Retro July 2016 issue

JULY 2016 TAMPA CHAPTER—A CHAPTER OF MOAA NATIONAL—A FIVE STAR CHAPTER 2002, 2004-2015
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 7
JULY SPEAKER: CHIEF THOMAS FORWARD,
TAMPA FIRE AND RESCUE CHIEF
SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST
K-9S TAKE TO
THE SKY
GRAND PRIZE
WINNER
INDEPENDENCE
DAY
THE SALUTING
MARINE
IN THIS ISSUE
P 2 OUR PRESIDENT
P 3 LEGISLATIVE
AFFAIRS
P 3 OPERATION
HELPING HAND
P 4 BULLETIN
BOARD
P 6-11 SERVICE NEWS
P 8 BIRTHDAYS
P 12 LUNCHEON
INVITATION
Chief Forward began his career with Tampa Fire Rescue in October 1983. With more than 30 years of dedicated service, Chief
Forward is a dynamic leader who has gained the respect of his
fellow firefighters and superiors.
First assigned to the Hazardous Materials Team in 1985, Forward has steadily risen through the ranks serving as DriverEngineer, Paramedic, Captain, Rescue Field Supervisor, Community Liaison Officer, Division Chief, Special Operations Chief,
Training Chief, Personnel Chief, and Asst. Chief of Administration where he was responsible for the proper management and
direction of the department's more than $50 million budget. Additionally, Forward oversaw the management of the Communications Division (Emergency 911 Dispatch Center), the Vehicle
CHIEF THOMAS FORWARD
Maintenance Division, the Supply and Logistics Division, and the
Technology and Information Division of Tampa Fire Rescue.
Since 2008, Forward has been tasked with managing the City of
Tampa's Emergency Operations Center and successfully led the activation of the center during Super Bowl
XLIII and the annual Gasparilla activities, and most recently the activation for Tropical Storm Isaac. Forward was also instrumental in producing for the first time an integrated Emergency Operations Center that,
in addition to the normal emergency support functions, incorporated and housed agencies representing
local, county, regional, state and federal partners to provide oversight for the 2012 Republican National
Convention in Tampa. Forward has twice been assigned to the State of Florida Emergency Operations
Center in Tallahassee to coordinate fire, rescue and hazardous materials response.
In addition to his career with Tampa Fire Rescue, Forward served four years of active duty with the United States Army and two years in the active Army Reserves. For almost 21 years he served in the Florida
Air National Guard, retiring in November 2004 with the rank of Senior Master Sergeant and First Sergeant
from the 290th Joint Communications Support Squadron at Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base. While at
MacDill, Forward was the senior non-commissioned officer responsible for the morale and welfare of the
squadron's more than 250 airmen and service personnel. During his military career, he received numerous
military awards and decorations.
Forward is active in various professional organizations including the Florida Fire Chiefs Association,
Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association, International Association
of Firefighters, the National Fire Protection Agency and formerly the International Association of Professional Black Firefighters and the Florida Public Employer Labor Relations Association. He is also a member of the Air Force Sergeant's Association and the Enlisted National Guard Association of the United
States.
He is involved in the local community including his church, Grace Mary Missionary Baptist, where he is
(Continued on page 3, see CHIEF)
Upcoming
Events
07 JULY BOARD
14 JULY LUNCHEON
04 AUGUST BOARD
11 AUGUST LUNCHEON
01 SEPTEMBER BOARD
08 SEPT LUNCHEON
PUBLICATION DEADLINE
FOR THE AUGUST 2016
ISSUE IS 18 JULY 2016
DATES TO REMEMBER IN JULY 2016
• July 1, 1862 - President Abraham Lincoln signed the first income tax bill, levying a 3% income tax on annual incomes of $600-$10,000 and a 5% tax on incomes over $10,000. Also on this day, the Bureau of Internal Revenue was
established by an Act of Congress.
• The fourth of July is the birthday of our nation. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence
led a committee that crafted the declaration between June 11-28, 1776. Jefferson and other discontented representatives from the thirteen colonies, voted and approved it on July 4, 1776. The document declared freedom for the 13
colonies from British rule. It currently resides in the Exhibition Hall of the National Archive in Washington, D.C.
The Declaration of Independence was not signed by all representatives until August, 1776. To make it official, John
Hancock, President of the Continental Congress signed it.
• Civil War Admiral David Farragut (1801-1870) was born near Knoxville, TN. He is best remembered for his yelling "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" during an attack on his fleet by the Confederates.
• Naval Officer John Paul Jones (1747-1792) was born in Kirkbean, Scotland. He is best remembered for responding
"I have not yet begun to fight!" to British opponents seeking his surrender during a naval battle.
• July 27, 1953 - The Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice by U.S. and North Korean delegates at
Panmunjom, Korea. The war had lasted just over three years.
