DVIDS – News – 124th Military Personnel Flight – Keeping the 124FW Mission Ready

From planes in the sky to Soldiers on the ground to being sworn in or retired from military service, none of this would be possible in the Idaho Air National Guard without a lot of work behind the scenes. That’s where the 124th Force Support Squadron comes in.

Within the FSS, the 124th Military Personnel Flight provides essential administrative support to Airmen and their dependents.

Expecting Airmen to be mission ready means not only being competent in their career field, but also having their personnel records up to date, which determines whether they are qualified to deploy when called upon.

“The behind-the-scenes process is intensive,” said Master Sergeant Madison Wiberg, 124th MPF. “The reason it takes a long time is because we’re making sure every section of your documents and all the update processes are done correctly.”

The MPF offers a wide range of services, from case processing to retirement. Its main functions include:
– Customer Service: General Inquiries, Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS), ID Cards and Common Access Card Issuance
– Career development: re-engagements, promotions, rewards/decorations and evaluations
– Workforce management: Memberships, retirements, separations and file management
– Personnel Systems Management (PSM): Manages all personnel programs and quality assurance
– Facilities Personnel Management (IPR): Manages all deployments

Throughout an Airman’s military career, the MPF is a one-stop shop for administrative needs.

“Everybody in the office works very hard,” Wiberg said. “They’re there day in and day out. They put in a tremendous amount of time to make sure these things are done for the members.”

Wiberg helps with labor, data integrity and quality assurance. She will receive a list of data errors to correct, which often include discrepancies in marital status or misspelled names. While these details may seem minor, they can delay the process of many administrative systems.

“By making sure our databases are accurate, we ensure that the rest of the database can go out and do their jobs,” Wiberg said.

Without FSS and the correct information, people can’t get paid or even go out to deploy, Wiberg said.

“From start to finish, we call everything ‘cradle to grave’ when it comes to personnel,” said Heather Bell, installation personnel readiness manager for the 124th Fighter Wing.

In a deployment cycle, the IPR comes in at the “cradle” of the official deployment mission from higher headquarters, then ensures that unit members are assigned to the right positions to get orders and deploy properly. Then, when members return home and complete a DD214, that represents the “grave” as their deployment ends, Bell said.

“My main goal is to deploy people to fight,” Bell said. “I can see my efforts by putting people on the battlefield. I feel like it’s rewarding for me; if I do my job right, then the mission is successful.”

Members are encouraged to take control of their career and regularly check their Personal Records View Request and Points Credit Summary.

“We’re all very eager to help,” Bell said. “If something’s not right, don’t hesitate to ask us. If members have questions or just want general information, any of us will come together to help.”

Without the FSS and MPF, Airmen would not receive pay or benefits, or even identification cards to access the base or a computer. The work of personnel is often taken for granted, but they are truly the force that keeps Airmen ready to accomplish their mission by ensuring that documents and records are accurate and up to date.

“We have to support the rest of the base so they can go out and support our larger force and larger mission,” Wiberg said.