A PUBL ICAT ION OF THE 502nd A IR BASE W ING

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Photo by Staff Sgt. Jerilyn QuintanillaMedics from the 59th Medical Wing tend to patients with simulated injuries during a July 13 disaster response exercise at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. More than 50 Airmen participated in the exercise, which simulated an aircraft crash designed to test the team’s ability to respond and treat patients in the event of a real-world incident.

59th MDW medics sharpen skills

PAGE 2 TALESPINNER August 5, 2016commentary

This newspaper is published by EN Communities, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with JBSA-Lackland, Texas. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Talespinner are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force.

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Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland

Editorial Staff

Brig. gen. BoB LaBrutta

502nd Air BAse Wing/JBsACommAnder

todd g. White

502nd ABW/JBsAPuBliC AffAirs direCtor

oscar BaLLadares

JBsA-lACklAnd PuBliC AffAirs Chief

senior airman Lynsie nichoLs

senior airman KrystaL Wright

PhotoJournAlists

Jeremy gerLach Jose t. garza iii

stAff Writers

dorothy Lonas PAge design/illustrAtor

By Lt. Col. Scott Linck71st Student Squadron commander, Vance Air Force Base, Okla.

Military life is challenging. Many things seem largely out of our control — deployments, new

assignments, training schedules and additional duties.

When facing these transitions and challenges we find ourselves falling into habit. We put one foot in front of the other as we march through the tough times, hoping that once we overcome the current challenge we can again find time for happiness.

This thinking leads us to believe that achieving certain goals will guarantee happiness. Harvard University professor Shawn Achor, author of the book “The Happiness Advantage,” points out problems with this formula.

“First, every time your brain has a success, you just changed the goalpost of what success looked like,” Achor said. “You got good grades, now you have to get better grades. You got a good job, you have to get a better job. You hit your sales target, now we’re going to change your sales target.

“If happiness is on the opposite side of success, your brain never gets there. What we’ve done is we’ve pushed hap-piness over the cognitive horizon as a society. That’s because we think we have to be successful, and then we’ll be happier,” Achor said.

The reality is our brains work in the opposite order. Psychologists suggest that happiness is not an outcome of success, happiness generates success.

If we are able to focus on being happy, we will find greater success in all aspects of our lives. Our challenge is to change the way we associate happiness and success, making happiness a priority.

How? Train our brains to look for and focus on happiness. Achor suggests the following positivity plan.

“In just a two-minute span of time done for 21 days in a row, you can actually rewire your brain, allowing you to work more optimistically and more successfully,” Achor said.

He recommends taking time each day to write down three things that you are grateful for.

Achor discovered that at the end of 21 days, your brain will have changed. You will now find that you scan the world not for the negative, but for the positive.

Achor concluded that, “By training your brain just like you train your body, you can reverse the formula for happi-ness and success, and in doing so, not only create ripples of positivity, but create a real revolution, Achor said.”

Making happiness a habit isn’t the only way to increase your happiness quotient.

Marla Gottschalk, director of Organizational Development at Allied Talent, recommends the following strategies when working to boost daily happiness.

Be mindful of the present — Many of us have a tendency to focus on moments of missed opportunity or failures. The momentum of this negative thinking can distract us from positive things

happening around us.Recognize performance — If in a su-

pervisory position, don’t miss opportuni-ties to celebrate the accomplishments of others and increase their positive feelings.

Celebrate small successes — Take time to notice and appreciate the small accomplishments that ultimately lead to larger victories.

Play to your strengths — Seek out positions or duties in your organization that capitalize on your talents and character strengths.

Show gratitude — “Thank you” are the two most powerful words in the workplace. Make sure you let others know how much you appreciate them and their work.

Happiness isn’t tied to achievement. It is generated by being mindful in every-day moments along the way. The results of that next assignment, next promotion or next job will only shift your expecta-tions to the right, keeping happiness out of reach.

Abraham Lincoln is credited with the thought that most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

In the pursuit of happiness, think of hap-piness not as the finish line but the race itself. Now and then, pause to just be happy.

Pursuit of happiness has no finish line“In the pursuit of happiness, think of happiness not as the finish line but the race itself. Now and then, pause to just be happy.”

– Lt. Col. Scott Linck71st Student Squadron commander

JBSA SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE • 808-SARC (7272)DOD SAFE HELPLINE • (877) 995-5247

JBSA CRISIS HOTLINE • 367-1213JBSA DUTY CHAPLAIN • 365-6420

JBSA Sexual Assault Prevention and Response

One of the best things about ICE is that people can let service providers know when they do a great job, not just for poor service.

It takes five minutes or less to submit a comment at http://ice.disa.mil.

August 5, 2016 TALESPINNER PAGE 3newsjbsa stage 1 water restrictions looming

The 10-day average of the Bexar County index Bexar (J-17), Comal Springs and San Marcos Springs are dropping due to no rain. According to an analysis performed by the Edwards Aquifer Director of Aquifer Modeling, Stage 1 water restrictions may be scheduled to be as soon as the first week of August. The 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron urges the Joint Base San Antonio community to stay diligent and be careful to follow upcoming water restrictions, according to JBSA Water Use Critical Period Management Plan, available at http://www.jbsa.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-130809-013.pdf.

build-a-backpack program ends wednesday The JBSA School Liaison Office Build-

A-Backpack Program continues through Wednesday to provide backpacks full of school supplies to military families, giving students an opportunity to start school with all the supplies they need to be successful. Many families, especially those in the lower and mid-grade ranks, can see a real money crunch at back-to-school time. Squadrons, private orgs, offices and individual groups can help make a difference by donating. To learn more, email jbsa.slo@us.af.mil or visit http://www.jbsa.mil/Resources/Military-Family-Readi-ness/School-Liaison-Office.

air force officials accepting applications career intermission program through sept. 12

The Career Intermission Program provides select Airmen the opportunity for a one-time temporary transition from active duty to the Individual Ready Reserve — for up to three years — to meet personal or professional needs outside the service while also provid-ing a mechanism for a seamless return to active duty.

Program participants sign an agreement that says they will to return to active duty in the same component from which they sepa-rated, and serve two months of active duty for every month of CIP participation.

New this year, Airmen currently receiving a critical skills retention bonus may apply, provided their application is based on an unanticipated hardship. In the past, if they received a CSRB, they were ineligible for CIP.

Airmen in the program receive a monthly stipend equal to one-fifteenth of their basic pay and retain full active-duty medical and dental benefits for themselves and their eligible dependents. They’ll also be able to

News in Brief

See NEWS IN BRIEF Page 6

By Steve ElliottJBSA-Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs

After more than three years as commander of the 502nd Air Base Wing and the largest joint base in the Department of Defense – Joint Base San Antonio – Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta is moving on to a new assignment and a new rank as the commander, Second Air Force, Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

LaBrutta will pass command of both the wing and JBSA to Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle during a ceremony at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston’s MacArthur Parade Field at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Before his departure, the general sat down for an interview to reflect on his time in San Antonio and what made this assignment special to him.

