U.S. Air Force photo by ED ASPERAInstallation Commander Col. Mitchel Butikofer discusses sequestration during a press confer-ence in the Airman and Family Readiness Center Tuesday.

A difficulttime forcivilianAirmen

The following is a letter toDepartment of the Air ForceCivilians from MichaelDonley, Secretary of the AirForce, and Gen. Mark WelshIII, Chief of Staff of the AirForce:

TheAir Force would notbe the best in the worldwithout your daily contribu-tions as vital members of theAir Force family and thejoint team.

You are integral to nearlyevery part of the mission,from processing recruits andrunning family programs, tomanaging budgets anddeveloping strategy. You fixairplanes, sustain infrastruc-ture, design and developfuture systems, and deployto support combatant com-manders. You serve withintegrity, selflessness, andexcellence. You are Airmen,and we thank you for all youdo.

In February, the Secretaryof Defense advised Congressthat if sequestration is notaverted, the Department ofDefense intends to imple-ment a civilian furlough ofup to 22 days, likely begin-ning late April and spreadover the remainder of the fis-cal year.

A furlough of any part ofour civilian force wouldundermine our mission andbreak faith with our people.

Your Air Force is stillvigorously engaged along-side the rest of the Admin-istration to avoid sequestra-tion, which is the triggeringmechanism that would makea furlough necessary.

Unfortunately, ifCongress doesn’t act, virtu-ally all our active duty,Guard, Reserve, and civilianAirmen would feel theimpact on their personalfinances, and the entire AirForce would experience adegradation of readiness andcapability.

The leadership through-out the Air Force will workhard to guide us all throughthis turbulent time, but weare concerned about you andyour families.

EachAir Force base hasan Employee AssistanceProgram with capacity tohelp, as does each Airmenand Family ReadinessCenter. Although the AirForce Aid Society is limitedby its charter, if you’reretired military, a widow orwidower of a uniformedmember, or serving onReserve component ordersfor 15 days or more, AFAS(www.afas.org) can help.

Otherwise, federal civil-ians may receive assistancefrom the Federal EmployeeEducation andAssistanceFund (www.feea.org).

As we discover moreresources which may beavailable to you, we will besure to share that informa-tion quickly. None of these

Under Pressure

Installation braces for sequestration, possible furloughs

Frequentlyasked questions

What is an administrative furlough?An administrative furlough is a

planned event which is designed toabsorb reductions necessitated bydownsizing, reduced funding, lack ofwork, or any other budget situation.This type of furlough is typically a non-emergency furlough in that the AirForce has sufficient time to reducespending and give adequate notice toemployees of its specific furlough planand how many furlough days will berequired.

Which employees may be affectedby an administrative furlough?In an administrative furlough necessi-

tated by sequestration, Some employ-ees will be furloughed. There will beonly a very few exceptions, such asthose necessary to provide safety oflife or property, but only to the mini-mum extent needed to protect life orproperty. The mission-criticality of theemployee’s work is not relevant towhether he or she can be furloughed.Mission-critical employees will be fur-loughed. If an office is properlymanned, furlough should be manage-able through proper scheduling – justlike leave or an alternate work sched-ule. Only where staggering absence isnot possible – such as for deployedcivilians – is an exception truly essen-tial. Thus, if an individual can takeleave or participate in a compressedwork schedule, they can be furloughed.

BY JENNY GORDONjenny.gordon@robins.af.mil

Editor’s note: As of press timeThursday, no decision had been maderegarding sequestration.

Col. Mitchel Butikofer, installation com-mander, met with local media Tuesday atthe Airman and Family Readiness Center toaddress sequestration and its possible effectson the base and localcommunity.

“One of the impacts– and clearly the oneon the minds of most– is the possible fur-lough of our 15,000civilian employees foras many as 22 daysbetweenApril andSeptember,” he said. “They would see abouta 20 percent reduction in their pay duringthis period.

“We know our workforce will getthrough whatever lies ahead,” he added,“but at the same time we want to remindthem there are specialists within ourEmployee Assistance Program and at ourAirman and Family Readiness Center whoare ready to help as needed.”

Fielding questions from the media, headdressed topics ranging from what type of

positions would be affected to missionimpact.

It was details about mission impacts thatButikofer stressed are not fully known dur-ing this time. However, he did provide sev-eral examples for reference, including thepossible reduction of civilian gate guards.

