Page 15 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, July 7 2017

Thunderbolt NEWS http://www.luke.af.mil
Luke Exchange helps foot the bill this PCS season
PLAN
July 2017 15 Facebook.com/LukeThunderbolt
(from Page 2)
The Luke Air Force Base Exchange is taking some of the stress of moving to a new duty station off service members’ shoulders this PCS season.
Through Aug. 9, service members can present their orders to the Luke Exchange customer service desk and receive an Operation PCS Benefit Card. The card entitles service members to 5 percent off qualifying purchases of $100 or more when they use their MILITARY STAR card in Exchange stores or at www.shopmyexchange.com. Benefit cards are valid for 90 days from issuance date.
“PCSing is no picnic, and the associated costs are known to cause sticker shock,” said Aileen Riven- burg, Exchange general manager. “Shopping with the Exchange’s Operation PCS Benefit Card will help military families ease some of the financial burdens of moving to a new duty station.”
To apply for a MILITARY STAR card, authorized shoppers can visit www.MyECP.com. The card’s benefits include:
• Competitive 10.99 percent interest rate — the lowest flat rate among store cards
• No annual, late or over-limit fees
• 10 percent off first-day purchases
• 10 percent off Exchange food court purchases • 5 cents per gallon savings at Exchange gas
stations
• Free standard shipping at shopmyexchange.com
With every purchase, MILITARY STAR card- holders earn points as part of a rewards program. Cardholders earn 2 points for every $1 spent wherever the MILITARY STAR card is accepted. For every 2,000 points earned, shoppers automati- cally receive a $20 rewards card.
Soldiers and Airmen may use the Operation PCS Benefit Card on as many qualifying transactions as they wish. The card does not apply to purchases of fuel, gift cards and uniforms or purchases at restaurants, concessions, the Exchange Online Mall and other services’ exchanges.
Courtesy of Army, Air Force Exchange Service
The next belief gently pushes us toward focusing on not only the current challenges and impacts of our operations, but becoming strategic in our thought processes. It sets our focus. One of the first things I learned about driving a car was to be aware of what was going on around me, not just right in front of me. I needed to look at the road from a campaign perspective, to anticipate challenges, and make subtle changes that would prevent me from having to overcorrect. By extending our focus to a campaign mindset, we can change our culture and avoid the unnecessary stress to our Airmen that knee-jerk reactions usually cause.
The next belief defines three ways we keep our focus: communication, prioritization and solving problems. Communication is the lubricant of the engine of teamwork. Without clear guidance and communication, our teams fizzle. Teamwork requires all information, both good and bad, to be shared across the team. The reality is that the culture of the Air Force, or any culture for that matter, has significant challenges that must be overcome.
I recently attended a Facility Board Working Group, and I was drawn to the opening slide.
“We can do anything, but we cannot do everything.” This personifies the economic principle of scarcity – a finite amount of resources for what can appear to be an infinite amount of challenges. As stewards of the American tax dollar, we owe it to the American people to prioritize what aspects of culture we focus on.
Finally, communicating and prioritizing does not change anything. We have to place the problems inside of the engine of teamwork and solve them.
The final belief ties up the mission, vision and all the beliefs. I consider it the grand finale. If we value people and ideas over things, if we focus on culture with a campaign mindset, if we communicate, prioritize and solve problems working together in teams, I know we, Thunderbolt Nation, can change the Air Force. The Air Force looks for leadership, innovation, and solutions, and Thunderbolt Nation is made of leaders who will solve prob- lems, create better, faster, and more efficient processes and procedures. Our Air Force will be in a better place because of the 56th Fighter Wing.
Let us go forth guided by an amazing strategic plan that will enable us to build the future of airpower!
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