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irmen provide

ut-of-this-world

ApAbilities

TheSpace Link

July/August 200

M a g a z i n e o f a M e r i c a’ s a i r f o r c e

AirmAil • profile • frontline Duty • notebook

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On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive

Order 9981 to end segregation in the U.S. military. The order

states: “It is hereby declared to be the policy of the president

that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for

all persons in the armed services without regard to race,

color, religion or national origin.”

— Courtesy Harry S. Truman Library and Museum

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ContentsJuly/August 2008

4 Fear the hog

A-10 Thunderbolt II maintainers at Bagram

Air Base, Aghanistan, know their “hogs” are

helping win the war on terrorism. So they do

what it takes to keep their jets fying.

10 the space link

“Space warriors” use high-tech, spaced-

based systems to help coalition ground

orces track down their elusive enemies.

14 a persistent presence

Pacifc Air Force’s area includes 16 time

zones, 43 countries in 100 million square

miles. That’s a lot o space and responsibil-

ity or Gen. Carrol “Howie” Chandler.

24 recruiting the ForceThe Air Force is not having problems recruit

people. But recruiters still look ar and wide

fnd “the best and brightest.”

36 keesler marches on

Ater surviving a near knockout blow, Keesler

Air Force Base, Miss., is alive and kicking and

training Airmen like beore. Its post-Katrina

transormation has put it back on track.

42 Vote oF conFidence

An army o voting ofcers worldwide is

ready to help Airmen cast their votes in theupcoming election.

44 ‘Fitter’ to Fight

Many reasons can derail a ftness program.

But in today’s Air Force, ftter is better.

On the Cove

photo b

Master Sgt. Demetrius Leste

design by Luke Borlan

2 airmail

20 proFile

22 heritage

30 Frontline duty

48 notebook

4

24

36

30

4442

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Bagram maintainerskeep a-10s Fighting By Louis a. arana-Barradas

photos By master sgt. demetrius Lester

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Airman 1st Class Marissa Burke doesn’t ear the “hog.”Coalition ground orces ghting the war on terrorism don’tear it either. They love to hear the distinctive hum o the A-

10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack ghter twin turboan engines over-head. It means help is only a radio call away.

But those who dare tangle with the hog denitely tremble in ear when it is near. Because the jet’s deadly 30 mm Gatling gun can endan insurgent’s career in a three-second burst o bullets.

Bullets Airman Burke, an A-10 weapons load crew member at Ba- gram Air Base, Aghanistan, helps load on the ai rcrat. It’s a job shelikes because o the nal results.

“My job is cool because I know what I do impacts the war,” said the Airman rom Archibald, Pa., who is on her rst deployment. “I’m actual-

ly doing something that helps people, America and the cause over here.”She’s one o more than 200 aircrat maintainers who deployed with

the 81st Aircrat Maintenance Unit, rom Spangdahlem Air Base, Ger-

many, to join the 455th Expeditionary A ircrat Maintenance Squad-ron. Their mission since January 2008: Keep their 12 jets fying.The “Spang” crew has done just that, said 1st Lt. K risten Lainis,

the unit’s assistant ocer in charge.Since arriving at Bagram, maintainers have been busy keeping 81st

Fighter Squadron jets fying. They “met every air tasking order w ith100 percent fying schedule eectiveness and launched more than1,300 sorties,” said the lieutenant, a three-year Air Force veteran.

That equated to more than 5,700 combat fying hours o close-air sup-port and show-o-orce missions, she said. And squadron pilots droppedmore than 130 bombs, launched more than 200 rockets and red morethan 65,000 o the heavy 30 mm rounds.

“The ‘hog’ has truly become eared by our enemies,” LieutenantLainis said. And that has paved the way “or the motto that now de-

nes our unit — ‘Fear the Hog.’”Keeping the more than 30-year-old jets in the air is param

to the success o the war on terrorism in Aghanistan. But th

be a tough duty.“This is by no means an easy t ask to achieve, but teamwork

main driving orce behind the unit’s success,” the lieutenant sThat teamwork becomes evident to anyone who takes a stroBagram’s busy aircrat ramp, day or night, and watches the m

tainers at work launching or recovering the A-10s — especiallyone o their hogs.

“I the aircrat needs liquid oxygen, the L OX crew springaction,” Lieutenant Lainis said. “I there was a pilot-reportecrepancy during the sortie, the appropriate specialist is on tspot. This cohesive team expertly returns the aircrat to wa

status in minimal time.“So you’ll rarely see an A-10 maintainer working solo,” she saidThat’s a act Airman Burke, who works with a team, can att“You grow a lot closer to the people you work with — it’s m

a amily here,” the Airman said. “Everyone is t here or each ot

Ater each combat mission, A-10 Thunderbolt II crew chie Sta Sgt. Damon Ballard checks his “hog” to ensure

it’s good to go or its next mission rom Bagram Air Base, Aghanistan. He deployed to the 455th ExpeditionaryMaintenance Squadron with the 81st Aircrat Maintenance Unit, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

A 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron ground crew secures an A-10 Thunderbolt II ater a combat mission and beore parking it. The aircrat is a workho

provides close-air support to coalition ground orces in Aghanistan, the job the Air Force built the ground-attack ghter to do.


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e Airman has been in the servicet a year and a hal and may be too

n” to know that, in maintainer circles,ke is weapons loaders can’t work un-n groups o three. But load crews are

ct examples o teamwork in motion.ter a sortie where munitions haveexpended, you can see the hours o ng in the ‘load barn’ have paid o or load crews,” Lieutenants said. “Like a well-oiled machine, crews ollow the letter o the

nd saely recongure aircrat or their next combat mission.”t the same is true o all the maintainers, rom crew chies to theen who work on the jets’ avionics, hydraulics, rame, engines orsystems on the fightline or in the back shops, Capt. Jennier

anus said. She’s the ocer in charge o the Spang maintenance

“Our aircrat have fown great this entiredeployment. Our maintainers do an out-

standing job keeping our aircrat ully mis-sion capable every day,” the captain romFayetteville, N.C., said. “This is proven by

how well our aircrat have fown here. Theteamwork and attention to detail is why

we have easily made every combat sortie.”But launching and “catching” jets around the clock is a tough and

dirty business, and lie on the A-10 ramp isn’t glamorous. For ex-ample, when an A-10 returns rom a combat mission, its entire nose is

sometimes black rom the gun gas. The residue can be thick.“Although a blackened nose is a ‘badge o honor,’ it must be

cleaned,” Lieutenant Lainis said. “And the light grey painted aircratshow every speck o dirt and splattered bug.”

Luckily, no crew chie ever cleans his or her aircrat alone, she

said. It’s not uncommon to see 10 people, no matter their job, work-ing together to clean the jets.

And sometimes hog handlers turn i nto tour guides when Soldierspay a visit.“Soldiers come out to the fightline just to see the A-10 because

our jets have helped them out o a tough situation,” the lieuten-ant said. “There’s no other airrame in the Air Force that cancompete with the A-10 and its gun or providing combat-air support to troops on the ground.”

That’s why maintainers ensure their hogs are always

ready to join the ght, she said.In mid-May, the unit had done its job and was ready to re-

turn home to Spangdahlem’s green and rolling hill country.Though she liked her Bagram experience and learned rom it, Airman Burke was glad the deployment was al most over. So were her parents back in Pennsylvania, who did n’t relish the

thought o their daughter serving in a war“My parents know I’m happy to be

that this is what I want, that I needbe here. So they accept it,” Airmansaid. “They’re proud o me and

to all their riends about me As the unit packed up to r

home, another unit was arrivand settling in. Get in, do the job

our to six months and get out. Ththe now-amiliar way o lie or today

Airmen. As they hit the Bagram ramp again —

man Burke included — all the Spang c re wanted to do was launch their last hog, pack gear and get back home.

ter Tech. Sgt. Steven Nealy checks his tool box beore getting to work on his

hunderbolt II.

An A-10, deployed in support o Operation Enduring Freedom, taxis on the fightline

or a combat mission. The A-10 is the rst Air Force aircrat specially designed or

close air support o ground orces.

Crew chie Airman 1st Class Sean Story inspects the rudder o the oldest A-10

Thunderbolt II in U.S. Air Forces in Europe, in service since 1980.

