Andrewsgaz 112913

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013 | VOL. 2 NO. 46

Just smokeyour turkey4“Spirit of the

Season” takesover the region

3 CBMmentorstake kids oncultural field trip

5

BY CHRIS BASHAMSTAFF WRITER

Hunger and want don’t takeoff for the holiday season. In-stead, that is the time of yearwhen the struggle to provide fora family’s basic needs, let alonefestive meals and special gifts,seems especially difficult. For 11years, the Redskins CharitableFoundation has teamed up withthe nonprofit Operation Bless-ing and local businesses to pro-vide the makings for a bountifulholiday meal for local families inneed.Traditionally, the Harvest

Feast is held the Tuesday beforeThanksgiving. This year, how-ever, approximately 3,500 fami-lies who participate in PrinceGeorge’s County Departmentof Social Services programs re-ceived groceries to cover theirholiday table on a Saturday af-ternoon, in cooperation with theRedskins’ playing schedule.“Since there is a Monday

night game, we couldn’t do it ona Tuesday this year,” said Red-skins Charitable Foundation Ex-ecutive Director Jane Rodgers.“At first, we were very uncom-fortable because we have a tradi-tion to do it on a Tuesday, but wetake our direction on dates fromthe stadium.”Redskins alumni, local elected

officials, leadership of the Red-skins Charitable Foundation,team owner Dan Snyder, coordi-nators from Operation Blessingand more than 500 volunteers

distributed 103,085 pounds ofpackaged and fresh food alongwith 42,000 pounds of turkey.“It’s all the Redskins,” said

Prince George’s County Depart-ment of Social Services Internaland External Affairs LiaisonDee-Dee Bass, who added thatDSS provided approximately 75volunteers to help distribute thegroceries for the Harvest Feastthis past Saturday.Other volunteers included

Redskins staff and alumni andlocal elected officials. PrinceGeorge’s County Council mem-ber Karen Toles (D-Dist. 7) saidthat approximately 600 of thefamilies who received a Thanks-giving feast reside in District 7.“I’ll be volunteering, passing

out turkeys with many of my col-leagues. We want to make sureno one goes without a Thanks-giving meal,” said Toles. “I’mvery fortunate, and I want tomake sure all the residents ofPrince George’s County have ahappy Thanksgiving, as well.”DSS verified that each of

the 3,500 families who receiveda Thanksgiving food distribu-tion are DSS clients, residentsof Prince George’s County andwithin income guidelines, andalso chose a military family tofeature in a pre-distributionpress conference.Sgt. Grant Allen and his fam-

ily are a part of Joint Base An-drews. A former U.S. Navy Sail-or who transitioned to the Air

11th annual Harvest Feastfeeds local families

PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM

Sgt. Grant Allen holds his daughter Brooklynn at a press conferencebefore the Harvest Feast.

see FOOD, page 5


After 10 months of prepara-tion, the fifth annual Teens &Jeans Walk-A-Thon, held Nov.23 at Bladensburg WaterfrontPark, brought together hun-dreds of walkers and othervolunteers determined to raiseawareness of the needs of home-less and hungry residents of ourregion. They also collected morethan 20,000 pairs of gently wornjeans to be distributed to 15 ar-ea homeless shelters. Girl ScoutTroop 535 of Fort Washingtonwas there to volunteer for theirsecond year in a row.“We come out and cheer the

walkers, to give support. We didthe same for a diabetes walk andthe breast cancer walk. I don’tknow if they’re doing it just forthe service hours, but they getsomething out of it: This couldbe you, but for the grace of God,”

said Assistant Troop Leader Sa-brina Burroughs.Approximately 300 people

joined the Walk-A-Thon, walk-ing two-mile, three-mile or five-mile courses along the Anacos-tia River Trails at BladensburgWaterfront Park. NaturalistTonya Johnson said that thejeans collected by the Teens &Jeans effort will be distributedto 15 shelters in Prince George’s,Montgomery and Charles coun-ties in Maryland; as well asWashington, D.C. and Virginia.Prince George’s County Park

and Planning Division’s Ex-treme Teens program spear-heads the annual effort inpartnership with other countyorganizations, coordinating thewalk, entertainment by theNorthwest High School March-ing Band, post-walk snacks forparticipants, and the fierce com-

Teens & Jeans Walk-a-thon raises awareness, fashion for homeless

PHOTOS/CHRIS BASHAM

Bladensburg Waterfront Park Naturalist Tonya Johnson, left, and Rec-reational Specialist Dana Hill start planning the Teens & Jeans Walk-A-Thon each February.

Tara Hughes of Gaithersburg,Md., and Alydia Young, 16, ofSpringdale, Md., fold donatedjeans as part of a team of volun-teers from Bladensburg 7th DayAdventist Church’s “Sisters forChrist” group. see CLOTHES, page 4


After months of construction,thousands of shoppers visitedthe new Tanger Outlets Nation-al Harbor shopping center overits opening weekend, Nov. 22-24, despite parking challenges,crowded shops, overwhelmedrestrooms and the first trulywintry weather of the season.Tanger Outlets National HarborCenter General Manager Chris-ty Wallace called the first week-end, “extremely robust and wayabove expectations,” althoughshe did not have an estimatedcount of the number of visitors.“Sales were above expecta-

tions, traffic was above expecta-tions. With that came throughan excellently executed plan toget people in, and get them backout.”Tanger contracted state and

county police officers as wellas privately owned Game DayParking and Management, anorganization which providestraffic flow control for the Olym-pics, professional football gamesand other large sporting events.“It was an extremely smooth

weekend and I’m really excitedabout it. That’s not blowingsmoke,” said Wallace. “I havenever had so many happy peo-ple, so many people grateful for

First weekend crowdstest Tanger Outlets

PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM

Layla Armstrong, 6, of Suitland, shows off the sparkling swirlsof face paint she wears at the grand opening of Tanger OutletsNational Harbor. The shopping center offered children’s entertain-ment as part of its opening weekend.see MALL, page 4


