Force Improvement Program gives Airmen direct line to Air Force leaders

By Airman 1st Class Joseph Raatz, Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs / Published February 06, 2014

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- Senior Air Force officials put a plan into motion that will give Airmen an opportunity to make real, visible and enduring changes to the Air Force Global Strike Command.

The Force Improvement Program, or FIP, is an aggressive, action-oriented effort with the goal of making rapid and substantial change to the intercontinental ballistic missile mission. Senior leaders designed the FIP from the ground-up as a field-level initiative to draw on the experiences of Airmen at all levels.

"Unlike other studies we have seen in the past, the foundation for the FIP is that our own ICBM base Airmen will identify challenges within (their) mission area and recommend solutions," said Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, who wrote in a letter to missile crew members. "I can't stress this enough; this is a grass-roots-level effort. From the bottom, up, that's where the solutions are going to come from."

At the heart of the FIP is the Functional Cultural Working Group, or FCWG. These working groups are composed of teams of Airmen, junior NCOs, senior NCOs and company-grade officers from each missile wing. There are five FCWG teams in total, one each from the fields of missile operations, security forces, maintenance, mission support and helicopter operations.

The FCWG teams will visit each missile wing throughout February to meet with their peers locally and work with them to identify challenges in their respective mission areas, and upon completion will recommend solutions directly to Wilson.

"I will, in turn, implement recommendations within my purview and report the results and Air Force level recommendations to Secretary James and General Welsh for their consideration," Wilson said, "I've spoken to the CSAF and secretary and they are ready to act."

Each FCWG team will be augmented by mentors and experts from outside the ICBM field, such as Navy submariners, Navy or Marine security professionals, bomber combat systems officers and members of the 576th Flight Test Squadron and 381st Training Group from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. These additional members will provide the teams with a fresh perspective from an outside source.

"The goal of the FIP is to identify challenges associated with performing duties at our missile wings and to propose innovative, concrete solutions that your senior leadership can take action on in the coming weeks," Wilson said. "Note, I said 'weeks,' not years."

In addition to the FCWG teams, the program will include several other initiatives running concurrently to achieve more comprehensive solutions.

To better understand the challenges faced by ICBM crew members and their families, an email-based feedback system will be open to family members at AFGSC's three missile wings. This system opens up a direct line of communication to command leadership, giving family members an avenue to voice their concerns, address real everyday challenges and propose solutions. Email addresses of respondents will be masked, providing peace of mind. More information about the program will be provided through the chain of command as it becomes available.

Airmen will also be given the opportunity to participate in a confidential survey that will enable open and honest communication with leadership.

Both the email-feedback system and the field survey will be available Feb. 10 - 20.

"I ask that each of you participate in this program in order to provide honest and constructive feedback to me and our senior leaders," Wilson said. "This is your opportunity to foster positive change within your unit, wing, and our command. Don't pass it up."

22 SOPS adds new-generation antennas

by Scott Prater
Schriever Sentinel

2/6/2014 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.  -- The 50th Space Wing earned operational acceptance for four of its remote tracking station antennas from Air Force Space Command Jan. 29, signaling the start of full operations for the Air Force's newest satellite communication assets.

The antennas carry an odd name: Remote tracking station Block Change, or RBC antennas, and they represent the latest telemetry, tracking and command technologies in the Air Force.

The RBC antennas work as part of the Air Force Satellite Control Network of ground stations located around the world. These ground stations are vital to space operations because they allow satellite flyers in the Air Force's space operations squadrons to communicate with the satellites they command and control.

"Spacecraft owners must periodically perform telemetry, tracking and commanding supports," said Brian Bayless, 22nd Space Operations Squadron AFSCN integration chief. "The AFSCN operations fall under 22 SOPS. The AFSCN provides access to more than 150 Department of Defense, national intelligence, civil and allied nation satellites. Now, we have four new technologically advanced systems to accomplish that mission."

The effort to bring the RBC antennas fully online represents the first upgrade to remote tracking station antennas since Automated Remote Tracking Station 1 antennas were installed in 1987.

