507th Air Refueling Wing - 513th Air Control GroupTinker Air Force Base, OklahomaAUGUST 2009 Vol. 29, No. 8

Airman Andy attends USA Softball game

On-final COMMENTARY

PAGE 2 “Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority” AUGUST 2009

Commentary by Chief Master Sgt. Tim Karsten1st Special Operations Wing

Inspector General Office

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFPN) — The brown rootbeer can laying on its side was as still as death in front of acar in the parking lot. To me it looked like a huge cancerousgrowth on the asphalt as I rounded the corner in search of anavailable spot for my car.

This was no ordinary parking lot. It was a barracks park-ing lot that was nearly full to capacity. This parking lot wasalso right next to the wing inspector general office where Iwork.

Luckily, I thought, the offending can lay right in the path ofa young Airman I observed making his way across the park-ing lot to his vehicle. I imagined the Airman demonstrating hisfull commitment to the Air Force by taking immediate actionand removing that out-of-place object left by another das-tardly individual, one who is not suitable to wear a uniform. Iwatched my hero make his way right for the can, and thensimply stepped right over the can as he continued on his way.

My hopes of seeing a remarkable act by my supposedhero were dashed to pieces in that one step, and I decided itwas time to intervene. After parking my car, I walked over tothe young man, who by now was in his truck. He removedhimself from his vehicle to speak with me.

Well, I thought, at least, he knows how to talk with someonewearing chief stripes. The conversation went something like this:

“Young man, are you on active duty?”“Yes sir.” “Did you see that can you stepped over back there?”No real feedback came from the young man standing there

in the open door and his civilian clothes.“Do you know the difference between those who own

and those who rent? Those who rent walk past the trash on

the land they don’t own and expect a laborer or the landlordto pick it up. Those who own the land know no one else willtake the trash off their land so they stop, pick it up and takecare of it personally.”

I think I saw a glimmer of understanding. “Don’t worry about it now. I’ll get the can. You go on

your way. I just wanted to leave you with that thought.”With that I left him, grabbed a bag that was under the car

next to his truck and then picked up the can on the road anddropped them in a dumpster. This only required a slight devia-tion from the normal path to my office.

Maybe I experienced what six retired chief master ser-geants of the Air Force were discussing when they spoke tomy class at the Senior NCO Academy. They sat side-by-side,oldest to youngest.

The oldest chief master sergeant of the Air Force saidsomething that caught my attention. It was something like,“When I came in the service, the old guys there didn’t think Iwas worth anything,” Then he pointed to the one next to him.“When he came in, I didn’t think he was worth anything.”

He continued pointing at each retired chief master sergeantof the Air Force on the stage down the line generationally in thesame manner. He reminded us all that the senior didn’t thinkhighly of the junior’s generation when they joined the service.

Another chief master sergeant of the Air Force then madethe point that leadership made the difference to each of thegenerations sitting up on the stage, and leadership is whatmade a difference to those sitting in the audience.

We apparently still need leaders who will make ownersout of those who are part of today’s Air Force — Airmenwho will stop and clean up a “mess” others have made andnot just walk past it.

The Air Force is smaller now than it has ever been, but weare engaged in more operations than ever. There is no spaceleft in today’s Air Force for renters.

There is no space left in today’s Air Force for renters

A $10 million KC-135 MaintenanceHangar contract was recently

awarded to The Ross Group. Thenew 26,000 square foot facilityincludes additional parking. A

Notice To Proceed (NTP) shouldbe given by the end of July andconstruction should start soon.The contract length is 485 days.

Estimated completion is Dec 2010.

On-finalCHAPEL CORNER

`

507th ARW Mission: Man, train, equip, and sustain an Expeditionary Reserve Force in support of DoD peacetime and wartime taskings.513th ACG Mission: Citizen-airmen extending America’s Global Power operating the world’s best airborne battle management, warning and control platform.

507th Air Refueling WingEditorial Staff

507th ARW Commander- Col. Jeffery R. Glass

Chief of Public Affairs-Lt. Col. Rich Curry

Deputy Chief of Public Affairs -Maj. Bill Pierce

On-final Editor -Tech Sgt. Melba Koch

Public Affairs Specialists -Tech Sgt. Kristin Mack Staff Sgt. Zach Jacobs

This funded Air Force Reserve Com-mand magazine is an authorized publicationfor members of the U.S. military services.

