Improving service, meeting needs goal of 2013 Community Assessment Survey Published April 23, 2013 By Dan Hawkins 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The 2013 Community Assessment Survey is underway with the intent of gathering and making known the opinions and needs of the entire Air Force community, enabling enable senior leaders to improve services and better meet the needs of members and their families. The web-based survey is sponsored by the Air Force's Integrated Delivery System (IDS) working group. Approximately 160,000 active-duty service members, 80,000 Air Reserve Component and 170,000 spouses of active duty and Air Reserve Component bases worldwide will be randomly selected to participate in the survey. Through this selection process, not all members of Sheppard members will be selected to participate. Individual email invitations to complete the survey were sent out to selected military and civilian employees last week. Spouses of active duty and Air Reserve components can expect to receive the first of three post card mailings inviting them to complete the survey at their homes towards the end of April. "This is the only Air Force-wide survey that includes spouses," said Kristen Gibson, Sheppard IDS director. "It actually tailors feedback to Sheppard so our installation's Integrated Delivery System agencies can create action plans to address our community issues." Topics covered include personal and family adjustment, individual and family adaptation, community well-being, deployment, resiliency, post-traumatic stress and help-seeking stigma, as well as several risk behaviors such as suicide, alcohol abuse and family violence. "This survey is also completely anonymous," Gibson said. "You create your own survey log-in, which can't be traced back to anyone." One of the major focus areas of the survey results is the fact it allows the precise targeting of limited resources and assets toward needed community and program results. "The Community Assessment Survey is one of the primary avenues for our Sheppard population to give us feedback on how we are doing," said Brig. Gen. Michael Fantini, 82nd Training Wing commander. "Your input is greatly appreciated and has the potential to generate positive changes in our Air Force community. Our leadership wants to ensure they hear from the Air Force community to ensure better decisions are made to support our needs where we need it most. In order to be effective, I'd like to ask for maximum participation; it takes about a half hour and I've already accomplished mine. I really believe in the concept of Mission, People and Family. This survey will help make our Air Force better overall." As stated earlier, the voluntary survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete for Air Force members and approximately 20 minutes for spouses and civilian employees. You can save your progress and return to complete it if necessary. The survey can be accessed through any device that connects to the internet and will be available through June 30.