Equal Opportunity team keeps Airmen, Soldiers efficient, protected

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eli A. Rose
  • 673d ABW/PA
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, boasts a workforce of over 13,000 service members, civilians and government contractors all from varying backgrounds and unique walks of life. When it comes to ensuring a work environment is functional, appropriate and safe for everyone, Army and Air Force Equal Opportunity offices lead the fight.

With offices and dedicated teams on both sides of the installation, the JBER EO offices work with service members and civilians alike to find solutions for issues involving bullying, hazing and discrimination in the workplace.

The core of EO is making sure people are confident and able to work, said Ouida Morrison, JBER EO Director. People pour a large portion of their lives into their workplace, especially in a military environment. If you are worried about harassment, you are going to be unable to operate at peak efficiency.

Being the largest EO program in the Pacific Air Force, the men and women who run these offices are consistently striving to find new innovative ways to overcome obstacles. JBER's EO office reports that this year alone they slashed discrimination complaints by 10% base wide through advising various leadership teams on policy alignment. They also revitalized human relations education across the installation boosting total participation by 32%.

While handling various situations that may arise in the workplace is one of the main functions of EO, the JBER team emphasizes preventative strategies in an effort to maintain readiness and optimal productivity.

Commanders are usually receptive and enthusiastic; a large part of our function is providing counseling, said Scott Kubacki, an EO specialist. Our mission is to enhance readiness. People attention should be on the mission, not problems in the workplace.

Kubacki said if someone is in a position where they feel the need to file a complaint, emotions are typically high and readiness has already been negatively affected. Through preventive measures, Airmen, Soldiers and civilians not only operate at a higher efficiency level, but gain peace of mind and confidence in their teams and leadership.

These measures include temperature checks at every level through the entire chain of command, such as EO having one-on-one conversations with varying individuals of different ranks and positions to gauge if members think there could be potential harassment, bullying or discrimination on going in their workplace. Furthermore, EO equips these members with tools to potentially defuse these situations, should they arise, and ways to make sure the men and women who serve in the Department of War have a mission-focused workplace.

Working for the DOW presents unique and challenging obstacles on a daily basis and EO's primary objective is to make sure everyone is in a position where they can serve to their highest possible potential.

To contact JBER's EO offices for more information, call (907)-552-4547, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit the JBER Connect App