April 1 - Joint Base San Antonio

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E 5 0 2 n d A I R B A S E W I N G
JOINT
BASE
SAN
ANTONIO-LACKLAND,
TEXAS
•
Vol.
73
No.
13
•
APRIL
1,
2016
Trainees welcome visit from
Secretary of the Air Force
Photo by Johnny Saldivar
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James addresses basic trainees in the Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training, or BEAST course March 22 at the 319th Training Squadron
at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
INSIDE |
Commentary 2
News 3
Community Briefs 14
Sports 17
ONLINE | http://www.JBSA.mil
PAGE 2
commentary
TALESPINNER
APRIL 1, 2016
Making yourself harder to kill
By Maj. Rodney Lambert
50th Contracting Squadron commander
Schriever Air Force Base, Colo.
S
unday afternoons are my fatherson workout days with Nacho.
Nacho is my 12-year-old son from
whom I relearn many of life’s little lessons – lessons I take for granted due
to experience, or have not stopped to
re-examine for the same reason.
Try explaining conceptual ideas to a
pre-teen sometime and it will make you
think outside of your normal processes
in an effort to reach a developing mind.
This past Sunday’s workout consisted
of running and box jumps. After we
warmed up, I started by demonstrating
how to perform box jumps with good
form.
“Box jumps, not that crazy,” I
thought. I jumped on the box and back
down a few times. “OK, are you ready
to try, bud?” I asked.
Nacho answered, “Dad, that looks
hard! What if I fall? I don’t want to do
that!”
I cocked my eyebrow and let’s just
say you could definitely “smell what the
Rock was cookin’” (Dwayne Johnson ...
he used to be a pro wrestler before he
was a movie star).
“Dude.”
I call Nacho “Dude” when it is time
for some knowledge. “Dude, do we ever
not do something because it is hard?”
“No, Dad,” he is well versed in this
line of questioning already.
“Dude, why do we do stuff that is
hard?”
“I don’t know...”
OK, maybe not that well versed.
There are two reasons, buddy, 1) we
do things that scare us because it
makes us mentally stronger and 2) we
do things that are hard on our bodies
because it makes us physically stronger
and the clincher, “It makes us harder
to kill.” I know, a little grandiose, but
Maj. Rodney Lambert
grandiose resonates with 12 year olds.
The Air Force gives us a lot of catchy
terms to describe what I was trying to
convey to Nacho.
The big ones during the last couple of
years being resiliency and Comprehensive Airman Fitness. CAF breaks resiliency into four pillars: spiritual, social,
and the two I was driving at with Nacho
– physical and mental.
The physical pillar refers to “the ability to physically accomplish all aspects
of the mission while remaining healthy
and uninjured.”
Mental is the ability to effectively
cope with the unique mental stressors
and challenges needed to ensure
mission readiness.
I can really get behind those four
pillars, but something has nagged me
about these definitions. Talking with
Nacho brought it home to me; the
definitions are too passive.
Resiliency and the four pillars are
great, but I believe we need to strive
for something beyond surviving, coping
and remaining uninjured.
Disclaimer: I am not knocking resiliency or CAF. I think being resilient in
the face of adversity is key to our success as an Air Force and Airmen.
I am postulating surviving volatility is
good, but thriving because of the same
stress is better.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a contemporary philosopher who authored the
book “Antifragile: Things That Gain
from Disorder.” Taleb argues the resilient weather the storm of stress and
stay the same, whereas the antifragile
absorb/adapt the stressors and become
stronger.
There are a lot of concepts in the
book, but a key idea is to purposefully
introduce stressors into your life. The
stressors can be neither too small to be
insignificant nor too large to risk breaking yourself, but must challenge your
status quo.
Back to Sunday’s workout: jumping on a 24-inch box was too much for
Nacho, but just jumping in the air or
stepping on the box was not challenging enough. Instead, we started with
a 4-inch high jump, then 8 inches and
finally working up to 20 inches where it
was getting difficult.
Within 20 minutes, Nacho had increased his resiliency or “antifragility”
in both mental and physical aspects.
More importantly, he didn’t just “mentally cope” or “remain healthy,” he increased his capacity to cope with stress
and upped his physical game.
My challenge to you is determine
where you are fragile/less resilient and
what can you do to address those areas.
How can you change aspects of your life
that when stressed instead of surviving,
you end up thriving? In short, how can
you make yourself “harder to kill?”
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.
Joint Base San AntonioLackland
Editorial Staff
Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta
502nd Air Base Wing/JBSA
Commander
Todd G. White
502nd ABW/JBSA
Public Affairs Director
Oscar Balladares
JBSA-Lackland
Public Affairs Chief
Senior Airman Lynsie Nichols
Senior Airman Krystal Jeffers
Photojournalists
Jeremy Gerlach
Jose T. Garza, III
Staff Writers
Dorothy Lonas
Page Design/Illustrator
Office
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JBSA-Lackland, Texas
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APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
news
PAGE 3
News in Brief
national volunteer week takes place april 10-16
National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to
seek out imaginative ways to engage in their
communities. It’s about demonstrating to the
nation that by working together, we have the
fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. Take action and encourage
individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change –
discovering and actively demonstrating their
collective power to make a difference.
armed forces action plan needs volunteers
Have an idea or suggestion that can
improve the military family, welfare or quality
of life? Can you identify a critical issue affecting the readiness or morale at Joint Base
San Antonio? Volunteers are needed, call
221-2705 or email usaf.jbsa.502-abw.
mbx.502-fssvolunteer@mail.mil for more
information. Open to Department of Defense
employees, retirees and their families.
jbsa is hosting proud week clean up
Joint Base San Antonio will conduct the
Spring Proud Week Cleanup April 11-15 in
order to promote pride and maintain a high
beautification standard throughout JBSA.
Proud Week is conducted twice annually, in
the spring and fall, and provides a specified
time period where resources are allocated to
conduct general area building maintenance,
environmental maintenance (landscaping),
clean up of work areas and enhance the
appearance of JBSA and its facilities.
Key tasks will be to remove trash, old
furniture, fallen tree limbs, brush, grass from
sidewalks and non-household trash.
Personnel will sweep sidewalks and curbs,
and conduct a general inspection of fields,
streets and parking lots in areas of responsibilities to include assigned work areas,
storage and warehouse areas. Bag and bundle all trash as appropriate and transport to
trash collection points or nearest dumpsters.
This is a four-phased operation (phases may
overlap if additional time is required) that
includes pre-inspection, cleanup operations,
final inspection and after action review.
jbsa 2016 air force assistance fund campaign
The 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base
San Antonio is conducting the 43nd
annual Air Force Assistance Fund
Campaign. The six-week campaign across
JBSA runs through April 29 and will be
See NEWS IN BRIEF Page 12
What is #STOP107?
By Daniel R. Katka
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Deputy Program Director &
Community Relations Director 502nd Air Base Wing
By now, you’ve probably seen a red and black “#STOP107”
sign at one of the Joint Base San Antonio locations.
You may have even called the telephone number listed
on the sign (808-8986) to find out what it means. If you did,
you found out that every 107 seconds someone in the United
States is sexually assaulted. Yes, you read that right, every 107
seconds!
Below is an excerpt from the Rape, Abuse and Incest
National Network’s website (http://www.rainn.org) explaining
where this staggering statistic comes from:
How often does sexual assault occur? There is an average of 293,066 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual
assault each year.
Every 107 seconds, another American is sexually assaulted.
Here’s the math: According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s
National Crime Victimization Survey, there are an average of
293,066 victims (age 12 or older) of rape and sexual assault
each year. There are 525,600 minutes in a non-leap year. That
makes 31,536,000 seconds/year. So, 31,536,000 divided by
293,066 comes out to one sexual assault every 107 seconds.
There is some good news. Sexual assault has fallen by 49
percent in recent years.
Because of the progress made in the last 20 years, there
are an estimated 5.5 million less Americans who have become
victims of sexual violence.
While we should be happy that we’re making progress, we
are still a very long way from solving this problem.
(The entire article can be found at https://rainn.org/get
-information/statistics/frequency-of-sexual-assault.)
So, the mystery of “#STOP107” is solved. Unfortunately, the
issue it references isn’t.
But, what if we could stop a sexual assault from happening
by the 106th second? What if 107 never happened? Would you
stop it from happening if you could? It will take courage to tell
others to stop inappropriate behaviors.
It will take guts to step in if you see someone in trouble.
But, no matter what military uniform we wear, if we help each
other, if we watch each other’s backs, then we can stop 107
from happening. 107 needs to stop. We can do it! Do YOUR
part … STOP 107!
The JBSA Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program
is committed to supporting those affected by sexual violence
and putting an end to this horrific crime. April is Sexual
Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and the #STOP107
initiative complements the Department of Defense’s SAAPM
campaign: “Eliminate Sexual Assault; Know Your Part,
Do Your Part.”
Throughout the month, there will be many events promoting
awareness and educating the community on sexual violence.
