Andrewsgaz 112213

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2013 | VOL. 2 NO. 45

“Gold StarChildren”highlightshealing,understanding

6Exchangeprogram leads topersonal journey

4 OperationDamayan airliftoperationsintensify

7

11TH WING PUBLICAFFAIRS OFFICE

In accordance with theDepartment of Defense’sfiscal year 2014 communityoutreach plan, the Joint Ser-vice Open House scheduledfor May 2014, also known asthe Andrews Airshow, hasbeen cancelled.“We will miss the interac-

tion that JSOH allowed usto have with our friends inthe community, but this de-cision will save more than$2 million in tax dollars,”said Colonel Bill Knight,11th Wing/Joint Base An-drews commander, “We arein the process of adjustingour strategies to ensure wehave a robust outreach pro-gram within our local com-munity to show them howimportant they are to us, be-cause without their support,we would not be able to getour missions accomplished.”The decision comes after

the Department of Defensereleased a plan in Octoberthat initiated a 45 percentreduction in its outreachactivities, with a goal ofsaving an estimated $1 bil-lion dollars over the next10 years. The Joint ServiceOpen House cost approxi-mately $2.1 million in ap-propriated funds in 2012.A decision about possiblefuture JSOHs will be madeat a later date.

2014 JointServiceOpen Housecancelled

BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASSJOSHUA R. M. DEWBERRY

11TH WING

Congratulations to theAir Force District of Wash-ington’s newest Chief Mas-ter Sergeant Selects onJoint Base Andrews:

Air Force District ofWashington:Granan, PatriciaOgden, ScottHeadquarters Air Force:Formica, SebastianoKloeppel, Kevin

11th Wing:Blackstone, RhondaLewis, SherriePerry, NathanielWatkins, JosephWidner, Kelly

79th Wing:Belcher, TommyReim, TimothyWashington, Tracy

89th Airlift Wing:Baldinger, StevenBrown, TangellaHaldie, MargaretJennings, Yolanda

AFDW namesChief MasterSergeantSelects

BY CAPT. LARASTYLES-SMITH

FLIGHT COMMANDER

Starting Dec. 1, the An-drews Passenger Terminalwill no longer be open 24hours a day. The new hourswill be 4 a.m. - 10 p.m. Theterminal will also openthree hours prior to depar-tures and thirty minutesprior to arrivals for mis-sions scheduled betweenthe hours of 10 p.m. and 4a.m.For more information

visit the Joint Base An-drews Passenger TerminalFacebook page or call theFlight Recording line at301-981-3527/5851.

JBA PassengerTerminalreduces hours

New in 2014, The An-drews Gazette will no lon-ger be delivered to resi-dential customers. The lastdelivery to on-base hous-ing will be Dec. 20, 2013.Starting with the first is-sue of January 2014, findThe Andrews Gazette onracks and displays aroundJoint Base Andrews andat the Andrews FederalCredit Union AllentownRoad branch just outsidethe main gate.Liberty Park at An-

drews wants feedback onthis change. If you havesuggestions, comments orcomplaints about the shiftaway from home deliveryof The Andrews Gazette,please contact LibertyPark at Andrews Market-ing Coordinator Jessica Ai-kin at 301-736-8082 or [email protected].

The AndrewsGazette toend homedelivery

BY CHRIS BASHAMSTAFF WRITER

A few men huddledover a kitchen table in2005 and decided “tostop talking about it, andstart being about,” help-ing young, Black men inPrince George’s Countysucceed in school and inlife. That conversation ledto the founding of UpperMarlboro-based Mentoringto Manhood, said the non-profit’s Executive Director,Rob Howze at the MenWhoMake the Difference galahonoring men who work inPrince George’s County tohelp African-American boysand young men reach theirfull potential.Dr. Mickey Burnim,

president of Bowie StateUniversity; Gorman E.

Brown III, principal of Her-bert Flowers High School,Robert Malone, founderof Mentoring to Manhood,and the Reverend Tony Lee,founder and senior pas-tor of Community of HopeAME Church in TempleHills, Md. were honoredfor their efforts to support,educate and inspire youngBlack men in our commu-nity.“You talk to these young

men, and no matter whatthey say--they don’t havefriends, they don’t likeschool, their dad doesn’tcall--a person of wisdomcan see the potential, thepositive things in theseyoung men, and that is thepower of mentoring,” saidMalone.Mentoring to Manhood

sponsors tutoring and per-

sonal development sessionsin four middle schools inPrince George’s County,working with Black, malestudents identified by theschool as at risk because oftheir academic and socialstruggles. During “enrich-ment” periods as part ofthe school day and on Sat-urdays, M2M mentors meetwith their young protegesto help them study, listento their concerns and givethem the emotional supportthey might not otherwisefind from men in their lives.“There’s nothing wrong

with these boys. The bar-rier is time and relation-ships,” said Malone. “We’vegot to build those relation-ships.”The organization’s vol-

Mentoring to Manhood honors investors in lives of local students

PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM

From left, Dr. Mickey Burnim, president of Bowie State University; Mentoring to Man-hood participants Joshua Ross-Reid and Diangelo Scott; Gorman E. Brown III, principalof Herbert Flowers High School, Robert Malone, founder of Mentoring to Manhood,and Therman Evans Jr., Esq., Chairman of the Board for Mentoring to Manhood pausetogether before joining the crowd at the Men Who Make the Difference awards ceremo-ny held Nov. 15. Burnim, Brown and Malone were honored for their efforts in the com-munity, along with the Reverend Tony Lee, founder and senior pastor of Community ofHope AME Church in Temple Hills, Md. seeMENTOR, page 5

BY TECH. SGT. TAMMIE MOOREAIR FORCE DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Members from across the AirForce District of Washington gath-ered together here Nov. 19 to com-plete a project months in the mak-ing, one designed to bring smiles tothe faces of those from the unit whowill not spend the upcoming holi-days at home with their families.The AFDW members packed the

commander’s conference room tohelp fill boxes with items coveringevery inch of the large conferencetable including snacks, drink mixesand items selected to bring a touchof the holidays to the deployed per-son’s entire office.

As holiday music played in thebackground, AFDW volunteers ex-amined photos of the deployed Air-men hanging above each care pack-age box. Some photos featured de-ployed AFDW Airmen and civiliansin uniform while others included thecheerful faces of family members.Annette Bonaro, AFDW unit de-

ployment manager, coordinated thecare package donation drive andpacking event as she has the lastfive years.“Each item in the package is se-

lected for a reason,” she said. “Dur-ing the holidays there are severalitems that will keep them busy andalso allow them to share the holidayspirit with others.”

Every person Bonaro deploysfrom AFDW receives a quarterlycare package. She has already be-gun coordinating the spring themedcare packages for deployed AFDWAirmen, some of who have not evendeparted to the area of responsibil-ity.“Everybody sends the standard

stuff,” she said. “I like to themethese care packages for upcomingholidays. Some people dread the hol-idays while they are deployed andthis helps spread the holiday spirit.”For information on how to con-

tribute, contact Bonaro at 240-612-4486 or visit http://www.face-book.com/pages/CARE-Package-Central/126949817413050?ref=br_tf.

AFDW ships holiday cheer

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/TECH. SGT. TAMMIE MOORE

Members of the Air Force District of Washington wrap fragile items during the unit’s holiday care package pack-ing event at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Nov. 19. The group filled boxes for Airmen deployed from the unit with dona-tions ranging from gingerbread houses to canned snow.

BY TECH. SGT. CRAIG CLAPPER113TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

More than 100 members fromthe 113th Wing, D.C. Air NationalGuard, recently deployed to NatalAir Base, Brazil in support of CRU-ZEX 2013, a Brazilian-led trainingexercise focused on interoperabil-ity between participating air forcesfrom multiple countries. Combinedwith members from the 161st AerialRefueling Wing, Arizona ANG, theU.S. Air Force contingent’s goal forthe two-week exercise is to practiceworking together with other coun-tries’ military forces to prepare forany future real-world situations,such as the evacuation of civiliansduring a natural disaster.

