New in-processing method implemented at Goodfellow Published May 28, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Erica Rodriguez 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 17th Training Wing has been implementing and continuously improving a new system by which students in-process to Goodfellow. "In January, we sat down to look at how we in-processed students," said Lt. Col. Edward Blitt, 17th Training Group deputy commander. "As we looked at it we found there were about four different ways that we in-processed students, depending on what type of a student they were." Before the new system, each group of students, non-prior service, prior service, officers and transferring Defense Language Institution students, would in-process separately. "If they were a non-prior service student coming straight from Lackland Air Force Base, they would take about five days to in-process," said Blitt. "DLI students would get about a day and a half of briefings. With the prior service and officers, there was a question as to if they were getting all the briefings they needed." In-processing separately required more time from 17th TRW agencies. "We noticed a lot of the impact on the base agencies," said Blitt. "For example, the Inspector General, would brief on any given week, three to five different groups of students, not to mention permanent party as well. There was a lot of repetition on the agencies' schedule; they were briefing the same message to multiple groups of students." In order to eliminate this repetition, the 17th TRW streamlined and consolidated in-processing into a three day event every Monday through Wednesday at the Event Center. Mondays are for the non-prior service and DLI students only. On a rotating basis, the 17 TRG Military Training Leaders brief the newcomers from each training squadron on Chain-of-Command, fitness, finance, the rope programs and standards. They finish the day with a tour of Crossroads. On Tuesdays, all the non-prior service, DLI, prior service and officer students are brought together and briefed by wing agencies including Equal Opportunity, Inspector General, Sexual Assault and Response Office, legal, dental, medical, TriCare, safety, housing, Security Forces and others. The 17 Training Wing commander and command chief as well as the Training Group commander and group chief along with the group MTL's also brief the students on their expectations and provide information about the base. "One of the benefits we found of talking to the non-prior service students and the prior service students together is that the MTL's are able to emphasize to the prior-service students to correct non-prior service students on any incorrect uniform wear or failure to show courtesies such as saluting," said Blitt. Blitt explained another benefit of bringing the agencies to the students is the students are more likely to have all the information they need and it also ensures they have registered everywhere they need to. For example, some students often fail to register with the regional TriCare, so when they have an accident treatment is delayed; they have to go through the process of registering with TriCare. The new method of in-processing helps avoid the hassle. With the officers, prior service and DLI students in-processed by Tuesday, Wednesdays are the final day of in-processing for non-prior service students. They receive the new accessions briefings from SARC and Safety. Their in-processing is completed by a brief from the Key Spouse and time to update their Virtual Record of Emergency Data information at the Airman and Family Readiness center. By the end of Wednesday, all the incoming students have been properly in-processed and given the information they need while assigned to Goodfellow. The 17th TRW is continuously looking for ways to streamline and improve the way they take care of students as they arrive and as they depart to ensure mission success and efficiency.