“If we were to have our civilian work-force in our Security Forces area furloughed,we will see longer waits at the gate in themornings – potentially, you could see waits

from 45 minutes to anhour to get on base,”he said. “We’realready in dialoguewith our mission part-ners to see what wecan do to mitigatethat.”

He cited otherexamples such as the

wait for repairs across base to possible delayswith work on the flight line.

“We’ve already been directed to reduceour maintenance on our infrastructure to mis-sion-critical items only,” he said. “Right nowour airfield is open around the clock. Maybewe’d have to look at the mission impact ofclosing the airfield a few hours a night.”

Teams with civilian doctorsat the base clinic would

� see BUTIKOFER, 2 � see QUESTIONS, 2

Butikofer conducts press conference,discusses base, community impacts

SecAF discussesimpacts at

AFA conference, Page 4.

Helpful information available onlineWRIGHT-PATTERSONAIR

FORCEBASE, OHIO -- Air ForceMateriel Command military members andcivilian employees now have anothersource for information about the federalbudget sequestration and civilian furloughprocess.

The Headquarters AFMC Office ofPublic Affairs has activated a public Webpage designed to keep theAFMC work-force informed about sequestration issues,including answers to frequently asked ques-

tions, articles and more.Much of the material on the page deals

with the process of civilian furloughs whichmay be required during sequestration.

AFMC employees about 61,000 govern-ment civilian workers – the most of anycommand in theAir Force and one-third ofall Air Force civilian workers.

Editors note: The command’swebsite can be accessed at:www.afmc.af.mil/sequestration.asp.

Medic’sMessage

March 1, 2013 Vol. 58 No.8

BaseAFAF campaignbegins Monday

Page 5Women’s Health Clinic

service changes Page 7Page 8

Congratspromotees,

award winners

What to Know:

Robins-specific informationis also available on the base

public website atwww.robins.af.mil

Special Report

“You can probably imaginethat there is anxiety out there.We are encouraging our folksto make plans " whichinclude (the possibility of) areduction in salaries of 20percent.”

� see CIVILIAN, 2

2 � The Robins Rev-Up �March 1, 2013

Page Twoalso be affected, with patients possibly hav-ing to be referred to Tricare providers in thecommunity.

Visitors, retirees and dependents who relyon services such as the commissary andExchange, and clinic for pharmaceuticals,will also have to wait to get on base shouldsequestration be implemented. However, hesaid it was his job to make sure there are asfew disruptions as possible.

“We, as Team Robins, are here to makesure whatever comes, comes with as mini-mal impact as possible,” he said. “We’rehere to support our workforce and provideas much outreach and support as we canthrough our established programs here.”

One reporter asked about the atmosphereon base, to which he responded, “You canprobably imagine that there is anxiety outthere. We are encouraging our folks to makeplans … which include (the possibility of) areduction in salaries of 20 percent.”

On the issue of unemployment benefits,Butikofer said the base is still awaiting guid-ance and details couldn’t be provided at thistime.

When asked if civilian furloughs are theworst case scenario or if future cuts areexpected, he said the focus of Air Forceleadership now is the immediate impacts ofsequestration.

He concluded by thanking the MiddleGeorgia community for its continued sup-port of the base.

“We understand there will be impact onthe community as well,” he said. “We askfor its patience in helping us get through thisas best as we can.”

BUTIKOFERContinued from 1

May an employee volunteer to do hisor her job on a non-pay basis duringany hours or days designated as fur-lough time off?No. Employees are legally prohibitedfrom performing work or acting as anunpaid volunteer. That includes cominginto work, teleworking, attending training,using their Air Force issued laptops, orchecking e-mail or Blackberries while onfurlough. Work on furlough days violatesfederal law and may result in disciplinaryaction against supervisors and employees.Further, management may not directovertime (including credit hours, compen-satory time, night or weekend work) to off-set furlough. Supervisors may not orderfurloughed employees to make up thetime spent on furlough by working longerhours on regularly-scheduled work days.

What will happen to my allotments if Iam furloughed?Allotments will continue unless there isinsufficient pay to cover total amounts. Ifallotments are discontinued, DFAS will notnotify the recipients of missed payments.Employees are encouraged to reviewLeave and Earning Statements each payperiod during administrative furlough toensure allotments are being made. Visitthe DFAS website athttps://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx toreview and/or update automatic allot-ments.

