IMs, personnelists converge for better service Published Nov. 29, 2006 By Staff Sgt. Amanda Mills Public Affairs Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- The 71st Mission Support Group began bridging gaps within their information manager and personnel career fields April 1. With a loss of people on deployments and no projected gains, the group began a temporary consolidated orderly room for their IMs and personnelists. The 71st Operations Group will stand up a similar orderly room soon. Without this orderly room, people could call a squadron trying to reach an IM or personnelist and be sent to the help desk or go unassisted because the person normally assigned to their squadron is deployed or there is no one in the position. "Now, people can call this room and get help from any IM or personnelist available," said 2nd Lt. Chris Wallace, 71st MSG Commander Support Staff officer in charge. The idea of pooling these resources did not begin here, Lieutenant Wallace said. Columbus Air Force Base, Miss.; Laughlin AFB, Texas; and Altus AFB, Okla., also have temporary consolidated orderly rooms. However, Vance AFB is the only base to consolidate people from both career fields. "This just makes sense," said Staff Sgt. Noah Ynclan, 71st MSG CSS acting NCO in charge. "We all know how to do the job, and this allows the wing to continue to function properly. We're also all interchangeable. If anyone goes on leave or temporary duty, the others will still be available to help." Additional personnel assistance can be obtained at the new Air Force Personnel Center. The center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It can be reached at (800) 616-3775 or DSN at 665-5000 or via e-mail at contact.center@randolph.af.mil. People can visit the contact center at www.afpc .randolph.af.mil. To reach the 71st MSG CSS or the workgroup manager's hotline, call 7171. To reach personnel, call 7198.