JULY 2016
AREA CODES ARE 813 UNLESS ENUMERATED
PRESIDENT: LTC Jim Griffin USA RET 785-0552
TIGERPAW65@VERIZON.NET
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT/ PROGRAM
CHAIRMAN/ CHAIRMAN, OPERATION HELPING HAND/ MBR, MOAA NATIONAL BOARD
OF DIRECTORS: CAPT Bob Silah USN RET
963-1854 BSILAH@aol.com
1st VICE PRESIDENT/ EVENT
RESERVATIONS:
Maj Scotty Cleland USAF RET 988-4552
SNLTPA@MINDSPRING.COM
2ND VICE PRESIDENT/ EDITOR,
THE RETROSPECT:
CAPT Don Dvornik USN RET (727) 441-2051
DSDVORNIK2@msn.com
PUBLIC RELATIONS
MAJ DOLORES INCREMONA USAF RET
(813) 810-5442 AFOCEANLADY@verizon.net
MEMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN:
COL William Schneider USA RET
977-2572 Cell 300-3202 GeoWillyl@aol.com
SEC/DATA BASE MGR/PHOTOGRAPHER:
CW2 Tom South USA RET 975-5025
tsouth@uvresident.com
TREASURER:
COL Carol Zieres USA RET (727) 793-0568
Cell (727) 366-1045 carolzieres@yahoo.com
DEPUTY TREASURER:
CPT Wiley Hazel USA RET 979-1739
wileyandedna@gmail.com
LEGAL ADVISOR:
Former LT William Mitchell USN 963-5098
Cell: 679-1217 mitchlaw@askmitch.net
SR CHAPLAIN:
CHAP (Col) Bernard Lieving, Jr. USA RET 390-8692
blievingjr@aol.com
JR CHAPLAIN/COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER:
CDR Richard Helveston CHC USNR RET
(863) 510-5048 Cell (863) 602-3684
moaatampachapter@tampabay.rr.com
SCHOLARSHIP CHAIRMAN:
Col Milt Steadman USAF RET 968-2835
msu1955@verizon.net
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS:
LTC Chris Hart III USA RET 765-5832
c3ihart@gmail.com
ID CARD/BASE ENTRY:
Maj John Massey USAF RET 886-1938
johnmoaa@aol.com
PERSONAL AFFAIRS:
Maj Dick Tinsley USMC RET 886-2169
rctinsley1@aol.com
SICK CALL CHAIRMAN:
CW3 Bill Farrow USA RET 884-7823
SAF1929@aol.com
FLAG OFFICER LIAISON:
Maj Gen James Jones USAF RET 975-9156
jamesj987@aol.com
FL NATIONAL GUARD LIAISON:
MAJ Chris Buckley, FLNG (727) 259-4563
christopher.buckley.mil@mail.mil
RESERVE LIAISON:
LTC Robert Sawallesh USA RET 654-3900
pentagonmaverick@aol.com
JR ROTC/ROTC
Lt Col Ken Martin USMCR RET 831-4426
martinkb@verizon.net
SENIOR FORMER OFFICERS LIASON/
ASSISTANT JR ROTC/ ROTC:
FORMER 1LT James G. Kalemeris USAF
933-5493 CELL: 924-5132
jkalemeris@tampabay.rr.com
MBR RECRUITMENT/FUND RAISING:
ALL MEMBERS
GOLF TOURNAMENT COORDINATOR:
Robert Ahern 789-5732
PRESIDENT OF MOWC
Kathy Kennett 792-7140
PAGE 2
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: LTC JIM GRIFFIN USA RET
A great deal of credit and thanks to the wonderful ladies of the MOWC
who did all of the ground work to make the JOINT SCHOLARSHIP
LUNCHEON a complete success which was enjoyed by FAMILIES OF
LTC GRIFFIN SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS and TAMPA CHAPTER MEMBERS. I
would like to remind you, that if you did not read the excellent bio’s presented in the JUNE RETROSPECT, please go back and read what fantastic young folks
earned the scholarships presented.
A special thanks goes to YVETTE SEGURA, VP and GM of USAA’S SOUTHEAST
REGIONAL OFFICE here in TAMPA. She presented the many facets of how USAA’s
mission and core values remain focused on the serviceman now and will always be. The
tremendous effort they make to include the spouses all over the country makes them
and industry leader in this area without equal. Yvette Segura and the USAA TEAM are
welcome to attend any luncheon that they are able. Thanks for a great presentation!
It was great to have a longtime friend of the TAMPA CHAPTER, COL PAUL KEDDY, SNR CANADA attend in the place of BG LISSNER. We also welcomed a new
member of the COALITION, BG HARTMUT PAULAND, SNR GERMANY. His
presentation won the hearts of the TAMPA CHAPTER MEMBERS. We hope we can
get him to visit us often.
With a long 4th of JULY WEEKEND COMING UP PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY IF
YOU ARE TRAVELING, as always it goes without saying...
“WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK!”
NEVER STOP SERVING
JUNE SPEAKER: YVETTE SEGURA
The Vice President and General Manager of USAA’s Southeastern Regional Office began her remarks by stating that USAA has four nonnegotiable
standards by which it lives: honesty, integrity loyalty and service…USAA
YVETTE SEGURA also lives by the comment, "going above by those who've gone beyond." Additionally, she stated that it is important for USAA to understand its membership and their values to keep up with its constant rapid growth.
Using a projector, she read USAA's mission: “facilitate the financial security of its members, associates, and their families through provision of a full range of highly competitive
financial products and services; in so doing, USAA seeks to be the provider of choice for the
military membership.”
USAA began in 1922, when 25 Army officers agreed to insure each other's vehicles when
no one else would. Today USAA serves 11 million members with the same military values
those officers prized. That unique mission of serving those who serve our country is what
gives purpose to its work.
USAA goes above and beyond through:
• VETNETS where veterans not only continue to network with each other but provide a
great source of talent for coworkers who have never served.
• “Combat to Claims” employs veterans and spouses, teaching them to process claims.
• EXTERNALLY in the community: by helping care givers and also providing family literacy as well as career transitioning. At a local level USAA has a strong focus on homelessness
and hunger, financial literacy as well as disaster preparedness.
—Editor
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
THE RETROSPECT―is published monthly by the Tampa Chapter of the Military Officers’
Association of America (MOAA), P.O. Box 6383, MacDill Air Force Base, FL 33608-0383. The Tampa
Chapter is a 501-C-19 tax exempt veterans organization not associated with the Department of Defense.
The views expressed in individually signed articles do not necessarily reflect Chapter policy.
CAPT DVORNIK
OUR EDITORIAL POLICY—MOAA National , the Florida Council and the Tampa Chapter are
EDITOR
nonpartisan organizations. Our membership is open to all active duty, retired, former and reserve officers.
Our luncheon meetings are held at 1130 hours every second Thursday of each month at the Surf’s Edge
Club on MacDill AFB. Our Military Officers Wives Club (MOWC) meets at the same time and place and is open to all officer
wives whose husbands are Tampa Chapter members or are widows of a military officer.
HOW TO LOCATE US
Tampa Chapter (www.moaatampa.org/)
MOAA National (www.moaa.org/)
FL COUNCIL (www.moaafl.org/)
Operation Helping Hand (www.operationhelpinghandtampa.com/)
TAKE ACTION: http://www.moaa.org/Content/Take-Action/Top-Issues/Top-Issues.aspx
As a member of MOAA, you are entitled to exclusive member benefits and discounts. Find out more about our member-only
services and offers, or explore the topics that most interest you.
—
See more at: http://www.moaa.org/Benefits/#sthash.4oZgjWyI.dpuf
Volume 22, Number 7—JULY 2016
JULY 2016
PAGE 3
LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
13 IS NOT AN UNLUCKY NUMBER
By CAPT BOB SILAH, Chairman OpHH
MCCAIN AMENDMENT
BOOSTS PAY
Thirteen is NOT an unlucky number! No, it's
not! This month is the start of Operation Helping
Hand's 13th year. Check it out. We started this
On May 27, 2016, Senate Armed Services Chairman John
project in May 2004 to assist and support our acCAPT BOB SILAH
McCain (R-Ariz.) submitted an amendment to the defense
tive duty wounded/injured patients being treated at
Chairman OpHH
bill to give servicemembers the full 2.1 percent pay
the James A. Haley VA Hospital here in Tampa
raise.The defense bill being debated in the full Senate curand their visiting family members. Haley remains as the finest poly
rently proposes a 1.6 percent pay raise cap as requested by
trauma hospitals in the country and that reputation has not changed
the administration. In 2003, Congress tied military pay inover the years. In fact it has improved with newer facilities and staff.
creases to the Employment Cost Index (ECI) to keep miliRight now there is a waiting list for newly arriving patients, primarily
tary pay competitive with the private sector. Congress recog- from Bethesda and Landstuhl, Germany.
nized that annually raising active duty pay at the same pace
Last month, in this column I take about our dinner sponsors and our
as the private sector is essential to sustaining a quality allcaterers. I'm happy to report that we now have enough sponsors to
volunteer force. Although this law is still in effect, lawmak- take care of all of our 2016 dinners. That means we do not have to
ers have been capping active duty pay for the last several
use Op HH money to take care of the cost of our monthly dinners and
years. And, if Congress passes the DoD's proposed 0.5 per- no attendee has to pay for said dinners. I try to rotate our proven
cent reduction in pay, the pay gap between the military and caterers so we always have a quality dinner.
the private sector would expand to 3.1 percent.
