LC 504 - COMMAND RESOURCES AND QUALITY FORCE ACTIONS
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
504.1 Know the key base support agencies available to assist commanders.
Military Personnel Flight
Medical
Chaplain
Family Support Center
Civil Engineering
Comptroller
Social Actions
Equal Opportunity & Treatment
Sexual Harassment
Social Actions/Hotlink
504.11 Describe the key personnel programs and services offered and monitored by the Military and Civilian Personnel Flight.
504.12 Describe various medical support programs available to the commander provided by Medical Services.
1. Standard CHAMPUS: Care can be sought on a space-available basis from the direct care system or CHAMPUS. Current CHAMPUS deductibles and copayments will still apply. The standard CHAMPUS program offers greatest choice of providers in exchange for higher cost.
2. CHAMPUS Extra (currently know as CHAMPUS Select), is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) that does not require any special enrollment. Care can be sought on a space-available basis from the direct care system or a special network of CHAMPUS providers who have agreed to accept a 5% reduction in CHAMPUS co-payments.
3. CHAMPUS Prime is a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) that requires annual enrollment. Care will be delivered through primary care provider and network specialists. There will be a modest annual enrollment fee and co-payment for civilian care.
4. Health and Wellness Center: "Taking care of the needs of our people has long been a part of the Air Force way of life. The health and wellness of the force is one of our basic responsibilities because such programs increase morale, raise productivity and decrease absenteeism." The above quote, from General Ronald Fogleman and SECAF Widnall's letter establishing Health and Wellness Centers (HAWCs) truly highlights the commitment our senior leadership has to improving the wellness of our personnel. Every Air Force installation will establish a HAWC. These centers will provide "one-stop shopping" for health and fitness assessment, awareness, and prevention intervention programs and exercise prescriptions. HAWCs are dedicated to prevention and health enhancement. They offer, as a minimum, health risk appraisals, cycle ergometry assessment, exercise prescriptions, tobacco cessation/prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, nutrition counseling, disease risk counseling, substance abuse, injury prevention, health information, medical self care education and stress management training. Cycle ergometry assessment will normally be done centrally in the HAWC; however, to provide flexibility to fit local circumstances, installation commanders can choose to conduct assessments in a limited number of additional locations that meet specifications. It is not the intent of HAWCs to replace or duplicate services and equipment offered at the base fitness center, however, the programs and equipment should complement one another while providing the flexibility to meet the local demand.
5. The Air Force Family Advocacy Program: The Family Advocacy Program is one of the best resources available to commands who are faced with having to deal with the issues of family problems among their personnel. Since the program's beginnings it has grown but the mission has remained the same: To support Air Force readiness by enhancing the health, welfare and morale of the Air Force Family. FAP is under the Mental Health Clinic and is supervised by the Family Advocacy Officer (FAO). The FAO is usually a clinical social worker and uniformed officer and is credentialed through the medical facility to provide clinical services to clients. FAP provides the following services in an effort to prevent family maltreatment, intervene as early as possible when problems in the family are still manageable, and assess and treat those families who have experienced maltreatment. The FAP is also responsible for the identification and support of those Air Force personnel who have family members with special needs in the medical and educational areas.
6. Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services is made up of the Mental Health Clinic, Family Advocacy, and the Substance Abuse Clinic. The Mental Health Clinic at smaller bases may consist of only a Social Worker. Larger bases may include a Social Worker and a Psychologist and larger bases may include Social Worker, Psychologist, and Psychiatrist. Air Force Mental Health Clinic's primary focus is on treatment of active duty personnel. Services provided may include psychological testing, medication treatment, counseling, stress management, depression management, marital counseling, and evaluations for security clearance. Command directed evaluations are also performed. The vast majority of people seen in the mental health clinic are seen there voluntarily and/or self referred or referred by a medical provider.
7. A Suicide Prevention And Intervention Guide For Commanders And First Sergeants:
The AETC Suicide Prevention Program--Link Program--Suicide was the leading cause of death
for AETC enlisted personnel for 1990 -1993 and the second leading cause of death in 1994.
