Max Matlock becomes Barksdale's newest B-52 Crew Chief

by Senior Airman Joseph A. Pagán Jr.
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/19/2014 - BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Children's dreams know no boundaries. They may want to be a doctor, firefighter or even a pirate or ninja. As they grow older, however, their dreams become more realistic.

Maxwell Matlock, 10, a child diagnosed with a life threating cancer, known as T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, dreams of becoming an Airman, and while that may be out of reach now, Barksdale maintainers did their best to push him in the right direction.

"I found out about him about a year-and-a half-ago. I coached him in baseball and wanted to do something special for him," said Tech. Sgt. Mark Haines, 2nd Maintenance Group maintenance operation center NCO in-charge. "Anytime you get the chance to make a difference in a kid's life, it's something that we all should fight for. I live my life for every day; trying to make a child's life better. To do that for Max means a lot."

With the holiday season upon us, Max received many early gifts to help lift his spirits throughout the end of the year and into the next.

Max was first promoted to the rank of colonel, received his very own Airman Battle Uniform, and toured every nook and cranny of a B-52H Stratofortress.

"It feel's nice," Max said with an enormous grin. "I went in the planes, got pictures and looked around at everything."

Without any fear, Max excitedly took on the challenge of walking across the wing of the B-52, and immediately after was taken to the flightline to see his very own name on the aircraft, "Commander Maxwell "Max" Matlock."

"Thank you for all the stuff you showed me and everything that was done," Max said.

While Max enjoyed the many perks of becoming an Honorary Crew Chief, it was his mother, Katherine Matlock, who was most thankful.

"It was awesome. It was amazing," she said. "Just getting to see the smile on his face because he is all about the planes and he loves the military."

Recently, Max talked about joining the military and this is a dream come true, she continued.

For a child with such a heavy burden to receive the Christmas gift of a lifetime, it's his parents who worry the most.

"Max was supposed to be in remission after 30 days. He was not, which put him at high-risk for the leukemia to come back," said Katherine. "It's up to me to give him drugs, but when he hurts, when he's sick, there's nothing I can do about it because it's deadly. This month we were told he has what's similar to osteoporosis in a 70-year-old woman."

Despite these findings, Max remains confident.

"He's a lot more positive than me and his father," she said. "He has a wonderful outlook on this. He says I fought this long, I'll fight again."

Although Max must deal with the harsh reality of his condition, he will continue to fly, fight and win.

From Plane to Table: Reserve aircrew deliver food to thousands in Nicaragua

by 2nd Lt. Steve Lewis
512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

12/23/2014 - MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Donna Wright was anxiously peering out through a rusty fence on a humid Saturday afternoon when a C-5M Super Galaxy touched down on the runway.

She waved at the pilots as the mammoth plane made its way to a parking spot close to the passenger terminal. It was a rainy day in Managua, Nicaragua, so the ground crews at Augusto C. Sandino International Airport wasted no time meeting the C-5 with their two forklifts.

Inside the football field-sized cargo hold of the plane was 125,000 pounds of humanitarian aid, including rice, canned meat and pasta. The cargo was being delivered by U.S. Air Force Reserve Airmen from the 512th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, and were going to feed 15,000 children in Nicaragua for the next six months.

To say Donna was excited would be an understatement. For the past 14 years she has been in Nicaragua with her husband, Larry, and had never set foot on a U.S. military aircraft delivering humanitarian aid to their organization.

"A C-5 plane full of humanitarian supplies, are you kidding? That is something that we could only imagine happening," said Donna. "It has been an honor to be able to receive the aid from the U.S. Military and the U.S. Air Force."

Mr. and Mrs. Wright run World Missions Outreach (locally known as Misiones de Alcance Mundial), an international nonprofit organization that provides food, shelter, education and ministry services to the people of Nicaragua. According to Donna, many of the children in Nicaragua live in extreme poverty in homes without access to indoor plumbing or electricity. Very little furniture also means these children are sleeping on dirt floors under tin roofs.  