Contents of On-final are not neces-sarily the official views of, or endorsedby the U.S. Government, the Department

Volume 29, No. 8 AUGUST 2009

of Defense, or the Department of theAir Force. The editorial content is ed-ited, prepared, and provided by the 507thAir Refueling Wing’s Public Affairs Of-fice, 7435 Reserve Road, Suite 9, TinkerAFB, OK., 73145-8726

All photographs are Air Force pho-tographs unless otherwise indicated.Copy deadline is NOON on UTASunday for the next month’s edition.

“Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority” PAGE 3AUGUST 2009

Chapel Corner

Communication

A young Marine Sergeant, and his boss, a WarrantOfficer who stood about 6 ft 4 inches and weighed justshy of 300 pounds of solid muscle were having a discus-sion. At the time, the young sergeant had just startedback to college. One day he was telling the Warrant Of-ficer about what I had been learning in my collegeclasses. He was telling him about communication cycles,about what causes communication to break down in theworkplace, different strategies to counteract the break-down of communication and how to foster a positive at-mosphere of communication. He told him that he wanted tohold some training on communication for the troops the nexttraining day that we had scheduled.

The Warrant Officer pretended as though he was in-terested and said that would be a good idea… and aftera while he said, “I took a class like that once… have youever heard about the brick method?” I very seriouslysaid that I had not and then asked, “What is the brickmethod?” To which he replied… “It’s simple, when some-body doesn’t listen to what I tell him… I hit them upsidethe head with a brick!”

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the powerof the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”The Bible gives us many alternatives to the brick method.Whether we are at work or at home, we all can improveour communication. Over the next couple of months, I’llshare some thoughts on the subject. Next month: “Forthe Ladies: Just what does he mean?”

by Chaplain, Maj. Dwight Magnus507th Wing Chaplain

The IBA (Individually Billed Accounts) is a privilege ex-tended to our service members and civilians for use duringTDY, PCS, and PCA assignments only. If, at any time, youare questioning whether the transaction you are about to makeis authorized it is always best to error on the side of caution orcontact your unit Travel Charge Card APC.

When on TDY, PCS, or PCA travel orders the followingcharges are generally authorized:

* Airline Tickets purchased through the contract traveloffice or as authorized in travel orders

* Hotels, lodging* Rental Car* Taxi to and from the Airport/Duty Station or restaurants

for meals* Meals for authorized PER DIEM –TDY traveler Only* ATM Withdrawals for AUTHORIZED PER DIEM* Fuel/Parking for POV or Rental Car* Excess Baggage Charges* Commissary or Grocery Stores for authorized TDY ex-

penses only* Dry Cleaning/Laundry* Registration fees, if authorized on the TDY orders and/

or included with lodging costsWhen on TDY travel orders the following charges are

NOT authorized:* Any Retail Store (GNC, JCPenney, K-Mart, Walgreen,

Pharmacies, etc.) other than for authorized TDY expenses only* School supplies (except when required as part of cur-

riculum)

Government Travel CardsDo’s & Don’ts

Continued on page A4

PAGE 4 AUGUST 2009

On-final513th ACG

Nobody takes care ofyou like YOU

By Col. John Trnka

513th Air Control GroupCommander

A while back I wrote on the theme of “nobody takes careof you like you” – that you have to take responsibility forYOUR career. Always true, it’s even more so now; much ofthe “support” in the Air Force is shrinking – many of thoseexperts in finance, the MPF and admin we leaned on aregoing away, replaced by a variety of computer-based sys-tems that sometimes don’t work so well, may be confusing ordon’t help in your particular case. For routine transactions,they usually work OK, but the days of walking down the hallor across the street to ask a question about pay, OPR’s, EPR’sor a travel voucher are about gone. The days of walking upto someone’s desk for a copy of your OPR, EPR or travelvoucher are over. Now? That stuff’s only available on awebsite.

So, why am I bringing this up again? Simple. I screwedup – BIG TIME. I’ve tried to take my own advice; madecopies of all my records. Every LES, order, travel voucher,OPR I’ve written or signed, every important email, every-thing I thought I might need. Saved it all on my computer.Much of it only on the computer. Worked like a champ untilthe computer was flooded by a mean, evil, dripping air condi-tioner. Fortunately, I had an external hard drive. Unfortu-nately, that drive was disconnected months ago and I hadnever reconnected it. Looked at it every day – but I wasalways too busy to hook it back up. I’ve literally lost monthsof work as a result. I didn’t take care of me. My externalhard drive is now hooked up. Many of you will be getting one

as well in the near future; the work you do is too valuable tobe lost. We are also looking at ways of backing up data off-site. Till then, all of you have writable CD or DVD drives onyour computer. Use them. I’ll make sure we have enoughblank CD’s and DVD’s around the unit.