The AETC "LINK" Program has been developed as a preventative effort
"linking" individuals, supervisors, first sergeants, commanders, the community
and medical professionals to create concentric circles of concern. (The LINK program is
expected to be implemented Air Force wide.) This effort is aimed at early identification
and referral. More than 60% of Air Force suicide victims studied from 1983 to 1993 had not
come into contact with the healthcare system.
504.13 State the services provided by the base Comptroller Squadron that enhance the commander's ability to effectively manage resources.
1. Like the directors of most federal agencies, military commanders prepared budgets by
identifying the categories of resources (equipment, personnel, construction, and so on)
and their total cost. The comptroller had a fiduciary responsibility to make sure that
funds appropriated for these purposes were spent only for those purposes and in a legal
manner. For the commander, the congressional appropriation structure was, and remains, the
fundamental constraint on flexible funds management. Commanders do not have the authority
to spend money appropriated for one purpose on another. For example, the Air Force cannot
use military personnel funds to pay for additional military construction without explicit
reprogramming approval from Congress.
Ten Tips for Commanders
1. Assess the financial health of your unit as soon as possible after taking command. The exercise of control over resources and the budget process is a major source of power for commanders far beyond the formal authority of their rank and position. Commanders at all levels must ensure that their priorities and resource philosophies are incorporated into budgets and implemented during execution.
2. Understand the role of the comptroller. The comptroller is the wing's chief financial officer. He or she is the wing commander's key advisor for reviewing budget requests, validating the wing's requirements and providing recommendations on the best use of resources to achieve the unit mission.
3. Get more out of your comptroller. Ask your comptroller what he or she can do in addition to the current level of financial services to help you get more out of the existing budget. If you aren't sure how the comptroller can help you, ask him or her what you need and what they offer.
4. Carefully define the role of your comptroller on the wing staff. There are many advisors at your disposal. Set boundaries and mark territory accordingly. Make sure that commanders and wing staff members work in harmony despite increasingly tight budgets.
5. Ensure that the real needs of the mission are funded before dollars are allocated to any pet projects. When resources are shrinking, commanders must realistically review unit missions and determine bottom-line levels of funding necessary.
6. Balance the needs of the mission with infrastructure and quality of life concerns. Financing current mission readiness at the expense of long term infrastructure and unit morale is the military equivalent of the businessman's preoccupation with the quarterly balance sheet. The commander must ensure the unit is viable in both the short and long run.
7. Keep an open mind about the difference between needs and wants in the lean resource environment of today. Old paradigms about what base services are essential must be discarded to preserve combat power.
8. In light of the need for new operating paradigms, commanders must be careful when economizing. Instead of a lean and mean organization you may end up with one that is weaker and demoralized. Downsizing, outsourcing, privatization, business processing reengineering, Quality Air Force, and other management tools are only a means to an end. Use these methods only if they preserve capability in the face of declining resources.
9. Pick the right person for your own resource advisor. Even the wing commander will have a resource advisor supporting resource management for the wing staff. Most squadron commanders will not have an authorized position for this job meaning the commander will have to eat the manhours out of hide. However, a good resource advisor will "earn" you a good return on the investment. This person should either have some knowledge of the Resource Management System or at least an aptitude for numbers and a desire to learn.
10. Remember, the mission is second only to the law. Appropriated dollars must be used
for their general purpose according to the funding guidance from command and according to
the "plain meaning" of the law. When in doubt about the propriety of any
expenditure, always contact your comptroller and staff judge advocate.
