EO, MEO to merge in January

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  Military Equal Opportunity and civilian Equal Opportunity offices across the Air Force will officially merge Jan. 1. 

The merger comes as the result of an AFSO 21 initiative that will allow EO to service both the base-centric and deployed civilian and military personnel. 

Senior Master Sgt. Sherley Jones Jr., Air Combat Command EO Programs manager, said the merger was designed to improve efficiency. In the past, MEO and EO were two separate shops with very similar missions. MEO worked primarily with military members while EO handled civilian cases. 

"The goal of the merger is to provide the Air Force with resources that can do both jobs," he said. "Whether it's a military member or a civilian member, we can provide that assistance." 

The merger does not come without challenges, said Chief Master Sgt. Robin Lee, ACC EO Programs chief. MEO Airmen will have to learn the laws and regulations concerning civilian EO programs, which can be very different from military regulations. 

"Now, we have to increase our focus in what we do in terms of civilians," Chief Lee said. "We have to understand law, statutory guidance and directives, and we have to become smarter with the civilian processes." 

Despite a 31 percent drop in personnel as the result PBD 720 cuts and normal attrition, Chief Lee said the end result of the merger will be a more efficient and knowledgeable office where help for military members and civilians will be more available. 

"We needed to find a way to maintain that level of service to the Air Force as a whole," he said. "We're essentially under the same roof. We do a lot of the same things. Why not combine these operations into one? We increase the efficiency of our program, increase the strength of our program and give ourselves that leeway to keep our numbers stable."
A person coming to EO for help will see no difference except the person helping them, Chief Lee added. 

"What's going to merge here is the people," he said. "The processes will remain essentially separate. The person sitting behind the desk in the future will be versed in two separate processes." 

However, members in the newly merged office are able to work with all customers when necessary. If an Airman visits MEO to find a military member is unavailable, a civilian counterpart is qualified to provide the assistance.