“This is a great opportunity forthe Wing in general due to thetraining benefits,” said Col. W.Mark Valentine, Commander ofthe deployed contingent, “you canpretend to be in a scenario whileat home station but it is totallydifferent when you are actually intheater. This exercise will betterprepare us when we deploy to otherareas of the world in the future.”The 113th Wing provided six un-

armed F-16’s for the exercise withno live rounds, ammunition, bombs,or missiles being transported toBrazil. The scenarios providedduring the exercise are fictitiousand do not represent any particu-lar real-world events. The exerciseis not an offensive operation as it

is a training event to demonstratebasic fighter maneuvers, refueling,the maintenance of aircraft in a de-ployed location and the movementof personnel in an expeditiousmanner.“The pilots and maintainers are

just one piece of the puzzle, we haveto work together as a cohesive unitto ensure an exercise of this magni-tude is a success and that includesthe logistics and medical group,”said Colonel Valentine, “everythingfrom the deployment line to work-ing in theater, it takes a team effortand we really showed we had thecapability to deploy to anywhere inthe world thanks to the members ofthe 113th Wing.”

113th Wing members deploy to Brazil

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2 Friday, November 22, 2013Andrews Gazette

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint Military Publications,9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md., a private firm in no wayconnected with the U.S. Air Force or any branch of the UnitedStates military. The appearance of advertising in these publications,including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement

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COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS

Maxine Minar, [email protected]

John Rives, [email protected]

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HOTTICKETSAround TownNovember 22Montreal Canadiens at Washington CapitalsVerizon Center, Washington, D.C.7 p.m.Hockey season: Just about the only reason to be happy

winter is right around the corner. For information, visithttp://capitals.nhl.com/.

November 23African Children’s ChoirBethesda-Chevy Chase High School, 4301 East-West

Highway, Bethesda, Md.7 p.m.Hear children’s songs, spirituals and gospel favorites

performed by children from Uganda Kenya, Rwanda, Su-dan, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. For informationvisit www.africanchildrenschoir.com.

November 23Alex Prager: Face in the CrowdCorcoran Gallery of Art, 500 17th Street N.W., Wash-

ington, D.C.See photographs and video works that explore media

portrayals of women, and the personal stories of charac-ters in a crowd. For information visit www.corcoran.org.

November 24Soul Clap with NavboxU Street Music Hall N.W., Washington, D.C.10 p.m.Changing the world, one dance floor at a time. For in-

formation and tickets visit http://www.ustreetmusichall.com/event/393905-soul-clap-washington/


Fifty years ago today, our nationwas stunned by the assassinationof President John F. Kennedy. Myparents are of the generation quickto recall where they were when thepresident was shot—kind of the waymy generation remembers the Sep-tember 11 attacks, or my grandpar-ents spoke of Pearl Harbor.But two generations have grown

up without any memory of the eventsthat took place at Dealey Plaza be-yond the information learned inschool and a few brief, grainy filmclips. Commissions and researchersand writers from every angle have re-turned to the streets of Dallas, to thegrassy knoll and the book depository,looking for truth and a definitive an-swer to the unanswerable questions:How did we lose our president? Couldthis happen again? After half a cen-

tury there still is talk of conspiracyand cover-up. Though most of therecords related to the assassinationhave been released to the public overthe years, there still is a small per-centage of that information that issealed from the public eye. Some willbe released as soon as 2017, whileother bits of evidence will be keptfrom public release for another 25years.It seems strange in an era of con-

stantly flowing information that thegovernment could keep anythingabout such a momentous event hid-den away for more than half a cen-tury, in the interest of protectingpeople who might be unduly harmedby evidence that linked them not tothe assassination but to potentialplayers in it.I can barely remember a time be-

fore the Internet. Explaining to myadult children what it was like beforeiTunes and Google, before Twitter

and Facebook, seems almost impos-sible. We all just Photoshop thosecell phones and ear buds and tabletsinto our memories of the past. Butthere was a time when we were notconnected by technology, but ratherby the tighter, shorter bonds of com-munity. For better and worse, thingsseemed much less chaotic on a dailybasis. Perhaps that’s part of why thehorror of the day burned itself sofiercely into the minds of those whowere alive to witness it.Reading the eyewitness accounts,

it is easy to see the chaos and ter-ror and grief and loss. It is easy tosee the bravery of Jacqueline Ken-nedy and Nellie Connally as theyheld their injured husbands in themoments after the shots were fired.But it will probably never be easy tounderstand what could drive a manto kill a president. Maybe we shouldall be grateful that it still does notmake sense.

CommentaryLooking back after half a century

COURTESY OF THE RETIREEACTIVITIES OFFICE

GI Bill hits milestoneMore than one million veter-

ans, service members and familymembers have benefited from thePost-9/11 GI Bill since the program’sinception in 2009. Some $30 billionhas been distributed in the form oftuition and other education-relatedpayments. The program is a compre-hensive education benefit created byCongress in 2008. In general, veter-ans and service members who haveserved on active duty for 90 or moredays since Sept. 10, 2001 are eli-gible. On average, VA processes ini-tial claims for educational benefitsin 23 days. There is an opportunityto transfer the benefit to immediatefamily members. Benefits are tieredbased on the number of days servedon active duty, giving activated Na-tional Guard and Reserve membersthe same benefits as all other active

duty members. There also work-study programs, tutorial assistanceand license and certification test re-imbursement. Enacted in 1944, the“GI Bill of Rights” recognized thatmilitary service was an inherentlyselfless act which deserved a certainamount of compensation. Nearly halfof the 16 million veterans of WorldWar II went to school – helping to re-juvenate the post-war economy. ThePost-9/11 GI Bill builds on the samelegacy, giving Iraq and Afghanistanveterans and their families a chanceto improve their lives through highereducation. For more information onVA education benefits go to www.gi-bill.va.gov or call 800-827-1000.

Choose how to get your1099RThe IRS Forms 1099R for the 2013

tax year will become available onlinein mid-December on myPay. To cre-ate a myPay account or if you haveforgotten your password, go to www.

dfas.mil/retiredmilitary for help.DFAS will mail hard copy versionsof the 1099R in mid-January to thosewho have chosen that option. The1099R’s are not automatically issuedfor deceased members. To receive a1099R on behalf of a deceased mem-ber, you must request it and a deathcertificate must be on file.

Get help to quit smokingCigarette smoking causes one of

every five deaths in America, accord-ing to the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention. Tobacco use isalso the major cause of preventable,disease-related illness and death inthe United States. However, quittingtobacco can be a struggle; that’s whyTRICARE has resources availablefor those ready to quit. “Quit To-bacco, Make Everyone Proud” helpsmilitary personnel, family membersand retirees kick the habit. The cam-

Retiree Corner

see RETIREE, page PB

3Friday, November 22, 2013 Andrews Gazette

CAPTION THIS

Send your silly captions for this week’s photo to [email protected]. The funniestones will be used in a future edition of The Andrews Gazette.


Malcolm Grow Medi-cal Clinics and SurgeryCenter is expanding itsrange of services to helppatients make lifestylechanges to help lowerthe levels of total cho-lesterol and low-densitylipoprotein cholesterol--also known as “LDL,”or the “bad cholesterol,”while raising high-densitylipoprotein--”HDL,” the“good cholesterol”--levelsfound in a patient’s bloodsamples. The goal is a lotmore practical than justshifting numbers on a labchart. It’s an opportunityto work to protect peopleat risk of cardiovasculardisease from experiencinga heart attack or stroke.Although cholesterol is

a naturally occurring sub-stance in the human body,plaque build-up over timecan cause problems.“Blood vessels are clear

when you are a baby, beforeyou start eating any Mc-Donald’s. When the bodyis not in balance, plaquebuilds up and the bodyrecognizes those built-upareas as unhealthy. Bloodclots form something likean internal ‘scab’ and cangreatly reduce or evenstop the flow of blood,”said Dr. Derric Whitesideof the MGMC&SC Anti-coagulation Clinic. Whi-teside teaches individualsand small groups how toreduce their risk of un-healthy cholesterol levels,heart attacks and strokethrough diet, exercise andsometimes medication orsurgery.Those “internal scabs”

