NATO command chief visits LAAHC

by Airman 1st Class Breonna Veal
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

3/2/2015 - JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va.  -- U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jack Johnson Jr., NATO Allied Command Transformation command chief, visited Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Feb. 19, 2015, to speak to members of the Langley African-American Heritage Council.

Johnson, who is the most senior enlisted African American Airman in the Air Force, visited as a part of Black History Month observances occurring at both Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis during the month of February.

The LAAHC held an open discussion with Johnson to gain insight and ask questions about his experiences as an African American Airman.

"Having had the privilege to serve in the Air Force for more than 30 years, [the one thing] I want Airmen to take away is this, we as African Americans are making a tremendous difference across the Air Force. Seeing almost 50 to 60 years of African American service, my goal is to continue to serve and be a positive representative for African-Americans [Service members] here."

Johnson, who is actually stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, spoke about his career and his current assignment in the Hampton Roads area as well as the tie the area has on his life.

"Langley Air Force Base was my first duty location, my mother and father both retired from Langley and I had the opportunity to be stationed in the area," said Johnson. "It honestly is great to be home."

The tie Johnson has with Langley guided his option to live the Hampton area so he is closer to Airmen he can mentor.

"Somewhere during my journey as a leader, I stopped focusing on my accomplishments and became obsessed with the accomplishments of my Airmen, joint and coalition Service members, civilians and their families," Johnson said to the crowd. "The Air Force provides the ways and means for you as Airmen to reach your goals, but the rest is up to your will. Your future is in front of you."

Johnson concluded by thanking the LAAHC for their presence at Langley Air Force Base.

"Thanks for advancing public knowledge, education, leadership and the relevance of this month's national celebration for all African-Americans," he said.

Vince Vaughn, USO Bring 'Unfinished Business' to Edwards AFB

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2015 – Actor Vince Vaughn treated troops and their families to an advance screening of his upcoming film, “Unfinished Business,” during a USO visit to Edwards Air Force Base, California, Feb. 28.

During a DoD News telephone interview, Vaughn shared his inspiration for meeting service members and their families, and bringing laughter to them wherever they serve.

Military Heritage

“My father was in the military,” he said. “My sister was in the National Guard, and I have relatives who were [in the military] all the way back to World War II.”

Standing at 6’5” tall, Vaughn said he did consider serving in the military himself.

“My sister … ended up stationed in the Texas National Guard -- we’re from Illinois -- but she went down there for Fort Hood,” he said. “And I thought about going that same route.”

“When we first went over [for] 9/11,” Vaughn said, “I thought about entering -- like I said my father had served and my sister was in -- and I had thought about it then.”

Ultimately, Vaughn said he reached out to the USO, saying, “I’d really love to be able to show some of the movies to the guys and girls.”

Asked which service he may have envisioned himself joining, Vaughn joked that after traveling and seeing different places, “Air Force bases do seem the nicest.”

“Those guys kind of have the best living conditions,” he added. “I don’t know that I would have the need to be flying stuff, but maybe I could sneak my way in there somehow.”

USO Visits

The actor also revealed a much more personal reason for connecting with the USO to bring a touch of home to troops and their families.

Vaughn said he initially began working with the USO after he learned of the death of his friend, Pat Tillman, a former Arizona Cardinals safety, who put his NFL career on hold to join the Army after Sept. 11. Tillman was later killed while serving in Afghanistan.

“I had met … Pat Tillman,” he said, “and I remember I was in my trailer for ‘Wedding Crashers’ when the news came across the wire that he had passed. And so I thought ‘gosh.’ It really kind of hit home for me in having met him.”

Beginning to have regrets that he had not gone over to serve himself, Vaughn decided to approach the USO to touch troops and military families by serving in different way.

“I had the movie ‘Dodgeball’ coming out,” he said, “and so I called up [USO] out of nowhere and said ‘I don’t know if you guys would be interested, but I’d like to bring this comedy over because it could be funny for everyone to see.’”

Vaughn added, “They were nice enough to accommodate me, so I was able to bring ‘Dodgeball’ to both Iraq and Afghanistan. I did both places at the same time.”

He said the USO group also visited troops in Kuwait and Kyrgyzstan, “and some other places I can’t pronounce very well. It was kind of fun showing the movie to everybody.”

Following that June 2004 USO visit, Vaughn said his next USO trip came with the release of his September 2005 movie, “Wedding Crashers.”

Unfinished Business

For “Unfinished Business,” Vaughn said he was in town filming the second season of “True Detective,” and thought he’d bring the film to Edwards Air Force Base so troops close by could see it.

“It’s nice to be in a position to say ‘thank you,’” he said, “and if you get a chance to make anyone laugh that’s always fun.”

Vaughn added, “I have a lot of appreciation for the troops and have them in my thoughts a lot with everything that’s going on. It’s always a great moment for me to get a chance to come and share a comedy to say ‘thank you.’”

Thanking the Troops

Asked if he would continue to serve troops with the USO, Vaughn said, “of course,” before sending a message to troops and military families based overseas who may have the opportunity to see the film.

“I’d love to get a chance to go back overseas,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get everybody home here sooner than later, but if not, maybe I’ll try to come over with that first episode of Season Two of ‘True Detective’ or something like that.”

“Thanks for your service,” Vaughn said, noting that service members and their families stationed abroad are “in our hearts and our minds, and I hope they get a chance to see the movie and have some laughs.”