When asked what his favorite part of being the commander of the 502nd ABW and JBSA, he was quick to answer.

“It is absolutely the people first and then the missions we have the oppor-tunity to support every day,” LaBrutta said. “It’s awe inspiring to provide foun-dational installation support and service to 266 mission partners whose opera-tions are critical to our nation’s security at home and abroad. It’s been amazing to be a part of this “team of teams” – there’s just nothing better.”

With that many mission partners to work with, there have naturally been some challenges, but the general said the 502nd ABW have been up to the task.

“Twelve Joint Bases were created by the Department of Defense in 2005, six that follow Air Force policy, four following Navy policy and two that follow Army policy,” LaBrutta said. “Part of the rub has been ensuring that the heritage, history, traditions and the culture of the service that is not in the lead are pro-tected, not interrupted, or stepped on.”

“In JBSA, we’ve had a very good bal-ance of following Air Force policy to execute the mission, but we are also very mindful of the fact that we are the caretakers of historic JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Camp Bullis. We want to make sure they are the best that we can make them,” he added. “In fact, we want the Army to take a look on both major JBSA-locations with great pride.

We also want the Air Force to have the same kind of pride in JBSA-Randolph and JBSA-Lackland.”

The general was quick to include the other services with major presence throughout JBSA as well.

“We also can’t forget about our Shipmates and making sure that the Navy’s traditions are a part of what we do, as well as our Devil Dogs in the Marines, our Coast Guard members and, of course, our DOD civilians. All of them are just as critical and are just as important to the fabric of JBSA.”

LaBrutta also discussed the challenge of sequestration.

“The impact to our portfolio from sequestration and the Budget Control Act has been significant,” he said. “I’m very mindful of 2013 when we were hit with sequestration and furloughs that impacted a large portion of our workforce and disrupted our mission support capabilities. Since then, the im-pacts of sequestration and a resource constrained environment are a reality and continue as the “new normal”.

“Understanding this new normal, we haven’t been idle. Instead, we have established a very successful framework with our mission partners at the senior levels who are now able to influence and effect the decisions I have to make as the installation commander. We also transformed our organization structure, have implemented continuous process improvement as part of the way we do business, and we created a very suc-cessful JBSA P4 (Public/Public-Public/Private) partnership with the region of San Antonio and the State,” the general said.

“In 2014, we established a formal process where the 20 members of the Joint Base Partnership Council – the general officers, flag officers, senior ex-ecutive service civilians and the wing commanders and their equivalents –– who are at the table, contribute, and shape the difficult, but necessary, trad-eoff decisions that are made not only with regard to facilities, infrastructure

LaBrutta “proud and honored” to have been 502nd ABW, JBSA commander

Photo by Joel MartinezBrig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta (right), 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, greets a civilian employee June 3, 2013, during a tour of JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.

See FAREWELL Page 13

PAGE 4 TALESPINNER August 5, 2016

By Staff Sgt. Jerilyn Quintanilla59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

The 59th Medical Wing’s disaster response capa-bilities were put to the test during a mass casualty exercise July 13 at Camp Bramble at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

“The purpose of the exercise was to give our people an opportunity to train together in a real-istic setting where we can duplicate the types of missions, which we may be called to respond to,” said Col. Mark Ervin, 59th MDW chief of operational medicine.

The exercise scenario simulated a collision between a commercial airliner and an F-16 on the Kelly Airfield runway, said George Torres, the wing’s medical emergency manager. There were more than 150 disaster response team members participating in the exercise.

“Our disaster response team is comprised of five smaller units,” he said. “We have decontamina-tion, clinical support, triage, manpower and secu-rity; each of which fills a different but vital role in emergency response.”

Once on scene, the teams deployed and began operations.

There were a total of 30 staged patients with simulated injuries ranging from cardiac arrest and multi-system failure to minor abrasions and bruises.

We took a different approach by pacing the ex-ercise in a way that allowed teams to fully explore interesting teaching opportunities, Ervin said.

“This gave us a chance to take full advantage of the exercise.”

With the training done, the team will evaluate performance, analyze lessons learned and look for process improvements before taking on the next disaster response exercise, which can happen at a moment’s notice.

Warrior medics enhance 59th MDW response capabilities during mass casualty exercise

Photos by Staff Sgt. Jerilyn QuintanillaDisaster response team members move simulated patients through a decontamination station during a July 13 exercise at Camp Bramble at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The exercise simulated an aircraft crash designed to test the medics’ response skills in the event of a similar real-world incident.

A 59th Medical Wing medic applies a tourniquet on a simu-lated patient during a July 13 disaster response exercise at Camp Bramble at JBSA-Lackland.

Warrior medics from 59th Medical Wing treat a patient suffering from simulated injuries during a July 13 disaster response training exercise at Camp Bramble at JBSA- Lackland.

August 5, 2016 TALESPINNER PAGE 5

By Robert GoetzJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

One of Joint Base San Antonio’s premier fitness events reaches a milestone this year.

The 502nd Force Support Squadron-hosted Rambler

120 Team Challenge will be presented for the 10th time Oct. 1 at JBSA Recreation Park at Canyon Lake. The grueling adventure race tests four-person “Xtreme” teams, eight-person relay teams and individual com-petitors with a 22-mile bike race through the Texas Hill Country, a 6-mile run across Canyon Dam, a 2-mile raft

race along the shoreline and a mystery event.“A lot of bases are doing fitness events, but what is

unique about the Rambler 120 is the health and wellness aspect and the team camaraderie,” said Abbie Pollard, 502nd FSS community programs and partnership specialist. “When the participants finish the race, you can see how happy they are.”

Last year, the Rambler 120 added all-active-duty Xtreme and relay teams, Pollard said.

“The all-military category was a huge hit,” she said.The only changes this year are providing individ-

ual racers in the “Just-4-Fun” category with track-ers to check their time and eliminating the “Iron Kid” biathlon for 5- to 12-year-olds, Pollard said.

“For the first time, individuals in the ‘Just-4-Fun’ category will be timed, but they won’t be eligible for awards,” she said. “Twelve individuals competed in Just-4-Fun last year, but we’re expecting more this year because they will be timed.”

Last year’s adventure race featured 18 Xtreme teams, 19 relay teams and 12 individuals – 236 participants in all, Pollard said. Most of the participants were from JBSA, but a few teams came from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.

Xtreme and relay teams compete in all-male, all-female and coed categories.

One of last year’s first-place winners was Maj. John Robinson, Army North Future Operations strat-egist, who competed in his first Rambler 120 with his all-military Xtreme team, ARNORTH FUOPS.