formed by sticky plateletsclumping against choles-terol-coated blood vesselscause problems for mod-ern people, but they werenot always such a hazard.“In the Neanderthal

days, it was straight upexercise. You had to huntfor your food. There was no

fried food,” said Whiteside.Bodies designed for thoseintense workouts and leanmeals aren’t equippedto handle the easy feast-ing of modern life. Add inother health issues typicalof a comfortable and well-fed population, and heartdisease becomes more andmore common.“Anybody can have a

heart attack, even yourmarathon runners,” saidWhiteside. “But high cho-lesterol, diabetes and met-abolic syndrome all makeone more likely.”A f r i c a n - Am e r i c a n s

have higher rates of highcholesterol, heart attacksand strokes, but White-side said that has less todo with genetics than ge-ography.“It’s not because of

race. It’s because of theSouthern diet of salty,fried, greasy, pork-filledsoul food,” Whiteside said.People with diabetes,

rheumatoid arthritis andsome other autoimmunedisorders need to be par-ticularly aware of theircholesterol numbers andwork to keep them withina healthy range, White-

side said, because peoplewith those health issuesare at risk of heart attackand stroke at cholesterollevels that in otherwisehealthy patients mightfall within what is gener-ally considered a healthyrange.“When the body attacks

itself (due to autoimmunediseases), it doesn’t justattack one area. It causesproblems pretty much allover,” said Whiteside.Although many people

don’t pay too much atten-tion to their diet and activ-ity levels when they lookand feel healthy, blockedblood vessels around theheart can cause sensa-tions that provide a warn-ing that’s hard to ignore.“I’ve had a patient say

it felt like his ex-wife wassitting on his chest. Otherssay a car, or an elephant,”said Whiteside, who addedthat blocked blood vesselscan occur anywhere inthe body. “Coronary arter-ies are small, so that is alikely place, but anywhereyou have a blood vessel,you can have a blockedblood vessel.”Blood tests reveal cho-

lesterol levels. To see theactual blockage in a par-ticular blood vessel, doc-tors can inject dye into thevessel and watch where itflows--and where it stops.At Fort Belvoir and WalterReed National MilitaryMedical Center, CT scan-ners are also used to checka patient’s calcium score.“Cholesterol is calcium

deposits,” said Whiteside.“They’ll light up on a CTscanner.”EKGs enable physi-

cians to narrow down whatpart of a patient’s heart isfunctioning poorly.Even after discover-

ing heart disease, dietaryand exercise changes cansometimes be enough tomake a difference. Ex-ercise has been found toincrease HDL cholesterollevels in the blood while

decreasing LDL choles-terol and body fat.“If you can’t make it to

the gym, I tell people towalk the streets. Just getout and start walking, andas time goes on we try toincrease your endurance,”Whiteside said, to buildup to 30-35 minutes ofmoderately strenuous ex-ercise, five days per week.“If you start with fiveminutes a day, it is betterthan nothing.”If exercise and dietary

changes do not signifi-cantly improve a patient’scholesterol levels, doc-tors may prescribe cho-lesterol-lowering statinmedications. Statin drugstake approximately threemonths to have an im-pact on cholesterol levels.There are several variet-ies of statin drugs avail-able, and each has side-effects that are specific tothe person taking them.“We can’t tell who will

or won’t have side-effects,”Whiteside said.Some patients require a

surgical solution to theirblocked blood vessels: An-gioplasty, in which a smallballoon inflated within thevessel presses plaque flatagainst the vessel’s wallsto make room for bloodto flow, or stents made ofmetal mesh which holdsthe cholesterol build-upout of the way. Surgi-cal options are generallypaired with cholesterol-lowering medication andblood thinners.Cholesterol is made by

the body in response totwo factors: your geneticpredisposition to makingcholesterol, and the foodsyou eat. Whiteside saidthat sometimes the di-etary advice passed downby your grandparents wasmore spot-on than youmight believe.“They used to say fried

food ‘blocked up your ves-sels,’ and that is sort oftrue,” Whiteside said.Other factors that can in-

crease your risk of heartattack and stroke includetobacco use, being over-weight, having high bloodpressure, and stress.“Stress does play a big

part in everybody’s life.It releases a hormonethat can cause high bloodpressure,” said Whiteside.“Most patients have twoor more risk factors. Wetry to work on the mainthings to improve them ifwe can.”Not all efforts to im-

prove blood cholesterollevels are about giving upfavorite foods, relaxationon the couch and ciga-rettes. Drinking a reason-able amount of red wineon a regular basis canactually prove “cardiopro-tective.” Whiteside said hecan often tell which of hispatients are regular redwine drinkers because oftheir lower than expectedcholesterol levels.Aside from raising HDL

and lowering LDL choles-terol levels, Whiteside en-courages his patients toreduce their triglycerides,made up of the fatty por-tion of cholesterol.Making all those chang-

es can seem a dauntingtask, but Whiteside saidit does not have to be thatway.“I’m a realistic doctor. I

don’t want to do too manythings at one time,” Whi-teside said. He encourag-es patients to begin withthirty days of exercise,three times each week,and then to start makingdietary changes, and thento stop smoking--or atleast cut down.“Little, small, incre-

mental changes will helpyou achieve what youneed to achieve,” White-side said. Check-ups everythree months until choles-terol levels have gotten inline, followed by annualfollow-up testing, can helppatients meet their goalsand maintain healthy cho-lesterol levels.

High cholesterol a concern? Malcolm Grow classes can help

PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM

Dr. Derric Whiteside of the Anticoagulation Clinic at Mal-colm GrowMedical Clinics and Surgery Center pointsout what plaque build-up can look like inside the arteriesof a patient with high cholesterol levels. Whiteside offerssmall group and one-on-one classes for patients trying toimprove their cholesterol lab results.


BY COL. JANET L. SETNORPAST PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA AS-SOCIATION OF NURSE ANES-

THETISTS

What began as a profes-sional trip turned into apersonal journey this Oc-tober for a delegation ofCertified Registered NurseAnesthetists. I went toVietnam for an education-al and cultural exchangesponsored by ProfessionalsAbroad and led by Dr. Deb-ra Malina, immediate pastpresident of the AmericanAssociation of Nurse Anes-thetists.Upon arriving at the

airport in Hanoi, oneCRNA walked up to anoth-er to say, “Welcome back.”Both had been militarynurses in Vietnam in the60s. They had never metand this was the first timeback for both. Don, whohad served as a CRNA inVietnam, and Marcia, aformer ward nurse, sharedmemories and made thesites we visited all themore fascinating.In Hanoi we toured the

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum,the Buddhist Tran QuocPagoda--which was builtin 1029 A.D., the historymuseum, and the lakewhere Senator John Mc-Cain was shot down andcaptured. This location ismarked with a beautifulplaque and statue, as theVietnamese are very proudof it. We also attended atraditional water puppetshow and took a chauffeur-pedaled tricycle tour of Ha-noi’s Old Quarter.The most sobering part

of the day was spent at H aLò Prison. The French callit Maison Centrale, butwe know it as the “HanoiHilton,” a living hell forAmerican prisoners of war.The prison was destroyedin the 1990s but the gate-house and some buildingswere preserved for tour-ism. On the grounds whereAmericans were held nowstands a beautiful, high-rise apartment building.We met with represen-

tatives of Saint Paul Hos-pital, a large, multi-fieldmedical complex in centralHanoi that used to be thelargest hospital in Indo-china and was run by theArchdiocese of Hanoi. Itis now a state-run hospi-tal. There is no air-condi-tioning except in portionsof the building to protectequipment, so most win-dows are left wide open.In spite of this, they reporta very low infection rate,saying infection control isa priority.Since January, this fa-

cility reports 30,000 in-pa-tient admissions, 250,000outpatient, and they’veconducted 5,500 surgeries.They’ve done this with astaff of 896, including 350nurses; an exceptionallyhigh patient-to-nurse/doc-tor ratio. Of necessity, fam-ily members of the patients

assist with much day-to-day care. This hospital has23 nurse anesthetists, whowork with the anesthesi-ologists as part of a careteam.Prices for services are

determined by the govern-ment and posted as a menuat the entrance. We raninto some Australian tour-ists who took a very sickand injured friend to theemergency room, wherehis wounds were treatedand medication was givento him for his illness. Hisentire bill was $27, and hewas told to recover in hishotel. That sounds like abargain, until you realizethe average citizens’ an-nual income is $1,100.We then visited the pri-

vate L’Hospital Francaisde Hanoi. This hospitalwas like most western fa-cilities and is supportedentirely by foreign invest-ed capital. This facility hasa physician focus with aFrench-Vietnamese multi-disciplinary medical team.It is the only hospital inVietnam to have receivedan active SARS patient.In 2003, this patient andsix hospital staff membersdied from the disease. Dur-ing this period, the entirehospital staff was quaran-tined to the hospital forfour months. Miraculously,one nurse survived aftercontracting SARS and to-day only bears the scars ofa tracheotomy.In Ho Chi Minh City-

