RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Although there are some things members of the Air Force are asked to accept for the long haul as a result of budget and manning cuts, there are some things that our leadership wants to stress are temporary and must be accepted now, but will lead to more efficient procedures.
Current transformations in the communications and information community may temporarily affect network user's core services, such as file, Web, print and e-mail services.
Users may experience interruptions in network performance and trouble tickets may take longer to be resolved, but Lt. Col. Don Brown, 12th Communications Squadron commander, said the bumps in the road are not 'business as usual.'
"The first phase of the transformation is well underway and most of the changes were transparent to the typical network user," he said. "The changes that take place in the next few months, however, may be more noticeable."
Changes in the 12th CS are part of an Air Education and Training Command initiative, which is in line with the Air Force's vision to effectively use today's network technology in parallel with significantly reduced manning, Colonel Brown said.
"Air Force Network Operations, or NETOPS, is a service-wide transformation designed to change how traditional network operations are performed," the colonel said. "In short, the NETOPS transformation will soon deliver centralized, remote management of core network services under a single command."
As part of the transformation initiative, many functions, formally performed by Network Control Centers are being transferred to MAJCOM-level centers or Air Combat Command. The 12th CS has already transferred several core services, and in the months to come, will be transferring its call center positions to help stand up the AETC centralized help desk at Lackland Air Force Base.
"Once this transformation is accomplished, our NCC will have drawn down from a fully manned unit of 109 members in 2002, to 45 members currently," Colonel Brown said.
Another change wing network users will soon experience is the process for getting assistance. Today, most computer systems administrators are right down the hall when computer problems arise, but in the months to come, CSAs will likely work from a combined support center, providing support using remote administration tools.
"The CSA consolidation is an Air Force initiative designed to ensure our first-level support is provided by highly trained information managers, or 3As," Colonel Brown said. "We're currently researching a few details and are reviewing lessons learned from other bases. We'll provide leadership our recommended approach for the wing shortly."
During all of these transformations, Colonel Brown asks for patience and understanding.
"Keep in mind there is a lot happening in a short period of time, all designed to reduce the impact of manning and budget cuts on Air Force operations," he said. "In time, we will reach a steady state as processes mature and organizational boundaries become better defined."