“I thought the race was great,” he said. “The orga-nizers did a great job ensuring that things ran smoothly and communicated very well with participants.”

The most challenging part of the Rambler 120 was the 6-mile run, Robinson said.

“I think that is where the race was won because the top bikers seemed to have a lot of experience,” he said. “Winning the gold provided bragging rights for months. We are looking forward to winning again this year.”

Senior Airman Bruce Gonzalez, 47th Medical Group medical records technician, was another gold medal winner. He competed with the Iron Medics, an all- military relay team from the 47th MDG at Laughlin Air Force Base.

“The experience was great,” he said. “I feel the time training and traveling to the event definitely allowed

Tenth edition of Rambler 120 Team Challenge set for Oct. 1

See RAMBLER Page 11

Photo by Senior Airman Alexandria Slade(From left) Tyler Goehring, Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Stellabotte, 381st Training Squadron dental lab career development course writer, and Maj. Sarah Wheeler, 359th Medical Group dentist, run on top of Canyon Lake dam during the Rambler 120 Sept. 19, 2015, at Joint Base San Antonio Recreation Park at Canyon Lake.

PAGE 6 TALESPINNER August 5, 2016

carry forward their leave balance as long as it doesn’t exceed 60 days.

The Total Force selection panel is scheduled to convene in October at the Air Force Personnel Center.

Additional information and eligibility requirements can be found on http://www.myPers.mil; select “Any” from the search function and enter keyword “CIP.”

dod begins workplace, gender relations surVey for actiVe duty members

About 735,000 active-duty members across the services will be invited to take part in the largest Department of Defense Workplace and Gender Relations Survey to date.

The survey is part of a series of stud-ies that will help assess any experiences members may have had recently with sexual harassment, sexual assault and any retalia-tory behaviors associated with reporting these incidents.

This is the only survey the DOD uses to measure rates of sexual assault and harass-ment for active-duty members, which is why participants’ survey responses will be confi -dential to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Active-duty members who are selected will be contacted by the Defense Manpower Data Center’s contractor via postal mail and email. Interested Airmen can check DMDC’s survey website, https://dodsurveys.mil, to see if they have been selected. The survey is voluntary, and respondents can use duty time to complete the survey.

The survey will help commanders at all levels evaluate current military workplace relations, professionalism and personal safety, and have important implications for how the military operates in the future, to include military training, justice and services.

The survey will run until Sept. 28 and results of the survey are scheduled to be released on the DMDC website in spring 2017. Members selected will receive an email and a letter to their current address.

NEWS IN BRIEF from Page 3

Congratulations to the following 75 Airmen for being selected as honor graduates among the 754 Air Force basic military trainees who graduate today:

320th Training Squadron–Flight 523Kyle Holysz Tristan Morgan Tyler Mylcraine Edward Wick–Flight 524Dominique Allen Kyle Burns Eli Cornbau David Horvath Kyle Stiffarm Christian Yuhas –Flight 525Eric Begens Steven Cervantes Tristan Clift Nicholas Gurney Austin Staudinger –Flight 526Leslie Dewarenne Stephanie Miret Lindsay Rausch

321st Training Squadron–Flight 535Matthew Grudgen Korey Jones Benjamin Teubert –Flight 536Jared Asher Brett Mohney Elijah Simmons Logan Turner –Flight 537Kallen Cox Jonathan Delfi n Cesar Lopez Daniel Perdue Kevin Polmounter Tyler Robbins Nicholas Stine Peter Yoon –Flight 538Katlyn Gorgus Ashley Hollrah Layla Marshall

323rd Training Squadron–Flight 531Fabricio Dasilva Michael Hardison Thang Nguyen Isaac Stone –Flight 532Ashton Huntzinger George Snyder Marc Summers –Flight 533Ryan Amidon Paul Preusser Christian Ruiz Jordan Slicer Scott White –Flight 534Celisse Carr Analise CruzBonnie Robertson Morgan Royer Jessica Welch Cera Wollgast

324th Training Squadron–Flight 527Fredrick Allen Joshua Baca Michael Carpenter Anthony Cusano Michael Graff Daniel Hall Luis Hernandez-Flores Tyler Justus Riley KleinHunter Mcmullen Matthew Ramos Adam Roach Tyler Toon Michael Young –Flight 528Shofar Bangoy Charles Robinson –Flight 529Kyler Erickson William Lewis Alex Quick Jonathan Tan –Flight 530Valerie Fisher

Top BMT Airman Cera Wollgast323rd TRS, Flight 534

Most Physically Fit–Female AirmenAbigail Elder 324th TRS, Flight 530Kaitlyn Gorgus321st TRS, Flight 538Ashley Hollrah321st TRS, Flight 538Alyssa De Soto323rd TRS, Flight 534–Male AirmenQuinton Caldwell 324th TRS, Flight 528Nathan Cox322st TRS, Flight 535Jason Toress320th TRS, Flight 523Santiago Mendoza 324th TRS, Flight 528–Male Flights320th TRS, Flight 523320th TRS, Flight 524324th TRS, Flight 527320th TRS, Flight 525324th TRS, Flight 528 324th TRS, Flight 529323rd TRS, Flight 532 321st TRS, Flight 535 323rd TRS, Flight 531321st TRS, Flight 536 323rd TRS, Flight 533 321st TRS, Flight 537–Female Flights 321st TRS, Flight 538 324th TRS, Flight 530 320th TRS, Flight 526 323rd TRS, Flight 534

Top Academic Flights323rd TRS, Flight 533324th TRS, Flight 527 321st TRS, Flight 537323rd TRS, Flight 534 323rd TRS, Flight 532 323rd TRS, Flight 531 320th TRS, Flight 524320th TRS, Flight 526320th TRS, Flight 535320th TRS, Flight 523321st TRS, Flight 538320th TRS, Flight 525324th TRS, Flight 528321st TRS, Flight 536324th TRS, Flight 529324th TRS, Flight 530

SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES! BUCKLE UP AND WEAR YOURS!

For current, automated information during a natural disaster, crisis or emergency, call your local Straight Talk line.•JBSA-Fort Sam Houston: 466-4630•JBSA-Lackland: 671-6397 • JBSA-Randolph: 652-7469

Straight Talk Line

August 5, 2016 TALESPINNER PAGE 7

By 59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

Comprehensive, synergistic medical care from the 59th Medical Wing is helping produce elite, combat-ready Airmen at the new Battlefi eld Air-men Training Group at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

Much like in sports medicine and professional sports, when a player gets injured or needs care, the athlete is treated with a team approach and re-sources are leveraged to ensure a speedy recovery.

“Instead of caring for professional athletes, ef-forts have been geared toward meeting the needs of the most active, diverse and unique population in the Air Force — our Battlefi eld Airmen,” said Col. (Dr.) Karyn Condie, 59th MDW chief of aero-space medicine.

