JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
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.
Installation & Facilities
Q. What is the plan to develop Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis? Are any initiatives underway to increase the services offered there for mission and morale purposes, such as another restaurant or some food trucks on site; a gas pump; child care; gym expansion; site security; communications infrastructure?
A. We are always striving to improve JBSA infrastructure, to include the ever-important JBSA-Camp Bullis! First, we have a brand new 36,000-square-foot dining facility that will break ground this year to provide top quality meals to service members who work and train at JBSA-Camp Bullis.
Additionally, we are working on designs for entry gate safety improvements as well as new Hutment/lodging facilities for JBSA-Camp Bullis trainees. Other improvements currently in planning include repairing the testing running track and improved pedestrian lighting. We will move forward with those projects as funds become available.
Q. Is it possible to install lighting at the Fitness Center at the METC Beaver Fit pad at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston? Most units are doing PT in the hours of darkness between 5-6:30 a.m. and cannot utilize the Beaver Fit due to safety concerns.
A. Thank you for bringing this safety concern to my attention. We currently working on several initiatives to improve lighting specifically on JBSA-Fort Sam Houston; however, priority has been given first to training campus and pedestrian areas. Some facility mounted lighting has already been installed and additional lighting installation is being planned and funded this fiscal year.
We appreciate your inputs on the Beaver Fit pads and will work with our JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Executive Agent to determine the priority for planning and funding to install permanent lighting. In the interim, some owning organizations of Beaver Fit equipment have elected to self-procure and operate portable lighting until the permanent fix is available.
Q. I was hoping that you would consider, during the timeframe that the JBSA-Randolph Main Entrance will be down for construction, opening the East Gate at 5:30 a.m. for those of us that come in early and work on the East side of the base. It would save us driving across the Pat Booker intersection, to get to the West Gate and then contend with the base traffic to get back over to our east side work places. It just seems that opening the East Gate earlier than 6 a.m. would eliminate the congestion at the West Gate entrance.
A. Thank you for the feedback and suggestion for how to ease traffic during gate construction. Our Security Forces team took a look at the traffic flow and the positioning of their manpower. They were able to make some adjustments that allow us to expand hours at the East Gate as well as the South Gate. Starting this past Monday, 14 Jan, the gates are now open starting at 5:30 a.m. Keep the feedback coming!
Miscellaneous
Q. How can we view the 502d Air Base Wing Commander’s Call on the internet?
A. Thank you for your interest in participating in our Commander’s Calls! While the best way to share in the experience is to attend the event on location, where you have an opportunity to engage with peers and leadership, we understand that physically attending the event is not always feasible.
In light of this, some members have asked us to livestream the event. Unfortunately, the existing Wi-Fi capability in many of our facilities prevents this from being a viable option. However, during the next Commander’s Call we will plan to a video the event and share with all of you in order to ensure those folks that weren’t able to attend in person receive the information.
Correction to Last Week’s Q&A
Thank you for your continued responses and attention to Feedback Friday! Last week we published incomplete data with a few errors on a question pertaining to proper procedures during reveille/retreat. Below is an amended response.
Q. Why do vehicles drive during morning reveille?
A. Each military service has published guidelines for how personnel will respond to these events. The Army published Army Regulation 600-25. The Navy published OPNAVINST 1710.7A. And the Air Force published Air Force Instruction 34-1201.
Here at JBSA, since installation support is provided by the 502d ABW, we use AFI 34-1201 to guide us. Paragraph 8.1.5.2 explains that if the base flies the United States Flag continuously for 24 hours with only Reveille or Retreat played, but no action with the flag, individuals are not required to stop and salute. Reveille and Retreat on their own are bugle calls only.
The playing of "To The Colors," the national anthem, or the raising or lowering of the flag is what requires proper honors to be displayed to the flag. In these cases, when outside and in uniform, face the flag (if visible) or face the direction the music is played and stand at attention and salute on the first note of "To The Color" or the national anthem (or if neither is played, when you see the flag first being raised or lowered).
Drop your salute after the last note of "To The Colors" or the national anthem, or when the flag has been fully raised or lowered, depending on the ceremony (during the playing of "Sound Retreat" which precedes the lowering of the flag, stand at Parade Rest).
If in a vehicle, during Reveille or Retreat pull the car to the side of the road and stop. All occupants sit quietly at attention until the last note of "To The Colors" or the national anthem is played (or the flag is fully raised or lowered). All sporting or physical training activities will stop during Reveille and Retreat (if the flag is being raised or lowered) with proper honors shown to the flag.