Force Improvement Program team makes final stop at Warren

by Airman 1st Class Brandon Valle
90th Missile Wing Public Affairs

2/25/2014 - F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo.  -- The Force Improvement Program team made their last stop in a tour of Air Force Global Strike Command missile wings Feb. 23 as they arrived here to conduct their final interviews and compile their data.

The FIP was created as an aggressive, action-oriented effort with the goal of making rapid and substantial change to the ICBM mission. Designed from the ground up, the FIP is a field-level initiative to draw on the experiences of Airmen at all levels.

The Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force tasked AFGSC commander, Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, to create the team and head the program, said Lt. Col. Cynthia Gunderson, 321st Missile Squadron commander and Wing point of contact for the team's visit to Warren. The overall goal is to work with the Airmen of AFGSC and bring attention to various issues that are brought up.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our Airmen here at F.E. Warren to have their voices heard to make meaningful change to the mission we carry out every day," said Lt. Col. Peter Lex, 90th Missile Security Forces commander and 90th Security Forces Group representative.

The team is comprised of Airmen from each of the three ICBM wings, with augmentation from AFGSC, the U.S. Navy, and the 576th Flight Test Squadron and 381st Training Group from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

"Each organization was tasked to provide personnel to serve with the team. The Force Improvement Program team is broken into smaller Functional Cultural Working Groups - operations, maintenance, security forces, mission support and helicopter operations," Lex said.

The team made a circuit through the AFGSC bases, traveling from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., for initial training at the Command headquarters, to Minot AFB, N.D., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., to conduct interviews with Airmen working in the field. These interviews assessed their perceptions, ideas and any issues they have seen while doing their daily mission. The team is now here to get input from Warren Airmen.

"The team is here to talk with Airmen and look at the processes of the base and try to fix any issues that we are facing," Gunderson said.

The team conducted their final interviews Feb. 24 and 25 with Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing, Gunderson said. On Feb. 26, the team will begin compiling their data and writing the reports that will be presented to Gen. Wilson.