Col. Teresa Skojac, Chief ofMedical Staff and Chief MedicalOfficer at Malcolm Grow Medi-cal Clinics and Surgery Center,is spearheading an effort tointroduce a new sort of doctorvisit for patients with chronicconditions: Group Medical Ap-pointments. The first GMAs atJoint Base Andrews are aimedat helping patients with knownheart disease or diabetes man-age their cholesterol levels.“It’s a fairly new model for

the military,” said Skojac, whosaid her team worked on plan-

ning the cholesterol manage-ment GMAs for about eightmonths before launching themat MGMC&SC. So far, approxi-mately 40 people have complet-ed the pilot program, as part ofthe clinic’s tracking efforts. ThePediatric department will soonbegin their own GMAs to helptreat childhood obesity.The GMA model aims to

change the way both patientsand physicians look at medicalcare and chronic disease man-agement.“They have found in re-

search that a one-to-one rela-tionship can be very dictatorial:Thou Shalt Not Eat Red Meat,

Thou Shalt Start an ExerciseProgram. In group, it bringsthat down a level. The provid-er acts more like an educator,”said Skojac. “You should knoweverything about your medicalproblem that I do, and why it isimportant to comply with yourprimary care provider’s recom-mendations.”Groups of 12-15 patients

meet with a physician everytwo weeks for two months, witha goal of learning what theyneed to do to improve theirhealth and coming to under-stand how to integrate helpful

Group Medical Appointmentshelp patients manage cholesterol

see CHOLESTEROL, page 4

2 Friday, November 29, 2013Andrews Gazette

HOTTICKETSAround Town

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

by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the prod-ucts and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase,use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin,age, martial status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS

Maxine Minar, [email protected]

John Rives, [email protected]

Chris Basham, [email protected]

Deirdre Parry, page [email protected]

Bobby Jones, [email protected]

Through December 22A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebra-

tionCenter Stage, 700 North Calvert Street, Baltimore, Md.Showtimes varyEnjoy the stories of historical and fictional characters

in 1864, featuring classic carols and folk songs. For infor-mation visit www.centerstage.org.

Through January 1Winter Festival of LightsWatkins Regional Park, 301Watkins Park Drive, Upper

Marlboro, Md.5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.The park is lit for the season, for the 27th year. Bring

canned goods to donate to local food banks. For informa-tion visit www.pgparks.com/Festival_of_Lights.htm.

November 29 - December 1Donnell RawlingsThe DC Improv. 1140 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washing-

ton, D.C.6:30pm.“Intelligently bold” stand-up. For information visit

www.dcimprov.com.

December 1Pro Musica HebraicaThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,

2700 F Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.7:30 p.m.Hear the voice of the clarinet in Jewish classical music

performed by Alexander Fiterstein clarinet and friends.For information visit www.kennedy-center.org.

COURTESY OF THE RETIREEACTIVITIES OFFICE

CHAMPVA makes dentalinsurance affordableDelta Dental and MetLife allow

eligible veterans and family mem-bers receiving care under the Civil-ian Health and Medical Program, topurchase affordable dental insur-ance. More than 8 million veteranswho are enrolled in VA health carecan choose to purchase one of the of-fered dental plans. This three-yearpilot has been designed for veteranswithout dental coverage, and thoseeligible for VA dental care who wouldlike to purchase additional cover-

age. Participation will not affect en-titlement to VA dental services andtreatment. There are no eligibilitylimitations based on service-connect-ed disability rating or enrollmentpriority assignment. People inter-ested in participating may completean application online through eitherDelta Dental, www.deltadentalva-dip.org, or MetLife, www.metlife.com/vadip. Also eligible are nearly400,000 spouses and dependent chil-dren who are reimbursed for mostmedical expenses under CHAMPVA.Dental coverage varies by plan andincludes diagnostic, preventive, sur-gical, emergency and endodontic/re-storative treatment. Participants are

responsible for all premiums, whichrange from $8.65 to $52.90 permonth for individual plans. Copay-ments and other charges may apply.For more information, contact DeltaDental at 855-370-3303 or MetLifeat 888-310-1681.

HUD addresseshomelessnessApproximately 9,000 veterans

living on the streets and in the na-tion’s shelter system will soon finda permanent place to call home.The Department of Housing andUrban Development will provide

Retiree Corner


A few weeks ago, I was talkingwith a native Detroiter about, well...about how the Motor City is runningon fumes. Dave hasn’t lived in De-troit since he enlisted nearly twen-ty years ago, but his family is stillthere and keeps him informed of theevents and characters and the occa-sional jail sentence for a city official.In a lot of ways, his Detroit is not

all that different from my D.C. Themess of it all can be kind of amus-ing, from a distance, but as is oftenthe case it’s not funny once you’re init. Dave’s parents have a dog in theDetroit fight: They are retired publicschool employees.When Dave’s parents and gen-

erations of other educators in De-troit signed on to teach in the publicschools, they were promised a ben-efits package. Maybe, in hindsight, itwas too generous to be sustainable,but it was the deal when they signedon, and even when they reachedretirement. Lately, there has beensome talk that because Detroit isstruggling with a financial mess de-cades in the making, one way theycan cut costs is to cut the benefits ofretired school employees.

I can understand radically chang-ing the contracts of new and prospec-tive teachers. But people who havealready fulfilled their commitmentshouldn’t have to worry that the oth-er side of the deal has an easy out,whenever they want it.Back here in D.C., we’re all still

shaking from this summer’s seques-tration, and preparing for the nextround. The federal government is notas strong and solvent as it used tobe. There are going to be cuts, andthere probably should be cuts, tokeep our country solvent and func-tional. But it seems like cuts to theDefense department are shamefullyeasy to make.DoD officials have asked the De-

fense Commissary Agency to createa plan to close all commissaries inthe U.S., as part of the DoD’s FY2015 budget request. It’s just a re-quest for a plan. There’s no scheduleat this point that says the 178 com-missaries in the U.S. will shut downfor certain by a particular date. Butit’s on the table, in a way it has notbeen before.Closing more than 70 percent of

DeCA’s stores would be a fiscal hem-orrhage for the agency, and wouldgreatly reduce its ability to negotiatefor reduced prices for goods to sell in

the remaining commissary locationsoverseas. It would eliminate jobs forthousands, many of whom are mili-tary spouses. It would also removea benefit service members werepromised when they volunteered toserve, and one which they and theirfamilies rely upon to stretch familybudgets which can already be tighterthan they should be, for those whoare committed to protecting Ameri-cans and our way of life with theirlives.The government needs to change

the way it looks at money, the way itraises funds and the way it spendsthose funds. The American taxpayerdeserves common sense reform. Butit shouldn’t come at the expense of apromise made to young service mem-bers signing on for a commitmentthat can last decades, and which canhave an economic impact long afterretirement.Benefits like the commissary are

promises our country makes to themembers of our armed forces. Weshouldn’t be trying to turn our backson those promises. Our nation is bet-ter than that, and no one knows thatbetter than the people who sign on towear the uniform.

