DESERT EAGLE - USMTM, United States Military Training Mission
Transcription
DESERT EAGLE - USMTM, United States Military Training Mission
E D IT O R : A N N ET T E P . M A N D LE Y USMTM David L. Commons Maj Gen, USAF Chief OPM-FSF Robert Catalanotti MG, USA Program Manager OPM-SANG Victor Petrenko BG, USA Program Manager 64th AEG Martin Rothrock Col, USAF DESERT EAGLE J A N - F E B - M A R V O L 1 , I S S U E 2 E S K A N N E W S L E T T E R Joint Advisory Division DU Removal USMTM Joint Advisory Division continues to facilitate the removal of depleted uranium (DU) contaminated material from the Kingdom. The battle-damaged equipment (including an A10 Warthog fuselage, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and Armored Personnel Carriers) remains from Desert Storm friendly fire incidents. Under the supervision of CENTCOM and the US Army Corps of Engineers, contractors are performing the work to conduct radiological surveys, remove the Inspection of Bradley Turret equipment and DU, remediate the earth, and perform unexploded ordnance disposal. Work began in M113 Armored Personnel Carrier November 2011 and is expected to be complete in January 2012. By: LTC Michael Geeza A-10 Fuselage being lifted. PAGE Can We Talk? LTC Pat Garcia Inspector General (IG) USMTM The meaning of "communication" goes a lot deeper than most people often think about. I am often asked, “What is the most common issue brought to the Inspector General?” and I ask, “What do YOU think it is?” I’ll give you a hint. It is one of the most persistent problems and piece of advice regarding change and management: It is the failure to Communicate, communicate, communicate! and communicate some more!” “Is THAT ALL,” you ask? Well, yes. THAT, coupled with a disregard for social and interpersonal human relationships and you have a disaster. The meaning of "communication" goes a lot deeper than most people often think about. Communication is about conceiving, sending, receiving, interpreting messages, and confirming reception of the messages. A failure at any point in this chain is i n e f f e c t i v e communication. Now, most of us are pretty good at express- ing our opinions (no, really!) but how many of us are actually ‘good’ and are ‘active’ listeners? You know, one that requires us to be in full attention without distraction (i.e. one who does not continue to text on the phone, type on the keyboard, or be thinking about what the daily special is at the ECC while you are talking? You know – the ultimate multi-tasker – yes, you…). So, where am I going with this? It’s actually quite simple. If we want to be good leaders and effective subordinates, we must be fully engaged in the performance of our organization as a TEAM. That TEAM must be based upon a foundation that promotes effective two-way communication. Two-way communication involves genuine engagement (conduct open and purposeful dialogue), respect (recognition of contributions), mutual negotiation (willingness to keep the two-way line of communication open), and the desire to keep that cooperative intent until the issues are resolved – whatever that may be. Yes, THAT is ALL. If we can all demonstrate the genuine regard for human dignity and respect for one another, and are motivated to communicate with each other, then we can solve related issues without higher level intervention, and you’ll see less of me and the Office of the Inspector General. The Office of the Inspector General is located in villa 61-32 and may be contacted by calling 448-8109 / cell 055-501-7468 or via email: pacita.v.garcia@usmtm .swa.army.mil. Further information can be found on the USMTM Sharepoint site: http:// usmtm.kuwait.swa.ds. army.mil/SSS/IG/ default.aspx 2 PAGE 3 DID YOU KNOW? Heroes to Hometowns Heroes to Hometowns is designed to welcome home service members who, because of injuries sustained, can no longer serve in the military. H2H establishes a support network and coordinates resources for severely injured service members who are returning home. The American public's strong support for troops is especially evident in their willingness to help service members who are severely injured in the war, and their ever-supportive families, as they transition from the hospital environment and return to civilian life. State Heroes to Hometowns Committees are the link among the military Services and Veteran's Affairs case workers at the military and VA hospitals, the severely injured member, their families, and their local community. Support has included: help with paying the bills, finding suitable homes and adapting as needed, adapting vehicles, transportation to