TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The new Air Force Sustainment Center Consolidated Security Office is streamlining the onboarding process for new employees and providing a more efficient approach to managing security clearances and training to ensure all personnel stay up-to-date on security requirements.
The CSO combines various security functions previously handled as additional duties by several individuals in many offices into a single, centralized entity. This move is expected to reduce administrative bottlenecks.
The office serves home and staff offices as well as A-staff directorates. This includes A1 (Civilian Personnel), A2 (Intelligence Directorate), A3/4 (Logistics, Operations and Civilian Engineering), A6 (Cyberspace and Information Technology), A5/8/9 (Strategic Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments), as well as Director of Staff, Inspector General, Judge Advocate General, Public Affairs, History, Small Business, Safety, Software Directorate and Engineering Directorate.
“The consolidation of our security operations into one office allows us to better serve our customers by centralizing expertise and resources,” said Ron Blackmore, director of Information Protection. “Qualified and trained personnel will now handle all security-related workloads, ensuring a smoother, more efficient process from start to finish.”
“One of the main advantages of the new setup is its impact on onboarding new employees. By having a dedicated team focused on security, new personnel can navigate the requirements and training more quickly, reducing the time from being hired to being cleared to do their job,” said TJ Milliken, one of the security officers in the CSO. “This is particularly critical for maintaining operational readiness.
“We’re not only enhancing security but also improving the new hire’s experience,” Milliken said.
The CSO is working with the center and major command on implementing the new Security Enterprise Collaboration and User Reporting Environment, which provides a way for employees to report unofficial foreign travel. All DoD employees must complete foreign travel requirements 30 days before the projected departure date whether the travel is for official or leisure purposes. The system is scheduled to be available for use at the first part of the new calendar year.
Information on those requirements are now a part of the Customer Service One Stop Shop located online at Air Force Sustainment Center Consolidated Security Office (CSO) (dps.mil). Other items there include information on operational security, secure visit requests, protecting Controlled Unclassified Information and more. For any questions not addressed on the customer service page, the CSO is just an email away.
“Security is paramount in everything we do,” Blackmore added. “By consolidating our efforts, we are better positioned to protect our people, our assets and our mission. The consolidated security office is now fully operational and ready to support AFSC personnel.”
THE CSO can be reached by email at afsc.cso.cnsldtdsecurity@us.af.mil.