CommentaryIs a benefit a promise?

see RETIREE, page 4

1036307B

3Friday, November 29, 2013 Andrews Gazette

BY TECHNICAL SGT.ADAM GREEN

The United States Air ForceBand’s holiday concerts are justaround the corner. This year willfeature many new and excit-ing offerings centering aroundthe theme of “Spirit of the Sea-son.” Nearly all of our perform-ing ensembles will be featuredin various locations around themetropolitan area. There will besomething for everyone, includ-ing a fun matinee performancefor school children by the ConcertBand and Singing Sergeants. Dueto the limitations brought on bysequestration, the band is notable to perform at D.A.R. Consti-tution Hall this year.The U.S. Air Force’s premier

rock band, Max Impact, will pres-ent holiday-inspired sets at oneof our nation’s favorite museumson the Mall, as well as a perfor-mance at Joint Base Andrews formilitary members and their fami-lies. Max Impact is a high-energyrock band guaranteed to enter-tain you this holiday season.

Thursday, Dec. 5;Friday, Dec. 6;Saturday, Dec. 7 andSunday, Dec. 811 a.m., noon and 1 p.m.National Air and Space Mu-

seumIndependence Ave. at 6th

Street, S.W.Washington, D.C.Free and open to the public. No

tickets are required.The official chorus of the U.S.

Air Force, the Singing Sergeantsis one of the most versatile andtalented choral organizations inthe world. The group will pres-ent concerts of a capella holidayfavorites at another popular mu-seum on the Mall.

Saturday, Dec. 711 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.National Museum of American

History14th Street and Constitution

Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C.Free and open to the public. No

tickets are required.

The Air Force’s premier coun-try band, Silver Wings, will befeatured at this same museum onSunday, Dec. 8. The core of thisgroup recently returned from ahighly successful deployment,providing service members awell-needed “taste of home.” Thisdynamic performing ensemblewill keep your toes tapping withsome down-home holiday music.11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.National Museum of American

History14th Street and Constitution

Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C.Free and open to the public. No


The U.S. Air Force’s premierjazz band, the Airmen of Note,will thrill with fun, classic as wellas new, holiday charts. In 2010,their album “Cool Yule” reachednumber 2 on JazzWeek maga-zine’s Jazz Weekly chart. Thisyear, hear these tunes live!

Thursday, Dec. 127:30 p.m.College of Southern Maryland8730 Mitchell RoadLa Plata, Md.Free and open to the public. No


Friday, Dec. 137 p.m.THE ARC1901 Mississippi Avenue, S.E.Washington, D.C.Free tickets will be available

at THE ARC box office startingDec. 4.The Concert Band and Singing

Sergeants will perform a large-scale production titled “Spirit ofthe Season.” We are excited topresent this concert at two localhigh schools and at the Smith-sonian Institute National Airand Space Museum, Udvar-HazyCenter. This program will be re-peated in an abbreviated formatas a matinee for school childrenMonday, Dec. 16 at the Udvar-Hazy Center, as well.

Thursday, Dec. 127 p.m.T. C. Williams High School Au-

ditorium

3330 King StreetAlexandria, Va.Free tickets available at the

auditorium box office Monday -Friday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. start-ing Nov. 25. Closed Nov. 27 - 29for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Friday, Dec. 137 p.m.Walter Johnson High School

Auditorium6400 Rock Spring DriveBethesda, Md.Free electronic tickets avail-

able at www.wjmusic.eventbrite.com

Sunday, Dec. 153 p.m.Smithsonian National Air and

Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Cen-ter14390 Air and Space Museum

ParkwayChantilly, Va.Free and open to the public. No


Monday, Dec. 1610:30 a.m. and noonHoliday Matinee for KidsSmithsonian National Air and

Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Cen-ter14390 Air and Space Museum

ParkwayChantilly, Va.To make your free reserva-

tions, email: [email protected].

“Spirit of the Season” takes over the region

A.F. PHOTO

Max Impact will be among the seven performing groups from theBand that will present public holiday concerts across the metropoli-tan area from Dec. 5 to Dec. 16.

BY 459TH AIR REFUELING WINGPUBLIC AFFAIRS

Chaplain, Major Joshua Kimis a traditional reservist (Cat A)assigned as the Wing Chaplainto the 459th Air Reserve Wing,here.Prior to his Reserve commis-

sion, Kim was assigned at PopeAir Force Base, N.C. from 2004-2008 as a Protestant Chaplain.His first tour as a reserve Chap-lain was at the United StatesAir Force Academy Cadet Chapelsupporting Basic Cadet Train-ing from 2009-2012. Followinghis assignment at USAFA, heserved at the 11th Wing Chapel,Joint Base Andrews, Md. He wasdeployed to Southwest Asia insupport of Operation EnduringFreedom/Iraqi Freedom in 2005.Chaplain Kim also served on

active duty in the United StatesNavy from 1991-1995. As a Hos-pital Corpsman, Chaplain Kimworked at Naval Hospital Ports-mouth and was a medic to a Ma-rine infantry unit.

“The Air Force ChaplainCorps provides spiritual careand the opportunity for Airmen,their families, and other autho-rized personnel to exercise theirconstitutional right to the freeexercise of religion, “ said Kim.