"We've earned operational acceptance for our RBCs at New Boston Air Force Station [call sign BOSS], Oakhanger, England [LION], Guam [GUAM] and Kaena Point, Hawaii [HULA]," Bayless said. "And, they are significant upgrades to our legacy ground system ."

The new antennas offer the AFSCN a non-keyhole environment. In other words, they can track an orbiting satellite during its entire pass over a tracking station.

"The legacy antennas moved up to 87.5 degrees, but then they have to be manually rotated to 92.5 degrees and reacquire the satellite before tracking the remainder of the pass," Bayless said. "That's just the way the old tracking mechanism worked. With the RBC antennas, we don't lose track of the satellite as it passes over. So, the new antenna gives us an additional five degrees of telemetry."

U.S. government contractors built and installed the RBC antennas at a cost of approximately $25 to $35 million at each site.

"These aren't trivial upgrades," Bayless said. "We've replaced the antennas and the hardware, software and control equipment needed to operate them, what's known as the 'core.'"

And these are just the latest AFSCN antennas to earn operational acceptance. The Air Force began installing RBC antennas at remote tracking sites back in 2004, when the first was constructed at Vandenberg Tracking Station [COOK]

"We've been turning over antennas sequentially at AFSCNs sites since then," Bayless said.

Following installation, antennas are tested and operated for matter of time before AFSPC leaders deem them ready for operational acceptance.

"Operational acceptance is a basically a formal turnover of a weapon system to the command," Bayless said. "Air Force leaders are saying, 'you now have a top-rated system and it's ready to move into full operational status.'"

In the RBC's case, operational acceptance means the Air Force can take full advantage of a multitude of enhancements provided by the new antennas. They not only offer a better tracking range, they provide an 85 percent increase in redundancy and allow the AFSCN to perform in a more automated fashion.

"What RBC antennas allow us to do is automate satellite contacts," said Lt. Col. Aaron Gibson, 22 SOPS commander. "The AFSCN can now ingest our network tasking order schedule, build satellite contacts from that schedule, run the contacts and de-configure without a human touching a keyboard."

Bayless said the RBC antennas also should reduce the time tracking stations spend preparing for a satellite pass, by up to 50 percent.

Give a little, give a lock

by Staff Sgt. Jacob Morgan
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

2/4/2014 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Seventeen women from Peterson and Schriever Air Force Bases showed up to donate hair to Locks for Love Jan. 24 at the Peterson Chapel.

Tech. Sgt. Jenet Shaffner, 561st Network Operations Squadron, organized the "Give a Little, Give a Lock" event with the Paul Mitchell the School of Colorado Springs in order to give service members an opportunity to donate hair.

Locks For Love provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged individuals under the age of 21 in the United States and Canada who suffer from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

"The 'Give A Little, Give A Lock' event was a great success," said Shaffner. "I want to thank all of the ladies who willingly parted with their hair; they will be giving a child a great sense of self-confidence with their donation."

Shaffner has donated hair three times during her Air Force career including in Afghanistan. She donates hair in honor of her mother, who died from pancreatic cancer. Paul Mitchell the School Colorado Springs agreed to bring five students and two teachers for six hours as part of their Be Nice or Else campaign to partner with the community.

Identifying the Touchdown Point: The Long and Short of It

by By Maj Scott Kulle
HQ AMC Flight Safety

2/4/2014 - Spring 2014 -- At the end of the day, at the end of each flight, what is my goal? It's to go home after safely flying, and it's even sweeter if the airplane is A-1 and ready to fly again. So, if the takeoff and mission employment phase go well, what else can go wrong? At AMC Safety, and in operations under FAA oversight, a consistently large number of events keep aircrew from going home happy. It's the landing phase--more specifically, runway excursions (Flight Safety Foundation, 2013).

