Action line - #80405 - Self-help policy

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

When you drive around the housing areas, almost all the houses have beautiful roses and other flowers planted. I've been told that FH is authorized plants through the Self-Help store but not those individuals in the Unaccompanied Housing (Herky).

Why if the program is designed to foster pride of ownership would you not want the unaccompanied folks to participate? Some of these folks are young and others are away from their families, it may reduce on maintenance issues by making the residence feel a little happier and more at home in the place they are living.

Self-Help Program. The Air Force supports the Self-Help Program to foster pride of ownership in FH. This program allows residents to accomplish minor work in their FH unit to benefit their living conditions and can reduce maintenance costs to the government. Housing funds support the FH Self-Help Program, and the BCE and Housing Flight jointly establish guidance to operate the program.

Response:

Great question! I appreciate your enthusiasm and desire to make your housing area a better place to live. First, let me preface my response by saying this year we eliminated the annual Self-Help Store spring flower distribution, saving the wing $10K that can now be used on other improvement projects.

The difference between Unaccompanied Housing and Family Housing landscaping is the maintenance. In Family Housing the resident is responsible for maintaining their yard and landscaping within 50 feet of their house or mid way to their neighbors house. In Herky and our other unaccompanied housing, our maintenance contractor is responsible for the yards and landscaping. As a result, only members assigned to Family Housing have direct access to landscaping items stocked by the Self-Help Store.

However, residents in Unaccompanied Housing do have an avenue to improve landscaping in their living area as they can submit an AF form 332, Base Civil Engineer Work Order, to do a self-help landscaping project for their community. If the work order is in-line with future area plans and meets compatibility requirements, CE will start the work order and the Self-Help Store will supply the tools and material needed to complete the project.

You may be interested to know that we are planning a phased project to improve the landscaping in Herky housing by adding gazebos, barbeque areas and additional plants. If funding is available, we expect to start in the fall of this year.