There will be information tables set up every week at each
location at exchanges, fitness centers, dining facilities and
shoppettes. Talk with a staff member or volunteer to learn more.
To report a sexual assault, call the JBSA 24/7 Sexual
Assault Crisis Hotline at 808-7272 or the Department of
Defense Safe Helpline at 877-995-5247. For more information,
call the JBSA-Randolph SARC office at 652-4386, the JBSALackland office at 671-7273 or the JBSA-Fort Sam Houston office
at 808-8990.
PAGE 4
TALESPINNER
APRIL 1, 2016
Event recognizes
importance of wingmen
all year #notjustApril
By Tech. Sgt. Bryan Franks
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
Command Information
Senior leaders kicked off the Air
Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention
and Response #notjustApril campaign
March 17 during an event at the
Pentagon.
The Secretary, Chief of Staff and
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force
joined other Airmen to read testimonies from sexual assault survivors and
discussed Airmen’s roles in supporting
sexual assault survivors and preventing
this crime.
The
event
promoting
the
#notjustApril campaign came in front of
the Department of Defense’s official recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness
Month in April to highlight the importance of Airmen’s engagement all year.
Using the Air Force core values as
the foundation for her comments, Air
Force Secretary Deborah Lee James
said integrity is imperative in this
issue and the Air Force needs to look
in the mirror and accept the fact that
there is a problem.
“I think it’s getting better,” James
said. “However, we need to look at ourselves and our shortcomings and identify ways we can continue to improve.”
James went on to say that Airmen’s
‘service before self’ is not only answering the nation’s call to serve, but also
the call to serve each other.
“Survivors of sexual assault deserve
the support of the institutional Air
Force, but they also deserve the support of their peers and their wingmen,”
James said. “Wingmen play a vital
role in building and restoring units’
climate and in supporting victims in
their recovery.”
James challenged leaders from
commanders to frontline supervisors
to demonstrate excellence by setting
a professional atmosphere, enforcing
the standards of conduct, and being
prepared to walk the walk.
Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III
spoke about members of one Air Force
– active duty, Air National Guard, Air
Force Reserve, officer, enlisted and
civilian Airmen – who stand side by
side and shoulder to shoulder to provide whatever is needed to prevent
sexual assault.
“We have lots of numbers in the
business, as we track different things,”
Welsh said. “I would offer to you that
the only number that really matters
is one. One victim, one criminal, one
event, one life shattered, one family
shattered, one unit forever affected …
now multiply that one person by all the
lives that they touch and then multiply that number by 2,400. That’s the
impact.”
Welsh also said that prevention
starts with averting one sexual assault,
and it must continue one by one until
all are stopped.
Photo by Scott M. Ash
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody shares a story that influenced him both
as a senior enlisted leader and father of a college-aged daughter during a Sexual Assault
Awareness Month event at the Pentagon March 17. The event included participants who
read actual testimonials of victims.
“It’s about one and the only number more significant than that one is
zero,” Welsh said. “When we get there,
we will celebrate and we will work
harder the next day to make sure it
stays there.”
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force
James A. Cody said that in his time as
the highest ranking enlisted member
in the Air Force, he has evolved how
he looks at sexual assault prevention
after hearing a friend’s story
His friend’s daughter was excited
about joining the Air Force, but as
she was getting ready to leave home,
she told her father she was afraid of
being raped. When her father asked
why, she confided she had been sexually assaulted at a high school party after having a drink. Despite their great
relationship, she had been ashamed to
tell her father before because he had
warned her not to drink and how to
dress, and she blamed herself.
That’s when Cody realized he had
Straight Talk Line
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often said the same things to his
daughter.
“I wasn’t helping her be any safer,”
Cody said. “I was really just building
up an environment where if something
happened she couldn’t feel she could
come to me because I had already told
her it was her fault every single time I
watched her walk out that door.”
Cody said the experience changed
his dialogue with his daughter and
helped him better understand prevention. They began talking about the
wingmen she was going out with and
who would have her back.
“You are going to go out, you are
going to experience life,” Cody said.
“Our Airmen have to trust each other
enough so they know we will always
be there for each other. We’re never
ever going to blame them for something horrific that’s happening. We are
just going to be there to try and help
them. We can never rewind the clock,
but we can be there to support them.”
JBSA Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response
JBSA SEXUAL ASSAULT HOTLINE
808-SARC (7272)
DOD SAFE HELPLINE
(877) 995-5247
JBSA CRISIS HOTLINE
367-1213
JBSA DUTY CHAPLAIN
365-6420
APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
PAGE 5
AETC command chief shares vision, priorities
By Tech. Sgt. Beth Anschutz
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
Air
Education
and
Training
Command’s newest senior enlisted
leader, Chief Master Sgt. David Staton,
recently shared his vision of a successful
tour as command chief.
Staton took the reins as command
chief in January but is no stranger to
the First Command.
Service to AETC is woven throughout
Staton’s career. In all, he has spent more
than half of his 28 years of service within AETC, to include assignments as a
military training instructor, an instructor at the MTI schoolhouse, a basic military training squadron superintendent
and two command chief positions, one
at the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air
Force Base, Arizona, and most recently for
2nd Air Force at Keesler Air Force Base,
Miss.
Staton said although he is familiar
with the majority of what the command accomplishes day to day, he is
looking forward to learning even more
about certain mission areas, such as Air
University at Maxwell Air Force Base,
Ala., where he immersed himself in the
AU mission during a recent base visit.
“I have learned the AU machine is
very complex and what they do day to
day is critical to the success of the professional development and education of
our Airmen across the Air Force,” Staton
said. “I am very excited to learn more
and support the first-class, intellectual
and leadership center of the Air Force.”
Staton said he is also eager to learn
more about the recruiting mission, where
the command’s mantra of “Airpower
starts here” couldn’t be more true.
“I look forward to learning more about
how the recruiters operate and attract
our country’s finest, and how I can best
help them accomplish their mission,”
he said. “Recruiters are the face of the
Air Force where there is little to no Air
Force presence. It’s important for me to
know how I can best support them.”
Staton said AETC is on a great path
and his goal is to keep moving forward
with the command vision to forge innovative Airmen to power the world’s
greatest Air Force.
“I plan to pick up the ball and move it
forward, as best I can, by working very
closely with our phenomenal commanders, chiefs and leaders in AETC,” Staton
said. “As the Air Force’s First Command,
Chief Master Sgt. David Staton,
command chief of Air Education
and Training Command, left,
and Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson,
AETC commander, speak to
Senior Airman Samuel Hahn,
47th Medical Group Public
Health technician, during a
base tour at Laughlin Air Force
Base, Texas, March 16.
Photo by
Airman 1st Class Brandon May
we must continually help our Airmen
to be more creative and find innovative means to effectively and efficiently
prepare our newest Airmen to fly, fight
and win.”
The chief said his main priorities
are in line with and support the strategic goals of Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson,
AETC commander. Roberson released
the command’s 2016 Strategic Plan in
January listing his vector areas as motivational mission accomplishment, taking
care of Airmen and families, innovation,
and leadership.
Staton believes the key to leadership
is support and communication.
“I have a very basic leadership mentality; lead your Airmen, support them in
their professional and personal life and
help them grow,” he said. “The most important and meaningful way to do this
is simply good old fashioned, day-to-day,
face-to-face contact with our Airmen, at
all levels. I want supervisors to see their
subordinates face-to-face every day, to
the largest degree possible.”
Staton said he is also focused on the
Developmental Special Duty Program
for which AETC plays a huge role. In
2013, 10 positions were designated as
DSD because of the unique leadership
roles and responsibilities they hold,
which involve mentoring and molding
future Air Force leaders.
“Being that AETC has more than 90
percent of DSD positions I am extremely
invested in continual improvement of the
program. We are right in the middle of
taking a hard look at the number of military training leaders in the command,
as well our professional development
of these outstanding non-commissioned
officers,” he said. “It doesn’t stop with
MTLs though. We need to make sure
we have the right manning and opportunities for our ROTC cadre and staff,
as well as our recruiters. Trust me,
there is plenty to do, and we have the
right leaders in place to get after these
opportunities.”
The chief said he believes the basics
of Airmanship are what sets us up for
success; following and trusting in the
chain of command, pride in appearance,
taking care of each other and properly
supervising are the tasks Airmen should
be striving to do right every day.
Staton said if the Airmen of AETC
should know anything about him, it’s
that he is a product of what he learned
from his MTIs in basic training.
“I still stand up when a second
lieutenant, who is as young as my son,
walks into a room because that is what
we are supposed to do. I take pride in
my uniform because it represents the
United States of America and our great
Air Force. I walk on the left side of someone senior to me. I am a loyal servant
to those I follow and those I lead and
I take out my own trash,” Staton said.
“In other words, I don’t ever want to
forget where I came from and I make
an effort to conduct my business with
that in mind.”
