MARCH 11, 2011 - San Antonio Express-Newsextras.mysanantonio.com/randolph/031111_WGSP.pdfRANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE 65th Year • No. 10 • MARCH 11, 2011 A publication of the 502nd

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE 65th Year • No. 10 • MARCH 11, 2011

A publication of the 502nd Air Base Wing – Joint Base San Antonio

INSIDE ... RANDOLPH HOSTS CIVIL FLY-IN, P3 ... PHARMACY IMPROVES EFFICIENCY, P5 ... REPURPOSING OLD AIRCRAFT, P10 ... KEY TO GOOD HEALTH, P13

PAGE 11

Senior Airman Megan Griffen, 902ndMission Support Group, points out thelocation of other victims to a Randolph fire-fighter during a Joint Base San Antonionatural disaster exercise at RandolphMarch 2. For more coverage of the event,see Page 11. Photo by Don Lindsey

Wingspread Office1150 5th Street East

Randolph AFB, Texas 78150Phone: (210) 652-5760

Fax: (210) 652-3142Wingspread Advertisements

Prime Time Military Newspapers2203 S. Hackberry

San Antonio, Texas 78210Phone: (210) 534-8848

Wingspread [email protected]

This paper is published by Prime Time Military Newspapers, aprivate firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, underexclusive written contract with Randolph AFB, Texas. This com-mercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publica-tion for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of theWingspread are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsedby, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or theDepartment of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by theDepartment of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, or PrimeTime Military Newspapers of the products or services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made avail-able for purchase, use or patronage without regard to the race,color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical ormental handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factorof the purchaser, user, or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the PublicAffairs Division of the 502nd Air Base Wing OL-B in accordancewith local policy and style guidance. All photos, unless otherwiseindicated, are U.S. Air Force photos.

Articles for the newspaper should be submitted by noonThursday the week prior to the desired publication date. Items canbe dropped off on a PC- or Macintosh-formatted disk at theWingspread office in Hangar 6.

Articles for submission may also be sent by e-mail [email protected].

For details about submissions, call 652-5760.

ON THE COVER

PAGE 3WINGSPREADMARCH 11, 2011WINGSPREADPAGE 2 MARCH 11, 2011

COMMENTARY

By Senior Master Sgt. Juan Benavidez376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron

WASHINGTON – Today I witnessedwhat I believe is the best chief in the AirForce. He is a most selfless chief – onewho truly cares for his Airmen.

It is fresh in my mind so I am writingthis down so that I may never forget.

On Feb. 28, my traffic managementoffice team was processing weaponsfor deployers who were fighting inAfghanistan.

These warriors saw their fairshare of combat. Our task was toship their weapons home, so theycould get to their decompressiontraining quickly and get home totheir families, whom they had notseen for more than a year.

While going through some advancepaperwork, I noticed that some of theweapons were for killed in actionAirmen. Nevertheless, we met their chiefat the processing point to transferweapons from his unit to our team traf-fic management office.

Any Airman or noncommissioned offi-cer could have validated serial numbersto transfer weapons, but it was the chiefwho took on this task.

It was evident that he was tired. Histeam had arrived about six hours earlier,and I’m sure his team was already set-

tled in and bedded down. Not the chief. This was one more

task this chief performed for histeam — selfless.

As we were validating weapons andserial numbers, the chief eventuallycame across the weapon of one of hisKIA Airmen. He paused. Then he told ushow the Airman had fallen.

We went through a couple moreweapons and he came across theweapon of one of his woundedAirmen, and he told us how that war-rior sustained injuries.

He then opened up a case andstopped what he was doing.

The chief was visibly shaken. In hishand, he held the KIA Airman’s orders,which appeared to have blood on them.

He didn’t say a word; I could see hishand trembling.

He read off the serial number, andwe proceeded.

After we had processed about 60weapons, my team proceeded to loadthem in our truck.

The chief stepped away from meand began to help us load theweapons — selfless. I could notbelieve this chief was trying to helpthe TMO team load weapons.

As respectfully as I could, I told thechief we would take care of every-thing. I was not going to take no foran answer.

He could easily have pulled rank, but Ibelieve he knew how important it wasfor us to serve him, and for that, I appre-ciate the chief.

I thought all night about what hap-pened, and realized how lucky our coun-try is to have this chief serving.

Reflections of a chief’s devotion

502nd Air Base WingOperating Location Bravo

Editorial StaffBrig. Gen. Leonard Patrick

CommanderMarilyn Holliday

Chief of Public AffairsAirman 1st Class Precious Yett

EditorRobert Goetz, Brian McGloin

Airman Alexis SiekertStaff Writers

Maggie ArmstrongGraphic Designer

WINGSPREAD

“These warriors saw their fair share of combat.Our task was to ship their weapons home, so

they could get to their decompression trainingquickly and get home to their families, whom

they had not seen for more than a year. “

Reviewing the troops

Gen. Edward Rice Jr., AirEducation and TrainingCommand commander,acts as reviewing officialfor an Airman in Trainingparade March 2 as partof the Air Education andTraining CommandSpring Commander'sConference missionelements tour ofSheppard Air Force Base,Texas. The week-longconference gave seniorleaders across thecommand the opportu-nity to get together todiscuss critical issues.Photo by Airman 1st ClassAdawn Kelsey

Photo by Don LindseyRey Gutierrez, 12th Operations Support Squadron aircraft flight equipment technician, helps Garrett Laging adjust hishelmet during the Civil Fly-In March 5.

By Airman Alexis Siekert502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

The annual Civil Fly-In, hosted by the 12th FlyingTraining Wing Safety Office, took place Saturday inHangar 41. Civil fly-ins provide civilian and militarypilots the opportunity to interact, promoting under-standing and safe flight operations in the South Texasregion.

Seventy-one aircraft were projected to arriveSaturday morning, but due to poor weather conditionsand high winds, only 20 were able to land. Many whowere unable to fly onto the base drove in for the event.

The aircraft touched down between 10 and 10:45a.m. Col. Richard Murphy, 12th Flying TrainingWing commander, and other base leadership wel-comed the pilots.

The group toured Aerospace and OperationalPhysiology and received demonstrations of the Baranychair, night-vision-goggle training, hypobaric chamberand the General Aviation Training II, a flight simulatordesigned to help fight spatial disorientation.

Seth Beach, a 15-year-old glider pilot with the RefugioSoaring Circle, volunteered to go in the GAT II. He wasone of three teenage students who attended the fly-in.

Three Iraqi Air Force pilots currently attending theDefense Language Institute at Lackland were alsopresent.

The afternoon concluded with lunch and safetybriefings.

Randolph hosts annual Civil Fly-In for civilian, military pilots

This is your BIG STAR in the skyand I’m here to shine on you!

Before you retire Saturday night,turn your clocks ahead one hourand spend those long spring and

summer days soaking up my warm, sunny rays.

So, don’t forget –it’s time to Spring Forward!

Graphic by Joe Beach

Active-duty deferral

Kenny Bratton, Randolph Air Force Base housing office, and Guadalupe Lopez, president of the BexarMetWater District board, witnessed by veterans that work at BexarMet, signed an agreement Feb. 22 allowingactive-duty members to have their security deposit waived in areas of Bexar County serviced by BexarMet.The area utilities extending this courtesy now include BexarMet, San Antonio Water System and CPS Energy.

Photo by Steve Thurow

Senior Airman Megan Griffen, 902ndMission Support Group, points out thelocation of other victims to a Randolph fire-fighter during a Joint Base San Antonionatural disaster exercise at RandolphMarch 2. For more coverage of the event,see Page 11. Photo by Don Lindsey

Wingspread Office1150 5th Street East

Randolph AFB, Texas 78150Phone: (210) 652-5760

Fax: (210) 652-3142Wingspread Advertisements

Prime Time Military Newspapers2203 S. Hackberry

San Antonio, Texas 78210Phone: (210) 534-8848

Wingspread [email protected]

This paper is published by Prime Time Military Newspapers, aprivate firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, underexclusive written contract with Randolph AFB, Texas. This com-mercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publica-tion for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of theWingspread are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsedby, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or theDepartment of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by theDepartment of Defense, the Department of the Air Force, or PrimeTime Military Newspapers of the products or services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made avail-able for purchase, use or patronage without regard to the race,color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical ormental handicap, political affiliation, or any other non-merit factorof the purchaser, user, or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the PublicAffairs Division of the 502nd Air Base Wing OL-B in accordancewith local policy and style guidance. All photos, unless otherwiseindicated, are U.S. Air Force photos.

Articles for the newspaper should be submitted by noonThursday the week prior to the desired publication date. Items canbe dropped off on a PC- or Macintosh-formatted disk at theWingspread office in Hangar 6.

Articles for submission may also be sent by e-mail [email protected].

For details about submissions, call 652-5760.

ON THE COVER


COMMENTARY

By Senior Master Sgt. Juan Benavidez376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron

WASHINGTON – Today I witnessedwhat I believe is the best chief in the AirForce. He is a most selfless chief – onewho truly cares for his Airmen.

It is fresh in my mind so I am writingthis down so that I may never forget.

On Feb. 28, my traffic managementoffice team was processing weaponsfor deployers who were fighting inAfghanistan.

These warriors saw their fairshare of combat. Our task was toship their weapons home, so theycould get to their decompressiontraining quickly and get home totheir families, whom they had notseen for more than a year.

While going through some advancepaperwork, I noticed that some of theweapons were for killed in actionAirmen. Nevertheless, we met their chiefat the processing point to transferweapons from his unit to our team traf-fic management office.

Any Airman or noncommissioned offi-cer could have validated serial numbersto transfer weapons, but it was the chiefwho took on this task.

It was evident that he was tired. Histeam had arrived about six hours earlier,and I’m sure his team was already set-

tled in and bedded down. Not the chief. This was one more

task this chief performed for histeam — selfless.