“Ultimately, because battlefi eld Airmen are a human weapons system, their care is vital to our nation’s defense,” said Condie, who also directs the wing’s new health care initiative. “We had to adopt a new way of thinking when it came to health care for these Airmen. We had to ensure there are no delays in diagnoses or treatment.”

This complete human performance concept brings a fusion cell of athletic trainers, physical and occupational therapists, physical medicine technicians, physician’s assistants, fl ight medicine physicians and a sports medicine physician, who together provide a synergized, more comprehen-sive systematic approach to health care.

Ensuring ease of access to care and no delays in diagnosis is essential.

“While the students are in the pipeline, we have a 60-day window to evaluate, treat and move them through training,” said Capt. Jennifer Aspinwall, 59th MDW occupational therapy element leader. “If a Battlefi eld Airman gets injured during train-ing, he’s going to see me today.”

The wing’s purpose is to treat injuries as soon as possible, but its goal is to prevent injuries from happening in the fi rst place, according to Aspinwall.

“Through group prevention education we save the Air Force money but more importantly, we keep our valuable battlefi eld Airmen candidates holistically healthy,” she said.

The cadre in charge of the combat controllers, pararescuemen and tactical air control party and special operations weather students consider 59th MDW medics critical to the group’s success.

“This infl ux of medical personnel has been critical to the success of our training mission,” said Tech. Sgt. Daniel Resendez, 350th Battlefi eld Airmen Training Squadron NCO in charge.

Athletic trainers who are embedded with special operations students here are able to provide on-the-spot treatment for minor injuries if a student happens to go down. Chronic injuries can be pre-

vented by providing on-scene quick assessments.In addition to identifying those students who

require more specialized care, athletic trainers are also the fi rst line of defense in preventing in-juries. They can spot improper or risky training techniques.

“Because of such additions, the attrition rate for pararescuemen and tactical air control party Airmen has dropped from 90 to about 50 percent in less than a year’s time span,” Condie said.

The wing continues to perfect the human per-formance model and aims to have all medical staff working together in a newly renovated building by September, allowing for constant interaction among providers.

59th Medical Wing treating Air Force’s elite human weapons system

Share your JBSA-Lackland photos with us by tagging us @JBSALackland

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland is on

Photo by Shannon CarabajalCapt. Jennifer Aspinwall, 59th Medical Wing occupational therapy element leader, assesses a tactical air control party student at the battle clinic June 30 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Aspinwall has worked with battlefi eld Airmen since 2014.

August 5, 2016 TALESPINNER PAGE 9PAGE 8 TALESPINNER August 5, 2016

By Shannon CollinsDOD News, Defense Media Activity

Since the Vietnam War, doctors have seen an increase in service members returning from combat with traumatic brain injuries from blasts. At the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, or NICoE, a directorate of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., doctors and therapists use research and technology to help service members with TBI in their recovery.

NICoE uses this research and technology to study the structure and metabolic activ-ity in the brain, how it metabolizes glucose, where the blood flow is and the electrical activity in the brain, said Dr. Louis French, NICoE deputy director.

“All of those things we want to know go into this idea of function and we want to visualize those better,” he said. “With the techniques we have developed, there are ways of better visualizing abnormalities in the brain. Once we gain better insight into what these abnormalities are, then we can find ways of targeting treatments better.”

MEGThe NICoE is the only clinic in the nation to have a magnetoencephalography scan-

ner, or MEG, dedicated to the treatment of TBI, said Dr. John Hughes, MEG lab director and neurologist. “It’s really unprecedented that an institution can have this dedicated to one disorder.”

The MEG is a technique used to measure and record the brain’s magnetic fields during its normal activity and provide insight into how the brain is functioning, Hughes said. NICoE, one of only 40 MEG labs in the country, uses it to study the electrical oscillations in a mildly traumatic brain as well as the physiology of the cortex of the brain and the psychological issues related to it.

“The fact we have an MEG lab that’s really dedicated to understanding traumatic brain injury is a wonderful opportunity for all of our active-duty members and veterans to help us understand these disorders,” he said. “This is a pretty unique situation. It’s very sophisticated instrumentation.”

The MEG requires liquid helium that goes over more than 300 sensors placed just above the scalp to keep the sensors very cold.

“I’m thrilled to be able to apply this technology to this specific problem,” Hughes said. The MEG is similar to the electroencephalography, or EEG, used to record the electri-

cal component of brainwaves, but the magnetic fields require the more sophisticated instrumentation, he said.

“If we continue to study traumatic brain injury with MEG, we can make significant

insights into understanding the physiological basis of symptoms of TBI, and we’ll reap huge benefits in terms of developing therapies specific to those physiological issues we can discover with MEG,” he added.

ActiGraph Another device NICoE uses is the ActiGraph watch, used to record sleep patterns.

Similar to a fitness tracker, patients can wear it instead of needing the sensors used in a traditional sleep study to be attached to their heads, said Dr. Tony Panettiere, neurology sleep medicine physician.

“Most people who’ve had traumatic brain injury have neurological complaints such as headaches, memory dysfunction, irritability, focus attention issues and sleep issues,” Panettiere said.

During a sleep study, he said, the device measures brainwaves, muscle relaxation and how a patient is breathing and heart rhythm. Technicians can tell if a person has sleep apnea or a limb movement disorder.

The advantage of the ActiGraph is that the results are less artificial than they’d be if the patient had to sleep with all of the wires attached as they do in a traditional sleep study, Panettiere said.

“They’re back in their own bed and we even do it a couple weeks with them wear-ing the watch if there’s any information that’s contrary to what we’ve found in the lab,” he said.

Research, imaging devicesThe research goes primarily in two directions, French said. The first is in the charac-

terization of patients — understanding the symptoms they have after they’ve been injured through advanced neuroimaging.

NICoE also has positron emission tomography, or PET CT, CT, 3 Tesla MRI, a magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a number of other dedicated imaging devices for traumatic brain injury patients, said Navy Cmdr. (Dr.) Grant Bonavia, interim chief of the research department and chief of neuroimaging and measurement devices.

“We have a group of researchers who are looking at techniques and modalities that are not necessarily well described yet, but there’s hope that using these advanced tech-nologies that one could find abnormalities that may be there just below the threshold of standard neuroimaging that would be done at outside institutions,” he said. “So we’ve looked into functional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging, which are advanced techniques. We also have PET data from a large number of patients that we’re analyzing. And the MEG, which is also a very advanced device, has a lot of potential to assist in diagnosis in following the patient’s response to therapies.”

French is the principal investigator on a Congressionally mandated 15-year mandated longitudinal study, which will study the effects of TBI and the expression of symptoms over time.

