AF Personnel Center commander touts Airmen, transformation at ARPC

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  • By Mike Molina
  • Editor
DENVER --  Airmen working at the Air Reserve Personnel Center here are gaining valuable expertise they can use throughout their Air Force careers said the Air Force's top personnelist. 

"I think it's important to be assigned to ARPC," said Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, Air Force Personnel Center commander. "Airmen sometimes feel a little out of the mainstream here because they're not on a base, but the skills and experience that an Airman gains here will pay dividends because they're going to have knowledge and experience that others don't." 

General McClain said working for ARPC gives Airmen a unique perspective and understanding of the role the Air Reserve Component plays in the Air Force mission. 

She visited ARPC on June 13, the first time the former ARPC commander had been here since leaving the center in August 2003. 

"Having been the ARPC commander, it's helped me to think about policy decisions and how they would impact the ARC," General McClain said. 

While visiting ARPC, the general said she was reminded of the progress the total force has made in the transformation of personnel services delivery. 

"We are changing how we provide service," she said. "By leveraging technology, Airmen can get the service they need when they need it." 

General McClain said advancements in technology have fueled the shift toward self-service and less face-to-face time between service providers and their customers. 

"You can mail packages from home, use self-checkout at Home Depot or make changes to your Thrift Savings Plan online," she said. "Those types of experiences make me a believer that this transformation is going to work. It's a cultural change, but it will provide better service, faster." 

General McClain said successful delivery of personnel services can only happen when AFPC and ARPC work together. 

"It's very important that ARPC and AFPC stay in sync as we go through this transformation," she said. "Together, we can pool our resources and provide first class service to respective components. I think there are more similarities between us than there are differences."