As we were validating weapons andserial numbers, the chief eventuallycame across the weapon of one of hisKIA Airmen. He paused. Then he told ushow the Airman had fallen.

We went through a couple moreweapons and he came across theweapon of one of his woundedAirmen, and he told us how that war-rior sustained injuries.

He then opened up a case andstopped what he was doing.

The chief was visibly shaken. In hishand, he held the KIA Airman’s orders,which appeared to have blood on them.

He didn’t say a word; I could see hishand trembling.

He read off the serial number, andwe proceeded.

After we had processed about 60weapons, my team proceeded to loadthem in our truck.

The chief stepped away from meand began to help us load theweapons — selfless. I could notbelieve this chief was trying to helpthe TMO team load weapons.

As respectfully as I could, I told thechief we would take care of every-thing. I was not going to take no foran answer.

He could easily have pulled rank, but Ibelieve he knew how important it wasfor us to serve him, and for that, I appre-ciate the chief.

I thought all night about what hap-pened, and realized how lucky our coun-try is to have this chief serving.

Reflections of a chief’s devotion

502nd Air Base WingOperating Location Bravo

Editorial StaffBrig. Gen. Leonard Patrick

CommanderMarilyn Holliday

Chief of Public AffairsAirman 1st Class Precious Yett

EditorRobert Goetz, Brian McGloin

Airman Alexis SiekertStaff Writers

Maggie ArmstrongGraphic Designer

WINGSPREAD

“These warriors saw their fair share of combat.Our task was to ship their weapons home, so

they could get to their decompression trainingquickly and get home to their families, whom

they had not seen for more than a year. “

Reviewing the troops

Gen. Edward Rice Jr., AirEducation and TrainingCommand commander,acts as reviewing officialfor an Airman in Trainingparade March 2 as partof the Air Education andTraining CommandSpring Commander'sConference missionelements tour ofSheppard Air Force Base,Texas. The week-longconference gave seniorleaders across thecommand the opportu-nity to get together todiscuss critical issues.Photo by Airman 1st ClassAdawn Kelsey

Photo by Don LindseyRey Gutierrez, 12th Operations Support Squadron aircraft flight equipment technician, helps Garrett Laging adjust hishelmet during the Civil Fly-In March 5.

By Airman Alexis Siekert502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

The annual Civil Fly-In, hosted by the 12th FlyingTraining Wing Safety Office, took place Saturday inHangar 41. Civil fly-ins provide civilian and militarypilots the opportunity to interact, promoting under-standing and safe flight operations in the South Texasregion.

Seventy-one aircraft were projected to arriveSaturday morning, but due to poor weather conditionsand high winds, only 20 were able to land. Many whowere unable to fly onto the base drove in for the event.

The aircraft touched down between 10 and 10:45a.m. Col. Richard Murphy, 12th Flying TrainingWing commander, and other base leadership wel-comed the pilots.

The group toured Aerospace and OperationalPhysiology and received demonstrations of the Baranychair, night-vision-goggle training, hypobaric chamberand the General Aviation Training II, a flight simulatordesigned to help fight spatial disorientation.

Seth Beach, a 15-year-old glider pilot with the RefugioSoaring Circle, volunteered to go in the GAT II. He wasone of three teenage students who attended the fly-in.

Three Iraqi Air Force pilots currently attending theDefense Language Institute at Lackland were alsopresent.

The afternoon concluded with lunch and safetybriefings.

Randolph hosts annual Civil Fly-In for civilian, military pilots

This is your BIG STAR in the skyand I’m here to shine on you!

Before you retire Saturday night,turn your clocks ahead one hourand spend those long spring and

summer days soaking up my warm, sunny rays.

So, don’t forget –it’s time to Spring Forward!

Graphic by Joe Beach

Active-duty deferral

Kenny Bratton, Randolph Air Force Base housing office, and Guadalupe Lopez, president of the BexarMetWater District board, witnessed by veterans that work at BexarMet, signed an agreement Feb. 22 allowingactive-duty members to have their security deposit waived in areas of Bexar County serviced by BexarMet.The area utilities extending this courtesy now include BexarMet, San Antonio Water System and CPS Energy.

Photo by Steve Thurow


NEWS

By Robert Goetz502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

It’s now easier for all Randolph personnel to learnabout the base’s environmental management endeav-ors and see how they can contribute to those efforts.

A plethora of information is available with the 902ndCivil Engineer Squadron Environmental Section’simplementation of the Microsoft Sharepoint producteDASH, which the Air Force has adopted and cus-tomized for Environmental Management System docu-ment management, collaboration and communication.

Accessible to anyone with a dot-mil computer throughthe Air Force Civil Engineering portal, eDASH increasesenvironmental communication and education.

“It is a one-stop shop base personnel can go to sothey can find out how we do business on base,” saidVerna Cyr, 902nd CES environmental compliance chief.“There’s a lot of information at their fingertips.”

The Randolph eDASH home page features the envi-ronmental section’s compliance calendar, which listsmeetings, training sessions, activities and due dates forreports, but also includes tabs for EMS information,environmental program areas and Air Education andTraining Command’s environmental management site,“so you can see what’s going on at AETC and otherAETC installations,” said Ms. Cyr. The home page alsolists all the contacts in the environmental section.

EDASH helps installation personnel meet a require-ment that they have general EMS awareness, an obli-gation recently underscored by Brig. Gen. LeonardPatrick, 502nd Air Base Wing commander, in his EMSpolicy statement, which is included on the eDASH site.

“It’s incumbent upon us all to integrate environ-mental concerns into our everyday actions andevery decision we make,” he said. “Whether it’s to

recycle or carpool to work, every action, everydecision impacts our environment.”

Randolph summarizes the EMS policy by theacronym SOAR, which stands for Stop pollution, Obeylaws, Always improve and Reduce waste, Ms. Cyr said.

Randolph was the first AETC base to roll out eDASHwhen representatives from Solution Foundry, an envi-ronmental, health and safety management consultingfirm, visited the base in early January to set up theprogram and train the environmental section’s pro-gram managers to upload information onto the site.Altus, Columbus, Goodfellow and Keesler Air ForceBases – along with Fort Sam Houston – have sinceimplemented eDASH.

Ms. Cyr said eDASH supports the EMS, which is the“overarching system to minimize our impact on theenvironment by identifying environmental aspects.”

In addition to “big things” like using hazardousmaterials and generating hazardous waste, thoseaspects also include “little things” such as energyconsumption, water use and air pollution from driv-ing to and from work, she said.

“There are environmental aspects tied to everybody’swork area,” Ms. Cyr said. “Almost every organizationhas hazardous materials and they don’t even realize it,such as light bulbs and batteries. These items should beturned into Bldg. 37, not disposed of in regular trash.”

The environmental program areas range from airquality, energy and the Environmental, Safety andOccupational Health Compliance Assessment andManagement Program, or ESOHCAMP, to potablewater, recycling and spills. Ms. Cyr said personnel whouse eDASH can access all the information available inthese areas, some of which is interactive.

The section on spills, for example, has a chart listingall the spills that occurred last year and provides a doc-

ument that personnel can fill out if they discover a spill.The ESOHCAMP section is especially relevant this yearbecause an external assessment, which is conductedevery three years, is planned for August.

Ms. Cyr said eDASH will supplement the work of unitenvironmental coordinators, who are responsible forrelaying information about environmental matters topersonnel in their organizations.

“We meet with them once a month, but if theydon’t come to meetings, we can’t get informationout,” she said. “People don’t understand howimportant those UECs are. They’re the eyes andears of an organization.”

But personnel don’t have to rely solely on UECs orfacility managers for environmental information.

“We want people to use eDASH,” Ms. Cyr said. “It’s aresource where they know they can get information.There’s something on it everybody needs.”

EDASH is accessible through the following link:https://cs.eis.af.mil/a7cportal/eDASH/aetc/ran-dolph/default.aspx.

EDASH allows easy access to environmental data“It’s incumbent upon us all to integrate

environmental concerns into oureveryday actions and every decisionwe make. Whether it’s to recycle orcarpool to work, every action, everydecision impacts our environment.”

Brig. Gen. Leonard Patrick502nd Air Base Wing commander


A survey that gives Air Force bases’helping agencies a blueprint for betterserving community members will endsoon.

The 2011 Air Force CommunityAssessment Survey, which began inJanuary and concludes April 3, pro-vides data on community wellness,strengths and risks – issues that have adirect impact on mission readiness.

“It’s really important that communitymembers complete the survey if theyreceive it,” said Lorri Tibbetts,

Integrated Delivery System WorkingGroup member and 359th Aerospace-Medicine Squadron Health PromotionFlight chief. “It helps us better servethe needs of the base community.”

Results of the biennial survey providebases’ IDS working groups with infor-mation about work and family life andhelp them develop community actionplans. At Randolph, past CA surveyshave resulted in programs such as theAirman and Family Readiness Center’sOperation FLAGS and Key SpouseProgram, the A&FRC and RandolphChaplain Service’s post-deploymentfamily weekend retreat and the Health

and Wellness Center’s Fit Families.Possible participants are selected

randomly. Active-duty personnel,reservists and Department of Defensecivilians receive e-mails while active-duty spouses and reserve spouses arecontacted via standard mail. All par-ticipants access the survey through aweb link.

The survey targets some 160,000active-duty members, 160,000 active-duty spouses, 40,000 reservists, 10,000reserve spouses and all appropriatedfund civilians and seeks response ratesranging from 60 percent for active-dutypersonnel to 25 percent for active-duty

and reserve spouses.This year’s survey features questions

that relate to the broad areas of per-sonal adjustment, family adjustment,personal and family adaptation to theAir Force and community satisfaction.

“The survey looks at some of theissues the Air Force has seen as poten-tial problems for a community,” Ms.Tibbetts said. “We encourage every-body to fill out the survey. If we don’tknow what areas we need to look atand develop programs around, we can’tdo anything.

“We’re doing it for a reason – to meetour needs,” she added.