The chief concluded by expressing his
thanks for the opportunity to lead the
enlisted men and women of AETC.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the
Airmen and families that make up this
command. From our men and women
in uniform, to our civilians and contractors, every single person and job counts
and has a direct influence of keeping our
Air Force the greatest in the world,” he
said. “My family and I will do our best
to make our Airmen proud.”
PAGE 6
TALESPINNER
APRIL 1, 2016
AETC Civic Leader tour comes to JBSA-Lackland
Photos by Johnny Saldivar
Members of the 326th Training Squadron greet Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, commander of Air Education and Training Command, March 23 during an AETC
civic leader group tour at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s Chapman Training Complex. The tour’s purpose is to strengthen the relationships between
the private and government sectors and to further a strong relationship between the city and military.
Regina Johnson (right), 341st Training Squadron military
working dog foster consultant, discusses the MWD puppy
program to Air Education and Training Command civic
leader group members March 23 during tour at Joint Base
San Antonio-Lackland.
Members of an Air Education and Training Command civic
leader group have lunch with 326th Training Squadron
Airmen March 23 during a tour at Joint Base San AntonioLackland’s Chapman Training Complex.
Lt. Col. Megan Doherty, 326th Training Squadron commander, briefs Air Education and Training Command civic
leaders March 23 during a tour at Joint Base San AntonioLackland’s 326th Training Squadron Chapman Training
Complex.
APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
PAGE 7
Pararescueman looks to rejoin team despite losing leg
By Jeremy Gerlach
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
In July 2011, Staff Sgt. August
O’Neill, a U.S. Air Force pararescueman, was sent to rescue a unit of
Marines pinned down in Afghanistan
when enemy insurgents opened fire
on his team’s helicopter.
A round bounced off the door, tearing through both of O’Neill’s lower
legs and critically wounding his left,
resulting in 20 surgeries over the next
3.5 years as doctors tried to save the
limb. O’Neill finally told doctors to
remove his leg in 2015, but he’s not
cutting ties with his career as a pararescueman.
“I haven’t looked back since,” said
O’Neill, who’s training with the 342nd
Training Squadron at Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland as he prepares to
re-qualify for assignment to a pararescue team. “I knew I wasn’t done
doing this job.”
Pararescue isn’t an easy job for any
Airman, let alone one who had their
leg amputated just above the knee,
but O’Neill believes he’s still up to the
task.
“There are going to be issues that
come up here and there,” O’Neill said.
“But I’m sure I’ll make it back on a
team. Just like anybody who hasn’t
been in their job for a long time …
I basically need to make sure everybody else knows that I’m capable of
doing the job, and … I need to make
sure I haven’t lost anything that I
need.”
Pararescumen serve in one of the
most physically demanding fields in
the armed forces, with the journey
from basic training to joining an
operational unit spanning almost
two years, according to the technical
training course guide.
O’Neill, will have to finish
recurrency training over the next few
months to demonstrate his mission
readiness, isn’t expecting any special
treatment.
“I wouldn’t want to do this job if
I couldn’t meet the same qualifications as everybody else, because that
would put the people on my team
at risk,” he explained. “You’re only
as strong as your weakest member,
so if I can’t keep up with them, that
means they’re carrying me and that’s
not something that I want.”
Living with a prosthetic is a minor
annoyance in terms of his daily routine, O’Neill said. He doesn’t sleep
with the leg on, for example, so he
has to hop to the bathroom or the
refrigerator when he wakes in the
middle of the night.
“It’s just finding a ‘new normal’ for
all the things I was able to do with
two legs before,” he explained. “I’ve
just been finding ways to get everything done.”
That minor annoyance turns into
a bigger challenge during pararescue
training, where O’Neill will have to
depend on his ingenuity and adaptability to meet the other demands to
the job.
“Anything from picking up a patient - where I can’t just roll down
on a knee and lift them up - I have to
find a different way to brace myself
to get people up and move out,” he
noted. “Everything is challenging, but
it’s just a matter of finding out how
to do it.”
As if navigating this “new normal”
wasn’t enough, O’Neill said his training has been grueling.
“It’s tough mentally and physically,” he said. “You aren’t pushed
to your limit, you’re pushed beyond
that - to the limits that the instructors know you can reach. There are
so many qualifications that you need
to keep up with that you ... can’t do
so without being mentally prepared.”
One thing, at least, hasn’t changed
for O’Neill since returning from his
injury.
“I don’t like running,” he chuckled.
“I’ve never been a distance runner
and after four years of not running ...
that’s still difficult, but I can still run.
It’s not as pretty as it was before, but
I’m able to at least get the job done.”
Those interested in pararescue
careers – or finding out more about
what O’Neill will be going through
during his requalification - can visit
https://www.pararescue.com for more
information on pararescue training
and standards.
Be Responsible!
Seat Belts Save Lives!
Buckle Up And Wear Yours!
Photos by Senior Airman Krystal Wright
Staff Sgt. August O’Neill, 342nd Training Squadron pararescueman, trains at Joint Base
San Antonio-Lackland. O’Neill works hard to meet U.S. Air Force Pararescue physical standards despite having his left leg amputated in 2015.
PAGE 8
TALESPINNER
APRIL 1, 2016
Bomb squads from JBSA, SAPD
team up to counter future threats
By Jeremy Gerlach
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
Explosive ordinance disposal personnel from Joint
Base San Antonio-Lackland’s 502nd Civil Engineering
Squadron wrapped up a week-long training exercise
with the San Antonio Police Department’s bomb squad
March 25 to develop a partnership that will provide
both JBSA and San Antonio a more rapid and effective response to possible future explosive emergencies.
Both teams are aiming to counter the growing possibility of an incident with multiple simultaneous threats
by developing a response plan that integrates both
the 502nd CES and the SAPD, said Staff Sgt. Rebekah
McGraw, 502nd CES NCO in charge of training.
“We could be in a situation where the SAPD is overloaded and from what we read in the headlines, that
possibility is very real,” McGraw said. “If that happens,
and SAPD calls to request our help, this partnership
is going to help both parties thrive and dominate in
that situation.”
SAPD already has essential resources such as
robots, X-ray capability and K-9 units, but the military
unit will be able to help them improve in a different
aspect.
The 502nd CES will provide a level of technical
expertise and manpower that will help the police
response become more versatile. During the training
exercise, both teams ran through various emergency
exercises to “get to know each other” more thoroughly,
which will help prepare both parties for an integrated
response in the future, McGraw said.
“Let’s say multiple incidents happen,” she explained.
“If SAPD is better equipped to handle a vehicular
incident, for example, they’ll prioritize that response
and ask the Air Force to handle a different emergency.”
This division of labor streamlines the entire
response.
“Knowing who’s best suited for what task will save
a lot of time on a response,” McGraw said. “We can
make quicker decisions and we’ll be speaking the
same language.”
For these two agencies – civil and military – “speaking the same language” requires a lot of networking,
said Officer Jon Sarno, SAPD Bomb Squad sergeant.
“If we want to develop a relationship between our
two agencies in case we ever have to go on some type
of joint operation, we have to start now,” he explained.
Looking down the road, Sarno suggested this partnership might even result in a stream of personnel
between the two teams.
“Hopefully, we attract Airmen when they transition
out of the Air Force and get them to come to SAPD and
eventually part of our bomb squad,” he said.
Both sides have plenty to offer in a potential emer-
Photo by Johnny Saldivar
(From left) Tech. Sgt. Matthew Giacona, Jason Laberthal, Staff Sgt. Rebekah McGraw and Sgt. Jon Sarno participate in
mini robot training March 25 at Brooks City-Base, Texas. Explosive ordinance disposal sepcialists Giacona and McGraw,
502nd Civil Engineering Squadron, and Laberthal and Sarno, San Antonio Police Department's bomb squad, developed
a partnership that will provide both JBSA and San Antonio, as a whole, a more rapid and effective response to possible
future explosive emergencies.
gency, suggested Officer Jason Alberthal, SAPD bomb
squad member.
“We can help them on the outside, and they can
help us,” he said. “We’re mutual assets.”
This partnership will bring some much-needed
relief to Sarno’s team, which responds to emergencies
in 15 area counties. They encounter scenarios with multiple simultaneous emergencies about twice a year on average,
according the SAPD.
“One time we went out to New Braunfels to deal
with some old dynamite that had crystallized,” Sarno
recalled. “We were burning that when, all of a sudden,
we got a call in Kerrville; some guy had booby-trapped
his house.”
In situations like that, both parties will need to be
able to share information effectively. Air Force personnel will rely heavily on the SAPD’s ability to pinpoint locations of crimes while SAPD will depend on the 502nd
CES for additional manpower and versatility, said Tech
Sgt. Matthew Giacona, 502nd CES section chief.
“This partnership is just a force multiplier,” he explained. “Integrating with these guys means we’re able
to share all of our knowledge. SAPD brings some info
from the law enforcement side of the house, where we
bring some more technical knowledge from a training
perspective.”
It’s not unprecedented for EOD squads to respond to
emergencies off-base, but this level of integration with
local law enforcement is, McGraw added.
