Air Force Community - Air Force Times

Editorial: Base services on need

Waste, to put a twist on an old gag, is a terrible thing to mind. But the Air Force’s push to standardize base contracts for trash removal, janitorial work, landscaping and similar services makes sense. The goal is to bring base commanders in line for how much they receive for and spend on such services.

The standards that took effect Oct. 1 seem to put appropriately high priority on services provided at child development centers, school-age programs and the like, as well as at command spaces, hangars, shops and other Air Force work centers.

But the program’s designers need to revisit the standards for who merits the suggested levels of custodial service: Level 1 (prestige), Level 2 (basic) or Level 3 (academic).

Level 1 includes general officer facilities, major command commander suites, enlisted and officer clubs and more. Level 2 includes general administrative and industrial areas, offices, hangars, shops and so forth. Level 3 includes training schools and the Air Force Academy.

Level 3 is recommended for the most frequent sweeping, mopping and trash collection. But the “prestige” facilities generally are recommended for more servicing than those at the “basic” level.

One has to wonder why, for example, a commander’s office should be swept, vacuumed and mopped twice a week, while those services are provided only once a week at busy hangar facilities.

Commanders should contract services with foot traffic in mind and pass on things that only gratify the ego.

Similarly, they should refrain from dragooning junior airmen into filling any gaps in janitorial and landscaping chores.

Sound management can ensure contract services are efficiently employed while airmen focus on the jobs for which they joined the service.