Air Force Community Assessment deadline approaching


The Randolph Medical Clinic’s pharmacy operation isfunctioning more efficiently since the opening of the satel-lite facility in the new base exchange a year ago.

Wait times have been reduced, the variety of medica-tions continues to expand and a drop-box option at thesatellite pharmacy provides more convenience for ben-eficiaries, pharmacy personnel said.

“A year ago, more than $600,000 was spent on furni-ture and equipment at the satellite pharmacy to offernot only a pleasant environment, but the full range ofpharmacy services our beneficiaries enjoy anddeserve,” said Maj. Derek Larbie, 359th MedicalSupport Squadron Pharmacy Flight commander.“Initial hand-written or faxed civilian prescriptions andall refill prescriptions are processed and dispensed atthis facility with greater accuracy and efficiency.”

Tech. Sgt. Johnette Hutchinson, 359th MDSSpharmacy craftsman, said two facilities – the mainpharmacy inside the clinic and the satellite pharma-cy – allow for the separation of processes, “makingit better for both pharmacies and patients.”

Sergeant Hutchinson said the average wait timefor beneficiaries picking up their prescriptions atthe satellite pharmacy has dropped from 35 or 40minutes to 25 minutes.

“That’s from the time you get your ticket at thecounter to getting your prescription,” she said.“There’s a three-step process – typing the prescrip-tion, filling it and verifying it.”

Patient safety is a primary concern where patientand prescription information is checked repeatedly.The patient is required to give their full name and date ofbirth when turning in and picking up prescriptions.

Sergeant Hutchinson said the drop box is anoption that provides convenience for beneficiaries.Beneficiaries can fill out an envelope, insert theirprescription and place it in the drop box, which islocated on the wall next to window No. 1.

“If they do that before 4:15 p.m. Monday throughFriday, their prescription will be ready for them thenext day,” she said. “After 4:15, it will be ready in twobusiness days.”

People who use the drop box on weekends and afternoon the last Wednesday of the month – the clinic’straining day – also wait two business days, SergeantHutchinson added.

“We’ve been getting a lot of people to utilize thedrop box,” she said.

Major Larbie also addressed medication options.“No effort is spared to expand the variety of medications

offered within the Department of Defense guidelines,” hesaid. “Although it is not possible to provide every medica-tion on the market, an effort is made to meet the expand-ing needs of our beneficiaries and those eligible to receivemedications through the military treatment facility phar-

macy. They may also have access to a more comprehen-sive range of medications through the Tricare mail-orderpharmacy and Tricare retail pharmacy network for anominal co-payment.”

Sergeant Hutchinson said the satellite pharmacy staffincludes 10 full-time personnel, including three service-members, and 15 part-time volunteers.

“Without our volunteers, it would make our jobs muchharder and our wait times much longer,” she said.

Major Larbie said both pharmacies fill more than30,000 prescriptions each month at a rate of approximate-ly 1,500 prescriptions per day.

“An accuracy rate of 99.98 percent attests to their out-standing efficiency,” he said.

For the most up-to-date information at the Randolphclinic, visit https://kx.afms.mil/randolph or search for the359th Medical Group on Facebook.

Satellite pharmacy facility improves efficiency

Photo by David TerryTech. Sgt. Johnette Hutchinson, 359th Medical Support Squadron pharmacy craftsman, assists Susannah Lamb at thesatellite pharmacy located in the Randolph Base Exchange.

CCAF certifications become hot itemBy Master Sgt. Terri HarmonRandolph Air Force Base Career Assistance Advisor

In January, the Community College ofthe Air Force introduced two new profes-sional credentialing programs, theProfessional Manager Certification andthe CCAF Instructor Certification. Thesecertifications are awarded to individualswho meet specific education, experienceand qualification requirements.

The PMC is primarily designed forAir Force Senior NCOs; however, any

enlisted member who meets all pro-gram requirements may be nominatedand awarded certification.

Program requirements include awardof 7 skill level or higher, 30 semesterhours of combined CCAF and civilian col-legiate leadership or managementcoursework, CCAF degree and comple-tion of Airman Leader ship School, NCOAcademy and Senior NCO Academy.

Formal application process alsoincludes letter of recommendationfrom unit commander.

The CIC formally acknowledges theinstructor’s teaching experience and isawarded to qualified instructors currentlyteaching CCAF courses. This programreplaced the CCAF OccupationalInstructor Certification and offers threelevels of certification.

Certification is available to officers,enlisted, civil service, contractor, otherservices or foreign service membersteaching at CCAF affiliated schools.

“The response to these new CCAF certi-fications has been overwhelmingly posi-

tive,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Chandlee,Credentialing Programs Flight chief at theCommunity College of the Air Force,Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala.

“CCAF has awarded over 800Professional Manager Certifications alonesince the programs began in January andthere are currently 1,200 applicationspending review,” Sergeant Chandlee said.

For more information on these andother CCAF certification programs, visitCommunity College of the Air Force atwww.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/certifications.asp.


NEWS


It’s now easier for all Randolph personnel to learnabout the base’s environmental management endeav-ors and see how they can contribute to those efforts.

A plethora of information is available with the 902ndCivil Engineer Squadron Environmental Section’simplementation of the Microsoft Sharepoint producteDASH, which the Air Force has adopted and cus-tomized for Environmental Management System docu-ment management, collaboration and communication.

Accessible to anyone with a dot-mil computer throughthe Air Force Civil Engineering portal, eDASH increasesenvironmental communication and education.

“It is a one-stop shop base personnel can go to sothey can find out how we do business on base,” saidVerna Cyr, 902nd CES environmental compliance chief.“There’s a lot of information at their fingertips.”

The Randolph eDASH home page features the envi-ronmental section’s compliance calendar, which listsmeetings, training sessions, activities and due dates forreports, but also includes tabs for EMS information,environmental program areas and Air Education andTraining Command’s environmental management site,“so you can see what’s going on at AETC and otherAETC installations,” said Ms. Cyr. The home page alsolists all the contacts in the environmental section.

EDASH helps installation personnel meet a require-ment that they have general EMS awareness, an obli-gation recently underscored by Brig. Gen. LeonardPatrick, 502nd Air Base Wing commander, in his EMSpolicy statement, which is included on the eDASH site.

“It’s incumbent upon us all to integrate environ-mental concerns into our everyday actions andevery decision we make,” he said. “Whether it’s to

recycle or carpool to work, every action, everydecision impacts our environment.”

Randolph summarizes the EMS policy by theacronym SOAR, which stands for Stop pollution, Obeylaws, Always improve and Reduce waste, Ms. Cyr said.

Randolph was the first AETC base to roll out eDASHwhen representatives from Solution Foundry, an envi-ronmental, health and safety management consultingfirm, visited the base in early January to set up theprogram and train the environmental section’s pro-gram managers to upload information onto the site.Altus, Columbus, Goodfellow and Keesler Air ForceBases – along with Fort Sam Houston – have sinceimplemented eDASH.

Ms. Cyr said eDASH supports the EMS, which is the“overarching system to minimize our impact on theenvironment by identifying environmental aspects.”

In addition to “big things” like using hazardousmaterials and generating hazardous waste, thoseaspects also include “little things” such as energyconsumption, water use and air pollution from driv-ing to and from work, she said.

“There are environmental aspects tied to everybody’swork area,” Ms. Cyr said. “Almost every organizationhas hazardous materials and they don’t even realize it,such as light bulbs and batteries. These items should beturned into Bldg. 37, not disposed of in regular trash.”

The environmental program areas range from airquality, energy and the Environmental, Safety andOccupational Health Compliance Assessment andManagement Program, or ESOHCAMP, to potablewater, recycling and spills. Ms. Cyr said personnel whouse eDASH can access all the information available inthese areas, some of which is interactive.

The section on spills, for example, has a chart listingall the spills that occurred last year and provides a doc-

ument that personnel can fill out if they discover a spill.The ESOHCAMP section is especially relevant this yearbecause an external assessment, which is conductedevery three years, is planned for August.

Ms. Cyr said eDASH will supplement the work of unitenvironmental coordinators, who are responsible forrelaying information about environmental matters topersonnel in their organizations.

“We meet with them once a month, but if theydon’t come to meetings, we can’t get informationout,” she said. “People don’t understand howimportant those UECs are. They’re the eyes andears of an organization.”

But personnel don’t have to rely solely on UECs orfacility managers for environmental information.

“We want people to use eDASH,” Ms. Cyr said. “It’s aresource where they know they can get information.There’s something on it everybody needs.”

EDASH is accessible through the following link:https://cs.eis.af.mil/a7cportal/eDASH/aetc/ran-dolph/default.aspx.

EDASH allows easy access to environmental data“It’s incumbent upon us all to integrate

environmental concerns into oureveryday actions and every decisionwe make. Whether it’s to recycle orcarpool to work, every action, everydecision impacts our environment.”

Brig. Gen. Leonard Patrick502nd Air Base Wing commander


A survey that gives Air Force bases’helping agencies a blueprint for betterserving community members will endsoon.

The 2011 Air Force CommunityAssessment Survey, which began inJanuary and concludes April 3, pro-vides data on community wellness,strengths and risks – issues that have adirect impact on mission readiness.

“It’s really important that communitymembers complete the survey if theyreceive it,” said Lorri Tibbetts,

Integrated Delivery System WorkingGroup member and 359th Aerospace-Medicine Squadron Health PromotionFlight chief. “It helps us better servethe needs of the base community.”

Results of the biennial survey providebases’ IDS working groups with infor-mation about work and family life andhelp them develop community actionplans. At Randolph, past CA surveyshave resulted in programs such as theAirman and Family Readiness Center’sOperation FLAGS and Key SpouseProgram, the A&FRC and RandolphChaplain Service’s post-deploymentfamily weekend retreat and the Health

and Wellness Center’s Fit Families.Possible participants are selected

randomly. Active-duty personnel,reservists and Department of Defensecivilians receive e-mails while active-duty spouses and reserve spouses arecontacted via standard mail. All par-ticipants access the survey through aweb link.