medical appointments, finding jobs and providing educational assistance, child care support, arranging welcome home celebrations, help working through bureaucracy and obtaining government benefits and entitlements, sports and recreation opportunities, and holiday dinners. From: http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/tf/heroestohometownsDID College Grants Up For Grabs The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) plans to award up to 3,000 grants to dependents of Air Force members for their college education through the General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program. Online applications for these $2,000 need-based grants are now available from the Society's website. Completed forms must be received by AFAS no later than March 9, 2012. From: http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil Returning Home from a Deployment for Single Parents Approximately 5 percent, or over 75,000 of active duty members are single parents. If you are one of the 5 percent, you know that in addition to the joy and stress that you feel when returning home after a deployment, you may feel particularly anxious about the bond formed by your child and the temporary caregiver. Here are some tips for transitioning back home: 1. Communicate openly and frequently with both the caregiver and the child. 2. Involve the caregiver in the transition. Forcing your child to suddenly separate can be just as traumatic as when you left. 3. Ask how things were done while you were gone. It will help you plan how to ease your child back into your rules and schedules. 4. Ask your child about his or her feelings regarding your "new" relationship and how life at home should be. The changes in caregivers and living arrangements may make children feel as though they have no control over their lives. Assure them that you will be a family again. From: http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/tf/toolsforfamilies/weeklytips PAGE DOLLAR$ and $EN$E Credit Inquiries? If you have pulled your credit report and noticed a number of inquiries into your credit history, don’t panic. There are two types of credit inquiries on your credit report: hard and soft. You may have heard that inquiries into your credit can negatively impact your credit score. The truth is that soft inquiries have no bearing on your credit score, while hard inquiries can. The good news is that the dip in your credit score caused by hard inquiries is only around 5 points on average and affects your score for around 6 months. Soft credit inquiries can often happen without your knowledge, and there are a variety of reasons for soft inquiries: credit card pre-approval, potential employers conducting background checks, your current bank checking up on your credit health, and you pulling your own credit report. Hard credit inquiries typically occur based on something you do or something you request. Here are some of the sources: starting cable or cell phone service, applying for consumer or retail credit card, or taking out a mortgage. A good rule of thumb is to be mindful of who is pulling your credit report and how often. You can keep track by requesting your credit report from each of the three credit agencies: Experian, Transunion, and Equifax. By visiting www.annualcreditreport.com, you can request your credit history for free, once a year from each of these providers. Submitted By: CPT Greg Seguin J8 Finance Officer, USMTM It’s Tax $eason! The USMTM Legal Office will have its tax center up and running in early February. The tax center is part of the military’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which provides free tax assistance to U.S. Servicemembers and their Families. If you have questions about federal income tax filing or want to file through our tax center, please contact the USMTM Legal Office at 448-8106/8108 for an appointment. Submitted by: Maj Renee Salzmann Staff Judge Advocate, USMTM 4 PAGE DEOMI (Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute) 2012 National Observances * Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday *African American/Black History Month *Women’s History Month Holocaust Remembrance Day *Days of Remembrance *Asian Pacific American Heritage Month *Women’s Equality Day *Hispanic Heritage Month Disability Employment Awareness Month * American Indian Heritage Month 16 January 2012 1-28 February 2012 1-31 March 2012 19 April 2012 15-22 April 2012 1-31 May 2012 26 August 2012 15 September-15 October 2012 1-31 October 2012 1-30 November 2012 *Holidays DoD Observes From: DEOMI http://www.deomi.org Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast January 21, 2012 at the ECC 5 PAGE “Black Women in American Culture and History” The 2012 Annual Black History Theme From the American Revolution to the present, African American women have played a myriad of critical roles in the making of our nation. Their labor and leadership, their motherhood and patriotism, and their intellect and artistic expression have all enriched both the African American community and the nation at large. In slavery and freedom, their struggles have been at the heart of the human experience, and their triumphs over racism and sexism are a testimonial to our common human spirit. In American culture today, many know of the accomplishments of a few prominent figures. From Phillis Wheatley, the unlikely American patriot during the Revolutionary War, to Harriet Tubman, the leader of the Underground Railroad, to Ida B. Wells, the unyielding opponent of lynching, to Rosa Parks, the mother of the modern Civil Rights Movement, black women have been notable for standing against oppression. From Gwendolyn Brooks to Toni Morrison to Rita Dove, they have distinguished themselves in American letters, and in recent years, they have been recognized as actors and recording artists with Academy Awards and Grammys. The accomplishments of these exceptional women are the expressions of a vibrant culture in which African American women play a singular role. Their story is unique in the annals of American history. Black women were held as slaves and middle-class black women labored while their counterparts were housewives. Subjected to a long history of stereotypes about their sexuality, morality, spirituality, and intellect, African American women have never succumbed to victimhood and have pressed forward to uplift themselves, their families, and their community. To gain an understanding of the history of African American women is to broaden our understanding of a people and the American nation. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History dedicates the 2012 Annual Black History Theme to exploring African American women’s roles in and contributions to the making of America. Excerpts from http://www.asalh.org (Association for the Study of African American Life & History) Events at Eskan Village Writing Contest Dinner Menu Menu Option # 1 Southern Style Plate Submit a word essay, poem or song addressing the theme: 2 pieces of ribs 1 piece of chicken Macaroni & cheese Green Beans Almondine Menu Option # 2 Prime Ribs 8oz. with Au Jus Thursday, 23 Feb 2012 1800 – 2400 Hrs Eskan Community Club Cash Award will be presented to the Top Three Finalists the evening of Twice Baked potato Green Beans Almondine Menu Option # 3 Baked Salmon 8 oz w/ Mustard Dill Sauce Twice baked potato Green Beans Almondine CASH AWARD: 1ST Prize: SR500 2nd Prize: SR300 3rd Prize: SR200 Top Three Finalists will also receive free tickets to BHM Dinner and will present their piece at the night of the event. Winners will be determined by BHM Committee Submit your piece to Ms. Annette Mandley at the FRC Building NLT 20 Feb 2012. USMTM POC: Annette Mandley, email: annette.p.mandley@usmtm.swa.army.mil 64th AEG POC: TSgt Felicia O’Neal 050-018-4349 Ticket Price: $20 or SR75 Attire: Coat & Tie All meals are served with: Vegetable Gumbo Small salad plate Cornbread Tri-pie:: Sweet potato/pecan/apple USMTM Tickets POC: SSG Maria Alvarenga 050-482-0459 or maria.t.alvarenga@usmtm.swa.army.mil 64th AEG Tickets POC: MSgt Henriett Bouknight at henriett.bouknight@evab.afcent.af.mil 2012 National Black History Month Date/Time: Thursday February 9th from 1900 – 2400 Location: ECC Sports Bar Entry Price: $5.00 or 20 SR (Pre-purchase or at the Door) POC: SFC Calvin Clark USMTM J3-OPS Office # 448-8116 Cell 0555095861 calvin.d.clark@usmtm.swa.army.mil 6 PAGE 7 MARCH is: National Women’s History Month “Women’s Education – Women’s Empowerment” Although women now outnumber men in American colleges nationwide, the reversal of the gender gap is a very recent phenomenon. The fight to learn was a valiant struggle waged by many tenacious women—across years and across cultures—in our country. After the American Revolution, the notion of education as a safeguard for democracy created opportunities for girls to gain a basic education—based largely on the premise that, as mothers, they would nurture not only the bodies but also the minds of (male) citizens and leaders. The concept that educating women meant educating mothers endured in America for many years, at all levels of education. Pioneers of secondary education for young women faced arguments from physicians and other “experts” who