CSAF awards Silver Stars to Vietnam vets

By Staff Sgt. Alyssa C. Gibson , Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information / Published December 18, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- A star pendant necklace bought in 1984 has been tucked away for 30 years since its purchase. The necklace was a gift to Sue Roberts from her husband, Eric Roberts II, as a thank you for her efforts toward getting the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to him and Ronald Brodeur’s upgraded to a Silver Star. Unfortunately at the time, the request was denied, and Sue vowed to never wear the necklace until her husband and Brodeur received stars of their own.

The two gentlemen were awarded the Silver Star by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III during a ceremony at the Pentagon Dec. 17.

“Since the U.S. Air Force became an independent service in 1947 we’ve presented 285 Silver Stars,” Welsh said. “That’s not a whole lot when you think of all the combat sorties and contingencies we’ve participated in. One hundred and five of those were given from the Vietnam conflict -- soon to be 107. This is a very select group of warriors for a reason. It’s presented for gallantry in action against enemies of the United States.”

Roberts and Brodeur were awarded the Silver Star for their gallantry in connection with military operations against an armed enemy of the U.S. in Duc Lap, Republic of Vietnam, on Feb. 20, 1969. At the time, then-Staff Sgt. Brodeur and Sgt. Roberts were assigned to the 20th Special Operations Squadron as UH-1P helicopter gunners. Affectionately known as the “Green Hornets” the unit was responsible for supporting special operations in South Vietnam.

On that day, their crew was called upon to rescue a six-man Army long-range reconnaissance patrol. With a river on one side, enemy fire coming from every other direction, and the field they were hiding in ablaze, the patrol was in extreme danger of being overrun. Still, the Green Hornets were able to locate the patrol. With their harnesses secured to the aircraft and their weapons in hand, the sergeants climbed out of the helicopter and onto its skids to direct the pilot and copilot into a 10-foot hover, while using M-60 machine guns to suppress enemy fire.

A rope ladder was dropped to the patrol team below, and upon their ascent there was an explosion -- one of the Soldiers had triggered a mine on the ground. The explosion blew Brodeur off the right skid, and he dangled from the aircraft in his harness.

“After I recovered and I got back on my skid and near my gun, I glanced back and there was nobody in the doorway -- my heart stopped,” Brodeur said. “And then I saw this guy scooting back up on the skid to get back to his gun.”

On the left side, the explosion had caused the co-pilot’s door to blow open and Roberts was thrown inside the helicopter. Determined, Roberts had unhooked his harness, climbed out of the helicopter, and inched his way up the left skid to secure the co-pilot’s door, protecting him from enemy fire.

“He got back up, hooked his gunner belt back in, got behind the gun and started covering fire for the team to get near the ladder and back up the airplane,” Brodeur said. “But it was a scary moment when I didn’t see anyone in that door.”

Thanks to their actions, the entire team was rescued and evacuated with no loss of life. For their actions, the pilot and co-pilot on this mission received the Silver Star; however, the nomination packages for Roberts and Brodeur were lost -- initially they didn’t receive an award at all. With Sue’s persistence, they received decorations in 1984 -- the Distinguished Flying Cross. The classification of the mission didn’t allow for a full picture of the courageous actions of the enlisted men.

Brodeur, Roberts and their spouses felt that since the crew worked together as a team, they should have received the same award.

“The first iteration of this award wasn’t actually presented until 1984 as the Distinguished Flying Cross to these two gentlemen,” Welsh said. “It was presented then only because Sue Roberts, starting in 1971, pursued it. The awards recommendations for these two guys in the back of the helicopter were separated from the pilot and co-pilot’s awards and decorations recommendations and just never reached completion until Sue got involved. Thirteen years later, they were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

“This is a phenomenal story,” Welsh continued. “They’re looking back on this thinking this is pretty routine, this is just what the squadron did -- it’s what our job was, what we’re expected to do, what teammates did all the time. But according to the laws of this nation and the standards of our service, that was gallantry in action. It’s incredibly appropriate, finally, that we have the chance to say ‘thank you for what you did, for who you are for the example you set.’ And Sue, thank you for the opportunity to recognize what should have been recognized long ago.”