The survey targets some 160,000active-duty members, 160,000 active-duty spouses, 40,000 reservists, 10,000reserve spouses and all appropriatedfund civilians and seeks response ratesranging from 60 percent for active-dutypersonnel to 25 percent for active-duty

and reserve spouses.This year’s survey features questions

that relate to the broad areas of per-sonal adjustment, family adjustment,personal and family adaptation to theAir Force and community satisfaction.

“The survey looks at some of theissues the Air Force has seen as poten-tial problems for a community,” Ms.Tibbetts said. “We encourage every-body to fill out the survey. If we don’tknow what areas we need to look atand develop programs around, we can’tdo anything.

“We’re doing it for a reason – to meetour needs,” she added.

Air Force Community Assessment deadline approaching


The Randolph Medical Clinic’s pharmacy operation isfunctioning more efficiently since the opening of the satel-lite facility in the new base exchange a year ago.

Wait times have been reduced, the variety of medica-tions continues to expand and a drop-box option at thesatellite pharmacy provides more convenience for ben-eficiaries, pharmacy personnel said.

“A year ago, more than $600,000 was spent on furni-ture and equipment at the satellite pharmacy to offernot only a pleasant environment, but the full range ofpharmacy services our beneficiaries enjoy anddeserve,” said Maj. Derek Larbie, 359th MedicalSupport Squadron Pharmacy Flight commander.“Initial hand-written or faxed civilian prescriptions andall refill prescriptions are processed and dispensed atthis facility with greater accuracy and efficiency.”

Tech. Sgt. Johnette Hutchinson, 359th MDSSpharmacy craftsman, said two facilities – the mainpharmacy inside the clinic and the satellite pharma-cy – allow for the separation of processes, “makingit better for both pharmacies and patients.”

Sergeant Hutchinson said the average wait timefor beneficiaries picking up their prescriptions atthe satellite pharmacy has dropped from 35 or 40minutes to 25 minutes.

“That’s from the time you get your ticket at thecounter to getting your prescription,” she said.“There’s a three-step process – typing the prescrip-tion, filling it and verifying it.”

Patient safety is a primary concern where patientand prescription information is checked repeatedly.The patient is required to give their full name and date ofbirth when turning in and picking up prescriptions.

Sergeant Hutchinson said the drop box is anoption that provides convenience for beneficiaries.Beneficiaries can fill out an envelope, insert theirprescription and place it in the drop box, which islocated on the wall next to window No. 1.

“If they do that before 4:15 p.m. Monday throughFriday, their prescription will be ready for them thenext day,” she said. “After 4:15, it will be ready in twobusiness days.”

People who use the drop box on weekends and afternoon the last Wednesday of the month – the clinic’straining day – also wait two business days, SergeantHutchinson added.

“We’ve been getting a lot of people to utilize thedrop box,” she said.

Major Larbie also addressed medication options.“No effort is spared to expand the variety of medications

offered within the Department of Defense guidelines,” hesaid. “Although it is not possible to provide every medica-tion on the market, an effort is made to meet the expand-ing needs of our beneficiaries and those eligible to receivemedications through the military treatment facility phar-

macy. They may also have access to a more comprehen-sive range of medications through the Tricare mail-orderpharmacy and Tricare retail pharmacy network for anominal co-payment.”

Sergeant Hutchinson said the satellite pharmacy staffincludes 10 full-time personnel, including three service-members, and 15 part-time volunteers.

“Without our volunteers, it would make our jobs muchharder and our wait times much longer,” she said.

Major Larbie said both pharmacies fill more than30,000 prescriptions each month at a rate of approximate-ly 1,500 prescriptions per day.

“An accuracy rate of 99.98 percent attests to their out-standing efficiency,” he said.

For the most up-to-date information at the Randolphclinic, visit https://kx.afms.mil/randolph or search for the359th Medical Group on Facebook.

Satellite pharmacy facility improves efficiency

Photo by David TerryTech. Sgt. Johnette Hutchinson, 359th Medical Support Squadron pharmacy craftsman, assists Susannah Lamb at thesatellite pharmacy located in the Randolph Base Exchange.

CCAF certifications become hot itemBy Master Sgt. Terri HarmonRandolph Air Force Base Career Assistance Advisor

In January, the Community College ofthe Air Force introduced two new profes-sional credentialing programs, theProfessional Manager Certification andthe CCAF Instructor Certification. Thesecertifications are awarded to individualswho meet specific education, experienceand qualification requirements.

The PMC is primarily designed forAir Force Senior NCOs; however, any

enlisted member who meets all pro-gram requirements may be nominatedand awarded certification.

Program requirements include awardof 7 skill level or higher, 30 semesterhours of combined CCAF and civilian col-legiate leadership or managementcoursework, CCAF degree and comple-tion of Airman Leader ship School, NCOAcademy and Senior NCO Academy.

Formal application process alsoincludes letter of recommendationfrom unit commander.

The CIC formally acknowledges theinstructor’s teaching experience and isawarded to qualified instructors currentlyteaching CCAF courses. This programreplaced the CCAF OccupationalInstructor Certification and offers threelevels of certification.

Certification is available to officers,enlisted, civil service, contractor, otherservices or foreign service membersteaching at CCAF affiliated schools.

“The response to these new CCAF certi-fications has been overwhelmingly posi-

tive,” said Tech. Sgt. Michael Chandlee,Credentialing Programs Flight chief at theCommunity College of the Air Force,Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Ala.

“CCAF has awarded over 800Professional Manager Certifications alonesince the programs began in January andthere are currently 1,200 applicationspending review,” Sergeant Chandlee said.

For more information on these andother CCAF certification programs, visitCommunity College of the Air Force atwww.au.af.mil/au/ccaf/certifications.asp.


By Brian McGloin502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

She worked a combined 50 years inmilitary and civilian service, includingtwo years in the Women’s Army AirCorps in the mid-1940s, before the AirForce existed.

She served in uniform and as a civilianfrom before the Air Force existed,through World War II, Korean War,Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, ColdWar, the fall of the Soviet Union, reunifi-cation of Germany, interventions inGrenada and Panama, Operation IraqiFreedom and Operation EnduringFreedom. She worked in the SouthPacific, Midwest, East Coast and Texas.

Betty-Leone Stewart is a contract moni-tor with the Air Force Personnel Centerwhere she worked since 1967, back whenit was Air Force Military Personnel Center,the same year as the Six-Day War in Israeland the release of the Beatles album “Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The decades before were spent workingin various jobs in training and materiel.

Ms. Stewart enlisted in the Women’s

Army Air Corps Dec.2, 1943. Her assign-ments brought her from Arizona toPapua New Guinea and the Philippinesand finally Indiana before she was dis-charged Nov.10, 1945.

During the course of the next 48 yearsshe served as a civilian in various supportpositions in the squadron, numbered airforce and command level in Foster AFB,Texas (since closed); Seymour-JohnsonAFB, N.C.; Clark Air Base, Philippines, andboth on and off base in Ohio.

Ms. Stewart worked as a secretary dur-ing the development of the first nuclearaircraft and first high-altitude pressuresuit at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Areduction in forces in May 1953 led herfrom there to the CommonwealthEngineering Co. of Ohio, the first companyto manufacture artificial blood plasma.She worked as a secretary to the compa-ny’s vice president.

Shortly after, she found her way backto civil service when she was hired at theWright Air Development Center as a sec-retary. From Ohio, her career broughther back to Randolph in 1967, where sheis today.

After a half century of service, no time to relax

Courtesy photosBetty-Leone Stewart in the mid-1940s(above) and today (right).

Historic momentA short ceremony to recognize the

golden anniversary of the T-38 Talonlanding at Randolph Air Force Basewill be held on the flightline side ofbase operations Thursday at 9 a.m.

Col. Richard Murphy, 12th FlyingTraining Wing commander, will joinGen. Edward Rice Jr., Air Educationand Training Command commander,in commemorating the T-38’s halfcentury of service.

To honor the event, a T-38 will berepainted in its original white colors.Retired Lt. Col. Donald Wheeler, agraduate of the first T-38 trainingclass, will also be on hand.

The T-38, designed in the1950s, has flown more than 13million hours and is responsible forthe training of more than 70,000pilots. The Air Force’s first super-sonic trainer, the T-38 was designedto be cost-effective and safe. Theaircraft cost about $750,000 andover the lifetime of the airframe hashad a class-A mishap rate of lessthan 1.5 per 100,000 flying hours.

The event is open to all ID cardholders and seating will be limited.

Top Three Awards

Photo by David TerryThe “Top 3” Professional Performance Award is presented to Tech. Sgt. Dawn Norman, First TermAirman Center NCO in charge, by Senior Master Sgt. Robert Stuart, president of the Randolph Air ForceBase Top 3, during a ceremony March 4.

Photo by Don LindseySenior Airman Julieta Nunez, 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron publichealth technician, receives a Professional Performer Award certificate fromMaster Sgt. Stephen Holdenried of the Randolph Top 3.

Beginning April 4, the Air ForcePersonnel Center will offer

satellite parking and shuttleservice from the BXtra parking

lot and Hangar 16. AFPCemployess can park their cars atone of these two locations andtake the shuttle bus, which willrun throughout the day, to and

from work. For more details, callRichard Trevino at 652-2401.

Shuttle service forAFPC employees

RetirementsCongratulations to Col. Tom Delaney and Col. Bruce Lovely, Air

Education and Training Command, on their retirements.

Spring break campThe Bella Bee Enrichment Camp for youth girls will be held during

spring break. It is a character-building program focusing on self-confidence, positive body image, poise, first impression, findingempowering role models, resisting peer pressure, setting andachieving goals and team-building games. For more information,call the arts and crafts office at 652-2788.

Fiesta ticketsFiesta parade tickets are on sale now at the information, tick-

ets and tours office. Chair and blanket ticket prices are $11 witha limit of 10 tickets. For more information, call the ITT office at652-2301.

