The 355th Wing officially opened the Welcome Center Jan. 23, 2020 inside the 355th Mission Support Group building, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

The Welcome Center is an initiative led by U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James Lyda, 355th Wing command chief, which gives Airmen and their families a single place for in-processing when they arrive at Davis-Monthan.

“The purpose of the Welcome Center is to make sure every Airmen that comes to Davis-Monthan feels welcome,” said Lyda. “The idea is, within 72 hours of arrival, have an Airman and their family in the Welcome Center for in-processing.  Every Airman and family will get one-on-one attention and be received as part of the team through a positive and stress free process.”

There are 10 different Welcome Center agencies from across base, including the 355th Comptroller Squadron, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron Traffic Management Office, 355th Medical Group and the housing office.

“This is a consolidated effort from a variety of base agencies to ensure we on-board Airmen and their families in the most effective way possible,” said Master Sgt. Joshua Reyes, Welcome Center project manager. “We see this as an integral part of increasing the resiliency of our force across the base. It really just makes sure that all incoming personnel are set up for success from day one.”

The Welcome Center is the first of its kind in Air Combat Command and just one example of Davis-Monthan’s commitment to its most valuable resource, Airmen and their families.

“The number one goal for this is to ensure that no more Airmen have to walk around lost with a map and a backpack,” said Lyda. “We want to make sure all of our Airmen and their families are welcomed to the base in a positive way and have the opportunity to join their units the right way. The families are a huge piece of in-processing and they’ve never been involved until now.”

In a constantly changing Air Force, better processes and innovations are critical. This is one way that the 355th Wing is increasing readiness across the force by ensuring Airmen are taken care of and ready to win the high-end fight.