2. Resource Management Today. Commanders have a very difficult job. Along with
all the other pressures of command, they are expected to perform to the same level as
their predecessors even as operating budgets are cut from year. Although everyone knows
that eventually less will yield less, no commander wants to be the first to have to cut
back on the standards of performance and service established over many years. Nonetheless,
many commanders will have to do just that. There is no magic formula for success in the
era of retrenchment. More than ever, commanders must learn the basic lingo of the Resource
Management System, ensure they are receiving effective advice, and use the existing
corporate board process (the Financial Working Group and Financial Management Board) to
establish their firm requirements and to share ideas. Commanders should be receptive to
new ways of doing business and to the resources available to them, in particular their own
people. Above all, commanders must ensure that funds entrusted to them are spent legally.
As resources become ever more constrained, commanders are being held to a tighter standard
of accountability. Although a legal search turned up no courts-martial for any fiscal
matters through 1996, there have been some "close" calls in recent years.
Administrative action including being relieved of command is more likely in the event of
abuse of funds. In brief, there are four rules that commander's must follow to ensure
fiscal propriety.
504.14 Explain responsibilities of the base Civil Engineering in supporting the
commander's organization's facilities and grounds.
1. Air Force Civil Engineering Mission:
Provide, operate, maintain, restore, and protect the installations, infrastructure, facilities, housing, and environment necessary to support air and space forces having global reach and power, across the range of military operations.
2. Responsibilities and Functions: Civil engineers perform the broad functions of base development, housing services, operation and maintenance, environmental quality, and emergency services over the range of military operations. A brief explanation of these functions are as follows:
Daily Operations:
-- Base Development
Base development is accomplished through a process of planning, project development,
design, and construction.
-- Operation and Maintenance
Civil engineers operate and maintain the infrastructure necessary to support air and space
missions.
-- Environmental Quality
The four integral aspects of environmental quality are compliance, clean-up, conservation,
and pollution prevention.
-- Emergency Services
Civil engineers provide emergency management, education, and services to protect people
and resources from fire, enemy attack, major accidents, environmental hazards, natural
disasters, and hazardous ordnance
-- Housing Services
Civil engineers provide a quality living environment for
unaccompanied personnel as well as for unaccompanied personnel and their families.
Contingency Operations:
Civil engineers posture a mobile military engineer force capable of responding to
worldwide contingencies. During contingency operations civil engineers are responsible for
the following:
Base development. The three components of contingency base development are
as follows:
Planning. Engineers provide environmental analysis, infrastructure analysis, and requirement analysis to ensure that in-theater resources are used efficiently, and are maintainable.
Beddown. Engineers provide the operational environment and mission critical infrastructure at main operating bases, forward operating locations, bare bases or previously closed installations.
Defense. Engineers ensure the survivability of personnel, equipment, and material through hardening, dispersal, camouflage, concealment, explosive ordnance reconnaissance, nuclear, biological, chemical, and conventional defense operations (NBCC). Engineers neutralize unexploded ordnance (UXO), provide convoy and work site security, and support other organizations in establishing defense measures. When necessary, engineers will take action to deny enemy use of facilities, infrastructure, and equipment.
Operations and Maintenance. Contingency operations and maintenance consist of the following:
Recovery. Engineers will assess damage and remaining capabilities of an air base following enemy attack, natural disaster, or major accident and make expedient repairs as needed. Engineers will also evaluate NBC and UXO conditions, and perform saying operations as needed.
Post-Execution. Engineers will prepare their equipment and material for redeployment.
Continued Home Station Operations. After mobility commitments are met, military personnel should only be used for continued home station operations when the base mission, threat, or resource requirements dictate.
504.15 Describe how support provided by Air Force Chaplaincy and the Family support Center which can enhance the commander's effectiveness.
1. "The chaplain is in an excellent position to contribute to good leadership within his unit . . . (he) is uniquely qualified to minister to the relational needs of the unit in the area of leadership . . . he speaks directly to all leaders and followers while remaining nonthreatening."
2. How can the commander best use the leadership of chaplains in meeting the religious
and related needs of the base or unit?
A. SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP: Situational leadership, as conceived by Kenneth Blanchard and others, assists the commander in determining what style to use with the chaplain.35 Chaplains are highly educated and usually very competent in their areas of expertise. Their motivation is high. Therefore, within the concept of situational leadership, they exhibit either high supportive and low directive behavior, and senior chaplains are usually highly developed as followers. For these reasons, commanders can quite comfortably use a leadership style in the supporting or delegating range, thus making direction of the chaplain a relatively joyful experience. The commander can depend on the installation staff chaplain (senior chaplain) to carry on a highly professional religious program and to be of great assistance in providing mature leadership all over the base or unit. In general, the commander can feel confident that with encouragement and financial support, the chaplain will initiate professional and caring pastoral leadership on the base or in the unit. Micromanagement on the part of the commander is seldom necessary?
B. "MOSAIC LEADERSHIP STYLE": There's the great biblical story of Moses as leader of the Israelites in the wilderness trek to the land of milk and honey. Along the way, they did battle with the Amalekites. When Moses held his arms up in the air, the Israelites seemed to win; when he lowered his arms they seemed to lose. So Moses had to keep his arms up in the air. Before long, his arms got tired. Two of his closest advisors held his arms up for him, thus assuring victory. Chaplains understand themselves as "they who help hold up the commander's arms to ensure accomplishment of the mission." The commander can rely on the chaplain, therefore, to be extremely supportive of the mission and especially of the people performing the mission. The commander needs to let the chaplain "help hold up his or her arms" by seeking out counsel from the chaplain frequently on how better to care for service members and their families. The commander can often rely on the chaplain as a "sounding board"-one who can offer mature feedback to the commander.
This is the second part to the SOB: Family Support Center
3. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
1. Eligibility
2. Basic Operating Principles
(a) Need and Circumstances
(b) Loans and Grants
(c) Assistance Policy
3. Examples of Financial Assistance Categories Covered by Society Policy
(a) Basic Living Expenses
(b) Medical Care
(c) Dental Care
(d) Funeral Expenses
(e) Assistance with Other Personal Emergencies
(f) Vehicle Repairs
(g) Pay/Allotment Problems
(h) Disasters
(I) Assistance to Surviving Dependents
4. The Assistance Process: How It Works
5. Examples of Special Situations/Unique Needs
6. Restricted Assistance Categories
7. Other Assistance Programs
(a) Respite Care
(b) "Give Parents a Break" Program
(c) Family Income Management
(d) Arnold Education Grant Program
(e) Spouse Tuition Assistance Program
(f) Vocational/Technical Training
8. PCSing, they will help with your household needs and travel needs to new location.
9. How You Can Help
504.16 Recognize the role of the base Inspector General in handling member's
complaints and conducting investigations.
1. If anything goes wrong on a base, the IG will be notified and will investigate.
504.2 Comprehend quality force management (QFM) resources and actions
available to commanders.
504.21 Comprehend the objectives of the Air Force's QFM program.
So, what can a commander do to become more knowledgeable on discipline and UCMJ matters before receiving the late night phone call or other "bad news" from unit supervisors? Most commander recommend a proactive approach where the commander visits with the JAG, security police, CBPO, OSI, social actions, chaplain, family support, and the base hospital. The purpose of these meetings is to find out what role these units/agencies will play in various discipline matters, how these agencies relate to each other, how your unit and the agency can best coordinate actions and communications when needed, how they can help the commander and make his job easier, and how the commander can help them.
A couple other helpful TIPS before you have to dive into the discipline arena:
1. Find out what role the wing commander plays in this area some take a very active role, to the point of dictating exactly what will occur in each specific case; others want squadron commander to handle every situation totally by themselves; most are somewhere in between.
2. Investigate how the local authorities outside the main gate operate with regard to your people, military and civilian-their cooperation, jurisdiction, and relationship with the security police. This information is critical overseas!
A. Use your chain of supervisors where and when applicable; they should be closer to
the immediate situation than the commander. If the offender is enlisted, the squadron
first sergeant is absolutely critical--closely listen to his or her thoughts and advice.