One good news story wrapped in a bad news story: Yearsago I built a filing system for all Orders, LES’s, 40A’s, TP’sand Travel Vouchers – about the only things I still keep papercopies of. (Before any of you grammar freaks write me, Iknow I dangled a participle there – you try and re-word it.)When the travel voucher system imploded earlier this sum-mer, and a couple of my vouchers were lost, I had the recordsto resubmit. Hopefully this particular voucher, first submittedon 8 April will be paid by the time you read this - in August.(Four months if you’re keeping score)

About those travel vouchers... The new, improved, travelvoucher processing system is broken. It will get better, butbefore it does, it is going to be a problem for everyone whogoes TDY. Vouchers that used to take days to pay may nowtake weeks, or even months. Here’s how you can take careof you – GET YOUR VOUCHER IN ON TIME; it’s onething you can control. Another’s knowing what you owe andwhen it’s due – make sure you get access to CitiBank’s websiteso you can keep track of your account. One last thing is com-municating with your leadership - if it’s been 45 days or moresince you filed and Uncle Sugar hasn’t paid-up, we need toknow. Unfortunately, late payments to CitiBank can result inbig fees, career-damaging paperwork, and ding your creditrecord, all of which sucks if the government is late payingyou. We can keep bad things from happening if you’re theinnocent victim of Finance SNAFU, but we need to know.The sooner, the better.

We’ll get through this latest bit of progress. (That didn’tcome off too sarcastic, did it?) Do your part, communicateand keep a sense of humor. Oh, and back-up the data onyour computer this weekend. Thanks again for being a partof the 513th and the Air Force. Have a great UTA.

Making way for progress ...Memorial (Toad) Hall, the

gazebo just west of theHeadquarters parking lot, will

soon be torn down to makeroom for an additional 63

parking spaces on theReserve campus. The

gazebo was built in 1991.

TRAINING PLANNER A1

FY 09-10 UTA SCHEDULE

01-02 Aug 09 12-13 Sep 09 03-04 Oct 09 14-15 Nov 09 05-06 Dec 09 09-10 Jan 10 06-07 Feb 10 06-07 Mar 10 10-11 Apr 10 01-02 May 10

05-06 Jun 10 10-11 Jul 10 07-08 Aug 10 11-12 Sep 10

As of July 29, 2009

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AFRC NCO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COURSEThe succcess of the Air Force Reserve NCO corps depends on their ability to applyleadership and management skills learned primarily in a civilian setting to a military environ-ment. Not all of today’s mid-level NCOs have extensive first-hand supervisory experi-ence in a reserve environment; therefore, the instruction in this course is intendedto improve the students’ military supervisor capabilities and understanding oftheir positions as related to the USAFR. We focus on individual improvement whichis ultimately the real source of organizational excellence and success. Next classis scheduled for Oct 19-31, 2009. See unit training manager for information.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAMILY CAREIf you need to be on the Family Care Plan, notify your first sergeant ASAP - IAW AFI 36-2908. Single parents and dual military couples with children must have a Family Care Plancompleted within 90 days of in-processing or family status change. VIRTUAL MPF1. Address Changes - You no longer have to go to 4 different screens/areas toupdate your address!!!2. Point Summaries - Point Summarys can also be viewed and printed.3. Record Review RIPs - You will now be notified via e-mail, on your birthday, to logon to vMPF to review your RIP.4. Awards and decorations - You can also get a picture display of your awards anddecorations.

HOT TOPICS : All testing (paper and computer) must bescheduled by sending an e-mail to507.msf.dpmt@tinker.af.mil with the time anddate that you would like to test and include thecourse number.Computer-based testing on the UTA isavailable on Sunday at 0800 and 1300 in Bldg.1043, ATN Room in the basement.Please schedule all tests NLT 1500 on Fridaybefore the UTA. If you are unable to keep thescheduled time please e-mail the training officeor call 734-7075 prior to scheduled testing time.All testing is also available on Wednesdays at0800 and 1300 and Thursdays at 1300.NOTE: If you are retaking a test, you mustbring the authorization letter with you or youwill not be allowed to test.

