Straight Talk: Customer Service Published Nov. 4, 2010 By Col. Stacy L. Yike 66th Air Base Group commander HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Question: Reveille is the signal for the start of the official duty day. Here at Hanscom they play Reveille at 7:30 a.m. How come customer service at the Military Personnel Section isn't open at 7:30 a.m. Response: Hours of operation vary across all the work centers on base and are established to best meet the needs of the mission, rather than the sound of Reveille. The Professional Development Guide does identify that Reveille symbolizes the start of the duty day, but the PDG also acknowledges that the start of the duty day varies. Our MPS customer service has established hours that best accommodate both our customers and the additional unseen workload the customer support personnel are required to accomplish. The MPS customer service hours are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to process Common Access Cards (CACs), retiree IDs, family member IDs and to inprocess new personnel to the base. These processes account for 75 percent of the workload in this section. MPS personnel work additional hours to perform e-record maintenance; Servicemen's Group Life Insurance (SGLI) changes and updates; the gains, allocation notifications and sponsor program; the passport and visa program; and meet Air Force training requirements. We realize time is valuable to everyone and try to encourage the use of such tools as the CAC scheduler on the ESC CenterNet or air base group websites to schedule an appointment to re-issue a CAC. We are also looking to expand the capability of the CAC scheduler to accommodate any military personnel appointment a customer may need. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, other than for a CAC, call the customer support section at 781-377-3979 Below is a shout out to the housing maintenance team. Our deepest appreciation goes to those of you who send in your questions, comments and thank you notes! Comment: A quick note of thanks to the housing maintenance folks. An unexpected, urgent weekend maintenance request was handled by the maintenance team with outstanding responsiveness and professionalism. I just wanted to let you know that their patience and friendliness did not go unnoticed. Well done! Response from The Landings: This is wonderful to hear! Oftentimes, the maintenance team's services are required in situations that are stressful to our families. Their responsiveness, courtesy and professionalism go a long way in alleviating that stress. The services they provide are invaluable to our residents. As always, if you have any questions regarding housing, call the leasing office at 781-861-5062 or maintenance office at 781-861-1471.