Questions

If your question relates specifically to Air Force District of Washington, please see the questions below. If you have a question which is not addressed here, you may find the answer by visiting the Frequently Asked Questions Page on the official Web site of the U.S. Air Force. For general military questions, please refer to the Department of Defense's Help Center page.

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AF-NCR Integration

The Air Force-National Capital Region part of the AFDW mission is new. How does AFDW integrate? What unique capabilities does it bring to the fight?

In addition to fighting the war on terror, AFDW has the added responsibility and privilege of providing contingency-response capability critical to national security to support any contingency in the National Capital Region. In doing so, AFDW is growing in its ability to operate jointly -- this requires us to recognize the multitude of capabilities we bring to the table in order to assist JFHQ-NCR -- things like support from a terrific professional medical team like those assigned to the new 79th Medical Wing; communications capabilities for the region under the management of the 844th Communications Group; and the support of two highly capable wings that operate Bolling and Andrews Air Force Bases.

Challenges

What are some of the biggest challenges facing AFDW?

Knowing there are Airmen and civilian Air Force members out there who know how we can accomplish tasks better and smarter, the challenge is to get them to tell us what we can improve upon so we can begin to develop processes, which will make their jobs easier. Our great folks know what things cause them to be less efficient than they know they can be. We have to identify those elements and fix them.

There is also great concern about how we can improve the quality of life for our personnel challenged by some aspects of living and working in the National Capital Region. The traffic, long commutes and a high cost of living make the Washington area a difficult place to live as a young Airman or junior civilian. If you don't live on base, then you tend to live a lot further away in order to be able to get into good, affordable housing; the traffic and commute are the major irritants.

For those who do live on base and have school-age children, the choice is also difficult. Many parents elect to home-school or send their children to private schools that are an added financial burden. The AFDW team is looking at options to find ways to make improvements. If we want to continue to attract the best Airmen to Andrews and Bolling AFBs and expect them to live on base, then we owe it to those families to provide additional school opportunities for their children.

Flyovers and Static Displays

How do I request a flyover or static display?

All flyover and static requests must be routed through SAF/PA for approval.

The website for submitting these requests is:
http://www.airshows.pa.hq.af.mil/PublicSite/Index.cfm?fwa=home

Force-shaping

How will AFDW and its components be affected by the force cuts and force-shaping underway throughout the Air Force? How are fewer people going to get all the work done? Why cut now, in the middle of a war?

AFDW's goals are the Air Force goals: Win the war on terror, take care of our people and recapitalize the force. We contribute to winning the war on terror in many ways, not least of which is having our great team ready to deploy. We also ensure our Airmen who are responsible for carrying out our mission are well taken care of.

Although there are challenges, we are comprised of some of the best and the brightest. Our Airmen have proven we can continually improve processes with less people. Some have a concern about force-shaping and its effect on the future operations tempo. It can be expected that AFDW will have the same issues as any other command, but this action is a necessary step in the downsizing process. We simply must get the mission done with fewer people -- a fact of life.

Leadership is taking every step possible to enhance training. We have challenged and are listening to our troops who have offered innovative ways to improve processes that make up for the loss of the manpower. Change is something the Air Force has seen from day one, and we are constantly striving to figure out new and better ways to do things. Downsizing and force-shaping will be a challenge, but they are necessary steps to prepare for our future.

Mission

Why was AFDW created, and what is its chief mission (or missions)?

This six-word statement sums up why AFDW exists: ''Securing our Capital, Supporting our People."

AFDW is here to be the single voice for Air Force operations in the National Capital Region and to assist in completing the ultimate mission to fight the Global War on Terrorism. What a tremendous privilege it is to be a part of the joint team whose area of responsibility contains the people and many of the symbols of our great nation. While a main focus is homeland, AFDW leadership also ensures our Airmen are ready to deploy. After all, that is why we exist to be prepared when summoned to defend on any front.

Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs: afdw.pa.public.affairs@us.af.mil

1500 West Perimeter Rd. Suite 5790 Joint Base Andrews, Md. 20762-7002 Comm: (240) 612 - 6464 DSN: 612 - 6464

AFDW Public Affairs does not act as an operator service or base locator. They do not have the capability to redirect incoming calls to other offices.

Please contact the base operator for these services: Joint Base Andrews: (301) 981-1110 DoD-wide: (703) 545-6700

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