EDUCATION REMINDER:This is just to remind everyone who wishes to

update their Education Records, officer and enlisted,that we need OFFICIAL transcripts to send oraccomplish any updates. This means that itCANNOT say "ISSUED TO STUDENT." Youmay have the college/university send it, we canrequest it, or you may bring it in as long as it is in asealed envelope with a SEAL on the flap AND itdoes not say "ISSUED TO STUDENT."

Pass and ID Hours of Operation: 0800 -1200 on Saturdays of the UTA. IEU open from 1200-1500 on Saturdayof the main UTA.

Nomination packages for AMN, NCO, or SNCOof the quarter are submitted quarterly. Packagesare due by 1400, on Saturday of the UTA after theend of the quarter. (Apr, Jul, Oct, Jan)

FREE COLLEGE TESTINGAir Force Reserve members, spouses and civilian employees may take DANTESSubject Standardized Tests (DSSTs) or College-Level Examinations Program(CLEP) or Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) FREE! (Military Only forExcelsior examinations). These examinations test college-level knowledge you mayhave gained through your job, reading, travel, or hobbies. You must test at yourReserve DANTES approved test center. Testing at another DANTES test centerwill be on a case-by-case basis. For more information or to schedule testing,contact Chief Master Sgt. Sharlotte Epps in the MPF Education and TrainingOffice at 734-7075.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY PAY (FLPP)Reservists may apply for FLPP by submitting a written request for FLPP testing tohis/her commander. FLPP I requires you to be on a tour of duty that requires thelanguage. FLPP II for authorized languages will pay based on active duty days orIDT periods performed. If you are proficient at a foreign language and are interestedin this program please contact Chief Master Sgt. Sharlotte Epps or Master Sgt.Sharon Lochman in the MPF Education Office at 734-7075 for instructions on how toapply for FLPP.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TUITION ASSISTANCEReserve members are eligible to apply for TA for Distance Learning and In-Residencecourses to further their education up to a Master's Degree. The basic enrollment requirements are that you must: Be a participating member in good standing (no UIF, Article 15, etc.). Retainability: Officers - two years; Enlisted - ETS after course completion. Enrollment form must show course number/title, credit hours and cost of tuition.Complete TA forms in our office PRIOR to class start date.Payment occurs after satisfactory course completion. You must provide a paid receiptand your grade NLT 60 days after course completion. TA reimbursement amountsare set at 100 percent ($4500) per FY (Masters) or 100 percent ($4500) per FY (Bach-elors). For more information contact Chief Master Sgt. Sharlotte Epps or Ms. KimSilkwood in the MPF Education and Training Office at 734-7075.

AUGUST TRAINING PLANNERA2

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AUGUST TRAINING PLANNER A3

Editor: Chief Master Sgt. Sharlotte A. Epps, Chief, Education & Training (ART)Assistant Editor: Master Sgt. Sharon Lochman, Asst. Chief, Education & Training (ART)

If you need assistance or have suggestions on how we can improve our service to you, please call us at (405) 734-7075, or stop by our office in Building 1043, Room 213.

Ethics Briefing:All reserve personnel are required to havethe DOD Ethics Briefing within 90 days ofreporting for duty. This briefing is held inconjunction with the UCMJ briefing duringthe monthly Newcomers Ancillary Trainingat 0830 on Sunday of the UTA in Bldg 1030,MSG Conference Room.

UCMJ Briefing:Article 137 of the UCMJ requires “articles(of the code) shall be explained again ... atthe time when the membr reenlists.” In aneffort to ensure compliance with thisrequirement of the UCMJ, members whoare selected for reenlistment must obtaintheir Article 137 briefing prior to theirreenlistment. This briefing is presentlybeing given at 0830 on Sunday of the UTAat Bldg. 1030, MSG conference room.Members who need the training must bringtheir reenlistment checklist so it can beannotated.

