Integrated Process Team visits Creech

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Alice Moore
  • 432d Wing Public Affairs
CREECH AFB, Nev. --  Representatives from numerous Air Force functional support areas visited Creech AFB, Sept. 9, to gain a better understanding of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) community. 

The Integrated Process Team visited the base in hopes of implementing new systems and structures to better serve Airmen within the UAS community. Functions that were represented on the team included active duty, Reserve and Guard chaplains, Air Combat Command Surgeon General's office, Airmen and Family Readiness Center and Military One Source. 

"We've brought together some of the best minds from all the different 'people helping' professions in the Air Force," said Chaplain (Col.) Bob Page, Command Chaplain for Air Combat Command. "We've come together here to immerse ourselves in the world of UAS Airmen and see what their lives are like and learn about their mission. We want to understand what they're doing and the stresses that they experience. We want to talk about what we can do to help these UAS Airmen and how we can improve our support for them." 

Chaplain Page said Creech was a great location to gain understanding of the UAS community. 

"This (Creech) is kind of the heart of this whole UAS enterprise. We wanted to come into Creech and ride the bus from Nellis with everyone this morning and experience their (Creech personnel) world from the very beginning and we're in the right place," he said. 

Chaplain (Maj.) Timothy Ullmann, chaplain for headquarters Air Force's Core Resource Board, said his goal from the visit was to gain understanding and perspective on the UAS community. He said the IPT team is here to look at what they can do to help. 

"I know just a little bit about the UAS community. I've read about it, but I've not lived it. This is an opportunity to come here and see and listen first hand on what's going on with the people here," Chaplain Ullmann said. 

He also compared the community to a U.S. Olympic champion. 

"You read in the newspaper and you read other articles that say all the great things the UAS community is doing. I kind of look at them (UAS community) as the Michael Phelps of the military. They keep succeeding despite being given more and more challenges, but even Michael Phelps has to rest once in a while." 

The goal of IPT is to work to generate new systems and structures in order to better assist Airmen and their families within the UAS community. 

"I was very impressed with the mission and the people here," said Jean Michel, ACC chief of Airman and Family Readiness. Airmen and Family Readiness has been focusing the last few years on our Airmen and their families during deployments. I think we've done some good things in preparing Airmen and their families for deployments. Now we're dealing with a new kind of warrior, the in place warrior. We're looking forward to the challenge and we'll do everything that we can to meet the need of our Airmen and their families. They're the very best our country has to offer and they certainly deserve no less." 

Upon returning to ACC at Langley AFB, Va., the UAS IPT will brief Gen. John Corley, ACC commander, on their recommendations on how to serve the UAS community better.