Does furlough affect my service com-putation date? Am I separated fromservice?No. Employees who are furloughed arenot separated from federal service. Theyare placed in a temporary non-duty, non-pay status. Furlough does not generallyimpact the service computation dateunless combined with consecutive periodsof leave without pay of more than sixmonths.

Will there be an impact on an employ-ee’s General Schedule or Federal WageSystem within-grade increases (WGI)waiting period if the employee is affect-ed by an administrative furlough whilein an Absent – Uniformed Service sta-tus?No. A furlough has no impact on anemployee’s General Schedule or FederalWage System WGI waiting period if theemployee is affected by a furlough while inan Absent – Uniformed Service status(i.e., called to active duty). An absence forthe purpose of engaging in military serviceis creditable service in the computation ofwaiting periods for successive WGIs whenan employee returns to a pay statusthrough the exercise of a restoration rightprovided by law, executive order, or regu-lation.

May an employee take paid leave orother forms of paid time off (e.g., annu-al, sick, court, or military leave, leavefor bone marrow or organ donor leave,

credit hours earned, any compensatorytime off earned, or time off awards)instead of taking administrative fur-lough time off?No. During an administrative furlough, anemployee may not substitute paid leave orother forms of paid time off for any hoursor days designated as furlough time off.

Will an employee continue to be cov-ered under the Federal Dental andVision Insurance Program (FEDVIP)during an administrative furlough?Yes. If BENEFEDS is unable to take thenecessary premium deduction from anemployee’s pay, BENEFEDS collects pre-mium up to twice the biweekly amountfrom the next full pay period to make upfor the missed premium deduction. If thefurlough continues for more than two con-secutive pay periods, BENEFEDS willmail a direct bill to the employee. Theenrollee should pay premiums directlybilled to him or her on a timely basis toensure continuation of coverage.

Will furlough affect contributions tomy civilian Thrift Savings Account(TSP)?Employees will experience a reduction intheir TSP contributions where their contri-butions are based on a percent of pay.Employees will also experience a reduc-tion in agency automatic (1 percent) con-tributions and may experience a reductionin employer matching contributions,depending on the amount the employeecontributes.

QUESTIONSContinued from 1

organizations will be able to com-pensate completely for the lostincome from 22 days of non-duty,non-pay status in a furlough, so weencourage you to plan now as bestas possible for the potential reduc-tion of income.

Official notification of any fur-

loughs will come through yourchain of command.

Air Force people are ourstrongest asset, and we know youwork alongside your uniformedpartners every day for the securityof our Nation.

Without a doubt, we could not bethe world’s greatest Air Force with-out you. Thank you for your unre-lenting dedication to the missiondespite the challenges before us.

CIVILIANContinued from 1

The Employee Assistance Program, provided by Federal Occupational Health, offers a widerange of services and benefits. Employees can call 1-800-222-0364 to receive immediate assis-tance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You may also visit www.FOH4You.com, with access toeducational materials and self-assessment tools.EAP offers free consultation with financial experts and licensed attorneys. That includes help

with health care powers of attorney, housing or real estate issues, estate or retirement planning,education funding and investment strategies. Short-term counseling services are available foryou or your family members. At Robins, contact Lynn Irvine at 327-7683 or Jamie Tillit at 327-7577.

Help is only a phone call or visit away

Positive workplace relationshipsenable everyone to perform

at their very best

First Afghan Air ForceC-208 CASEVAC a successIn another historic step for the Afghan Air Force,an AAF Cessna 208 configured for battlefield casu-alty evacuation successfully transported a serious-ly injured soldier and three minor casualties fromKandahar, Afghanistan, to Kabul InternationalAirport Feb. 11.The Afghan-tasked, planned and led mission vali-dated the recently-signed CASEVAC Concept ofOperations between AAF Commander Maj. Gen.Abdul Wahab Wardak, and NATO Air TrainingCommand-Afghanistan Commander Brig. Gen.Steve Shepro.AAF and NATC-A staffs, with inputs from fieldunits and advisors, were behind both the CONOPSand the AAF C-208 configuration to improve airsupport to Afghan National Security Forces in thefield.“We achieved an important milestone in ourAAF/NATC-A strategic flight plan,” stated Wahab,referring to the combined strategy signed lastOctober designed to assure AAF impact on battle-field success in 2013 and independent operationsby 2017.To learn more, visit www.af.mil.