Spartan RaceVolunteers and participants are needed for this year’s Spartan

Race March 26 at the Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, Texas, .The Spartan Race raises money for “Homes for our Troops”

and the “Max Cure Foundation.” More than 100 volunteers areneeded to make this event a success. The entry fee for militaryis $45. To register as a participant, log onto www.spartanrace.com. To volunteer, contact Master Sgt. Smith at 808-5174.

Monte Carlo NightThe Parr Club will hold its first-ever Monte Carlo Night April

1 from 6-11 p.m. The night will feature blackjack, craps,roulette and poker. The cost for this event is $17.50, whichincludes a pasta buffet and glass of house wine or a domesticbeer. Prizes, such as an iPad, 32-inch flat screen TV, XBox 360with Kinect, iPod, six Sunday brunches, two nights in a cabinat Canyon Lake with a ski boat and a prime rib dinner for two,will be available for bidding following the games. For moreinformation, call Shelta Reese at 652-2052.

Base BRIEFS

“No Strings Attached” (R)Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman

Today @ 7 p.m. and Saturday @ 6 p.m.

“Sanctum” (R)Alice Parkinson, Richard Roxburgh

Sunday @ 3 p.m.

NOW SHOWINGat the Randolph Theater

$4.50 for adults, $2.25 for children 0-11



She worked a combined 50 years inmilitary and civilian service, includingtwo years in the Women’s Army AirCorps in the mid-1940s, before the AirForce existed.

She served in uniform and as a civilianfrom before the Air Force existed,through World War II, Korean War,Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, ColdWar, the fall of the Soviet Union, reunifi-cation of Germany, interventions inGrenada and Panama, Operation IraqiFreedom and Operation EnduringFreedom. She worked in the SouthPacific, Midwest, East Coast and Texas.

Betty-Leone Stewart is a contract moni-tor with the Air Force Personnel Centerwhere she worked since 1967, back whenit was Air Force Military Personnel Center,the same year as the Six-Day War in Israeland the release of the Beatles album “Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

The decades before were spent workingin various jobs in training and materiel.

Ms. Stewart enlisted in the Women’s

Army Air Corps Dec.2, 1943. Her assign-ments brought her from Arizona toPapua New Guinea and the Philippinesand finally Indiana before she was dis-charged Nov.10, 1945.

During the course of the next 48 yearsshe served as a civilian in various supportpositions in the squadron, numbered airforce and command level in Foster AFB,Texas (since closed); Seymour-JohnsonAFB, N.C.; Clark Air Base, Philippines, andboth on and off base in Ohio.

Ms. Stewart worked as a secretary dur-ing the development of the first nuclearaircraft and first high-altitude pressuresuit at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Areduction in forces in May 1953 led herfrom there to the CommonwealthEngineering Co. of Ohio, the first companyto manufacture artificial blood plasma.She worked as a secretary to the compa-ny’s vice president.

Shortly after, she found her way backto civil service when she was hired at theWright Air Development Center as a sec-retary. From Ohio, her career broughther back to Randolph in 1967, where sheis today.

After a half century of service, no time to relax

Courtesy photosBetty-Leone Stewart in the mid-1940s(above) and today (right).

Historic momentA short ceremony to recognize the

golden anniversary of the T-38 Talonlanding at Randolph Air Force Basewill be held on the flightline side ofbase operations Thursday at 9 a.m.

Col. Richard Murphy, 12th FlyingTraining Wing commander, will joinGen. Edward Rice Jr., Air Educationand Training Command commander,in commemorating the T-38’s halfcentury of service.

To honor the event, a T-38 will berepainted in its original white colors.Retired Lt. Col. Donald Wheeler, agraduate of the first T-38 trainingclass, will also be on hand.

The T-38, designed in the1950s, has flown more than 13million hours and is responsible forthe training of more than 70,000pilots. The Air Force’s first super-sonic trainer, the T-38 was designedto be cost-effective and safe. Theaircraft cost about $750,000 andover the lifetime of the airframe hashad a class-A mishap rate of lessthan 1.5 per 100,000 flying hours.

The event is open to all ID cardholders and seating will be limited.

Top Three Awards

Photo by David TerryThe “Top 3” Professional Performance Award is presented to Tech. Sgt. Dawn Norman, First TermAirman Center NCO in charge, by Senior Master Sgt. Robert Stuart, president of the Randolph Air ForceBase Top 3, during a ceremony March 4.

Photo by Don LindseySenior Airman Julieta Nunez, 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron publichealth technician, receives a Professional Performer Award certificate fromMaster Sgt. Stephen Holdenried of the Randolph Top 3.

Beginning April 4, the Air ForcePersonnel Center will offer

satellite parking and shuttleservice from the BXtra parking

lot and Hangar 16. AFPCemployess can park their cars atone of these two locations andtake the shuttle bus, which willrun throughout the day, to and

from work. For more details, callRichard Trevino at 652-2401.

Shuttle service forAFPC employees

RetirementsCongratulations to Col. Tom Delaney and Col. Bruce Lovely, Air

Education and Training Command, on their retirements.

Spring break campThe Bella Bee Enrichment Camp for youth girls will be held during

spring break. It is a character-building program focusing on self-confidence, positive body image, poise, first impression, findingempowering role models, resisting peer pressure, setting andachieving goals and team-building games. For more information,call the arts and crafts office at 652-2788.

Fiesta ticketsFiesta parade tickets are on sale now at the information, tick-

ets and tours office. Chair and blanket ticket prices are $11 witha limit of 10 tickets. For more information, call the ITT office at652-2301.

Spartan RaceVolunteers and participants are needed for this year’s Spartan

Race March 26 at the Rocky Hill Ranch in Smithville, Texas, .The Spartan Race raises money for “Homes for our Troops”

and the “Max Cure Foundation.” More than 100 volunteers areneeded to make this event a success. The entry fee for militaryis $45. To register as a participant, log onto www.spartanrace.com. To volunteer, contact Master Sgt. Smith at 808-5174.

Monte Carlo NightThe Parr Club will hold its first-ever Monte Carlo Night April

1 from 6-11 p.m. The night will feature blackjack, craps,roulette and poker. The cost for this event is $17.50, whichincludes a pasta buffet and glass of house wine or a domesticbeer. Prizes, such as an iPad, 32-inch flat screen TV, XBox 360with Kinect, iPod, six Sunday brunches, two nights in a cabinat Canyon Lake with a ski boat and a prime rib dinner for two,will be available for bidding following the games. For moreinformation, call Shelta Reese at 652-2052.

Base BRIEFS

“No Strings Attached” (R)Ashton Kutcher, Natalie Portman

Today @ 7 p.m. and Saturday @ 6 p.m.

“Sanctum” (R)Alice Parkinson, Richard Roxburgh

Sunday @ 3 p.m.

NOW SHOWINGat the Randolph Theater

$4.50 for adults, $2.25 for children 0-11


Duty Title:Senior equipment control officerHometown:New Brunswick, N.J.Hobbies:Playing baseball, cookingGreatest Accomplishment:Serving 23 years in the Air ForcePersonal Inspiration:My son, who is now a successful executive musicproducerGoals:To retire in HawaiiPersonal Motto:Good things come to those who wait

Pet Peeve:People who live beyond their meansCommander’s Comments:“Bruce provides outstanding customer service to over17,000 base customers and distributes and accountsfor more than 30,000 pieces of equipment. He hasbecome Randolph’s resident subject matter expertconcerning automated data processing equipmentpolicy. Mr. Johnson is extremely dependable andgoes above and beyond for anyone; making him ourmost requested technician to help prepare for thebase’s upcoming unit compliance inspection!”

Gene Boedigheimer902nd Communications Squadron director

Bruce Johnson902nd Communications Squadron

Photo by David Terry

Flag ceremony

Photo by David TerryRandolph Girl Scouts lower the U.S. flag during theirannual Girl Scout retreat ceremony Tuesday. The event wasattended by representatives of the Girl Scouts of SouthwestTexas, area mayors, school officials and Randolph Air ForceBase leadership.

902nd Force Support Squadron

Randolph Idol is returning for season three. Thesinging competition that packed the base clubs thepast two years takes place March 31 through May 6.

“This year, audition night is March 31 in the ParrO’Club Ballroom and, just like American Idol, con-testants choose a song and sing it unaccompanied(a cappella),” said Steve Knechtel, 902nd ForceSupport Squadron’s Community Programs Managerand Randolph Idol coordinator. “For the auditions,the judges alone determine who has the talent toget a golden ticket and return on April 14 whenaudience votes count.”

Randolph’s top singing talent compete for a topprize of $1,000 and the distinction of becoming the2011 Randolph Idol. Second-and third-place winnerstake home $500 and $250. Last year’s first-place win-ner, Nadia Gomez, will make a guest appearance atthe competition finale May 6.

“We know there are a lot of great singers onRandolph who merely need a little encouragement,”said Mr. Knechtel. “This is not karaoke, but anyonewith the dream of singing on stage can grab themicrophone and sing their heart out for the judgesand for the fans in the audience.”

Subsequent Idol shows (April 14, 21, 28) takeplace in the Parr O’Club Sky Lounge beginning at6 p.m. Each night, Randolph Idol features athemed genre of music including R&B/Motown,pop/rock and country. The top three singers andprize winners are selected during finale night May6 in the Kendrick E’Club Ballroom.

“All it takes is a great voice to impress the judgesand lots of friends to vote for you,” said TerryeHeagerty, 902nd Force Support Squadron director.“The first step is to fill out an entry form.”

Idol brochures and entry forms are located at theclub cashier cages, at Information, Tickets and Toursin Bldg. 897, and at www.randolphfss.com.

“If you can’t sing, then you can be a super fanwho comes out, enjoys the food and votes for afavorite singer,” said Ms. Heagerty. “In either case,you don’t want to miss it!”

For more information, call Mr. Knechtel at 652-6508 or e-mail him at [email protected].