Newcomers Ancillary Training

BAQ RecertificationDeadlines

If Last Then Forward Recertifica-Digit of Listing to Unit tion due inSSAN is: Commander in: by end of

month in: 1 November January 2 December February 3 January March 4 February April 5 March May 6 April June 7 May July 8 June August 9 July September 0 August October

Emergency Management:Unit Training Managers must scheduleChemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, andincendiary Explosive devices (CBRNE) SurvivalSkills, by name, through ACES PR. All personnelmust bring protective mask (inspected and sized)with C2 canister, protective glove inserts,overboots, mask spectacle inserts, canteen (1quart) with M1 canteen cap, web belt, helmet,Airman’s Manual AFMAN 10-100, CBRNEAwareness CBT certification. Wear of contactsis prohibited in all classes. Anyone arriving late,without all required equipment, or wearingcontacts, will be released back to their unit andreported as a no-show. Classes will always beon Sunday at 0800 and noon. Students shouldmake every effort to show up 15 minutes prior tothe start of class. Walk-ins are not welcome. Anyquestions can be directed to your CBRNE UnitScheduler.

Drug Testing: You must report withintwo hours of notification.

OCCUPATIONAL SURVEYSThese surveys provide information essential for developing personnel programs,classifying occupations, and developing trainning programs. The Wing SurveyControl Monitor (SCM) works with the Unit Training Manager (UTM) to ensuresurveys are completed. AFI 36-2623, paragraph 2.7 makes completion of thesesurveys mandatory for all Air Force Reserve members. It is extremely important thesesurveys are completed by the suspense date. If you have any questions, contact Ms.Kim Silkwood at 734-7075 or your UTM.

Military PayFile for Receive Directpay by: Deposit by:

04 Aug 12 Aug06 Aug 14 Aug10 Aug 17 Aug13 Aug 21 Aug18 Aug 26 Aug20 Aug 28 Aug24 Aug 01 Sep27 Aug 04 Sep01 Sep 09 Sep

Military Pay (405) 734-5016

Newcomers Ancillary Training Phase I & II are conducted monthly in Bldg 1030, 507thMSG Conference Room. Unit/Ancillary Training Managers are responsible for ensuringtheir new personnel are scheduled to attend within 90 days of their first UTA. If you havequestions, contact the MPF Education & Training Office at 734-7075.Day Time Subject OPR

Saturday 1330-1415 Drug and Alcohol SGSaturday 1430-1500 Local Conditions/ORM SESaturday 1500-1530 OPSEC Training OGSunday 0800-0815 Base Populace CEXSunday 0815-0830 IG Briefing IGSunday 0830-1000 UCMJ/Ethics JASunday 1000-1030 Counter Intel/Awareness SFSunday 1030-1100 Human Relations EOSunday 1300-1600 First Duty Station (Aug 2/ Nov 8) EO

**New MPF Hours**Closed Thursday noon - 1600

Saturday UTA Open 0800 - 1600

Newcomers have priority until noonDEERS/CAC/DEP IDs/F(SGLI) will beprocessed at Bldg. 460 for newcomers un-til noon. Other services will be filtered inbetween newcomers. NOTE: Your waitcould be long during newcomer processing.

Sunday UTA Open noon - 1600

Contributing Editors: Staff Sgt. Elecia Shearer, Education and Training Advisor Ms. Kimberley Silkwood, Testing and Education Advisor (Civilian)

PAGE A4 AUGUST 2009“Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority”

On-final SHIRT COLUMN

Are you ready? Do advance planningby Master Sgt. Paula Pate970th AACS First Sergeant

As most of you are aware, there isan Air Force Instruction (AFI) whichrequires military members that are singleparents or married to another militarymember with children to have a writtenfamily care plan. However, every mili-tary member should have a family careplan—even if it isn’t required by AFI.As reservists, we can be activated anddeployed at any time, leaving our familymembers behind. Have you discussedthis possibility with your spouse, and haveyou made the necessary arrangementsso that your family can maintain theircurrent living situation in your absence?

Married members may assume theirspouse will be able to hold down the fortif they get deployed, so they may not feelit necessary to make any additional ar-rangements. But what would happen ifyour spouse got sick or injured while youwere away? Who would take care ofyour children? Does anyone have apower-of-attorney to get medical carefor your children if needed? Is anyonebesides your spouse authorized to pick

your children up from daycare or school?These are issues that should be discussedprior to being tasked to deploy.

It’s often believed that it’s easier forsingle military members with no depen-dents to go TDY than it is for marriedmembers because single members don’thave to make arrangements for the careof their families. In actuality, it is oftenmore difficult for a single person to goTDY because they may have to makearrangements to have someone checktheir mail, pay their bills, and maintaintheir vehicles and homes during theirabsence. Advance planning is extremelyimportant to ensure all financial obliga-tions are being taken care of during anabsence.