Air Force units help recoverdiverted Navy aircraftAirmen from units deployed in support of CopeNorth 13 transported an R-11 refueling truck on aC-130 Hercules from Andersen Air Force Base,Guam to Rota Island (part of the Mariana Islands)Feb. 13.The reason for the transport was to recover aNavy F/A-18 Hornet which diverted there a dayprior due to weather.With the combined efforts of Airmen from the374th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 36th AirliftSquadron, 36th Logistics Readiness Squadron and734th Air Mobility Squadron, the refueling truckwas transported to Rota.Once there, they were able to successfully refuelthe F/A-18.The truck transport was necessary due to theabsence of refueling facilities on Rota that canaccommodate fighter aircraft.As a result of the weather conditions during themission, the F/A-18 pilots did not have the optionof diverting to an appropriatley equipped location.To learn more, visit www.af.mil.

2012 climate survey showsoverall satisfaction with jobs, leadersThe results of the Air Force Climate Survey con-ducted May 11 through June 22 have beenreleased.

According to Air Force Personnel Center officials,the results indicate Airmen are satisfied with unitperformance and trust their leaders. More than163,000 Airmen took part.More than 80 percent of survey respondents saythey’re satisfied with their jobs, and 95 percentbelieve their unit is successfully accomplishing itsmission.The survey, conducted every two years, hasquestions organized to measure satisfaction, trust,unit performance and resources.Participants include active duty, Air ForceReserve and Air National Guard members, andappropriated and non-appropriated fund civilianemployees.“This survey is one of the most valuable tools wehave as leaders,” said Secretary of the Air ForceMichael Donley. “Airmen can’t focus on mission-critical tasks in an unhealthy environment, so weuse survey results to identify areas that needattention."Leaders at every level use the survey results totap the pulse of the organization, said NicoleGamez, AFPC Manpower Directorate. At the totalforce level, this year’s results held steady, withsmall increases or decreases in different areas.“Overall satisfaction numbers are similar to lastyear, which is good news,” Gamez said. “On thedown side, our Airmen indicate they’re workinghard, but resources continue to be an issue.”Along with resources, recognition continues to beone of the lowest rated areas across the totalforce.To learn more, visit www.af.mil.

4 � The Robins Rev-Up �March 1, 2013

AIR FORCENEWSFROMAROUNDTHE

COMMANDERCol. Mitchel Butikofer

HOW TOCONTACT US

Robins Public Affairs620 Ninth Street, Bldg. 905Robins AFB, GA 31098468-2137Fax 468-9597

SUBMISSION GUIDELINESSubmissions must be received by 4 p.m. Wednesday,the week prior to the requested Friday publication.They should be e-mailed tolanorris.askew@ robins.af.mil andvance.janes@robins.af.milSubmissions should be of broad interest to the basepopulace. For information, call Lanorris Askew at 472-0806.

DELIVERYTo report delivery issues, call 472-0802.

The Robins Rev-Up is published by The Telegraph,a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. AirForce, under exclusive written contract with Robins Air

Force Base, Ga.This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is

an authorized publication for members of the U.S. mili-tary services. Contents of the Robins Rev-Up are notnecessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, theU.S. government, Department of Defense, orDepartment of the Air Force.The appearance of advertising, including inserts or

supplements, does not constitute endorsement by theDepartment of Defense, Department of the Air Force,or The Telegraph.Everything advertised in this publication shall be

made available for purchase, use, or patronage withoutregard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical or mental handicap, politicalaffiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchas-er, user or patron.

INTERNAL INFORMATIONCHIEFGeoff Janes

EDITORLanorris Askew

PHOTOGRAPHERSSue SappTommie HortonEd AsperaMisuzu AllenRaymond Crayton

STAFF WRITERSJenny GordonHolly Logan-Arrington

Preparationis keySenior Airman MichaelSchena, 57th Mainten-ance Group weaponsload crew member, pre-pares to load an AIM-120C missile onto an F-15 Eagle at Nellis AirForce Base, Nev.