Now, three decades later, three star pendants are worn for the first time -- two for gallantly serving the country, and one as a symbol of dedication to the one she loves.

Airmen create works of art with metals technology

by Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
JBER Public Affairs

12/14/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Off Japan's east coast, The Continental Plate and the Pacific Ocean Plate meet to form the Japan Trench.

On March 11, 2011, the downward pressure from the Continental Plate on the Pacific plate suddenly released, causing it to surge more than 200 feet upward, triggering a magnitude 8.9 earthquake - named the fourth-largest earthquake in modern history.

The temblor and its subsequent tsunami killed more than 15,000 people and displaced more than 200,000 more. Amid the devastation, it also started the a ticking of a time-bomb 130 miles north of Yokota Air Base, Japan.

A nuclear power plant began to melt down.

"If they don't have cool water consistently pumping through the plant, it overheats. When the tsunami came, it wiped out their backup generators," said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Hamblin, 3rd Maintenance Squadron aircraft metals technology craftsman. "At that point they were unable to keep the plant cool, and with widespread power outages, they didn't have a good way to tell people what was going on, either."

In less than a week, the Royal Australian Air Force showed up with new water pumps, courtesy of the U.S. government, for immediate use in cooling down the reactor. However, the Japanese hoses did not fit the new water pumps, and they could not be used. The reactor continued to heat up.

Hamblin, then an Airman first class at his first duty station, was one of eight metals technology Airmen who immediately began 12-hour shifts.

Their task was not simple: draw, design, and create adapters so the Japanese hoses could securely connect to the U.S. water pumps - and do it quickly enough for them to be implemented before a nuclear meltdown.

Two days later, the parts were delivered, and a catastrophe was averted.

While this is by no means an average day for metals technology Airmen, it is what they're trained to do.

"We're here to support the aircraft and all the support equipment for the aircraft. We do everything from welding, to machining, to sometimes prototyping and manufacturing," Hamblin said. "The majority of our work is split between aircraft and support equipment."

Often, their work takes them out on the flightline to measure damage to aircraft. Even the most minute of damages, like a shallow scratch may render a piece of equipment non-mission-capable.

Aircraft metals technology Airmen are like the happy union between graphic designers and blacksmiths wrapped into one Air Force package, but before they draw, or put a piece of metal in their 2,900-degree furnace, they measure.

"The tools we use are hand tools like micrometers, dial calipers, and pick calipers - which have a point on them so fine you can measure the depth of a scratch. Some of the calipers we have can measure a 30th of a hair's thickness," Hamblin said. "So if you took a human hair, cut that into three pieces and cut each of those into 10 pieces, we can measure the thickness of that. It's really precise. We go out there and give them an exact measurement on the size of the damage so the engineers can go back, evaluate it, and decide if that's something that is repairable or if it's something that's going to have to be replaced.

Some parts may allow zero damage, but some parts may allow what we would consider quite a bit of damage," Hamblin said. "The standard is different for every part."

Often, if it is determined that a part is in need of replacement, and the part cannot be ordered in a timely manner, people turn to metals technology for help. This creates some unique opportunities: like creating adapters for coolant hoses to avert a nuclear meltdown.

More recently, Hamblin had a similar opportunity; he's now machining the first-ever Air Force manufactured F-22 Raptor Infrared Countermeasures bucket bracket.

"The IRCM bucket bracket holds the dispensers that go on the side of the aircraft. Whenever there's a threat, it can dispense countermeasures through those brackets," said Steven Mate, 3rd Maintenance Squadron, Aircraft Metals Technology foreman. "The original bracket in the airplane was damaged and it had to be replaced. Currently, the aircraft is only partly mission-capable with the damaged bracket in it, meaning they can't put any of the electronic countermeasures in on that side."