Humble, Kind Star

One service member was particularly thrilled by the actor’s trip to Edwards AFB and said his visit was “really great.”

“It was a dream come true to meet Vince Vaughn,” said 1st Lt. Jamie Lynn Warfield, executive officer for the Mission Support Group. “I’ve been enamored with him ever since I was a little kid.”

“When I told my college friends,” she said, “they were like ‘oh my God, he is your favorite person in the world.’ I am not normally a big movie, celebrity fanatic, but Vince Vaughn was always my star crush. And he was very, very humble and really, really kind.”

Face of Defense: Air Force NCO Helps Veteran in Need

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska, March 2, 2015 – Alec Fonoti, a civilian mechanic for an on-base laundry service here, had prepared a big dinner to take to a friend's house. He loaded the food and his family of nine into his vehicle and left.

That day, Jan. 3, was the last day Fonoti and his family would spend in their house.

"The fire report said the [stove] burner on the left was still slightly on," Fonoti said. "A fire caught and it destroyed the whole house."

When they returned, the Fonotis checked on their neighbors first, making sure they were safe. Fortunately, the fire had been limited to their house -- but everything was destroyed.

"I couldn't think right," Fonoti said. "For a big family like mine, I got so stressed that first day. At that point, I thought I might end my life. It was so hard for me, it was painful."

A Fellow Vet in Need

Fonoti served in the Army as an infantryman from 1987 to 1994. In mid-February of 1991, the 1st Battalion, 42nd Infantry Regiment (Mechanized), 3rd Brigade, 2nd Armored Division, was the first to breach the Saudi Arabia border in Operation Desert Storm. Fonoti was among the soldiers in that unit.

"I was in the middle of combat," Fonoti said. "We came out and fought. I saw a lot of what was going on."

He was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

After the house fire, Fonoti told his supervisor he couldn't focus on work. Word of the situation soon spread to first sergeants across the base, and that's when Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Chastain, then-first sergeant for the 673rd Force Support Squadron, stepped in.

"I knew the house had burned down," Chastain said. "I could see how bad it was really affecting him -- he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He couldn't even navigate through the electronic process to order a refill for his PTSD medicine."

The first sergeant helped Fonoti get the medicine refilled. He also reached out to other first sergeants and explained what had happened. He explained that there are many Air Force programs available to help out when there's a need.

"Most of the programs are for military," he said. "So I told [the other first sergeants], ‘Whatever you can get me, I need. If you've got something that you don't need, I'll take it.' We were able to replace [a lot]."

Collective Efforts Pay Off

The first sergeants were able to find the Fonotis a house downtown they could afford, he said.

"Before we did that, they were going to the homeless shelter. That's how serious it was," Chastain said. "Think about that, a family like that in December [with] sub-zero temperatures on the streets. Helping them really and truly became my whole focus and purpose."

Helping the Fonotis was among the many actions that earned Chastain the 673rd Air Base Wing First Sergeant of the Year award.

"[First sergeants] don't do it for recognition or a thank you, but we came in the next day [to see] two huge posters made by all those children that said, 'Thank you, Master Sergeant Chastain, for this,' and there's a laundry list of things they received," the first sergeant said.

"It gives you a warm feeling,” he added. “We displayed [those posters] inside Building 600 for a couple weeks so everybody could see how their efforts helped."

Fonoti said Chastain’s actions helped save his life.

"I [felt] like I'd been in combat again -- when you fight, they fight with you like a band of brothers," Fonoti said.

Head of Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Receives Award

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The National Security Education Program (NSEP) recognized a senior Navy civilian with their 2015 Spirit of Service Award for advancing their core mission of strengthening foreign language skills and international expertise in the national security community, Feb. 25.

Lee Johnson, head of Navy's Language, Regional Expertise and Culture (LREC) office, is being recognized by the Boren Forum for his role in "ensuring that Asia Pacific regional expertise is codified and valued within the United States Navy, through the development of a new additional qualification designator (AQD)", wrote the forum's president Yenal Kucuker in a recent letter. The award was presented during the Boren Forum open house reception at the Hillyer Gallery in Washington, D.C.

"I phoned a Defense Department colleague who is very familiar with the Boren Forum to have him confirm I understood correctly the intent of the letter informing me of the award. Of course, I did grasp the contents correctly, yet I remain surprised at having been selected. Several of its alumni work in national security related agencies and clearly their knowledge and understanding of the importance of language and culture skills to our nation's defense posture helps highlight the value of those skills within Navy," said Johnson.

Johnson, a 1973 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy served in the Navy for 31 years on active duty retiring at the rank of captain in 2004. He's served the Navy as a civilian for the last ten years and has been the head of LREC since 2007.

Kucuker wrote Johnson's work "ensures that our military forces will be better equipped to navigate the cultural and diplomatic arena and directly enhances our ability to develop partnerships that underline our national security architecture. We recognize this contribution to developing a cadre of regional and linguistic experts as something that aligns with the NSEP mission and spirit and we want to acknowledge this exciting initiative."

NSEP was created by the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 to develop a much-needed strategic partnership between the national security community and higher education, addressing the national need for experts in critical languages and regions.

The Boren Forum is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the educational, social, and career development of NSEP award recipients and the enhancement and expansion of public service opportunities through partnerships among alumni and other organizations.

Past recipients of the Boren Forum Spirit of Service Award include former NSEP Director Robert Slater, former Congressman Daniel Boren, Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency David Shedd, and U.S. Ambassador Wanda Nesbitt.