As most of you probably know, we have 6 on our Op HH Executive
When military pay raises started being capped in past
Council, and over 20 on the Op HH Committee. Our Council helps
times of budget constraints, they continued until retention
make important decisions instead of the Chairman alone. In that we
are always under the watchful eye of our auditors, we try to have our
Executive Council discussing and debating important decisions
(including via email) so that it cannot be said that the Chairman
stands alone in the decision-making process. This policy/procedure
will continue.
June is another busy month. We were fortunate to have a day at
Talbot's exclusive women's store at the Tampa International mall
where we displayed our info, and had our Op HH ladies there to represent us. With that, Talbot's donated a percentage of the day to us.
Then later this month, we will be part of a non-profit fair at the Tampa Centre Club followed a few days later by the Canadian Coalition's
annual “Moose is Loose” reception in downtown Tampa. Our Canadian friends expect about 500 attending, and all proceeds go to us.
This event is followed by a show by the Evolution Dance and Fireworks in The Villages, which also are fortunate to receive the proand readiness suffered. This unwise process generated reten- ceeds. All of these events are covered by and attended by our Staff.
tion crises in the 1970s and the 1990s.After just four years of Aside from all of the above, the Tampa Bay Rays hosted our group
pay caps, servicemembers stand to lose several thousand
of patients, their families and staff at our stadium suite. They give us
dollars.
4 games a year in their largest suite in the left field corner, and proIn a statement regarding his amendment, McCain said,
vide a full buffet for all. They give us 80 tickets. We had 93 attend“We ask a lot of our men and women in uniform, and they
ing. How the extra 13 got in remains the mystery of the month!! Go
Rays!!
(CHIEF continued from page 1)
a deacon and chairman of the board of trustees. He currently serves as
an Executive Officer of the City of Tampa's Black History Committee, and is an active participant for the past ten years with the annual
Paint Your Heart Out Tampa Program. He also formerly volunteered
as a member on the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Outside
Advisory Board.
Forward holds a Master of Arts Degree in Management from the
never let us down. We must not let them down.” MOAA
University of Phoenix, a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration
appreciates Sen. McCain's acknowledgement of the imfrom Northwood University, Associates of Science Degrees in Fire
portance of a full pay raise. We urge the Senate to adopt this Science and Electronic Systems Technology from Hillsborough Comprovision in the defense bill.
munity College and Community College of the Air Force respectively.
http://www.moaa.org/Content/Take-Action/Top-Issues/Currently-Serving/
He and his wife Cynthia have three children: Miortis, Lakia, and
McCain-Amendment-Boosts-Pay.aspx
Thomas II.
http://www.tampagov.net/fire-rescue/contact-us/chief-forward
JULY 2016
PAGE 4
TAMPA CHAPTER
BULLETIN BOARD
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
ONE NATION UNDER GOD
By CDR Richard R. Helveston, CHC, USNR
MAJ PHIL SCHWARTZ USAF RET
11522 River Country Drive, RIVERVIEW, FL 335695238 (210) 853-5371; spouse Kay
America became a free country on July 4, 1776, and drew its authority from its founders who believed it to be a nation under God.
Fifty-four of the Fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence
were Christians, 27 held theology degrees. Many went on to form
Bible societies. The signers intended the document to officiate the
separation between America and Great Britain. However, they based the Declaration which has served as a foundation to the beginnings of the American nation
upon a greater foundational belief that God, or as written in the Declaration
“Creator”, was the source for men’s irrevocable rights.
LTC KAY SCHWARTZ USAF RET
11522 River Country Drive, RIVERVIEW, FL 335695238 (210) 771-5636; spouse Phil
"The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: that it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."
- John Quincy Adams"
MAJ RICHARD HIGH USAF RET
345 Bayshore Blvd Apt 514, Tampa FL 33606
-2345 (850) 865-1598; spouse Anita
LTC TOM MACKIEWICZ USA RET
306 Bayfield Dr, Brandon, FL 33511-7975; (813) 6534145; spouse Marybeth
MAJ QUIANA WRIGHT USA AD, 3619 West Everett Ct Tampa FL 33611-1549
—Submitted by Col William Schneider, Membership Chairman
REMEMBER IN YOUR PRAYERS
MAJ B R HEWITT USAF RET,
14450 Reuter Strass Cir #701, Tampa, FL 33613-3127
LTC RICHARD MORGAN USA MD RET,
7349 Lantana Way, Naples, FL 34119-9814
LT COL JOANNE TAUBER USAF RET,
13714 Chestersall Dr, Tampa, FL 33624-2501
EDITOR PRESENTED FIVE STAR AWARD
CAPT JIM MCCORMACK USMC RET,
CAPT Donald Dvornik USN (Ret), Editor of the Retrospect, was presented a FIVE STAR
AWARD by LTC Griffin USA (Ret), President of the Tampa Chapter and CAPT Silah
USN (Ret), member of the National Board of MOAA.