-formerly Saigon--we vis-ited the Pham Ngoc ThachUniversity of Medicine.Our hosts were the facultyof the Nursing and MedicalTechnology Department.The dean of the school isa Harvard-trained vascu-lar thoracic surgeon andthe associate dean of theschool of Nursing is thefirst, and only, Nurse Ph.D.in Vietnam. All of theirnursing faculty membersare masters-prepared.We sat with some of the

students, and participatedin the simulation lab. Thisis the first year for theformal education of nurseanesthetists in Vietnam.After extensive testing ofthe nursing candidates,the university selected thefirst twenty-one students,who will graduate witha Bachelor of Science inNurse Anesthesia in 2017.The program is similar toU.S. programs. In the past,anesthetists were trainedin the various hospitals ina less formally structuredmanner that could be lik-ened to ‘on the job’ train-ing. My understanding isthat the nursing educationin Vietnam is equivalentto our associate degreeprogram and is two yearslong. Nurses must test an-nually to maintain licen-sure. The nursing programis divided into two tracksfrom day one: Nursing andmidwifery. Their goal is to

develop the midwifery andother specialty programsinto BSN and eventuallyMSN degrees to mirror theU.S.We then visited the

Children’s Hospital. Wespoke with many nursesand toured an intensivecare unit. This facility hasa 1,400-bed capacity witha daily in-patient countof more than 1,600. Itwas amazing to see par-ents on straw mats un-der overhangs all aroundthe grounds taking careof their children. We sawmany patients with hep-locked IVs in the care oftheir family members.They know what time toreport to clinics for treat-ment and then return tothe mats. The patient-to-nurse ratio in the ICU is 5to 1, with 30-40 patients to2 nurses in the wards. Dur-ing our time in the ICU, wewitnessed a pediatric codewith a successful outcome.The patient was a ten-year-old drowning victim.

The code was calm, wellhandled and eerily quiet.The nurses knew theirroles well and the recordercalmly called out times andmedications. This was a 30-bed ICU with 35 intubatedpatients. The nursing staffwas impressive.Then, the trip turned

into a personal journey forme.We went to the MekongDelta where my father, re-tired U.S. Army CommandSgt. Major Raymond Mal-pica, spent a lot of timeduring two tours of duty inthe Vietnam War. I nevertruly appreciated whathappened to him while hewas deployed here. Whenhe returned from Vietnamhe never shared his expe-rience with us. He was for-ever changed and we justaccepted it as part of life asan infantry family.In a tiny, dilapidat-

ed ferry, we crossed thebrown, murky water of theMekong River to visit acoconut orchard. This wa-terway of commerce was

crowded with fishing boatsand looked, for all theworld, like movie of Viet-nam from the 60s. As weleft the river and startedup the canals, the jungleenveloped us. I thought ofmy dad, and all the Sol-diers who had to do thistrek on foot and survivein the choking vegeta-tion. You could barely seefive feet into the snake-infested brush. It was anemotional epiphany forme. After walking throughthe Mekong Delta villagesI almost understand his si-lence. I love you, Dad.Our last day we ven-

tured to the C Chi Tun-nels, 75 miles from Ho ChiMinh City. The tunnelswere used by Viet Congsoldiers as hiding spotsduring combat, as well ascommunication and sup-ply routes, hospitals, foodand weapon caches andliving quarters for NorthVietnamese fighters. Thetunnel systems were ofgreat importance to the

Viet Cong in their resis-tance to American forcesand helped counter thegrowing American mili-tary effort. Knowing thatevery 20 yards there wasa bail-out point made it anacceptable challenge forthree of us. Afterward, welearned the tunnels wereinfested with ants, poison-ous centipedes, scorpions,spiders and vermin. Whatwas I thinking?!Traveling to Vietnam

opened a floodgate of mem-ories for Don and Marcia,which they were strong andgracious enough to share.We also share the bond ofbeing military nurses whohave deployed to war. Thesimilarities of going towar in 1968 and 2008 areastounding. Marcia wasquoted in her hometownnewspaper many yearsago as saying “The moralewas pretty good and spir-its high, considering thesituation.” The same holdstrue for many of us today.

Exchange program leads to personal journeyAn American traveler shares her view of Vietnam and its health care system

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

American POW clothingis on display in the “HanoiHilton.”

Colonel Setnor follows the Cu Chi Tunnels in the Mekong Delta.

Traffic is wild on the streets of Vietnam.

BY STAFF SGT. DAVIDSALANITRI

AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRSAGENCY OPERATING LOCA-

TION - PENTAGON

The Air Force’s seniorleader addressed membersof the Air Force Associationand the media regardingAir Force readiness duringthe association’s monthlybreakfast, held Nov. 18 inArlington, Va.”Air Force readiness

has suffered an “increasedlevel of risk’ as a result ofsequestration,” said ActingSecretary of the Air ForceEric Fanning.Calling the service’s

r ead ine s s s i tua t i on“murky,” he summarized

what risk of a decreasedreadiness level could meanfor the Air Force.It’s the “risk that fewer

of our Airmen and fewer ofour planes will come back(from operations),” Fan-ning said.The model of Air Force

readiness, which has air-craft and Airmen ready torespond at a moment’s no-tice, includes flying hoursfor squadrons of pilots,which enables them to de-liver airpower across theglobe when needed.“We have to be able to

move right away,” Fan-ning said. “The sequesterdoes not allow us to main-tain our readiness model

through the next fiveyears.”Under sequestration,

the Air Force, along withits sister services, mustmake significant cuts rap-idly.“There’s no ramp built

into sequestration,” Fan-ning said. “The cuts areinstantaneous.”In order to meet the cuts

required by sequestration,Fanning said the servicewill have to cut approxi-mately 25,000 Airmen and550 aircraft.“We don’t get savings

by taking a squadronfrom every fleet,” he said.“You have to take the en-tire fleet and everything

that surrounds them.”Fanning noted the Air

Force isn’t alone when itcomes to feeling impacts ofsequestration. Sequestra-tion is felt throughout theDepartment of Defense.“It’s a tremendous hit

for readiness; all the ser-vices are feeling it,” hesaid. “Every service istaking a different strat-egy. Across all the services,we’re all struggling. We’reall approaching it a differ-ent way.”Fanning summarized

the Air Force’s near futureconcisely.“It’s a tough five years

for us going forward,” Fan-ning said.

Acting SECAF: AF at increased level of risk under sequestration


JBA BuzzWould you rather be idolized or respected?

Jeffrey Slater,11th Force Sup-port Squadronmotor vehicleoperator/An-drews YouthCenter support

Valerie Robin-son, Clinton,Md.

Senior AirmanJohn Rohn,779th DentalSquadron den-tal technician

Sylvia Goff,11th Force Sup-port SquadronHealth Promo-tion manager

“I would much ratherbe respected andserve as a role modelfor children.”

“I would rather berespected, based oncharacter.”

“I would rather berespected than idol-ized. I would like forpeople to rememberme for doing some-thing noble or great.”