B. Keep those above you informed; don't ever let your immediate supervisor or the wing
commander get blindsided by a discipline issue from your squadron; if you let this happen
often, you will not have a squadron.
C. Document well by keeping a detailed record of interviews, counseling
sessions,-correspondence, and occurrences regarding any unit discipline action. By
accomplishing this simple task, you will protect yourself, help yourself reach the desired
conclusion, and possibly help those who follow in your footsteps.
D. Run it by the book, keep things fairly formal, take control of matters, and investigate
all possible discipline and rehabilitative actions.
E. Confidentiality is important; these types of matters are not for public consumption.
F. After all the above-YOU-make the final decision, you are the commander!
By following these six recommendations, you as a squadron commander can usually effect the desired outcome of the situation while at the same time protecting yourself and your unit. Instead of attempting to discuss every type of problem a commander may face, here are just four examples (names and details slightly altered) of types of problem situations that can, and do occur.
504.22 Explain the administrative and disciplinary tools available the commander
for addressing disciplinary infractions or substandard performance.
A. Good Order and Discipline. Commanders are responsible for maintaining good
order and discipline within their command. Military discipline simply refers to a person's
ability to maintain self-control and conform to the military's standards of conduct.
Commanders must set an example, provide instructional guidance, and impose disciplinary
action when appropriate.
B. Tools of Discipline. When faced with a problems relating to discipline, job performance, or maintenance of good order, a number of administrative and disciplinary tools are available. These tools should be used in conjunction with referral to other base agencies. Valuable information, advice, and assistance is available from the Chapel, Social Actions, Equal Opportunity and Treatment, the base medical facility, the Legal Office, the Area Defense Counsel, Family Services, and the Personal Financial Management Counselor. Commanders should become familiar with the services provided by these agencies. Moreover, commanders must be familiar with the full range of disciplinary tools and how to use them appropriately. These tools include:
a. Oral and written counseling (AFI 36-2907, chapter 4).
b. Admonitions and Reprimands (AFI 36-2907, chapter 3).
c. Unfavorable Information Files (AFI 36-2907, chapter 1).
d. Control Rosters (AFI 36-2907, chapter 2).
e. Administrative Demotions (AFI 36-2503).
f. Denial of Reenlistment (AFI 36-2606).
g. Referral Performance Reports (AFI 36-2403).
h. Promotion Propriety Actions (ineligibility, removal, withdrawal, deferral) (AFI
36-2502).
i. Administrative Discharge (AFI 36-3208 for enlisted and AFI 36-3206 and AFI 36-3207 for
officers).
j. Nonjudicial Punishment (AFI 51-202).
k. Trial by Court-Martial (Uniform Code of Military Justice/Manual for Courts-Martial).
C. Personalize Action. Commanders should consider all alternatives and choose that which will best correct the problem and prevent its recurrence. Consult the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate to insure the proposed action is appropriate and legal, especially in cases involving serious misconduct.
D. Know the Difference. Military law distinguishes between punitive and administrative sanctions. Punitive actions include nonjudicial punishment pursuant to Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and trial be courts-martial. Both require compliance with the Manual for Courts-Martial. In all cases, the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate should be consulted before taking punitive action. On the other hand, administrative procedures are not governed by the UCMJ, but often require legal coordination and review. This is especially true in actions involving administrative discharge or demotion.
E. Commanders Must Remain Objective. Haste and partiality can do much to harm a commander's image. It may also cement a bad attitude when an airman feels he or she cannot get a fair hearing or equal treatment, thereby nullifying any rehabilitative effect which might otherwise result from the commander's action.
F. Stay the Course. A common pitfall for some commanders and supervisors is failure to proceed through a graduated course of action employing the different levels of disciplinary tools. Generally speaking, a gradual increase in severity of action is the most effective way to get the attention of an airman. Too often, supervisors will "forgive and forget." Or they continue giving oral counseling until some breaking point is reached, whereupon they want the offender "hanged at sunrise" and discharged immediately thereafter. They feel personally betrayed by the individual who "has not appreciated all the chances I gave him." Because Air Force instructions contemplate a graduated response to problem airmen, erratic swings in the unit's response to a disciplinary problem may pose difficulties in resolving the situation.