Members o the 455th Expeditionary Aircrat Maintenance Squadron load oot-long 30 mm ammunition on an A-10 Thunderbolt II beore a combat mission. Th

GAU-8/A seven-barrel Gatling gun is the business end o the Air Force’s premier ground-attack ghter, which has been in the Air Force inventory since October

“So you’ll rArely See

An A-10 mAintAiner

working Solo.” — 1St lt. kriSten lAiniS


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Airmen provide out-of-this-world capabilitie

the

Finding a leeting enemy in Iraq’s vast deserts or the rugged mountains o Aghanistan is no easy task or coali-tion ground orces. And when the enemy hears a war-

plane overhead, they run away and hide, taking advantage o theknowledge o the land in which they ight.

But coalition orces have a trump card. They know that highoverhead, unheard and oten unseen, a host o space-based sys-tems — and other weapon systems that depend on t he inorma-tion these out-o-this-world technologies provide — help themind the elusive enemy.Then they can deal with them.

This continual game o cat and mouse is a demanding task wit hlie-and-death consequences. But it’s a mission Lt. Gen. WilliamL. Shelton wants to simpliy. Helping him is a vigilant orce o more than 20,500 oten unseen and unheard space proessionals who operate the key Air Force space systems on which waright-

ers depend.The general commands Air Force Space Command’s 14th AirForce [Air Forces Strategic]. It provides missile warning, space

superiority and situational awareness, satellite operations andspace launch and range operations. And he heads U.S. StrategicCommand’s Joint Functional Component Command or Space,

which provides combatant commanders tailored, responsive, lo-cal and global space support.From his headquarters at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cali., Gen-eral Shelton gave Airman magazine an update on the increasingrole o space warriors.

BY LOUIS A. ARANA-BARRAD

www.AIRMANonline.af.mil Airman J July/August 200

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: How are space

rriors and their as-

ts helpin g “win today’s

ht?”

eral Shelton: Space capabilities areoundational to military operations in1st century. In act, I would submit that

military operation today depends one or either planning or execution, orAs examples, satellite communicationsur orces worldwide, provide mobile

munications down to the tactical leveldisseminate crucial intelligence inor-

n. The precision that GPS [Global Po-ing System] provides is a tremendousmultiplier, not just as a navigationalbut by also allowing more precise mu-ns, lower collateral damage and secure

munications timing. Space-based intel-ce, surveillance and reconnaissance as-re powerul tools to nd, x, target and

ur enemies — wherever they are. Many

the eects provided by space assets asies.” But behind these space eects is

ard work o our great space team o ac-uty military, civilians and contractors.

e olks ensure the right eects are deliv-on the timing and tempo requested byarghter.

: How are GPS sat-

ites hel ping avoid

llateral damage and

necessary loss of

e in the war in Iraq

d Afg hanistan?

eral Shelton: GPS-guided muni-

are the weapons o choice in IraqAghanistan. But it’s not just air-de-ed munitions that depend on GPS.r indirect fre weapons, like theed Multiple Launch Rocket System,

on GPS or thesion that we nowor granted. The

ecedented accu-o these weaponss collateral eects

lowing the use o ler warheads andr munitions tore killing a givent, thereby lowering the likelihood o

tended damage. Another importantct o this GPS-aided precision is thedence we have in dropping theseons very close to our orces in con-

with the enemy, thereby providingeective close-air support.

: There’s a lot of

talk about unmanned

aerial vehicles, but

little about satellites

that support them. Can

you please explain their

relationship?

General Shelton: Satellite communicationsare an essential part o how we employ un-manned aerial vehicles. They allow UAVs tooperate well beyond line-o-sight. In act, weare fying UAVs rom stateside locations. This greatly reduces the ootprint in theater, not just

or the crews, but also or the support thosecrews require. Satellite communications alsoenable real-time dissemination o the data col-lected by UAVs, allowing a wide range o usersaccess to the critical data in real-time. In ad-

dition to satellite communications, our UAVsdepend on GPS or very precise navigation. Ithink it’s air to say that UAVs are critically de-pendent on satellite capabilities.

: When people

think of “Airmen at war,”

they visualize boots

on the ground. How do

you see these “space

warriors?”

General Shelton: We like to think o ourspace warriors as deployed-in-place orces

because they are an essential part o the warghting eort 24/7 — albeit rom homestation. Many in our space team have de-ployed orward in the U.S. Central Com-mand area o operation, providing “bootson the ground” space expertise in theater,

as well as a good conduit or reach back toour space team back home. Space opera-tions are inherently global in nature and,as a result, space operators have a globalperspective. But at the same time, we are

very committed to providing all possible

space eects needed by the various the-aters, in most cases, simultaneously. Ouroperators are dedicated and innovative,always looking or new ways to maximizeour space capabilities. They are truly animpressive group o people.

: Could you high-

light a little-known

space effect our Airmen

are using that allows

America and her allies

to conduct military op-

erations 24/7?

General Shelton: Most people are veryamiliar with GPS, and the navigation ca-pability it provides. But ew understandthe crucial role o the GPS precision tim-ing signal in both military and commercialapplications. Extremely accurate timing

allows or a higher data rate over commu-nications channels. In today’s inormationage this is critical to pushing as much dataas possible through our available commu-nications bandwidth. Additionally, GPS

timing allows secure encryption o commu-nications by providing a common timingreerence. Commercial users o GPS usethe timing signal or applications such as

time-stamping banking transactions andInternet timing, making GPS vital to our

international business and networking.

: What can you

say about the immediate

future of space opera-

tions in defense of our

nation, and how do you

prepare for the chal-

lenges that the future

brings?

General Shelton: I’ve mentioned just aew o our space dependencies. But we alsorecognize that potential vulnerabilities

accompany that dependence. The spacedomain is vast, but as more nations andcommercial consortia become space-ar-ing entities, it’s becoming more crowded. We currently track more than 18,000 man-

made objects in space,to include everythingrom active satellites

to man-made debris. And these are just theobjects that our sen-

sors are able to track — there are many moreobjects on orbit that weknow we can’t “see.” In

addition to these environmental hazards,

potential adversaries possess the abilityto disrupt or destroy our space capabili-ties. Thereore, we must build a strategy topreserve and protect our space capabili-ties against intentional and unintentionalhazards. The starting point or an ade-

quate protection capability is robust spacesituational awareness, which we dene astracking all man-made objects in space,discerning the intent o others who operate

in space, knowing the status o our ow norces in real-time and understanding thenatural environment and its eect uponspace operations. In act, space situation-al awareness is oundational or all spaceoperations, which is why Air Force Space

Command is hard at work developing im-proved capabilities. In the uture, a deci-sion maker’s ability to quickly answer t he“who, what, when, where, how and why”questions regarding space events will help

determine the proper course o action.

: What else would

you like to add that

you feel is important to

share with the rest of

the Air Force?

General Shelton: As a nation, we need

to understand the criticality o space su-periority. Most o us intuitively under-stand the importance o superiority inother domains. Gaining and maintain-ing air, land and maritime superiority is

a given in joint warighting. Similarly, wecan’t assume that someone will not chal-lenge our current space superiority in auture conlict. Some would argue Sad-dam Hussein ired the irst shot in thisregard when he tried to jam our GPS sig-

nals in 2003. The Chinese demonstrationo an anti-satellite capability in 2007 isurther evidence o the growing threat tothe space domain. Many o our potentialadversaries have watched us successully

leverage space assets and, thereore, areactively seeking ways to deny our spacecapabilities. Clearly, space is no longera sanctuary or operations. So we mustprepare accordingly to deter and dissuadehostile uses o space. And i deterrence

ails, we must develop methods to pre-serve our critical space capabilities. So, to

achieve victory in uture conlict, I believe we must be prepared to gain and maintainsuperiority in all domains: Land, sea, air,

space and cyberspace.

we must build a strategy to

preserve and protect our space

capabilities against intentional and

unintentional hazards.

About critical space operations, Lt. Gen. William

Shelton said, “Clearly, space is no longer a sanctuary

for operations. So we must prepare accordingly to

deter and dissuade hostile uses of space.”

p h o t o b y A i r m a n 1 s t C l a s s J o n a t h a n O l d s

Airman J July/August 200www.AIRMANonline.af.mil

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It would take a C-17 Globemaster III more than 60 hours o nonstopying to skirt the edges o Pacifc Air Forces’ area o responsibility.