I always find it ironic how many mili-tary members wait until just before theirdeparture for deployment to make a last-minute visit to the legal office to get awill. While it’s true that you may be ina more dangerous environment while de-ployed, you have no guarantee that youwill make it home safely from work to-day. If you’re worried about how yourassets would be divided if you werekilled during a deployment, shouldn’t you

Government Travel Cards DO’s & Don’tsContinued from page 3

* Uniforms, clothes, shoes* Electronics* AAFES-PX/BX other than for authorized TDY ex-

penses* Drinking establishments, night clubs, casinos other than

authorized lodging and meals* Car repairs, parts, oil changes, car wash even if POV

authorized (exceptions may apply)* Non-military related phone calls* Self moving or storage companies unless authorized

on PCS orders* Any online service: internet providers or memberships

with a monthly fee, etc.

be just as worried about it now? Youdon’t have to wait until you’re tasked todeploy to get a will—do it now—you’llhave one less thing to worry about if youdo deploy.

Even if you’re not required to have awritten family care plan, as a militarymember, you should have a thorough planin place in case you’re required to de-ploy on short-notice. You should sitdown with your family members to dis-cuss options and make decisions so thateveryone knows what to expect whenyou get the call. Obtain a will and anyneeded powers-of-attorney ahead oftime, so that you don’t have to do it atthe last minute. Your last few days be-fore deployment should be quality timespent with your family members ratherthan standing in a legal office preparinga will or getting a power-of-attorney.Planning for deployment is a stressfultime, but it could be made a little easierif you take care of these important de-tails in advance.

For more information or to inquireabout a will or power of attorney, callthe Wing Legal Office at 734-4281 or734-3823.

* Any personal expense* Postal service –use excess baggage if necessary* Any home station use (except when on local travel)

The IBA cannot be used if not on official travel orders.For those using their cards, split disbursement is mandatory.All charges to the IBA should be paid using the split dis-bursement option when filing your travel voucher. Failureto pay any balance on your monthly bill will result in the lossof your charging privileges. If your card is cancelled due tonon-payment, your delinquency may be reported to creditbureaus or may lead to collection actions. Accumulatingdebt on the travel cards can jeopardize your credit ratingsand careers.

For more details, contact FM at 734-7207 or 734-6453.

AUGUST 2009 “Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority” PAGE 5

NEWS TO USE

Reservists are not meeting annual mandateBy Lt. Col. Rich Curry507 ARW Public Affairs

All reservists must annually registerinformation about their civilian employerand job skills on the Department of De-fense-run Civilian Employer Informationwebsite.

The Department of Defense has es-tablished a mandatory 95 percent compli-ance rate for all services and a deadline ofSeptember 30 to meet that suspense.

By Federal Law, DOD is requiredto: give consideration to civilian employ-ment necessary to maintain nationalhealth, safety and interest when consid-ering members for recall; ensure thatmembers with critical civilian skills arenot retained in numbers beyond thoseneeded for those skills, and inform em-ployers of reservists of their rights andresponsibilities underthe Uniformed ServicesEmployment and Re-employment RightsAct.

According to DoDinformation on the pro-gram, the collection ofcivilian employer infor-mation (CEI) helps fa-cilitate open communi-cations between theDepartment of Defenseand the civilian employ-ers of Guard and Re-serve service members to inform ser-vice members and employers of theirrights, benefits, and obligations. Officialsstate the immediate goal is to increasethe effectiveness of the Department ofDefense’s employer outreach programsby identifying employers directly af-fected by DoD policies and mobiliza-tions. The Department will then be bet-ter able to assess actual employer needsand identify possible incentives to en-courage employer support for Reserveparticipation.

Statistics released June 8 by Head-quarters Air Force Reserve Commandindicate that reservists assigned to the507th Air Refueling Wing and 513th AirControl Group are currently standing at63 percent compliant. While better thanthe command-wide average, it is stillshort of the mandated 95 percent goal.

“I had our Public Affairs office sendout an e-mail message reminder to all507th and 513th reservists during theJune UTA,” said Col. Jeffery R. Glass,507th ARW commander. “That mes-sage produced a 4 percent jump in reg-istration for the 507th and a 3 percentregistration jump for the 513th. Still, thestatistics released by AFRC June 8 re-veal the 507th ARW has 373 membersand the 513th has 136 members whohave not updated their information.”

