ATA team visits Hurlburt, meets with Airmen Published Aug. 14, 2009 By Maj. Erin Dick 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- A cross functional team of 11 people from across several organizations, including manpower and personnel, visited Hurlburt Field recently to conduct an Airmen's Time Field Assessment. The mission of the team is to visit the field, and with a total force presence (active, guard, and reserve), determine which programs are taxing commander's and Airmen's duty time and determine what business solutions could support them. "We are at war and ops tempo is very high" said Mr. Mark Doboga, director, plans and integration for the deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, and assessment team lead. "Commanders and supporting Airmen are being tasked with responsibilities outside of their functional roles which inhibit their ability to lead and manage in the most efficient and effective way." The team is visiting Air Force bases all over the world seeking the best ways to implement positive change for commanders and Airmen by streamlining unit programs and administrative processes and enhancing a commander's ability to lead and execute their mission. Some examples of things the team evaluates are the impacts on time and mission effectiveness of additional duties, ancillary training, commander's programs and administrative/personnel support processes. These items are of particular interest in the 1st Special Operations Wing because 1st SOW Airmen are already at such a high ops tempo, said Col. Gregory Lengyel, 1st SOW commander. "The 1st SOW diverted deployed exercise aircraft to provide support to the Pentagon and New York city on Sept. 11, 2001, and we have been deployed ever since," said Colonel Gregory Lengyel. "No one else can do what we do. We need to remain postured to conduct overseas contingency operations while also taking care of our Airmen." In addition to gathering data for their 2009 assessment, the team was also validating the findings from their 2008 report. Last years' assessment generated several Hurlburt Field changes, including personnel systems enhancements, the addition of 1,200 administrative personnel authorizations to the FY10 program objective memorandum, enhancements to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System and established gatekeeper processes for ancillary training. "Our priority is to help you effectively use your time," Mr. Doboga said. In addition to meeting with the senior leadership of the 1st SOW, the assessment team spent the day visiting and talking with units all over Hurlburt field gathering thoughts, challenges, successes and ideas for improvement. At the out brief, the team shared their observations from the day, thanking Hurlburt leadership and Airmen for their productive, specific and frank conversation. "It is obvious that morale is as high here as anywhere, it is very apparent," said Lt. Col. Jody Ogea, Air Expeditionary Force branch chief in personnel readiness for the deputy chief of staff of manpower, personnel and services and the ATA assessment team administrative and personnel support and force support squadron transformation lead. The assessors came away with several ideas and input from Hurlburt Airmen closely matching that which was received during previous assessments, providing consistent data for recommendations to be made to senior Air Force leadership.