said. The vast DOD-wide database is designed to support more than 800,000 employee records and is capable of processing 1.75 million different pay and benefit combinations for each employee. "Managers and supervisors will be able to create reports -- the range of awards they've given, for example -- and almost any other factor they want to look at that they were unable to get in the past," she said. DCPDS test sites have been operating since October 1999 at Fort Richardson, Alaska; Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Wash.; and San Antonio. Disney said she is impressed by what she has seen during visits. "It is a 'point-and-click' environment ... and is so user-friendly," she said. "People who knew nothing about the system have become proficient in a week. It is incredibly fast to learn." Disney said DCPDS will "move things swiftly along" in the personnel realm, saving time and reducing errors, redundancy and lost actions. Through an "auto-populate forms" feature, the system will automatically enter standard information such as names, addresses and other data onto electronic forms on the computer screen. "Personnel offices won't have to key in data all over every time a new action occurs. That reduces the likelihood of errors," she said. "If it reduces errors on the personnel side, it does the same thing with the payroll side." Most DCPDS transactions will be electronic, Disney said, and the system features a tracking device that should prevent lost paperwork. "There is always a tracking device within the system," she said. "That will eliminate a lot of anxiety on the part of the employees and personnel managers. We should be able to keep processes moving in a way we've never been able to do in the past." To safeguard personal information, Disney said, authorized users access the system with special passwords. The harnessing of DCPDS technology and consolidation of the services' 10 separate data systems is half of ongoing modernization, she said. The other half is the regionalization of the services' various personnel offices -- at the end, about 300 customer support units stateside and overseas will support 22 regional personnel support centers, she added. "The combination of activities should result in substantial savings," Disney said. "We estimate DOD will save $223 million a year. It is an enormous efficiency." DCPDS was created by massive collaboration, Disney said. "We have had private sector, off-the-shelf computer products, data coders from the Air Force and my staff, and contractors -- a mixed workforce," she said. "We've had all the service and agency components involved at every step of the way in terms of helping to design it and test it. "In fact, for the past five years we've been training people to operate the new system and its components. Our personnel offices now have computer-literate workforces, and we didn't really have them when we started out five years ago." Word of DCPDS has spread, Disney said, and human resource managers around the globe want to see what it is all about. "We have had people from about a dozen different countries come in and take a look at what we're doing," she said. "We have had people from federal and state agencies looking at this." Disney said DCPDS will evolve as newer technology becomes available. 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