“This is accomplished throughreligious observances, providingpastoral care, confidential coun-seling and advising leadershipon spiritual, ethical, moral, mo-rale, core values, and religiousaccommodation issues.”

New chaplain arrives at459th Air Refueling Wing

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/ STAFF SGT. KATIE SPENCER

Chaplain Joshua Kim chats with Senior Airman Ayeshah Hampton,759th Logistics Readiness Flight, Nov. 15. Kim is the new head chap-lain for the 459th Air Refueling Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.

BY JASON ALDERMAN

Would you be surprised tolearn that if your laptop getsstolen during a car break-in,your automobile insuranceprobably won’t reimburse youfor the loss? Don’t be.Many people have only a

vague idea of what their car in-surance does and doesn’t cover,how they might accidentallyvoid their coverage or that evenif an accident isn’t their fault,their own insurance may notpay for damages if they don’thave the right kind of coverage.Common car insurance ex-

clusions include:Named driver exclusion. This

is an agreement between youand your insurance company toexclude a specific person fromcoverage for liability or physi-cal damage caused when driv-ing a car you insure. You mightchoose it if, for example, theinsurer is threatening to can-cel your policy because a familymember has an unsafe drivingrecord or a suspended license.Such drivers should never

be allowed to drive cars fromwhich they’ve been excluded;it’s the same as driving unin-sured and you both could beheld personally liable for anydamages.Interestingly, some policies

will cover friends and/or familymembers when they drive yourcar, provided they don’t live inyour household. Coverage levelsin such situations may be less,so check your policy carefullyfor details.Car rental insurance. Car

rental agencies offer their owncollision, liability, theft and oth-er insurance coverage. Conven-tional wisdom says you shouldavoid buying it if your own in-surance – or benefits availablefrom your credit card – providesimilar coverage for rental cars.However, first contact your in-surance company and creditcard issuer to make sure youare fully covered.Replacing stolen items. Most

car insurance policies won’t re-imburse you for items stolenfrom your car that are not per-manently installed (like built-

in sound systems). These mightinclude cellphones, computers,wallets, luggage, etc. However,homeowners or renters insur-ance generally covers your per-sonal property, no matter fromwhere it’s stolen.Business use restrictions.

You must maintain a businesscar insurance policy if you useyour personal vehicle for busi-ness purposes, whether you de-liver pizzas part-time, partici-pate in a ride-sharing service(like Lyft or Sidecar), or evenrun business errands for yourboss. Otherwise, you may not becovered in an accident or theftand may even void your cover-age. Ask whether your employ-er’s policy covers you; if not, addbusiness use to your own policyor use a company car.Other coverage shortfalls to

watch out for:• If your car is stolen or

damaged, most insurers cappayments for a loaner car atspecific daily and total usagerates, so if you want a nicerloaner car or your vehicle needsextensive repairs, you mighthave to pay out-of-pocket forsome expenses.• If your car is stolen or to-

taled, the insurer will reim-burse you for what the car iscurrently worth (Blue Bookvalue), which, if you’re leasingor paying off a loan, may not beenough to cover what you owe.In that case, consider gettinggap insurance.• Don’t skimp on uninsured

motorist coverage, which pro-tects you if the other driver isat fault and isn’t insured. It’srelatively inexpensive com-pared to the collision coverageyou take out in case you’re atfault, so why tempt fate?• Policies generally won’t

provide liability coverage for in-juries or property damage thatwere caused intentionally.Even if you drive a clunker,

it pays to have adequate carinsurance. Just make sure youfully understand what is andisn’t covered.

Jason Alderman directsVisa’s financial education pro-grams.

Watch out for potholesin your car insurance

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

visit www.dcmilitary.com.

BY GARY SHEFTICKARMY NEWS SERVICE

FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS)-- The Joint Hometown NewsService, part of the Defense Me-dia Activity at Fort Meade, Md.,is partnering this year with Siri-usXM Radio to enable servicemembers worldwide to send holi-day greetings to loved ones backhome.Military members anywhere

can call a toll-free number, 888-776-2790 or DSN 312-733-4660,to record a holiday message forairing on the satellite radio net-work.For 30 years, holiday greetings

have been collected by Joint Home-town News Service teams thattravel overseas and bring mes-sages back to air on stateside radioand television stations. While thisyear’s team already has returnedhome, it’s not too late for servicemembers to participate, said theprogram’s director.“Even in the world today with

social media and service membersable to Skype from anywhere,

there’s still something specialabout turning on the radio andhearing a family member whocannot be home for the holidays,”said Rick Blackburn, director ofthe Joint Hometown News Ser-vice.“This is a great opportunity

for our folks and is a reminderto the American public that ourmen and women serve around theworld, 24 hours a day, seven daysa week,” he said.Airmen can call SiriusXM

around the clock and leave a15-second greeting. They will beprompted by a recorded messageto provide their name, rank, dutylocation, hometown and then ashort greeting to friends or fam-ily.“Our goal is to get as many

military members on the air forthe holidays as possible,” Black-burn said.So far this year, 2,658 holiday

greetings have been collected. AJoint Hometown News Serviceteam traveled to Alaska, Japan,Korea and Guam. Additionalgreetings were also collected from

service members in Afghanistanand Europe by American ForcesNetwork broadcasters.With Defense Department

budget cuts, teams are not ableto travel as much as they usedto, and the Joint HometownNews Service appreciates otherspitching in to help with holidaygreetings, said Amy “Natasha”Schleper, JHNS broadcast chief.“With other outlets willing to

pitch in and shoot for us, we’reable to really get a good numberof holiday greetings, as well as abetter mix of locations,” Schlepersaid.“It’s a lot of extra work for

them,” she said. “We hope theyknow the families at home appre-ciate their efforts.”Every video greeting is turned

into a radio greeting as well,Schleper said.SiriusXM Radio is “another

avenue we are using” to collectand distribute important holidaygreetings, Blackburn said.The holiday greetings will be

aired on SiriusXM’s “Holiday Tra-ditions” channel through Jan. 1.