What is a runway excursion? Simply stated, a runway excursion is off-roading with an airplane due to landing short of the runway, failing to stop by the end of the runway, or driving off the side of the runway. So, why did I elect to write about this? In recent history, there have been some significant landing errors. In one event, a C-130 landed long, departed an AOR runway, and was destroyed. Shortly before that event, a C-17 departed a snow covered runway and was significantly damaged. More recently, two AMC aircraft landed short of the intended runways, one with Class A damage and luckily, the second suffered no damage. Evidence exists of other short touchdowns, but aircraft were not damaged in those events. Finally, an aircrew narrowly avoided a tragedy by recognizing at the last moment that they were about to touch down two miles short of their runway--on a house.

To accomplish a glorious safe landing as a superhero of the not-so-friendly skies, you must be able to identify your landing zone and touchdown point properly. This identification process is macro initially and is refined to a smaller micro perspective as the aircraft approaches the runway.

"What do I expect to see?" Initially, pilots look at the field relative to arrival, the runway configuration, and its relationship to surroundings. As we get closer to the field, we look for lights, painted markings, panels, runway surface condition, and barriers that may present hazards to a safe landing. This mental model of what we anticipate at a field is built during mission planning and then reviewed and updated during the arrival/approach brief. Of note, Line Operations Safety Audits (LOSA) and mishap investigations have shown trends of insufficient approach and arrival briefings--maybe the mental model isn't sufficiently formed.

"What if what I see does not match my expectation?" If you have been thoroughly briefed and the airfield in view is not representative of the expected mental model, it may be time to rethink your landing decision. From this point in on the approach, you have to decide where to put rubber to asphalt, concrete, or dirt. This decision will be driven by your Takeoff and Landing Distance (TOLD) calculations and any other special guidance for your aircraft. This may sound simple for anyone who has graduated pilot training, but mishaps point to crew misinterpretations of TOLD numbers meanings. The crew must know where you plan to touchdown, where you expect to stop or exit the runway, and what point drives a go-around if touchdown has not occurred.

In the C-17, crews use a descent technique for determining when we have gone past our latest touchdown point. This highly technical method is based on counting "one potato" beyond the time the end-of-assault-zone line or panel passes the cockpit. Adding to the accuracy is that this is all based on your task-divided peripheral vision. As I sat contemplating this article, it occurred to me that I did not have a good technique for visually identifying a short touchdown when mission circumstances dictate the aircraft touchdown very precisely in the first 500 feet. This becomes even more critical with the common C-17 technique of aiming for the first third of that 500-foot zone.

Have I ever feared for my life based on this situation? No. However, if you look at satellite photos of assault zones, it's apparent there is a lack of ability to recognize a potential short touchdown. This visual is in direct contrast to the relatively few long landing tire marks. I encourage you to consider this issue, discuss it in your squadrons and wing, and hangar fly it. Though a manpower obligation, an assault zone monitor (think RSU controller) could sit in a vehicle alongside the assault zone and provide instant feedback to the aircrew as to their touchdown point. This would inevitably build accurate mental models of what a "good" landing is. Currently, Charleston's North Field implements a variation of this proposal.

Without a fail-safe outside observer to tell us where we touch down, how can we help ourselves? Our first line of defense is solid training, coupled with a clear understanding of use and application of T.O., AFI, and TTP guidance, as well as practice of sound risk management. Build a mental model to provide expectations, and conduct thorough briefs to ensure all crewmembers are aware of the objective, pitfalls, and go-around points. Understand the T.O. 1-1 TOLD implications; understand FMC/FMS inputs and outputs. Safe operations always begin with the basics!

If you find yourself questioning whether the approach should continue, frame the decision with the following question: "What would the SIB say about my decision?" You are the advocate for the Air Force, your crew and passengers, their families, and the mission. It doesn't matter what crew position you are in or how junior you are--you have an obligation to help ensure you can go home happy.

Runway Excursion Risk Reduction Toolkit http://flightsafety.org/current-safety-initiatives/runway-safety-initiative-rsi/runway-excursion-risk-reduction-rerr-toolkit

Approach and Landing Accident Reduction http://flightsafety.org/current-safety-initiatives/approach-and-landing-accident-reduction-alar Flight Safety Foundation (2013)

Hagel Will Appoint Senior Officer to Guide Ethics Effort

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today announced his intention to appoint a senior general officer to oversee the effort to strengthen ethical behavior in the Defense Department.

