New budget creates five commander's support staff positions at Vance

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Lynn Aird
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Five new commander's support staff positions on base will be available to civilians effective Oct. 1. 

The 71st Operations Support Squadron, the 71st Security Forces Squadron, the 8th Flying Training Squadron, the 32nd FTS and the 33rd FTS will each be allotted a unit program coordinator to aid squadron commanders in performing day-to-day duties. 

Based on the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, a total of 1,200 such civilian positions were approved to assist Air Force squadron commanders. Non-medical active duty units with permanent party populations of 50 or more personnel are eligible to receive a unit program coordinator. 

The unit program coordinator will be responsible for providing a primary point of contact to directly assist the commander in the management of all administrative support program functions. This responsibility will include administrative training, security, development of organizational operating instructions and regulations, personnel assistance, and assigning suspenses to all staff personnel to support the commander. 

Unit program coordinators will also be tasked to ensure that the unit is in compliance with regulations, laws, policies and squadron commander directives. As such, the unit program coordinator will oversee programs such as the Government Travel Card program, the drug demand reduction program, health care, fitness, security, safety and supply for the squadron. 

Additional duties will include serving as a unit liaison to the civilian and military personnel offices on base, as well as developing, establishing, updating and maintaining office procedures and records to make sure information is accurate and accessible. 

The unit program coordinator vacancies will only be available to current civil service employees at first. The vacancies will then be made available to status candidates such as veterans or military spouses, and will finally be open to all U.S. citizens interested once the first two options are exhausted. Current civil service employees should apply through http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/CivEmploy/?prods3=181, while status candidates and U.S. civilians should apply through http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/.