Photo by CW2 Tom South
3103 W Jean St, Tampa, FL 33614-4224
LT COL RICHARD SIEGMAN USAF RET
4729 Pond Ridge Drive, Riverview, Fl. 33578-2128
—submitted by CW3 Bill Farrow, Sick Call Chairman
America is much
more than a
geographical fact. It
is a political and
moral fact - the first
community in which
men set out in
principle to institutionalize freedom,
responsible government, and human
equality.
~Adlai Stevenson
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Lieutenant Colonel Robert F. Sawallesh, US Army, Retired, "Mr. Recycle", left, of Valrico, FL is congratulated by Medical Center
Director, Mr. Joe D. Battle of the James A. Haley Veteran's Hospital (JAHVA) and Clinics for being the Grand Prize winner in the
Crazy Hat contest at the JAHVA Annual Volunteer Luncheon on May 12th, 2016 at the Embassy Suites on the University of South
Florida Campus in Tampa, FL. His hat was "fashioned" from a cardboard box and sheet protector windows were added on all four
sides. An old military belt was turned into a chin strap and the hat was stuffed with recyclables. LTC. Sawallesh won a $25 restaurant coupon, a beautiful Mexican chip and dip plate and a Taco dinner kit. He has been a volunteer at the JAHVA Hospital for 18
years and has over 5,000 hours of volunteer service.
Submitted by LTC. Robert F. Sawallesh, US Army, Ret., Tampa MOAA Chapter (Military Officers Association of America), 813-654-3900. Photo from my iPhone.
JULY 2016
PAGE 5
LUNCHEON PHOTOS
BY CW2 TOM SOUTH USA RET CHAPTER PHOTOGRAPHER
CIVIL AIR PATROL HONOR GUARD
BG HARTMUT PAULAND,
SNR GERMANY
SCHOLARSHIPS PRESENTED BY MOWC AND MOAA
JULY 2016
WE THANK OUR SPONSORS WHO SUSTAIN US
HA
PPY
INTERESTED IN
MEMBERSHIP?
All that you need to do is to contact our
membership chairman,
COL William SCHNEIDER USA RET
At (813) 977-2572 or (813) 300-3202
ADDRESS: 15888 SANCTUARY DR
TAMPA, FL 33647-1076
GeoWillyl@aol.com
and attend our luncheon to be
recognized and to fill out a
membership form
PAGE 6
JULY 2016
PAGE 7
DESTROYER LIGHTS
The USS Gonzalez ( transits the Gulf of Aden, June 1, 2016. The guided-missile destroyer is supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, maritime security operations
and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Pasquale Sena
http://www.defense.gov/Media/Photo-Gallery?igphoto=2001550344&source=GovDelivery
SOUTH CHINA SEA
Chief Religious Program
Specialist Paul Drachenberg
and Aviation Ordnanceman
Airman Crystal Randle stand
at attention during a wreathlaying ceremony on USS
John C. Stennis' (CVN 74)
aircraft elevator in honor of
the 74th anniversary of the
Battle of Midway as the
guided-missile destroyer
USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93)
steams alongside. The Battle
of Midway was a key naval
battle between the forces of
the United States and the
Empire of Japan that is considered the turning point in
the Pacific theater of operations during World War II.
Providing a ready force
supporting security and
stability in the Indo-AsiaPacific, John C. Stennis is
operating as part of the Great
Green Fleet on a regularly
scheduled 7th Fleet deployment.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass
Communication Specialist 3rd
Class David Cox/Released)
http://www.navy.mil/
view_image.asp?id=217586
JULY 2016
PAGE 8
AIRMAN BALANCES FAMILY LIFE, MISSION
By Air Force Senior Airman Janelle Patino, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar—A 5-year-old boy (not pictured) stood
in front of his kneeling father in a hotel room, the boy weighed down
with 50 pounds of tactical body armor. The gear weighed more than the
boy.
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kelly Badger, an explosive ordnance disposal
craftsman with the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron here,
placed his hand on his encumbered son’s shoulder and looked him in the
eyes. It was a powerful moment between father and son.
A week earlier, the family attended the funeral of Badger’s supervisor,
Tech. Sgt. Daniel Douville, an EOD flight team leader. Douville and
Air Force Tech. Sgt. David Dickey, a 379th Expeditionary Civil Engi- Badger previously deployed together in 2010.
neer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal craftsman, stays on standby
Douville died June 26, 2011, when an improvised explosive device
while Tech. Sgt. Kelly Badger, 379th ECES craftsman, sweeps for
detonated
as he was operating on it in a village of Afghanistan’s Helsimulated improvised explosive devices during a training exercise May
mand province. Douville’s team was part of a joint coalition under the
19, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Air Force photo by Senior Airman Janelle PatinoAir Force photo by Senior United Kingdom’s Operation Brimstone. “I remember my oldest son,
Airman Janelle Patino
Tristan, crying and telling me he doesn’t want the bad guys to get me
after we had left my supervisor’s funeral,” Badger recalled. “That moment broke my heart, but I have to be strong for them.” Badger kneeled before Tristan that night in their hotel room, both of them
knowing he would leave for Afghanistan again the next day. Badger watched as his son struggled beneath the weight of his tactical
vest and helmet. The boy also struggled to hold back his tears.