“Competence and character are not mutually exclusive,” the secretary told reporters at a Pentagon news conference today. “They are woven together – they must be. And an uncompromising culture of accountability must exist at every level of command.”

Hagel promised to move quickly to assign to his senior staff a general officer who will report directly to him on issues related to ethics, character and leadership and will work directly with service secretaries and the service chiefs. “This officer will coordinate the actions of our services on this issue, work every day with our services, and we will meet weekly so I can receive reports from DOD senior leadership … on the progress we are making,” he said.

The secretary said the effort will be an “absolute top priority” for the department.

Hagel said Americans are grateful for all the men and women who serve the nation with honor and diligence. “I’m proud to serve with them,” he said. “They have earned the respect and admiration of the American people and our allies and partners all over the world.”

The secretary meets weekly with the service secretaries, and the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In the last meeting they discussed the problem, which has included instances of cheating on proficiency exams by both Air Force officers charged with overseeing long range nuclear missiles, as well as Navy personnel at a nuclear reactor training unit. “We are going to continue to address it and we are going to fix it,” Hagel stated.

“Ethics and character are absolute values that we cannot take for granted,” he said. “They must be constantly reinforced. It is the responsibility of all of us who ask for the trust and confidence of the American people to assure these values are imbued in all our people and we all live up to them. Ethics and character are the foundation of an institution and a society. They must be constantly emphasized at every level of command and in training, curriculum and all phases of DOD, in both the officers and enlisted corps.”

Distance proves no barrier as 352nd SOSS wingman steps up to help another

by Karen Abeyasekere
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

1/16/2014 - RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Editor's note: For privacy reasons, the name of the male Airman in the following story is an alias.

Previous experience working for a crisis prevention and intervention hotline helped an Airman from the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron potentially save a life.

Back in June 2013, Airman 1st Class Julia Cap, a geospatial imagery analyst from Calumet City, Ill., had just arrived at RAF Mildenhall. She had just finished in-processing, when "Ray," the ex-boyfriend of one of her friends from technical school, contacted her.

"He reached out to me, because his girlfriend - who was my friend - broke up with him," Cap said.

Break-up results in all-time low

"Ray" was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. His former girlfriend had recently been assigned to Japan. As a result, they had broken up.

During that initial contact from Ray, Cap realized that he was at an emotional low point. She knew this was a chance for her to step up and step in.

Step up, step in

"During my (crisis prevention and suicide awareness) training, there were three key words that we would pick up on - helpless, hopeless and worthless - and (Ray) used all of them," Cap said. "He was saying things like, 'I don't know what to do; she's all that I have. I have nothing left...' In our training, when someone gives you some sort of cue, you ask right away, 'Do you feel like hurting yourself?' or, 'Are you thinking about suicide?'

"I asked (Ray) if he'd thought about hurting himself, and he said yes," Cap said. "From there, I told him he needed to go and talk to his chaplain or supervisor and he said he was going to."

After checking back in the next day, Ray said his chaplain was on leave and he didn't want to speak with his supervisor. In addition, since he was in the intelligence career field, Ray was worried he might lose his security clearance because of how he was feeling.

Looking for the signs

"Initially, he said he didn't know what to do; he felt very hopeless - like he didn't have anything else left for him," Cap said. "He was talking about life in general, about his relationship, and said he hated his job."

Ray also said he regretted joining the military, and felt he shouldn't have persuaded his then-girlfriend to join the military either.

"Even if I hadn't had training, I think I would have picked up on the fact he was in trouble, just because of the way he was talking," Cap said. "We were emailing each other - that's the way he reached out to me - and in one day I would get six or seven emails from him, without having even responded to any of them. He was just very needy, and that's what I picked up on."