Saturday's delivery of humanitarian aid by the 512th AW to Nicaragua was made possible through the Denton Program, which is a Department of Defense humanitarian assistance transportation program that utilizes space available military air, surface and sea-lift assets. Cargo delivered through the Denton Program is provided by donors or private charities and is shipped worldwide free of charge for applicants that request transportation support.

"The program provides donating agencies with a great opportunity to move humanitarian cargo to places like Nicaragua and it saves a tremendous amount of transportation costs for these organizations," said Ken Hundemer, director of operations, Denton Operations at Joint Base Charleston, S.C.

In fact, the Denton Program is one of the main reasons why Donna and World Missions Outreach have been able to continue providing food and other services to the people of Nicaragua.

"We were sending so many containers to Nicaragua each year that we were in great financial need. A few sponsors helped, but it wasn't nearly enough to cover the shipping cost." said Donna. "When we received the first shipment from the Denton Program everyone at World Missions Outreach were completely blown away! The Denton Program has been a game changer for WMO, and ultimately, a life changer for thousands of children."

The humanitarian mission to Nicaragua provided the 512th AW C-5M Reservists with an opportunity to train on the numerous aspects of operating and maintaining the aircraft. Pilots were able to conduct mission planning and meet flight hours, maintenance crew chiefs ensured the aircraft operated smoothly and loadmasters optimized the placement of cargo for a safe flight.

The relief supplies being delivered on behalf of the Department of Defense also supported the diplomatic efforts of the U.S. embassy in Nicaragua. Col. Matthew D. Anderson, senior defense official and attaché for the embassy, said the U.S. has been working to increase their cooperation with the Nicaraguan government on matters like humanitarian and disaster relief.

"Having the U.S. Air Force support us by delivering food to thousands of children here is a huge deal," said Col. Anderson. "The Dover C-5M and its aircrew were instrumental in participating in an important program."

For Donna Wright and World Missions Outreach, the delivery of humanitarian aid by the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 512th AW provides a lasting impact on her organization and the children in Nicaragua.

Back on the runway, Donna had the opportunity to observe the numerous pallets of food being transferred from the C-5M's outsized cargo area to the forklifts. It is a moment 14 years in the making for her witnessing the efforts of the aircrew members working side-by-side with the Nicaragua airport personnel. All 125,000 pounds of food were going to be safely stored in a warehouse, ready to be delivered to the empty bowls of hungry children throughout the country.

And just before the aircrew closed the C-5M ramp and began preparing the aircraft for its trip back home, Donna was able to shake the hands of everyone involved with Saturday's humanitarian mission and thanks them for their efforts.

"We have great pride in the United States and our service members on these humanitarian missions have brought food, school kits, health kits, clothes and shoes for the children here," said Donna. "We appreciate the help and support from our U.S. military and the Denton Program."

'Tis the season: Dragons give gift that keeps on giving

by Staff Sgt. Emerson Nuñez
48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/24/2014 - ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England  -- Members of the 48th Component Maintenance Squadron Green Dragons Rising 6 stepped up and donated £3,250 to Highfield School Ely. To support the school's dance program, the donation will give students the opportunity to have fun and enjoy the benefits of having a weekly dance class.

Highfield is one of Cambridgeshire's six area special education schools, with 104 students in attendance. The school provides a large variety of programs and activities to ensure all of the pupils have a fun and flexible curriculum that teaches life skills in a safe and nurturing environment.  One of the programs students enjoy is dance class, which has been threatened due to funding limitations.

"Our organization's purpose this entire was year was to fund the dance lessons that have been cut because of budget constraints," said Tech. Sgt. Gerardo Valdez, 48th CMS Rising 6 outgoing president. "The entire squadron has facilitated the money needed for the program. Approximately 70 Airmen, spouses, local businesses and volunteers have been involved in our cause."

Many students would not have the opportunity to participate in any type of dance program without the school's help since most dance studios are not set up to take in students with disabilities. Dancing on a regular basis gives Highfield students a wide variety of benefits, to include better coordination and muscle development. All of the benefits are apparent in the classroom, where students are more focused and have more discipline due to the teamwork they experience during dance class.

The Highfield faculty and students appreciate everything the Rising 6 has done for their school.

