Photo By Stephen Perez | U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden leadership stands for a group photo on the final day of...... read more read more
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WIESBADEN, Germany – Delegates from across the U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden footprint assembled to discuss and identify issues pertinent to the Garrison community as part of this year’s Army Family Action Plan Conference from Sept. 10-12, at the Wiesbaden Entertainment Center on Hainerberg.
This year, 53 Soldiers, spouses, and civilians—acting as representatives from local tenant units, mission partner organizations, and Army families—addressed and prioritized a total of 71 issues over the three-day period.
The top six of those issues were then identified to be pushed forward to Army leadership by the end of the conference:
• On-Post Medical Care for Eligible USAG Wiesbaden Beneficiaries
• Impact of the Army-Provided Elementary Educational Infrastructure to All Eligible Children
• On-Post Speed Enforcement for USAG Wiesbaden Drivers
• Education Environment Evaluation for USAG Wiesbaden Students
• Inadequate Cancellation Policy for OCONUS Home-Based Business Owners
• Brevity of OCONUS Home-Based Business Approval Expiration
The last two issues were pushed forward to Installation Management Command-Europe because they are both governed by Army Europe Regulation.
For over 40 years, the AFAP has provided Army community voices an opportunity to be heard at all levels and has even been the driving force behind the enactment of more than 130 pieces of legislation, 200 policy changes, and 230 improved programs and services.
Although the AFAP Conference primarily functions to identify key issues that impact the Army at large, most issues proposed end up being resolved locally with several subject matter experts from various Garrison Wiesbaden directorates and mission partner organizations standing by to respond to questions directly from delegates as needed.
Hellen Mpundu-Fakolujo, the volunteer program manager with USAG Wiesbaden Army Community Service who led the effort to organize this year’s AFAP Conference, explained that having these experts on-hand helped make the conference a success.
“The people that came out and assisted were very involved, very knowledgeable,” Mpundu-Fakolujo said. “They did their research as to how and why those issues are the way they are.”
For example, regarding the issue of “On-Post Medical Care for Eligible USAG Wiesbaden Beneficiaries,” Lt. Col. Lisa Bowers, Deputy Commander of Clinical Services with the Wiesbaden Army Health Clinic, had the opportunity to explain how the clinic plans to improve access for both service and family members through a number of “performance improvement projects.”
For USAG Wiesbaden commander Col. Troy Danderson, the annual AFAP Conference is not just an opportunity to shine a light on key issues in the community—it’s a proven mechanism for change in the Army.
"Since its inception, the AFAP conference has shown us that progress in the Army can be made possible through the hard work of people from communities like ours,” Danderson said, reflecting on this year’s conference. “Through events like the AFAP conference, we learn and understand quality of life impacts that affect the wellbeing of our Soldiers, family members and civilian employees who make up our garrison.
Currently, there are four issues that have come out of past USAG Wiesbaden AFAP Conferences that are being reviewed by the 2024 Summer AFAP General Office Steering Committee:
• Second Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) OCONUS Entitlement, 2021
• Command Sponsorship for Newborns of OCONUS Active Duty Soldiers with less than 12 months of Assignment, 2021
• OCONUS Behavioral Health Care Services for Space available Beneficiaries, 2023
• Taxation of Moving Expense Reimbursement for DoD Civilians, 2021
These issues are complemented by 36 additional issues submitted from other communities across the entire Army.
The GOSC is a body of Army senior leaders that identify and prioritize issues to be pushed to higher Army staff.
Overall, the amount of work and dedication required to make any AFAP Conference possible wasn’t lost on Mpundu-Fakolujo or the Garrison Commander and both made it a point to thank everyone involved.
“They did so amazing,” Mpundu-Fakolujo said. “I’m just so grateful. It’s a lot of work."
“The AFAP reminds us that it takes a village to ensure everyone has the best Army experience they can at USAG Wiesbaden,” Danderson said. “On behalf of the entire Garrison, I'd like to thank all of those who participated, including the subject matter experts who took the time to listen to the issues and provide responses.”
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.19.2024 11:34 |
| Story ID: | 481275 |
| Location: | WIESBADEN, HESSEN, DE |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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