U.S. Air Force photo by STAFF SGT. ERIC DONNER

Smokin’

U.S. Air Force photo bySENIOR AIRMAN MATTHEW LANCASTER

Herberth Gaekel, 612th Air Base Squadron FireDepartment, Soto Cano Air Base fire inspector,instructs Honduran and Belize firefighters how todeal with a simulated fuel fire during a four-dayCentral America Sharing Mutual OperationalKnowledge and Experiences exercise in Honduras.

BY STAFF SGT. DAVID SALANITRIAir Force Public Affairs Agency

Secretary of theAir Force Michael Donley addressedmore than 500 men and women on the final day of theAir ForceAssociation’s 29thAir Warfare Symposium &Technology Exposition Feb. 22.During his address, Donley spoke about several

issues that are on theAir Force’s radar, including budgetand planning challenges, and of particular interest, thelooming sequestration.“During more than three decades in Washington, I

don't believe I’ve ever witnessed a budget process that isas dysfunctional as the one we’re experiencing today,”Donley said.Although the service has protected people and readi-

ness to date, the impact of sequestration will ultimatelyforce theAir Force to take actions that will impact readi-ness and its civilian workforce, the secretary said.He also discussed the impact sequestration will have

onAirmen’s professional development, due to non-mis-sion essential travel being frozen.The secretary said sequestration could delay the pro-

motions of Airmen who rely on that training as part oftheir preparation for higher rank.“It could lead to a loss of certification for Airmen in

technical specialties that require regular training such asfirefighters or explosive ordnance disposal specialists,”he said.Donley also voiced his concern for the morale of the

service’s civilian force should a furlough take place.Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta notified Congress

on Feb. 20 that the Department of Defense civilian

workforce could face potential furloughs in late April.That could impact up to 180,000 civilianAirmen for upto 22 working days, resulting in a loss of 31.5 millionman hours of productivity.“We’re deeply concerned for our civilianAirmen and

the mission,” Donley said. “We’ll keep working to pre-vent these actions, which would decimate morale andbreak faith with their service to our Air Force.”Among other significant challenges that the service

will face under sequestration is the impact to flyingreadiness.“Reduction of about 200,000 flying hours would

impact our theater security packages,” Donley said.“Those combat units not expected to deploy, will onlycontinue to fly until depletion of their flying hours

funds, which could occur as early as mid-May.”The secretary also spoke about impacts to the defense

industry.Impacts to the defense industrial base will grow in

magnitude as reductions in resources ripple through thenetwork of companies that support Air Force prime con-tractors and sub-contractors, according to Donley.“We’re concerned about the capacity of smaller or morespecialized companies to successfully negotiate thischallenging environment,” he said, emphasizing theimportance of their contributions to theAir Force.“What many of you do in industry is important to us. Itmakes a direct contribution to our capabilities.”In addition to the impacts of sequestration, Donley

discussed the Total Force Task Force, a group of active-duty, Reserve andAir National Guard members that heandAir Force Chief of Staff Gen. MarkWelsh IIIassembled to discuss the right mix of Total Force capa-bilities for the service.“The results of this task force will inform our strate-

gic planning and programing for fiscal 2015 andbeyond, and will also serve as a resource to the congres-sionally-directed national commission on the structure oftheAir Force that will be examining total-force issueslater this year,” he said.Despite the current challenges facing the Department,

Donley made one thing clear –America’s Airmen areready for any challenge.“We came into this situation as the world’s finest Air

Force; it is our intention to come out of this as theworld’s finest Air Force, and we will,” Donley said. “Ifwe back them,Airmen will back ourAir Force, and theywill help us get through these challenging times.”

SecAF discusses sequestration impacts at AFA

U.S. Air Force photo by SCOTT ASHSecretary of the Air Force Michael Donley delivers hiskeynote speech on the State of the Air Force during theAir Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium &Technology Exhibition in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 22.

On the Fly

The Team RobinsAnnual Awards Banquetwill be conductedThursday at 6 p.m. in theMuseum ofAviationCentury of Flight Hangar.The cost is $25. Sign upwith your unit ticket POC.

The theme this year is“Dreaming Big ... ShiningBright.”

The munitions opera-tions office will be closedMonday through March 8for a semi-annual, wall-to-wall inventory of themunitions stockpile.

Only emergency issuerequests, submitted inwriting and approved by agroup commander, will beaccepted during that time.

