How to spend HALF A MILLION (OR A MILLION) DOLLARS!

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Smith
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
Base leadership takes Hill Air Force Base's quality-of-life standards and other larger initiatives very seriously.

Col. Linda Medler, 75th Air Base Wing commander, thinks so highly of Hill AFB's people, that she is soliciting their ideas on how to spend between $500,000 and $1 million to improve things here.
 
As part of Hill AFB's Installation Excellence Award, the base is guaranteed at least $500,000 to spend on quality-of-life initiatives.

"We're hoping for the $1 million first-place prize because I'm certain the people of Hill AFB make it the best base in the Air Force," said Colonel Medler. "Regardless of the final results, which we hope will be announced late this month, we know we will be getting at least $500,000, so I want to know what things Team Hill members want to spend the money on. You earned this, and you should have a say so in how it gets used."

Deciding what people really want and really need is no easy task for an installation that is the single largest employer in the state of Utah. Colonel Medler wants everyone with a good idea on how to spend some of the money to come forward with suggestions.

Chief Master Sgt. Steven Kembel, acting 75 ABW Command Chief, will be collecting ideas now through March 28. After all of the suggestions are compiled, committees of military members, civilian workers and family members from the different base organizations will prioritize idea lists.
 
"The plan is to develop a list of initiatives that have a very broad range impact," said Chief Kembel. "We'll submit all of the ideas to a committee from a cross section of Team Hill. They will prioritize the submissions and present them to the OO-ALC/Team Hill Staff for approval."
 
Chief Kembel said it's important for people making suggestions to have a reasonable cost estimate for their idea. An inaccurate estimate could result in problems carrying out an otherwise good suggestion. 

Ideas can be submitted through e-mail or dropped off at the Command Chief's office in the following format:
PROPOSAL: (The actual items needing purchased)
JUSTIFICATION: (Why this would be money well spent)
COST: (A reasonable estimate of the cost)
IMPACT: (What positive impact would this have and who will reap the benefits)
CONTACT INFO: (Name, rank, organization, phone number and e-mail address) 

"This is a great chance to get funding for your otherwise good ideas that we just don't have money to support," said Colonel Medler. "I'm looking forward to putting this well-deserved award to good use."

The only criteria that the proposal needs to meet is that it will directly benefit the Team Hill base populace, and must be executable this fiscal year. There will be Financial and Civil Engineering Advisors (non-voting) to the committee to help them deal with the "feasibility" of larger projects.

For more information or to submit a suggestion, send an e-mail to 75ABW.CCC@hill.af.mil.