Community members at U.S. Army Garrison Hohenfels will soon have their yearly chance to tell Army leadership their suggestions for quality of life improvements when Army Community Service hosts Hohenfels' Army Family Action Plan conference, Feb. 17-19.
Now through Feb. 12 ACS will be accepting AFAP issue forms that allow community members to identify a problem or concern, state why it is a problem, and offer two suggestions to fix it.
During the conference, volunteer delegates will discuss every one of those issues and consult with subject matter experts before forming their final recommendation for the garrison commander. If a solution is outside the scope of the garrison, Hohenfels can submit issues for the IMCOM-Europe AFAP conference. Issues from the IMCOM level may also be submitted for discussion at the Department of the Army conference.
This process, established by the Army in 1983, has effected visible changes at Hohenfels, according to Kurt Rager, ACS outreach coordinator and this year's AFAP coordinator.
Rager said some of the most notable include the planned drive-through ATM in front of Bldg. 9 and new lighting along the stretch of Gen. Patton Rd. near the High School.
According to AFAP documentation, one of the top five overall issues from the 2008 conference was the need for a drive-through ATM. That same year, another issue suggested that Military Clothing Sales be moved from Albertshof to main post.
Now Bldg. 9 is under renovation and when complete Clothing Sales and other services including dry cleaning, car rental, the Pxtra and more will relocate there to centralize most post services along one stretch of Gen. Patton Rd. A drive-through ATM is under construction at the same location.
Also in 2008, an issue was submitted raising concern about the safety of students who walk from the Hohenfels Middle/High School towards the PX after school. Because darkness falls early in the day during most of the school year, the issue suggested safety could be increased by installing lighting along that strip of Gen. Patton Rd. The AFAP working group assigned to the issue agreed and recommended that lights be added. The lighting has now been installed.
Those examples are just two of many, said Rager, and successes range from small issues to large ones.
"It can be small, little things, policy changes, or something big," said Rager.
According to Army One Source, Family Readiness Groups as a unit requirement, Family Readiness Support Assistants, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers and even the Post 9/11 GI Bill resulted from AFAP issues.
"If you have a problem, this is one way to get it fixed," said Rager, "but think of it as quality of life. As you think of things that would improve the quality of life for you and others, this is a place where you can go and you will be listened to."
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