Classifieds

DAF authorizes pass for Covid booster by Dec. 1

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) — As we enter cold and flu season, airmen and guardians are encouraged to get their Covid-19 vaccination booster as soon as possible.

The virus continues to pose a risk to the health and welfare of service members, civilian employees and families.

Airmen and guardians who receive the Covid-19 bivalent booster released in September are authorized a one-day special pass from their commander as long as the booster is administered by Dec. 1.

Department of the Air Force civilian employees who receive the current booster during the duty day through either Defense Department or private providers are authorized up to four hours administrative leave. Additionally, civilian employees may be granted up to two days of administrative leave to recover from any adverse reaction to the vaccination.

For service members, timing of the one-day pass will be consistent with mission needs, members must present documentation and commanders may award the special pass retroactively to those members who have already received a booster. The Office of Personnel Management authorizes federal civilian employees up to four hours of administrative leave to receive a vaccine booster shot, which is designed to cover “the time it takes to travel to the vaccination site, receive the vaccination dose and return to work.”

If federal employees take less than four hours to receive their booster shot, they should be granted only that amount of time in administrative leave, and employees cannot receive leave or overtime if they get their booster shot outside of their normal working hours.

Federal employees are also authorized up to four hours of administrative leave to accompany their family members who are receiving any dose of a Covid-19 vaccination.

Federal employees should obtain advance approval from their supervisor before being permitted to use administrative leave for Covid-19 vaccination purposes.

Covid-19 vaccinations include the initial one or two shot series as well as any subsequent booster shots.

For the latest information on Department of the Air Force Covid policies, statistics, news and resources, visit the Air Force’s Covid-19 website Air Force Medicine link at https:// www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/ COVID-19/.

Climate

From Page 6

5 megawatts of safe, reliable and clean energy to supplement current installation energy sources. The technology’s ability to operate independently from the commercial grid and reduce greenhouse gas emissions make micro-reactors a promising power source for remote domestic military installations critical to national security infrastructure.

Additionally, Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County will complete one of the country’s largest solar array projects in 2022, adding 464 MW of renewable electricity to the grid and enhancing energy resilience for the installation and community. This effort builds on initiatives from installations like Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County to augment base power supply with solar energy.

In alignment with the Climate Action Plan, priority three and Executive Orders 14008 and 14057, the Department of the Air Force also plans to convert 100% of its eligible nontactical vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2035. With more than 48,000 vehicular assets across installations, the Department of the Air Force sees fleet electrification as an opportunity to improve resiliency, decrease operation and maintenance costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In December 2021, the Department of the Air Force kicked off this ambitious effort at two pilot sites, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to help understand infrastructure risks and determine preferred functional requirements for vehicles. In 2022, the Department kicked off efforts at 15 additional installations and is working rigorously to develop policy guidance in pursuit of full new terrain vehicle fleet electrification conversion.

The Department of the Air Force is leveraging existing energy resilience efforts – like Installation Development Plans, Installation Energy Plans, and Energy Resilience Readiness Exercises – to ensure this transition is done with future needs and mission capabilities in mind.

Skills

From Page 2

19 sessions and learning opportunities, to include topics on project management, change management, professional etiquette, resiliency, teambuilding, and others,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Theodore Urbano, program facilitator and chief of the directorate’s policy and programming branch.

“As a result of attending the trainings, participants leave with tangible skills, such as interpersonal communication, and the ability to develop plans of action and milestones they can immediately apply to their work center and even personal lives,” Urbano said.

How to enroll?

The skills-based development program is available online at no cost to employees. Learners can register for the hour-long sessions on the Defense Health Agency’s intranet.

“There is no selection process and anyone with a Common Access Card can register,” Urbano said.

Sessions are available throughout the calendar year and include series such as one on resiliency in the workplace and another on professional etiquette. There are also standalone sessions on team building, developing a Plan of Action and Milestones, known as a POA&M, and delegating effectively, among others.

After completing a session, learners receive certificates of completion and attendance.

In addition to the calendar of sessions, Mosé said customized programs are also available. She encourages supervisors use those as team-building exercises.

“Using our training material and topics as a baseline, we customize the sessions to your team’s needs and facilitate only to your team,” she said.

Positive experiences

Urbano facilitates an eightpart series on resiliency in the program. As a master resilience trainer, he leverages his expertise to “increase awareness and teach learners how to use various resilience strategies.”

In his experience, participants really enjoy the series, which launched in April.

The topics seem relevant, he said, “because the discussions are rich, and participants are sharing personal stories that others can appreciate and learn from. It’s a wonderful atmosphere.”

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Susan Mojica, director of population health at the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, in Portsmouth, Virginia, has benefitted from and had a positive experience with the program. She has taken three sessions and registered for two more.

“The program has served as a review of some foundational skills, provided updated resources and exposure to colleagues in other organizations, which may lead to networking and collaborative opportunities,” she said. “It also renewed my enthusiasm for personal and organizational professional development.”

Mojica said she took a Plan of Action and Milestones session customized for her team’s needs. As a result, she feels the updated information and positive session delivery improve her performance.

“I’m more self-assured in my ability to lead a team or project using a POA&M.”

She now confidently recommends the program to her team, colleagues and leaders.

For more information on the Defense Health Agency’s skillsbased professional development program, send an email to the Education and Training team at dha.ncr.education-trng.mbx.elbcustomer-satisfaction@mail.mil.