Airmen can send satelliteradio holiday messages


The annual Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run kicked off theGreat American Smokeout Nov. 21 at Joint Base An-drews, jointly hosted by the West Fitness Center and theHealth and Wellness Center. Participants were asked toquit smoking for 24 hours to make that first step towarda healthy and smoke-free life. For more information onbecoming tobacco-free, contact the Health and WellnessCenter at 240-857-HAWC (4292) or 240-857-5601.

JUST SMOKE YOUR TURKEYGREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT AND TURKEY TROT 5K FUN RUN SUCCESSFUL

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Joint Base Andrews runners braved brisk winds during the annual Great American Smokeout and Turkey Trot 5K FunRun Nov. 21.

Maj. Travis Boltjes,National Guard BureauF-16 functional area man-ager, checks his time ashe crosses the finish line totake first place in the Tur-key Trot.

First Lieutenant Tim Plante, 779th Aerospace Medicine Squadron physiologist, receivesa T-shirt for participating in the annual event.

Subhaker Satyanarayan, 11th Force Support SquadronJoint Base Andrews Fitness and Sports director, presentsa turkey to Maj. Travis Boltjes, National Guard BureauF-16 functional area manager, first place winner of theannual Great American Smokeout and Turkey Trot 5K FunRun.

$60 million to local publichousing agencies acrossthe country to offer perma-nent supportive housing tohomeless veterans, manyof whom are living withchronic disabling condi-tions. The HUD-VeteransAffairs Supportive Hous-ing Program combines itsrental assistance with casemanagement and clini-cal services provided byVA. Since 2008, more than48,000 vouchers have beenawarded and some 42,500formerly homeless veteransare now in homes. “Thesevouchers are a critical re-source to accomplish ourshared goal of ending veter-ans’ homelessness in 2015,”according to a VA spokes-man. HUD’s annual esti-mate for 2012 found thatveteran homelessness fellby 7.2 percent since 2011and by 17.2 percent since2009. The new grants arepart of $75 million appro-priated this year to supporthousing needs of homelessveterans. VA medical cen-ters offer supportive servic-es and case management.The centers refer veteransto public housing agen-cies for the HUD vouchers,based upon a variety of fac-tors, most importantly theduration of homelessness.Veterans participating inthe HUD-VA program rentprivately owned housingand generally contributeno more than 30 percent oftheir income toward rent.

Museum presentsNavy historyThe Navy’s National

Museum at the Washing-ton Navy Yard is devotedto the display of naval ar-tifacts, models, documentsand fine art. The museumchronicles the history of theUnited States Navy fromthe American Revolution tothe present. It was estab-lished in 1961 and openedto the public in 1963. Closeto 200,000 individuals vis-it the museum annually.Admission is free. Hoursof operation are Tuesdaythru Friday, 8-5, and Sat-urday and Sunday, 10-5. Itis closed Mondays. Visitorscan park in the pay lot on MStreet, across from the 6thStreet gate on weekdays asvehicular traffic is not al-lowed to the museum. Visi-tors may drive in throughthe 11th & O Street gate onweekends. An exhibit, “1813Don’t Give Up the Ship,”features ships’ and Sailors’armament during the GreatLakes battles two centuriesago. For more information,visit the museum websiteat www.history.navy.mil/branches/org8-1.htm.

The Retiree ActivitiesOffice is open 10 a.m. to3 p.m., Monday throughFriday. Visit the office inBuilding 1604 at Califor-nia and Colorado Avenuesor call us at 301-981-2726.Our e-mail address is [email protected]. Call the of-fice before your visit to en-sure a volunteer is on duty.The RAO has a website atwww.andrews.af.mil; Un-der “Helpful Links” click on“Retirees Activity Office” forinformation on retiree sub-jects, including past copiesof “Retiree Corner.”

RETIREE, from page 2

petition to collect gentlyused jeans among sevencounty schools as well asclubs which meet at com-munity centers through-out Prince George’s County.

Though the official collec-tion drive is only activefrom Nov. 1 to the weekendbefore Thanksgiving eachyear, “We start planning inFebruary,” said RecreationSpecialist Dana Hill. “Peo-ple set aside jeans all year,for the donation drive.”

CLOTHES, from page 1

PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM

Waiter Jordan Dale makes aketchup doodle for a customerat the only sit-down restaurant atTanger Outlets.

us to be there and bringing so muchto Prince George’s County. I did notreceive one complaint.”The opening weekend included

musical performances and other en-tertainment.“My daughter was here to dance as

part of CMI Kids, in the morning. It’sa nonprofit organization,” said KarenJeffers of Washington, D.C. Thoughshe did not expect to shop, “I fell intoit. Someone gave me the coupon book.”For other shoppers, curiosity ruled

the day. Lizabeth Mellon was on siteby Saturday afternoon.“We live in National Harbor, in the

town houses. None of the constructionbothered us at all,” said Mellon. “Myhusband wouldn’t even come downhere today, but I wanted to check outthe sales.”Shelly Gates of Temple Hills came

to shop, but was disappointed to find

long lines at the one eating establish-ment open for Tanger’s first weekend.“We’ve only been in two stores so

far. It’s OK, but they should have putin a food court. There’s no options.When you shop, you want to eat. Theygo together,” Gates said.Wallace said that there are no

plans to build a food court.“Statistically, food courts don’t

work in outlet centers, believe it ornot. One of the beauties of NationalHarbor Center is that we complementwhat they have to offer at downtownNational Harbor. We’re not here toovershadow their food component,”said Wallace. “It’s really more shop-ping-driven and brand-driven.”Jordan Dale, a waiter at Johnny

Rockets, the center’s only sit-downrestaurant, was excited about thehigh tempo of the store’s first week,saying, “We’re going to be open 24hours on Black Friday. I’m not com-plaining. I’ll be working an 18-hourshift.”