“Our goal is to follow people for 15 years and find out how their symptoms change

over time, how they do after having had a brain injury in a military situation, and understand how the brain injury recovery may intersect with the aging process,” he said.

NICoE is working in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, which is giving the center access to some specialized researchers and techniques with these character-ization studies, French said.

Research, treatment NICoE also is exploring new treatment options, French said. Currently, NICoE offers

animal-assisted therapy, assistive technology, audiology and vestibular services, a brain fitness center, driving assessment and rehabilitation, a computer-assisted rehabilitation environment, family education and art therapy.

“We have treatments we provide for people here and we see those techniques work for people, but we don’t always completely understand them,” French said. “So we want to know a little bit more about them. Why do they work for some people and not as well for other people? Is there an optimal time that you should start these treatments? Is there an optimal intensity or dosage that we do for these kinds of things?”

“Those are fundamental questions that have not always been asked,” the doctor con-tinued, “and we want to understand more about what we’re doing. We want to make sure there’s a firm scientific foundation for all the clinical work we do so we can conduct studies in that regard.”

Some of the treatments NICoE uses are complementary and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and art therapy.

“We use a lot of those therapies here at NICoE that have evidence-base that also help these service members improve,” said Dr. Gene Casagrande, team coordinator and primary care physician. “To watch a headache improve without narcotics and watch patients relax and sleep better with just breathing, to me, that’s very important. We’re doing a lot of different things here at NICoE that haven’t been introduced in the past at their home station.”

Sleep and nutritional education play important roles in some of his patients’ lives, he added.

System of careThe military went from being behind the curve to establishing a care system at every

major troop center at every major military treatment facility today, said French, who’s been working with TBI care for 16 years. Intrepid Spirit Centers are being built around the country and will share lessons learned with NICoE.

“We’re trying to develop a national care system that’s all linked together so we can communicate about best practices,” he said.

Inpatient screening and consultation services are available at Walter Reed NMMC.“We continue to provide and have assets related to the long-term care of people,”

he said. “We have some of our services over in the hospital. We have our brain fitness center, which is our computerized cognitive remediation program, which is a program that works in conjunction with the speech pathologists and the occupational therapists and the neuropsychologists to focus on trying to improve cognitive dysfunction, memory intention, language and problem solving.”

NICoE wants to ensure patients have access to all aspects of the health care system, French said.

“NICoE is the centerpiece of our care system for traumatic brain injury,” he said. “But think about NICoE as a concept and a system, rather than just this building. It’s way more than just this building.”

The research and technology at NICoE is vital, Bonavia said.“It’s a clinical institute that allows clinicians as well as researchers to be under the

same roof to collaborate and to take care of patients and to discuss findings,” he said. “We can talk about modalities that may be more effective than others for therapy and talk about the future for TBI and psychological health care going forward at one site.”

The center’s location on the Walter Reed NMMC campus allows access to a number of different resources, he said, and being across the street from the National Institutes of Health provides easy access to a significant presence in researching and taking care of patients with TBI and psychologic health problems.

“What we’re doing for the patients we’re putting into the research side of things so we’re able to analyze what’s working and what’s not and bring that to the next person who comes a week later, a month later, a year later,” Panettiere said. “So we’re better now than we were even five years ago when I started here.”

Research, technology aid effort to help TBI patients

Courtesy photoA technician demonstrates how a patient with a traumatic brain injury uses the com-puter assisted rehabilitation environment virtual reality to help with movement and balance at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md.

Courtesy photoA technician demonstrates how a patient with a traumatic brain injury uses driving assessment and rehabilitation treatment to help in regaining the ability to drive their cars at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Md.

PAGE 10 TALESPINNER August 5, 2016 communityTUESDAY inVesting for retirement workshop

This class will discuss retire-ment options, emergency savings, retirement expenses and employment after retirement. The Better Business Bureau is facilitating this class from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at theWilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center Annex, building 4600. Call 671-3722 to register or details.

WEDNESDAY employment workshop

Attendees to the employment workshop can review the federal employment process, resume writing techniques, interviewing skills and how to dress for success from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Military & Family Readiness Center, building 1249. Participants need to bring a copy of their current resume. To register, call 671-3722.

credit building A lot of businesses and institu-

tions will consider people by the credit score they earned from the age of 18. Understanding what

makes up a credit score, and how to strengthen the score is crucial.

This workshop identifi es simple steps to strengthen your score.

The Air Force Federal Credit Union is facilitating this class from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center Annex, building 4600. Call 671-3722 to register or for more information.

THURSDAYoperation junior eXpeditionary team

A mock deployment specially designed for military children will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy, building 7538. The event provides military youth with a de-ployment experience that resembles their parent’s experiences to help them understand what a deploy-ment is like. It is open to youth 7 years old and up. One parent escort is required to remain at the event. Participants must sign up by calling 671-3772 or emailing at 802fss.fsfr@us.af.mil.

adoption, foster care workshop

Review adoption and foster care processes, requirements, types of benefi ts, agencies involved and

resources. Texas Adoption Resource

Exchange, Military Personnel, Legal, EFMP and other organizations are facilitating this workshop from 9 a.m. to noon at the Fellowship Room, Freedom Chapel, building 1528. To reserve a seat, call671-3722.

professional deVelopment pathways The 59th Medical Wing and

Gateway Performance System are hosting professional development courses at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center’s Innovation Center, Room 1C31. “Understanding the Enlisted PromotionSystem,” “Study Techniques” and “Available Resources” will be 2 p.m. Aug. 11 while “Time Management Through Energy Recovery” will be 8 a.m. Aug. 12.

Register at https://cs3.eis.af.mil/sites/OO-ED-AE-25/Pathways/Registration/Registration.aspx. Walk-ins are welcome.

AUG. 12business ownership for Veterans

Participants will learn about busi-ness ownership, franchise opportunities, challenges and

benefi ts and review businesses that thrive in all economic conditions. This workshop is held from 1-4 p.m. at the Arnold Hall Community Center, building 5606.

To reserve a seat, call 671-3722.

AUG. 19king of the hill dodgeball tournament

Tournament will be held 7 a.m. at Stapleton Park basketball court located on Security Hill. Deadline to sign up is Aug. 18 at noon. For details or to sign up, call 977-2353.

AUG. 25changing duty stations with school age children

This class will provide information on moving schools and tools that you can use to ease the transition. Topics included: different responses children may have, school enrollment paperwork, placement, moving with a special needs students and more. This course is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center Annex, building 4600. Call 671-3722 for details or to register.

AUG. 27parents’ night out

Youth Programs can give parents

a much-needed break through the Give Parents a Break/Parents’ Night Out program 1-5 p.m. Kids, ages 5 (in kindergarten) to 12 years old, will be provided snacks and entertained with activities and games.