“This program puts us in a position to work directly
with SAPD patrols,” McGraw said. “We get to network
with these people, so we’ve already established that
relationship before an emergency even happens.”
McGraw’s team is hoping that their teamwork with
the SAPD inspires a pattern of inter-agency cooperation in other cities.
“This is not just for the Air Force and not just San
Antonio,” said McGraw, pointing out that Army personnel at Fort Hood,Texas have expressed interest in
implementing a similar program. “Other areas are
watching what we’re doing here … this absolutely can
be implemented successfully elsewhere.”
Hopefully, the SAPD-Air Force partnership will just
end up being a precautionary measure. Still, if any
threats arise both teams would be ready, Sarno said.
“We’ll already have worked together, so we’ll be
able to operate seamlessly,” he said.
APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
PAGE 9
Air Force Cross recipient speaks to BMT graduates during Airmen’s Week
By Jose T. Garza III
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
An Air Force Cross recipient spoke to roughly
700 Air Force basic military training graduates
about how he earned the United States’ second
highest award for valor as part of a presentation
to conclude the one year anniversary of Airmen’s
Week.
In attendance were the families of Master Sgt.
Dan Wassom and Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, who
were posthumously awarded Air Force medals.
During his speech, Master Sgt. Robert Gutierrez
Jr., 37th Training Wing, Detachment 1 flight chief,
talked about being wounded by enemy fire Oct. 5,
2009, in Western Afghanistan, getting patched up
by medics and continuing the mission.
Because of his courage to continue fighting,
Gutierrez was credited with saving a dozen U.S.
Soldiers’ lives in his Special Forces unit, earning
him the Air Force Cross in 2011.
“I was thinking about their mothers, fathers,
brothers, cousins, etc., who are more important
than I am,” he said about his fervor to complete
the mission.
Following his story, Gutierrez provided leadership bullets using examples from the book
“Carnivore Leadership Professional Development:
Silver Bullets for Effective Leadership,” written by
Chief Master Sgt. Ramon Colon-Lopez.
The examples he used included:
• If you want to fly with the eagles, don’t fly
with turkeys. Surround yourself with winners and
a positive infectious attitude and you, in turn, will
become an effective Airman.
• The best way to stay in shape is to never get
502ND ABW SENIOR LEADERS FILL
OUT AFAF DONATION FORMS
(From left) Col. Michael Gimbrone, 502nd Security Forces and Logistics Support
Group commander; Col. Alexander Smith, 502nd Installation Support Group
commander; Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta, 502nd Air Base Wing commander; and Chief
Master Sgt. Stanley Cadell, 502nd ABW command chief, sign their Air Force
Assistance Fund donation forms, March 23 at Joint Base San AntonioLackand’s Bob Hope Theater. Airmen can acquire the form from their
squadron unit project officer. The AFAF campaign runs through March 21 to April 29.
out of shape. You are in the U.S. Air Force and you
have to be prepared to fight at all times.
• The path to success is not easy, cheap or quick.
It will require you to get up an hour earlier and
go to bed an hour later than rest. Pay attention
to detail and quality of your work; do it right the
first time.
Gutierrez, who joined the Air Force in 2002, concluded his presentation by answering graduates
questions about how many missions he was involved him, advice on how to handle being on the
battlefield and what his family thought of him joining the Air Force.
“Don’t quit,” he advised. “Everything is a challenge and an uphill battle.”
Airmen’s Week is a five-day course following Air
Force BMT that helps Airmen better prepare for
their Air Force careers.
WOMEN'S HISTORY DAY PARADE
Photo by Staff Sgt. Marissa Garner
A flight of female military training instructors march down the bomb run during the
March 25 Air Force Basic Training Graduation Parade at Joint Base San AntonioLackland. The formation was a tribute to Maj. Gen. Margaret Poore, Air Force Personnel Center commander and reviewing official for the graduation, and women past and
present who have served in the Armed Forces.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY
Friday
• 6 p.m.
Saturday
• Noon
• 3 p.m.
• 6 p.m.
Gods of Egypt (3D) (PG-13)
Eddie the Eagle(PG-13)
Gods of Egypt (3D) (PG-13)
Triple 9 (R
Sunday
• Noon
• 3 p.m.
Thursday
• 4 p.m.
Gods of Egypt (3D) (PG-13))
Triple 9 (R
Movie Line: 671-3985 or view schedules at:
Gods of Egypt (3D) (PG-13)
We have one movie screen, one movie per show
time.
Doors open 30 minutes prior to each show time.
https://www.shopmyexchange.com/reel-time-theatres/
PAGE 10
TALESPINNER
APRIL 1, 2016
APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
PAGE 11
Secretary of the Air Force visits FOB of the future
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks with two basic trainees before a
demonstration at the Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training course March 22 at the
319th Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
Photos by Johnny Saldivar
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James speaks with 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, Air Force Research Lab energy and environment research engineer,
about the process of converting an area of the Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training (BEAST) site to operate completely on solar power March 22 at
the 319th Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
By Staff Sgt. Marissa Garner
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
S
ecretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited the 319th Training Squadron’s Forward Operating Base of the Future site at Joint Base San AntonioLackland March 22.
The FOB of the Future, located at the 737th Training Group’s
Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training site, is an energy
saving initiative that reduces the use of non-renewable energy
used at the site by the addition of solar power technologies,
according to 1st. Lt. Jason Goins, Air Force Research Lab’s
Advanced Power Technology Office project engineer who helped
the FOB of the Future go from a concept to reality.
“The project will completely modernize one zone (of the
BEAST complex) to demonstrate the benefits associated with
smart controllers, microgrids, advanced batteries, solar cells,
improved HVAC units, and other energy efficiencies,” Goins said.
“Our goal in these kinds of demonstrations is to prove that
we can generate electricity on site and control it in such a way
that our operations continue no matter what the circumstances,”
said Lt. Col. Scott Fitzner, AFRL material leader.
James spoke to trainees currently attending the course at the
BEAST complex about the significance of innovation in regard
to the safety and operation of military installations around the
globe, as the Air Force currently relies heavily on diesel generators to provide installation and operational power.
“I want to impress upon each and every one of you that energy is integral to everything that we do in the Air Force, James
said. “Our installations are critical to Air Force and joint military operations around the world and our networked total force
requires uninterrupted access to energy to fulfill our missions.
“We are a very busy Air Force. More resilient, cleaner cost
effective energy resources utilizing innovative technologies will
play a vital role in ensuring that we remain strategically agile
to meet the demands of today and to also prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Traditionally, FOBs in deployed locations rely heavily on die-
Staff Sgt. Britney Simpson, 319th Training Squadron military training instructor, briefs Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James on
the anti-terrorism course taught at the Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training Course March 22 at the 319th TRS at Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland.
sel generators to provide installation and operational power.
Additionally, military convoys are commonly used to supply diesel fuel in contested FOB environments, exposing service men
and women to further danger. The AFRL’s Advanced Power Technology Office hopes to develop technologies from this prototype
to develop a world-wide roll-out of this energy-saving concept,
according to Goins.
The demonstration location provides an excellent opportunity
to foster and grow an energy-aware culture and consciousness
in the 33,000 Air Force enlisted recruits that train at the BEAST
facility each year, according to 737th TRG leaders. In addition,
integrating multiple technologies in one location enables the Air
Force Civil Engineer Center’s 2035 expeditionary vision to take
shape
Building a prototype of this vision now helps guide remaining technology maturation efforts and potentially accelerates the
modernization of FOB, Goins said.
“Through renewable and advanced energy technologies, we
can ensure our bases have the power to execute their missions,
even when traditional energy resources are disrupted,” James
said. “The same technologies, self-sustaining approach, and
energy-aware culture we’re demonstrating here at BEAST are
just as important across all our bases.”
The project falls in line with the U.S. Air Force Energy
Strategic Plan, which seeks to Improve Resiliency, reduce demand and foster an energy aware culture.
The FOB of the Future will undergo a 12-month demonstration or trial run. Data will be compared to a baseline site and
evaluated for its effectiveness in its ability to meet energy demand reduction goals. If successful, this project could potentially
expand across the Air Force at other deployed locations across
the globe.
“If we make these zones 50 percent more efficient, that is
a significantly less amount of fuel that we have to convoy in
to sustain forward operating base locations,” Fitzner said. “We
view this as critical to not only reducing our operating costs of
these forward operating bases, but also in protecting the lives
of our service members. ”
Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James discusses living arrangements at the
Basic Expeditionary Airmen Skills Training with Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Funk, 319th Training
Squadron military training instructor, March 22 at the 319th TRS at Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland.