MALL, from page 1

lifestyle changes into their dailyroutine.“We act as a consultant, just

like a primary care provider,” saidSkojac.Since patients meet in a group

setting in which they will sharemedical information, each partici-pant is held to the privacy stan-dards of a medical professional.The first meeting includes fill-

ing out medical release forms, a fullmedical appointment, and the be-ginnings of medical education andsupport that will continue through-out the four-session program. Thegroup first discusses the nature ofcholesterol, an animal product notfound in any plant-based foods. Pa-tients have their blood drawn atthat first appointment, as well.During the second session, pa-

tients review their laboratory re-sults with their doctor, and learnhow to read their own results.Then, they participate in a class on

the different ways to control choles-terol: Diet, exercise and medication.They also discuss the risks of pre-scription side-effects. If a patient’scholesterol levels are still not incontrol, they meet privately, one-on-one, with a physician who mayprescribe cholesterol-lowering med-ication.The third session focuses on dis-

cussing the main risk factors forheart disease: Hypertension, diabe-tes, tobacco use and a family historyof high cholesterol, and secondaryrisk factor of sedentary lifestyle.“We talk about what you can

change, and what you can’t,” Skojacsaid. “Although you can’t changeyour family history, lifestyle chang-es including diet, exercise andweight loss can bring down choles-terol, blood pressure and diabeteswithout medication.”At the fourth session, a health

psychologist discusses how to makelasting lifestyle changes.“It’s very difficult to change be-

haviors,” Skojac said. “We also takea field trip to the commissary, where

we compare what patients wouldnormally buy with what I mightbuy. We compare labels.”Skojac herself is a good ambas-

sador for those healthy lifestylechanges. She and her husband be-came vegans after reading researchon the increased risk for heart dis-ease and cancer present in peoplewho consume animal products.“We in America think every meal

needs to be built around meat, withcheese and cream on top of it,” saidSkojac. “Your body will make thecholesterol you need, but you canalso eat it.”So far, Skojac said, patients and

medical professionals are pleasedwith the increased amount of timethey get to spend with each other.It’s still too early to tell whetheror not the GMA model leads to im-proved health outcomes in compari-son with a traditional doctor visit.Skojac and her team are consider-ing launching a follow-up GMA toteach the mechanics of switching to awhole foods, plant-based diet.

CHOLESTEROL, from page 1

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

visit www.dcmilitary.com.


JBA BuzzWhat are you thankful for?

Capt. MelissaCandella, 779thDental Squad-ron dentist

Mary Lantz,779th Medi-cal OperationSquadron Aero-space FamilyAdvocacy men-tal health tech-nician

Nicole Simpson,11th Force Sup-port SquadronHealth andWellness Centerexercise physi-ologist

Aaron Jones,Andrews Feder-al Credit Unionmember servicerepresentative

“I’m thankful forfamily and I’m get-ting married in a fewmonths to Lt. Col.Dennis Holt. He hasan awesome, seven-year-old daughterand I’m thankful forthe both of them.”

“I’m thankful for ourfreedom and thosewho provide thatfreedom, day in andday out.”

“The first thingthat comes to mythoughts is beingblessed with my fam-ily and I’m also thank-ful for being in goodhealth.”

I am thankful for free-dom, and the oppor-tunity to work along-side the people whoprovide that freedomevery day.”

Force, Allen recently retired from the AirForce Reserves, after a career in SecurityForces. Just after his May retirement, healso lost his civilian position due to se-questration-mandated job cuts. Allen, hiswife and four children were immediatelyforced to use up their savings just to stayin their home.“We worked very closely with that

particular family for months, stabilizingtheir home,” said DSS Program ManagerL’Tanya Brown. “They’re an intact family,that fought to stay together.”Part of that effort lay in working with

the Veterans Administration to get thebenefits Allen earned through his servicewith both the Navy and the Air Force Re-serves. It was a frustrating experience fora family struggling to get by, due to cir-cumstances beyond their control.“It’s a very good program, but a lot of

the bureaucracy, and the ‘I’m going to getpaid at the end of the day no matter howmuch work I accomplish’ attitude, it ap-pears there are some things that are setup to hinder veterans getting the benefitswe’ve earned,” Allen said. “I’m a believerin Christ, and the Bible said, ‘What morecan a man do than give his life?’ We servein the military and you find out in thefirst four to six years you can do yourjob in the civilian world for more money.People stay in the military for their ownreasons: Love of country.”When Allen’s contract was terminated,

he and his family found themselves farfrom the safety net upon which many out-side the military can rely in times of need.“My wife is from California, and I’m

from New York. We have no family here.We are ‘Team Allen,’” Allen said. “PrinceGeorge’s County blessed us with dona-tions for our rent. The rapport was estab-lished from the beginning. And then theother day, out of the blue they called usto ask us to be featured in the HarvestFeast.”For the Allen’s son, it was an especially

exciting day. Unlike his parents and sib-lings, he’s already a die-hard Redskinsfan, Allen said.“He’ll remember this day for the rest

of his life.”

FOOD, from page 1

PHOTO/CHRIS BAHSAM

Prince George’s County Council Vice-Chairman Obie Patterson (D-Dist. 8) helpsdistribute turkeys and other grocery itemsto families in need at the 11th annual Har-vest Feast at FedEx Field.

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

On Nov. 23, Suitland, Md.-based Con-cerned Black Men of Prince George’sCounty mentors took a group of 30 sixththrough eighth grade boys from Oxon HillMiddle School, Thurgood Marshall MiddleSchool and Isaac Gourdine Middle Schoolon a cultural field trip to the historichome of Fredrick Douglass in SoutheastWashington, D.C. The purpose of the tripwas to provide the youngsters with a cul-tural awareness about Frederick Doug-lass, an African-American social reformer,orator, writer and statesman. The CBMof Prince George’s County provide sup-port to students in five Prince George’sCounty schools, including Oxon Hill Mid-dle School, Thurgood Marshall MiddleSchool, Isaac Gourdine Middle School,Forest Heights Elementary School andGlassmanor Elementary School.

CBM MENTORS TAKE KIDS ON CULTURAL FIELD TRIP

Delphine Gross, U.S. Park Ranger, givesMichael Brown, Concerned Black Menof Prince George’s County mentor, andstudents a tour of the Fredrick Douglasshome in Southeast Washington, D.C.