The cost is $25 per child with a multiple-child discount or free with Give Parents a Break referral. To register, call 671-2388 for ages 5-12, and 671-3675 or 671-3413 for ages 6 weeks to 4 years.

AUG. 30employment symposium,

This workshop is geared towards educating spouses on the various resources available to them on the military installation for assistance with federal employment. This is accomplished with briefi ngs from civilian personal on spousal prefer-ence. Additionally, AAFES, Commissary, Family Childcare Coordinators and Volunteer Services will attend to explain their service areas. Community partners will look at resumes on-site and offer feedback.

This workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Arnold Hall. Call 671-3722 to register or for more information.

LOCAL BRIEFS

Air Force Aid Society 671-3722Airman & Family Readiness Center 671-3722Airman’s Attic 671-1780American Red Cross 844-4225Base Post Offi ce 671-1058Bowling Center 671-2271DEERS 800-538-9552Exceptional Family Member Program 671-3722Family Child Care 671-3376Legal Offi ce 671-3362Library 671-3610Medical Appointment Line 916-9900MPF ID Cards 671-6006Outdoor Recreation 925-5532TRICARE Info 800-444-5445Thrift Shop 671-3608

Enlisted Spouses’ Club http://www.lacklandesc.orgForce Support Squadron http://www.lacklandfss.comLackland ISD http://www.lacklandisd.netOffi cers’ Spouses’ Club http://www.lacklandosc.orgJBSA Public website http://www.jbsa.milMy Air Force Life http://www.MyAirForceLife.com

JBSA-LACKLAND KEY FAMILY SUPPORT RESOURCES—PROTESTANT WORSHIP SERVICES

Freedom Chapel – Building 1528Contemporary Service Sun 9:30 a.m.

Religious Education Sun 11 a.m.

Gospel Service Sun 12:30 p.m.

Youth Ministry Mon 6 p.m.

—LITURGICAL SERVICEAirman Memorial Chapel – Building 5432 Sun 9:45 a.m

Religious Education Sun 10:45 a.m.

—CHURCH OF CHRISTPfi ngston – Building 6300 Sun 7:30 a.m. (Room 175)

—SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTGateway Chapel – Building 6300 Sat 12:30 p.m.

—CHRISTIAN SCIENCEPfi ngston – Building 6300 Sun 7:30 a.m. (Room 113)

—ORTHODOX CHRISTIANAirmen Memorial Chapel – Building 5432 Sun 8 a.m.

—PENTECOSTAL Religious Education Building 6300 Sun 8 & 9:30 a.m. (Room. 112)

—WICCAPfi ngston – Building 6330Sun 9 – 11 a.m. (Auditorium)

Freedom Chapel – Building 1528Open Circle 1st Tue 6 – 7 p.m.

—REFUGE STUDENT CENTERBuilding 9122 (Tech. Training & TDY Students) Wed 6 – 8 p.m.

Thur 6 – 8 p.m.

Fri 6 – 11 p.m.

Sat 12 – 9 p.m.

Sun 11 – 5 p.m.

—JEWISHAirmen Memorial Chapel – Building 5432Sabbath & Kiddush Fri. 4:30 p.m.

Religious Education Sun 1:30 p.m.

—ROMAN CATHOLICFreedom Chapel – Building 1528Religious Education Sun 9 a.m.

Adult Religious Education Sun 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.

Mass Sat. 5:00 p.m. Sun 11 a.m.

Youth Ministry Sun 4 p.m.

Reconciliation Sat 4 – 4:45 p.m.

Note: Reconciliation(s) may be scheduled by appointment

—ISLAMICGlobal Ministry Center – Building 7452Jumu'ah Prayer Fri 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

—BUDDHISTPfi ngston – Building 6330 Sun 10:45 a.m. (Room 175)

—HINDU WORSHIP Gateway Chapel – Building 6300 1st, 3rd and 5th Sat 2 – 4 p.m. (Room 13)

—ECKANKAR Gateway Chapel – Building 6300 1st, 3rd and 5th Sat 12:30 p.m.

—BAHA'IGateway Chapel – Building 6300 1st, 3rd and 5th Sun. 11 a.m.

—THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTSGateway Chapel – Building 6300Religious Education Tue 6:30 p.m.

LDS Institute Thur 6:30 p.m.

LDS Service Sun 1 p.m.

—LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNODGateway Chapel Building 6300 Every third Sun. 3:30 p.m.

CHAPEL SERVICES

For more details, contact Freedom Chapel at 671-4208 or Gateway Chapel at 671-2911

August 5, 2016 TALESPINNER PAGE 11

By J.D. LeviteAir Force Surgeon General Public Affairs

Preventing illness or injury is the goal of the Air Force’s Preventive Medicine program, a topic that is highlighted in August during Preventive Health Month.

Preventive Health extends beyond health care at an individual level, concentrating rather on the health of individuals, communities and specifi c populations to help groups reduce their risk of disease, disability and death.

“We see patients one-on-one, but we also look at a global view,” said Col. Patrick Monahan, Population Health Operations chief. “We determine how to care for the population in the best way possible.”

Col. Thomas Moore, Health Promotion chief, said it’s the community-level impact of preventive medicine that motivates him.

“It’s better to prevent than cure. ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’ There’s a lot of wisdom in that,” he said. “We can help a lot of people versus just the one on one. That’s the interesting part for me.”

Preventive Health breaks down into three sep-arate stages: primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary prevention is meant to keep people from getting sick in the fi rst place. There are many ways to do this from immunizations to targeting expo-sures that might get people sick.

The Air Force’s Health Promotion effort also fo-cuses on primary prevention. In addition to advo-cating for new policies that make it easier to adopt healthy habits, such as improving dining facilities to offer healthier foods, Moore said they also cre-ate campaigns to promote the adoption of healthy behaviors like eating right and not smoking. They also work to keep Airmen from unhealthy behav-iors.

“We want to make sure people are as healthy as they can be and we have the best fi ghting force ready to go,” he said.

Preventive Health’s secondary stage is the one most Airmen have experienced in one way or an-other. It includes things like the annual Periodic Health Assessment, hearing tests, cancer screen-ings and blood tests.

While it mostly works behind the scenes, Population Health plays a big part in the second-ary stage by using data from military treatment facilities around the Air Force.

“Once we identify areas we do well in and areas we have challenges in, we deep dive into more investigative work and see how we can improve,” Monahan said.

One example of how Population Health improves preventive health is with breast cancer screening. Using the data available, Monahan is able to fi nd a group of patients that should be receiving that screening based on their gender, age and other factors. He can then push for outreach campaigns to help make sure those people are getting that recommendation.

The fi nal stage is tertiary prevention. At this point an individual already has a disease, but it’s still in a stage that’s early enough to treat. A good example of this is diabetes, which can be treated with a change in diet and nutrition long before it gets to the point where medicine is needed.

