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Life Cycle of an ASAP Report

  • Published
  • By TSGT Lane Byrum
  • HQ AMC/Ops RAMS
Summer 2014 --  What really happens when you submit an ASAP? Will logging in with my CAC identify me for later punishment? These questions are asked more often than you might think. Rumors range from automatically getting you Q3'd when you hit "Submit" to lying in wait to ambush you at some future date. The actual processing of an ASAP seems to be a mystery also. Does anyone actually read them? Or are they stamped "Resubmit Later for Further Denial?" Hopefully, this article will help dispel the rumors and inaccuracies surrounding the submission of a report.

Say something happens that you as a crewmember would like to report via ASAP. You fill out the online form and send it on its way ... but to where? To begin, you should know that your CAC login in no way allows us to identify the submitter. The software that allows this is not just disabled; it is not even installed on the server. As a matter of fact, any CAC card activity is deleted from the server log 24 hours after login. Your report is labeled "submitter, anonymous" and routed to its first stop: the Ops RAMS branch at HQ AMC/A3TO. Only those with granted access may see the full "unsanitized" report, and the number is limited to only a few within Ops RAMS.

Your next question may be "What do they do with any identifying info? Can't they just shoot my commander a copy to slap me around with?" The answer to that is a resounding NO! The ASAP program manager is responsible for completely sanitizing any identifying information from the report before it leaves our office. There may be specific instances where an Ops RAMS member might require clarification or more specifics about an event, and any contact information provided could be used to that extent. However, names, call signs, mission numbers, tail numbers ... all are removed from this point on.

So, now that the report has been received and sanitized, it is time for it to be sent to the SMEs on staff for their input and comments on the event. We have a veritable cornucopia of active and former flyers from every conceivable airframe, our airspace and airfield brethren, and even some maintenance folks--to name a few. If the report warrants input from outside sources, we will route it as necessary to other agencies that might provide pertinent insights, as well as to other MAJCOMs as appropriate. Remember, the sanitized report is what is circulated for discussion/input, and no identifying information is released.

Now that the SMEs have had a chance to familiarize themselves with the report, it can be discussed at our monthly ASAP working group meeting. Representatives from the previously mentioned specialties or agencies agree on a course of action and provide a response to be posted to the ASAP scoreboard. Any trends discovered will be tracked and briefed at the Trend Review and Action Committee (TRAC), chaired by the AMC Vice Commander, while action items will be monitored for completion by a future suspense date and also will be briefed at the TRAC.

Once a resolution is posted on the ASAP scoreboard, don't be fooled by the seeming finality of any discussion of your report. Just because we publish a resolution to convey the importance of your report does not mean your event or issue has been put to pasture. The trends mentioned previously are not just monitored, collected, reported, and filed away for some future statistical review. Actions initiated to correct unsafe trends include but are not limited to submitting AF Form 847s, additions to NOTAMS or Giant Reports, and altering simulator profiles. There are definitely some high-powered gears still turning behind the scenes.

If a report brings to our attention an issue that requires immediate attention, we will take it! Immediate action is always an option depending on the severity of the safety concern. For instance, ASAP report 569 resulted in immediate changes to the digital tactics binder for FOB Shank, while report 609 spurred an immediate A3 Stan/Eval review, which revealed checklist deficiencies in WARP retraction procedures. Both of these reports are available for perusal on the ASAP scoreboard at https://www.usaf-mfoqa.com/maf-asap/wbat/masap-flight-crew/asap-score-board-index/view?parent=-1&offset=0 and are only a couple of examples of what your report may set into motion, even if you don't actually see the wheels turning!

Pretty simple, right? That's the life cycle of an ASAP report. Notice anything missing? Do you recall those rumors mentioned at the beginning? That's right ... there is no mention of Q3, contact with your supervision, or somehow pinning it to you for future "administrative" use. Your report is received, sanitized, routed to the proper folks for comment/analysis, and acted on as the ASAP working group decides what will best impact the aviation community. Your reports form the basis for trends reported directly to the AMC Vice Commander and have direct impact on policy and guidance. Bottom line: The ASAP program isn't out to get you; it's out to help you and your fellow aircrew. So log on and file away!

Immediate action is always an option depending on the severity of the safety concern.