"What they are doing has a real impact here," said Julia Hammond, Highfield School income generator. "Without their support, we would really be struggling, and we would have to reduce our dance provisions. It's hard to say how much we really appreciate that and how much the children will benefit from the class."

100th SFS, MOD Police 'spot' way to improve security, community relations

by Gina Randall
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

12/22/2014 - RAF MILDENHALL, England  -- Base personnel may notice people at certain positions outside the perimeter fence with large cameras pointed towards the flightline of RAF Mildenhall. For those new to the base and their families, this may be a concern.

"New Airmen aren't used to seeing people so close to the fence with a camera," said Adrian Carver, a tail spotter from Mildenhall, Suffolk.

The law is different in the U.K. and although this can prove challenging when new service members assigned to the 100th Security Forces Squadron arrive, the agencies on base work together to educate personnel.

"The U.K. has no law for taking photographs of aircraft or structures from outside establishments, as long as they're not trespassing on the facility," explained Paul Glover, Defense Community Police Constable from Selby, Yorkshire.

However, on RAF Mildenhall there is a system in place which allows members of the community to view the aircraft arriving and departing from base. The tail spotter program joins local knowledge with base law enforcement, allowing locals to view aircraft from the perimeter. In exchange, they are the eyes and ears for the Ministry of Defence Police and for the 100th SFS.

"Because the spotters are around the establishments most days, sometimes for hours on end, they are in a position to notice any activity out of the ordinary, for example people who don't meet the usual spotter profile," said Glover.

The spotters get a lot out of their time at the fence, and the authorities inside the fence are grateful for their observations. But to ensure the program can continue, there are rules in place to protect both sides.

"All the spotters are checked through the police, and registered on a database. Each member has a registration card which they can use to identify themselves in the first instance," added Glover. "They are to respect private property and to comply with any requests given by law enforcement agencies. This would include moving away from a fence line if asked to do so."

This relationship between like-minded individuals from the local area and the U.S. Air Force began long ago.

"There have been spotters in the U.K. since around 1930 onwards. The base has had spotters since post-1945, when aviation became a common sight," Glover explained. "The spotters have been around the base since the late 1950s."

The program was set up as a joint development between the MOD Police, 100th SFS and the 48th Security Forces Squadron, at RAF Lakenheath, in response to the ever-increasing numbers of plane spotters surrounding the bases.

"If we see something that's a little out of the ordinary, we pass that information on. We were given cards with telephone numbers to the police. If we see something wrong, we can make a phone call and they can be there as quickly as possible," Carver added. "Prior to the program, if a spotter saw something of concern we would need to drive to the visitor control center, say 'we need to speak to someone.' This was valuable time lost."

Here, it's a good relationship where the different nationalities work together to ensure the safety of the base population and assets. The tail spotters hope this relationship will continue.

"As long as the security forces and the military police would like our help, we will be here," Carver explained.

The people Carver meets at the fence are as passionate as he is about this support continuing.

"I've only been doing it (tail spotting) for about eight or nine years which compared to some is a short period, some people that I know have been doing it for over 50 years!" he exclaimed.

Some photos taken by the spotters can be seen in publications, but mostly Carver and the other spotters are outside the fence, come rain or shine, for their passion for military aircraft.

"Mostly the photos are for my own amusement," Carver explained. "Not only is it just taking the photos, a lot of it is a social thing as well. We meet at the various locations and hang out and chat."

For more information, contact the MOD Police office at commercial 01371 854444.

77th WPS training is as real as it can get

by Airman 1st Class Alexander Guerrero
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/24/2014 - SNYDER ELECTRONIC WARFARE RANGE, Texas -- The 77th Weapons Squadron and the 39th Airlift Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, participated in a simulated airfield seizure with Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from the 66th WPS, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., and a U.S. Army Special Forces unit, Oct. 21-23, in Snyder.

The airfield operation was organized to provide training opportunities for aircrews, JTACS and soldiers alike, while building cohesion through the communication and tactics used during the exercise.

"The training that took place in Snyder was a 'flex targeting sortie three' which means it was a force-on-force scenario," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Creer, 77th Weapons School commander. "Among those participating in it were B-1B Lancer's from the 77 WPS, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers from the 66th WPS, and C-130J Super Hercules from the 39th Airlift Squadron that were dropping U.S. Army Special Forces troops."