The annual RobinsTechnology Expositionhosted by the 78thCommunicationsDirectorate will be con-ducted Tuesday from 10a.m. to 2 p.m. at theHorizons Event Center.

Those attending willhave the chance to engage

in hands-on demonstra-tions such as:

�Document ProcessingSolutions�Security Support�Network Connections�Data Protection�Ruggedized PortableComputers�Audio-VisualTechnology�Tactical DataCommunicationsRefreshments will be

served, and giveawayswill be available whilesupplies last.

To pre-register and pre-view the list of exhibitors,visit www.FederalEvents.com.

The Robins TaxCenter is now open forthe 2012 filing season.Hours of operation areMondays throughThursdays from 8 to 11a.m., and 1 to 4 p.m. Thecenter is in Bldg. 995.

For eligibility, visitwww.robins.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123332457.

March 1, 2013 � The Robins Rev-Up � 5

Robins is set to cele-brate Women’s HistoryMonth with a number ofplanned events.

The theme of thisyear’s observance, whichis being hosted by the461st Air Control Wing,is “Women InspiringInnovation ThroughImagination: CelebratingWomen in Science,Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics.”

A proclamation signingby Col. MitchelButikofer, installationcommander, kicked offthe month-long obser-vance Thursday at theBase Exchange.Other scheduled

events:�Female volunteers

are needed to visit localschools as part of a youthprogram. POC is

Marchelle Glover at 468-9812.

�Amiddle schoolessay contest beginsMonday. Winners will beannounced March 25 at aspecial luncheon.

�AWomen’s HistoryMonth 5K run and walkwill be March 8.

Registration begins at7 a.m., and participantswill line up at 7:30 a.m. at

the Health and WellnessCenter.

Anyone interested canparticipate.

POC is Angel Waymerat 241-3212.

�A luncheon is sched-uled March 26 at 11:30a.m. at Horizons EventCenter. Brigid PetrieO’Hearn, 577th SoftwareMaintenance Squadrondirector, will be the guestspeaker. Deadline to pur-chase tickets is March 15.The cost is $15. POC isTech. Sgt. JessicaColunga at 241-3025.

�An “All WomenHome Build” is scheduledfor April. Volunteers willwork with Habitat forHumanity to give a needyfamily a home.

POC is Waymer at241-3025.

– from staff reports

Base kicks offWomen’s History Month events BY JENNY GORDON

jenny.gordon.ctr@robins.af.mil

The Robins 2013 AirForce Assistance Fundcampaign runs fromMonday through April12.

This year’s theme is“Commitment to Car-ing,” and the goal is$78,833.

A kickoff celebra-tion will be conductedat 9 a.m. Monday inthe base chapel annex.

The AFAF raisesmoney for charitableaffiliates which providesupport within the AirForce family.

Those affiliatesinclude: the Air ForceVillages CharitableFoundation; the LeMayFoundation; Air ForceEnlisted Village; andthe Air Force Aid

Society, which onRobins, is located inthe Airman and FamilyReadiness Center.

In 2012 Robins pro-vided 116 forms ofemergency loan assis-tance and four grantsthrough the AFAS.

More than $47,000in loans providedimmediate help withsuch things as dentalcare for dependents;food; rent or mortgagepayments; basic livingassistance; vehiclerepair and insurance;child care and medicaltreatments.

During last year’scampaign, more than$15,000 was given forprograms including

Bundles for Babies(baby gifts to new andexpectant parents), CarCare, childcare for per-manent change of sta-tion moves, YouthEmployment Skills;and Heart Link spouseorientation.

Throughout the AirForce in 2012, theAFAS provided morethan $17.8 million indirect assistance tomore than 40,000members and theirfamilies.

Robins AFAF campaign begins MondayWHAT TO KNOW

Those interested inapplying for aid mustmeet eligibility guide-lines, and completean application by visit-ing the Air Force AidSociety website athttp://www.afas.org

ANational Agricultural StatisticsService statistical assistant alleged theagency subjected him to discriminationbased on race (African-American), disabil-ity (heart condition), age (66), and reprisalwhen he was not selected for informationtechnology positions, not provided train-ing, and denied the opportunity totelecommute as a reasonable accommo-dation.