PAGE 12
TALESPINNER
Congratulations to the
following 78 Airmen
for being selected as
honor graduates among
the 751 Air Force basic
military trainees who
graduate today:
321st Training Squadron
–Flight 253
Isaiah Carlisle
Ian Duffin
Christopher Obryant
Nicholas Sauleiko
–Flight 254
Erik Garcia
Trevan Hooten
Rickey Samuel
Neil Sturlaugson
–Flight 255
Braedon Mcmaster
Larry Rajala
Ethan Trotter
–Flight 256
Zoe Kiritsis
April O’neill
322nd Training Squadron
–Flight 247
Brent Epler
Tiburon Hannula
Anargyros Kotsaris
Tyler Krebsbach
Jonathan Mock
Cody Notestine
–Flight 248
Gregory Arthen
Jared Clemens
–Flight 249
Ford Braun
Travis Chant
Brandon Desy
Patrick Lively
–Flight 250
Bethany Gurley
Trixie Lagas
–Flight 251
Ian Blackwell
Rosendo Lucio
Justin Mcdavid
David Nordin
Christian Pamlenyi
Johnny Ponciano
Tyler Smith
Douglas West
–Flight 252
Danielle Andrinopoulos
Marisa Bales
Kristina Dugan
Jessica Hutton
Ashley Kostka
Taylor Miles
Maria Torres
Troin Yost
–Flight 243
Brandon Chappell
Alex Cowin
Jack Denkewalter
Jacob Stone
Leven Tomey
–Flight 244
Nathan Angles
Joseph Mccarty
Jason Richards
Spencer Ridgway
323rd Training Squadron
–Flight 245
Kevin Hopkins
David Lambert
–Flight 246
Kelley Barney
Alexandre Bryant
Sydney Danko
Sarah Wyman
331st Training Squadron
–Flight 239
Alexander Gibson
Tristan Menard
Stephen Miller
Mitchel Pless
–Flight 240
Tyler Andersen
Caleb Kennedy
Tyler Langdon
Dominick Maldonado
Michael Paen
Rogan Shimmin
–Flight 241
Luke Ausmus
Jimmy Chim
Keith Christopher
Bradey Harris
–Flight 242
Marissa Fortunato
Victoria Nelson
Alexandra Potter
Top BMT Airman
Shauna Hunter
321st TRS, Flight 256
APRIL 1, 2016
Most Physically Fit
–Female Airmen
Victoria Nelson
322ns TRS, Flight 242
Shauna Hunter
321st TRS Flight256
Kelley Barney
323rd TRS, Flight 246
Lauren Smith
331st TRS, Flight 242
–Male Airmen
Cody Notestine
322nd TRS, Flight 247
Mitchell Pless
331st TRS, Flight 239
Junior Facio
322nd TRS, Flight 251
Culllen Pedersen
331st TRS, Flight 213
–Male Flights
323rd TRS, Flight 244
322nd TRS, Flight 251
323rd TRS, Flight 243
331st TRS, Flight 240
322nd TRS, Flight 247
331st TRS, Flight 241
323rd TRS, Flight 245
331st TRS, Flight 239
321st TRS, Flight 253
321st TRS, Flight 254
322nd TRS, Flight 249
322nd TRS, Flight 248
312st TRS, Flight 255
–Female Flights
322nd TRS, Flight 252
323rd TRS, Flight 246
331st TRS, Flight 242
321st TRS, Flight 256
322nd TRS, Flight 250
Top Academic Flights
331st TRS, Flight 239
322nd TRS, Flight 252
321st TRS, Flight 254
323rd TRS, Flight 245
322nd TRS, Flight 247
321st TRS, Flight 256
323nd TRS, Flight 243
331st TRS, Flight 240
331st TRS, Flight 241
323rd TRS, Flight 246
322nd TRS, Flight 251
322nd TRS, Flight 249
323rd TRS, Flight 244
321st TRS, Flight 253
321st TRS, Flight 255
331st TRS, Flight 242
322nd TRS, Flight 250
322nd TRS, Flight 248
NEWS IN BRIEF
from Page 3
continuing its theme of a
“Commitment to Caring”
and legacy of “Airmen
Helping Airmen.” The Air
Force has established a
2016 goal of $6.78 million; $300,000 more than
last year’s total donation.
The focus is “not about
Airmen
giving more, it’s about
more Airmen giving.”
civilian developmental
education application deadline
Civilian Airmen have
until May 1 to submit
applications for civilian
developmental education
programs to the Air Force
Personnel Center.
CDE programs help
provide the knowledge
and skills the civilian workforce needs to
anticipate and successfully meet the unique
challenges present across
the range of military
operations.
There are approximately 25 CDE programs
offered each year. They
range from basic developmental education to
intermediate development
education and senior
developmental education.
In addition to applications for BDE, IDE and
SDE applications for the
civilian strategic leadership program are also
accepted during the CDE
call for nominations.
To see detailed descriptions of each of the
CDE programs go to the
myPers website. Select
the “Civilian Employee”
link. Under the “Learn
More About” menu, scroll
down to the “Force Development,” section.
For information, visit
http://www.myPers.mil.
Individuals can request a
myPers account by following instructions at http://
www.retirees.af.mil/.
APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
PAGE 13
Heart-healthy breathing blows stress away
April is stress awareness month and
stress can take its toll on your mental
and physical health, including your
heart health, but there are breathing techniques to buffer yourself
from it. When you’re less focused on
your breathing, it’s typical to breathe
erratically – especially when you face
the stressors of day-to-day life. In turn,
your heart rate can become less rhythmic, causing your heart to not function
as well.
But when you have longer, slower exhales – breathing at about
4-second-inhale and 6-second-exhale
paces – your heart rate rhythmically
fluctuates up and down. This rhythmic variability in heart rate mirrors
your inhales and exhales so that you
have maximum heart rate at the end
of the inhale and minimum heart
rate at the end of the exhale. More
importantly, this physiological shift
could help you feel less stressed, anxious, or depressed — and experience
better heart health.
It’s easy to go through the motions of
breathing while absorbed in your own
thoughts; instead, take notice of your
breathing and other body sensations.
Regularly tuning in to your body sensations could help you feel more resilient
and ready to:
• Adapt to change
• Deal with whatever comes your way
• See the brighter, or funnier, side of
problems
• Overcome stress
• Tolerate unpleasant feelings
• Bounce
back
after
illnesses,
failures, or other hardships
• Achieve goals despite obstacles
• Stay focused under pressure
• Feel stronger
Check out HPRC’s Mind-Body Apps,
Tools, and Videos for paced breathing
MP3s and additional mind-body exercises at http://hprc-online.org/mindbody/mind-body-skills/.
(Source: TRICARE)
April events at JBSA focus on safety of children
By Robert Goetz
Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs
Classes that help couples manage their emotions and improve their
parenting skills are provided on Air
Force installations throughout the year,
but activities throughout Joint Base San
Antonio this month will especially shine
a light on the welfare of children.
“Zumbathons” at JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston and JBSA-Randolph and
family festivals at both JBSA locations
will headline events observing Child
Abuse Prevention Month and Month of
the Military Child.
Both Zumbathons are set for Saturday
from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston’s Jimmy Brought Gym and 11:45
a.m. to 1 p.m. at JBSA-Randolph’s Rambler Fitness Center.
“The Zumbathon is meant to raise
awareness of child abuse and child abuse
prevention,” said Norma Leal, JBSA-Fort
Sam Houston Family Advocacy Program
outreach manager. “Not only does this
exercise offer a positive way for parents to release stress, it also promotes a
healthy lifestyle and self-care.”
Family Advocacy Program representatives will give parents tips during water breaks, offer resources and time-out
suggestions and talk about the period of
“purple crying,” the time in babies’ lives
when they cry more than at any other
time.
Zumba and other forms of exercise
help parents relieve the stress that
comes with parenting and daily life in
general, Angela Nance, JBSA-Randolph
Family Advocacy Program intervention
specialist, said.
“Exercise increases your overall
health, your sense of well-being and improves your mood,” she said. “We know
parenting can be a challenge; however,
incorporating exercise in your life can
relax you and lower your stress level.
“So if you are feeling frustrated or
stressed out, it is important to get some
exercise to relieve those feelings,” Nance
said. “Zumba is a great way to get your
body moving.”
The Family Advocacy Program will
have a table outside the Zumbathon exercise room to provide information about
child abuse and child abuse prevention
as well as services and classes provided
across JBSA.
Month of the Military Child will be observed at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and
JBSA-Randolph with family events.
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Youth
Programs will celebrate baseball opening day at 9 a.m. April 9 at the Dodd
Field Youth Sports Complex. The event
will feature music, information booths,
food and games.
JBSA-Randolph Youth Programs will
host its 20th annual Famaganza from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 9 at the Youth
Programs complex on Main Circle. The
event will include food, games, bounce
houses, arts and crafts, entertainment, demonstrations, a book fair and
information booths.
The month’s events will also feature classes offered throughout the
year at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSALackland and JBSA-Randolph. These include “Master Your Emotions,” “Effective
Communication,” “Stress and Time Management,” “Love and Logic” and “Anger
Management.”
The JBSA locations will again
join the Cardboard Kids Campaign
created by ChildSafe, a Bexar County
trauma-focused care center for child
victims and child survivors of abuse and
neglect and their non-offending family
members.