It’s an area that includes 16 time zones and 43 countries in 100million square miles.

It encompasses the smoggy shores o Los Angeles to the pristinecoasts o Alaska. The midnight sun o the Arctic to the land o the ris-ing sun in Japan, and rom the hot west coast o Arica to the icy gla-

ciers o the Antarctic.That’s a big area — hal the world’s surace — and a lot o respon-

sibility, which alls squarely on the shoulders o Gen. Carrol “Howie”Chandler, Pacifc Air Forces commander. He’s also the air componentcommander or U.S. Pacifc Command and executive director, Pacifc Air Combat Operations Sta at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

With that many titles, it would be easy or anyone to be an uptight,

clock-watching, ast-talking commander. But General Chandler opposite. He seems as cool and reective as a mountain lake.

Sipping on a glass o lemonade, the U.S. A ir Force Academy o ’74 grad sat back in a brown leather chair in his ofce and exeverything about the Pacifc Air Forces: What’s important, whhappening today, what to expect in the uture.

Command’s importance

The general said that although the Pacifc Rim may look peacearea does have potential trouble spots.

“We’re not at war in the Pacifc, but we’re really not at peace,ther,” he said, pointing out terrorist operations in the Philippinerates in the Strait o Malacca in West Malaysia and the ever-pr

threat o North Korea.

Pacific air forces: 100 million squarmiles of nonstoP resPonsibility

A persistentpresence

by orville f. Desjarlais jr.

Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III

Air Force commander Gen. Carrol “Howie” Chandler must wear three hats as he

to keep the Pacic Rim a peaceul region.

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We’re very ortunate that the guns are silent, because three o orld’s 10 largest economies are located in this region o the,” the general said.

conomic development and stability in this region is due,

ge part, to the contributions o the U.S. security umbrella,with our allies and coalition partners,” he said. “I you look

velopments in the Pacifc, our high-end adversaries are get-etter. They’re making smart investments across the entirerum — militarily and economically — in this part o the.

o, while we continue to work on low-end capabilities, wealso keep an eye on the high-end compet ition,” he said.l continue to posture orces — people and equipment —

e we need them in the Pacifc to do what the nation needs us”

some cases that means providing relie when natural d isas-— like the typhoons, oods and earthquakes — strike, like

that hit Burma and China in May 200 8.We are very grateul that the Burmese government allowed us

one o the t hings our great Air Force men and women do ex-ly well — provide immediate and eective humanitarian as-

nce and disaster relie to aected regions all over the world,”ral Chandler said.sturing weapons systems in the theater shows the com-

d’s importance, he said. Three o the seven programmed F-22or squadrons in the Air Force are, or will be, at command

. And the only two overseas-based C-17 Globemaster IIIdrons are in the command. Plus, there are plans to beddownGlobal Hawks at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

ne o the things we continually emphasize here is a persistent

Bryan Spence checks his F-16 Fighting Falcon’s faps and rudder to ensure there’s no ice build up be ore taking o on a Red Flag-A laska training mission rom Eielson

ce Base, Alaska, in April. The captain is rom the 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa Air Base, Japan.

Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder

Air Force bases in Alaska, Hawaii and Guam give the Air Force a strategic triangle in the

Pacic rom where it can help provide stability in the region.

p h o t o b y M a r i n e S g t . A n d r e s A l c a r a z

i l l u s t r a t i o n b y V i r g i n i a R e y e s

Burmese military members orm a line to unload much-needed water o an Air Force C-130 Hercules at Yangon International Airport, Burma. The plane, also bro

ood and medical supplies that provided relie to thousands o Burmese aected by the killer Cyclone Nargis in May 2008.

presence,” he said. “It’s important in this part o the world. What I’mdescribing here is being in a marathon, not a sprint.”

The Strategic Triangle

Ater he fnished hal his lem-onade, the general got up and walked outside and continued totalk about what’s happening at

bases in the Pacifc, specifcallythose that constitute the “Strate- gic Triangle” — bases in Alaska,Hawaii and Guam.

“Each o those bases is im-portant because they allow us to

project U.S. military capabilityo o U.S. soil,” the general said.“The changes we’re making at those bases today are going to dictatethe direction PACAF is taking or years to come.”

Called “50-year decisions,” the general said each base in the St ra-

tegic Triangle is being postured or the uture.Standing in ront o a static display o a Global Hawk erected

at Hickam a week earlier, the general talked about stationing un-manned aircrat on Guam. Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle on steroids. It can y or 35 hours straight, going more than15,000 miles. And, when dealing with a 100-million-square-mile

area, “that’s a selling point,” he said.“Guam’s strategic location in the Strategic Triangle makes i

ideal location or Global Hawks,” General Chandler said. “It’s

only exciting or us, but or our coalition allies. They, too, are iterested in the same hightude, long endurance UAsystem.”

Unlike the Global Haw wartime mission on the r

lines, the general sees maerent ways to use the tenaircrat.

“I can see a multi-aceto the system,” he said. “

tunately, we’ll probably huse the system or human

eorts during disaster relie.” While Airmen at Andersen will launch and recover the unm

aircrat, Airmen at Hickam will y the missions remotely rombase’s air operations center.

Hickam has one o the largest air operations centers in t he A mixed group o Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines command control all the airpower in the Pacifc, with the exception oKorean peninsula, which is under 7th Air Force control.

“It truly is a joint and integrated operation,” he said. “We

“We’re very fortunate that the guns

are sIlent, because three of the

World’s 10 largest economIes are

located In thIs regIon of the World.”— gen. carrol “hoWIe” chandler

Hawaii

Guam

alaska

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killed tens o thousands o people in China. Command C-17 master III ew in to deliver tons o humanitarian relie suppl

“In a strange way, and it’s unortunate, but the natural di sthat we have seen occurred — all the way rom the tsunamis

some o the other things that have happened here — have calot o nations in this region not just to work bilaterally, but merally to try to solve some o these problems,” the general sa

“So i there is anything positive to come out o this, it’s tha

Relationships with others

Hawaii’s warm trade winds kicked up and nearly blew the geight cap rom his head. A smile appeared as he took a quickdetour to talk about Hawaii.

“It’s no secret that living in Hawaii is a pretty good deal,” h

“I eel extremely lucky to be here to represent some 45,000 m women who work in the Pacifc every day. I’d like to think thaoer meaningul work that contributes to the deense o our n

Walking on, the general said engagement, in terms o staband security, is a top priority and the most important thing Ucifc Command expects o his command. Using his analogy a

he said engagement is a marathon, not a sprint, and that it talies and partnerships to fnish frst.

“These relationships were developed over the years by my cessors. By young captains and l ieutenants who had gone ou

own together and worked together, who have later grown tochies o their services,” he said.

The Air Force has par tnerships with such nations as JapanKorea, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia aPhilippines.

As the wing commander at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., the eral has frst-hand knowledge about one o these relationship

“The Republic o Singapore Air Force had a squadron at Lu where they trained,” he said. “So, I fnd mysel, many years lknowing many o the general ofcers in the Republic o Singapore Air Force because they ew at Luke. We are very ortunhave these types o relationships. They pay big dividends. Wcomes to promoting security and stabilit y, I think we’ve been

successul over the years. And they were all interested in beisociated in some way shape or orm with the Air Force.”

In many ways, the general said these countries not only wbe associated with the A ir Force, many want to emulate it.

“I see the U.S. Ai r Force as the envy o the other air orces

the world in terms o how we organize, train, equip, educate teach our leaders, both ofcer and enlisted,” he said. “We haluxury o giving our enlisted as much responsibility as they’ring to take, as quickly as they’re willing to take it. I think thathroughout the Air Force — whether you’re a young Airman, level NCO, a young captain or a major.”

The future

Since other 50-year decisions or the Pacifc regi on have alrebeen made, all that’s let to do is to make the plan a reality.“For the next several years, we’ll be in the process o work

all the kinks and things we didn’t think about when we signethe papers,” General Chandler said.

