MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- The 341st Missile Wing hosted a town hall event Aug. 16 at the Grizzly Bend that gave members of Team Malmstrom the opportunity to meet the new commander, ask questions and voice concerns. Due to time constraints, not all the questions were able to be answered during the forum itself, but wing leadership worked together to answer those questions below.
Question: How are we working on the long waiting list for pack out dates during permanent change of station moves?
Answer: Move date availability is based on the volume of moves and the availability of moving companies locally. The 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron does not control this, but will advise you on available options once you have PCS orders. All personnel should coordinate their moves as soon as they receive orders to obtain a moving date.
Additionally, LRS provides counseling on alternative move methods, including Personally Procured Moves, if an acceptable date cannot be established. PPMs now have higher percentage of compensation, and LRS provides a reimbursement estimate for members. Although less desirable, other options include report no later than date changes or powers of attorney. LRS provides counseling on these options as well as quality assurance to address potential issues. Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to increase the volume of movers in the local area, but our team will absolutely help members navigate this challenge.
Question: Any chance of getting diesel at the Shoppette?
Answer: Unfortunately, the base would have to install an additional underground tank for diesel fuel. It is very expensive to do and cost prohibitive at this time.
Question: Why can't the food court offer a fried chicken sandwich?
Answer: The on-base Popeyes is an express, and it has a smaller footprint than a standard Popeyes restaurant. Unfortunately, due to the smaller kitchen space, they’re unable to install a sandwich station without violating fire department code.
Question: Is it possible to host a direct-hire job fair to help cut some red tape of the lengthy government hiring process?
Answer: Our civilian personnel team is already working a similar initiative, in support of the base "Malmstrom Works" program. We're optimistic a version of this will appear soon. In the interim, civilian personnel pulls applicant lists bi-weekly, and have accelerated the selection and onboarding process. If you are interested in applying for jobs, visit the site and we'll get you on the team quickly. If you need assistance at any point, please give our staffing team a call at 406-731-4656 or visit http://malmstromworks.com.
Question: Why is there carpet in dining rooms, are there any plans to put in faux hardwood flooring?
Answer: There are some houses on Malmstrom that still have carpet in the dining room from before Balfour Beaty took ownership. As the original dining room carpet wears out, BBC replaces it with either the sheet vinyl or vinyl plank flooring. As BBC continues to replace non-serviceable flooring in all rooms of the 1,116 houses, the goal is to standardize the types of flooring based on the room type. Please understand this is a long-term effort that BBC is continuing to work through attrition and funding availability.
Question: When will the boarded house on Cypress be fixed? It's been boarded for more than two years.
Answer: The house on Cypress experienced significant interior and structural damage due to water damage and requires extensive repairs. Because of COVID and staffing challenges over the past two years, BBC made the decision to postpone this major project to focus their efforts on ensuring other homes were ready for family move-ins, and to increase their responsiveness to maintenance calls. They anticipate this house and a handful of others with similar issues will be addressed after the busy PCS season is over in a few months.