Cap's prior training taught her to encourage Ray to get help and also to have him think about things he had to hold on to.

"He was talking about getting a new car, and had been putting the money away to save up for it," she said. "Then he said he shouldn't have done that, but instead should have used the money to go and visit his girlfriend right away. But he was really excited about the car, so I told him, 'Well, you might not have this relationship any more, but you have all this money saved up for a car, which you're really excited about.' (I knew to keep him) looking into the future and at the positives."

The 352nd SOSS Airman also reminded Ray he would be seeing his family soon and that would help make things easier for him, as it would take his mind off his problems.

"When people are in that zone of where they only see the negatives, it's really hard for them to see any positive future - they sometimes just need reminding of the good things that are still there," she said.

Getting backup

After about a week of regularly emailing back and forth with Ray, Cap knew the time had come for her to elevate the situation since Ray was not getting any better. After having given Ray an ultimatum - speak with his supervisor or chaplain or she would contact her leadership - Cap realized that she had no choice but to get others involved.

She explained to her supervisor what was going on, and the two of them worked with her first sergeant to reach out to Ray's first sergeant.

Cap continued to speak with Ray. At one point he was on an uptrend because his ex-girlfriend had spoken with him again, but within a few days his ex-girlfriend had stopped talking to him and Ray fell back into his depression.

Thoughts becoming actions

It was a Monday when Ray was feeling so low that he was prepared to drive his car off the road.

"He was emailing throughout the day, and when I got off work I had text messages from him, asking me to call him," Cap said.

Ray had been to visit his family in Houston over the weekend and was making the drive back to San Antonio so that he could begin his shift at 2 p.m.

"I called (Ray), and he said, 'I need you to talk to me; I'm having really bad thoughts. I'm driving home and I found myself driving at 100 mph.' He was freaking out, so I told him to pull over, because he was in no state to drive."

Cap stayed on the phone with Ray, talking to him for more than three hours as he continued his trip home. During this time, her leadership contacted Ray's first sergeant.

"The entire conversation kept going back to (his ex-girlfriend) but I kept taking him on tangents, asking how his family was, what he did over the weekend, about future plans," she said. "He'd planned a trip with his dad to New Orleans and the east coast, so we talked about that and his car."

Although she knew she was doing the right thing, Cap was nervous about the situation.

"You could just tell that his emotional state was like a roller coaster," Cap said. "There would be times he'd be laughing, and then other times he was just hysterical. Every time I tried pulling him off the subject, he would (bring it) back to her somehow."

Crisis averted

When Ray finally arrived at his house, his grandparents, his supervisor and some security forces Airmen were waiting for him.

Ray's leadership took him to the hospital and put him on suicide-watch for two days. The chaplain visited with him there, and when Ray found the courage to unburden himself, he began to feel better about his situation.

"I got an email from him recently, thanking me," Cap said. "He told me, 'My family really appreciates it, and I honestly think that if you hadn't been there to help me, I wouldn't be here today.' So that shows the magnitude of how serious he was about the situation."

Look out for others

No matter what the time of year, it's always important to look out for others, especially those who may not have family with them or nearby.

"Pay attention to people's behavior, and if you think something is even slightly wrong, just ask them," Cap said. "Our shop is really good; some days I come into work and I just don't want to talk to anybody, but the girl I work with in my office always asks if I'm okay."

Knowing people are looking out for others' welfare can be all it takes to open another's eyes.

"Sometimes you don't even realize you're projecting a sad or upset attitude - but just for someone to call you out on it, it's kind of eye-opening. You then have the opportunity to say, 'I'm just having a bad day,' or "Actually, I need to talk to someone.'"

Editor's note: For those who find themselves in a predicament they cannot figure out on their own or find themselves in need of direction, there are several options available such as the base chaplain, the mental health clinic and the military crisis line.

Balance Key to Fiscal 2015 Budget Reductions, Hagel Says

By Jim Garamone

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2014 – Balance is the key to handling budget reductions for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said today.