claimed either that females were incapable of intellectual development equal to men, or that they would be harmed by striving for it. Women’s supposed intellectual and moral weakness was also used to argue against coeducation, which would surely be an assault on purity and femininity. Emma Willard, in her 1819 Plan for Improving Female Education, noted with derision the focus of women’s “education” on fostering the display of youth and beauty, and asserted that women are “the companions, not the satellites of men” — “primary existences” whose education must prepare them to be full partners in life’s journey. While Harvard, the first college chartered in America, was founded in 1636, it would be almost two centuries before the founding of the first college to admit women—Oberlin, which was chartered in 1833. And even as “coeducation” grew, women’s courses of study were often different from men’s, and women’s role models were few, as most faculty members were male. Harvard itself opened its “Annex” (Radcliffe) for women in 1879 rather than admit women to the men’s college—and single-sex education remained the elite norm in the U.S. until the early 1970s. As coeducation took hold in the Ivy League, the number of women’s colleges decreased steadily; those that remain still answer the need of young women to find their voices, and today’s women’s colleges enroll a far more diverse cross-section of the country than did the original Seven Sisters. Condoleezza Rice– Former US Sec of State Professor of Political Economy at Stanford University and Co-Director of the school’s Center for Global Business & the Economy The equal opportunity to learn, taken for granted by most young women today, owes much to Title IX of the Education Codes of the Higher Education Act Amendments. This legislation, passed in 1972 and enacted in 1977, prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. It has become the primary tool for women's fuller participation in all aspects of education from scholarships, to facilities, to classes formerly closed to women. Indeed, it transformed the educational landscape of the United States within the span of a generation. From: The National Women’s History Project PAGE HUMAN RESOURCES CORNER USMTM/OPM-SANG/OPM-FSF Item 1 – Promotions Let’s congratulate USMTM personnel who were promoted in the last quarter of 2011: MSgt Mills CW3 Wright Maj Branick SSG Gutierrez SGT Easterly Capt Morrison Be sure to prepare for any and all upcoming promotion boards in the first quarter of 2012. Additional information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on the USMTM J1 SharePoint site, or by contacting your local HR/Personnel Office. USAF Boards SMSgt (11E8) Central Evaluation Board TSgt (11E6) & MSgt (11E7) Testing Cycle Convenes 31 Jan 12 1 Feb 12 Recesses 18 Feb 12 31 Mar 12 USA Boards FY 12 SFC Promotion Board FY 12 LTC Promotion Board Convenes 24 Jan 12 22 Feb 12 Recesses 17 Feb 12 13 Mar 12 USN Boards FY13 E9 Selection Boards Convenes 26 Mar 12 Recesses TBD Mr. Milton McKenzie Director of Human Resources/J1 Item 2 - Personnel/HR Updates HRC has updated the requirements for First Sergeants. The Senior Leadership Course (SLC) is now accepted as the education requirement. Here are the current requirements: Qualifications. (1) Successfully complete a resident First Sergeant's Course (FSC) 521-SQI M conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, successfully serve a minimum of 180 days in a First Sergeant position and be approved for award by the Battalion Commander or equivalent level authority. (2) Successfully complete the Phase 1 First Sergeant's Course 521-SQI M (DL) conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, successfully complete Phase 2 Course 400-FSC (Resident) conducted by NG Unit/Special Schools or Regional NCOES, successfully serve a minimum of 180 days in a First Sergeant position and be approved for award by the Battalion Commander or equivalent level authority. (3) Successfully complete a Senior Leaders Course (SLC) on or after 1 October 2009 conducted under the auspices of a TRADOC Army Center of Excellence or Reserve Component equivalent, successfully serve a minimum of 180 days in a First Sergeant position and be approved for award by the Battalion Commander or equivalent level authority. (4) In short tour/hostile fire area, successfully complete a minimum of 180 days service in a First Sergeant position and be approved for award by the first General Officer in the chain of command. Soldiers awarded SQI M under these provisions, who have not completed SLC on or after 1 October 2009, or the FSC 521-SQIM (DL), should complete the FSC Course 521-SQIM (DL) at their earliest opportunity. (5) Request for exceptions to policy for permanent award of SQI M may be submitted to Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, ATTN: DAPE-PRP-CSB, 300 Army Pentagon, Washington D.C. 20310-0300. Phone (703) 325-2099. c. Restrictions. (1) For use with positions identified as First Sergeant in grades E7 or E8. 