“Of course I wouldrather be respected.Being idolized is nothow God wants us tobe seen.”

unteers also attend school parent/teacherconferences and teach life skills such asfinancial literacy, dining etiquette andeffective communication. The focus is ondisrupting what Prince George’s CountyPublic Schools Board of Education Chair-man Dr. Segun Eubanks called, “thispipeline from school to prison.”For many of the boys who participate

in M2M, there were few strong and posi-tive relationships with older men beforethey joined the program. Due to death,incarceration or for other reasons, theboys could not rely upon a strong bondwith a loving, attentive and successfulfather. Mothers struggling to provide fortheir children are often absent as well,and exhausted when they are at home.It’s a combination that does not providethe safe, healthy, nurturing and calmenvironment that sets children up to de-velop into successful adults. With that inmind, M2M works to engage parents aswell, whether by including them in ac-tivities with their children and mentors

or by providing seminars on anger man-agement, depression and other strugglesfaced by single parents.Each year, M2M honors a selection of

men who have helped boys in the com-munity. The honorees are selected after anomination process which focuses on “thespecific stories they have of mentors hav-ing an impact on others. It’s the storiesthat make the difference,” Malone said, indetermining who will be among the hon-orees each year.Though the spotlight was aimed at

mentors this week, the volunteers atM2M are determined to keep their focuson the young men who can benefit fromthe extra support and encouragement adedicated mentor can provide. The gala isone of the organization’s most successfulfundraisers.“By sharing or passing on the wis-

dom that we adults have to our youngmen, we will build the future leaders ofthis county and the state of Marylandand certainly this country,” said PrinceGeorge’s County Communications repre-sentative Barry L. Hudson, speaking onbehalf of County Executive Rushern L.Baker III (D).

MENTOR, from page 1

BY CHASE COOKTHE PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE

Prince George’s County ExecutiveRushern L. Baker III (D) is acceptinggrant applications from nonprofit orga-nizations providing programs that helpgrowth and development of county com-munities.The Office of the County Executive

Community Partnership Grant Programhas about $1.6 million in funding avail-able to eligible nonprofits with the com-munity-based initiatives, according to aPrince George’s County Executive Officenews release from the county executive’s

office. The applications are available on-line at the Prince George’s County web-site, www.princegeorgescountymd.gov,listed under the county executive’s office.Eligible nonprofits must be designated

as 501(c)(3) by the Internal Revenue Codeand based in or serving Prince George’sCounty, according to the news release.Only one application per organization willbe accepted, and the paperwork is due byNov. 22, according to the news release.

This story originally appeared in theNov. 14 edition of The Prince George’s Ga-zette.

Prince George’s Countyaccepting applicationsfor nonprofit grants


A 12-year-old who said he was nearlyabducted near Central High School inCapitol Heights on Friday prompted aPrince George’s County police search forthe alleged suspect.But after police spent a portion of Sat-

urday afternoon canvassing the neigh-borhood looking for the alleged abductorand talking to witnesses, the young manadmitted in a follow-up interview that hemade the event up, police said.County police received the initial call

at 5:15 p.m. on Nov. 15 to the 200 block ofCabin Branch Road in Capitol Heights foran attempted abduction.

“We certainly understand thatthe report of an attempted abductioncaused great concern in our communi-ty,” said Capt. Meredith Bingley, com-mander of the Regional InvestigationDivision’s Central Region in a releasedstatement. “We do not take this falsereport lightly.”As of Monday, information about the

alleged victim’s motives for the false re-port and potential punishment for the re-port are not available, said Police OfficerFirst Class Nicole Hubbard, county policespokeswoman.

This story originally appeared in theNov. 18 edition of The Prince George’s Ga-zette.

Prince George’s police say youthmade up attempted abduction


With an estimated 20,000 people set todescend on Prince George’s County’s new-est retail attraction — Tanger Outlets atNational Harbor — for its grand openingtoday, residents should expect delays de-spite efforts to mitigate traffic.Tanger Outlets will open at 9 a.m. to-

day with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10a.m.Mall representatives anticipate a large

turnout of guests and customers, whichwill likely fill up the center’s 4,000-plusavailable parking spaces and ancillaryparking areas, said Christi Wallace, thecenter’s general manager.The mall is opening with about 99 per-

cent of its high-end retail stores such asCalvin Klein and Coach leased, Wallacesaid. “We generate a lot of excitement,so we know that is going to bring a lot oftraffic,” Wallace said.Wallace said Tanger has been working

with Gameday Parking Management andPrince George’s County Police Depart-ment to prepare for today’s parking andtraffic situation.County police will direct cars while

county Department of Public Works andTransportation members will monitortraffic signals and will post signs advisingthrough traffic to avoid Oxon Hill Road,said DPWT spokeswoman Carol Terry.Joyce Thorpe of Fort Washington said

Tanger’s location on Oxon Hill Road willcreate disastrous traffic even with man-agement efforts. Oxon Hill Road goes

from three lanes in both direction to twolanes, one in each direction, and that’s go-ing to cause problems, she said.“Traffic is going to be horrendous,”

Thorpe said. “It is not a good location toattract that many people.”County Executive Rushern L. Baker

III (D) said that while traffic has been aconcern for the county, he is pleased toknow that people from Virginia, D.C. andother parts of Maryland will be coming toPrince George’s County for high-end re-tail, something the county has desired forsome time.“We are going to have thousands of

people looking to shop and be enter-tained,” Baker said.The area around the Tanger location

will be stocked with portable cameras tomonitor traffic flow in case cars back upto Interstate 95, prompting the need foradjustments by the Maryland State High-way Administration, said SHA spokesmanDavid Buck.“We are certainly aware of that week-

end,” Buck said. “If it is only parking thatbecomes overwhelmed, that’s an issue forNational Harbor.”Tanger’s opening is occurring about a

year after construction started.Each store is having its own separate

sales and Tanger is offering a coupon onits website as part of the event, Wallacesaid.

This story originally appeared in theDec. 19 edition of The Prince George’s Ga-zette.

Prince George’s prepares forNational Harbor’s TangerOutlets excitement, traffic

AOSC IMPROVISES FUN

AND FASHION

PHOTO/SHELLIE BERGO

The Andrews Officers’ Spouses Club hosted an improvisational theater group andjewelry vendors over lunch Nov. 12 at The Courses. From left, Karen Jackman, RobertLovett and Jill Redding improvise with Otter Productions’ improv performer HerbertOtter. The next AOSC function, Christmas Around the World, will be held Dec. 10.. Visitthe AOSC website at www.andrewsaosc.org for more information.

BY SHERRY MAYSONAVE

The American PediatricAssociation’s recommen-dation for “no screen timebefore 2 years old” is likestepping back in time andrecommending using dia-per pins instead of tapetabs to secure diapers. Itsticks families with un-realistic rules for today’sdigital world. Their state-ment swaddles the impor-tant issue of screen timeso tightly that it merelyreproaches parents who donothing to limit or managekids’ screen time, whilefailing to address theoverriding issue: positiveversus negative content.Guidance for how to

achieve a healthy balanceof screen time would havebeen a far more valuableand realistic approach.Technology is not goingaway, and babies will beexposed to it because their

parents and older siblingsare using it. Besides, tech-nology is ultimately goodfor babies.Short sessions of screen

time, which features edu-cational content, makesbabies smarter and of-fers no ill effects. A baby’sbrain is full of unconnect-ed synapses — potentialintelligence. Brain stimu-lation in infants, whichalso requires engagementof their attention, is whatconnects their synapsesvia increased blood flow,which creates neuronalpathways between thesynapses. The number ofconnections is the mea-sure of actual intelligence.In other words, screen

time can be learning time.So, there’s no need to feelguilty.Mom and Dad: it ’s

okay to take a break. It’sokay to secure the babyin an appropriate safe

seat, and give the childan iPad that’s set to aneducational eBook or appthat has enhanced sound,rich visuals, and autopage turning. Parents getto enjoy a few minutes ofquiet time. Babies get toenjoy multi-sensory learn-ing experiences that grownew neuronal pathways intheir brains. Parents canthen take their babies ona walk and explore thewonders of the outdoors.That’s called balance.Balance is essential to

learning to walk; balancedscreen time that focuseson educational contentis essential for raisinghealthy, smart kids grow-ing up in a technology-rid-dled world.Sherry Maysonave, au-

thor of EggMania, believesthat even babies can ben-efit from a balanced mediadiet. Visit her online athttp://maniatales.com.

