CSS keeps ACC families informed

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LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  Air Combat Command is continuing its commitment to provide families with up-to-date information about base quality-of-life programs and events through the Community Subscription Service.

CSS is an online service that allows active-duty Airmen, family members and retirees to receive information about their base programs through e-mail announcements sent directly to personal e-mail accounts.

(CSS) allows information to be pushed out to subscribers and puts base and military services and program information at families' fingertips at home, said Master Sgt. Roger Bullis, superintendent of the Minot Air Force Base Family Support Center.

The subscription service allows members enrolled in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System, or DEERS, to sign up for specific categories of information they want to receive.

Ive been a subscriber to CSS since it began here, said Susan Wagers, a military spouse and organizational leader for a spouse group at Minot Air Force Base. CSS helps me and the spouses here to be able to know of all of the base going ons and keep involved.

(CSS) spotlights new information in TRICARE, AAFES, Military Personnel, DEERS, Family Matters and other services without people having to sift it out of the base paper, flyers, and government emails, said Sergeant Bullis.

Since many people dont have the time to sit down and read the paper too often anymore, it makes a lot of sense for the online service, Mrs. Wagers said. It is easier with schedules for most people to check e-mail and get the highlights rather than unroll the newspaper and look for them.

The ACC Community Action Information Board developed CSS to keep family members informed of base programs and events available to them even when spouses are deployed.

The service serves to enhance family strengths and ongoing networking of the military community when service members are deployed or on a temporary assignment, said Sergeant Bullis. It does this by providing information to family members allowing them to remain connected to their military community with information such as activities through base services for children and adults, shopping bargains at the commissary/BX, and new available classes on base.

The service also identifies and addresses community issues that may affect ACC families.

Most of the best information I learn of comes from CSS messages, said Mrs. Wagers. It covers both base information and local community activities on base.

The CSS is available at all ACC bases. The service allows subscribers to choose their base and the type of information theyd like to receive. Subscribers can update their account and preferred information categories at any time.

Subscribers can modify their accounts as their information needs change and keep informed no matter what their schedules are like, said Sergeant Bullis. It keeps family members and military members plugged in to important programs without depending on unit emails, commander's calls or base-wide emails.

Family members and DEERS eligible service members can subscribe to CSS by using the CSS link on their bases home page or by going to https://css.acc.af.mil. The sponsors social security number and date of birth are required during the subscription process.

CSS is easy for people to sign up for and absolutely free, said Mrs. Wagers. It connects families to their military communities. Everyone should be using it.