8 HR Corner Continued... PAGE Item 3 – Newcomer’s Orientation The United States Military Training Mission (USMTM) Newcomer’s Orientation goal is to ease the transition to local surroundings and conditions, for newly arrived personnel. It introduces new personnel to various Staff and Divisions (J1, J3, J4, J8 etc), as well as their functions. The Orientation also lays out the Chief of USMTM expectations and goals, while explaining the mission of USMTM and its detachments scattered throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is a tool that is vital to the successful acclimation and integration of new members of the Eskan community. You don’t want to miss it. Target dates for the first quarter of 2012 are: 31 January; 28 February; and 27 March POC for this action is: PS1 Bondoc, USMTM, DHR/J1, at 448-8020. Item 4 – Hail Please take the time to welcome our newest members from the last quarter of 2011: October Arrivals SFC SFC SPC Capt Capt Capt LTC SSG Maj MARTIN CLARK BOSLEY HAMILTON ROBBINS WEBER BUMGARNER FREENEY BREDFIELD November Arrivals CPT MAJ Maj SSgt CDR CPT LTC MAJ BRIGHT LESTER TISDEL DEVI FELDER WILLIAMS GORMLEY FEAGIN Item 4 – Farewell Please be sure to wish a fond farewell to those who will be leaving in the first quarter of 2012: January Lt Col SRA TSgt LSC BARBER HOWARD LAMEY SAN PASCUAL 9 HR Corner Continued... PAGE 10 (Farewells . . .) January TSgt Maj GOLAS HIGGINS February Maj Capt SPC Capt Maj TSgt CHENNAULT OBRIEN MAMO MAJOR DORRELL WARD March MSG MSgt SGT SSG Capt STURDEE ARMSTRONG GUTIERREZ SPANN ANDREW Item 5 – Recognition Congratulations to SFC Dixon from OPM-FSF and SFC Tovar from USMTM J1 for completing the USMTM Beginner’s Arabic Course. It shows great initiative, drive, and a job well done! Item 6 – J-1 Director’s Tip – from the desk of Mr. Milton McKenzie Election season will be upon us before we know it. Let’s be sure to exercise one of the most important freedoms that we are helping to preserve and protect. Whether you are a civilian or military member, it is your right to complete an absentee ballot and ensure your voice is heard. For information regarding any/all things Voter Assistance, please visit http://www.fvap.gov or visit your local Federal Voting Assistance Officer. If you are the Voting Assistance POC, the site has multiple tools and uses for you as well. Please be advised of mailing dates for Absentee ballots. This is critical! Visit the website listed for a complete listing of all important dates. Thank you and be sure to employ one of our greatest freedoms—VOTE! Submitted by: Mr. John N. Conley, HR Specialist USMTM DHR/J1 PAGE East is Least - West is Best ‘Tis the season! For many of us ‘tis the season for travel and typically travel very quickly over long distances and multiple time zones. This very often results in circadian desynchrony, commonly known as jet lag. To understand jet lag and what we can do about it, we first need to know what circadian rhythm is. Director USMTM Medical Services, LTC George Estes Don’t nap! If you absolutely must nap, then do not lie down for more than 40 minutes. At its simplest, circadian rhythm is your internal body clock - your sleepwake cycle. Most of us sleep at night and are awake during the day. But circadian rhythm is much more than that. It is also the rhythm of how your body releases hormones throughout a 24 hour period. These hormones in turn regulate just about any other bodily function of which you can think. This explains why, when you are jet lagged, you are not just tired, but also feel crappy (a technical medical term) , and, you continue to feel poorly until you have adjusted to your new time zone. So how does one adjust most quickly to a new time zone? The general rule of thumb is it takes one day for every time zone crossed. Live on the left coast? At this time of year, from here it would take 11 days or longer. There are some tricks you can use, however, which will help. When you reach your destination, if you are going to be there for longer than three days, start adjusting immediately. If you are going to be there three days or less, stay on your original time zone (it ain’t worth it to change.) Set your watch to the local time. Take your meals when the locals do. Expose