Case in Point: USAF Diligence Yields Gains through Transformation

Air Force Claims Service Center (AFCSC)

Moving is commonplace in the military, so it follows that filing a personal claim for goods damaged during a move is a common experience. Over the years, the personal claims process became so daunting that military members many times decided to forgo it.

In the span of one year, the Air Force Judge Advocate (JA) Corps has transformed the experience of filing a moving claim. Through JAG Corps 21, JA used Air Force Smart Operations 21 (AFSO 21) principles to stand up the Air Force Claims Service Center (AFCSC). On March 2, 2007, a year to the day from when the Chief of Staff signed the decision memo, the AFCSC achieved full operating capability at Kettering, Ohio. With a staff that will ultimately number 107, the Center replaced over 300 personnel at 91 claims offices worldwide.

For Airmen, the claims process is now simple and quick. In place of repeated trips to the legal office for briefings and paperwork, Airmen complete a streamlined form on the Web-from their desk, home computer, or anywhere with Internet connectivity. By uploading digitized pictures of damaged items, they reduce the need for inspections. If they have questions, they can call an AFCSC help line, which is manned 24/7 by claims experts. Input data is automatically transferred to the AFCSC, where claims are adjudicated and payment information is forwarded electronically to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. The result: payment within five days of adjudication, instead of five weeks under the old process!

To date, the Center has serviced over 5,000 claims, for a total of $4.3M in payments. Average processing time is less than 10 days from online submission to payment.

The stand-up of the Air Force Claims Service Center aligns squarely with AFSO 21 goals. This initiative alone is projected to save $60M over the next 10 years. It has also allowed the Air Force to reallocate 212 personnel slots to recapitalization efforts.