Randolph Idol returns with top prize of $1,000

Nadia Gomez took top prize at lastyear’s Randolph Idol competition.

Photo by Don Lindsey

Band of volunteers

Twenty-four pipelineAirmen from the 558thFlying Training Squadronvolunteered to workUniversal City’s secondannual Snowfest Feb. 19.The Airmen were recog-nized at the Universal CityCouncil meeting March 1.Mayor John Williamspresented each of themwith a certificate andexpressed the community’sappreciation.Courtesy photo

15th Annual I Love RandolphWeek arrives in styleBy Airman 1st Class Precious Yett502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

Randolph units and organizations help beautifythe base next week during the 15th annual “I LoveRandolph Week.”

The five-day clean-up is a yearly tradition forRandolph AFB, usually the week before Fiesta,where individuals and organizations on baseassist each other with keeping Randolph cleanand beautiful.

“It beautifies the base and gives it a little color.People don’t mind coming to work when there isscenery to look at,” said Frank Speed, 902nd CivilEngineer Squadron.

“It’s time for each organization to do somespring cleaning and spruce up their areas,” saidLeon Spradling, 902nd CES. “There are a numberof small things one can do that make a big impact.This week is a great opportunity for people toclean out cubby holes and recycle or dispose ofaccumulated junk.”

There are plenty of things that can be done forILRW, from spring cleaning in your office, mulchingyour lawn or cleaning out and replanting flowerbeds. Any small or large project helps to maintainpride in the appearance of the base.

Due to the low amount of rainfall this winter,only drought-resistant annuals and perennials arebeing offering.

“Randolph is the showplace of the Air Force, andILRW is one of the many things that uphold the stan-dards and traditions the Air Force epitomizes,”explained Mr. Speed.

The self-help office will purchase all supplies topaint and spruce up during ILRW. To obtain plantsand planting materials, facility managers mustsubmit an AF Form 332 to Mr. Speed in Hangar62. To submit your forms by e-mail, send them to902nd CES customer service.

All chemicals, including paint, to be used foractivities and projects during the week must becoordinated with the environmental office at 652-3079/3062. For disposal of hazardous materials,call the hazardous waste facility at 652-5666.

General housekeeping supplies can be obtained atthe Base Service Store, Bldg. 90. However, the usingorganization must bear the cost.

Base housing residents can contact PinnacleHunter Corporation at 659-9061 to see what theyare offering for this event.

“We receive a lot of feedback from the commandstaff saying the base looks good, so let’s continue tokeep up the great work Randolph,” Mr. Speed said.


Duty Title:Senior equipment control officerHometown:New Brunswick, N.J.Hobbies:Playing baseball, cookingGreatest Accomplishment:Serving 23 years in the Air ForcePersonal Inspiration:My son, who is now a successful executive musicproducerGoals:To retire in HawaiiPersonal Motto:Good things come to those who wait

Pet Peeve:People who live beyond their meansCommander’s Comments:“Bruce provides outstanding customer service to over17,000 base customers and distributes and accountsfor more than 30,000 pieces of equipment. He hasbecome Randolph’s resident subject matter expertconcerning automated data processing equipmentpolicy. Mr. Johnson is extremely dependable andgoes above and beyond for anyone; making him ourmost requested technician to help prepare for thebase’s upcoming unit compliance inspection!”

Gene Boedigheimer902nd Communications Squadron director

Bruce Johnson902nd Communications Squadron

Photo by David Terry

Flag ceremony

Photo by David TerryRandolph Girl Scouts lower the U.S. flag during theirannual Girl Scout retreat ceremony Tuesday. The event wasattended by representatives of the Girl Scouts of SouthwestTexas, area mayors, school officials and Randolph Air ForceBase leadership.

902nd Force Support Squadron

Randolph Idol is returning for season three. Thesinging competition that packed the base clubs thepast two years takes place March 31 through May 6.

“This year, audition night is March 31 in the ParrO’Club Ballroom and, just like American Idol, con-testants choose a song and sing it unaccompanied(a cappella),” said Steve Knechtel, 902nd ForceSupport Squadron’s Community Programs Managerand Randolph Idol coordinator. “For the auditions,the judges alone determine who has the talent toget a golden ticket and return on April 14 whenaudience votes count.”

Randolph’s top singing talent compete for a topprize of $1,000 and the distinction of becoming the2011 Randolph Idol. Second-and third-place winnerstake home $500 and $250. Last year’s first-place win-ner, Nadia Gomez, will make a guest appearance atthe competition finale May 6.

“We know there are a lot of great singers onRandolph who merely need a little encouragement,”said Mr. Knechtel. “This is not karaoke, but anyonewith the dream of singing on stage can grab themicrophone and sing their heart out for the judgesand for the fans in the audience.”

Subsequent Idol shows (April 14, 21, 28) takeplace in the Parr O’Club Sky Lounge beginning at6 p.m. Each night, Randolph Idol features athemed genre of music including R&B/Motown,pop/rock and country. The top three singers andprize winners are selected during finale night May6 in the Kendrick E’Club Ballroom.

“All it takes is a great voice to impress the judgesand lots of friends to vote for you,” said TerryeHeagerty, 902nd Force Support Squadron director.“The first step is to fill out an entry form.”

Idol brochures and entry forms are located at theclub cashier cages, at Information, Tickets and Toursin Bldg. 897, and at www.randolphfss.com.

“If you can’t sing, then you can be a super fanwho comes out, enjoys the food and votes for afavorite singer,” said Ms. Heagerty. “In either case,you don’t want to miss it!”

For more information, call Mr. Knechtel at 652-6508 or e-mail him at [email protected].

Randolph Idol returns with top prize of $1,000

Nadia Gomez took top prize at lastyear’s Randolph Idol competition.

Photo by Don Lindsey

Band of volunteers

Twenty-four pipelineAirmen from the 558thFlying Training Squadronvolunteered to workUniversal City’s secondannual Snowfest Feb. 19.The Airmen were recog-nized at the Universal CityCouncil meeting March 1.Mayor John Williamspresented each of themwith a certificate andexpressed the community’sappreciation.Courtesy photo

15th Annual I Love RandolphWeek arrives in styleBy Airman 1st Class Precious Yett502nd Air Base Wing OL-B Public Affairs

Randolph units and organizations help beautifythe base next week during the 15th annual “I LoveRandolph Week.”

The five-day clean-up is a yearly tradition forRandolph AFB, usually the week before Fiesta,where individuals and organizations on baseassist each other with keeping Randolph cleanand beautiful.

“It beautifies the base and gives it a little color.People don’t mind coming to work when there isscenery to look at,” said Frank Speed, 902nd CivilEngineer Squadron.

“It’s time for each organization to do somespring cleaning and spruce up their areas,” saidLeon Spradling, 902nd CES. “There are a numberof small things one can do that make a big impact.This week is a great opportunity for people toclean out cubby holes and recycle or dispose ofaccumulated junk.”

There are plenty of things that can be done forILRW, from spring cleaning in your office, mulchingyour lawn or cleaning out and replanting flowerbeds. Any small or large project helps to maintainpride in the appearance of the base.

Due to the low amount of rainfall this winter,only drought-resistant annuals and perennials arebeing offering.

“Randolph is the showplace of the Air Force, andILRW is one of the many things that uphold the stan-dards and traditions the Air Force epitomizes,”explained Mr. Speed.

The self-help office will purchase all supplies topaint and spruce up during ILRW. To obtain plantsand planting materials, facility managers mustsubmit an AF Form 332 to Mr. Speed in Hangar62. To submit your forms by e-mail, send them to902nd CES customer service.

All chemicals, including paint, to be used foractivities and projects during the week must becoordinated with the environmental office at 652-3079/3062. For disposal of hazardous materials,call the hazardous waste facility at 652-5666.

General housekeeping supplies can be obtained atthe Base Service Store, Bldg. 90. However, the usingorganization must bear the cost.

Base housing residents can contact PinnacleHunter Corporation at 659-9061 to see what theyare offering for this event.

“We receive a lot of feedback from the commandstaff saying the base looks good, so let’s continue tokeep up the great work Randolph,” Mr. Speed said.

FEATUREPAGE 11WINGSPREADMARCH 11, 2011WINGSPREADPAGE 10 MARCH 11, 2011

By Steve ElliottFort Sam Houston News Leader

A recent three-day exercise tested the responses of thethree military installations that make up Joint Base SanAntonio in the event of several scenarios involving masscasualties.

Held Feb. 28 through March 2, the Disaster ResponseForces for Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and RandolphAir Force Bases – which include first responders, crisisaction teams, mission partner teams, emergency opera-tion centers, unit control centers and emergency respon-ders – were put through their paces.

“The scenarios that were played out included severeweather, natural disasters and reception of Departmentof Defense personnel evacuating the Texas coast,” saidHenry King, 502nd Air Base Wing exercise evaluationteam chief. “The scenarios also included FederalEmergency Management Agency search-and-rescueassets coming to Joint Base San Antonio.”

The JBSA units were required to use the Air ForceIncident Management System and utilize wing plans andchecklists in their responses.

“The disaster response force at Lackland AFB receivedevacuees from the Gulf Coast and responded to damagefrom the storm,” Mr. King said. “Randolph AFB and FortSam Houston received the FEMA Search and Rescueassets.

“In addition, personnel at Randolph AFB and Fort SamHouston took shelter from tornadoes and responded todamage around the installation, which included takingcare of simulated injuries and deaths,” he added.

Dozens of special instructions were also carried out,Mr. King said.

In some cases, these were used to track specificresponses of individual units or to demonstrate the flowof information through the system, such as notifying andreviewing action taken at child development centers,base schools and youth centers.

Other units were tested on how well they were able toprepare and execute casualty notifications, give casualtybriefings and notify next of kin.

Public affairs units were tested on how well they exe-cuted their roles in setting up a media operations center,a straight talk hotline and in providing media escortsand PA personnel to the scenes of the disasters.