Hagel has to cut $41 billion from the president’s planned fiscal 2015 budget request, scheduled to be released March 4, and Pentagon planners are working with the White House and the Office of Management and Budget on the submission.

“You have to come at all these things … from a holistic point of view,” Hagel told reporters at a Pentagon news conference.

The secretary noted that the major parts of the budget fund readiness, modernization and capabilities. “As you assess your resources and you match your resources to mission,” he added, “those are three priorities that always must be in front of everything else.”

Because it is impossible to cut $41 billion from just one aspect of the budget, Hagel said, “you assess the strategic interest and guidance and the mission to defend your country, what it’s going to take to do that, and then you start working through that.”

“Will there be cuts across the board? Of course there will,” he said. “You can’t do it any other way. Are there going to be adjustments across the board? Of course. But you must preserve readiness and modernization and the capability and the capacity in order to do the job of protecting this country within the framework of the resources you have. We’ll do that.”

Hagel said he is satisfied that the proposed Defense Department budget will protect the United States today and in the future. “I think it’s a very good plan. I think it’s an effective plan,” he said.

Pennsylvania Guard Soldier exemplifies medics’ creed ‘so others may live’

By Staff Sgt. Ted Nichols
Pennsylvania National Guard

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. (2/7/14) - To those around him, he was their team leader and physically no one knew what was going on inside of Sgt. 1st Class Daniel S. Famous - except him. As his unit prepared for possible deployment, he knew he wouldn't be deploying with his fellow medics from the 108th Field Artillery.

Famous, 46, who lives in Mount Joy, Pa., was born with a genetic disorder caused by the growth of cysts in his kidneys. Known as polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, the disease was now progressing to a stage that his kidneys were in serious trouble and not properly filtering the toxins from his body.

"I got to the point where I was at 12 percent kidney function, and once you get to 10 percent, that's when you're supposed to go on dialysis," said Famous. "At 15 percent, they want you to go on the kidney donor list."

Famous' unit had just received notification of sourcing for deployment, and as medical platoon sergeant and team leader he gathered his Soldiers at the end of drill in November 2012 to break the news he wouldn't be deploying with them.

Finding the match
"I got all of my medics together and explained to them the importance of picking up and learning the lessons I was trying to teach them and to ask as many questions as they could because I wouldn't be deploying with them," said Famous. "That is when I told them about what I was experiencing and that there was no way I would be able to deploy with them, and I handed out a card that had my name on it and the contact information for a donor specialist."

Enter Sgt. Joseph S. Love, 31, a relatively new medic in the unit from Enola, Pa. It was during drill in November 2012 that Famous told his medics he would not deploy with them. Love was not present at the meeting when Famous made the announcement, but received the donor card from another unit member.

"When I got the card it was a bit of a blow, when your leader or boss isn't able to deploy with you, it adds more weight to the situation," said Love. "There was also a genuine concern for another human being as I've never known anyone personally that needed an organ transplant."

Love described an initial urge to go out and get tested to find out if he was compatible to give one of his two kidneys, but that initial urge was tempered by concerns about how it would affect his military career and family.

"I didn't want to rush into something without knowing 100 percent what I would need to do," said Love. "If I wasn't 100 percent committed, it wouldn't be fair to Sgt. Famous."

Love worked to sort concerns out on his end and didn't volunteer for the extensive testing process until March of 2013 - one month after his unit found out their deployment was no longer on the books.

Let the tests begin
Love detailed the initial month's tests that ran the gamut of weekly blood pressure tests to blood work to urinalysis and glucose testing. The next big test would be determining whether or not he would be a tissue match.

"If you end up being a tissue match, that's the first big step," explains Love. "It was exciting to hear back I was a match."

"I had a very strong feeling from the beginning that I would be a match and this worked out," said Love. "I try to live by faith. The Bible says, 'Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.' I knew that I was going to be a match because God had prepared me for this task."

Love entered his final stages of testing in August 2013 and passed all of the tests and was determined healthy enough to donate. It was at this point he decided to break the news to Sgt. Famous during his final annual training with the unit before transferring to his current unit 2-104th Cavalry headquarters.