AFRC officials said that AGRs do nothave to register and are not reflected inthese totals.

According to Mr. Didier S.D.Opotowsky, Chief, Field ActivitiesBranch, Plans and Integration Division,HQ AFRC Directorate of Manpower,Personnel and Services, As of June 22,the Command is at 34 percentcompliance...and we need to get to 95percent compliance by September 30.”

Mr. Opotowsky, who overseesAFRC participation in the CEI program,

stated that soon each wing’s militarypersonnel flight will receive listings toshow who is and is not compliant. “Thisway, for those who are, unit command-ers can project and remind their person-nel to complete this annual review/re-certification in advance,” he said, add-ing that with this listing,

“I hope we will be able to reducenoncompliant rate significantly in thefuture.”

Other options being considered bywing officials to ensure compliance mayinclude adding CEI registration to allTDY, AEF or TDY outprocessingchecklists or withholding UTA pay-checks until members are in compliancewith the requirement.

“CEI registration was established tomeet a critical DoD requirement,” said

Colonel Glass. “Asa management tool,it helps our nationbetter meet all de-fense taskings. Ithelps us avoid blindspots we may en-counter and notoverburden certaincritical civilian oc-cupational fieldsand at the sametime permit greaterflexibility through-out DoD when

considering future taskings and re-sponses.”

Even if you have no change in em-ployer, it is still an annual requirementto update your information. Even if youare an ART, you must register your in-formation annually. Registration takestwo minutes. Go to the following link(https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/esgr/).Select the Logon tab as you must log inbefore you can access and update yourpersonal record.

On-final ORM

PAGE 6 AUGUST 2009“Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority”

by Lt Col. Richard Curry507th ARW Public Affairs

A severe thunderstorm roaredthrough central Oklahoma CountyThursday, July 16th.

At 5:05 p.m. straight winds gustingup to approximately 74 mph and hailstruck Tinker AFB.

According to L:t. Col. Mike Cahill,507th ARW Safety office, the high windsmoved several of the wing’s KC-135RStratotanker aircraft parked on the ramp.Typically a parked, fueled KC-135weighs between 175,00 to 180,000pounds. “One aircraft was moved 6 feet

while another slid 12 feet across theramp. There were several aircraft thatonly moved a few inches but still needto be repositioned to help reduce torsionalstress on the struts (where landing gear-wheels are not aligned properly). We werefortunate that our aircraft were not dam-aged by the winds or hail,”Cahill said.

After the storm passed, 507th main-tenance crews repositioned the aircraftto their original parking locations andthoroughly inspected each jet. Oklahomaweather can become very severe, Cahillwarned. He pointed out that just likestorms can affect wing aircraft, storms

Practice ORM at home as well as at workmay also take their toll on reservist’shomes and property. “Take a walkaround your home and look at it from anOperational Risk Management perspec-tive,” he said. Cahill suggested memberscheck to see if patio furnishings can besecured to minimize damage. “Whatabout the trees on your property? Do youhave dead limbs that should be removedbefore they are blown into your roof orlimbs that are too close to power lines?By using ORM you can minimize or elimi-nate potential hazards. But remember,the proper time to use ORM is BEFOREhazards actually happens,” he said.

Torsional stress or load can beseen on this main KC-135Rlanding gear. The aircraft wasmoved by high winds that struckTinker AFB July 16. Immediatelyafter the storm wing maintenanceworkers repositioned andthoroughly inspected all affectedaircraft. Wing safety officialspoint out that high winds canaffect reservists at work andhome and encourage ORM toidentify potential home hazards.

High winds struck Tinker AFB July 16 and moved several 507th ARWKC-135R aircraft parked on the ramp. This nose gear slide severalfeet to the side of the yellow center line during the storm’s estimated74 mph winds.

UPCLOSE

AUGUST 2009 “Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority” PAGE 7

The following question was asked of unit members during the July UTA:“How have you changed your fitness regimen during thehot summer months?”

Maj. Dawn Moore507th Medical Readiness

Officer“Work out indoors.”

Senior Airman Fumiko Bowen507th MPF assistant chief,

Career Enhancement“Work out bright and early in the

morning.”