The IRCM, like many F-22, parts has been designed to be as thin as possible to save weight, Mate said. Because of this, there's not much room for damage before a part needs to be replaced entirely.

"Being an F-22 part, it wouldn't typically be made in an Air Force shop. It would be handled by the factory," Hamblin said. "We aren't typically allowed to make aircraft parts of this caliber, specifically on this aircraft."

"Lockheed was going to make the new part, but the soonest they could get it to us was the latter part of February 2016," Mate said. "So we started doing some research to see if we were going to be able to make it. After evaluating the drawings, we stated we could make it."

So Hamblin and his co-workers set to work measuring the model Lockheed Martin sent in with their portable coordinate measuring machine - which looks roughly like a high-tech hot-glue gun attached to a jointed carbon fiber arm and a red circle at the tip of the nozzle.

"Basically you're measuring coordinates in a 3-D space," Hamblin said as a 3-D printer hummed away on a different project behind him. "That machine can tell you exactly where every point on a specific thing is in that 3-D space."

The arm uses software and materials so complex, it costs upwards of $120,000, Hamblin said.

"We reverse-engineered it by measuring it with the Romer arm and feeding the measurements back into the computer with the blueprints," Mate said.

Once they had the measurements, the metals technology Airmen assumed the role of graphic designer and drew the part in their custom-built computer from scratch, using $15,000 3-D modeling software.

"The drawing part is the easy part. That's the part everyone picks up on," Hamblin said. "It's the same as using paint. When you're telling it how to cut that box, that's when it gets really complicated."

They draw the part by using a series of lines separated and organized in such a way that it looks like a 3-D blueprint. The program sees the lines as toolpaths, which are best described as digital "roads" it creates for the computer numerically controlled machine to follow with its tool bit.

"It converts the inputs into what's called G-Code," Hamblin said. "Then reads that to give the machine coordinates on where to move, how to move, what speed to move and we can cut pretty much any shape we want out of a piece of metal."

The program may be giving the machine those details, but someone has to tell the program what to translate, Hamblin does that, right down to the thousandths of an inch.

"This program is where the real parameters are. You're telling it how much material to cut per rotation, so say I only want to cut .001 inches per rotation, so every tooth on that cutter is going to cut one thousandth's thickness, I'm telling it how fast to spin the spindle, because that changes with the material, I'm telling it how fast to go in, how fast to come out, how fast to move across the machine, and what angle to do each of those at."

The Airman has to know the kind of metal they are working with too, and not just whether it's aluminum or steel, but what grade of aluminum or steel, because different qualities can take different levels of heat, which affects how fast the machine can carve the part out of the block of metal it's working with. That includes when to wash the block with coolant and how often, Hamblin said.

"This [program] is another tool, that's all it is."

Each of those details can affect another detail, so they compound together and create a complex web of commands the Airman is directly giving the machine.

Once those commands are laid out, they can run a simulation of the project and determine if the part meets their precise requirements. This is vital because a mistake by even one thousandth of an inch could cost the Air Force thousands of dollars in special alloys the jets need, Hamblin said.

At the end of the day, a metals technology Airman uses 3-D modeling programs like a graphics designer to sculpt precise parts out of a block of material much like an artist would out of marble. That's when they're not heat-treating metals like a blacksmith with a furnace so they can harden or soften them.

"What I love the most about my job is when somebody comes to us, we're the last thing there is. If we can't fix it, it's done, it's broke," Hamblin said. "You're going to have to get a new one."

Last resort indeed - when the Earth itself shakes, a few Airmen from the Aircraft Metals Technology Flight can help.

39th CS keeps OIR mission connected

by Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders
39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

12/17/2015 - INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- The demand for communications capabilities is on the rise with the addition of aircraft and service members in support of Operation Inherent Resolve missions, here.

The 39th Communications Squadron is hard at work meeting those demands, keeping the lines of communication open and demonstrating dedication to the 39th Air Base Wing and OIR. Whether those lines of communication are non-secure or secure internet networks, telecommunications or mobile radios; it's the communications squadron Airmen who ensures everyone on Team Incirlik stays connected despite the increase in operations.

