Face of Defense: Archaeologist Preserves Base Histories

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Rachel Loftis

99th Air Base Wing

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev., June 8, 2015 – Unlike a base or wing historian, who specializes in records and documents of people’s lives, Kish La Pierre, 99th Civil Engineer Squadron archaeologist, studies the lives people may have led through what they left behind, such as fossils, buildings, markings or human remains.

“I manage Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases, and the Nevada Test and Training Range’s cultural resources,” La Pierre said. “The goal here is to protect and document these resources as U.S. Air Force projects arise.”

Typical resources include World War II or Cold War era buildings and infrastructure, mining sites, and prehistoric archaeological sites -- which includes rock art, stone tool quarries, sacred Native American sites, rock shelters and caves.

“We have approximately three million acres of land that hasn’t been touched for over 50 years,” said Jeff Kirkwood, 99th CES environment assessment section chief. “There are a lot of culturally significant sites on the range that need to stay protected.”

Nellis Air Force Base is mandated by several federal laws to protect the country’s cultural resources.

“As we know, history repeats itself, therefore by studying the past we can prepare for the future in many ways,” La Pierre said. “Plus we preserve and safeguard these resources for future generations to enjoy and study.”

Cataloguing Every Building

Military installations are ever-changing, with new buildings and development potentially colliding with historically significant sites. La Pierre documents every construction project so there’s an official record of changes to the bases she’s responsible for.

“These projects are important for legal purposes first of all, and it is also important because we include the Native Americans on those projects involving prehistoric sites,” La Pierre said. “This gives them a chance to see how their ancestors lived thousands of years ago and it gives them a chance to voice an opinion on how we should be managing resources such as rock art.”

The rock art study gives the chance to record, view and share data with local Native Americans. This data will also protect rock art sites from any disturbances. Rock art sites are automatically eligible for listing on the nation’s register for historic places.

“Our goal is to finish [cataloguing] the buildings and infrastructure projects and define those resources that are eligible to the National Register of Historic Places,” La Pierre said.

According to La Pierre, a management plan is in the works for these resources once they are recorded. From the management plan, she hopes there will be portions of the base that represent the old Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases, so future visitors have the opportunity to look into the base’s past.

Tribal Liaison

“Kish is very passionate, especially when it comes to the Native Americans,” Kirkwood said. “She is willing to share data and why things are significant. The range is very unique because it is entirely shut off from the public and there are items on the range that have been preserved for hundreds if not thousands of years.”

La Pierre is the tribal liaison to 17 Native American tribes who have ties to Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases and the NTTR. Her work allows her to instill and uphold the U.S. Air Force’s culture of climate, trust and respect by allowing access to Native Americans for the purpose of cultural and spiritual matters.

“There are many things that I love about my job. I really enjoy working with the local tribes,” La Pierre said. “They have so much information about the land we manage. Their culture supports a strong oral history, which they have passed down for thousands of years. They have taught us about plant usage for food, medicine and hunting techniques. They have the scoop on desert survival which benefits the military in many ways."

NAVFAC Southwest Crane Operations Retrieves Aircraft from San Diego Bay

By Mario Icari, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- NAVFAC Southwest Crane Operations helped retrieve a Navy training T-45 aircraft that ran off a runway at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) and into the San Diego Bay, May 22.

Naval Base Coronado NASNI Dispatch received notice that an aircraft had taxied off the runway into the water.

NAVFAC Southwest crew members were called to the scene to conduct an initial assessment. Crane Supervisor Jimmy Smith noticed the aircraft was floating above the surface of the water approximately 100 feet from the rocky shoal.

Smith coordinated viable action plans to lift the craft to safe ground. The aircraft was partially submerged and had a weight capacity of approximately 11,000 pounds.

"Taking all factors into consideration, the lift went extremely well," said Smith. "A fatigue management plan had been implemented, risk factors discussed and the plan was methodically and efficiently carried out with key personnel in place from the PWO, Superintendent of Operations, diving support to crane personnel."