Michael Brown, Concerned Black Men ofPrince George’s County mentor, and ElijahColeman, 11, stroll along the walkway sur-rounding the home of Fredrick Douglass.

Prince George’s County students walk upthe stairway to Fredrick Douglass’ historichome during a cultural field trip sponsoredby the Concerned Black Men of PrinceGeorge’s County Nov. 23.

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Prince George’s County students observe various drawings of Fredrick Douglass in thelobby of the Fredrick Douglass Visitor Information Center.

Michael Brown, Concerned Black Men ofPrince George’s County mentor, and stu-dents pose for a photo near the statue ofFredrick Douglass inside the lobby.

Students depart the Fredrick Douglasshome after an hour-long tour.

BY CHASE COOKTHE PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE

Arguing that the Washington Redskins’name is offensive to Native Americansand thus reflects poorly on Prince George’sCounty, community leaders called on resi-dents to stop using the name.The NFL’s Redskins plays its home

games at FedEx Field in Landover and ac-cording to Forbes’ August update, the fran-chise is the third most valuable NFL teamout of 32 squads, earning $381 million inrevenue in 2012.Despite the history of the team, which be-

gan in 1932, county leaders say now is thetime for a name change.“This is a local issue,” said Bob Ross,

president of the Prince George’s CountyNAACP branch. “If it is something that isoffensive to Native Americans, we need tosupport the Native Americans.”Ross was part of a press conference held

Monday in Landover, where county commu-nity leaders urged residents to stop usingthe team’s name because of its offensive na-ture.The controversy around the name has

gained traction throughout the year.Team owner Dan Snyder released a letter

on Oct. 9 to season-ticket holders to addressthe controversy and increased criticism.“As some of you may know, our team

began 81 years ago — in 1932 — with thename ‘Boston Braves.’ The following year,the franchise name was changed to the ‘Bos-ton Redskins.’ On that inaugural Redskinsteam, four players and our head coach wereNative Americans. The name was never alabel. It was, and continues to be, a badgeof honor.”Ross said the team’s name reflects poorly

on the county, and while he realizes there isa business to the team, county leaders and

residents have to speak up for the NativeAmericans in the county and abroad whofind the name offensive.“You have to be sensitive to what every-

one is saying,” Ross said.In 2012, Prince George’s County has a

Native American and Alaskan native popu-lation of about 8,800, according to the U.S.Census Bureau.Dottie Chicquelo of Upper Marlboro

and a member of the Cherokee Tribe, said

that the team name is derogatory becauseit makes the term Redskin, which she saidcomes from Native American warriors andtribe celebrations, a mascot, thus demean-ing the term and the people associated withit.“It remains unappealing to the commu-

nity,” Chicquelo said. “I can’t speak for ev-eryone … It offends so many members of theNative American Indian community.”Michael Logan of Riverdale, who de-

scribed himself as a “lifelong Redskins fan,”said he initially didn’t understand what thefuss was about over the team name change,but now said the team should change itsname if a significant portion of NativeAmericans find the name offensive.“I’d really like to hear more Native Amer-

icans sound off on the issue in an open hear-ing,” Logan said. “If there is a significantportion that like the name and identify withit, that matters.”Darryl Pegram of Clinton said he is sen-

sitive to the name being offensive, but thereare bigger issues in the Native Americanpopulation, such as high diabetes rates andother more important issues in the U.S. thana football team name.“If we want to fight about something,

fight about something that advances you asa people,” Pegram said.This story originally appeared in the Nov.

25 edition of The Prince George’s Gazette.

Prince George’s residents say Redskins’ name is a poor reflection on county

TOM FEDOR/THE PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE

Jay Winter Nightwolf of Fort Washingtion, a local radio host, speaks at a Monday pressconference requesting Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder change the NFL foot-ball team’s name. Nightwolf, of Cherokee, Shoshone and Taino decent, spoke at theconference held overlooking FedEx Field in Landover.


FROM SECRETARY OF THENAVY PUBLIC AFFAIRS

DOHA, Qatar (NNS) --Secretary of the Navy RayMabus completed a visit toDoha, Qatar, Nov. 20.The visit was designed

to build upon an existingrelationship with Qatar, animportant partner in theMiddle East region.“Qatar is and remains

a very valuable Americanpartner,” said Mabus. “Inour cooperation on a widerange of issues, it has prov-en itself repeatedly to bea positive and innovativeforce.”Mabus met with Qa-

tar’s Minister of State forDefense, Maj. Gen. Hamadbin Ali Al-Attiyah, Chief ofStaff of the Qatari ArmedForces, Maj. Gen. GhanimShaheen al-Ghanim, theCommander, Qatari EmiriNavy, Maj. Gen. Muham-mad bin Nasir Mubarak

Shakiri al-Muhannadi andthe Commander, QatariEmiri Air Force, Maj. Gen.Mubarak Mohammed AlKumait al-Khayarin.During the meetings,

Mabus expressed his desirefor continued military coop-eration with Qatar’s armedforces.“We look forward to col-

laborating with Qatar onour shared goals of stabil-ity and prosperity in theregion,” said Mabus.Mabus also met with the

U.S. Ambassador to Qatar,Susan Ziadeh, and Ma-rines assigned to the em-bassy in Doha, expressing

his thanks and support fortheir efforts.“We remain committed

to the region despite anyfiscal challenges,” said Ma-bus. “The President’s de-fense strategy, in part, callsfor us to concentrate on theArabian Gulf, and that iswhat we have done and willcontinue to do.”Mabus’ stop in Qatar is

part of a multi-nation visitto the U.S. European, Af-rica and Central Commandareas of responsibility fo-cused on reinforcing exist-ing partnerships and vis-iting Sailors and Marinesproviding forward presence.

SECNAV visits Qatar

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS ARIF PATANI

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus meets withQatari Minister of State for Defense Affairs Maj. Gen.Hamad Bin Ali Al-Attiyah. Mabus is in the region to meetwith Sailors and Marines, and civilian and military offi-cials, as part of a multi-nation visit to the U.S. European,Africa and Central Command areas of responsibility.