"Currently the operations tempo is extremely high here," said Chief Master Sgt. Dax Marvel, 39th CS superintendent. "At most other installations, there isn't the ops tempo like we have here. For most bases, it is mostly steady state... just maintaining what is already established. Here, we are maintaining our established wing buildings as well as building and installing communication support in buildings that have not been used for more than five years."

The infrastructure installed into the older facilities is an essential working conduit, which critical communication information travels, and powers the wings missions. If the AF is a living body then CS acts as its central nervous center transferring signals from point to point.

"Every sector of the CS works to ensure communication needs are met to support everyone on base and their missions," said Airman 1st Class Trevor Hermosillo, 39th CS cable and antenna technician. "Large or small, every mission requires communications aspects to succeed. You look at everybody going about their business and you see the buildings you helped put 'comm' into. Although they don't know, it gives us a sense of pride we are contributing to the mission."

Team McChord performs during Rainier War

by Senior Airman Divine Cox
62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs

12/17/2015 - JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- In today's military, aircrews have to be trained and ready to handle any type of combat scenario, and recently, members of McChord Field and other bases participated in an exercise titled "Rainier War" to help them hone their skills.

Aircrews from Joint Bases Lewis-McChord, Wash, Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Joint Base Charleston, S.C. departed from McChord Field, Wash Dec. 10, to participate in a Joint Forcible Entry exercise over Moses Lake, Wash.

Rainier War is a semi-annual Large Formation Exercise, hosted by the 62nd Airlift Wing, designed to train aircrew under realistic scenarios that support full spectrum operations against modern threats and replicate today's contingency operations.

"We launched 11 C-17 Globemaster III's to train and hone our combat and humanitarian mobility delivery skills," said Col. Leonard Kosinski, 62nd Airlift Wing commander.

Once the aircraft launched and were in the air, aircrews began preparing their aircraft for its large formation airdrops.

Before the formation performed the heavy container delivery system airdrops, the aircrews performed low level flying prior to arriving at the drop zone in Moses Lake.

"I enjoy watching the success of our hard work," said Staff Sgt. Joseph Timpson, 10th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. "Practice makes perfect, and when you train all the time, specifically on airdrop missions, you expect everything to be perfect."

The Rainier War exercise included the large formation airdrops and a larger formation of C 17's before heading back to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"This was a very challenging exercise and lots of important learning took place," said Kosinski. "It was incredibly realistic and challenging training needed to ensure we are ready whenever and wherever our nation calls."

Wright-Patterson facility saves DOD time, millions

by Wesley Farnsworth
88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

12/14/2015 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio  -- With budgets shrinking and the Department of Defense forced to do more with less, every penny counts when it comes to purchasing new equipment. Personnel at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Rapid Development Integration Facility understand that demand and are here to help.

The RDIF began operations in 2010 when the Air Force needed a way to develop projects and do things faster and cheaper while keeping all the data under government control.

Since then, the RDIF has received and completed more than 240 projects on equipment like the HH-60M Black Hawk Helicopter, F-22 Raptor, B-2 Spirit Bomber, B-1 Lancer Bomber, all variations of the C130J, various Federal Aviation Administration aircraft, and the Guardian Angel Air Recovery vehicle, to name a few.

RDIF personnel have successfully returned more than $150 million to customers, who could then use that money on additional projects. In addition, the RDIF has been able to help its customers save more than 70 percent on their projected budgets.

RDIF personnel accomplish this by helping find creative answers to problems by designing prototypes, working with the customer to fine-tune them, testing them, and estimating the cost, said Alan Brookshire, RDIF director. They are even able to help with the manufacturing of some products, he said.

"When we started in 2010, our first project was a new nitrogen purge kit, which is responsible for keeping the corrosion off components inside infrared sensor balls on aircraft," Brookshire said. "It was costing the Air Force more than $6,000 to make [the kits], and we would have to wait between 30 days to six months to receive them."