The Equal Employment OpportunityCommission found that the agencyimproperly denied him a reasonableaccommodation. The agency did not dis-pute that the assistant was a qualifiedindividual with a disability. The assistantmade a reasonable accommodationrequest. The disability program managernotified the supervisor of the assistant’srequest and instructed him to engage theassistant in the interactive process.

The EEOC pointed out that sevenmonths after his request, he had still notbeen notified about his request and hadnot been provided any accommodation.

Regarding the assistant’s disparatetreatment claims, the EEOC assumedthat he established a prima facie case ofdiscrimination. The agency articulatedlegitimate, nondiscriminatory reasons forits actions. The human resources special-ist explained that the assistant lacked theexperience necessary to qualify for an ITposition. The assistant’s supervisor saidthe assistant was responsible for submit-ting his application for the training pro-grams. The assistant asserted that hewas qualified for an IT position and that

the supervisor told him that he did notqualify for the training. The EEOC did notfind sufficient evidence that the assistanthad experience in the IT field. There wasalso no evidence the supervisor told himhe was not qualified for the training. TheEEOC found the assistant failed to estab-lish pretext.

The EEOC found the assistant couldbe entitled to compensatory damages forthe agency’s failure to accommodate him.The agency’s failure to contact him abouthis request even after it determined hewas a qualified individual with a disabilityconstituted a lack of good faith. TheEEOC noted that many other agencyemployees were allowed to telecommute.The assistant could present a claim forcompensatory damages.

RULINGThe Department of Agriculture failed

to provide an assistant with a reasonableaccommodation for his disability.

WHAT IT MEANSOnce an employee makes a request

for a reasonable accommodation, theagency is required to discuss the requestwith the employee. The agency cannotwait for the employee to make a secondrequest.

78th ABW/EO706 Ninth Street

Bldg. 936Robins AFB GA. 31098Commercial- 926-2131

DSN: 468-2131

Lessons learned from EEOCounselor Connection

March 1, 2013 � The Robins Rev-Up � 7

WE SUPPORT AFSO21

READTHE REV-UPONLINE AT

http://www.robins.af.mil/library/rev.asp

Medic’sMessage

February 15, 2013 Vol. 58 No.6

‘Your Lifeis Our

Business’Page 2

B

Teen Dating ViolenceAwareness Page 10Page 8

Children’sDental Health

Month

U

Effective immediately, theWomen’s Health Clinic isable to provide services toactive duty members only.

Staffing changes have cre-ated limited appointmentavailability.

Although the clinic won’tbe able to accommodatedependents, Tricare Primebeneficiaries requiring clinicalpreventative services (non-active duty) may schedule anappointment with anapproved network provideronce a year.

This may be done withouta referral authorization and iswithout additional cost or co-payment.

Some preventive services

Women’sHealth Clinicnow activeduty only

Med c’smessage

AFMS - Robins - 78th Medical GroupLike us on Facebook!

offered include clinicalbreast exams, routineannual screening mammo-grams, and cervical cancerscreenings when indicat-ed.All of which can beaccomplished duringannualWellWoman vis-its.

Additionally, benefici-aries will be able to getnecessary medical atten-tion through their PrimaryCare Team, off-base refer-rals for specialty gynecol-ogical care, or urgent carefacilities as needed.

Airmen Against Drunk Driving 472-0013

WHAT TO KNOWTo view a complete list

of Tricare preventativeservices, please visit theirwebsite at: http://tricare.mil/CoveredServices/SeeWhatsCovered/PreventiveServices.aspx. Also, any ques-tions concerning health-care benefits may bedirected to the TricareService Center at 1-800-444-5445 or online atwww.humana-military.com.

8 � The Robins Rev-Up � March 1, 2013

CongratulationsSenior Master Sgt. promotees689th CCWHoward GibsonRamon McQueenBeau Wilson

461st ACWCurtis HardieWesley KevilleKayla Stout

WR-ALCMark Mallonee

78th ABWBrian DozierLarry HancockSonya HarperCraig ShannonChristopher StokesRobert Wolfe

AFRCMarc McAlisterKeyser VoigtLee Wright

*373rd TrainingSquadronScott Dawes

*ACC Det. 7Dishone Dozier

*Geographicallyseparated units

Team Robins 2013 Senior Master Sgt. Promotion ReleaseCelebration will be today at 2:30 p.m. in the Heritage Club BingoRoom.For more information, call Senior Master Sgt. Phylisa McCarthy at

497-0263.