Babies need balanceScreen time can be learning time


BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

The Tragedy Assistance Pro-gram for Survivors hosted theshowing of a one-hour documen-tary film, “Gold Star Children,”Nov. 18 at the Capitol VisitorsCenter’s South Orientation The-ater in Washington, D.C . Thefilm follows the parallel journeysof two generations: A woman wholost her father in Vietnam morethan 40 years ago and a younggirl whose father was killed inIraq.The screening was followed by

a panel discussion led by survi-vors of service members lost inthe Vietnam War.Producer Mitty Griffis Mirrer

highlighted the parallels and con-trasts in the lives of Jennifer De-nard, who lost her father in Viet-nam, and Cierra Becker, whosefather was killed in the Iraq War.“With this film, I just felt like

if I could just show the journeyfrom the knock on the door to theend, you would see this upliftingand powerful story about wherea little girl just blossoms afterthe death of her father in Iraq, instark contrast with a woman whoreceived the telegram notifyingof her parent’s death in Vietnam.But throughout the film this now40-year-old woman ends up men-toring this little girl,” said Mirrer.Mirrer said that the film,

which took eight years to make,almost didn’t happen.“I kept going through Kick-

starter campaigns to raise funds,because I represent a nonprofit or-ganization and everyone that yousee here tonight had something todo with this film. This is an in-dependent film and I approachedthis project from the heart,” saidMirrer. “My father was killed inVietnam in 1970, moments aftermy birth, and through great orga-nizations like TAPS, by the timechildren were losing a parent toIraq and Afghanistan wars thiswas already in place.”Mirrer noted that during that

time TAPS had started a GoodGrief Camp, where childrenare mentored one-on-one. “So,through TAPS I had the experi-ence of mentoring a little girl,whose father was killed in Iraq.TAPS is a game changer,” saidMirrer.Mirrer said that for the most

part grief for an estimated 20,000family members went under-ground during the post-Vietnamera.“People were afraid to talk

about it for fear of somethinghurtful being said. So, now youcome to today’s wars, where chil-dren can talk about their loss in

real time and talk about the ex-perience of losing a parent to war,unlike the children of the Viet-nam era who are now grown, buthad to wait to come out of silencebecause then there was no sup-port systems in place,” said Mir-rer.Mirrer commended support or-

ganizations like TAPS, Gold StarMothers, Gold Star Wives andSnow Ball Express for providingneeded support to grieving familymembers.“What I want to see is that

our military will use this film fortraining for Casualty AssistanceOfficers and I also want to bridge

that disconnect with civilianswho may not be familiar withmilitary loss directly or by a fam-ily relative,” said Mirrer. “I wantthem to know what a Gold StarChild is and what they need torebuild their lives after the lossof a parent.”“It was hard. All I can remem-

ber was the only thing I wantedto do was protect my sons,” saidYolanda Acevedo, who reluctantlyappeared in the documentary. “Ididn’t want my children to haveto live in silence, enduring thepain and loss of their father. Theywere so young then, but the TAPSprogram really helped them tocope with losing their father bet-ter.“When I was first asked to be

in this film I had reservations for

some time. But I realized that IfI could help someone get throughtheir pain or help educate some-one else about what the TAPSprogram has to offer I would bedoing a great service to my boysand other families affected by theloss of a loved one,” said Acevedo.“In TAPS I found other sisters,

women, who were going throughthe same thing as me and I want-ed my boys to know that they’renot alone. This is something thathappens to a lot of other people,and that they can be success-ful in life. Many of the kids thatparticipate in the TAPS camp, goon to enter into the armed forcesand become dedicated to service.My two sons are now in the NavyROTC, students following theirfather’s legacy, and TAPS gavethem a healthy sense of self andhelped them to continue theirjourney.”At the conclusion of the panel

discussion Mirrer was awarded aGold Star pin by Gen. George W.Casey, Jr. former Chief of Staff ofthe Army, in an impromptu cer-emony to commemorate her life’ssupport of the Gold Star Childprogram. Mirrer concluded thatshe was honored to wear the pinthat she had seen so many othersurviving family members wearover the years.Bonnie Carroll, TAPS found-

er, noted there are an estimated2,000 youth who have participat-ed in National TAPS camps.“We also do programs all

over the country at military in-stallations and bring togetherhundreds of families, like CampPendleton, Camp LeJeune, FortBragg and Fort Carson,” said Car-roll. “In 2014, TAPS has over 60programs planned and some ofthose will include camping out inthe traditional tents on differentbases. So I’m thankful that theprogram has really grown overthe years.”An estimated 46,000 Gold Star

Children have been designatedsince 2001 due to the wars in Iraqand Afghanistan.

“Gold Star Children” highlights healing, understanding

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

The Gold Star Children pose for a photo after the panel discussion at the Capitol Visitors Center’s SouthOrientation Theater in Washington DC Nov. 18.

Mitty Griffis Mirrer, Gold Star Chil-dren producer, introduces herfilm, Gold Star Children.

Second from left, Mitty Griffis Mirrer, Gold Star Children producer,addresses an audience question during a panel discussion.

BY TERESA GUZIKSERVICESOURCE

Disability resource non-profitServiceSource, Inc. hosted their28th annual Service ExcellenceAwards Oct. 23 at the JW Mar-riott in Washington, D.C. Medi-cally retired Staff Sgt. HarryV. Louque, who served combattours in Iraq and Kuwait, re-ceived the New Horizons Award,which recognizes an individualwho has used ServiceSource’semployment and rehabilitationprograms to challenge them-selves to fulfill personal and pro-fessional goals.While in Iraq, Louque sus-

tained multiple injuries thatresulted in him being medicallyevacuated and later, medicallyretired from the Army. In thetwo years after his transitionback to civilian life, Louquewas diagnosed with severe PostTraumatic Stress Disorder re-lated to his service, for whichhe sought treatment before re-integrating into the civilianworkforce.Louque worked with a career

specialist who directed him tothe Warrior Bridge program run

by ServiceSource, a nonprofitdisability resource organizationthat provides customized pro-grams and supports for individ-uals with disabilities and theirfamilies, from employment andjob placement to training, reha-bilitation and housing.ServiceSource hired Louque

to work on a contract throughthe AbilityOne Program thatinvolved closing out federal gov-

ernment contracts with a teamof veterans with disabilities. Atfirst, Louque was still strugglingwith PTSD and had sporadicwork attendance. ServiceSourcemet with Louque and his careerspecialist. Louque explained hisdebilitating fear and his inabil-ity to even leave his house somedays. ServiceSource worked withhim to put together a scheduleand program that accommodat-

ed his needs and eased him backinto the work force.Working with other veterans

created a more comfortable envi-ronment where Louque was ableto thrive. He was promoted, andeventually received an outsidejob offer as an associate contractadministrator at National In-dustries for the Blind in Alexan-dria, VA.“ServiceSource stuck by me

and did all they could to helpsupport me in a situation wheremost employers would have cuttheir losses,” Louque said.Louque remains connected to

the Warrior Bridge program as amentor to other veterans strug-gling with the transition to civil-ian life. His goal is to help andinspire other veterans sufferingfrom PTSD.