“The Pacifc Air Forces will play a large part in what we nedo in terms o security and stability rom now until as ar as see into the uture. And, I think our Airmen in the Pacifc wiltraining with the best equipment the Air Force has in its inve

“All I can say is that I’m extremely proud o every ofcer, eand civilian in the Pacifc — in terms o providing security anstability in the reg ion,” he said. “It’s important work, and somthem do it ar away rom home and ar away rom their amilappreciate what they do.”

n ofcers rom other nations, as well. At the same time, manye things we do in the theater are bilateral.”good example o this bilateral cooperation is missile deense.

n has Patriot missiles on Kadena and Yokota air bases.pan is a partner with us in solving this problem about howovide missile deense in the theater,” the general said, add-hat Yokota’s bilateral air operations center plays an importantn the partnership.

ses in Alaska provide the third leg o the Strategic Triangle.

Alaska’s rugged terrain and harsh weather, similar to that in A- ghanistan, made it a natural location to expand Cope Thunderexercises — once held in the Philippines — to a much bigger Red

Flag-Alaska.“Alaska gives us a very good range complex that provides us

the opportunity to engage with our allies and our partners romaround the Pacifc, the Canadians, the British and other Europeannations, as well. So, we’ve got a great opportunity to train, andI can’t think o a better place or young Airmen to grow up and

learn their trade than here in the Pacifc.”

All exercises great and small

The general said the command doesn’t always need to have large,ying exercises. The little ones are just as important. For instance,

command planners created a small exercise around the C-17 trans-port. About 50 doctors, dentists and civil engineers ew to threeseparate islands in Micronesia.

They examined 4,000 patients, trained about 1,000 islanders infrst-responder medical skills and worked in three dierent clinics — all in 96 hours.

Another key mission occurred in May 2008, when an earthquake

Globemaster III loadmaster Master Sgt. Joseph Salvador (let) explains what he does on the transport to members o the Philippine air orce beore a mission rom

Field, the Philippines, in February 2008. The mission was part o exercise Balikatan ‘08. Training and interacting with Airmen rom Pacic Rim countries is big busi-

or Pacic Air Forces because it increases joint security eorts. Sergeant Salvador is with the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 204th Airlit Squadron at Hickam.

Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo

.airman.. a J j/ag 200

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©2008 Paid for by the U.S. Air Force. All rights reserved.

8/9/2019 AFD-080630-074


A GreAt mAGAzine!SubScribe todAy At:

www.AirmAnonLine.Af.miL

8/9/2019 AFD-080630-074


©2008 Paid for by the U.S. Air Force. All rights reserved. The Air Force logo is a register ed trade mark of the U nited States Air Force. T he tag line, Above All. , is als otrademar ked by the United States Air Force. Both marks are the exclusive property of the Department of the Air Force.

The muscle of the U.S. Air Force is a powerful deterrent to would-be aggressors. No modern war

has been won without air superiority, so the strength of our Air Force alone discourages potential

threats. Today many other countries are strengthening their air power and vying to take the lead.

To stay on top, we must be faster, stronger and more forward-thinking than all the rest. The U.S.

Air Force stands ready as the decisive force for the 21st century.

IT TAKES AIR FORCE POWER

TO DEFEND AMERICA IN A CHANGING WORLD. To learn more go to airforce.com

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Recruiting

Destination 1Destination 2Destination 3

Destination 4

eeting the goal is no reason to stopstaff sgt. Matthew batesotos by Master sgt. Jack braden

ce recruiter Tech. Sgt. Frank

hon III works in one o the largest

ing regions in the United States.

68th Recruiting Squadron sergeant

out o Great Falls, Mont., but

throughout the northeastern part

ntana to nd and recruit potential

n.

the Force

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Tech. Sgt. Frank McMahon III’s dark blue Ford Explorer ram-bled down the two -lane blacktop highway, the scenery vanish-ing in a blur past his driver’s side window.

t that there’s much to see anyway, except long stretches o

e.is is Montana’s “Big Sky Country” — a wide open are a whereheat feld-dominated countryside is broken up only by t he oc-nal herd o cattle. Even trees are rare; single ones adorn thecape, looking out o place and orlorn.e road stretches on or what seems orever, disappearing only

horizon. There’s seldom another vehicle in sight. Out here, ther is alone — his only companions being the occasional voiceing through the static on the radio and the gentle whirring o

on the pavement.he keeps driving.

s is something Sergeant McMahon does a lot. He’s a recruiterhe 368th Recruiting Squadron and in charge o the largest re-ng area in the country. Based in Great Falls, his Montana do-stretches east to North Dakota, north to the Canadian border

west to the base o the Rocky Mountains.

’s defnitely a challenge having such large area,” he said. “And a

it is really remote towns that have small schools.”owing up, remote was something Sergeant McMahon didn’tto deal with. He’s rom Marlton, N.J., a town o about 10,000e just outside Philadelphia.

New Jersey is the most populated st ate in the U.S.,” Sergeantahon said. “Montana is one o the least populated.”

l, it’s not like Sergeant McMahon didn’t know what he was g et-imsel into — ater all, he volunteered or the job.

When I signed up to be a recruiter, I knew I wanted to come some-e like this because I love the outdoors,” he said. “All the guys incruiting class thought I was crazy, but I love it here. The hunting

at, the fshing is great and there’s a lot o outdoor stu to do.”t that he has much time to enjoy them. Being the only recruiterch a large area keeps Sergeant McMahon very busy. There areonstant phone calls, the school visits, the meetings with parentshe seemingly endless piles o paperwork.d then there’s the driving — mile s and miles o it through the

ana countryside.ve defnitely logged a lot o time behind the steering wheel,” he

s blue Explorer, with its well-worn engine and odometer thatmore like an electricity meter, is a silent testament to this act.

0 7 1 2 3 9 4

Filling a need

Over the past decade, thanks to recruiters like Sergeant McMahon,the Air Force has consistently met or exceeded its enlistment goals.In light o this, there are those who argue against the need or the

Air Force to invest time and money into recruiting.Some people say, “The Air Force is making its recruiting goals,

so why does the service need so much money and people devotedto it?”

Easy, recruiting ofcials say. The goal o recruiting is to fndquality men and women who have the right skills, at the right time

and in the right numbers to sustain the combat capability o Amer-ica’s Air Force.

But the Air Force can’t hope qualifed candidates will simply walk through the door.

“You can’t just stop recruiting because you’re making your

goals,” said Col. Stan Chase, vice commander, Air Force RecruitingService at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. “We need to have re-cruiters out there, pounding the pavement and telling the Air Forcestory to young people. How else are they going to know about allthe tremendous opportunities the service oers?”

This is one reason Sergeant McMahon became a recruiter in the

frst place — it gave him the chance to talk about the Air Force. He joined the service right out o high school and never looked back.

“I love the Air Force,” he said. “And I want other people to be

able to experience what it has to oer. Recruiting gives me the per-ect opportunity to do this.”

No walk in the park

Ironically, making its recruiting goals is almost a double-edgedsword or the Air Force.

“Recruiting is not easy,” Colonel Chase said. “But by alwaysmaking our goals, it almost looks like it is. Yet, the act o the mat-

ter is recruiting is a challenging and demanding job.”Sergeant McMahon can attest to this.On an average week, he works anywhere rom 60 to 80 hours

— many spent on the phone, flling out paperwork or errying pro-spective recruits to and rom the Military Entrance Processing Sta-

tion in Butte, Mont., which is about a two- to three-hour drive awayrom his ofce.

Then there are the meetings and checkups with individuals whohave already enlisted and are in the Delayed Entry Program.

“I check in with them regularly and expect them to check in withme, too,” Sergeant McMahon said. “I make sure they’re making

good decisions and staying ft and ready to head to basic training.”

Tech. Sgt. Frank McMahon III counts the fut ter kicks done by recruits Dan Myles (let)

and Patrick Preston, both rom Great Falls. Because both recruits will join demanding

career elds, Sergeant McMahon has them do push ups and fut ter kicks when they

meet to prepare them or basic training.

n First Class Astacia Anderson discusses the week’s schedule with recruiter

Sgt. Frank McMahon III beore he leaves to visit Montana schools. Airman An-

was one o S ergeant McMahon’s recruits. She returned to Great Falls as part

Recruiters Assistant Program.