Team Robinsquarterly awardwinners

Congratulations to the followingaward winners:AMN – Senior Airman Nathanial Humberson

NCO – Staff Sgt. Ryan Gebert

SNCO – Master Sgt. Brian Recknagel

CGO – Capt. Redahlia Person

Civ Cat 1 – Gordon Campbell

Civ Cat 2 – Loreal Sanchez

Civ Cat 3 – Shemika Chance

Civ Cat 4 – Keith Love

Civ Cat 5 – Jerald Stork

Civ Cat 6 – William Arnett

AFSC militaryaward winnerCongratulations to the following

award winner:Master Sgt. Wilbert Terrell, 78th Security

Forces Squadron, was namedAir Force

Sustainment Center First Sergeant of the Year.

Congrats Team Robins chief selects

Chief Master Sgt.Howard Johnson

116th ACW

Chief Master Sgt.Robert Spears

HQ AFRC

Chief Master Sgt.Robert Mollett

HQ AFRC

Chief Master Sgt.Johnny Rapier

461st ACW

Chief Master Sgt.Terry Taylor

HQ AFRC

Chief Master Sgt.Yasmeen Wilson-

Terrell461st ACW

Chief Master Sgt.Richard Roneree

HQ AFRC

Chief Master Sgt.Samuel Freeman

78th ABW

Chief Master Sgt.Shon Barnwell

HQ AFRC

Chief Master Sgt.Jack Bolinger

461st ACW

Chief Master Sgt.James Flamio

HQ AFRC

Chief Master Sgt.Juliet Alonso

HQ AFRC

THINK OPSEC:YOUR TRASHCOULD BE

AN ADVERSARY’STREASURE

10 � The Robins Rev-Up � March 1, 2013

ON TAPThrift Savings PlanBasicsToday2 to 4 p.m.Bldg. 794For details,call 468-1256.

T-Ball, Baseballand SoftballRegistrationEnds today5 to 17 yearsYouth CenterFor details,call 468-2110.

Come Ride the Train!Sam ShortlineRegister by todayMarch 23Ga. State Veterans’ Park$71 to $81 per personOutdoor RecreationFor details,call 468-4001.

Teen Dating ViolencePrevention ForumSaturday3 to 5 p.m.Youth CenterFor details,call 497-8422.

UPCOMINGWhite Water Rafting,Ocoee River, Tenn.

April 6$125 per personRegister by March 8Outdoor Recreation,Bldg. 914For details,call 468-4001.

Dog Obedience ClassComing this monthFor details,call Trudy Reynoldsat 953-4488.

Home Alone WorkshopMarch 285:30 to 7 p.m.Youth CenterFor details,call 468-2110.

Atlanta ZooApril 20$70 to $74 per personSign up earlyOutdoor Recreation,Bldg. 914For details,call 468-4001.

ONGOINGQuick Turnnow serves breakfastMondays through Fridays7 to 9:30 a.m.Open to allTeam Robins membersFor details,

call 468-6972.

Golf AnnualMembership DriveThrough March 31We say “Thank You”Where it CountsE1 – E4 $250 a yearE5 and above, DoDcivilians and contractors$350 a year.Discounted rates 51 to58 percent off.For details,call 468-4103.

Club MembershipDriveThrough March 31Three months free duesUnlimited cash backFor details,call 472-7864.

Legoland FloridaTickets1 day $54 per person2 days $62 per personFor details,call 468-2945.

FSS WirelessHot SpotsFacilities include: theGolf Course, BaseRestaurant andAfterburner, HeritageClub, Horizons EventCenter, Library andBowling Center.

EEVVEENNTTSS AANNDD AACCTTIIVVIITTIIEESS

Oh, the places you’ll go!Julie Odom (right) talks with Kathy Isaacs, an Atlanta sales manager, about one ofthe venus at a recent Information Tickets and Travel and Recreation Show. The nextshow will be conducted March 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Heritage ClubBallroom. Prizes will be given away. For more details, call 468-2945.

U.S. Air Force file photo by SUE SAPP

WED

1THUR

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Pick up your game piece at Robins Lanes

Bowling Center or Pine Oaks Golf CourseMarch 1 through April 8