Security forces personnel were tasked to sustain trafficcontrol points, entry control points and post cordonguards at different locations, as well as diverting traffic.

According to the overall plan, emergency medicalservices were tested on their ability track status and dis-position of people injured in the simulated disaster, bothon base and after they were relocated to civilian medicalfacilities.

The chief of the exercise evaluation team said theemergency responders did a good job.

“However, as with almost every exercise, there is roomfor improvement,” Mr. King said. “Communications andnotifications procedures are two areas where we will putmore emphasis in the future. We plan on having somelevel of exercise occur just about every month.”

Area exercise tests JBSA’s response units

Emergency medical technician basicNicholas Strickler, from AmericanMedical Response, takes vital signs andprovides first aid to simulated victimMerita McToy during a Joint Base SanAntonio natural disaster exercise atRandolph March 2.

902nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire-fighters Brian Thompson (left) andAirman 1st Class Kiounte Linebergerapply first aid to Senior Airman ShareWhitehead, 902nd Mission SupportGroup, during a Joint Base San Antonionatural disaster exercise at RandolphMarch 2.Photos by Don Lindsey


Piece by piece a C-17 Globemaster IIIis joining the T-6 Texan II and T-38Talon already on base, but it’s not goingto be flown, it’s going to be convertedinto a new trainer for aeromedicalevacuation combat training.

The fuselage is a test article from theaircraft’s manufacturer, being deliveredin pieces on trucks from Long Beach,Calif. During the design process of theaircraft, Boeing made three different

versions of the airframe for variousstages of design and testing variousengineering analysis.

One of those airframes, the oneused to test durability, had reachedthe end of its service life – about 90years of simulated flying 24 differ-ent f l ight patterns with 260hydraulic actuators acting on theairframe’s structure – but wasn’tready for the scrap pile yet.

“Boeing had this thing taking upspace,” said Paul Ramsay, design anddevelopment supervisor. “We had topay to move it here, but Boeing gaveit to us.”

The fuselage was never assembledinto a complete aircraft.

Currently the Air Force doesn’t havea C-17 aeromedical evacuation trainer,unlike other airframes. For training,actual aircraft must be used which canbe expensive and keeps potential air-

craft out of service.“We needed to build an aeromedical

trainer,” Mr. Ramsay said. “It’s a bigbenefit to the Air Force to have anaeromedical trainer.”

“If a trainer can be used, it lowerscost and avoids removal of aircraftfrom service,” Mr. Ramsay said. “Atrainer is always available to use.”

Mr. Ramsay said the aircraft willbe a full emersion trainer with a realinterior including seat and litter sta-tions, in addition to a “very robustsound system,” and simulators forsmoke, fire and other airborneanomalies. It will be able to simulatetake-off, in-flight and landing, whilehaving the ability for instructors torecord and review all of it.

C-17s can be converted to a “hospitalship,” with stacks of litters, but the air-craft has use as a cargo aircraft for air-lift and transport, Mr. Ramsay said.

“Aeromedical evacuation is accom-plished by aircraft with other uses,”said Reimo Estrada, the project manag-er. “C-17 is a significant part of how wedo medical evacuations.”

Mr. Ramsay said they were alreadyslated to build the trainer, adding tothe trainers built for other airframes,but Defense Base Closure andRealignment Commission decisionschanged the plan a little. First the C-17 training was destined for BrooksCity-Base, Texas, but BRAC moved itto Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,Ohio, where the trainer will go aftercompletion.

Mr. Estrada said the expectedtime frame is about 24 to 30months if the weather is good andparts are available.

When the trainer is finished it will betransported to Wright-Patterson AFB,where it will join the other trainers.

Retired C-17 Globemaster III finds new purposeRandolph shop toassemble pieces ofaircraft puzzle taskedas new trainer

Photo by Rich McFaddenA C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft fuselage arriveson the Randolph flightline Feb. 19. It will be devel-oped into a training tool for aeromedical missionsduring the next year and then transported to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Photo by Airman Alexis SiekertThe fuselage of a C-17 Globemaster III

cargo aircraft awaits the arrival of the partsto convert it into an aeromedical combat

evacuation trainer.

FEATUREPAGE 11WINGSPREADMARCH 11, 2011WINGSPREADPAGE 10 MARCH 11, 2011

By Steve ElliottFort Sam Houston News Leader

A recent three-day exercise tested the responses of thethree military installations that make up Joint Base SanAntonio in the event of several scenarios involving masscasualties.

Held Feb. 28 through March 2, the Disaster ResponseForces for Fort Sam Houston, Lackland and RandolphAir Force Bases – which include first responders, crisisaction teams, mission partner teams, emergency opera-tion centers, unit control centers and emergency respon-ders – were put through their paces.

“The scenarios that were played out included severeweather, natural disasters and reception of Departmentof Defense personnel evacuating the Texas coast,” saidHenry King, 502nd Air Base Wing exercise evaluationteam chief. “The scenarios also included FederalEmergency Management Agency search-and-rescueassets coming to Joint Base San Antonio.”

The JBSA units were required to use the Air ForceIncident Management System and utilize wing plans andchecklists in their responses.

“The disaster response force at Lackland AFB receivedevacuees from the Gulf Coast and responded to damagefrom the storm,” Mr. King said. “Randolph AFB and FortSam Houston received the FEMA Search and Rescueassets.

“In addition, personnel at Randolph AFB and Fort SamHouston took shelter from tornadoes and responded todamage around the installation, which included takingcare of simulated injuries and deaths,” he added.

Dozens of special instructions were also carried out,Mr. King said.

In some cases, these were used to track specificresponses of individual units or to demonstrate the flowof information through the system, such as notifying andreviewing action taken at child development centers,base schools and youth centers.

Other units were tested on how well they were able toprepare and execute casualty notifications, give casualtybriefings and notify next of kin.

Public affairs units were tested on how well they exe-cuted their roles in setting up a media operations center,a straight talk hotline and in providing media escortsand PA personnel to the scenes of the disasters.

Security forces personnel were tasked to sustain trafficcontrol points, entry control points and post cordonguards at different locations, as well as diverting traffic.

According to the overall plan, emergency medicalservices were tested on their ability track status and dis-position of people injured in the simulated disaster, bothon base and after they were relocated to civilian medicalfacilities.

The chief of the exercise evaluation team said theemergency responders did a good job.

“However, as with almost every exercise, there is roomfor improvement,” Mr. King said. “Communications andnotifications procedures are two areas where we will putmore emphasis in the future. We plan on having somelevel of exercise occur just about every month.”

Area exercise tests JBSA’s response units

Emergency medical technician basicNicholas Strickler, from AmericanMedical Response, takes vital signs andprovides first aid to simulated victimMerita McToy during a Joint Base SanAntonio natural disaster exercise atRandolph March 2.

902nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire-fighters Brian Thompson (left) andAirman 1st Class Kiounte Linebergerapply first aid to Senior Airman ShareWhitehead, 902nd Mission SupportGroup, during a Joint Base San Antonionatural disaster exercise at RandolphMarch 2.Photos by Don Lindsey


Piece by piece a C-17 Globemaster IIIis joining the T-6 Texan II and T-38Talon already on base, but it’s not goingto be flown, it’s going to be convertedinto a new trainer for aeromedicalevacuation combat training.

The fuselage is a test article from theaircraft’s manufacturer, being deliveredin pieces on trucks from Long Beach,Calif. During the design process of theaircraft, Boeing made three different

versions of the airframe for variousstages of design and testing variousengineering analysis.

One of those airframes, the oneused to test durability, had reachedthe end of its service life – about 90years of simulated flying 24 differ-ent f l ight patterns with 260hydraulic actuators acting on theairframe’s structure – but wasn’tready for the scrap pile yet.

“Boeing had this thing taking upspace,” said Paul Ramsay, design anddevelopment supervisor. “We had topay to move it here, but Boeing gaveit to us.”

The fuselage was never assembledinto a complete aircraft.

Currently the Air Force doesn’t havea C-17 aeromedical evacuation trainer,unlike other airframes. For training,actual aircraft must be used which canbe expensive and keeps potential air-

craft out of service.“We needed to build an aeromedical

trainer,” Mr. Ramsay said. “It’s a bigbenefit to the Air Force to have anaeromedical trainer.”

“If a trainer can be used, it lowerscost and avoids removal of aircraftfrom service,” Mr. Ramsay said. “Atrainer is always available to use.”

Mr. Ramsay said the aircraft willbe a full emersion trainer with a realinterior including seat and litter sta-tions, in addition to a “very robustsound system,” and simulators forsmoke, fire and other airborneanomalies. It will be able to simulatetake-off, in-flight and landing, whilehaving the ability for instructors torecord and review all of it.

C-17s can be converted to a “hospitalship,” with stacks of litters, but the air-craft has use as a cargo aircraft for air-lift and transport, Mr. Ramsay said.

“Aeromedical evacuation is accom-plished by aircraft with other uses,”said Reimo Estrada, the project manag-er. “C-17 is a significant part of how wedo medical evacuations.”

Mr. Ramsay said they were alreadyslated to build the trainer, adding tothe trainers built for other airframes,but Defense Base Closure andRealignment Commission decisionschanged the plan a little. First the C-17 training was destined for BrooksCity-Base, Texas, but BRAC moved itto Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,Ohio, where the trainer will go aftercompletion.

Mr. Estrada said the expectedtime frame is about 24 to 30months if the weather is good andparts are available.

When the trainer is finished it will betransported to Wright-Patterson AFB,where it will join the other trainers.

Retired C-17 Globemaster III finds new purposeRandolph shop toassemble pieces ofaircraft puzzle taskedas new trainer

Photo by Rich McFaddenA C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft fuselage arriveson the Randolph flightline Feb. 19. It will be devel-oped into a training tool for aeromedical missionsduring the next year and then transported to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

Photo by Airman Alexis SiekertThe fuselage of a C-17 Globemaster III

cargo aircraft awaits the arrival of the partsto convert it into an aeromedical combat

evacuation trainer.