Master Sgt. RosalindHolmes

507th Medical Squadron“The main thing is to makesure we stay hydrated and

stretch properly so wedon’t over-exert

ourselves.”

by Staff Sgt. Mike Andriacco 380th Air Expeditionary Wing

Public Affairs

At different bases throughout the AirForce, Airmen are turning to dietarysupplements in an effort to maintain afit force and high personal fitness lev-els, while causing possible risk to theirhealth.

“Dietary supplements are notregulated by the Food and Drug Ad-ministration,” said Maj. (Dr.) StephenTitus, the 380th Expeditionary Medi-cal Group’s chief of the medical staff.“This places the responsibility to un-derstand the ingredients’ side effectson the shoulders of the consumer.Without oversight of the FDA, thereis no third party to drive manufactur-ers to ensure that their product is bothsafe and efficacious.”

The Dietary Supplement Healthand Education Act of 1994 exemptssupplements from regulation as longas they don’t claim to cure or preventany disease. Manufacturers may statethat ingredients “may” or “have beenshown in studies” to promote a par-ticular health benefit but there is norequirement for the studies cited to becurrent or reproducible.

Because the companies are not re-quired to ensure the safety or consis-tency of the product they sell, it is en-tirely up to Airmen to know what theyare putting into their bodies and howthat can impact their mission perfor-mance. This includes reading the in-gredients list and researching poten-tial results.

More information can be found atthe Food and Drug Administration’sWeb site http://www.fda.gov in thenutrition and supplement sections.

Supplements: Make informed choices

PAGE 8 AUGUST 2009“Readiness Is OUR Number One Priority”

Midwest City, OKTech Sgt. Adam Thomas(405) 733-7639Master Sgt. Marcel Jacques(405) 733-9403

Tinker AFB, OK(In-Service Recruiter)Tech. Sgt. Melissa Melichar (405) 739-2980

Tulsa, OKTech Sgt. BillJoseph(918) 250-3400

McConnell AFB, KSMaster Sgt. Stephan Kimbrough(In-Service Recruiter) (316) 759-3766Tech Sgt. Jason Sommers (316) 681-2522

Altus, OKMaster. Sgt.

Ronald Gregory(580) 481-5123

Moore, Norman, OKTech. Sgt.

Jackie Harris-Sanchez(405) 217-8311

Vance AFB, OKMaster Sgt. StephanKimbrough(316) 759-3766

507th ARW recruitersR-News

Tinker AFB, OK(Senior Recruiter)Senior Master Sgt.Michael Seals(405) 734-5331

http://get1now.usOfficials prepare to launch morale, welfare,recreation survey

The 35th CombatCommunications Squadron

added a permanent reminder oftheir presence on base July 10

during a dedication of their newbuilding sign. The sign, a self-help construction project, cost

roughly $4,600 and took twomonths to build. Shown from

center, left to right, Lt. Col. PetePeterson, 35th CBCS

Commander; Col. Jeffery R.Glass, 507th ARW commander;and Col. Rodney Bryan, 507th

Mission Support Groupcommander; during the ribbon-

cutting ceremony. Photo by Lt. Col. Richard Curry

Defense Department officials are preparing to launch thefirst military-wide survey to assess morale, welfare and recre-ation programs. The survey is being conducted with the help ofCFI Group, a customer-satisfaction consulting firm with head-quarters in Ann Arbor, Mich. It will be e-mailed July 27 to about600,000 randomly selected service members and will appear asbeing from CFI Group “on behalf of DOD.” Those receivingsurveys will have about three weeks to participate.

New Post-9/11 GI Bill starts August 1The Defense Department is accepting registrations to trans-

fer servicemembers’ Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses orchildren. To get started, Airmen must get counseling from theireducation center, said Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner Jr., commanderof Air Force Reserve Command, in a letter to commanders. Next,they must have at least four years retainability, unless retirement-eligible, before they can transfer the benefits. Servicing militarypersonnel flights can assist. Then, Airmen must verify family mem-ber information in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment System is ac-curate before attempting to apply to transfer the benefits.

Once all of this is complete, Airmen can apply online atwww.dmdc.osd.mil/TEB. The site is accessible using a com-mon access card, Defense Department self-service user iden-tification or a Defense Finance and Accounting Service per-sonal identification number. The most current information onthe new benefit is available at www.gibill.va.gov or by calling1-888-GIBILL-1.