Tech. Sgt. Frank McMahon III puts a lot o miles on h

ment vehicle. And it’s not uncommon or him to travel m

800 miles in one week during his monthly site visits to s

oten remote areas o

One way Sergeant McMahon does this is by making his recruits who are entering special operations jobs give him a set o push upsevery time they come to his ofce.

“I think it’s cool and it shows he’s invested in us and wants to

see us succeed,” said Patrick Preston, a senior at Great Falls HighSchool who enlisted as a combat controller. “He’s a good guy andhe’s got a tough job.”

Tough is not the word. Sergeant McMahon’s job is part recruiter,part parent, part marketing specialist, part secretary, part travel

agent and part taxi driver.“Yeah, but I’m all Air Force,” he said.

And Sergeant McMahon is not the exception, but the normonly one o less than 1,300 recruiters scattered across the cou

Many work extensive hours and drive long distances, all whipeting with recruiters rom the Army, Navy and Marines. In or every Air Force recruiter there are about nine Army, fve Nand three Marine Corps recruiters.

“Yet, we keep making our goals,” Colonel Chase said . “And


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0 7 2 1 1 8 3

recruiting the best and brightest.”

The numbers back this statement up. Among Air Force recruits,79 percent score within the top three categories on the Armed Ser- vices Vocational Aptitude Battery, 99 percent have a high schooldiploma or equivalent and only 9 percent need a waiver or drug orother criminal issues. All o these numbers are signifcantly better

than those o the other services.“We’re not only fnding quality recruits, but we’re doing it

cheaper,” Colonel Chase said.On average, it costs the Air Force approximately $7,900 to send a

person through the enlistment process. The next closest service isthe Marines, who spend a little more than $13,000 per recruit. The

Army, meanwhile, is triple the Air Force at $26,000.

Needle in a haystack

Finding recruits is difcult. According to a recent Department o Deense market survey, about 73 percent o American youth are not

qualifed to join the military. Weight, medical or conduct reasonsdisqualiy more than hal o them.

“When almost three quarters o your audience is already dis-

qualifed, it makes the job that much harder,” Sergeant McMahonsaid. Adding to this challenge is the population, or lack o, that Ser-

geant McMahon is in charge o scouring.“There are actually more cows in the state o Montana than there

are people,” he said. Within Sergeant McMahon’s area there are also some 40 schools

the Air Force classifes as priority three — schools too small or tooremote to require regular visits. Sergeant McMahon is only required

to visit these schools once a year.“Some o these schools have our or fve seniors in the entire

class,” Sergeant McMahon said. “And many o them work on arms with the rest o their amilies and expect to do this when they graduate.”

Team this with the act that many o these students aren’t iar with the Air Force and there are a lot o hurdles to overco

“Sure, the job has its challenges,” he said. “But the reward weigh them by a long shot.”

Namely, fnding and recruiting the Air Force o tomorrow.But, the Air Force o tomorrow isn’t simply going to walk in

ofce and ask where to sign. And out there, somewhere, is a

looking or adventure, a way out o an uncertain lie or who caord college on his or her own. Or who just wants to serve.

So, Sergeant McMahon and his blue Ford Explorer keep odriving.

And recruiting.

Recruiting or the Air Force takes Tech. Sgt. Frank McMahon III to many rural Montana schools. At Brockton Public Schools, the student body numbers just 13

— in kindergarten through 12th grade, There are just 14 juniors and 11 seniors at the school.

Sgt. Frank McMahon III

students at Wol Point

chool, Wol Point,

with an exercise that

res Air Force pay and

s to going directly to

e or joining the civilian

arket.

To learn more about becoming an Air Force recruiter, vis

www.rs.a.mil. To talk to the Air Force Recr uiter Screening

Team, call DSN 665-0584 or commercial 210-565-0584; o

mail questions to [email protected].

More Details


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At a bleak outback aireld in Aghani-stan, Airmen land t heir C-130 Hercu-les to deliver much-needed cargo.

the transport’s engines run during the

ading at Feyzabab Aireld, other Air-— hands on their weapons — guardst any attack.oss the globe in Caliornia, other Air-

show o the Air Force to visitors at anal air show at March Air Reserve Base.

d back at Balad Air Base, Iraq, Airmanass Troy Spence — and many ot herslp maintain and keep the much-in-de-

d MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircratto fy.

ese are just a ew examples o what Air-do each day, whether doing their part inar on terrorism or keeping Americansst o their Air Force’s capabilities.

cretary o the Air Force Michael W.ne, in a May Letter to Airman, said

en continue meeting the demands o oten stressul jobs to ensure Ameri-

he best protection in t he air, space andspace.every level o action, mission success

res clear goals, dened objectives, andnate grasp o how those objectives areachieved, he said.nowing the mission extends beyond‘to do’ lists,” the secretary said. “It re-s seizing every opportunity to improve

he Air Force provides global vigilance,l reach, and global power.”at’s nothing new to today’s Airmen.

—Airman staff

rmenerform

eyondo do’ list

Ama 1st Cass Keea Gthe (et) a

Ama Geg Es vde sect as a gd ce

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at Fezabab Afed, Aghasta, A. The Ame ae membes the 45

Exedta Sect Fces F Aa Sect Fces Team at Bagam A B

Aghasta. Ama Gthe s deed m the 9th Sect Fces Sqad

A Fce Base, Ca. Ama Es deed m the 355th Sect Fces Sq

Davs-Mtha A Fce Base, Az.

secure feeling.htbMASTEr SGT.AnDy DunAwAy

Frontline

Frontline D u t y D u t y

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A tte g

cae aks d the cag

am a ggatc C-5 Gaax d-

g AFest 2008 at Mach A reseve Base, Ca.,

Ma. A hst mta ad cva acat ee

statc dsa at the a sh, hch ccdes

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careful steps.htbVAlGEMpiS

Ce che Sta Sgt. Tat Deze estas the ta t cve

a HH-60 pave Hak hecte at Baad A Base, iaq, eae ths ea. The

segeat as emg a 300-h evetatve sect the hec-

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ad’s 64th Exedta Hecte Mateace ut.

tail rotor check.nior AirMAn JuliAnnE SHowAlTEr Checkg techca data hs at cm-

te s at the mateace cess MQ-1 pedat ce

che Ama 1st Cass T Sece at Bagam A Base, Agha-

sta. The Ama deed eae ths ea t the 62d Exedta recassace Sqad-

m the 432d Acat Mateace Sqad at Ceech A Fce Base, nev. The t’s

ma jb s t ach ad ecve pedats.

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predator upkeep.

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patient care.


www.AirmAn.a. Aa J Ju - Augu 200

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Fefghte Ama 1st Cass Adam Bamgade

as a fe hse ate advacemet ad m ta-

g at Baad A Base, iaq, A. Baad fefghtes ta

da t sta ead emegec stats. Ama Bamgade s th the 332d Exe-

dta Cv Egee Sqad ad deed m Mamstm A Fce Base, Mt.

A fefghte at Chaest A Fce Base, S.C.,

aks thgh a thck cd smke that smates a a-

cat cash the Chaest ghte. The demstat

a execse eaat the 2008 A Sh hed at the base.

Enior AirMAn niCHolAS pilCH

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bm. The check as at a eveta-

tve mateace sect at Mach A reseve Base, Ca., Ma.

htbSEnior AirMAn DAniElST.piErrE

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htbSEnior AirMAn JuliAnnE SHowAlTEr

wrapping it up.

Senir Airman Mark

shakes hads th a Agha b d

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htbMASTEr SGT.AnDy DunAwAy

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a cut above.Maj. Ath Davs exchages sates

th Chese Se Cat. Ga ye at Chegd Shag

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maste iii t Cha fed th ee ses bd ee aected b a maj

ake. Maj. w Qa (secd m et), a sta fce at the Chese Mst De-

s Ameca ad oceac Aas Bea, ad Am Bg. Ge. Chaes He (et), the

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s 204th At Sqad, Hckam A Fce Base, Haa. The se cata s det

the mst eg aas fce.

CH.SGT.CHriS VADnAiS

welcome to china.