ADVERTISEMENT

902nd Force Support Squadron Briefs

SPORTS – HEALTH – FITNESS

Low LDL cholesterol levels key to good healthChallengers bike ride

Bikers of all ages areencouraged to get in thesaddle Saturday at 7:30a.m. at Eberle Park andenjoy a ride in the beautifulTexas spring weather. Thefirst 50 participants to signup will receive T-shirts.

Golf club demo dayTaylorMade will be at the

Randolph Oaks Golf Coursetoday from 2-6 p.m. todemonstrate their clubs.

Spring tournamentGolfers can sign up for

the Spring Two-Person BestBall Tournament March 19.Tee times are 7-9 a.m. andthere is a $10 entry fee.

Golf tournamentThe Randolph Oaks Golf

Course hosts a HolocaustDays of Remembrance golftournament March 25.For details, see Page 2.

Super twilight ratesGolfers can now enjoy

unlimited golfing begin-ning Tuesday throughMarch 13, Monday-Friday,after 3:30 p.m. for only $10for a round of golf withcart. Golfers should sign inat the pro shop before hit-ting the course.

Get ready to golfThe cost for five days of

golf lessons plus time onthe course is $99 (clubsfurnished). All partici-pants will also get apunch card for 10 nine-hole rounds of golf.

Call PGA golf profession-al Charles Bishop at 244-3415 for more information.

SportsBRIEFS

By Maj. Paul Ward and Maj. Gwen Kaegy559th Medical Group

Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like,waxy substance found in thebloodstream and in all yourbody’s cells. It’s normal to havecholesterol. Cholesterol is animportant part of a healthy bodybecause it’s used for producingcell membranes and some hor-mones, and serves other neededbodily functions.

But too much cholesterol inthe blood is a major risk for

coronary heart disease, whichleads to heart attack and stroke.

Cholesterol comes from twosources, your body and food.Your liver and other cells inyour body make about 75 per-cent of blood cholesterol. Theother 25 percent comes fromthe foods you eat.

Low-density lipoprotein, orLDL, cholesterol is the “bad”cholesterol. When too much of itcirculates in the blood, it canclog arteries, increasing yourrisk of heart attack and stroke.

LDL cholesterol is producednaturally by the body, but manypeople inherit genes that causethem to make too much. Eatingsaturated fat, “trans” fats anddietary cholesterol also increas-es how much you have.

If high blood cholesterol runsin your family, lifestyle modifi-cations may not be enough tohelp lower your LDL blood cho-lesterol. Everyone is different,so work with your doctor tofind a treatment plan that’sbest for you.

High cholesterol usually hasno direct symptoms. When yourcholesterol is higher than itshould be, you may not feel dif-ferent, but cholesterol may stilldo damage to blood vessels.

As blood flows through bloodvessels, it carries many of theimportant things your bodyneeds to function, such as oxy-gen and cholesterol. So, prob-lems with blood vessels can leadto heart disease or stroke.

To reduce your risk of heartdisease and stroke, work withyour health care provider tomonitor and maintain healthycholesterol levels. Even if yourcholesterol levels are good now,it’s not too early to develophealthy habits that can helpkeep your numbers in check.

Ways to reduce cholesterollevels include limiting high-fatfoods, such as whole milk, icecream, butter, egg yolks, cheese;organ meats like liver, kidney orbrain; and high-fat processedmeat, such as sausage, lunchmeats and fried foods. Foodswith saturated oils, such ascoconut, palm, kernel oils, lardand partially hydrogenated mar-garine, should be avoided.

Foods that will help controlyour cholesterol levels are lowin saturated fat or “trans” fat-free. These include fruits andvegetables, oat bran and groundflaxseed, fat-free milk or low-fatmilk products, lean meats andpoultry without skin, fatty fishthat is baked or grilled, beansand peas, nuts and seeds. Good

oils for cooking include unsatu-rated vegetable oils like canola,corn, safflower, and soy bean.

If your cholesterol level isgreater than 200, your healthcare provider may recommenda low cholesterol diet and anexercise program. Weight playsa big role.

In some cases, diet, exerciseand weight loss won’t do thetrick. If this is the case, medica-tion may be required to controlyour levels. You will have a setof labs ordered prior to begin-ning your medication with morelabs ordered later on. Yourhealth care provider and phar-macist will give you a list ofpotential side effects.

For detailed diet information,visit the American HeartAssociation website atwww.americanheart.org or askyour health care provider.

Photo by Senior Airman Corey HookAirman 1st Class Krystal Rodriguez draws a patient's blood to test hischolesterol Feb. 22 at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air ForceBase, Texas. Airman Rodriguez is a 59th Laboratory Squadron medical labtechnician.

If high bloodcholesterol runsin your family,

lifestyle modificationsmay not be

enough to helplower your LDL

blood cholesterol.Everyone is

different, so workwith your doctor

to find atreatment plan

that’s bestfor you.


ADVERTISEMENT

902nd Force Support Squadron Briefs

SPORTS – HEALTH – FITNESS

Low LDL cholesterol levels key to good healthChallengers bike ride

Bikers of all ages areencouraged to get in thesaddle Saturday at 7:30a.m. at Eberle Park andenjoy a ride in the beautifulTexas spring weather. Thefirst 50 participants to signup will receive T-shirts.

Golf club demo dayTaylorMade will be at the

Randolph Oaks Golf Coursetoday from 2-6 p.m. todemonstrate their clubs.

Spring tournamentGolfers can sign up for

the Spring Two-Person BestBall Tournament March 19.Tee times are 7-9 a.m. andthere is a $10 entry fee.

Golf tournamentThe Randolph Oaks Golf

Course hosts a HolocaustDays of Remembrance golftournament March 25.For details, see Page 2.

Super twilight ratesGolfers can now enjoy

unlimited golfing begin-ning Tuesday throughMarch 13, Monday-Friday,after 3:30 p.m. for only $10for a round of golf withcart. Golfers should sign inat the pro shop before hit-ting the course.

Get ready to golfThe cost for five days of

golf lessons plus time onthe course is $99 (clubsfurnished). All partici-pants will also get apunch card for 10 nine-hole rounds of golf.

Call PGA golf profession-al Charles Bishop at 244-3415 for more information.

SportsBRIEFS

By Maj. Paul Ward and Maj. Gwen Kaegy559th Medical Group

Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like,waxy substance found in thebloodstream and in all yourbody’s cells. It’s normal to havecholesterol. Cholesterol is animportant part of a healthy bodybecause it’s used for producingcell membranes and some hor-mones, and serves other neededbodily functions.

But too much cholesterol inthe blood is a major risk for

coronary heart disease, whichleads to heart attack and stroke.

Cholesterol comes from twosources, your body and food.Your liver and other cells inyour body make about 75 per-cent of blood cholesterol. Theother 25 percent comes fromthe foods you eat.

Low-density lipoprotein, orLDL, cholesterol is the “bad”cholesterol. When too much of itcirculates in the blood, it canclog arteries, increasing yourrisk of heart attack and stroke.

LDL cholesterol is producednaturally by the body, but manypeople inherit genes that causethem to make too much. Eatingsaturated fat, “trans” fats anddietary cholesterol also increas-es how much you have.

If high blood cholesterol runsin your family, lifestyle modifi-cations may not be enough tohelp lower your LDL blood cho-lesterol. Everyone is different,so work with your doctor tofind a treatment plan that’sbest for you.

High cholesterol usually hasno direct symptoms. When yourcholesterol is higher than itshould be, you may not feel dif-ferent, but cholesterol may stilldo damage to blood vessels.

As blood flows through bloodvessels, it carries many of theimportant things your bodyneeds to function, such as oxy-gen and cholesterol. So, prob-lems with blood vessels can leadto heart disease or stroke.

To reduce your risk of heartdisease and stroke, work withyour health care provider tomonitor and maintain healthycholesterol levels. Even if yourcholesterol levels are good now,it’s not too early to develophealthy habits that can helpkeep your numbers in check.

Ways to reduce cholesterollevels include limiting high-fatfoods, such as whole milk, icecream, butter, egg yolks, cheese;organ meats like liver, kidney orbrain; and high-fat processedmeat, such as sausage, lunchmeats and fried foods. Foodswith saturated oils, such ascoconut, palm, kernel oils, lardand partially hydrogenated mar-garine, should be avoided.

Foods that will help controlyour cholesterol levels are lowin saturated fat or “trans” fat-free. These include fruits andvegetables, oat bran and groundflaxseed, fat-free milk or low-fatmilk products, lean meats andpoultry without skin, fatty fishthat is baked or grilled, beansand peas, nuts and seeds. Good

oils for cooking include unsatu-rated vegetable oils like canola,corn, safflower, and soy bean.

If your cholesterol level isgreater than 200, your healthcare provider may recommenda low cholesterol diet and anexercise program. Weight playsa big role.

In some cases, diet, exerciseand weight loss won’t do thetrick. If this is the case, medica-tion may be required to controlyour levels. You will have a setof labs ordered prior to begin-ning your medication with morelabs ordered later on. Yourhealth care provider and phar-macist will give you a list ofpotential side effects.

For detailed diet information,visit the American HeartAssociation website atwww.americanheart.org or askyour health care provider.

Photo by Senior Airman Corey HookAirman 1st Class Krystal Rodriguez draws a patient's blood to test hischolesterol Feb. 22 at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air ForceBase, Texas. Airman Rodriguez is a 59th Laboratory Squadron medical labtechnician.

If high bloodcholesterol runsin your family,

lifestyle modificationsmay not be

enough to helplower your LDL

blood cholesterol.Everyone is

different, so workwith your doctor

to find atreatment plan

that’s bestfor you.

Documents

MARCH 11, 2011 - San Antonio Express-Newsextras.mysanantonio.com/randolph/031111_WGSP.pdfRANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE 65th Year • No. 10 • MARCH 11, 2011 A publication of the 502nd