yourself to sunlight or bright light when you are supposed to be awake and have it dark when you are supposed to be sleeping. Use frequent small doses of caffeine (two ounces of coffee or the equivalent) when you are supposed to be awake and are dragging, but not within two hours of sleep. Avoid alcohol – this disrupts sleep. Exercise when you are dragging, but, not within two hours of sleep. Don’t nap! If you absolutely must nap, then do not lie down for more than 40 minutes. Concentrate protein rich foods into breakfast and lunch and carbohydrate rich foods into your evening meal. (The Argonne “Jet Lag Diet,” available online, may be considered. It claims to prevent, or at least mitigate, jet lag. Dunno…there is research to support its claims, but I’ve never tried it.) Lastly, judicious use of prescribed medications can be helpful under certain circumstances. Now, have you noticed it is much less brutal flying from here to America than coming back (ergo the title of this article)? It’s not because you had too much fun on vacation. (continued on pg. 12) 11 PAGE Not surprisingly, at this juncture, you might suspect it has something to do with your circadian rhythm, and you would be correct. Curiously, our body clocks are set to a 25 hour day. We resynchronize them back to 24 hours on a daily basis. When we travel to the west, we are traveling with the sun and stretching our already naturally and slightly stretched circadian rhythm. When we travel back east, yeah, we’re all messed up. That’s not just a fun fact to know and tell; now, you actually understand why it happens. 12 Live long and prosper, By: Lt Col/Dr George W. Estes, Director of Medical Services Eskan Village Community Clinic Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circadian_rhythm Officials Announce Absentee Voting Guidelines Federal Voting Assistance Program News Release WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2011 – The Federal Voting Assistance Program and the Military Postal Service Agency has announced absentee ballot mailing date guidelines that apply to various overseas locations. Military members serving overseas and other U.S. citizens living abroad must consider mail transit times when submitting their absentee ballots to vote in upcoming presidential, Senate, House, gubernatorial, state legislature, local and other elections. The 2012 U.S. presidential election, for example, will be held Nov. 6, 2012. Officials recommend that absentee voters sending ballots from the following location(s) mail them out no later than: Saudi Arabia - 10 days before the election For a full list of absentee ballot mailing dates for overseas locations, visit www.FVAP.gov. Military members serving overseas may express mail their absentee ballots free of charge from any APO/FPO/DPO or American embassy and consulate -- ask to use the Express Mail Label 11-DoD. This label allows voters to track their ballots at www.usps.com. The federal write-in absentee ballot is used as a backup ballot. Thirty days prior to an election, if voters believe they’ll not receive their state ballot in time to vote and return it, they can vote using the FWAB. This ballot is accepted by all states from any overseas or military voter who has registered and requested a ballot for 2012. From: www.defense.gov PAGE FAMILY READINESS JANUARY – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Observance 28 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon 1130 ECC Sports Bar FEBRUARY – African American History Month Observance 1 12 20 23 29 Safety Training (new Spouses) Stress Management Anger Management Reintegration & Reunion Family Teambuilding Class Children’s Field Trip 1300 1500 1600 1500 0900 0930 Villa 63-59 Family Center Villa 59-26 Conference Room Villa 59-26 Conference Room Villa 59-26 Conference Room Villa 63-59 Family Center Meet at Family Center MARCH – Women’s History Month Observance 4 12 22 28 Stress Management Anger Management Reintegration & Reunion Family Teambuilding Class Children’s Field Trip 1500 1600 1500 0900 0930 Villa 59-26 Conference Room Villa 59-26 Conference Room Villa 59-26 Conference Room Villa 63-59 Family Center Meet at Family Center For more information or to sign up, please call the Family Readiness Coordinator at 498-2417 or cell 050 498 5271. Eskan Family Readiness Group Flowers for Valentine’s Day Where: Eskan Community Club (ECC) When: Sunday, January 29 Monday, January 30 Tuesday, January 31 11:30 – 13:00 Wednesday, February 1 18:00 – 19:30 Friday, February 3 9:30 – 12:00 Saturday, February 4 11:30 – 13:00 The Eskan FRG will be taking pre-orders & pre-payments for a variety of