Medically retired Staff Sergeant receives NewHorizons Award

BY STAFF SGT.NICHELLE ANDERSON11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

John R. Botwinick, 89thCommunications Squadron mis-sion systems flight chief, wasawarded the 50 Years of CivilService pin by Lt. Gen. DarrenW. McDew, 18th Air Force com-mander, Nov. 18, 2013.“It was an honor; it was hum-

bling,” Botwinick said. “I wasvery appreciative, especiallywith a three-star coming topresent it.”Botwinick retired from the

United Stated Air Force in Oct.1985 after 23 years as a wideband maintenance technicianand supervisor.“During my 23 years of ser-

vice in the Air Force, I got to

travel the world,” Botwinicksaid, “I spent 15 of those yearsoverseas.”In November of 1986 Botw-

inick accepted a position as alogistics management special-ist assigned to the then 2045thCommunications Group, JointBase Andrews, Md., where heworked as the assistant chief ofmaintenance.When in Aug. 1994, the

2045th Communications Groupwas reorganized with the estab-lishment of the 89th and 789thCommunications Squadrons,Botwinick became the Mis-sion Systems flight chief forthe 789th Comm Squadron. Hewas responsible for managinga flight that maintains sophis-ticated communications equip-ment in support of the president

of the United States and otherhigh-level government officials.In 2006, the group was reor-

ganized once again to the 89thAirlift Support Group and the789th Comm Squadron was re-named the 89th Comm Squad-ron.“I met and worked with some

of the best people, from the low-est-ranking Airman to the mostsenior-ranking; it has been thebest period of my life,” said Bo-twinick.After 50 years in civil ser-

vice, Botwinick will retire May17, 2014.“It’s time for you guys and

gals to handle it,” he said.During retirement Botwinick

plans to golf, travel and visitfamily.

Botwinick earns 50 Years of Civil Service pin

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS NESHA HUMES

Lt. Gen. Darren W. McDew awards the 50 Years of Civil Service pin toJohn R.. Botwinick Nov. 18, 2013 at the 89th Communications Squad-ron on Joint Base Andrews, Md. Botwinick retired from the Air Forceafter 23 years, and in 1985 went on to work as a federal employee.McDew is the 18th Air Force commander and Botwinick is an 89thCommunications Squadron, mission systems flight chief.


BY SACHA SIMMONSDISTRICT CROSSFIT

District CrossFit is partneringwith the Tragedy Assistance Pro-gram for Survivors to benefit theNavy Yard Relief Fund and rallythe Navy Yard and Southwest DCneighborhoods, proving that thecommunity is far more resilientthan any act of terror. With thatin mind, they will host a “Char-ity Pro-Am” event Nov. 23 at theSouthwest District CrossFit gym.DCF SW is located three blocksfrom the Navy Yard Building 197,where a gunman opened fire onmore than a dozen people on Sept.16.“For many DC natives, Sep-

tember 16th felt eerily similarto Sept. 11, 2001. DC is our city.Southwest is our neighborhood.Return-to-normal happens alltoo slowly. We at DCF want to doour part to rally support for thosewhose lives were forever changed

by the violent acts of that day,”said Andrew Killion, owner ofDistrict CrossFit.Elite CrossFitters, including

Jenn Jones, Gary Helmick, Jor-dan Troyan, Gretchen Kittleberg-er and more will team with regu-lar CrossFitters to compete andraise funds for the victims andtheir families. Athletes can reg-ister to compete and the winningteam will have a large donationmade to the T.A.P.S Navy YardRelief Fund in their name. DCF ispartnering with Reebok FitHub,Uber, Good Stuff Eatery, RosePhysical Therapy Group, GrovePrinting, The Pug, South BlockCafé, Matchbox Food Group, BlueJacket, Grindstone Universal,Sweetgreen and more to provideprizes to athletes and spectators.This event is free and open to allages.For more information or to reg-

ister, visit dccrossfit.com.

District CrossFit Pro-Am supports NavyYard Relief Fund

BY SYLVIA GOFF779TH MEDICAL GROUP HEALTH

PROMOTION MANAGER

In collaboration with the Fit-ness Center, the Health and Well-ness Center will kick off the annu-al Smokeout with a 5K Run 7:30a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21. Jointhe fun and receive motivationalitems. Bring a Stick for a Stack- trade in cigarettes for gum, wa-ter bottles, stress balls, and more.The Fitness Center will also give“trotters” a chance to win a freeturkey or ham.If you are thinking about quit-

ting smoking but not sure you’reready to take the plunge, TheGreat American Smokeout is anopportunity to join with otherJoint Base Andrews smokers in

saying “no thanks” to cigarettesand other tobacco products for 24hours.The rules are simple: Quit

smoking for the 24 hours of theSmokeout. The great thing is thatyou won’t be alone. Other “quit-ters,” nonsmokers, and the Wing-men around you will be cheeringyou on. By quitting even for oneday, tobacco users take an impor-tant step toward a healthier life- one that can lead to reducingcancer risk. If you don’t go on toquit permanently, you will havelearned that you can quit for aday and that many others aroundyou are taking the step, too.For more information on be-

coming Tobacco Free, contact theHAWC at 240-857-HAWC (4292)or 240-857-5601.

Join the Great AmericanSmokeout 5K Run

Washington, D.C.—One hun-dred people attended an inter-faith prayer breakfast Nov. 8 atWashington National Cathedralto honor United States veterans.The Honorable Togo D. West, Jr.,former secretary of Veterans Af-fairs, was the keynote speaker.Prayers were offered by Jewish,Buddhist, and Christian militarychaplains, and the United StatesAir Force Singing Sergeants of-fered musical selections, as wellas the national anthem.The Very Rev. Gary Hall,

dean of the Cathedral, welcomedguests, saying, “Because ear-lier veterans were memorializedhere—and because you are heretoday—this Cathedral will beable to serve as a place of respitefor the veterans of our future:Men and women who will knowthat their struggles will continueto be recorded and honored herein a place that works to rechargetheir spirits.”

The event, sponsored by Dr. J.Phillip London and Dr. JenniferBurkhart London, with furthersupport from the Episcopal Of-fice of Armed Forces and Federal

Ministries, also commemoratedthe sixtieth anniversary of theend of the Korean War and thefortieth anniversary of the end ofthe Vietnam War.

Washington NationalCathedral honors veterans

PHOTO/DONOVAN MARKS

From left, the Right Rev. James B. Magness, the Very Rev. Gary Hall,and the Hon. Togo West.

BY 2ND LT. JAKE BAILEY374TH AIRLIFT WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

CLARK AIR BASE, Philip-pines (AFNS) -- Airmen from the36th Airlift Squadron launched24-hour C-130 Hercules aircraftnight operations in support of Op-eration Damayan Nov. 18. Nightoperations substantially multiplythe joint airlift component hereto increase the flow of evacuationflights from Tacloban, Philippines,the region hit hardest by TyphoonHaiyan.Five C-130 crews from Yokota

Air Base, Japan, are conductingmultiple nighttime sorties thateach carry up to 42,000 pounds ofrolling cargo in the form of human-itarian aid and relief supplies fromManila to Tacloban. After offload-ing cargo at Tacloban, the crewsairlift evacuees seeking safe ha-ven to Manila. The aircraft carryapproximately 120 passengers perevacuation mission.“Airlifters are working around

the clock to support the joint air-lift operation,” said Lt. Col. JeffreyMenasco, the 36thAirlift Squadroncommander. “Our team is focusedon providing professional airlift as

we take part in this historic mis-sion to help our Philippine allies.”As joint service and Armed

Forces of the Philippines membersescorted evacuees onto the aircraftat Tacloban Airport, special carewas taken to assist the elderly andparents with infants.“We are assisting evacuees with

the utmost dignity and respect,”Menasco said. “The people of thePhilippines are our friends andneighbors -- our forward presencehere in the Western Pacific andclose relationship with regional al-lies allows us to rapidly respond tocrises.”While the crews began night-

time operations, a team of eightoperators from the 36th AirliftSquadron forward deployed toCamp Aguinaldo, Philippines, toassist in standing up an Air Com-ponent Coordination Element,Joint Task Force-505. The unitinterfaces and provides air liaisonwith host-nation, joint and multi-national response entities duringOperation Damayan.“As this operation builds, we

look forward to refining our in-teroperability and improving uponlessons learned across the joint

and combined operations commu-nity,” Menasco said.The 36th AS arrived at Clark

Air Base Nov. 16, having just com-pleted an airdrop exercise withtheir Bangladeshi counterparts.The training proved to be timelyand useful, offering the opportuni-ty to rapidly set up an off-stationoperations center and integratewith host-nation assets. Now, theywere tasked to put the training toreal-world use.Airlift planners from the 36th

AS jumped into action upon ar-riving, establishing a makeshiftmission-planning cell collocatedwith Marine Aircraft Group 36,3rd Marine Expeditionary Battal-ion, Air Combat Element. The Ma-rines, along with Airmen from the353rd Special Operations Group atKadena Air Base, Japan, providedthe 36th AS with the most current

information and operational pointsof contact for their situationalawareness.Spanning the flight line at

Clark AB is a veritable ‘who’s who’of joint air assets such as Air ForceMC-130 Talons, Navy P-3 Orions,Marine MV-22 Ospreys and C-130Js. Yokota’s Hercules aircraftare a welcome addition to the line-up, substantially increasing thecapacity of the response effort.“The C-130 Hercules is a proven

workhorse that is capable of flyinginto the remotest of regions,” said1st Lt. Travis Wilkes, a C-130 pi-lot assigned to the 36th AS. “Com-bined with our nighttime capabil-ity, the Herc is an unstoppableforce when it comes to executingtactical airlift.”24-hour airlift operations will

continue to launch from ClarkAB this week.