A Southwest Region Maintenance Center diver was on stand-by with wire rope to secure the aircraft and provide the crane crews support.

The entire operation took approximately seven hours to complete.

U.S. and partner-nations participate in MASCAS exercise

by Airman 1st Class Chris Drzazgowski
355th Fighter Wing public affairs

6/6/2015 - WINSLOW, Ariz.  -- A mass casualty exercise involving multinational armed services took place in northern Arizona Friday for Angel Thunder 2015.

A casualty collection point was setup in an aircraft hangar at Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport where more than 50 simulated casualties were transported from a simulated flood disaster site in Camp Navajo Training Site.

Upon arrival to the CCP in U.S. Army CH-47 Chinooks, German Air Force CH-53GS and U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pavehawk aircraft, active duty personnel and students from the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University acted as patients to be triaged for injuries ranging from trauma-induced child labor to brain injuries.

"We've got flight nurses and med techs helping run the exercise on the inside (the airport hangar)," said Capt. Leigh Miller, 187th Air Medical Evacuation Squadron flight nurse. "My role is to triage the most critical patients when they come in, assess their injuries and help determine who leaves on a plane first."

Medical personnel worked diligently and cohesively to ensure the patients in the most critical condition received urgent and proper care.

"I think they were very professional," said Ryan Gould, Northern Arizona University Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet. "They quickly assessed what was going on and got me out of there very fast. As soon as I got (to the CCP), I felt like I was being taken care of the whole time."

This exercise provided many participants their first experience in working with personnel from the U.S. and four foreign nations, but they still stayed team oriented.

"The positive of this exercise is we're getting everyone out of their comfort zones," Miller said. "Everyone is doing something a little bit different than what they're used to. We're all learning. Everybody's being flexible so we're working together and getting it figured out. It's been a great experience."

For personnel from the Royal Danish Air Force, this was their last day as participants in Angel Thunder 2015.

"I think this is a good exercise," said Flight Sergeant Henrik Gyǒrkǒs, Royal Danish Air Force forward air evacuation medic. "It's the first time we have been over here, so it's kind of a survey for us. But I hope for next year we can bring our five forward air teams over and perhaps fly some more med evac because that is our primary job. So I hope we can come over again."

USS Shiloh Sailors Strengthen Bonds with Philippines

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Raymond D. Diaz III, USS Shiloh Public Affairs

SUBIC BAY, Philippines (NNS) -- The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) departed Subic Bay, June 2, after a four-day liberty port visit.

This was Shiloh's second visit to the Philippines in fifteen months, the first being a port visit in Cebu early 2014.

During the visit, Shiloh Sailors participated in numerous community outreach events to include basketball and soccer games with local teams, spending an afternoon with students from the Association of Differently Abled Persons of Zambales in Olongapo City, and a flag raising ceremony at Olongapo City Hall.

"Of the more than 380 crew members aboard, 31 Filipino-Americans call Shiloh home," said Capt. Kurush F. Morris, commanding officer of Shiloh. "This visit gave many Sailors the opportunity to meet up with family and friends during our stay."

While the Shiloh was in Subic Bay, some of the Sailors who had family members in the Philippines had an opportunity to visit their relatives.

"I'm from Dagupan, which is three-to-four hours away from Subic and Olongapo," said Machinist's Mate 1st Class Mylene Abrajano. "Instead of going back home, I told my father we'll stay in Subic to do some sightseeing. "My dad always told me Subic and Olongapo are really nice - they have nice beaches, nice people and rich in history."

Naval Base Subic Bay closed in 1992, and since then the Philippines converted the area into the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), which is the first of its kind in the country.

"I'm really proud of my crew; they really put their best foot forward, and I'm happy moving forward knowing we departed Subic Bay leaving a positive impression from both perspectives, created lasting memories, and laid a positive foundation for future port visits," exclaimed Morris.

Shiloh, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.

Leaders from 11 nations meet to discuss Arctic Security

by 2nd Lt. Meredith Mulvihill
871st Air Expeditionary Public Affairs

6/8/2015 - REYKJAVIK, Iceland -- Military leaders from across Europe and North America met in Reykjavik, Iceland to discuss security related issues within the Arctic Circle during the Arctic Security Forces Roundtable May12-13, 2015.

