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SOUTHWEST ASIA - The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Equal Opportunity Office works with commanders and first sergeants to ensure their people feel like their work center is safe and nonthreatening.
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EO safeguards Airmen, workcenters
Posted 6/4/2012 Updated 6/4/2012
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by Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
380th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
6/4/2012 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Airmen and civilians are entitled to a work place free from harassment and unlawful discrimination.
"Most of the time, that isn't an issue; on a typical day, we all treat each other with respect," explained Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Walton. "But whenever you have people, especially in a deployed environment, you have the potential for issues."
Walton is the director of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing Equal Opportunity Office. Her position is new to the wing, a sign of the leadership's commitment to "transitioning from an expeditionary role to an enduring presence," said Col. Joel Jackson, the 380th AEW vice commander.
"We are ensuring we have all the right positions and agencies staffed to help the wing evolve into a long-term presence," Jackson said. "EO is one of those positions."
As the EO director for the wing, Walton's job is to work with commanders and first sergeants to ensure their people feel like their work center is safe and nonthreatening. Most of her job is proactively educating people about the services she provides.
"I find it's better to go out to commander's calls and organizational meetings to let people know what EO does and why it's important," Walton said. "Reaching out to people before there's an issue is effective. Sometimes when people are deployed, they forget that the same rules apply as home station, so they just need to be reminded."
Walton, deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., has been in EO since 2004. Most people who come to her have issues with sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination, she said.
People deserve to have a place where they are comfortable working, so Walton counsels people on how to address uncomfortable situations and inappropriate actions, she said.
"Sexual harassment comes in many forms; it can be verbal, nonverbal or physical, but it's always demeaning and can be greatly demoralizing," she said. "The Air Force has a zero tolerance policy for it. So we just need to make sure we're all treating each other the way we want to be treated."
Whatever issues she may be helping people address, Walton's goal is to ensure everyone has an avenue when they don't feel comfortable using their usual chain of command.
"The best thing is to solve issues at the lowest level," she said. "When that doesn't work, or someone wants another option, EO can step in and help them come up with a solution.
"We want everyone to go home having served an honorable deployment in an environment of mutual respect for one another," Walton added. "Most of the time, that's the case, which is great. But EO is just another way for people to solve potential issues. We're everyone's wingman." |
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