New in 2014, The Andrews Gazette will no lon-ger be delivered to residential customers. The lastdelivery to on-base housing will be Dec. 20, 2013.Starting with the first issue of January 2014, findThe Andrews Gazette on racks and displays aroundJoint Base Andrews and at the Andrews FederalCredit Union Allentown Road branch just outsidethe main gate.Liberty Park at Andrews wants feedback on this

change. If you have suggestions, comments or com-plaints about the shift away from home delivery ofThe Andrews Gazette, please contact Liberty Parkat Andrews Marketing Coordinator Jessica Aikin at301-736-8082 or [email protected].

The Andrews Gazetteto end home delivery

BY JIM GARAMONEAMERICAN FORCESPRESS SERVICE

WASHINGTON (AFNS)-- Long-term preparednessand near-term readinessare being affected by se-questration and Americaignores this rise in riskat its peril, Defense Sec-retary Chuck Hagel saidNov. 16, in California.Hagel spoke at the first

Reagan National SecurityForum at the Reagan Li-brary in Simi Valley. Thesecretary believes it wasappropriate to highlightreadiness at the Reaganconference, because Ron-ald Reagan faced a mili-tary readiness crisis whenhe took office in 1981. TheAmerican military was a“hollow force” when Rea-gan became president andchanging that became apriority.Hagel said military and

civilian leaders have madeconcerted efforts to informthe President, Congress,and the American people“about the growing diffi-culties we face in training,equipping and preparingour forces under the cloud

of budget uncertainty.”These challenges are

cumulative and will be-come more apparent astime goes on, the secretarysaid.“Since 9/11, our mili-

tary has grown more pro-fessional, more lethal andmore deployable,” Hagelsaid. “But it has also grownolder -- as measured by theage of our major platforms,particularly our ships andaircraft -- and far moreexpensive in every area,including the pay and ben-efits we provide our mili-tary personnel.”Service members are

under stress from yearsof repeated deployments-- and so are the institu-tions that support, trainand equip them.“The department is cur-

rently facing sequester-level cuts on the order of$500 billion over 10 years,”Hagel said. “This is in ad-dition to the 10-year, $487billion reduction in DOD’sbudget that is already un-derway. That means we arelooking at nearly one tril-lion dollars in DOD cutsover this 10-year period,unless there is a new bud-

get agreement.”The secretary said the

cuts are too steep, toodeep and too abrupt. Hecalled it an irresponsibleway to govern, adding thatsequestration forces thedepartment to manage re-sources poorly.“Implementing the 10

percent across-the-boardcut required by seques-tration, the departmenthas been forced to absorbeven steeper reductionsin the budgetary accountsthat fund training, mainte-nance and procurement --the core of military readi-ness,” he said.The cuts have to be

uneven because deploy-ing forces must have thebest training and equip-ment possible. All militaryservices are feeling thesecuts.Air Force units lost

25 percent of the annualtraining events that keepthem qualified for theirassigned missions. MarineCorps units not going toAfghanistan are getting30 percent less funding,just as the service is facingdemands for more embassysecurity, Hagel said.

The Navy’s averageglobal presence is down10 percent, with particu-larly sharp reductions inregions like South Ameri-ca, the secretary said. TheArmy canceled trainingrotations for seven brigadecombat teams. It now hasjust two of 43 active-dutybrigade combat teams ful-ly ready and available toexecute a major combatoperation.“These are all current

readiness realities, andthey have all occurredsince the imposition of se-questration in March,” hesaid. “But the effects willbe felt for a long period oftime to come. By continu-ing to cancel training fornon-deploying personnel,we will create a backlogof training requirementsthat could take years to re-cover from. And inevitably,we are shrinking the sizeof the force that is readyand available to meet newcontingencies or respondto crises across the globe.”Operation Damayan,

the U.S. military operationthat’s providing relief totyphoon-ravaged areas ofthe Philippines, may not

be possible in the future,he said, as delays in re-orienting the force to meetnew and emerging threatscan be added to readinesscuts in complicating thematter.“For 12 years, the bulk

of U.S. forces have been or-ganized, manned, trainedand equipped to respond tothe specific requirementsof the wars in Iraq and Af-ghanistan,” Hagel said. “Asthe demand of the secondof these two wars comesto an end, the militaryhas been re-orienting itstraining in order to buildinto the force a broader setof capabilities across thespectrum of conflict, par-ticularly at the high-end.These efforts have alsobeen seriously disruptedby sequester-level cuts.”If sequestration contin-

ues, the military will notbe prepared to perform itsmissions, Hagel said. Itwould be a bet that therewould not be a major con-tingency operation againsta capable adversary in thenear-term.The secretary called on

Congress to fix these seri-ous and deep problems.

“It will require Con-gress giving the Depart-ment of Defense the timeand flexibility to strategi-cally implement budgetreductions and make thedifficult choices necessaryfor the future,” Hagel said.“We must also rollback se-questration and fully fundthe President’s budget re-quest. Leaders across theDepartment will continueto give their best and mosthonest and clear-eyed as-sessment to America’selected leaders about theconsequences of leavingthese steep and damagingcuts in place.“We need the certainty

of a budget,” the secretarycontinued. “This perpetualdark cloud of uncertaintyhanging over this depart-ment further hinders re-sponsible and wise plan-ning and confidence.”Hagel stressed that all

aspects of the DOD budgetmust be searched to findsavings. DOD leaders needto pare back overheadcosts and eliminate excessinfrastructure. They alsoneed to reform personneland compensation policy.

Hagel focuses on readiness at Reagan Library speech

The Defense Switching Network and commercialphone numbers for the Total Force Service Centers SanAntonio and Denver have changed to DSN 665-0102and commercial 210-565-0102 as of Nov. 15. The TFSCtoll-free number, 1-800-525-0102, will remain in place.Customers are encourages to use the DSN and commer-cial numbers whenever possible as it reduces operationcosts.

Total Force Service Centerchanges phone numbers

1036275B

1036308

Clinton Location6410 Coventry Way(301) 868-7001

1036304B

www.LevisRestaurant.comDelicious North Carolina BBQ & Soul Food


1032404B


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