Held annually since 2011, the ASFR is a multi-day conference designed to promote regional understanding and enhance multilateral security operations within the Arctic area. This year's forum was hosted by the Icelandic Coast Guard, and focused on events and challenges within the Greenland and Norwegian Seas region.

According to U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Randy Kee, one of the leaders of the ASFR, a big part of the conference is learning about potential issues that could result from increasing human activities in the Arctic, and how defense and civil authorities can work together to respond to them.

"This is an opportunity for us to come together as military professionals and focus on those issues where we bring the open hand of help," Kee said. "We can learn how we can bring military capabilities to bear that are meaningful in areas such as domain awareness, humanitarian assistance and disaster response."

During the conference, representatives from seven nations with Arctic holdings and four observer nations listened to a variety of presentations from civil and industry leaders in the region. These culminated in a theoretical training exercise where attendees worked together to plan disaster response for a hypothetical volcanic eruption.

According to Norwegian Army Maj. Gen. Odin Johannessen, who co-led the conference with Kee, the ASFR allows both military and civilian participants to gain a greater understanding of the Arctic and their potential roles in it.

"The different actors [in the Arctic] all have different purposes," Johannessen said. "If all of these actors can work together, it will be a benefit for all of us."

Civil engineers deploy to renovate Romanian medical clinic

by Tech. Sgt. John Hughel
142nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

5/26/2015 - MANGALIA, Romania -- Framed by the backdrop of the Black Sea shoreline, Oregon Air National Guardsmen from the 142nd Fighter Wing Civil Engineer Squadron traveled nearly halfway around the globe to renovate a medical facility here as part of the U.S. European Commands' Humanitarian Civic Assistance Program.

The restoration of Pavilion C at the Mangalia City Hospital is a Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) project funded by the United States European Command (EUCOM) with the participation of nearly 90 U.S. military Airmen from Alabama and Oregon Air National Guard units. The estimated total cost of this renovation is $60,000.

The Airmen addressed a rooftop terrace, treatment rooms, bathroom upgrades, as well as other building projects at the clinic. The project was started by the Alabama Air National Guard's 117th Air Refueling Wing, and then handed over to the Oregon citizen-Airmen to complete. Romania is a state partner with Alabama, under the National Guard's State Partnership Program.

"The project is the duration of two rotations," said Lt. Col. Jacob Skugrud, 142nd Fighter Wing Civil Engineer deputy commander and project officer. "Our sister unit in Alabama started the work and then the Portland team followed in their footsteps to complete the project."

While some of the civil engineers took on the water damage repairs, a significant aspect to the project was building a wheelchair ramp to the Pavilion C entry.

Dr. Liviu Mocanu, hospital director, said the wheelchair ramp was vital to the overall construction project.

"To have a current health license for the building the addition of the access ramp was necessary to serve those with disabilities," he said.

When the 142nd CES arrived, the basic concrete structure still had to be completed. Modifications to the handrails, additional concrete forms and a tile surface on the ramp took another eight days to complete.

"This hospital is special to this region of Romania, and it is a great honor to have been chosen for the assistance," Macanu said.

Pavilion C specializes in oncological medicine. The severity of the water damage forced several of the treatment rooms located on the third floor to be decommissioned, forcing the practitioners to work in other facilities in the area.

The damage to the treatment rooms transpired over time from the forth floor terrace, as water exploited weaknesses in the building's structure. The Alabama team pulled the damaged floor tile and installed a new sealing membrane to keep water out, prior to laying the new tile. With the roof project partially complete, the Oregon Airmen continued to install the remainder of the tile roof, spending a majority of time with detailing the final pieces and grouting until complete.

"The new membrane will keep water from seeping into the rooms and hallway renovated on this project," Skugrud said. "The team from Alabama had a bigger crew with about 50-plus members, so they were able to keep the project on pace and prep other areas for our team to finish."