“All kinds of things can happen if your diabetes

gets bad enough and isn’t well controlled,” Moore said. “The efforts we make early on to try and prevent it from progressing to that stage, that’s tertiary prevention.”

Moore said many of the factors that have led to an increase in life expectancy for humans can be attributed to the concept of preventive health. Things like improved sanitation and just getting people to wash their hands have made a huge difference to public health overall because it has prevented people from contracting diseases they may have gotten otherwise.

“It’s much better to get that shot periodically or get your blood sugar checked to make sure you’re not diabetic,” Moore said. “We can stick you and take a little bit of blood right now and send you down a path that hopefully keeps you healthy, or you’re going to end up in a situation where you’re giving yourself a shot every day.”

Preventive health covers topics ranging from the fl u shot to tobacco cessation to alcohol consumption, and the Air Force is exploring new avenues for all of these issues.

Preventive measures lead to a healthier Air Force

us to grow as a team.”The raft event was the most diffi cult part of the

race, Gonzalez said.“You can row on the machine all day and that will

ensure your stamina, but being able to row as one and in one direction was a challenge,” he said. “At that point in the race you’re all tired and frustrat-ed. However, once we reached halfway through the phase and after some motivational words in the raft, we were able to execute the task and help secure our positioning in the race.”

Mike McCarthy, Air Force Personnel Center Force Support Career Field manager, also competed in the Rambler 120 for the fi rst time – in the Just-4-Fun divi-sion. He prepared for the adventure race with a routine fi tness program that complements a tri-challenge event.

“I run, ride and sometimes swim during the week,” the retired Marine said. “I did two of the mini-tri chal-lenges at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston last year and they were very well-managed and extremely fun. I run occasional 5Ks and 10Ks and do some local event rides.”

The Rambler 120 will again offer Air Force RecOn program funding to team members and individu-als who are in the military, Pollard said. The RecOn

program, which provides recreational activities for active-duty members and their families, will pay the military members’ registration fees.

Sept. 23 is the deadline to register for the event, but teams that sign up through Sept. 1 receive a discount by paying an early-bird fee of $100 for the Xtreme division and $150 for the relay division. The fee increases to $120 for Xtreme teams and $150 for relay teams after Sept. 1. Individuals pay a $25 fee. The fee covers a barbecue lunch, a commemorative T-shirt and awards.

For information, call 652-5763 or email 502fss.fsk.jbsacommunityevent@us.af.mil.

RAMBLER from Page 5

PAGE 12 TALESPINNER August 5, 2016

By Robert GoetzJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Outdoor fi tness and recreational activities are popular summertime diversions, but they also come with health risks.

With the Air Force Summer Safety Campaign en-tering the home stretch, Joint Base San Antonio fi t-ness and safety professionals offered advice to ensure Airmen and their families safely enjoy the fi nal weeks of the summer.

Too much sun exposure and excessive heat are dangers common to all outdoor activities – whether it’s jogging, bicycling, swimming or camping.

“People are susceptible to heat-related injuries such as heat stress and heatstroke while they par-ticipate in outdoor activities,” said Master Sgt. Justin Thibodeaux, 502nd Air Base Wing safety technician. “Excessive exposure to the sun can raise the risk for melanoma. People are also at risk for dehydration.”

Because dehydration can lead to heatstroke and other serious problems, staying hydrated – drinking enough water to replenish fl uids lost through sweat-ing – is crucial, said Tommy Brown, Rambler Fitness Center fi tness programmer.

“Dehydration is obviously a big issue during any outdoor summer activity,” he said. “Staying hydrated is key during these times, so keeping water nearby is a must, especially if you plan on doing any of these activities by yourself.”

People can also prevent heat stress by taking regu-lar breaks from the heat and sun by going indoors, Thibodeaux said.

Clothing plays a role in heat stress, Brown said.“Try to avoid overheating yourself due to excessive

clothing,” he said. “Avoid wearing sweatpants and jackets outside in the heat to prevent heat exhaus-tion.”

Both Brown and Thibodeaux emphasized the need for people to always wear sunscreen when they are outdoors for an extended period of time.

Precautions should also be taken when playing team sports such as baseball, softball and football or simply enjoying a bike ride, Brown said.

“With team activities that take place during the summer, injuries are bound to happen,” he said. “With that being said, having a fi rst aid kit on hand as well as access to a phone in case of an emergency would be smart moves on anyone’s part.”

Brown also recommended the use of protective gear.

“Helmets, whether they be used for baseball, foot-ball or even bike riding, help prevent head injuries,” he said. “If possible, children especially should make sure they are secured in other protective gear such as knee and elbow pads to further prevent injury.”

Water-related activities – swimming, boating and fi shing – present their own special challenges.

Drowning is one of those risks, Thibodeaux said.“The precautions to take when swimming depends

on the person’s level of profi ciency as a swimmer,” he said. “Swimming safety items such as fl oaties are available for people with limited swimming ability. When swimming in a public pool or at a beach, ensure

a lifeguard is present. If a lifeguard is not present, employ the buddy system.”

Boating dangers include encountering boaters who are operating their vessel recklessly or at high speeds, striking sand bars or submerged plant roots and run-ning out of fuel, Thibodeaux said.

“Boaters should always carry a means to commu-nicate in the event they become stranded or injured,” he said. “In addition to a means of communication, it is recommended to wear life vests while boating. It is not recommended to go boating by yourself, but if you do, let someone know what area you will be in while on the boat.”

Fishing is a leisurely activity, but it, too, requires awareness.

“When fi shing, be cognizant of the area you are fi shing in,” Thibodeaux said. “Many areas in East and Southeast Texas have alligators that rest near the banks of the lakes, swamps and ponds. Always supervise children when baiting a hook as hooks are very sharp and can become embedded in the skin with ease. If fi shing from rocks, watch the footing to avoid falling into the water.”

Thibodeaux also addressed the potential hazards of camping, another popular summertime activity.

“Camping can place participants in areas they are not familiar with or in areas where communication with emergency services can become diffi cult,” he said. “Wildlife in the area, from large animals to in-sects, can pose different types of threats, as many are attracted to the food that campers tend to bring with

them. The weather can play a large role in how to plan for camping, as rains can bring potential fl ooding and wash away campsites.”

Thibodeaux offered advice on how to counteract these threats.

“To help curtail wildlife from being attracted to campsites, campers should place food items in secure containers and store them away from the main camp-site,” he said. “Always check the weather forecasts prior to camping and never go camping in severe weather.”

A fi rst aid kit for unexpected injuries is a necessity for camping trips, Thibodeaux said.

“Emergency services may have a diffi cult time reaching campsites if they have to respond to any emergency,” he said.

“It is also important to let someone who will not be with you know where you will be camping and the du-ration of your trip in the event you need to be reached or if you experience an unexpected emergency.”

