Feedback Fridays

Feedback Fridays is a weekly forum that aims to connect the 502d Air Base Wing with members of the Joint Base San Antonio community. Questions are collected during commander’s calls, town hall meetings and throughout the week.

If you have a question or concern, please send an email to RandolphPublicAffairs@us.af.mil using the subject line “Feedback Fridays.” Questions will be further researched and published as information becomes available.

Personnel Issues

Q. Are Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments going to be offered for Air Force civilians? Other organizations such as the Army are offering them.

A. Great question and great timing. Joint Base San Antonio will be participating in the Fiscal Year 2019 VERA/VSIP being offered within the Air Force with an effective date of March 31, 2019. This will not be offered to all employees – it will be targeted by occupational series and grade levels in which we have individuals who are currently considered surplus.

Surveys will be sent out during the week of Dec. 10, with a response date no later than Dec. 21. Employees who are tentatively approved for VERA/VSIP will be notified NLT Jan. 11, 2019. On another note, the separation incentive for VSIP has increased from $25,000 to $40,000 or your entitled severance pay, whichever is less. For more information, call 210-652-2223, 210-808-7580 or 210-671-1630.

Installation & Facilities

Q. With the amount of money we are paying for the JBSA-Canyon Lake cabins, is there a way to improve the facilities by providing maid service to clean the cabins thoroughly? They appear to be getting more rundown each visit. Presently tenants are required to clean the cabins, but that does not appear to be happening. Consistent cleaning contracts could extend the cabins’ functional use.

A. Thank you for utilizing the JBSA-Canyon Lake Recreational Park. It is a great place to rest, play and refresh!  The rustic cabins are unlike lodging with full amenities and not having the full maid service is what permits the cabin rental fees to remain reasonable for our customers. After each checkout, our staff restocks the dish soap, dish towels, etc., and if a cabin is not cleaned well by the prior renter, the staff will do additional cleaning.

If you check into your cabin and are not satisfied with prior cleaning, please bring it to the front desk’s attention, and they will conduct a cleaning.  In addition, the cabins are thoroughly cleaned, top to bottom annually in an effort to maintain cleanliness. The great news is that many of the cabins on the Hancock side are having some minor renovations this winter which will improve appearance and are in the five-year plan to replace. Thanks again for your patronage at JBSA-Canyon Lake!

Q. My question is on condition of the highly traveled road to/from the Growden Gate at JBSA-Lackland. It seems that after experiencing heavy rains, this road develops serious potholes which can be damaging to our vehicles. Is there any way the Civil Engineers can patch up the holes, or is this a city responsibility?

A: The road outside Growden Gate is owned and maintained by the City of San Antonio. As this is not federally owned property, the Air Force is prohibited from expending operating budget to maintain. Our Civil Engineers are engaging with our City of San Antonio partners to advocate for the needed repairs.

Q. My concern is about the static aircraft displayed around JBSA. I really enjoy the static displays, but my concern, plain and simple, is that they are in serious need of painting. It is disappointing to see their finish down to bare metal, with many losing color and to a degree, and some lettering. Is there any kind of funding that can be requested to bring all of these beautiful heritage aircraft back up to display quality?

A: We also love our static displays and have identified them the need to rehabilitate and repaint them. Our Civil Engineers plan to invest in some of the aircraft this fiscal year pending funds availability. Funds traditionally set aside for static display aircraft have been reduced the past few years resulting in the costs being deferred to compete for limited facility and infrastructure sustainment dollars. Any remaining static displays not addressed in 2019 will be prioritized and repaired as additional funds become available.

Q. When will the roof over the pool at the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center be repaired? The pool has been closed for almost three years now while there is new construction going on adjacent to the commissary. I heard that this is going to be a new Post Exchange building. There are many patrons who would use the pool, who do not like swimming in the outdoor pool for various reasons, and we are very frustrated that nothing is happening to make the indoor pool accessible once again.

A: Thank you very much for your question. I work out at the Jimmy Brought Fitness Center and I recently asked our team when the repairs would be completed. Our Civil Engineer team shared that a roof and structural repair project was awarded for the Jimmy Brought in Fiscal Year 2018. Construction is planned to begin this spring and conclude in late summer 2019.

This project has been identified as a high mission priority based on community support needs and will be closely monitored to prevent further delays. In addition, the ongoing construction adjacent to the commissary is a new AAFES facility.

Q. Would it be possible to get additional clocks for the Fitness Assessment Cell at JBSA-Lackland? I was told they only have one and it was being lent out for a sports function, so the individuals taking their official fitness assessments had to do without. I know it’s not required to be provided by the Air Force Instruction, but it is helpful and a good motivational tool.

A. This is a great observation. Thank you for sharing your suggestion. Additional clocks will be purchased immediately to support this mission critical element in the Fitness Assessment Cell. If you have additional questions please work contact our FAC Director on JBSA-Lackland.

Miscellaneous

Q. What is the base policy concerning offensive language displayed on vehicles operated on base?

A. Thank you for your question. The display of offensive language is contrary to our military values and the professionalism the public expects from us. To that end, the JBSA Traffic Code (which can be found on the Air Force Publications website) includes a prohibition on offensive language. The applicable section reads, “No motor vehicle operated upon the public highways or on JBSA, shall bear upon any part of such vehicle or its attachments any plate, stickers, card, tag, lettering, markings or pictures of an obscene, vulgar, racist or sexist nature.”

Our Security Forces actively patrol our JBSA roads, keeping us safe and addressing traffic code violations. But, we also rely on our community members. Anyone who observes a traffic code violation is encouraged to report the violation to their local Security Forces Squadron.

Q. Is there a better way to educate drivers who are using the Taj Mahal traffic circle? People continue to not follow proper driving lane procedures. I’ve seen a lot of close calls, especially early in the morning.

A. We are always looking for ways to increase safety on our roads. The traffic circle on JBSA-Randolph creates driving challenges not typically experienced on military bases, and certainly not found anywhere else on JBSA. Because of this, our 502d ABW Safety team spends time briefing the topic at each JBSA-Randolph Newcomers Orientation.

Additionally, they provide unit safety reps with a visual diagram showing safe navigation of the circle, for distribution to new unit members. Our 502d ABW Public Affairs team has included reminder information in previous issues of the base newspaper.

But, you bring up a great point. We can absolutely do more to educate and help drivers safely navigate our roadways. So, our Randolph Executive Agent team will work with Public Affairs and Safety to distribute refresher information through command channels and our community information forum, include in the base newspaper, and post on social media.

I’m also going to have our JBSA Traffic Engineer take a look at the traffic circle to consider any improvements or changes to signage or markings that may help. But we shouldn’t forget, everyone who drives on Randolph plays a critical role in this. Following the speed limit, adhering to stop and yield signs, and staying aware of other drivers will help everyone be safer.