In that vulnerable moment with his son in the wake of the loss of a fellow EOD wingman, Badger knew he had to reassure his family of his training and determination. “I assured him that I’m a fighter, and I won’t let the bad guys get their dad,” Badger said. “My
gear would keep me safe.”
For Badger, joining the EOD flight was his calling. His focus and drive was to fight for
his country, especially after the events of 9/11. “I wanted to fight for our country. I chose
EOD because I wanted to keep our brothers and sisters in the service from getting killed
by IEDs,” Badger said. “I chose to save lives even if it meant putting my own at risk.”
The drive to serve runs deep in Badger’s family. His brother, retired Air Force Staff Sgt.
Mark Badger, was also an EOD technician. He is credited with eliminating more than 60
IEDs in 2010 during a deployment to Afghanistan before he was injured in an explosion
while providing counter-IED support to an Army cavalry unit.
EOD airmen are trained to detect, disarm, detonate and dispose of explosive threats all
over the world. They are assigned to some of the most dangerous missions where they
tactically perform harrowing and demanding tasks in diverse environments.
The EOD flight at Al Udeid Air Base supports the base by being trained and ready to
respond to any emergency dealing with unexploded ordnance, aircraft crashes, IED threats
or suspicious packages. EOD also works alongside and supports the Joint Special Operations Task Force mission by partnering with host-nation EOD units, to include the Qatari
Internal Security Forces. The EOD flight also trains with joint service EOD units that are
deployed to other locations throughout the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kelly Badger, a 379th ExAlthough the deployed EOD mission is different compared to its stateside mission, airmen peditionary Civil Engineer Squadron explosive
ordnance disposal craftsman, uses a compact
still deal with training. However, Badger points out, training here is more realistic due to
metal detector to interrogate an improvised exequipment availability and natural environmental situations, such as the hot desert
plosive device he detected during a training
weather.
exercise May 19, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base,
“If we aren’t dealing with real-life incidents, we are training,” he said. “We get as much Qatar.
training with as many different situations as we can to gear up for future incidents, even if
(Continued on page 9, see BALANCE)
Air Force photo by Senior Airman Janelle Patino
OUR KNOWN BIRTHDAYS IN JULY
02
MAJ GEN ROBERT TAYLOR USAF RET
07
CAPT DAVID PESZKO USN RET
09
LTC JOHN CARROLL USA RET
10
FMR USAF CAPT WILLIAM CATOE
COL DONALD C HANTO USAF RET
12
MAJ GEN FRANK MOORE USAF RET
13
CAPT JIM MCCORMACK USMC RET
LT COL EDGAR VALLAR USAF RET
14
LTC RONALD BUTTON JR USA RET
15
FMR ARMY CPT RICHARD REEVES
17
LTC ALAN BLANCHARD USA AD
COL CARLOS BURGOS USA RET
20
COL WILLIAM F SMITH USAF RET
22
MAJ J LYLE JAEGER USAF RET
23
LT COL HARRY ADAMS USAF RET
24
CAPT MANDY MILLER USAF AD
CAPT JOSEPH SOLOMON USAF RET
25
MAJ PAUL MAYER USAR RET
CAPT DAVID A WAMPLER USAF RET
26
CAPT JANICE R MCMORROW USN RET
27
COL JOSEPH PISTORIUS USA RET
28
CHAPLAIN (COL) BERNIE LIEVING USA RET
30
COL ALEXANDER EVANS USA RET
CDR MARK SWEENEY NOAA AD
JULY 2016
PAGE 9
(BALANCE, continued from page 8)
it means flying out to different locations throughout the region.”
The need for constant, diverse training is critical. Badger reflected on one late-night call in Afghanistan. His team spent more than
six freezing hours in an underground tunnel system after wading
through waist-deep snowmelt to clear out an IED that was powerful
enough to destroy a vehicle and swallow it in a hole 30 feet deep.
He credited proper training with helping him and his wingman
and successfully clear the IED and save lives, even as they risked
their own lives facing both the explosive device and hypothermia.
Badger said he is grateful for and inspired by the strength of his
family. “Because I’m gone most of the time, I have missed special
moments such as childbirths, birthdays and anniversaries,” he said.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Darrel Linkus, a 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer
Squadron explosive ordnance disposal craftsman, directs a PacBot 310 robot
toward a simulated improvised explosive device during a training exercise,
May 19, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Air Force photo by Senior Airman Janelle Patino
“But I am grateful, and I salute my wife for being strong and
for taking care of business while I’m gone. She is a great military spouse.”