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As Airmen march to and rom technical school classes today

at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., it’s no big deal. But three years ago, they would have been wading through ve eet o

foodwaters.Today, visitors would never realize the transormation that has

taken place at this training base in the t hree years since Hurricane

Katrina tried to rub it o the map. When the category-4 storm bashed the Gul Coast Aug. 29, 2005,

with its 140-mph winds, it changed t he region and Keesler orever.The massive storm surge submerged more than hal the base. It dam-aged about 95 percent o the inrastructure, with nearly three-quar-ters o the industrial acilities sustaining roo damage and a quarterMaster sgt. KiMberly spencer

raining base bounces bacK roM Hurricane Katrina’s fury

Trainees march past the intersection o D Street and Hangar Road at Keesler Air Force Ba

in April 2008. That’s something they wouldn’t have been able to do three years ago, when

cane Katrina ooded the road, submerged vehicles, elled trees and let tons o debris in it

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina’s 18-oot storm surge hit Keesler

Base, Miss., with a vengeance and changed the training base orever. T

ooded the intersection o D Street and Han

o the buildings unusable.

It destroyed much o base housing, lled the base exchangeve eet o water, fooded the basement o the Keesler Medical and displaced many Airmen and their amilies.

The base was a disaster area almost be yond comprehensiopeople thought it would never recover rom the blow. But it did

today it thrives.“We want everyone to know Keesler’s back and running str

said Col. Greg Touhill, the 81st Training Wing commander.Everyone who sheltered on Keesler survived the storm. And

though the base had taken a devastating blow, it was t he leasaged major acility on the Mississippi Gul Coast.

en Now

p h o t o

b y T e c h .

S g t . C e c i l i o

R i c a r d o

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e rst order o business was clearing a pathway through thestation.

though the runway was littered with sh, sea t urtles and de-every available hand worked hard. Within 11 hours, aircratable to land on the runway,” wing vice commander Col. Richarde said.esler survived the storm more intact than many o the surround-ommunities. As soon as base Airmen recovered enough to go

de and assess the damage and resume some kind o operations,went beyond the base gates to help the people o Biloxi andsurrounding communities. The base quickly became a hub oractivity.trina destroyed thousands o Gul Coast homes, many reduced

re oundations. Electrical power, telephone and cell phone ser-went out. Bridges washed away and roads lled with downedoverturned cars, beached boats and debris. There were nearly

ead or missing.day, very ew reminders are let o the $950 mi llion in damagesna caused. Still, many people don’t know t hat Keesler is 100

nt and marching on.When my colleagues heard I was coming here, they called to ask

I was going to live in a tent,” the colonel said.tents. In act, the base currently has a $287.8 million housing

ct underway, the largest in Air Force history, he said.

ore than 1,000 new homes will be complete by 2010,” he said.hile the storm devastated much o the base, the training acili-urvived. This allowed training operations to “come back onlinen days,” said Deb Sterling, the 81st Training Group chie o re-es and operations.e Air Force saely evacuated Airmen who were close to graduating

to their next duty station, she said. Others let with the understandingthey would complete their training on-the-job at their rst base. Andsome students graduated while still living in shelters.

The team also identied temporary locations or training through-out the command and students and instructors evacuated there.

However, base ocials quickly revised their initial assessment thatit would take up to six months to get training back online. Barely ve weeks ater Katrina struck, Keesler resumed t raining or the most

critical courses.The return o the students to the base was a milestone on t he road

to recovery. Their arrival was another step t oward normalcy thatboosted the morale o the base community.

While the recovery and rebuilding were underway and traininghad resumed, it took time to complete all the repairs.

“I got here eight months ater the storm and the base still lookeddevastated at the time,” Colonel Pierce said.

However, the colonel was amazed at the strength o those workingto rebuild, he said.“The eort has been a work o passion rom the heart,” he said.

That attitude helped the base rapidly progress despite incredibleadversity. Base members gave 100 percent while struggling to rebuildtheir own lives.

Base ocials set up a one-stop-shop o support activities poisedto help meet the needs o the base members, including legal, nance,lie skills and amily support oces.

Teams rom throughout the Air Force provided aid to the devastat-ed base both by taking in evacuees, and by deploying personnel tohelp with the recovery.

As help arrived, Keesler members had the chance to check on theirhomes.

As Hurricane Katrina raged around them, volunteers held lanterns as doctors (above let) perormed an emergency Caesarian section on Stephanie Post at the K

Medical Center. They saely delivered Sage Madison Post. That was on Aug. 29, 2005. A year later, the little girl (above right on let) celebrated her frst birt hday

medical center’s ofcial reopening ceremony with (let to right) her mother, sister, Austin and ather, Senior Airman Aaron Post.

A Keesler Bay Ridge waterront home (above let) lies in ruins ater Hurricane Katrina swept it away with all the homeowner’s possessions. The hurricane’s bruta

surge, which reached 18 eet, submerged hal the base and destroyed many homes. Today, many o Bay Ridge’s water ront homes are n ow

rebuilt and amilies have already moved into 36 new houses in the housing area.

courtesy photo

Hurricane Katrina’s pounded many housing areas, destroying many homes (above let). Today, Airmen move into new homes built as part o th e Air Force’s most

housing project, which is still ongoing. The project, due or completion in 2010, will provide more than 1,000 new homes at the base.

U.S. Air Force pho to

years ater Hurricane Katrina’s ury, Tech. Sgt. Melissa Jones-Johnson still gets emotional when looks through the pictures o the home she and her husband, Master

even Jones-Johnson, lost on Aug. 29, 2005. A hope chest made by her grandather was one o the ew things the couple was able to save.

photo by Master Sgt. Efrain Gonzalez

photo by T ech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricar do

pho to b y Tech. Sg t. Cecilio Ricardo

T hen

Then

No w

Now

Now

photo by Master Sgt. Efr ain Gonzalez

T hen


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onal loss

er working non-stop or several days, people be gan making

way to their homes on and o t he base — struggling throughevastation.

We had to go around trees, boats, ences — you name it. Iept thinking, ‘thank God the kids are sae at my mom’s,’ ”

Tech. Sgt. Melissa Jones-Johnson, o the 81st Security Forces

dron.she and her husband, Master Sgt. Steven Jones-Johnson, the operations superintendent, made their way up the road tohome, a eeling o dread washed over them. Thankully, theirChristopher and Tyler, had evacuated to her mother’s house in

den, Tenn.

“First, I saw one o our dogs lying dead in the st reet,” she said.“Ater that, I was araid to look in the house. But I k new I needed to

nd our other dog and our c at.”They tried to enter through the ront door, but debris blocked their

entrance.“We went to the back door and I looked t hrough the window.

It looked like someone had lled our house up with water, spun it

around in circles and then dumped it out,” she said.“My hand was shaking so hard I could hardly get the key in the

lock,” Melissa said. “The water had gone all the way to the ceiling,and in several places the ceiling had caved in.”

They were unable to fnd their other dog, but the cat was hiding in t herubble and had made it through the storm just fne, the sergeant said.

It would be several long months beore they would be able to getinto a new home and reunite with their children, she said.

“An experience like this tests you,” she said. “It has shown myhusband and me how strong we are as a couple.”

But they weren’t the only ones who suered. About one-ourtho Keesler’s people lost virtually all their possessions. However, thecouple did manage to save some o their things. One was a trea-sured cedar hope chest Steven eventually restored.

“The cedar hope chest was made by my grandather and passeddown to me by my mom when I got married,” Melissa said.

Saving the hope chest was symbolic o the optimism shownthroughout the base. Members like the Jones-Johnsons’ did notonly survive, they overcame.

While cleaning out their litter-strewn home, they would inriends over or barbecues, enjoying each other’s company aning happy to be alive, the sergeant said.

“We would just make the best o it,” she said.Knowing the struggle wing members were going through a

devastation they were dealing with, Colonel Touhill is determto make the base an oasis.

The commander, who is now on his third tour o duty at Ksince entering the Air Force, knows exactly what the post-Kabase was like, and is continuing the vigorous base beautica

program started right ater the storm.So ar, base members planted more than 2,000 trees — thr

every one lost in the storm. They’ll have to plant a total o 4One o the trees they were able to save is a majestic live oa

thought to be more than 100 years old. It now fourishes in ao honor in ront o Keesler Medical Center. The hospital, on

acilities hardest hit by the storm, was back to its pre-Katrin within a year.