During previous exercises, aircraft platforms and Army units were simulated. Including multiple units to perform different aspects of the exercise added a higher level of realism for all players involved.

"It was a complex mission set that the 77th gave their students," said Capt. Sam Dunlap, 39th Airlift Squadron chief of weapons and tactics. "There were many difficult situations that required a good deal of problem solving from the students."

The 77th WPS aircrew who participated in the simulated airfield assault worked closely with the JTACS to destroy key enemy resources and provide close air support, which is a likely scenario for B-1s in a combat environment.

"Our goal is to provide as advanced real-world tactic training as we can," Creer said. "We have many types of capabilities at our disposal, including JTACs from the 66th WPS, who used their tactics, techniques and procedures to enhance the experience for our B-1B crews."

The training provided new learning experiences, not just for the weapon school students in B-1Bs, but for the Airmen in the C-130Js as well. The C-130J pilots had the opportunity to practice enabling high altitude, low-opening parachute jumps for U.S. Army Special Forces.

"There are only a few units that jump out the back cargo ramp and being at the higher altitudes drives us to have different mission considerations," Dunlap said. "At that higher altitude we have to depressurize the cabin in order to drop the ramp so it changes some of our planning and gives us a different environment to work in."

CSAF visits Team Aviano

31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/22/2014 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- United States Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Ms. Heidi H. Grant, and Mrs. Betty Welsh visited Airmen and their families here, Dec. 22, 2014.

During their visit to the 31st Fighter Wing, Welsh and Grant received a mission brief, participated in an open discussion during breakfast with Airmen and hosted an all-call to address some of the main challenges the Air Force will face in 2015 and beyond.

Among the topics discussed were force shaping, fleet modernization and renewing an operational focus in the face of persisting fiscal austerity.

"If we keep you guys, we win. If we lose you, we might as well hang it up now," Welsh said to more than a thousand Airmen and their families gathered in a hangar.

Following the all-call, a few outstanding performers were recognized by Welsh for their professionalism and leadership.

Welsh and Grant have been working closely with Department of Defense leaders, as well as Congress, to strike the right balance between preserving funding for people and programs and maintaining the capacity to project power abroad.

"The 510th Fighter Squadron could be ordered to go conduct Baltic Air Policing in 3 days," Welsh said. "Because of their professionalism and readiness, there's no question about their ability to make this happen."

During the all-call, Welsh also discussed the importance of pride to the future of the Air Force. He described a passage he found in his father's, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Mark A. Welsh Jr., will that showed how much the Air Force meant to him.

"He'd given specific instructions about his funeral and other events, but he only underlined one thing: 'Bury me in my service dress,' " Welsh said.

Before his appointment to CSAF, Welsh served as U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces in Africa commander and he noted the continued importance of air power in this area of responsibility.

"Despite the shift to the Pacific, there are still operational requirements in Europe," Welsh said regarding the missions that Aviano is called on to support. "While we have reduced our presence in this theater, the need for combat capability is still very real."

Dyess Fire Department trains with local college

by Senior Airman Peter Thompson
7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

12/24/2014 - DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Dyess Fire Department participated in a mass casualty exercise Dec. 12, 2014, at the Texas State Technical College Abilene campus in Abilene, Texas.

The Dyess Air Force Base firefighters provided auto extrication service for paramedic students at the school.

For many of the paramedics, this was the first time they had come in contact with the heavy machinery firefighters would use to pry open and remove vehicle parts to access injured patients. After windows, doors and roofs were removed, patients were moved to a triage area where they received medical care.

Dyess emergency services often work hand-in-hand with ambulatory services from the city of Abilene. The training provided participants a glimpse into the coordination between both organizations, similar to what they would see after a real-world incident.

"Here at Team Dyess, one of our main priorities is to maintain a community bond with downtown emergency service providers," said Master Sgt. Jeremy Pickett, 7th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of fire prevention. "It is great when we are able to train with them, so we all know how to function during a real-world scenario. We have to be able to rely on the local community, and they have to be able to rely on us as well."

