Personnelists streamline processes for customer service

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Anthony Jennings
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The Air Force has witnessed numerous and significant changes over the years as a result of budget and force reductions. Personnel Services Delivery and Program Budget Decision 720 are two programs that are changing the way the Military Personnel Flight will be conducting business for Eglin. 

A ribbon cutting ceremony held in building 210, Sept. 10, celebrated the completion of the final stages of centralizing personnel as a result of the Base Level Service Delivery Model. BLSDM is the latest process developed by Air Force A1 that allows for continued personnel services in spite of a 39 percent force reduction in the career field across the Air Force. Under BLSDM concept, personnel specialists that were embedded in the command support staff are now consolidated back into the MPF. 

"Now that we are all under one roof, we have to do things faster, better and more efficient," said Col. Rick LoCastro, 96th Air Base Wing vice commander. "Getting to this point was the easy part. The tough part is accomplishing the mission that has been set out before us as a result of it." 

The BLSDM has pressured the personnel community to develop ways of conducting business efficiently while taking advantage of the up-and-coming additional services available online such as replacing lost military documents, medical records storage, dependant ID cards, wills and powers of attorneys. 

"We hired the Air Force Manpower Agency to study our situation and they confirmed we could not sustain our current structure," said Capt. Terri Jones, 96th Military Support Squadron. "This forced us to change the way we operate and BLSDM is the resulting solution." 

Over the years, Command Support Staff personnel have taken on additional duties, such as providing personnel "expertise" to commanders, intrinsic to command positions that weren't their core personnel duties. While they may have been important, with intense budget and manpower cuts, the career field can no longer support those additional tasks. 

"I think it's great that the Air Force personnel career field is coming full circle," said Chief Master Sgt. Helen Noel, MPF Superintendent. "When I first came into the Air Force the MPF was called the Consolidate Base Personnel Office, for us to get back to the basics will give this generation of Airmen a small taste of their roots." 

"We have to remember that with any new path taken, there will always be growing pains to accompany it," said Capt. Karlyn Reagan, MPF commander. "We will continue to provide the best support because we have a plan in place to adapt and overcome change." 

Although change can be a difficult adjustment, the men and women serving in today's military have installed within them the ability to prevail against adversity and difficult situations. The MPF is one example of Airmen doing just that. 

For any questions regarding personnel or the MPF contact: (850) 882-2742 or visit the MPF website at www.eglin.af.mil/units/militarypersonnelelement.asp