The latest Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Army Family Action Plan focus group submitted two quality of life issues to JBM-HH Commander Col. Mike Henderson for consideration following their Oct. 21 meeting at Spates Community Club on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base.
Pending Henderson's review of the group's findings and recommendations, he can then decide whether to push the recommendations to Headquarters Department of the Army for review.
The 18-member focus group, consisting of active duty Soldiers, family members and retirees, agreed to forward concerns about active duty Soldier out processing and problems with shelf labels at commissaries to HQDA for further consideration and action. The group's responsibility was to review issues and concerns submitted to AFAP for resolution at the base or Army-wide levels.
"I can tell you that AFAP is huge with Army leadership," JBM-HH Command Sgt. Major Randall Woods told focus group members. "Things that come out of this are given a high priority and taken seriously by leadership."
AFAP is a process that provides the Army community with a voice in shaping Army standards of living and identification of issues related to life in the Army. While the focus group used to identify and discuss local-level issues, the program's focus has shifted in recent years to consider potential service-wide issues, according to Kathy Feehan, JBM-HH AFAP coordinator.
"We are now trying to focus on those issues that have more of a global impact," she said.
Issue: Virtual out processing inconsistencies
Kristi Pappas, a delegate representing veterans, retirees, family members and dual military retirees, explained that active duty Soldiers can find out processing from installations both a time consuming and stressful process as they make a permanent change of station, end their term of service or retire from the military.
"The military has come up with a program called OUTPROC and apparently there are installations that aren't using it that could be using it, should be using it," she said. "We had a big discussion on how do we enforce it so that it happens."
Army Regulation 600-8-101, dated February 2015, allows Soldiers to virtually clear some installation activities while they are out processing rather than having to physically check out of them. Pappas said that virtually clearing activities reduces stress levels and the time it takes an active duty Soldier to out process.
The group recommended that installation activities Army-wide be mandated to comply with policy and procedures that require virtual out processing options.
Issue: Lack of proper shelf labels at commissaries
Focus group member Sgt. 1st Class Kirby Ingles explained that some labels found on the shelves at commissaries are not reflective of the products that are on those shelves.
"Our recommendation is to ensure that the shelf label and unit price actually reflect what's on the shelf," he said.
The AFAP focus group is required to meet at least annually but can meet whenever an issue is submitted to the base Army Community Service office. Issues submitted are then reviewed and rewritten by the focus group in paragraph form. If the issue is garrison related, it will hit the local garrison commander's desk. Wide-ranging Army or military issues could make it all the way to the Secretary of the Army or Defense Secretary's desk's for review.
"A lot of our family programs that are in place today are a direct result of AFAP," said JBM-HH Chief of Staff Glenn Wait. "I think your efforts are fantastic."
Service members, military family members, retirees and civilians can submit issues to the focus group at any time of the year. To submit an issue, visit the Army Community Service website at https://goo.gl/1cK4xJ.
To volunteer for a future focus group, call Feehan at 703-696-1229 or email her at kathryn.k.feehan.civ@mail.mil.
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