For Badger, he continues to do what he does not only for his
immediate family, but also for his military family.
“I do my job for my family back home and the airmen whom I
serve with side-by-side, every day of my life,” he said. “The
more I can help, train and share what I have learned throughout
the years, the better and safer they will be, especially when they
get called upon to go to combat.”
Air Force Master Sgt. Thomas Dennis, 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron first sergeant, and Tech. Sgt. David Dickey, 379th ECES explosive ordnance
disposal craftsman, escort Staff Sgt. Darrel Linkus, also a 379th ECES EOD craftsman, to a simulated medical evacuation helicopter during a training exercise, May
19, 2016, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
Air Force photo by Senior Airman Janelle Patino
THE
SALUTING
MARINE
Retired Staff Sgt.
Tim Chambers
holds a salute for
four hours to mark
his 15th Rolling
Thunder, an annual
motorcycle ride,
with his bride, Lorraine Chambers, in
Washington, D.C.,
May 29, 2016.
Chambers married
Lorraine in the same
spot where he rendered his salute. The
event raises awareness for those missing in action and
prisoners of war.
USMC photo by Lance
Cpl. Molly Hampton
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igphoto =
2001548467&source=
GovDelivery
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JULY 2016
PAGE 10
FORMER JAMAICAN SOLDIER JOINS
U.S. ARMY RESERVE
By Army Sgt. Alfonso Corral, 318th Press Camp Headquarters
Army Pvt. Rhoen Barnes, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic attached to the Army
Reserve’s 672nd Engineer Company, uses compressed air to clean an air filter
during a construction project in the Kaweah Oaks Preserve at Exeter, CA, May
24, 2016.
Army photo by Sgt. Alfonso Corral
son, who also is conducting annual training with the 672nd Engineer Company. “The skid-steer kind of looks like a tractor. We
all had a chance to practice driving it.”
Barnes said he lives with his wife and two stepdaughters in
Vallejo, California. He also has a son and a daughter in Jamaica,
and they’re coming to the United States this month, he added.
“My kids are happy I joined the Army,” he said. “My son, he
wants to be in the Army. My wife at first didn’t like the idea, but
then she said OK.”
In addition to helping with the construction work, Barnes also
has been doing his military occupation as a mechanic.
“I drive the contact truck. It’s this,” Barnes said pointing at the
Humvee in front of him. “It has a lot of tools that I use to help
service the other trucks like the skid-steer.”
He joined the U.S. Army just because he likes the Army, Barnes
said, adding that he wouldn’t mind coming back to help with the
construction of other facilities for Sequoia Riverlands Trust.
EXETER, Calif., June 06, 2016 — In the Kaweah Oaks Preserve here, a soldier stands near his Humvee. He’s about 6 feet
tall, and he’s dressed in a brown undershirt, a hardhat and safety
goggles.
Army Pvt. Rhoen Barnes, a native of Jamaica, is a former soldier in the Jamaican army. Now, he’s a wheeled-vehicle mechanic with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 801st Engineer Company.
“It’s different. [The] Jamaican army helps the local police, and
they salute and march a little differently, but the training is almost the same,” Barnes said of his transition from the Jamaican
army to U.S. Army. “I would get in trouble with the drill sergeants in basic training, because I would march or salute the
Jamaican way.”
Barnes is attached to the 672nd Engineer Company to assist
and train with the construction of a restroom at Kaweah Oaks
Preserve for the Sequoia Riverlands Trust. The construction was
part of the Innovative Readiness Training program, which links
up Army Reserve units with qualified civilian projects.
Army Pvt. Rhoen Barnes, a wheeled-vehicle mechanic attached to the Army
Barnes said he helped set up the fence around the perimeter
Reserve’s 672nd Engineer Company, cleans a skid-steer loader in the Kaweah
Oaks Preserve at Exeter, CA, May 24, 2016.
and pour cement on the concrete blocks of the restroom they’re
constructing. He also received hands-on training moving blocks
Army photo by Sgt. Alfonso Corral
with a skid-steer loader.