504.23 Summarize the roles and responsibilities of base Judge Advocate advising
the commander in the execution of administrative and disciplinary cases.
The Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) provides legal services required by commanders and staff
agencies. The SJA advises commanders on disciplinary matters, prepares charge sheets and
assists in preparing nonjudicial punishment actions; and provides advice to commanders on
all investigations conducted under a commander's inherent authority or under regulation.
The SJA provides legal advice and reviews actions for legal sufficiency.Air Force
Instruction 51-102, The Judge Advocate General's Department, 19 July 1994
504.24 Differentiate the roles and responsibilities of a squadron commander and
first sergeant in quality force management.
1. Role of the Commander: Command v. to exercise
authority (over); rule.
1. To dominate by location; overlook. n. The act of giving orders. b. An order so given.
2. The authority to command.
3. Ability to control; mastery.
4. A unit or post under the command of one officer. (American Heritage Dictionary
of the English Language)
"Command entails much more than the above definition. It is
about people--your people. As a commander, you will be responsible for ensuring that the
people assigned to your squadron have the opportunity to develop professionally....You are
their commander, the one whom they will look to for leadership, for guidance, and
occasionally for comfort. You are the disciplinarian and are empowered by the US Air Force
to take steps necessary to enforce good order and discipline and order in your squadron.
All this is a responsibility that is not to be taken lightly."
2. Role of the First Sergeant: The First Sergeant
is the squadron commander's right-hand and encompasses functions derived from an extension
of the authority of the squadron commander. He is the key link between the commander and
the enlisted members of the unit, promoting their welfare and health. The First Sergeant
is crucial in advising and assisting the commander when it comes to enforcement of quality
force actions and maintaining proper discipline and standards--he is the eyes and ears for
the commander.
504.3 Comprehend DOD and Air Force policy on sexual harassment and
dissident (hate) group activity.
504.31 Describe DOD and Air Force policy on sexual harassment.
1. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964 made it illegal for people to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex
or national origin. While military members are not covered under Title VII, Air Force
policy and direction on this issue is outlined in Air Force Instruction 36-2706, Military
Equal Opportunity and Treatment Program. The Air Force definition of unlawful
discrimination is closely aligned with Title VII and includes discrimination on the basis
of color, national origin, race, religion, or sex that is not otherwise authorized by law
or regulation. AFI 36-2706 further defines sexual harassment as follows:
A form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual
favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
AETC Visual Aid 36-3 graphically portrays the wide
spectrum of sexually harassing behaviors. They range from offensive conduct as simple as
staring or portraying a poster of a scantily clad body, which could possibly be illegal,
all the way to rape or forcible assault which are definitely illegal. An important point
here is many behaviors are not intended to sexually harass someone, but if someone is
offended it may be harassment. Another important point is that sexual harassment is not
just limited to the workplace during duty hours. It can include conduct on or off duty, 24
hours a day, at any place. An example is the male supervisor who frequently makes unwanted
visits to female dormitory rooms during non-duty hours to discuss "work" or
other personal issues with them.
504.32 Describe DOD and Air Force policy on racial hate group participation by
Air Force members and employees.