Breaking the news
"I had not told anyone about this whatsoever except my wife and the transplant coordinators," said Love, who set up a one-on-one meeting with Famous at the end of annual training under the pretense of looking for some parting words of wisdom from his boss.

Love and Famous went for a walk where the talk went as planned until Love interrupted.

"That's great and all, but really I just wanted to tell you I passed all the kidney donation tests and I'm a good donor and it's yours if you want it," said Love.

"The majority of my medics can tell you that I'm normally not without some kind of comments or words," said Famous. "This left me speechless for at least five minutes because this is such a huge gesture of kindness from one human being to another."

Famous explained that the fact this is coming from a living donor makes a big difference in his future. Famous said statistics show a kidney coming from a living donor last on average 30 years compared to the average of 15-20 years coming from a deceased donor.

"Not only will this enable me to maintain the way of life I'm used to, it will allow me to stay in the Pennsylvania National Guard on my terms until I'm ready to retire," said Famous. "If this hadn't come through, I'd be starting dialysis in the next couple of months and my military career would be over."
Love was calm in his demeanor and exuded a genuine sense of compassion when he explained why he is doing this.

"This is something I wanted to do - I wanted to help," said Love. "It felt like the right thing to do, I was in a position to give and to not at least try I would always regret and wonder 'What if?'"

Committed to serve
As for the concerns for their military careers, organ donation isn't an everyday occurrence in the military and is somewhat unchartered territory.

"I came to terms with the fact that I was ready to make this decision no matter the consequences on my military career," said Love. "I felt strongly the military would make an exception as it would really be an odd reason to kick someone out because of the nature of the gesture; I'd think this would be the type of soldier the military would want."

"If for some reason there's a bureaucrat out there who says I can't serve because this box is checked, that's OK because this benefits Dan," explained Love. "He can be a father and husband without dialysis and that is more important than anything else."

They have both received assurances they will be able to stay in and are deployable under certain circumstances, but know their records will constantly be reviewed on a situational basis.

Love knows once the transplant is complete he'll face a medical board and probably be assigned a profile.

"My goal is to not have a profile at all and get back to where I was before the disease progressed to the point it is at now," said Famous. "I want to go back to being a service to my country without a profile and being an example to my junior enlisted soldiers and continue being a part of the Pennsylvania National Guard."

The next step
Love and Famous have prepared to complete the donation on Feb. 18 in Harrisburg where the procedure consists of two independent surgeries followed by four to six weeks of recovery.

"There are two surgeons that will team together to do both surgeries," said Love. "They'll be removing my kidney, putting it on ice, cleaning and prepping for the next surgery where they will put the kidney in Dan."

As they both prepared to go under the knife, they were resolute in getting the message out about the importance of becoming an organ donor or getting tested to become a living donor.

"There is a huge need for living donors and I encourage anyone interested in helping someone to go out and get tested for compatibility," said Famous, who explained the financial liability and insurance coverage for the entire process comes through the recipient. "It's still your option whether or not to make the donation after the testing, but getting tested takes you one step closer to helping out another in need just as Sgt. Love is helping me."

With surgery day looming, they were much more at ease than the average person thanks to their training as medics - training that has strengthened their trust in modern medicine and numbed them to the fears the average person has with complex medical procedures. But in the end, the very act about to take place also exemplified to them and their peers the very creed medics subscribe to - so that others may live.

This is part one of a two-part article. Part two will detail the transplant and Love and Famous' recovery and transition back to service in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Airman serves through art

by Airman 1st Class Samantha Saulsbury
460th Space Wing Public Affairs

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Buckley Spirit Rock sits on the corner of Aspen and Breckenridge Streets. Although small in stature, the murals painted on the rock by Team Buckley members have a large impact on the base, honoring units, special observances and individuals.

One of the rock's frequent painters, Staff Sgt. Alfonso Martinez, 460th Logistics Readiness Squadron property manager, said he paints the spirit rock not only to fulfill his creative energy, but also to boost morale, something he said brings his small unit even closer and get's their name on the street.

