Team Dover participates in Air Force Community Partnership initiative

by Capt Sarah E. Bergstein
436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

9/9/2015 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Air Force changes require coordination from all involved in the change and Team Dover and Kent County community members are working side-by-side through Team Dover's P4 initiatives-- Public-Public; Public-Private Partnership-- to help make change possible.

The program, commonly known as "P4," is an Air Force-level program that embraces the use of partnerships to help trim base operating costs. This initiative is a direct response to language included in section 331 of the fiscal 2013 defense authorization bill, which allows installations to enter into intergovernmental support agreements with local governments to provide, receive or share support services for most municipal functions. Such agreements have proven successful at the small handful of installations where they have been implemented under pilot programs, but the new authority permits all military installations to partner with host communities to obtain or provide support services.

"P4 is a way for Team Dover to put ideas on the table to look at partnering with entities like local and state government or private entities in the community," said Col. Lisa Pike, 436th Mission Support Group commander. "This helps us consider projects that are mutually beneficial to both the base and the community."

While partnerships have existed between the surrounding communities for decades, this program is a means for Team Dover and the community to come together on initiatives that promote positive change for those involved while having the oversight and staff support of Headquarters Air Force.

Two P4 meetings have taken place at Dover Air Force Base where about 100 people were in attendance from both the base and the community. The first meeting set the stage in explaining the P4 program, providing examples of partnerships from other Air Force installations, and allowed all who participated to meet, split up into groups, explain their organizations and the impact they have on and within the community, and begin brainstorming ideas.

The second meeting was held several weeks later to allow the participants some time to think on the program and the ideas brought to the table and to come back with new ideas or information as to how to go about setting these potential ideas into motion.

The categories of work groups are broken down into: Live, Work, Learn, and Play. Members in each working group are generally a part of a business or company that falls into one of the above areas, so that when the working groups sit down to work through potential ideas, their background relates to those in their group.

"These first two meetings have been extremely positive for the base," said Pike. "As we've looked at 'The art of the possible,' we've had immense participation from the community and tremendous support from those bringing big ideas with even bigger potential to the table. We're very fortunate to be a part of this community and look forward to what P4 can do for Team Dover and the community."

The next P4 meeting will take place at Dover AFB on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at The Landings. For additional information on the program, to request to attend, or for media coverage, contact the 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs office at (302)-677-3372 or e-mail 436aw.pa@us.af.mil.