Firefighters from Dyess and the paramedics from TSTC each brought capabilities the other organization wouldn't ordinarily have.

"If someone was trapped in a car, in most cases, TSTC paramedics don't have the ability or equipment to get to those individuals. As a fire service, we carry all the equipment necessary to open up a car or provide that auto extrication," Pickett said. "As Dyess has no emergency medical services at its clinic, paramedics from Abilene respond and transport personnel from Dyess to local area hospitals."

The event came with cost savings to the base's fire department as well.

"Real-world training gets fairly expensive, such as buying vehicles to cut apart, paying for fuel and using life flight helicopters to transport victims," Pickett said.  "Anytime we can team up with someone and get training without having to pay for everything, benefits us because we save all money."

D-models return to flight after longeron repair

by Staff Sgt. Luther Mitchell Jr.
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

12/23/2014 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Air Force officials removed 82 two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcons from flight earlier this summer after discovering cracks along the canopy sill longeron between the front and rear pilot seats. The longeron is a major structural component that carries significant loads during dynamic flight operations of the F-16. Of these 82 aircraft, 32 belong to the 56th Fighter Wing.

Aircraft maintainers at Luke Air Force Base, in conjunction with 309th Aircraft Maintenance depot field teams from Hill AFB, Utah, have been working on getting those F-16s back into the air since mid-October and are nearing completion of repairs on the 32 F-16D aircraft that belong to Luke.

"Lockheed and Air Force engineers at the depot designed a repair and now we are out to fix the whole fleet of F-16Ds," said Master Sgt. Thomas Hartley, 309th AMX section chief.

At the end of July, technicians from the 56th Maintenance Group identified cracks in the left longerons of four F-16D aircraft. This discovery led to the release of an Air Force-wide time compliance technical order in early August directing more in-depth inspections of all F-16D aircraft. Individual F-16 units across the Air Force conducted these inspections on a total of 157 F-16D aircraft identifying 82 with cracks.

After engineers from Hill Air Force Base and Lockheed Martin analyzed the F-16D structural issues associated with the cracks and developed repair procedures, three depot field teams were dispatched to start repairs on Luke's jets.

Maintainers began the repair by removing the fasteners to the canopy sill longeron and inspecting them for cracks. If cracks were detected, maintainers submitted an engineer's disposition and reamed the cracked holes larger to completely remove the cracks. They then installed the longeron fasteners and a steel "beef-up" strap over them to help strengthen the cracked area. Lastly, they installed high-strength fasteners, applied an aerodynamic smoothing compound and painted the skin.

The eight-man field depot team has been working 12-hour shifts six days a week to get Luke's F-16Ds ready to fly. They've even seen improvements in their repair times.

"The grounding of the F-16D has had a big effect on the pilot training mission," Hartley said. "This is a high-priority job for us. We were able to take a six-day repair and trim it down to three and a half over the last month. We feel great about what we have been able to do."

In November, the first F-16D was returned to operational status at Luke.

"We have accomplished repairs on 30 of the 32 aircraft that needed repairs," said Senior Master Sgt. Ronald Tann, 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assistant superintendent. "It's great for Luke and the Air Force to get these aircraft back in the air. They are vital to the success of our mission to train and develop combat-ready pilots."

The remaining two aircraft are currently awaiting engineering assessments with repair completion expected by early January.

"The outstanding teamwork and efforts of Luke maintainers and the depot field teams accelerated repair actions on the F-16Ds and shaved a full month off of the original estimated time to repair all 32 aircraft," said Col. Rick Ainsworth, 56th Maintenance Group commander. "I'm very proud of the professionalism, skill and teamwork of our maintainers and the depot field team, who repaired these aircraft and got them back in the air. Professionals from across the Air Force F-16 enterprise helped us take one of the most challenging F-16 fleet issues we've seen in years and turn it into a success story."

Thanking Service Members One Cupcake at a Time

By Jim Garamone

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2014 – Pink is not a color normally associated with a C-17 Globemaster 3.

Yet there was the workhorse of the Air Force’s transport fleet on the flightline at Joint Base Andrews with two full pallets of pink boxes on the ramp.