floral arrangements POC: Pat Minicz Email: psminicz@aol.com 13 PAGE 14 The Holidays, Eskan Style USMTM MWR kicked off the holidays with their annual Holiday Bazaar featuring Middle Eastern handicrafts, holiday gift items, as well as delicious shawarmas (always an Eskan favorite), along with homemade breakfast burritos and cookies prepared by the FRG members. A highlight for many was test driving “hot off the boat” 2012 Harleys, compliments of Harley Davidson, Riyadh. We could not have done it without the tremendous volunteers from USMTM PMO, Saudi MOD, 64th ESFS and 64th CE Escort Shop. Despite unusually chilly weather, 110 Eskanites came out early Thanksgiving morning for the Turkey Trot themed, “Move your Feet Before you Eat,” sponsored by USMTM MWR and the 64th Services. Walkers and runners received a free t-shirt for participating. Twenty-five 3rd and 4th graders from the American International School of Riyadh delighted Eskan members with traditional holiday carols, making the Eskan Tree Lighting Ceremony a true home town event. Santa Claus, Greg Marme, made a royal entrance on his Santa Mobile driven by his trusty Elf, Kobir Miah. Santa ushered in the holiday season by checking his list, not once but twice for those who had been naughty or nice. JAN-FEB-MAR VOL 1, ISSUE 2 ISSISSISSUE PAGE 15 The Eskan community displayed incredible generosity and support by baking over 60 gift baskets of cookies for the 64th AEG deployed forces. Santa Claus, Wallace Maass, made another visit to Eskan during the annual “Breakfast with Santa.” The ECC provided free meals for children under 10. Children from the community enjoyed talking to Santa Claus and passing on to him their wish list. Parents, as well as the children, enjoyed the opportunity to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus. Eskan Village welcomed 2012 with cheers!!! Around 200 guests enjoyed fine dining, music and dancing, and with festive décor, welcomed 2012 in with a champagne toast, lots of noise, and well wishes to families, friends, and co-workers. O’ Christmas Tree, O’ Christmas Tree PAGE Places to Go and things to Do ! 16 PAGE 17 PAGE 18 Eskan Village Fire and Emergency Services (EVFD) Protecting The Mission Through Preparedness Accidental chemical spill—Check. Smell something burning in your villa? We’ll be right there. Not feeling wellTake two of our paramedics and we’ll call you in the morning. Maintenance worker hurt and trapped on a roof or a tower-We’ll rise to the occasion. Putting on a Combat Life Saver or CPR course, we’ll be there to help show you how to effectively treat until we reach the scene. People are the most important asset of any organization. If the people of Eskan Village and their facilities are not as safe as possible and cannot be rescued or removed from harm, then the mission is directly impacted. Eskan is very Alamoesque. It’s not like a stateside department where in the time of immediate disaster or crisis, you have additional DoD assets or Civilian fire protection and security assets responding in minutes. We need to always be aware and prevent incidents where possible. When they do occur, we must mitigate them as soon as possible to avoid large property loss or loss of life. That is only accomplished through training and readiness. Your Eskan Fire Department put in 4,769 man hours in 2011, to ensure maximum readiness for various situations and emergencies that may arise. The training is to ensure that, even though we are in a deployed location, we keep up with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and USAF and DoD Fire and Emergency Services regulations. At a minimum, all of our firefighters have to be certified to the NFPA/ DoD Firefighter II Level, be trained as Emergency Medical Technicians, and a certain number of our members have to be Paramedics as well. One of the 911 centers on base is staffed and managed by EVFD therefore, our firefighters have to be certified Emergency Telecommunicators (dispatchers), where they are trained how to handle 911 calls, dispatch emergencies, and coordinate with other entities on base. The drivers of the fire apparatus have to be NFPA/DoD certified operators on that equipment. EVFD has five major areas of proficiency and responsibility on base: Structural Firefighting, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials Response, (continued on pg. 19) PAGE Technical Rescue, and Prevention-Planning. 