Other Team Buckley members, to include Chief Master Sgt. Halseth, agree.

"It definitely builds unit pride," said Chief Master Sgt. Richard Halseth, 460th Mission Support Group superintendent. "Big or small units, they are all allowed to 'represent' on the spirit rock. There's something special about driving past the rock and seeing your unit represented on it.

I look forward to driving past the rock seeing some of the artistry and imagination that people have," he added

The Buckley spirit rock is open to all Team Buckley members, and anyone is allowed to paint it with their leadership's approval as long as the prior painting has been displayed for at least two weeks.

"When people get out there and paint the spirit rock, I think it makes them feel like they are actually part of the base versus 'just working here,'" Halseth said.

Leftover paint from projects on base is available free of charge from the hazardous material office.

Aside from getting him out of the office, Martinez joked, he is incredibly grateful for Buckley giving him the opportunity to display his talent and highlight important events.

His latest painting, a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. mural honoring Black History Month, attracted a lot of positive attention. Martinez said a few people stopped by when he was painting, giving their thanks and appreciation for his work.

Along with the praise from his unit and the Buckley community, Martinez is also grateful for such a supportive family. Whenever his mom see's the work he has done, she always jokes that she and his father should've pushed him through art school. His kids are also some of his biggest fans, he said.

Although the murals painted on the spirit rock will eventually get painted over, covering up many hours of hard work and dedication, Martinez's passion for art makes it all worth it.

"It's a cool feeling," Martinez stated. "It sends a message out there. As long as I send out what its saying, what it represents, then I did my job."

DOD Electronic Health Records Help VA Disability Claims

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2014 – The Defense Department has made troops’ health records electronically available to the Veterans Affairs Department to speed up the adjudication of disability claims, a DOD health information technology official said.

Now in place for service members who have separated or discharged from the military since Jan. 1, the Health Artifact and Image Management Solution, or HAIMS, electronic system makes certified military service treatment records automatically available to VA to determine disability benefits when a claim is filed, said David M. Bowen, director of health information technology at the Defense Health Agency.

“We made a commitment that the HAIMS interface would be operational on Jan. 1, and we met that commitment,” Bowen told American Forces Press Services.

Army Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Richard Thomas, director of health care operations and chief medical officer at DHA, testified to Congress yesterday on the new system before the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs subcommittee of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. DOD personnel worked with VA to help determine what steps could be taken to alleviate the disability claims backlog, he said.

“We recognized DOD needed to assist the VA by providing additional data on the benefits side, so we put teams together and they came up with the solution [to] generate an electronic service treatment record document,” Bowen explained.

The result was an interface from DOD to VA through HAIMS. DOD’s HAIMS already existed for military medical clinicians and has been sharing electronic data with Veterans Health Administration providers before it was tied to Veterans Benefits Administration, officials said.

The electronic records shared between DOD and VA also allow VA hospitals to access the records. “There are lots of fields of data flowing back and forth,” Bowen said of the agencies’ collaboration. “We probably share more data than any other health care organizations in the world.”

Complete medical records are kept on patients while under DOD care and also include information that comes from the commercial sector. The electronic records are “readily available and accessible by our DOD clinicians, any time, anywhere in the world,” Bowen said. Digitizing the full record at the time of a service member’s separation provides VA with “a history of the service member’s care,” and is as up-to-date as the last medical appointment, he noted.

HAIMS has distinct advantages for DOD, Bowen said. “It enhances our ability to provide additional information to our clinicians to help them better care for our patients. The dimension around having all the data more and more in an electronic format and being able to move that all around the world from assignment to assignment is also very beneficial.”

Bowen said the DOD-VA interface represents two organizations working together collectively to solve a problem and coming up with a solution, a timetable and a way to put the solution in place on schedule, benefitting both of the departments.

“I think we're going to make life much easier for Veterans Benefits Administration staff to see DOD-specific health care data on our service members to help them with the process of adjudicating a claim.”