Health risks accompany popular summertime activities

To advertise in the Talespinner,

call 250-2345 for classifi eds or contact

Michelle Bogue at 250-2052 for retail ads

Photo by Joel MartinezIris Trujillo drinks water after her workout to avoid dehydration, muscle cramping and heat-related illness at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph July 27. Fluids should be consumed frequently during strenuous activity and within a half hour of training.

August 5, 2016 TALESPINNER PAGE 13

The American Mosquito Control Association reports that more than one million people worldwide die from mosquito-borne diseases every year. This summer, TRICARE wants to help you avoid their bites, which are not only irritating, but can also carry diseases that make both people and pets very ill.

Mosquito bites can cause severe skin irritation because of an aller-gic reaction to the mosquito’s saliva. This is what causes the red bump and itching. But that’s not all. There are several well-known diseases transmitted by mosquito bites:

• Malaria• Dengue• Dog Heartworm• Easter Equine Encephalitis • West Nile Virus• Zika Virus

This is a shortened list as there are numerous others. You can pro-tect yourself and your family from mosquito bites by taking a few simple precautions.

First, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants clothing when the weath-er permits. Wear light colored, loose fitting clothing. Studies have shown that some of the 174 mos-quito species in the United States are more attracted to dark clothing and most can readily bite through

tight-fitting clothing.Next, you should wear insect

repellent. There are many differ-ent kinds of insect repellent, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC recommends products that have at least one of the following active ingredients: DEET, Picaridin, IR 3535 or Oil of lemon eucalyptus. Choose the lowest con-centration of DEET that will provide the coverage you need and be sure you read the labels to find out how much product is in the repellent.

Get rid of any standing water around your house — mosquitoes lay their eggs near water and they don’t need a lot. Check and empty children’s toys, clear roof gutters of debris, avoid water collecting on pool covers and repair leaky outdoor faucets. Be sure to clean pet dishes and bird baths regularly. For more information, visit the mosquito-borne illnesses page at the Military Health System website.

If you have travelled internation-ally recently, and develop a fever, headache, rash, muscle or joint pain, visit your healthcare provider im-mediately and tell them about your travel. To find a provider near you, visit http://www.TRICARE.mil.

(Source: TRICARE)

Tips to avoid mosquito bites this summer

By Jose T. Garza IIIJBSA-Lackland Public Affairs

In San Antonio it is not difficult to find a race to compete in, as there is virtually one every every weekend.

Whether you're a beginner, interme-diate or advanced runner, one of the important aspects of training when it comes to building endurance is outdoor running.

However, one aspect that will test your mental and physical wherewithal is heat.

According to Tawnee Prazak, an endurance coach, at http://www.com petitor.com, there are five ways heat

affects running performance:Changes in blood flow and

sweating – The human body has the ability to cool itself in the heat via sweat-ing, however for sweating and cooling to occur, blood flow must increase on the body’s surface. When an individual sweats at a high rate, they lose blood volume and electrolytes.

More demand on the heart – Pumping blood to sustain a workout and maintain heart rate in the heat is less than ideal because less blood is flowing in the heart. As a result of increase blood viscosity, the heart and vessels endure more stress.

Working muscles suffer and anaero-

bic modes kick in – Muscles engaged in performance suffer because aren’t re-ceiving as much oxygen from blood. Oxy-gen is paramount for runners because it allows them to maintain exercise for lon-ger durations, and they are forced to rely on more pain-inducing anaerobic modes of produced energy without oxygen.

V02 max decreases – Increased heart pumping leads to a decrease in VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can absorb and use.

Humidity hinders cooling – As humid-ity increases, air becomes increasingly saturated with water, making it difficult to evaporate sweat. Less evaporation of sweat doesn’t allow individuals to cool as

well. As a result, increased temperatures leads to more expended energy and fa-tigue during exercises.

If you plan to beat the heat, it is im-portant to properly hydrate before any run.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, consume approximate-ly one ounce of fluids per 10 pounds of body weight at least four hours prior to exercise. If still thirsty two hours prior, one ounce per every 15-20 pounds of body weight should quench your thirst. Also, opt for a sports drink or beverage with some electrolytes rather than plain water, because extra salt and potassium will be necessary as the miles run by.

Don’t let the heat defeat running plans

and systems, but also for the quality-of-life services that we offer to our family members. This new structure provides transparency, buy-in and trust and is the fulcrum on how we execute installation support and services across our massive portfolio.”

The 502d ABW’s transformation from a traditional organizational structure to a functional construct, is also a power-ful, force-multiplier that enhanced the 502nd ABW’s ability to execute its mis-sion on a day-to-day basis. “We’ve driv-en decision-making and resource alloca-tion down to not only to the group level, but to the squadron and flight levels,” LaBrutta said. “A result, we are more flexible, agile, and are able to execute installation support and service at the speed required by all of our customers.”

The process and organization adjust-ments are only part of the story. “An-other big reason for the success of JBSA is because of the incredible support and partnership of Military City USA, com-munity partners in the metropolitan area and the great State of Texas,” LaBrutta said. “Specifically, through our JBSA P4 instrumentality, we have been highly successful in leveraging resources that exist outside our fence lines. Through P4 we have realized more than $42 million in grants, funding and projects that pro-vide water security, mitigate encroach-ment, and decrease traffic congestion to preserve JBSA’s vital missions. This ini-tiative is simply spectacular and we’re just on the crest of the wave in what P4 will bring in the future.”

With regard to the joint base concept in San Antonio, the general is optimistic.

“Together, the 502nd ABW and Joint Base San Antonio are setting a new standard of excellence. We established an inspiring vision, to be “the premier installation in the Department of Defense” and through unrivaled instal-lation support and service that enables our Mission Partner’s success – I have no doubt we will accomplish that lofty goal,” LaBrutta said.

LaBrutta spoke in glowing terms about what this assignment has meant to him on a professional level.

“This has been the best professional development experience I’ve had in my 34-year career”, he said. “I’ve learned so much from the incredible military, civilian and community professionals I have come into contact with through this job. On top of that, having the op-portunity to test my leadership skills with regard to team building, organiza-tion structure, and building partnership capacity – all of these opportunities have made Bob LaBrutta a better person, a better officer and a better leader.”

When asked what words he wanted to say to the men and women of the 502nd ABW and JBSA as he departs, LaBrutta took a while to collect his thoughts and emotions.

“What an honor and a privilege it has been. I love what we do and I love what the 502nd ABW and JBSA brings to the fight. This wing, JBSA and this remarkable community – Military City USA – are at the pinnacle of installation support, and military-community part-nerships. I’m grateful to have served as the 502nd ABW and JBSA commander, and I will always reflect on this assign-ment with enormous pride for the rest of my career!”

FAREWELL from Page 3