Sta members celebrated the rst birthday o Sage Madiso — daughter o Senior Airman Aaron and Stephanie Post — ahospital’s ocial reopening. Doctors had delivered the now 3

old by fashlight during the storm.The lessons learned in the atermath o the storm are help

build a better Keesler. A variety o preventative measures are

in eect that will help ensure the loss o electrical power, andmyriad o other problems encountered during the hurricane, happen again.

The chances o another major catastrophe like Katrina hittcoast will always exist, so the base is postured and ready in chappens again.

“Those coming to the base can rest assured we are preparesaid base Fire Chie J.D. Donnett, o the 81st Civil Engineerin

Squadron. “Between Keesler, Biloxi and Gulport, Miss., thernothing we can’t handle. We are now one o the most prepareas in the nation.”

It might be better prepared to weather another Katrina-likBut Master Sgt. Kristina Keeton said Keesler needs to do mohas to remember, but also bury its past.

“We are to the point now where we want to look orward amove on,” said Sergeant Keeton, the training wing’s protocolsuperintendent.

Base ocials are already moving orward with new traininsions on the horizon.

“We’re looking at the virtual campus concept, which will aus to physically move anywhere as needed,” training group cmander Col. Prince Gilliard said. “The loss o a classroom wohave little impact on our operations.”

A good part o the training will be in the cyber world, the said. That will benet the base, which trains Airmen or elect

computer, weather, medical, personnel, comptroller, and ino

tion management career elds, to name a ew.“We already have a signicant stake in the training o our tech warriors. And now, with the stand up o U.S. Cyber Comour training mission will continue to expand in that area,” Co

Touhill said.The colonel said Keesler has come a long way since Katrin

Along the way, the lessons learned rom the disaster are makthe base saer. Base Airmen continue their daily operations —helping the communities around them.

And while Keesler is back — and marching on — it also ke

eye on the horizon and any uture killer storms. But even duKatrina’s worst moments, it people never lost their mission o

“Training is our middle name — and will continue to be ouority,” the colonel said.

Tech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo

ainees arrive at Keesler’s

w Training Support Facility

attending one o the base’s

cal schools. The base is

n track with the vital training

n Hurricane Katrina almost

But less than six weeks ater

er storm, the base was again

g high-tech warriors.


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Airman Kelly Anderson doesn’t consider hersel a completeperson, yet.

Granted, she’s only 19 and has barely been in the AirForce a nanosecond. But she desperately wants to shed her sedate,

York, Pa., upbringing and make an impact on the world.Her frst step toward doing this was joining the Air Force. The

spunky Airman can’t wait to fnish security orces training at Lack-land Air Force Base, Texas, earn her blue beret and join the coalitionteam fghting the war on terrorism.

The second step in her transormation is to vote, something she’s

never done.“There are a lot o t hings happening in our government I don’t

agree with,” she said. “But when you vote, you say: These are thethings I believe in — the things I want to see change.”

When she votes in the November 2008 presidential elections, Air-

man Anderson joins the millions o other servicemembers who’vecast votes, many while serving in posts around the globe. It’s a tra-dition dating to the turn o the 19th century, and all the wars thatollowed.

To ensure Airmen, Air Force civilians and their amilies get thechance to vote, the Air Force has an army o voting ofcers at all its

bases worldwide that provides voting assistance — one or about e v-ery 25 people. At the top o that help pyramid are members o the AirForce Personnel Center’s special programs branch at Randolph Air

Force Base, Texas.In a nutshell, voting ofcers help people with the process o voting,

no matter where they are, or at w hat level, branch chie Gil Harrisonsaid. A retired senior master sergeant rom San Antonio, he knowshow important it is to provide the proper guidance.

“There are specifc instructions or things all voting ofcers mustdo at each base or ederal programs, as well as local voting programs,” he said. “They’re involved in all voting.”

Voting ofcers mainly ocus on the Federal Voting Assistance Pro- gram and the Uniormed and Overseas Citizens Voting Act. But with Airmen serving in all corners o the globe, they provide more than just voting inormation. They also provide guidance and inormationabout absentee voting, which is even more important or t he thou-

sands o Airmen serving in t he Middle East and other locations over-seas, Mr. Harrison said.

“Whether you’re going to vote at home, in Texas, Germany or Iraq, voting ofcers provide you with t he means to do that,” Mr. Harrisonsaid. Voting ofcers down to the unit le vel have a responsibility tomake contact with servicemembers, civilians and their amilies to re-

mind them “how important it is or them t o vote.”“But in the Air Force, we ex panded that so our points o contact

can help with local, state and other primary elections, too,” Mr. Har-rison said.

At Lackland’s Medina Annex, Airman 1st Class Andrew Jennings

passed the grueling airborne mission specialist course with the 344thTraining Squadron. The Airman rom Gillette, Wyo., will move to

Tinker AFB, Okla., to fnish his training to become a computer dis-play maintenance technician aboard an E-3 Sentry airborne warningand control system aircrat.

He’s never voted either, fguring his vote wouldn’t count much. But

he’s changed his mind, a change o heart brought on when he joinedthe Air Force. Now he can’t wait to cast his ballot.

“Every vote counts,” Airman Jennings said. “The whole is made upo many ones. So I’ll vote in this election. Because I know the nextpresident — whatever his or her views are — wi ll have a direct im-

pact on me as an Airman.” Absentee votes are important, Mr. Harrison said.That was true during the 2000 elections, when there were prob-

lems tabulating Florida ballots, he said. The world spotlight ellon overseas ballots. Suddenly these votes, most rom servicemem-

bers, were vital to the election outcome. Airman Anderson was only 10 years old then and not much

politics. But she wants to get involved and today she now know

America’s uture is in the hands o its voters.“When you vote, that’s one more person who can help

change,” she said. “We’re one o the ew countries whoseple have a say in how their government runs. That’s impoto me.”

“Whether you’re going to vote

home, in texAs, germAny or irA

voting officers provide you With

meAns to do thAt.” — gil hArrison

by Louis A. ArAnA-bArrAdAs

photos by LAnce cheung

Airmen encourAged to cAst their bALLots

For more voting inormation visit these web sites

• www.afcrossroads.com/votefund/vote/default.htm

• ww w.fvap.gov/

• www.travel.state.gov/law/info/info_2964.html

For more help

Gil Harrison heads the ofce that oversees the thousands o unit voting o

help provides Airmen voting inormation, no matter where their duty statio

n Kelly Anderson (let) and Airman 1st Class Andrew Jen-

have never voted. But both realize their vote does matter, so

ill cast their ballots in the November 2008 elections.

www.AirmAnl.af.l Aa J Jl/A 200

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E volution and progression have been a way o lie or the A irForce since its creation more than 60 years ago. But whilemany people ocus on the technological side o t he evolution,

there’s a physical side as well.

You only have to look back less than ve years when the Air Forcetested Airmen’s tness with a bike test. Exercise was not part o Air-

men’s daily culture. Today the service marks our years under a newtness program and, as o August, one year since the Air Force made t-ness an integral part o all Airmen’s perormance reports.

The message is clear — our evolution to an expeditionary orcealso requires an evolution into a “tter” orce. But while tness

acilities across the Air Force are seemingly brimming with cus-tomers, many Airmen are still not tapping into their potential. Forsome, the operational tempo doesn’t allow time or organized phys-ical training. For others it’s a prole that gets in the way. And ormany, it’s a lack o motivation.

The reality is, no measure o unit PT will reverse the excu

— being physically it and ready to succeed in the deploye vironment begins with each Airman. Each person has to mthe conscious decision to get in shape. Not doing so can n

threaten his or her saety, but also the saety o his or her wman. Longer-term, both career and health are at risk.

Airmen must look past PT scores. Though a means o mesurement, scores should only serve as a snapshot o a persitness, not a once-a-year aair they prepare or only to theresume a couch-potato liestyle. Being it to ight requires around ocus.

