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Two-day event streamlines requirements, enhances readiness
Moving overseas can be a traumatic experience.
Mix in the idea of arriving to the Kaiserslautern Military Community where you’re one of more than 54,000 joint community members trying to “find your way” and you get an inprocessing experience that can be very challenging for even the most seasoned of Airmen.
The 86th Airlift Wing recently kicked off a new inprocessing program Feb. 7 to help ease this process. Ramstein In Processing, or RIP, is a two-day program all inbound Airmen are required to attend within their first week on station.
“Having Airmen ready for duty is a readiness issue for our entire KMC,” said Col. Stephen Lambert, 86th Airlift Wing vice commander. “This process previously took individuals sometimes months to complete and we condensed it down to two days, minimizing headaches for not only our inbound Airmen and their families, but also the units relying on those individuals for mission success.”
RIP takes place every week in two-day pairings, Monday and Tuesdays, and Thursday and Fridays, in building 2402 on Maxwell Avenue. Limited parking is available, so sponsors are encouraged to drop off their newly arrived Airmen.
After completing the two-day process, Airmen will have the following:
• E-mail account
• CAC (ID card) certificates updated
• ID card registered into the Installation Access Control System, or IACS
• P.O. Box issued (if not already provided by sponsor prior toarrival)
• Tricare Enrollment & Medical In-processing
• MPF/Personnel in-processing
• Housing briefing (required to sign a lease)
• PCS travel voucher filed
• Ration card issued
• Driver’s license test completed (Individuals are still highly encouraged to study and test prior to arrival)
“Thanks to this new process, our inbound Airmen will get to their units ready to do their mission much sooner,” Colonel Lambert said.
“Sponsors are still key to the newcomer process, so we encourage everyone to become familiar with the new procedures so they can better educate inbound Airmen.”
Members must report at 7:30 a.m. the first day (Mon or Thurs) of RIP to begin the sign in process. Sponsors will provide Airmen a copy of the RIP Checklist prior to the event, which will identify all the documents they’ll need to have with them. There will be a break for lunch on both days. On Wednesdays, Airmen and spouses will attend Base INTRO, held in the Hercules Theater from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 1 p.m. Base Intro covers important information regarding regional and local policies and guidelines, host nation and Status of Forces Agreement details, as well as valuable information for family members, to include medical in-processing.
Individuals are highly encouraged to accomplish INTRO in the same week as RIP if possible. Upon completing RIP AND Intro, Airmen will be free to complete any additional items specific to individual needs, like house hunting, securing a vehicle and any other unit specific processing.
For more information on arriving to Ramstein, sponsors are reminded about the newcomers website available at www.ramstein.af.mil/newcomersinfo.asp, and the wealth of information available for newcomer packets at the Airman and Family Readiness Center. The A&FRC also provides sponsorship training for individuals who will be sponsors in the coming year.
(Courtesy of 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs)