Cardboard Kids are “2-foot-tall cardboard figures shaped like children that
represent one of the thousands of children that are abused and neglected at
the hands of adults in our community
each year, according to ChildSafe.”
Starting April 7, the Cardboard Kids
will be seen at locations throughout
JBSA, Nance said.
“You’ll see them at banks, child development centers, youth centers, base and
post exchanges and commissaries,” she
said. “Each Cardboard Kid will have a
child’s first name on it. When you turn it
over, you’ll see a message asking you to
join in the campaign to stop child abuse.”
The purpose of the campaign is to
“bring awareness to the different kinds
of abuse that children in Bexar County
have suffered, Nance said ”
“In 2014, there were more than 5,000
documented cases of child abuse in
Bexar County,” she said.
JBSA is also part of Prevent Child
Abuse America’s Pinwheels for Prevention
campaign, Nance said. Blue pinwheels
will be placed at locations throughout
JBSA.
“The color blue represents child abuse
awareness,” she said.
JBSA-Randolph will also present two
Child Development Lunch and Learn
sessions at the Child Development
Annex on H Street. The sessions are
“Nutrition and Development” from
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 14, presented by Capt. (Dr.) Sarah Donigan, San
Antonio Military Medical Center pediatric resident, and “Child Maltreatment
Recognition” from 12:30-2 p.m. April
28, presented by Dr. Shelly Martin, child
abuse pediatrician.
Nance said the Air Force offers
numerous resources – Military OneSource, family advocacy programs and
mental health flights among them – to
help build resilience in its families and
prevent child abuse.
“A majority of what we do is outreach
and prevention,” she said. “There are
classes out there to help parents. We also
offer individual counseling to active-duty
members and their families. If we have
healthy parents, we can have healthy
children.”
Family Advocacy Program intervention specialists also respond to child
abuse allegations.
“Child abuse affects children of all
ages, races and incomes,” she said. “It
happens in all types of families.”
PAGE 14
community
LOCAL BRIEFS
SATURDAY
underwater easter egg hunt
The Skylark Aquatic Center is
holding special underwater easter
egg hunts for youth ages 5-11. There
will be an egg hunt from
11 a.m. to noon for ages 5-7, noon
to 1 p.m. for ages 8-10 and
1-2 p.m. for ages 11-13. There will
be a visit from the Easter Bunny and
participants will receive a prize. Cost
is $3 per participant. Lifeguards will
be on duty. Call 671-2413.
volunteer appreciation communitY fair
There will be a volunteer appreciation community fair 9:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. at Arnold Hall, building
5506 on Stewart Street.
Patrons will learn about volunteer
opportunities at Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland and the surrounding community. In addition, local
helping agencies to include Any Baby
Can, Big Brother Big Sister, Habitat
for Humanities, Catholic Charities
will attenc. For more information call
the JBSA-Lackland Military & Family
Readiness Center at 671-3722.
APRIL 1, 2016
Discuss the pros and cons of
buying and renting a home. Review
your budget and credit score to
help determine if you are ready to
buy. Additional information will be
provided on lenders, types of loans,
prequalified vs. pre-approved, down
payments and realtors. The Better
Business Bureau is facilitating this
workshop 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
at the Wilford Hall Ambulatory
Surgical Center Annex, building
4600. For details, call 671-3722.
job by understanding how the civilian hiring process works during the
course called “Federal Employment
Process.” Participants will review
terminology, resume writing tips, application manager, how to navigate
through http://www.USAJobs.gov, the
rating process and how to check the
status. It will be held 8-10 a.m. at
the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland
Military & Family Readiness Center,
building 1249. Attendees are asked
to bring copies of their resume. For
more information, call 671-3722.
WEDNESDAY
resume writing techniQues
how to buY a house
During Resume Writing
Techniques, learn which resume
formats to use when writing a nonFederal resume, how to effectively
list employment history, and more.
It will be held 10:30 a.m. to noon at
the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland
Military & Family Readiness Center,
building 1249. Attendees are asked
to bring copies of their resume.
For more information, call 671-3722.
how children grieve
TUESDAY
TALESPINNER
Participants will receive information to help navigate the grieving
process with their children, including
those impacted by divorce during the
course “How Children Grieve.” Topics
covered include: stages of child
grief; concepts, perceptions and beliefs; and emotional and behavioral
response in children and adolescent.
This class held 1-2:30 p.m.at the
Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical
Center Annex, building 4600. Call
540-5025 or 540-5030.
interview with confidence
Be confident from the moment
you walk through the door by preparing for your next job interview. Participants of the class Interview with
federal emploYment process
Learn how to apply for a federal
Confidence will review interviewing
techniques, how to create that great
first impression and establishing a
clear knowledge of shared interest and values. It will be held 1-2
p.m. at the Joint Base San AntonioLackland Military & Family Readiness
Center, building 1249. Call 671-3722.
Spouses who are separated from
their loved ones due to deployments
and remote tours are welcomed to
join us for an ice cream social. Connect with others that share the same
deployed lifestyle. It will be held
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Joint
Base San Antonio-Lackland Military
& Family Readiness Center, building
1249. This month’s topic will focus
on deployment survival. The deadline
to register is April 4. Call 671-3722.
APRIL 8
chapel is hosting connect: a
relationship enhancement luncheon
Make a good first impression
with your day-to-day encounters,
networking and during interviews by
knowing what to wear. Attendees will
review what type of attire is appropriate for specific situations and how
to wear it. Men are asked to bring
a tie. It will be held 2-3 p.m. at the
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland
Military & Family Readiness Center,
building 1249. Call 671-3722 for
more information.
single parent support group
The Single Parent Support Group
is an open forum for both long-and
short-term single parents. This support group is a brown bag forum for
single parents to meet to share helpful resources and ways to overcome
challenges of single parenting. This
month’s topic will focus on personal
CHAPEL SERVICES
—ISLAMIC
Global Ministry Center – Building 7452
Contemporary Service
Religious Education Sun.
Gospel Service
Sun.
Youth Ministry
Mon.
Sun.
Jumu'ah Prayer
Sun.
8:00 a.m
—CHURCH OF CHRIST
New BMT Reception Center – Building 6330
Sun.
7:30 a.m. (Rm. 175)
—SEVENTH - DAY ADVENTIST
Gateway Chapel – Building 6300
Sat.
12:30 p.m.
—CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
New BMT Reception Center – Building 6330
Sun.
7:30 a.m. (Rm. 112)
—ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
Airmen Memorial Chapel – Building 5432
Sun.
9:30 a.m.
—PENTECOSTAL
Religious Education Building 6330
Sun.
8:00 a.m. (Rm. 112)
APRIL 12
The Joint Base San AntonioLackland Chapel Staff is sponsoring
Connect: a Relationship
Enhancement Luncheon 11 a.m. to
1 p.m. at the Gateway Club’s Alamo
Room. Lunch will be provided. Space
is limited; call 671-2911 or
671-4208 to sign up.
JBSA-LACKLAND
—WICCA
New BMT Reception Center – Building 6330
LITURGICAL SERVICE
Airman Memorial Chapel – Building 5432
connections over coffee: deploYed
spouse support group
dress for success
—PROTESTANT WORSHIP SERVICES
Freedom Chapel – Building 1528
Sun. 9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
financial management, thrift
Savings Plan. This group meets
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.at the Wilford
Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center
Annex, building 4600. Don’t forget to
bring a lunch.
9:00 – 11:00 (Auditorium)
Freedom Chapel – Building 1528
Wicca Open Circle
1st Tues.
6 – 7 p.m.
—REFUGE STUDENT CENTER
Building 9122 (Tech Training & TDY Students)
Wednesday 6 – 8 p.m.
Thursday
6 – 8 p.m.
Friday 6 – 11 p.m.
Saturday
12 – 9 p.m.
Sunday
11 – 5 p.m.
—JEWISH
Airmen Memorial Chapel – Building 5432
Sabbath & Kiddush Fri.
Religious Education Sun.
4:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m.
—ROMAN CATHOLIC
Freedom Chapel – Building 1528
Religious Education Sun. 9:00 a.m.
Adult Religious Education Sun. 9:15 – 10:15 a.m.
Mass Sat. 5:00 p.m. Sun. 11:00 a.m.
Youth Ministry
Sun. 4:00 p.m.
Reconciliation
Sat. 4:00 – 4:45 p.m.
Daily Mass
Mon., Tues. & Thur. 11:30 a.m.
Fri.
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
—BUDDHIST
New BMT Reception Center – Building 6330
Sun.
10 a.m. (Rm. 175)
—ECKANKAR
Gateway Chapel – Building 6300
1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays
12:30 p.m.
—BAHA'I
Gateway Chapel – Building 6300
1st, 3rd, and 5th Sun.
11:00 a.m.
—THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Gateway Chapel – Building 6300
Religious Education Tues.
LDS Institute
Thurs.
LDS Service
Sun.
