ASTS Speeds-up Physicals Published Feb. 26, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Roberto Modelo 911 AW/PA PITTSBURGH IAP ARS -- Readiness is required by all Air Force components in order to achieve the overall mission- to fly, fight and win...in air, space and cyberspace. The Air Force needs efficient processes in place in order to meet that mission, which is why the Air Force created Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century. Recently, the 911th Aeromedical Staging Squadron is doing its part for AFSO21 by focusing on providing efficiencies to the physical examinations provided by ASTS. "We have decreased a considerable amount of wait time for physicals," said Senior Master Sgt. Misty Monroe, 911th ASTS Aerospace Medicine superintendent. AFSO21 is a plan set in place to provide the country with the most efficient Air Force possible. It is an ongoing effort to continually improve mission performance. The program plan gets is roots from the Lean Six Sigma program used by the Department of Defense and many organizations worldwide. "The whole premise of AFSO21 is to increase your value-added time and decrease your non-value-added time," said Sergeant Monroe. "Wait time would be non-value-added time." Most of the immediate improvements to the processing will be seen by those Airmen getting their long-physicals this March Unit Training Assembly, but the changes will affect all Airmen here. "We are going to try to start a few of the steps during this UTA, but we are limited to how much we can change before the Unit Compliance and Health Services Inspections," said Sergeant Monroe. "When you come in, our administrative team will be there with your records. We will have the records separated by appointment time. So, the first few people that start at a certain time will have their records there, instead of signing in and waiting for records," said Sergeant Monroe. The AFSO21 process segments fall into different phases. The phases are grouped as initial, mid-level and long-term changes. "Other changes are going to require some considerable modifications," said Lt. Col. Richard Cornell, 911th ASTS commander. "Those things will have to go through Civil Engineering to make the necessary facility alterations. So, those may take some time. You may not see those changes until probably a year from now." The process changes are expected to give back time to each respective unit here by cutting the time each Airmen has to wait for their physical. Each unit's health monitor works with ASTS to make individual appointments for Airmen in that unit. Airmen here are encouraged to check with their unit health monitors to ensure they know their appointment times. Coordination at the unit level with the health monitors is expected to keep the planned physical examination wait time down and the new process in sync. Walk-ins will throw the process off track, so the ASTS will not take walk-ins until 1 p.m. which is after all scheduled appointments have been seen. "Please, stick to your appointment times, and help us make this process work for everyone." said Lt. Col. Cornell. "We will still take walk-ins, but at 1 p.m." "We don't want to turn anyone away, but you need to come in at your allotted time," said Sergeant Monroe. The AFSO21 process changes to physical examination times here are expected to benefit the 911th Airlift Wing and the larger Air Force by cutting down on the time needed to get an exam and increasing the focus on the mission. However, the AFSO21 process changes here are contingent on every Airman doing their part to contribute to readiness. For more information regarding the physical examination process changes here, contact the 911th ASTS appointment line at 412-474-8336.