Article Display

Focus groups help develop new program

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Holly MacDonald
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  An Airmen’s focus group for the Culture of Responsible Choices program started Monday at 2:30 p.m. in the Military Equal Opportunity office.

CoRC is an Air Force-wide program, instituted Feb. 24 by Air Force personnel. It is a community program designed to prevent irresponsible alcohol and drug use.

Forty members comprise the focus groups at Shaw including Airmen and supervisors of Airmen ages 17 to 24. Airmen in this age group account for 81 percent of the Air Force’s alcohol-related incidents. Thirty-four percent of Shaw’s population consists of Airmen in this age group.

First sergeants selected the participating Shaw Airmen. Thirty of the 40 participants chosen were male to accurately represent the base demographics, said Master Sgt. Vickey Lewis, superintendent of MEO.

One group of eight meets every day to discuss problems on base and why they occur, said Sgt. Lewis.

The supervisors focus groups are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the MEO office.

“MEO was tasked to develop a program to reduce incidents by 25 percent within the first year,” Sgt. Lewis said.

The goal of the focus group is to talk to Airmen in a relaxed, rank-free environment about their thoughts on drug and alcohol abuse at Shaw. Civilian attire is worn in the meetings.

The information gathered at the meetings will be used to develop new programs and activities for Airmen at Shaw to help reduce drug and alcohol-related incidents, Sgt. Lewis said.

Shaw has a four-phased approach to the new program.

Phase 1 is assessing Shaw’s statistics, creating a timeline and goals.

Phase 2 is education, reinforcing the culture through advertising in the base paper, posters and local media.

Phase 3 is making the program operational, incorporating it into Right Start, commander’s calls and key spouse groups.

Phase 4 is ensuring the cultural change and emphasizing it in first-term Airmen classes and at airman leadership school.

“The new philosophy is to create a culture change from ‘work hard, play hard’ to ‘work hard, play smart,’” Sgt. Lewis said.

“After MEO does the research on why numbers are where they are, the commander will be using that information to influence his decision on what to do about alcohol and drug use on Shaw,” said Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Suell, MEO advisor.