Airman's Task Force stands up at SJ Published Feb. 10, 2011 By Senior Airman Marissa Tucker 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- A new team on base is looking to shed light on some of the issues and challenges Seymour Johnson Airmen face on a daily basis. The team, referred to as the Airman's Task Force, is hoping to find reasonable solutions to some of these challenges. The ATF is led by Lt. Col. Daniel T. Naughton and is comprised of officers, civilians, non-commissioned officers and civilians. The purpose of the ATF is to address the concerns of Airmen and to present feedback and innovative ideas to the wing commander. The team is committed to finding better ways to communicate and develop activities and events that focus on teambuilding, improving morale, and reversing self destructive behavior at SJ AFB. "The ATF is composed of Airmen from around the base that encompass all walks of life, career fields, ranks and marital status so we can better understand the needs of this base," said 1st Lt. Emily Shanes, an ATF member. The ATF is concentrating on four pillars designed to support and improve an Airman's comprehensive fitness. These fitness pillars are based on a balance of physical, social, mental and spiritual well being. The pillars served as a roadmap for the ATF to troubleshoot some of the Airmen's challenges when they hosted a Town Hall meeting Nov. 22 with more than 150 4th Fighter Wing Airmen. The common challenges Airmen provided feedback on were high ops tempo, doing more with less people and decreasing manpower/resources. All of these concerns were channeled up to 9th Air Force leadership. "We require a lot from our Airmen everyday as we continually prepare to send them downrange to support and join our Soldiers, Sailors and Marines on the frontlines, and through the Airman's Task Force, we plan to give that dedication back to them," said Col. Patrick Doherty, 4th FW commander. "By reaching out and initiating the dialog, we hope to give Airmen the opportunity to voice their concerns and be a part of the change they want to see." While not every idea has an actionable solution, the task force intends to address Airmen's concerns, such as giving time back to Airmen, improving communication and bringing the fun back into what they do. The objective is to balance these items while accomplishing the mission within a resource constrained environment and enhancing our wingman culture throughout all 4th FW units., Colonel Naughton said. Based on direct feedback from Airmen, the ATF with help from wing agencies and approval of Colonel Doherty is also pursuing base-wide promotion ceremonies, Wing Sports Week (Feb. 28-March 4), Warrior Day (June 3) and an Air Force Ball (Sept. 17). Wing leadership has taken an enormous step in taking care of Airmen by committing to a no-fly day to facilitate a Wing Warrior Day. The intent is to allow everyone time to participate, including Airmen who work on the flightline, Colonel Naughton said. Ensuring Airman's voices are heard is the main focus of the group and they plan to continue to introduce more new programs and incentives as the New Year progresses. They are currently in the process of planning another town hall meeting for summer 2011. For more information about the ATF or to submit an idea, please e-mail 4FW.ATF@seymourjohnson.af.mil.