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Comprehensive Airman Fitness: CAIB dedicated to solving issues for Fairchild Airmen, families

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Got issues? The Community Action Information Board, or CAIB, is just the group that can fix it.

The CAIB is chaired by the wing commander and consists of several squadron and group commanders as well as relevant base support agencies. The group meets on a quarterly basis to address issues, concerns and problems everyone at Fairchild faces.

"The CAIB is an essential part of making Fairchild a great assignment," said Col. Paul Guemmer, the 92nd Air Refueling Wing commander. "I rely on the CAIB to give me answers and recommendations to make the best decisions on behalf of the base populace.

"If I didn't have the CAIB, it would be a lot more difficult to find out about issues affecting the people at Fairchild and we can't fix issues if we don't know about them," Colonel Guemmer added.

As a group, the CAIB applies Comprehensive Airman Fitness ideas and initiatives at the base level. Started in July 2010 in Air Mobility Command, the goal of the CAF culture is to "strengthen and sustain a culture of balanced, healthy, self confident Airmen and their families whose resilience and total fitness enables them to thrive in an era of high operational tempo and persistent conflict around the world," an AMC talking paper on CAF states.

"We have to make sure we're addressing the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of everyone at Fairchild," said Lt. Col. Robert Rottschafer, 92nd Medical Operations Squadron commander and executive director of the CAIB. "We identify the needs of the Fairchild community and then do what we can to accommodate how we can. That's what Comprehensive Airman Fitness is all about, so that's what the CAIB is all about."

When the group gets together, as they most recently did March 10, Colonel Rottschafer ensures the appropriate person shares relevant information with the rest of the group. Then collectively, the body provides input and ideas so senior leaders at Fairchild can make informed decisions.

One way the CAIB has generated input and ideas has been through the Airman's Summit in 2009 and the Family Summit in 2010. Working groups at the summits collaborated on a variety of topics to create lists of suggestions for Fairchild officials to improve life for everyone at Fairchild - enlisted, officer or civilian.

Colonel Guemmer has examined that list with members of the CAIB and is addressing them on the base Website and Facebook pages as well as in issues of the "Fairchild Flyer." As articles are published, people of Fairchild are welcome to further comment on the outcomes.

For example, the CAIB recently addressed a request to lower the drinking age on base to 18 years old. Colonel Guemmer's response can be found at www.fairchild.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123246157

For more information contact your base's CAIB.