“I think he’s doing a really good job. I don’t know how the
http://www.defense.gov/News-Article-View/Article/791734/face-of-defenseJamaican army works, but he’s out there doing skid-steer trainformer-jamaican-soldier-joins-us-army-reserve?source=GovDelivery
ing. He had never done it before,” said Army Spc. Alexa ThompMILITARY WORKING DOGS RECEIVE UNIQUE
HELICOPTER TRAINING
Story and photos by Airman Adam R. Shanks 6th Air Mobility Wing Public
The 6th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) military working dog (MWD)
section collaborated with the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Clearwater to
condition two MWDs to flying in a helicopter, May 23. The training exercise
granted the opportunity for MWD handlers to gauge how well their K-9s deal
with loud noises and high altitudes. “Due to our operations overseas, a majority of the dog teams that get deployed are attached to Army units that use
helicopters,” said Tech. Sgt. Dmitriy Sklyar, a MWD trainer supervisor with
the 6th SFS. “This training lets the handler know how the dog will behave
when exposed to helicopters.” During the exercise, the MWDs and their handlers practiced boarding and exiting a helicopter, as well as keeping calm
during air maneuvers. “Every dog handles stress differently, but this training helps to ensure that both the handler and the dog can rely on each other in a deployed
environment,” said Staff Sgt. Corey Ray Alpago, a MWD handler with the 6th SFS. As a result of the training, the 6th SFS is interested in increasing the frequency
of these exercises. “The 6th SFS plans on flying with the Coast Guard on a bimonthly basis to get all 12 of our dogs familiarized,” said Sklyar.
Source-MacDill Thunderbolt, Vol. 44, No. 22, June 2, 2016, page 10
JULY 2016
PAGE 11
REMEMBERING D-DAY
CELEBRATING CADETS
More than 800 cadets toss their hats as the Thunderbirds fly over the graduation
ceremony for the Class of 2016 at the the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado
Springs, Colo., June 2, 2016. The cadets became the Air Force's newest second lieutenants. The Thunderbirds are the Air Force's demonstration team.
Air Force photo by Mike Kaplan
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igphoto=2001548929&source=GovDelivery
Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Ray lays a ceremonial wreath at the Airborne
Troops Monument in Sainte Mere Eglise, France, June 2, 2016. More than
380 service members from Europe and affiliated D-Day historical units are
participating in the 72nd anniversary of the event. Ray commands the 3rd Air
Force.
Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Spratt
http://www.defense.gov/Media/Photo-Gallery?
igphoto=2001549127&source=GovDelivery
MOVIE FEATURES THOSE WHO GUARD TOMB OF
THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
By Howard Altman, Times Staff Writer
Benjamin Bell knows what it
takes to guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. He knows about the
long hours of drilling, instruction
and correction. He knows about the
endless pursuit of perfection and the
time spent standing in the hot sun,
driving rain or swirling snow. From
2001 to 2004, Bell was a tomb
guard, a member of the vaunted 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known
as "The Old Guard." During those years, the Tampa man took part in
one of the military's most solemn duties. Later this week, he is hosting
the showing of The Unknowns, a documentary made about what he
calls "the best job of my life."
Made by a former tomb guard, the film shows how Army volunteers
KEY BUOY
take on the intense training cycle at the tomb, said Bell, now a nurse at
Crew members aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin, a 175-foot buoy
the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa.
tender, salute after setting the Francis Scott Key buoy in Baltimore, Md., June 6,
It shows the journey of new guards as they progress through often
2016. The buoy marks the spot where the ship carrying Francis Scott Key, the author grueling training and are "exposed to the rich history and honorable
of "The Star-Spangled Banner," was anchored off Fort McHenry during the War of
traditions of the brotherhood of sentinels who guard the tomb as they
1812.
learn what it means to protect our nation's patriots amidst America's
Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jasmine Mieszala most hallowed grounds," Bell said.
http://www.defense.gov/Media/Photo-Gallery?
Bell was at the tomb on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
He was in the barracks when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into
the Pentagon.
"They called us to the tomb to set up a perimeter," he said. He wasn't wearing his ceremonial uniform that day. He and another guard were dressed for
battle, as they usually did for nighttime watch only. But this was no ordinary day. After the cemetery was closed, Bell said, he and about 30 other tomb
guards went to Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, a short distance from the Pentagon.
"We could see everything happening," Bell said. "It was very unbelievable. For days after that, we could see smoke rising over the trees."
The documentary is a "labor of love" by Ethan Morse, a tomb guard who was there after Bell left. When Morse got out of the service, he went to film
school in Los Angeles, Bell said, and has been working since 2012 to make The Unknowns a reality. To do so, Morse created a Kickstarter campaign to
crowdfund the project, Bell said.
It's dedicated to Adam Dickmyer, one of the three tomb guards who have been killed in action. Dickmyer was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in
2010, Bell said. The other two were killed in Vietnam.
Bell, who already has seen the documentary, called it a good overview of what it takes to become a tomb guard. "It is a very emotional story and very
important," he said. "It takes the beard off of Santa Claus in looking at the training it takes to guard the tomb."
The Unknowns will screen at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the AMC Woodlands Square 20 theater, 3128 Tampa Road, Oldsmar. The timing coincides with the
Army's 241st birthday. The event is sold out, but Bell said if there is enough interest, he'll arrange another showing. Anyone interested can call (813) 2105262 or email benjaminbell@tombguard.org
http://web.tampabay.com/news/military/macdill/altman-movie-features-those-who-guard-tomb-of-the-unknown-soldier/2281105
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