Brookshire said his office was able to research this component, then build and deliver it to the customer in 30 days for only $398 each.

"We knew once we saw those savings, we were on to something and this was worth exploring more," Brookshire said.

For the RDIF team, it's about more than just saving money for its customers.

"While saving our customers money is great, we also want to educate them so they are better equipped to make educated decisions when buying things for the government in the future," said Maj. Nathan Abel, RDIF deputy director. "We encourage our customers to visit our shop and play a part in the entire process so that they have a better understanding of what the products are, and what goes into making them. This allows them to be better informed for future contracts."

Brookshire echoed Abel's sentiments and pointed out a recent project in which RDIF personnel worked with maintenance teams of the C-5 Galaxy aircraft.

"The team approached us because their current lift stand did not work effectively," Brookshire said. "So we began making modifications based on their initial feedback. Since then, we've had them out four times, and each time they tell us what works and doesn't work so that we can get it just right."

At the end of the day, the customer is the one with the need, and we just want to help them find a solution to that need, Brookshire said.

While saving money and educating their customers is important, both Abel and Brookshire said that they love the fact that they are also able to support the warfighter through RDIF's work.

"It's an awesome feeling to be able to come to work and have a hand in making things that our customers will use to support the warfighter down range," Abel said. "As long as we are able to continue to support the warfighter by educating our customers; providing solid products; saving them time and money, which allows them to do more with less; then we are on the right track."

Schriever Wargame concludes

by AFSPC Public Affairs

12/17/2015 - Schriever AFB, Colorado -- The Schriever Wargame 2015 concluded here today.  Set in the year 2025, Schriever Wargame 2015 explored critical space issues in depth.

The objectives of the Wargame centered on: 1) identifying ways to increase the resilience of space that include our Intelligence Community, civil, commercial, and Allied partners; 2) exploring how to provide optimized effects to the warfighter in support of coalition operations; and 3) examining how to apply future capabilities to protect the space enterprise in a multi-domain conflict.

The SW 15 scenario depicted a peer space and cyberspace competitor seeking to achieve strategic goals by exploiting those domains.  It included a global scenario with the focus of effort towards the European Command (EUCOM) Area of Responsibility.  The scenario also included full spectrum threats across diverse operating environments that challenged civilian and military leaders, planners and space system operators, as well as the capabilities they employ. 

Approximately 200 military and civilian experts from more than 27 agencies around the country as well as from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom participated in the Wargame.

Agencies that participated included:  Air Force Space Command, Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Naval Fleet Cyber Command, the National Reconnaissance Office,  Executive Agent for Space Staff, Air Combat Command, Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. European Command, U.S. Strategic Command, Defense Information Systems Agency, the Intelligence Community, National Aeronautics and Space Administration,  Office of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, Department of State and Department of Commerce.

AF introduces enlisted Global Hawk pilots

By Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs, / Published December 17, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials announced a new initiative Dec. 17 to enhance the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission by integrating enlisted remotely piloted aircraft pilots into the force.

Air Force officials stated a dynamic threat environment calls for innovative approaches to high-demand missions. After careful consideration and with an eye toward potential future force needs, service officials plan to deliberately integrate the enlisted force into flying operations, starting with the RQ-4 Global Hawk.

“Our enlisted force is the best in the world and I am completely confident they will be able to do the job and do it well,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “The RPA enterprise is doing incredibly important work and this is the right decision to ensure the Air Force is positioned to support the future threat environment. Emerging requirements and combatant commander demands will only increase; therefore, we will position the service to provide warfighters and our nation the capability they deserve today and in the future.”

The secretary and chief directed Air Combat Command to develop an implementation plan over the next six months to address items like entry requirements, training plans, career path development, delineation of duties, compensation details and an appropriate force mix. Implementation is focused on the Global Hawk community, not the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper force.