6:30 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
1:00 p.m.
—LUTHERAN CHURCH MISSOURI SYNOD
Gateway Chapel Building 6330
Every third Sun.
Note: Reconciliation(s) may be scheduled by appointment
For more details, contact Freedom Chapel - 671-4208 • Gateway Chapel - 671-2911
3:30 p.m.
KEY FAMILY SUPPORT RESOURCES
Air Force Aid Society
671-3722
Airman & Family Readiness Center
671-3722
Airman’s Attic
671-1780
American Red Cross
844-4225
Base Post Office
671-1058
Bowling Center
671-2271
DEERS
800-538-9552
Exceptional Family Member Program
671-3722
Family Child Care
671-3376
Legal Office
671-3362
Library
671-3610
Medical Appointment Line
916-9900
MPF ID Cards
671-6006
Outdoor Recreation
925-5532
TRICARE Info
800-444-5445
Thrift Shop
671-3608
Enlisted Spouses’ Club http://www.lacklandesc.org
Force Support Squadron http://www.lacklandfss.com
Lackland ISD
http://www.lacklandisd.net
Officers’ Spouses’ Club http://www.lacklandosc.org
JBSA Public website
http://www.jbsa.mil
My Air Force Life
http://www.MyAirForceLife.com
APRIL 1, 2016
TALESPINNER
PAGE 15
Education Fair brings airmen closer to future careers
Story and photo by Jeremy Gerlach
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
Representatives from more than 50 colleges and
universities gathered at Arnold Hall for an education
fair hosted by the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland
Education Services Office hosted March 24.
The fair, which saw a healthy crowd of military members, civilians and family members, was
a vital step in helping these individuals connect
to educational opportunities, said Russell Gregg,
JBSA-Lackland Education Services chief of education and training.
“This is important both for Airmen thinking
about careers in the service and those thinking
about getting out,” Gregg said. “Whether it’s getting your bachelor’s degree, your masters or a
certification, you need to get educated to stay
competitive in your career field.”
All schools at the fair are fully accredited,
Veteran's Affairs-approved and eligible to receive
military tuition assistance, which Gregg said is a
big help to service members.
A full list of these schools is available on the
Air Force Virtual Education Center page.
“Having so many schools represented here in
San Antonio is huge,” said Gregg. “That’s the value
of these education fairs,” Gregg said. “Somewhere
in here, there’s something that you’re looking for.”
Senior Airmen Angela Dandridge and Erin Toth,
59th Medical Wing, attended the fair. Dandridge is
a cardiopulmonary technician and Toth a medial
administrator.
While Dandridge is already enrolled in
American Military University and working on a
B.S. in forensic criminal justice, Toth said she is
thinking about entering the teaching field after
leaving the Air Force.
“It’s good to have all these schools in one place,”
Toth said.
Senior Airmen Angela Dandridge and Erin Toth, 59th
Medical Wing cardiopulmonary technican and medical
administrator, examine pamphlets at the Joint Base San
Antonio-Lackland Education Services Office's Career Fair
March 24th.
Joint Base San Antonio
Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month Events
Thursday
“The Hunting Ground”
Dormitory dayroom, 525 C Street
East, JBSA-Randolph, 6-8 p.m. “The
Hunting Ground” viewing and discussion. An expose of rape crimes
on U.S. college campuses, the
viewing of the film will be followed
by interactive discussion. Refreshments and/or small giveaways may
be provided. For more information,
call 652-4386 at JBSA-Randolph or 875-1284 at
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
April 8
“Strike Out Sexual Assault” Bowling Event
JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Bowling Center, 2521
Schofield Road, noon. Join in the fun at this year’s
“Strike Out Sexual Assault” bowling event. Awards
and door prizes to be given. Open to all
Department of Defense ID cardholders and
dependents. To register, call336-4532 (Army),
513-309-0142 (Navy) and 919-344-2254 (Air Force).
Bowlers must pay for ticket at registration.
April 9
Second Annual Student Poetry Slam
Medical Education and Training Campus Student
Activity Center basement, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston,
6 p.m. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and
Prevention Month, this poetry competition will feature
original works by METC students while their peers
judge from the audience. Army, Air Force and Navy
students are all welcome. Free food, drinks and door
prizes. For more information, call 542-4115.
April 15
“Kill the Silence. A Survivor’s Life Reclaimed”
Brooke Army Medical Center Auditorium, JBSAFort Sam Houston, 2 p.m. Guest speaker Monika
Korra is the founder and chief executive officer of
The Monika Korra Foundation. After she was kidnapped and raped in 2009, she decided she would
not live her life defined as a victim. She has grown
into a national speaker and author since her trauma,
empowering others who hear her. Open to people
with base access
April 16
Color Run SAAPM 5K Run/Walk
Aquatics Center, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, 9 a.m.
A SAAPM 5K “Paint the Post TEAL!” color run/walk
to raise public awareness and spread the message
about the prevention of sexual violence. Free race,
food, drinks and door prizes; must register online
at https://www.athleteguild.com/running/fort-samhouston-tx/2016-saapm-5k.
April 20
“Netsmartz”
Military & Family Readiness Center,
building 2797, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, 10 a.m. and
1:30 p.m. Provided by the Texas Office of the
Attorney General Criminal Investigations Unit,
session will cover human trafficking, exploitation,
online privacy, reputations, cyberbullying, sexting and
online predator situations. Sponsored by the 106th
Signal Brigade. Call 221-1919 for more information.
April 21
“Gender Violence as a Leadership Issue” by
Jackson Katz, Ph.D.
Blesse Auditorium, building 2841, JBSA-Fort Sam
Houston, 10:30 a.m. Katz is a nationally acclaimed
speaker and activist against sexism and gender
violence. His works include the award-winning film
“Tough Guise” and book titled The Macho Paradox.
He will speak to senior leaders, SAPR/SHARP program personnel and other personnel who work in the
area of violence prevention.
April 23
“The Hunting Ground” viewing and discussion.
Evans Theatre, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston,
12:30-2:30 p.m.
An expose of rape crimes on U.S. college
campuses. The viewing of the film will be followed
by interactive discussion. Refreshments and/or small
giveaways may be provided. For additional information, call 652-4386 at JBSA-Randolph or
875-1284 at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston.
April 29
The “Drive Out Sexual Assault”
Golf Tournament Gateway Hills Golf Club, JBSALackland, 1 p.m. shotgun start time. The tournament
is an event to heighten awareness and show support
to those affected by sexual assault. The format is a
four person scramble with prizes for first-, second
and third-place finishers, longest drive and closet
to pin. Golf goodies and chances to win prizes. To
register, email 502abw.cvk.ola@us.af.mil or call
671-7273. Registration ends April 22 and fees will
be accepted the day of the event.
Throughout April All JBSA Locations
Sexual assault awareness information tables
Sexual assault awareness information will be
distributed on base at various locations throughout
April. Staff will share info about sexual assault realities, victim services and prevention tips.
Sexual assault awareness ribbon, flag
displays
Teal is the color representing Sexual Assault
Awareness Month. All JBSA locations will have teal
ribbons and flags or special teal lighting to demonstrate support to those JBSA survivors recovering
from sexual assault.
E L I M I N A T E S E X U A L A S S A U L T: K N O W Y O U R P A R T. D O Y O U R P A R T.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 2016 SAAPM THEME
JBSA SAPR Hotline
808·7272
JBSA·Lackland
671-7273
JBSA·Fort Sam Houston
808-8990
JBSA-Randolph SAPR
652-4386
NAVY
221-1496
ARMY
221-0598
PAGE 16
TALESPINNER
APRIL 1, 2016
How the Edwards
Aquifer affects
everyone
By Brian Hummel
Pollution Prevention Manager and Aquifer Recharge Specialist
502nd Civil Engineer Squadron
Joint Base San Antonio is celebrating Earth Day and
National Environmental Education Week by publishing
an environmentally focused article each week in April.
Earth Day is April 22, but since there is only one earth,
we should treat every day as Earth Day and incorporate earth-friendly actions into our everyday lives.
Water is vital for all the plants and animals on the
earth, including humans, but what we might not know
is where much of Central Texas gets its water and how
it gets there.
Directly under much of Central Texas lies the
Edwards Aquifer, one of the most abundant artesian
aquifers in the world. Water from the Edwards Aquifer
bubbles up from the ground in numerous significant
springs that provided water to Native Americans for
thousands of years.
Along with prehistoric stone tools, there are bones
of mastodon, dire wolves, giant tigers, Colombian elephants and extinct horses indicating that these springs
were attractive to wildlife as well as ancient humans.
Central Texas currently has a hot, semiarid climate
and clean water is vital for people, plants and other
wildlife. These springs are the reason many Central
Texas cities are located where they are and why the
Spanish chose to establish San Antonio in the early
1700s.
Water that lands directly over the 800,000-acre
recharge zone has the opportunity to infiltrate directly
into the Edwards aquifer, but this is just 18 percent
of the story.
