Survey shows health of unit climates

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Last month, the 23rd Wing Flying Tigers participated in an Organizational Climate Survey. The survey allowed me to get a view of the overall health and morale of the wing's units. I know you're all very busy, and I'm grateful to all of you who took the time to complete it. 

While it comes as no surprise to me, I am pleased to let you know that the overall climate at Moody is healthy. As I travel around the wing and talk to our outstanding Airmen, it's crystal clear to me that you are conducting your business in a professional and effective manner, and most important, with our Air Force core values in mind. I'm committed to seeing that the Flying Tigers are a core values-based organization. 

Before I get into too many details on the results, allow me to give you a little background on how the survey was conducted. The Organizational Climate Survey was produced and managed by the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. All the results were then analyzed by my experts in the 23rd Wing Equal Opportunity Office. 

The survey served as a tool that allowed me to proactively assess critical organization climate dimensions that have an impact on the overall effectiveness of the 23rd Wing. It also provided a diagnosis of potential organizational issues that need to be addressed. The survey focused on three areas: 

· Military Equal Opportunity
· Civilian Equal Employment Opportunity
· Organizational Effectiveness 

Each area used climate factors, measured on a five-point scale, to give an analysis of these issues. Some of these factors included sexual harassment, discrimination, work group cohesion, job satisfaction and organizational trust and commitment. 

Based on the evaluation of these factors, our wing is doing an outstanding job managing its organizational climate. There were several areas that really stood out as strengths for the base. Workgroup effectiveness received very positive ratings that were higher than the Department of Defense average. Job satisfaction also received ratings that showed most members were at least moderately satisfied with their jobs. 

The wing also performed very well on the Equal Opportunity portion of the survey, which covered different type of discrimination issues. The ratings showed a very small chance of any discriminatory behaviors occurring. The analysis also indicated a high chance of positive interaction between majority and minority members of the wing. The Air Force has no room for bigotry or racism, and this shows we are relating well across inter-racial, inter-cultural and inter-personal lines. 

Although many of the results were positive, there were also some areas for us to improve. One of these areas is organizational trust and commitment. Some of you responded that you feel more emphasis is placed on the "numbers" or "statistics" over the people. I share your concern; my leadership mantra has been, and will continue to be, "take care of the Airmen and they will take care of the mission." I expect everyone in the wing to treat each other with the utmost in personal respect and integrity. There was also a slight to moderate concern about trust in the organization. Several people supported these perceptions through direct comments made on the survey. 

While the arrival of the 23rd Fighter Group and their maintainers has been a great addition to Moody, the large personnel increase has also created some challenges for the base. The survey showed customer service facilities such as the Medical Group, AAFES and the Defense Commissary Agency have all been affected by this change. I agree that some of our services are inadequate at the moment considering our growth. I assure you that the entire wing leadership team is working hard to address your concerns; a commissary expansion will get underway next year, and changes are in store for the Base Exchange as well. 

I appreciated that many of you took the time to provide suggestions. Thank you for taking this extra step as these comments provide real meaning and clarity to the ratings. There were comments recommending more squadron functions, such as bowling, golfing and sports days, to increase unit cohesion. Others asked for more variety during squadron physical training sessions. 

Overall, the survey told me a lot, mostly positive but a few areas we need to re-attack. Thank you again for your participation; by taking the time to fill it out, you all showed your continued dedication toward making Moody AFB and the 23rd Wing the best in the Air Force. I'll be sure and pass along your comments to your Commanders, Chiefs, and First Sergeants.