“This action will make the most of the capabilities of our superb enlisted force in order to increase agility in addressing the ISR needs of the warfighter,” James said. “Just as we integrated officer and enlisted crew positions in the space mission set, we will deliberately integrate enlisted pilots into the Global Hawk ISR community.”

In the space mission arena, the Air Force took a deliberate approach to incorporate enlisted personnel into satellite operations. During the space mission transition, the Air Force ensured enlisted Airmen were prepared to successfully assume these new responsibilities. Phasing the conversion also allowed squadrons to build expertise and transition officers into other areas that faced shortages, officials said. As a result, the Air Force grew leadership opportunities and normalized operations, posturing for a more congested and contested environment in space.

“We are taking action now to address future ISR needs,” said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. “Not too long ago, we took the best of both officer and enlisted development tracks to lead the space mission. A similar model can be applied to our Global Hawk operations.”

This initiative to incorporate enlisted pilots is the first step to developing future operating concepts within the multi-domain ISR enterprise. The Global Hawk is the most stable RPA community and presents an ability to integrate new capabilities in an effort to better posture the force for the dynamic future operating environment.

“The Global Hawk mission is a strategically vital mission,” Welsh said. “The transition to enlisted pilots will be managed with minimum impact on current Global Hawk pilots. As always, we will continue to assess and balance our force to meet warfighter needs while ensuring appropriate force development.”

The service plans to be deliberate in its approach, ensuring learning occurs along the way.

 “What we learn from flying Global Hawks with enlisted pilots under the supervision of rated officers will inform whether we apply a similar approach to other weapon systems,” Welsh said. “It is too soon to speculate on any expansion of enlisted aircrew beyond the Global Hawk program.”

 Air Force officials are confident this decision will enable flexibility heading into the future.

First F-16 MRA class graduates at Holloman

by Staff Sgt. E'Lysia A. Wray
49th Wing Public Affairs

12/17/2015 - HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M.-- -- The 372nd Training Squadron, Detachment 10 held a Sole Hands-On Training Mission Ready Airmen course graduation Dec. 16 at Holloman.

This is the first graduation of its kind to be conducted at Holloman. The course originally started at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, in 1994, until it was transferred here about a month ago.

"The F-16 aircraft have moved from Luke AFB to Holloman," said Master Sgt. Travus Gonzalez, the 372nd TRS, Det. 10 production superintendent. "Our course requires the aircraft [crewchief] to complete our course training objectives."

The MRA course teaches F-16 crew chiefs hands-on training needed to perform their basic daily duties on the aircraft.

The material covered includes aircraft launch and recovery, preflight and postflight inspections, engine oil servicing; Liquid Oxygen, or LOX, servicing; LOX converter removal and installation; aircraft tire servicing; and aircraft refueling

"Our F-16 MRA program works closely with the 311th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and 314th AMU to use their aircraft sorties," said Gonzalez. "It really is a team effort with the 54th Fighter Group to graduate our students."

The MRA training has graduated 11,840 Air Force crew chiefs. This includes Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve members. The MRA program is set to graduate approximately 450 students at Holloman in fiscal year 2016.

Upon graduating, students are awarded their 3-Level. They are then stationed at any of the 68 locations available in the career field to continue their on-the-job training.

Morón Airmen welcome, engage with senior Air Force leaders

by Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

12/15/2015 - MORÓN AIR BASE, Spain  -- Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody hosted an all-call at Morón Air Base, Dec. 7.

Welsh and Cody visited the air base to engage with Airmen of the 496th Air Base Squadron and thank them for their efforts providing combat expeditionary support at Morón, and to discuss the new changes across the Air Force.

"Thank you for everything you do," said Welsh. "From the time you've spent away from your families to the things you are doing for the nation here, the things you are doing for each other and the care you are taking for all of the people you support who come through here and Rota -- thank you.

"You have no idea how proud we are of you," added Welsh.

In addition to thanking those who support the joint mission at Morón, both leaders explained the importance of knowing your wingmen and how that affects mission readiness.
"Look around your unit," said Welsh. "Be the person that brings people together. You be the person that asks everybody's opinion. You be the one who wants to know what they think, how they feel, and what they contribute. Make sure their voices are heard."