Operation Damayan airlift operations intensify

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS/2ND LT. JAKE BAILEY

Evacuees from Tacloban Airport exit a Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft Nov. 19 at Villamor Air Base,Republic of the Philippines, during Operation Damayan.

Airmen and Marines load humanitarian aid onto a C-130 Hercules air-craft during Operation Damayan Nov. 18 at Clark Air Base, Republicof the Philippines. Five C-130 crews from Yokota Air Base, Japan, areconducting multiple nighttime sorties that each carry up to 42,000pounds of rolling cargo in the form of humanitarian aid and relief sup-plies fromManila to Tacloban, Philippines.

A Philippine army soldier watchesas evacuees from Tacloban Air-port prepare to exit an Air ForceC-130 Hercules aircraft Nov. 19at Villamor Air Base, Republicof the Philippines, during Opera-tion Damayan. The aircraft carryapproximately 120 passengersper evacuation mission.

BY CAPT. CHASE GUNNELL2014 JOINT BASE ANDREWS TAX

CENTER

Tax season is almost uponus. The Joint Base Andrews TaxCenter will open its doors Jan.20, 2014 for E-4 and below. TheTax Center will then open itsdoors to all active duty and theirdependents Feb. 3, 2014. Thisyear’s Tax Center will offer freetax assistance to active dutymembers and dependents with avalid ID card.

The Tax Center is located inroom 2550 of the Jones Building.It will operate on a walk-in basis8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Thursdayand 8 a.m. - noon Fridays.Regrettably, due to budget

cuts and fiscal constraints, theJoint Base Andrews Tax Cen-ter will be unable to serve ourretiree population. There are,however, many options availablefor retirees. Please visit www.irs.gov for additional resourcesavailable in the National Capi-tal Region.

To have your 2013 returncompleted by the Tax Center’svolunteers, bring your govern-ment-issued military or depen-dent ID card, hard copies of allW-2s/1099-Rs, interest state-ments, dividend statements,brokerage statements, completedocumentation for any deductionor adjustment you wish to claimand a copy of last year’s tax re-turn. Please direct all questionsto Capt. Chase Gunnell at [email protected].

Joint Base Andrews Tax Center opens Jan. 20

For more news from other basesaround the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.

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The Security Forces Blotter is intended to keep mem-bers of the Joint Base Andrews Community informed andaware of the crimes and offenses that occur thorough outthe base each week. If you have any information that mayhelp the Security Forces solve a crime or prevent a criminalact, please call Base Defense Operations Center at 301-981-2001, CRIME STOP LINE 981-2677 (COPS), or the inves-tigations section at 301-981-5656.5:06 p.m. Nov. 12, 2013: SF responded to a theft at the

BX. Individual was detained by the Loss Prevention office.The individual was charged accordingly. The price of theamount stolen was $2.19.3:33 a.m. Nov. 15, 2013: A individual was detained at

the Main Gate for having an open container. The individu-al was charged for failure to obey a lawful order.

Update on barrier light sequenceDue to multiple vehicle/barrier strikes please adhere to

the following:When there are no lights illuminated at a barrier it is

safe to proceed or cross the barrier.When there is a solid yellow light the barrier is being

activated and will rise in three seconds. Do not attemptto accelerate across the barrier. Safely stop your vehicle.When there is a solid red light the barrier is deploying

in less than one second/is deployed. Stop immediately, DONOT attempt to cross the barrier. You risk severe damageto your vehicle and injury to yourself and others.As an additional reminder, even if the barrier lights are

off do not stop or park on top of the vehicle security barri-ers. If raised, they come up with enough force to lift yourvehicle off the ground.

Security ForcesPolice Blotter

COURTESY OF DEFENSE ACTIVITY FOR NON-TRADITION-AL EDUCATION SUPPORT

The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional EducationSupport announced Oct. 1 that College Placement SkillsTraining, a new online program provided by DANTES,is live and can be accessed at www.nelnetsolutions.com/dantes/. CPST is available to service members, DoD civil-ians and family members, to help prepare for college, buildacademic skills and prepare for exams such as CLEP orDSST.“CPST serves as a companion tool to the highly popu-

lar and effective Online Academic Skills Course,” saidDANTES OASC/CPST Program Manager Kathy Bratsch.“It will assist military members that plan to start or returnto college by providing a refresher of college algebra and/orEnglish composition.”CPST is especially helpful for those beginning their col-

lege program, as most colleges require students to takeplacement exams before enrolling in English and mathclasses. Students who put the effort into taking a refresherprogram like CPST can impact the number of pre-collegeclasses they might need, thereby saving their tuition as-sistance dollars for credit classes. More importantly, whenstudents test into college level courses, they save time andaccelerate their degree completion.Both courses are self-paced and customized according

to each participant’s answers on a pre-course assessment.Lessons are supported by interactive exercises such asdrag-and-drop matching, video game-style multiple choiceand dynamic flash cards. Quizzes and practice problem setsalso help students gauge their mastery of the material.CPST and OASC offer skill-building lessons, quizzes andtests and helpful articles covering such topics as “How toBeat Test Stress” and “Last-Minute Study Tips.” Further-more, these programs offer detailed tips and strategies fordoing well on college entry exams.

CPST lessons include the following areas:ELA (English and Language Arts)• Main Idea Identifying• Direct Statements/Secondary Ideas• Inferences – Point of View• Sentence Relationships (cause/effect, etc.) Essay Writ-

ing• Organizing and Developing Ideas• Avoiding Common ErrorsMath•Whole Numbers, Fractions• Decimals and Percents• Simple Geometry• Elementary Algebra – (integers and rationals, add,

subtract, multiply and divide monomials and polynomials,etc.) College-Level Math• Algebraic Operations• Linear and Quadratic Equations• Functions (polynomials, etc.)• Trigonometry•Applications (series and sequences, word problems, de-

terminants, complex number problems)HMCM(FMF/SW) David Acuff, DANTES Senior Enlist-

ed Advisor, is excited about the new program, saying “CPSTis perfect for individuals who want to build their readingcomprehension, vocabulary, and math skills to pass exams,excel in their jobs, advance their careers, or continue theireducation. Because both programs are self-paced and on-line, they are accessible 24/7 whether you’re in the Fleet,Field, Air, or even in the comfort of your own home. Allyou need is an Internet connection and the desire to getstarted.”For more information, contact the DANTES CPST/OASC

Program Manager at [email protected] or (850) 452-1111Ext 3131.For more information about programs offered by

DANTES, visit http://www.dantes.doded.mil.For more news from Naval Education and Training

Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnet/.

CPST is newestDANTES onlineprogram

CFC passes halfway point

PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM

The 779th Medical Group andCombined Federal Campaignmarked the halfway point ofthe CFC open pledge seasonNov. 15 with a pizza-fueledopen house at Cafe Malcolminside Malcolm GrowMedicalClinics and Surgery Center.Service members and civilianemployees visited outreachtables staffed by charitableorganizations which are eligi-ble for support through directdonation by federal employ-ees. For fifty years, federalemployees have had theopportunity to support non-profit organizations of theirchoice through donations thatcome out of their paycheckautomatically. To learn moreabout the organizations fund-ed in part through the CFC,visit http://www.opm.gov/combined-federal-campaign/.


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