1. Dissident And Protest Activities: The United States Armed Forces have higher standards of conduct and less tolerance for inappropriate behavior than comparative civilian institutions. These are institutional traditions--traditions that promote the cohesion, morale and self-discipline necessary to ensure the defense of our nation. Members are expected to uphold these traditions and hold them sacred. Anything less threatens the good order and conduct essential to the military. This paper seeks to educate commanders on how to recognize and deal with dissident and protest behavior, as well as how to foster an environment free of discrimination. Random House defines dissident as "strongly dissenting, as in attitude." The fact is defining dissident and protest activities is somewhat elusive in Air Force and Department of Defense directives. In much of the available literature, the term "extremist behavior" is used synonomously with dissident and protest activities. What exactly is this behavior? It's a mixed bag of behavior that includes the following type of activity:
1) Participation in groups that espouse supremacist causes or advocate illegal
discrimination
2) Participation in groups that advocate violence or the use of force to achieve their
objectives
3) Posting or distribution of printed material that the installation commander determines
is a clear danger to the loyalty, discipline or morale of members of the armed forces
4) Posting or distribution of any printed material that may interfere with the unit
mission.
The categories identified above require some clarification. First of all, membership in
groups described in the first two categories above is not prohibited. It's strongly
discouraged, but to deny members the right to join such organizations would be a violation
of individual rights as outlined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It is
the behavior associated with these groups that is detrimental to the Armed Forces and
contradictory to good order and discipline. Therefore, a commander can prohibit
participation in the activities of these types of organizations. What does that mean? It
means that activities such as public demonstrating and rallying, fund raising, recruiting
and training new members, and holding leadership positions in these groups are prohibited.
These activities are be prohibited because they are incompatible with military service.
Also be aware that an Air Force member may not participate in any type of
demonstration when they are on duty, in uniform, in a foreign country, or when violence is
likely to break out. Another point of clarification is although a commander cannot
prohibit membership in these extremist organizations, they may take this information into
account as a factor in making evaluation or assignment decisions. It's best to consult the
base legal office for advice in this instance. AFI 51-903, Dissident and Protest
Activities, outlines procedures for identifying and handling extremist activity. With
regard to posting and distributing printed materials, it's important to note that
possession of these documents alone is not prohibited as long as the material is legal.
Once again, it's the behavior associated with them in terms of posting or distributing
them. Commander's and supervisors need to know that posting or distributing any material
that is not a publication of an official government agency or base-regulated activity is
prohibited unless the member receives permission from the installation commander or
designated representative. Most people don't realize that. Commanders and supervisors have
a responsibility to maintain good order and discipline, make sure all members are treated
fairly, and to ensure the unit mission gets accomplished. So what do you do? The answer
lies in vigilance and awareness. Vigilance in terms of continually monitoring the pulse of
an organization, speaking to the issues in commander's calls and other forums, and looking
and listening for any sign of activity that could be detrimental to the unit. If behavior
incompatible with military service is discovered, swift action to eliminate it is vital.
Commanders can invoke the full range of administrative and disciplinary actions available
according to AFI's and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including separation.
Awareness refers to the ability of the commander/supervisor to recognize the offending
behavior for what it is. Commanders and supervisors need training on how to recognize the
activities, symbols and literature of dissident and protest organizations. This training
is available from the base Social Actions office as well as various Professional Military
Education courses. It's also a good idea to do a little digging and find out which groups
may be active in the area around the installation and what behaviors they exhibit. The
local Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) can give you this information. If
required, Installation Commanders can place certain off-base gathering locations
"off-limits" to military members if there is evidence of extremist behavior
taking place.
504.33 Differentiate between sexual harassment behaviors and other behaviors by
command members.
504.34 Predict the how uncorrected acts of sexual harassment and dissident (hate)
group participation impact squadron cohesion and morale.
1. Simply stated, it is against the discipline, moral fiber, structure and
philisophy of the military to solicit, participate or promote any of these activities
while serving as a commander in the United States Military (period).
504.4 Apply your personal leadership and command philosophies, knowledge
of base support agencies and QFM to squadron commander Simuworld scenario.
504.41 Discover potential and manifested problem areas and issues that a squadron
commander might face within the squadron commander Simuworld.
504.42 Predict the base agencies that a squadron commander would use in the
determination/resolution of a Simuworld situation/problem.
504.43 Relate the complexity, responsibility, and accountability of command to the recognition and response to hidden and overt issues and problems within the squadron commander Simuworld scenarios.