Services: Promotes morale, productivity, retention

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Dale Bruner
  • 39th Services Squadron commander
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  From front line combat support to home front community service, services is everything you do.

The next time someone you know says "I'm bored ... there's nothing to do," ask whether they know about services. Services exists to ensure Airmen readiness, esprit de corps and quality of life. Services does so directly and indirectly, physically and mentally, at home and deployed ... promoting morale, productivity and retention. Core services directly ensure Airman readiness by providing food, lodging, fitness and sports, library, deployed tactical field exchange, and recreation ... bowling, club activities, entertainment, golf, outdoor activities, skills development, and travel amongst others. Indirectly, services ensures Airman readiness by providing child care, employment, youth programs and veterinary services.

What's more, services is customer-driven, so if it isn't providing someone you know things they like to do, all they have to do is provide feedback and services will adjust accordingly. So, the next time someone you know says "I'm bored ... there's nothing to do," check e-mail, the services community calendar on the web, "The Happenings", AFN radio and T.V. or the Commander's Access Channel for services activities, choose favorites, and do them.

Besides ensuring the readiness of living Airmen through customer-driven things to do, services performs the solemn duty of honoring the dead through mortuary affairs. Mortuary affairs include performing search and recovery operations. It also includes notifying the Person Authorized Direct Disposition, directing preparation and interment of remains, obtaining Summary Court Officer/Family Liaison Officer/Escort support, and arranging military funeral honors by an honor guard. Services honors the dead by always returning their remains with dignity and honor to their loved ones.

The bottom line is that services, through ensuring Airman readiness and honoring the dead, ultimately enables Air Force readiness and America's national defense.