LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century fulfills the ever-present need to make each mission even more efficient, to scrutinize each step involved and to determine whether it adds value.
Concerning the mission of Joint Base San Antonio and fitness and sports, the goal is to streamline procedures wherever the Air Force fitness program is conducted in the Alamo City and ensure the testing format is efficient and consistent. Recently, Brig. Gen. Leonard Patrick, 502nd Air Base Wing commander, introduced the idea of bringing in AFSO 21 experts to physical training at Randolph and Lackland, suggest procedural changes and help outline a consistent plan of action.
In all, a panel of JBSA senior leaders, fitness assessment cell members, fitness and sports directors Lackland's Steve Reichert and Randolph's Marlin Richardson, and first sergeants from the two bases met with the efficiency experts to identify steps involved in fitness testing and synchronize each between the bases.
Amid rumors of easier tests at Lackland or Randolph, Reichert dismissed any evaluative differences, citing the same principles of Air Force Instruction 36-2905. He added that differences exist in procedures and steps taken to put the AFI into action.
To that end, Reichert said the JBSA panel is in the process of developing a JBSA Operating Instruction to provide the same specific instructions to each base and quarterly training for fitness assessment cell test proctors.
"That way, we'll all be doing the same thing," Reichert said. "We all follow the same guidelines in the AFI, but we need to make sure there's no difference in the process."
Reichert used a grocery store analogy to describe the goal of the recent joint base collaboration related to savings.
"We want people to pay the same prices for the same products, with the process taking the same amount of time (at each base)," he said.
Translation: Airmen need a test that is less taxing on time and money, while holding testing procedures consistent.
"People just want an honest test," the fitness and sports director said, "and someone to not waste their time."
Between the bases, certain steps were identified to save resources.
At Lackland, a standardized score sheet will be administered online so Airmen can pre-fill the self-reported metrics before arrival at the test site. Unit fitness program managers will file the score sheets electronically to the fitness assessment cells and results can be printed out that day. Another time-saver will be directing test-takers to online video demonstrations of the different test components.
Lackland previously discontinued mass testing, and now will further decrease group size to be tested in order to streamline the process and avoid bottlenecking. Reichert said this allows Airmen to start the test components right away, instead of waiting for members of their group to arrive at each station.
Additionally, frequency radio identification transponders - racing chip-timing technology - will be adapted for the run portion, eliminating manual timing and further shaving minutes from the test duration.
Reichert said both installations have identified efficiencies that will significantly reduce the time it takes to test. Those measures will be implemented in the coming months, he added.
Other changes for Lackland are planned in the future as well, including a full body scanner to replace height, weight and abdominal circumference measurement, and the construction of an indoor testing environment, such is the condition at Randolph, to further ensure testing validity among the bases.