When rain falls onto our porous uplands anywhere
in the contributing zone (a 3.45-million acre drainage
area), millions of gallons filter into the Upper Edwards
Water Table Aquifer. If there is more rain than can be
immediately absorbed in the contributing zone, surface
water flows downhill until it crosses the recharge zone
and it has another opportunity to get into the Edwards
aquifer.
If too much rain comes down too fast, muddy flash
flooding occurs like what happened last May and
October. When this happens, all the rain quickly rushes
down the rivers and spends too little time over the recharge zone to recharge significant volumes of water.
If we implement land management practices that
slow, spread and sink water into the contributing zone
uplands, we dramatically raise the groundwater tables
and release this water as crystal clear spring flow.
Because this water flows out of the water table
springs for days, weeks and months after the rains
have gone, this naturally filtered spring water flows
into the creeks as base flow and these creeks flow over
the recharge zone for much longer periods of time,
Courtesy graphic
recharging significantly more water into the Edwards
Aquifer than if it rushes by during a flood.
This is how we are working to secure sustainable
groundwater supplies for JBSA which will be discussed
in more detail in forthcoming articles.
The early Spanish settlers brought the knowledge of
how to construct large scale irrigation systems called
acequias, or aqueducts, and they started one of the
earliest engineered water projects in North America.
They constructed many miles of acequias that slowly
transported water long distances through water harvesting ditches with a very minimal slope. This irrigation network brought water to the early Missions and
slowed, spread and sunk runoff into the landscape like
the veins of a leaf spreading water throughout the leaf
landscape.
This water was used to irrigate approximately 3,500
acres of cropland. JBSA-Fort Sam Houston has a
section of these acequias running through it, but this
section is no longer active. You can see numerous
examples of early Spanish acequias around the city
and several of these aqueducts are still functioning
today after 300 years of use.
The San Antonio Missions were just named the first
“World Heritage Site” in Texas and you can visit these
sites that are managed by the National Park Service.
Three hundred years later, we continue to use a
similar technique to slow, spread, and sink storm
water runoff into the landscape as free gravity powered irrigation.
In front of the Quadrangle, you can see a grant-funded
project that uses the runoff from the downspouts to
deeply irrigate some small rainwater gardens filled
with plants that have attracted butterflies and other
pollinators since 2011.
In 2013, we got three grants to install rainwater irrigated gardens and rain barrels at each JBSA
elementary school to help teach school children about
the importance of the water cycle, native plants, and
pollinators.
In 2015, we received a grant to install 1,600 feet
of raised pollinator gardens laid out on contour near
the Cunningham gate on JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. The
502nd Civil Engineer Squadron did the heavy lifting,
delivering dirt that was excavated during the elementary school construction and laying the material out
to make a raised water harvesting berm on contour.
Girl Scouts and volunteers from the Earth Repair
Corps helped plant butterfly plants, cover crops and
wildflower seeds that quickly vegetated the exposed
soil without any artificial irrigation, whose roots tenaciously hold onto the soil and biologically filter pollutants from the runoff and whose blooms should provide
food for pollinators for many years to come.
Each of these projects capture storm water runoff
and use it as free gravity powered irrigation instead
of rushing it to the San Antonio River and contributing
to downstream flooding.
Water is a precious resource and if we use simple
ancient practices, we can infiltrate many thousands
of gallons of water with every inch of rain, create a
healthier JBSA landscape with habitat for the monarch
butterfly and other pollinators, reduce the volume of
water we withdraw from the Edwards Aquifer and
reduce the destructive flooding that comes with large
rain events.
You can come and learn more about environmental
issues and steps you can take to be friendly to our
planet by attending one of our upcoming JBSA Earth
Day events happening April 17-22.
APRIL 1, 2016
UPCOMING
TUG-OF-WAR CONTEST
Teams are invited to register
for a tug-of-war contest held
at the Gillum Fitness Center
April 22. Teams will have a
1400-pound limit and must have
at least one female participant.
Sign up no later than April 21
at noon to join the free event,
which starts at 7 a.m. Call 9772353 for more information.
JBSA HALF-MARATHON
REGISTRATION
Registration for the third
annual Joint Base San Antonio
Half-Marathon is underway. The
race is April 24 at JBSARandolph, and starts and
finishes at Harmon Drive next
to Heritage Park. Registration
is $25, and cash or check payments can be made at the JBSALackland Health and Wellness
Center, JBSA-Randolph Rambler
Fitness Center or the JBSA-Fort
Sam Houston Jimmy Brought
and METC Fitness Centers.
Deadline to register is April 20.
Interested participants can print
out a registration form at http://
www.myjbsa-fss-mwr.com/NM/
articlefiles/717-JBSAHalfMarathonRegistrationForm2015.pdf.
STRENGTH AND
CARDIO CLASS
The Gillum Fitness Center
offers a Strength and Cardio
class from 11:30 a.m. to noon
Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Students can burn calories and
strengthen muscles during this
free workout. Call 671-2565 for
more details.
CORE CUTUP CLASS
Core fitness levels from
beginners to advanced levels
are tested during this class
Tuesdays and Thursdays at the
Gateway Fitness Center. Classes
begin at 11:30 a.m. and are
free. For additional information,
call 671-2565.
FOSTER a
PUPPY
Call
671-3686
TALESPINNER
sports
PAGE 17
Deadline to register for All-Air Force
Women’s Basketball Camp is May 1
By Jose T. Garza III
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
Airmen interested in applying for the
All-Air Force Women’s Basketball camp,
which runs at Joint Base San AntonioLackland June 14 through July 1, must
apply before May 1.
After the deadline, the coach, who hasn’t
been selected yet, will invite the 24 best
candidates to camp.
Stephen Brown, Air Force Sports chief,
encourages Airmen of different basketball
backgrounds to sign up.
“Year-to year turnover in Air Force
Sports programs can be great because of
deployments, family situations, mission
duties, etc,” he said. “You get to spend 18
days at camp trying to make the team. If
selected, you get to compete against the
Army, Navy and Marines’ best basketball
players in the Armed Forces Women’s
Basketball Championships.”
The championships will be June 30
through July 8 at JBSA-Lackland.
If an Airman performs well at Armed
Forces, she may get selected for the
United States All-Armed Forces Women’s
Basketball Team and compete in the
Conseil International du Sport Militaire
World Women’s Championships July 2331 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton,
Calif., Brown said.
“You can make it to the highest level
possible, all while training during what
normally would be duty hours,” Brown said.
“That is the incentive.”
To participate, Airmen must get permission from their unit leadership, as participation in the camp is considered a permissive
temporary duty and submit an Air Force
Form 303.
“They should make sure they accentuate
where they’ve played basketball and highlight the number of awards they’ve earned,”
he said. “If they haven’t played for a period
of time because of deployments or other situations, they should let the coaches know on
the form. Also, write down references with
whom the coaches can verify your resume. If
you reference a player on the All-Air Force
team, the coaches can do a comparative
analysis on how good you can be.”
Active duty, Reservists, and Guardsmen
are eligible to register and can download
the form at http://www.myairforcelife.com/
sports/NewAFForm303_Fillable.pdf.
For details on Air Force Sports programs,
call 395-7354 or visit http://www.myairforcelife.com/sports/.
JBSA-Lackland’s new aquatics director looks
to bring cool, summer fun events to the pool
By Jose T. Garza III
JBSA-Lackland Public Affairs
Joint Base San AntonioLackland’s new aquatics director looks to implement three
new events to bring the military
community together this summer at the Warhawk Pool depending on lifeguard staff size.
Stephanie Soto, who assumed
the director role in February,
hopes to host family movie,
adult and teen nights once the
pool opens after Memorial Day
weekend.
The purpose of the experiences would be to “bring back
a little more fun” to the pool,
Soto said.
“I have heard feedback from
our customers saying that
they would like to see programs cater to families or their
age groups,” she explained.
“If these programs are a hit,
Courtesy graphic
obviously we will be keeping
them. It’s important to bring
families together and provide
them a stress-free environment.
I want them to have fun, and if
I see that they are then that’s
what makes me happy.”
The movie night, or “dive-in,”
would allow families to bring
their own pool tubes and view a
family-oriented movie on a projector. The adult and teen nights
would give individuals in those
specific groups the opportunity
to interact with each other.
To ensure those events occur,
Soto aims to have 23-25 lifeguards and water safety instructors on staff, which is a 13 staff
member increase from 2015.
Those interested in becoming lifeguards or water safety
instructos can contact the JBSALackland youth center for more
information.
Soto, JBSA-Lackland youth
swim team coach, is excited about
the prospects of events being featured at the Warhawk Pool.
“I have a lot of new ideas on
bringing new events and implementing them slowly,” she said.
“I want to be able to give back
to the military community (via
these events), and I want to see
how they react to them.”
The Warhawk Pool will open
May 27 for regular summer
hours from 1-7 p.m. on weekdays
and 1-8 p.m. on weekends. For
more information, call 671-3780
or 671-2413.