1. Walter Reed Army Medical Center Community Forum Recommendations Wednesday, May 25, 2005

2. Red Team Issues Issue 1: Lack of childcare. Scope: Waiting list too long; quality of care provided; cost; lack of visible certification/training of staff. Recommended Solutions: 1. Establish, publish, and enforce licensing/certification guidelines to include Serious Incident Reports (SIRs) of all injuries. 2. Establish a web-based surveillance system that allows parents real-time visual access. 3. Establish extended hours and cost based upon and lower than the civilian sector.

3. Red Team Issues Issue 2: Excessive length of deployments. Scope: 12 month standard but often extended 4-6 months. Marine Corps-6 month deployments. Air Force-120 day deployments. Job Shortages-some personnel on 2 nd & 3 rd deployments. Recommended Solutions: 1. Establish 6 month deployment policy. 2. Ensure that all eligible personnel have deployed prior to sending soldiers back for repeat deployment.

4. Red Team Issues Issue 3: Lack of Military Oversight or Privatized Housing Scope: Housing units unavailable to many who need it under special circumstances (e.g. Students), unfair housing assignments, and low housing quality Recommended Solutions: 1. Establish a visible military oversight (e.g. Ombudsman) or housing committee comprised of NCOs and Officers (residents) via appointment orders IAW Housing Mayor system. 2. Initiate centralized assignment of housing units versus community assignments. Use database to assign units based on family needs and special circumstances. 3. Enforce housing codes and refrain from cosmetic landscaping. Repair significant issues (e.g., aluminum wiring in entire house is unsafe).

5. Green Team Issues Issue 1: Staffing: Shortage of qualified Civilian and Military Staffing Scope: TDA does not follow current staffing guidelines which impact the effect and efficient use of existing manpower to accomplish the mission Recommended Solutions: 1. Ensure Reserve Component is current and up-to-date in MOS and AOC being assigned to backfill 2. Predict losses and Gains ASAP 3. Prioritize taskers without compromising the delivery of patient care

6. Green Team Issues Issue 2: Need For Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) for the Military District of Washington (MDW). Scope: Because of the high cost of living in the MDW, Soldiers spending/ buying power is much lower than other military communities. This directly effects quality of life, family relations, retention and Esprit de corps. Recommended Solutions: 1. Conduct a cost of living analysis around all military bases. 2. Implement COLA in those areas deemed to be high cost of living areas. 3. Yearly surveys should be conducted to ensure that COLA rates are adequate for each area.

7. Green Team Issues Issue 3: Lack of direct access to support services: -Finance, Personnel, Transportation, CIF, Education Scope: There is not a system in place that provides timely, consistent, comprehensive correct answers to the above issues. Multiple phone calls, faxes, appointments to accomplish one item. There is a lack of accountability of the support services, which takes the individual hours of time away from their assigned job and patient care. This affects staffing, morale, recruitment and retention. Recommended Solutions: 1. Establish and follow consistent guidelines/processes for dealing directly with finance/personnel/etc. The individual should not have to go a day without pay or use their own leave for a transportation appointment because of the untimely request for orders. 2. Implement self-service processes to deal with changes on-line. 3. Ensure that personnel working in support service areas are well trained and competent to provide timely, accurate service. 4. Conduct customer satisfaction surveys.

8. Blue Team Issues Issue 1: Lack of sponsorship for new assignees Scope: Sponsorship policy not fully implemented. Information not made available causing all personnel to suffer relocation hardships. Recommended Solutions: 1. Commitment of the command to fully implement the Army sponsorship policy. Using personnel feedback to assure command accountability. 2. Establish a procedure that monitors and reports on a monthly basis the assistance and support provided to incoming personnel.

9. Blue Team Issues Issue 2: Parking regulations are not consistently enforced. Scope: DC Metro and PMO enforce parking regulations inconsistently, arbitrarily, unfairly – resulting in an unnecessary hardship and financial burden. Recommended Solutions: 1. Clearly defined and communicated parking regulations. 2. Clear marking for temporary and permanent parking areas.

10. Blue Team Issues Issue 3: Need for a cost of living allowance (COLA) Scope: Current entitlements are insufficient for covering the cost of living in a high cost area. Personnel are forced to suffer hardships and/or live from pay to pay Recommended Solutions: Implement a COLA for the Metropolitan District of Washington, DC Implement blanket amount ($100.00)COLA for E-4 and below.