Robins Air Force Base Military Personnel Flight Team is crucial source of support

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE — Chances are high that anyone working at Robins Air Force Base has encountered the Military Personnel Flight Team. MSgt. Olivia Tippy serves as the Flight Chief, overseeing a team that delivers comprehensive, base-wide support and communication to meet the diverse needs of various personnel.

“We take care of you from cradle to grave, we like to say. That means when you have a birth in your family, you’re getting married, things of that nature, we handle that and get it into our system, so that way you can have benefits. But then on the other side of the house … when members lose family members, we go ahead and assist with those benefits as well,” Tippy said.

Between memorable moments, the team provides ongoing day-to-day support.

“We can do anything as far as ID cards, assignments, promotions, and military decorations. We take care of their entire career. For our retirees, we get them associated with their benefits through [the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System]. We make sure that everything is good to go on the ID card side of the house,” Tippy said.

What might appear to be a routine stop is crucial for general preparedness and the well-being of the base, as Tippy explained.

“We’re here to provide the support. Without any of us, you can’t, our team here wouldn’t be able to, or the community would not be able to go forth and do their job. So we’re essential, because we’re the starting factor. We’re the foundation of everything,” she said.

More than just a piece of plastic, the ID card unlocks a world of benefits.

“We see how it affects our customers. I like to tell the airmen, ‘It’s not just an ID card. You don’t understand what you’re giving that member. You’re giving them benefits. … You’re enabling them to take care of their family,’” Tippy said. 

Tippy said processing volumes ebb and flow, but communication between the team and employees is a daily occurrence.

“Communication is key to our success because we’re in the customer support role. Anything that we do, we do it with a customer focused mindset. We want to make sure the customer is taken care of – whether that is military or civilian – and provide them with the best customer service that we can give,” she said.

Base employment experiences increase in various areas. Assignment workloads are highest in the summer, while course management demands peak in the spring. The team’s core service, ID card issuance, Tippy noted, has a more irregular workflow, and they aim to manage this responsibility while also taking advantage of opportunities for professional growth.

“The challenges that we face as far as customer ebb and flow is managing our day to day and our time management, making sure that we have that buffer time built in for us to train and reset. The way we are able to take care of our customers so well is making sure that we take care of ourselves,” she said.

The MPF team prioritizes collaboration to deliver support. They maintain close partnerships with the Military Family Readiness Center, the resiliency office, and the financial support office, among others, Tippy said. She recommends base employees also utilize these agencies for comprehensive support.

“A lot of things we provide, since we’re in the same Squadron, is going to be a lot of the support functions that take care of either active duty, family members or retiree services. We work with the resiliency office. We work with the financial support office. We work with them hand in hand, especially for active-duty members, making sure they’re getting paid and promoted on time,” she said.

As far as the MPF is concerned, the team has recently upgraded its walk-in hours, providing a window from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. For those who prefer a later time or a shorter wait, the team also provides appointments. Additionally, the MPF team is upgrading its terminals for faster processing times.

Among the new initiatives, the team is going back to basics and strongly focusing on customer support, according to Tippy. For the team, service is the top priority.

“I want to get back to the basics: basic customer support, the ‘Hi! How are you?’ the customs and courtesies that we’ve come to know. [We’re] making sure that our airmen understand what they’re doing, and why they’re doing it for the member, and tying that back to the fulfillment of their job, being able to understand the basics of our job and why it’s important,” she said.

The team is furthering the mission behind the scenes, Tippy said.

“We’re always working for them,” she said. “Our team is constantly there trying to make sure they’re taken care of so they can fight their own mission and do their job. We’re always in the background, taking care of business.”