100th CS customers benefit from faster, better service as CSC becomes one-stop shop

  • Published
  • By Karen Abeyasekere
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The 100th Communications Squadron's Client Services Center is now the squadron's central hub for daily operations and customer service.

The communication focal point and client systems team - formerly located in two separate buildings - recently combined and now share workspace and workload.

"With a leaner Air Force and client systems career field, the process is vital to ensuring that personnel are available to complete their primary missions," said Staff Sgt. Jodi Muse, 100th CS Communication Focal Point NCO in charge. "For the CFP, those primary missions include command and control of communications support activities; for the CST, it's client-level information and technology support."

Sergeant Muse explained that U.S. Air Forces in Europe guidance dictates that to begin the trouble ticket process, customers must call the Enterprise Service Desk at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Any reported issue which can't be resolved by them will then be forwarded back to RAF Mildenhall's CFP for local processing.

"Having this extra step [calling the ESD], which came about because of manning cuts, saves a lot of time for our people," said Sergeant Muse. "They don't have to spend time answering phones and taking questions, but use that time helping customers that have put in trouble tickets.

"Every morning we check our system for trouble tickets [sent from Ramstein], then assign them out to our teams here," she said.

Master Sgt. Joseph Johnson, 100th CS CSC section chief, explained that the CSC has been restructured from four teams into three.

"We have more people within each crew or team, and each is split into zones [different buildings around base that they are responsible for]," he said. "Every person in every team knows something different about computers, so they are all able to draw on each other's knowledge. It also ensures a bigger pool of professional and technical knowledge.

"Consolidating the CST and CFP means that resources and additional duties are also now consolidated, and it provides a lot more opportunities for training," Sergeant Johnson added. "Bringing the two flights together makes good business sense - it provides faster and better communication between the CFP and CST, which in turn creates a better service for our customers."

Having the CSC teams and team leaders working side-by-side in one area within Building 586 ensures the right technicians are performing the right jobs across the base, and creates a one-stop shop for customers. Technicians within the section also take care of maintenance of official-use personal digital assistants, used by base leadership including commanders and first sergeants. There is now just one drop-off and pick-up point for customers, and the 100th CS subject-matter experts are all located in one place.

While all network-related issues have to initially be called in to the ESD before then being assigned to the RAF Mildenhall technicians, all non-network related issues can be called in straight to the CSC here. This includes land mobile radio and analogue phone issues.

"Our technicians hit the ground running every morning," said Master Sgt. Andrew Kerr, 100th CS CSC assistant section chief. "Often, they leave the office at 8 a.m., and we won't see them again until around 3:30 p.m., as they're out working on eight to 10 trouble tickets each per day."

Lt. Col. Gene Mattingly, 100th CS commander, has nothing but praise for his CFP and CST teams, and the improved customer service they now provide.

"What I've seen already since we made the move to consolidate is further synergy," he said. "Synergy in the form of more effective communications between those who can take the calls, or receive the trouble tickets and those who are dispatched to work on systems that require touch-maintenance, as well as improving the customer service experience - providing a one-stop shop for Team Mildenhall, to get the support they need.

"The location is optimum too," he added, "as anyone with cyber support needs, such as [PDA], land mobile radio, or laptop and desktop systems, can bring it to the client service center."

The commander also explained that a cyber defense team, headed by the 100th CS wing information assurance officer in charge, 1st Lt. Joshua Bohnert, has also been created.

"We also put two additional cyber operators from our cyber infrastructure and cyber network centers with him. This small team was designed to build off our successes of the Command Cyber Readiness Inspection.

"They key in on the daily cyber surety mission and network operations aspects, by monitoring our compliance with higher headquarters-issued cyber tasking orders, maintenance tasking orders, and time-compliance technical orders," Colonel Mattingly said.

"This is imperative to us keeping our portion of the cyberspace domain secure. They just stood up, and already we are seeing success as a result of this synergistic effort. I couldn't be prouder of our cyber warriors in the 100th CS and those who are part of our tenant organizations across RAF Mildenhall," he added. "They work hard at keeping the infrastructure running smoothly, and they react with a proper sense of urgency when the mission is impacted.

"At the end of the day, what we gain in our efforts is being properly postured for day-to-day business and evolving cyberspace support to defend and operate our portion of the Air Force network," the 100th CS commander said.

To open a trouble ticket for network-related issues, call DSN 478-4357. For non-network-related issues, call DSN 238-2666.