Welcome to Minot

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sergeant Benjamin Smith
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

 

The 5th Bomb Wing held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce a new Welcome Center facility August 21, 2020 at Minot Air Force Base.

Newly arriving Warbird and Roughrider Airmen and their families will now have the ability to in-process at the Welcome Center, allowing for a speedy and personalized onboarding experience. The ultimate goal of the project is not only to streamline and consolidate the necessary activities involved in arriving at a new duty station, but to ensure a warm and informative welcome to the base and the local Minot community. The $380,000 remodel provides the opportunity to onboard the new Airmen in a single facility while delivering quality services that save time.

“It’s ultimately a place the Airmen and their families can come to be comfortable, while also having the agencies needed here to make the ins and outs of arriving at a new base easier to tackle” said Fabian Perales, Welcome Center Manager. 

The new facility is now open for appointments, during which Airmen will in-process with representatives from finance, traffic management, housing, medical group, and military personnel flight. Additionally, onboarding Airmen have the opportunity to connect with various helping agencies and entities such as a True North provider, chaplain, key spouse, community support coordinator, and resident advocate.

After his in-processing appointment, Staff Sergeant Nicholas Colbert said “This is my third-time in-processing to a new base and the way they have it set up here at the Welcome Center made the entire process so much easier than either of my two previous moves.  Not only is it all in one place, but it’s a lot more personal since each of the representatives from the organizations takes the time to sit with you one on one and go over everything you need.  That made a huge difference to me.”

The Welcome Center isn’t just a building. It’s an opportunity to reach out to Airmen and to help them get settled, connected, and learning their jobs. Our Airmen need to understand they are supported by their leadership and our Minot community.

“Our goal is to get everyone coming into Minot taken care of in a stress-free environment so they’re done with this part by the time they have to report to their unit, which saves everyone time” Mr. Perales said. 

In 2019, the welcome center concept proved its value under the True North program in a previous location by in-processing 1148 Airmen at a different location. By consolidating the majority of necessary appointments into one location, Team Minot saved 957 man-hours in 2019 alone. The newly dedicated location is easier to find and better configured for an even smoother onboarding experience.

The new Welcome Center is a crucial part of earning positive and lasting impressions from arriving Airmen that our Warbirds, Roughriders, and Team Minot community take care of our own.