“Training to test won’t help as much as a mix o cardiovascul

muscular and fexibility training,” Chie Master Sgt. o the Air FRodney J. McKinley said in a message to Airmen last spring. “Tcessully boost tness levels, we must all make regular exercisehealthy liestyle a part o our daily regimen.”

warrior ethos demandsfitness evolution by airman staff

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ness program directors like Byron Black, rom t he health andess center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, couldn’t agree To develop a regular tness program, Mr. Black said it comesto a simple principle — the FITTER principle.

stands or requency, intensity, time, type, enjoyment and rateogression,” he said, adding that applying this principle not onlyes a good program, but a program that a person can do long— adapting and adding changes along the way.he key is picking something you enjoy, and applying theiple to ensure you’re getting a good workout out at t he same

” Mr. Black said.w does someone do this? The American College o Sports Medi-ecommends working out at a:

equency o 3 to 5 ti mes a week at an...ensity o 60 to 90 percent o maximum heart rate or a...

me o 20 to 60 minutes using a...pe o aerobic activity that uses a large muscle group that arson can...joy doing, and one where they can monitor the...te o progression by — continuing to challenge themselves,

rkouts become easier.hile applying the FITTER principle to a workout may be simple,y Airmen are not sold on swapping their running, push-ups ands workout. Ater all, that’s the standard. For those Airmen, a u-

njury may eventually change their minds or them.unning is brutal on the body,” said Jim Wood, tness center

or at Lackland’s Gateway Fitness Center. “Airmen should runionally to check their perormance, but should use a variety o ts o aerobic activity to gain better endurance.”d there’s proo in this advice. Mr. Wood runs the tness pro-specialized or Lackland trainees on “medical hold.” He devel-

a circuit training workout to help trainees reach tness goals.rcuit training enables them to nd unique ways to work out,”

Wood said. “Though they’re not running, we’re building endur-and we’re doing it in a saer manner.”

ness specialists like Mr. Black and Mr. Wood,ee thousands o new Air Force recruits, are

angers to Airmen who develop overuse inju-To avoid these injuries, they recommend add-ore variety to workouts.ost units have their Airmen run, do push-upsit-ups at PT, which makes it even more criti-

r Airmen to do something dierent on the other” Mr. Wood says.while running is easy and people can do it ev-

here, it’s not the solution or ever yone. Not onlyany nd it boring, but injuries can result romse and heavy impact on joints.

hat else can a person do? Here are just a ew waysen can become FITTER to ght.

.Balance caloric intake: It ’s a simple equation: Toweight, caloric intake must be less than calories out-While most Airmen ocus on burning calories, t he calories they

t can have a negative impact. It’s true: A ll calories are created. So why not put in calories that also positively infuence a t-routine — like lean protein, ruits and veget ables?you think o your body as a car, then you know that the bettero gas you put in your car, the better it will perorm,” Mr. Black

“I you eat healthy oods, then your body will have good uel touring exercise.”It’s ree — just ask: Nearly all Airmen have access to a rees acility or health and wellness center. As leaders put moreasis on tness, these acilities continue to improve with bet ter

ment and programs. I the numbers game is conusing, or the

machines are a mystery, don’t walk away, there’s help nearby. Gymand health and wellness center stas have a wealth o knowledgeabout tness and nutrition and can help to develop a workout plan.Just ask.

8. Show up: Almost every unit in the Air Force runs some type o PT program. Whether it’s in the orm o ormations or a sign in sheet, groups o Airmen everyw here are shouting cadences o exercises with the goal o getting each other in shape. Some units have troubletting PT into the duty day because o operational demands. But

that shouldn’t be an excuse to not work out.7.Team up: Check with the sports director or tness center about

a sports calendar. Almost every base has some type o intramuralsports program. While the climate may impact the types available,intramural sports oers a great way to add variety to tness routines,and socializing may increase the likelihood o sticking with it. Want

a challenge? Ask about base varsity sports programs, or enroll in the World Class Athlete Program to compete at the Olympic level.6. Compete: Need a competitive edge or motivation, but can’t

commit to a seasonal sport? Look or local competitions. Most cit-ies host athletic events throughout the year, like runs, amily walks

or basketball. Check local papers or search the Web or events heldnearby. Friendly competition boosts workouts and may help nd a group o new riends to work out w ith.

5. Plug it in: Not everyone likes the so cial scene, and not every

climate allows or outdoor activities. But that doesn’t mean a personcan’t be active indoors. Most sports stores carry workout DVDs tai-

lored or a variety o tness goals. So whether the interest is kick-boxing, yoga or step aerobics, don’t let bad weather hamper a tnessroutine. Even more, these DVDs are perect to take when you’re TDY or on leave and may not have access to a gym.

4. Lace it up: Running each day can cause injury, but it’s still a

great workout to mix with aerobic and strength training routines. Allthat’s needed are some good running shoes and comortable cloth-

ing. Or try power walking with light weights or moreresistance.

3. Let the weather decide: Though winter’s rigid

temperatures, snow and ice may put a damper onsome outdoor activities, why not go with the fow?Skiing, ice skating and snowshoeing are great ac-tivities to add to a workout. The same goes orsummer. Take advantage o warm weather atnearby lake with water skiing, swimming or beach

volleyball.2. Try a class: Bodies respond to workouts di-

erently and people must nd the workout that tsbest or their body. Instead o dismissing exerciseclasses, give them a try. I nothing else, group

classes add a great change o pace to an indi- vidual workout routine.1. Short on time? Circuit training may be the

right workout. Not only can a person complete a workoutin about 20 minutes, but it may actually boost tness levels bet-ter than running laps around a track. Overweight and out-o-shape

individuals aren’t suited or “high-impact, weight-bearing activity,”like running, states a recent study by the Cooper Institute. Thesepeople also lack endurance or long periods o exercise, the studystates. The study put overweight and out-o-shape people throughshorter bouts o circuit training, enabling them to not only boost

their overall levels o tness, but also pass PT tests. All Airmen — big and small, t hin and thick — can benet rom a

year-round ocus on tness. Gone are the days o exercising vigor-ously a ew weeks beore a tness te st. A healthy liestyle should be apart o everyone’s daily regimen.

Remember, the Air Force expects you to be “t to ght” every day.

our evolution to an

expeditionary force also require

an evolution into a “fitter” forc

.airman.. a J J/ag 200

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www.af.mil — Ofcial Air Force Web site.It includes current news, eatures, radio andtelevision stories, biographies, photos and alot more.

www.afcommunity.af.mil — Ofcialcommunity Web site or the Air Force totalorce. Get inormation on installations,

education, parenting, deployments and a lotmore.

www.ahrn.com — Site o the Departmento Deense-sponsored Automated HousingReerral Network, which aims to improve theprocess o fnding available housing or relo-cating military members and their amilies.Just register and log on.

www.my.af.mil — Home of the Air ForcePortal. Sign up for this site to access tons of Air Force information, from the latest Letter toAirmen from the secretary of the Air Force to

how to access the latest military pay tables.

www.retirees.af.mil— New Web site orthe retiree community. It includes inorma-tion on a host o topics, rom the SurvivorBeneft Plan to a global list o Air Forceretiree activities ofces.

www.airforce.com and www.dosomethingamazing.com

— Interested in an Air Force career? Theseare the site to visit or inormation about the Air Force, its way o lie, career and educa-tional opportunities and more. Get some cooldownloads, too.

www.defenselink.mil— Ofcial Website o the Department o Deense — a goodstarting point to fnd inormation about theU.S. military, in general.

www.afas.org— Link to the Air Force’sofcial charity. The agency promotes the AirForce mission by helping “relieve distress o

Air Force members and their amilies and as-sisting them to fnance their education.”

http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil— Theone stop or Air Force military and civilianpersonnel matters.

www.ang.af.mil— Home page to all AirNational Guard activities.

www.afrc.af.mil— Home o the U.S. Air

Force Reserve Command.

www.usafsports.com— From the Air Force Services Agency, this Web siteprovides inormation on all service-levelsports programs and the World Class AthleteProgram.

http://goairforcefalcons.cstv.com/index-main.html — Go Falcons! Ofcial Web site o U.S. Air Force Academy athletics

Looking or some specifc or hard-to-fnd inormation about the Air Force?Here are just a few Web sites to visit that provide a variety of informative and useful facts:

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Flare check. | photo by Val Gempis

T h S t T N t i t ll t t i t th l t i l di f b k t C 17 Gl b t III

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AFD-080630-074