1. Structural Firefighting: Training involves stretching firefighting hose lines into villas, forcing open doors to villas, and searching them. Some fire fighting tactics may appear to be destructive, but often serve specific needs. For example, during "ventilation" firefighters are often forced to open holes in the roof or floors of a structure (called "vertical ventilation") or open windows or walls (called "horizontal ventilation") to remove smoke and heated gases from the interior of the structure. Such ventilation methods are also used to locate victims quicker as visibility increases and to help preserve the life of trapped or unconscious individuals due to the poisonous gases inside of the structure. Vertical ventilation is absolutely vital to firefighter safety in the event of a flashover or backdraft scenario. Releasing the flammable gasses through the roof often eliminates the possibility of a backdraft and by the removal of heat the possibility of a flashover is r e d u c e d significantly. Flashovers, due to their intense heat (90 0 –1 200° F a h r e n he i t ) and explosive temperaments are almost always fatal to firefighter personnel. Precautionary methods, such as busting a window out, often reveal backdraft situations before the firefighter enters the structure and is met with the circumstance head-on. Firefighter safety is the number one priority. 2. Emergency Medical Services: We invest a minimum of 72 hours per firefighter per year to maintain our EMT/ Paramedics. We properly package a patient with a back injury, start IV's, read a 12 lead EKG, cardiovert a heart attack victim, intubate them if they have stopped breathing, or measure and administer medications to deal with asthma, diabetes or allergic reactions. 3. Hazardous Materials Response: Every member is required to also be a Hazardous Materials Technician which allows us to utilize specialized protective chemical protective clothing and advanced sensors and meters for the determining the presence of dangerous chemicals or chemical and biological weapons. Training on how to manage blood borne pathogens is part of Hazardous Materials Response. EVFD cross trains with the 64th AEG's Emergency Management group to be proficient with all equipment. This includes training on how to deal with a leaking propane or other chemical cylinder, utilizing Infrared Spectroscopy meters to identify an unknown liquid that made someone sick, or a white powder at the post office. 4. Technical Rescue: This involve rescues from confined spaces, manholes, sewers, electrical vaults, car accidents or (continued on pg. 20) 19 PAGE other industrial type accidents. We train on proper lifting techniques to lift a vehicle off of a soldier, civilian or child. We train on rappelling to include vaults and sewers to rescue the trapped or ill, to rappelling from the communications towers on Eskan. 5. Prevention-Planning: All of the Officers are also required to be NFPA and DoD certified Fire Inspectors and Fire Officers educated in disaster management, human resources, finance and budget and planning. This allows any member of management to address safety concerns or questions from members of the public and puts more eyes out there to discover and prevent possible fires or other incidents. We also perform fire safety inspections on all base buildings and map them and form preplans, so that with the turn of a page, we can have an immediate overview of what is in a given building and know what are the hazards. A major duty and responsibility of fire services is the regular inspection of buildings to ensure they are up to the current building fire codes, which are enforced so that a building can sufficiently resist fire spread, potential hazards are located, and to ensure that occupants can be safely evacuated, commensurate with the risks involved. While we train for the unfortunate, we also spend a great deal of time through Public Education and Fire Prevention activities to prevent an incident. As such, all those training hours ensure we are proficient and combat ready. Submitted By: Capt Tim Hennessey Eskan Fire Department 20 PAGE Arabic Buffet Casino Gaming Belly Dancing Music Arabian Attire Required Tickets available at the Multi-Media Center Tickets will go on Sale as follows: OPM Personnel: 16-26 January’12 Eskan Residents: 27 January -03 February’12 General Sales: 04-28 February’12 Non-Eskan Residents must purchase tickets and must provide Sign In Info NLT 18 February 2012 POC: Cherryl Schultz at 4982480 Ext 5785 or email - cherryl.schultz@opmsang.swa.army.mil Editor: Annette P. Mandley Photo Credits: Clifford Carroll LTC Pat Garcia Rachel Harris Layout & Design: Rachel Harris Annette P. Mandley Next quarterly newsletter - April 2012 Please submit articles, stories and pictures by 15 March 2012 to: annette.p.mandley@usmtm.swa.army.mil 21