Cody expanded on that thought by communicating the value of connecting with Airmen in the work place.

"It is a family business," he said. "I ask that you spend time getting to know each other's stories...You have to be able to look into someone's eyes and know whether or not they're having a bad day."

Cody also expressed that connecting with people could also lessen the frequency of sexual assault, suicides and other negative behaviors.

The leaders then discussed the changes to the enlisted evaluation system and the requirement for open and honest feedback.

Before the new changes, many Airmen were not receiving performance feedbacks, said Welsh. "This is a performance-based organization."

Welsh also explained the top performers were often being overlooked with the old performance reporting.  Conversely, the new system will allow leaders to quickly identify those top performers and give them an advantage towards promotion.

According to Capt. Justin Schneider, 496th Air Base Squadron contracting flight commander, the visit was much appreciated by Airmen at Morón.

"The biggest takeaway from the visit for me was hearing we have the power to make change," said Schneider, "Both Chief Cody and General Welsh reiterated how our suggestions for change are heard and often implemented.  We as Airmen and future leaders in the Air Force don't have to keep doing things the way they have always been done.  We should do what makes sense and allows us to return the focus on the things which matter the most, including taking care of our families, each other and ourselves."

With innovative Airmen stepping up to make necessary changes in the Air Force, a stronger future will be built, he added.

December marks National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

by Airman Valerie Monroy
JBER Public Affairs

12/18/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaksa -- With everyone traveling home for the holidays, the month of December is one of the busiest on the nation's roadways. With the holidays approaching, the number for social events that include drinking increases along with DUIs and fatal drunk-driving crashes.

President Barack Obama issued a proclamation Dec. 1 declaring the month, as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. The president urged people to use this month to recommit to preventing these incidents by acting responsibly and by promoting responsible behavior by those around us.

People are encouraged to have a plan if they are going to be drinking, but sometimes not everything goes as planned. That's when the Joint Base Against Drunk Driving program comes into play.

JBADD is a volunteer organization and an extension of the Better Opportunities for Single Service Members program.

The primary purpose of JBADD is to provide the service members of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and their spouses with a safe, anonymous, free ride home instead of driving their own vehicles while intoxicated.

"I think JBADD is a great opportunity for service members to assist with not only protecting the local community but fellow members' careers," said Senior Airman Andrew Harrison, 673d Communications Squadron cyber transport systems liaison and JBADD volunteer. "It's an absolute win-win, for both the installation and
the community."

The first incarnation of the JBADD program started prior to joint basing.

"It was Soldiers Against Drunk Driving for the Army and Airmen Against Drunk Driving for Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Silvia Prows, 673d Medical Support Squadron health services management specialist and president of JBADD. "Once we went joint venture, we got backing from the BOSS program and were able to advertise JBADD as a whole for all services."

JBADD relies entirely on support from volunteers.

Prows said JBADD is important because not all service members will dedicate their time to picking up other service members and their dependent spouses, but those that do are helping to eliminate potential tragedies.

"I've seen firsthand what a DUI can do to a unit, the individuals involved and the local community," said Harrison. "It's not something that should happen and JBADD lets me try as much as possible to prevent that."

For some service members, a memorable night out could turn into a career-changing mistake, so the program remains free and fully confidential.

"We do not disclose who we pick up to anyone," said Prows. "We do not contact anyone in that individual's chain. We just get their name and where they're located and pick them up."

The service is available to all active-duty service members, National Guardsmen and Reservists on active duty orders and all dependent spouses, Prows said.

"JBADD is a great tool provided by JBER leaders to make sure our members are safe, and an awesome opportunity to lend a helping hand when someone might need it," said Harrison.

JBADD operates Friday and Saturday nights from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., unless otherwise stated.

JBADD should always be a last resort, but when issues arise or plans fall through, you can always call 384-RIDE.