After arriving almost two days late to the site in Romania due to airlift glitches, and with a smaller crew of 33 members, the 142nd Airmen had to quickly pick up the pace on the clinic renovations.

Not only had the water damage affected the treatment rooms inside the clinic but it also deteriorated the exterior stucco of the building, damaging electrical lighting and fixtures both inside and out.

"The folks from Alabama had done the major prep and demo to the exterior," said Capt. Lucas Smith, 142nd CES, who served as the project lead for the building exterior renovations. "We had to go from the bare concrete to primer and then to applying the stucco."

Applying stucco was a new experience for the Oregon Airmen, and allowed for most of the crew working with Smith a chance to cross-train and develop new skills.

"We've had an enthusiastic team during this process and I have no doubt our younger Airmen have learned a great deal more than just how to apply stucco," Smith said.

Deployments For Training (DFT) give Air National Guard units like the 142nd CES the opportunity to enhance existing skills while deploying outside the United States, at the same time developing a sense of responsibility in those host nations, Smith added.

"We preform DFT projects approximately once every three years, depending on real-world deployments and our annual training commitments," said 142nd Fighter Wing Civil Engineer Commander Lt. Col. Jason Lay.

According to Lay, a key decision on why this project was selected is the diversity of skill sets within one project. Once on site, he quickly put smaller teams together to tackle different areas of the building.

"There's a synergistic effect; people like working alongside each other, camaraderie and team building occur naturally while accomplish an objective together," Lay said.

"Out of the group here in Romania, about two-thirds of them are on their first DFT project."

One of the more experienced members of the Romanian deployment is Senior Airman Zachariah Lewis. As a civilian carpenter and contractor, he brought many of the skills necessary to finish renovating the treatment rooms.

Yet Lewis is also completing back-to-back international deployments, having just returned from Vietnam in a similar role with Oregon's State Partnership Program. Oregon also has Bangladesh as its state partner.

When Lay asked for volunteers to be project leads the first day on site, Lewis immediately stepped up.

"I was confident that I can bring my knowledge to the team, and teach them how to do the job," Lewis said.

He quickly put together a group of six to eight Airmen to finish paint scraping, plaster repair and eventually painting the water damaged treatment rooms and connecting main hallway.

"I work a lot with general contractors and typically know how the work flow goes, and have a sense for how the end results need to be," Lewis said.

Touring the project during the final week, Macanu was visibly happy when he inspected how the final part of the project was coming together.

"I wish that we could have our American friends come back and work on other projects in the future that need more work," he said.

During the two-weeks the 142nd CES spent repairing the clinic, citizens of Mangalia watched the work in passing with wonder and often smiles as the work progressed. A new and growing sense of camaraderie as well as a heightened willingness between the Air Guardsmen and citizens of Mangalia, Romania, began to develop in with the progress made on the medical clinic.

Since becoming a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member in 2004, Romania has continued to foster better affiliations with partner nations. As the project concluded, a formal ribbon cutting ceremony, on May 20, allowed U.S. and Romanian officials the opportunity to highlight this shared bond, as U.S. Charge d'Affairs ad interim Dean Thompson and the mayor of Mangalia, Romania, Radu Cristian, celebrated the renovation to Pavilion C.

"It is a gift from the American people to the citizens of Mangalia and the surrounding towns, villages and communities. Better healthcare leads to better outcomes and will help the future of the region to grow and prosper," said Thompson.

The deployments are an important aspect to sustain a positive U.S. military presence while preparing National Guardsmen to stay prepared to perform their mission; whether home or aboard.

"By building partnerships within these communities this has been a great training opportunity through the DFT program, while at the same time it has also been a chance to broaden our influence throughout Europe," said Patrick Considine, HCA program manager for EUCOM.

Meeting the 142nd CES Airmen on hand for the ceremony, Considine praised the knowledge, the skill and professionalism, which contributed to the success of this project.

"Hopefully we can replicate what you guys did here, going forward with the next 20 HCA projects slated for this season, it will be tough to match because your team really knocked it way out of the park," Considine said.