D-M sets standard for deployed Airmen tracker
By Airman 1st Class Mya M. Crosby, 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
/ Published May 19, 2016
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U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 355th Fighter Wing depart for a deployment from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Feb. 11, 2015. These Airmen were a part of the largest deployment of personnel since WWII to deploy from D-M. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cheyenne A. Powers/Released)
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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Benjamin, Tech. Sgt. Korey, and Senior Airman LeSean, 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., perform a preflight inspection on a HH-60G Pave Hawk at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, July 19, 2014. D-M AFB Airmen created an innovative tool, named the Blue Line Tracker, for leadership to track their Airmen downrange. The tracker is now being used at multiple bases across Air Combat Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sandra Welch/Released)
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U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick, 563rd Operation Support Squadron, embraces his family on the flightline at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., Oct. 9, 2015. D-M AFB Airmen created an innovative tool, named the Blue Line Tracker, for leadership to track their Airmen downrange. There are six default fields to place personal information for deployed members and optional fields for care packages sent, spouse contact, and member’s deployed email. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Mya M. Crosby/Released)
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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lorenza, 455th Expeditionary Communications Squadron mail clerk, deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., sorts mail at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan June 26, 2014. D-M AFB Airmen created an innovative tool, named the blue line tracker, for leadership to track their Airmen downrange. There are six default fields to place personal information for deployed members and optional fields for care packages sent, spouse contact, and member’s deployed email. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez/Released)
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(From left) U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Patrick, deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., and Senior Airman Matthew, 577th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Force Squadron troops constructions, pour cement for a new airfield security fence at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan May 24, 2014. D-M AFB Airmen created an innovative tool, named the Blue Line Tracker, for leadership to track their Airmen downrange. The tracker is now being used at multiple bases across Air Combat Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Evelyn Chavez/Released)
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --
Desert Lightning Team members created an innovative tool, now Air Combat Command-wide, for leadership to track their Airmen downrange at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
Two Airmen from the 355th Communications Squadron crafted an official tool, called the Blue Line Tracker, to create a more simple way of keeping this information together.
“This could possibly replace the different tools that people use to track their deployed personnel and it makes things much easier for them,” said Senior Airman Brian Williams, 355th CS knowledge management journeyman. “There was no set standard between the units and when we all tried to come together and create a standard it was very difficult because they all had their set ways of doing things. We created a standardized system where a lot of the work is done behind the scenes.”
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jonathan Guerrero, 355th CS deputy commander, presented the tracker to ACC leadership this past March after the squadron successfully created and utilized the tool at the beginning of the fiscal year 2015.
“Last year Col. Meger, 355th Fighter Wing Commander, wanted a better way to track deployed members from D-M during our last P2 deployment,” said Guerrero. “We had over 1,200 folks deployed which was the largest deployment on base since World War II.”
With the help of the 355th Force Support Squadron, Installation Personnel Readiness pulls deployment requirement manning documents from a database that provides the Air Force cross-functional integration for the four main functional domains: operations, logistics, manpower and personnel.
This information is later imported into the tool. The tool is automatically updated every week taking only a few minute at just a click of the button.
After the six default queries to input personal information about the deployed member is completed, the squadrons have the choice of entering optional data fields such as care package sent, spouse contact, and deployed email.
The wing commander all the way down to unit deployment managers all have access to this tracker to view unclassified information on all deployed Airmen in their unit.
The innovative tracker is now being used by multiple ACC installations to aid base leader’s management of their Airmen’s deployments.