This isn’t the garish pink that you see on certain outfits or the Barbie doll pink that assaults the eyes. It was more like Disney princess pink – tasteful and understated – yet still not the color placed on a combat aircraft.

And on the side of each box was written Georgetown Cupcake.

Deanie Dempsey, the wife of Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called it Operation Cupcake. The operation consisted of delivering 10,000 cupcakes donated by this city’s popular Georgetown Cupcake to service members and their families as part of the recent USO tour to Spain, Italy, Turkey and Afghanistan.

It was the fifth year Georgetown Cupcake made the donation to the effort to thank U.S. service members and their families. The effort started when Navy Adm. Mike Mullen was the chairman and led the annual USO trip. Dempsey kept the tradition alive when he took over.

“The first year we did this was 2010, because we had just opened our large facility that we use to ship orders all over the country, and this was our very first order that we handled in the new facility,” said Stephen Lamontagne, the president of Georgetown Cupcake, during an interview.

Sophie LaMontagne and her sister, Katherine Berman, started the store in 2008. They rose to prominence with DC Cupcakes, a reality show on The Learning Channel. That, and they make ridiculously good cupcakes.

Sharing those cupcakes with service members and their families is part of the ethos of their business, Lamontagne said. “In Washington, with so many members of the community in the military or who had connections to the military, it was important for us to give back,” he said.

And service members and their families appreciate it. “We get e-mails and letters from them, thanking us for bringing a piece of home to them for the holidays,” Lamontagne said. “It’s very hard during the holidays to be overseas on your own in a very unfamiliar place without reminders of things that you remember from your childhood and your life back in the United States. Something as simple as a cupcake … really brings a piece of home and shows our support and care for the troops stationed overseas.”

A lot of care goes into ensuring service members and their families get the freshest product possible. The cupcakes – which retail for $32 a dozen – are baked and immediately frozen. “We ship them in a multilayered packaging configuration that includes an insulated pouch with gel packs,” Lamontagne said.

This keeps the cupcakes frozen during transit and “by the time the plane touches down and the cupcakes are unwrapped, they are ready to enjoy,” he said.

On the other end, Deanie Dempsey, USO President J.D. Crouch and his wife Kristin and many other passed out cupcakes to service members and their families. Some service members even scooped up the pink boxes to use to pack Christmas packages back home.

Lamontagne hopes to continue the affiliation with the USO and the military. “It’s something we are proud to do every year,” he said. “It’s our way to thank all the members of the military community, because we understand they make the world a place where we can bake cupcakes.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to the Warriors of the North

by Staff Sgt. Luis Loza Gutierrez
319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

12/22/2014 - GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The song "Respect," became a hit for rhythm & blues singer Aretha Franklin in 1967, and just as the song became a landmark for the feminist movement in 1960's, it might as well become the theme song for a another movement taking shape here thanks to the efforts of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team.

"With the New Year fast approaching, it's estimated that about 45 percent of Americans will make some sort of New Year's resolution," said Capt. Shielah Flinders, 319th Air Base Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. "Popular resolutions are often health or finance related, but we hoping to encourage as many members of our community as possible to resolve to make 2015 the Year of Respect."

The goal of the campaign is for people to make a renewed commitment to treating themselves and others with respect.

"That means maintaining healthy, appropriate and respectful relationships 24 hours a day, seven days a week," elaborated Flinders.

"You and I can be respectful individuals but it's when we combine our individual efforts toward a common goal, that we can then achieve a positive cultural change that insists all people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect," said Sue Grollimund, 319th ABW Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program assistant. "That cultural change will then help us to stomp out sexual assault in our community."

From December 15 through the 19th, the SAPR office took its "Resolution: Respect" campaign out to various base facilities.

As a gesture of solidarity and unity, each person was invited to put their John Hancock on the official campaign banner.  In all the duo of Flinders and Grollimund collected a total of 410 signatures in 16 hours over the course of five days.

According to Flinders, the results from the recently-released SAPR Progress Report to the President of the United States show that the Air Force has made progress in sexual assault prevention and response.  An anonymous survey showed that the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact decreased since fiscal year 2012, and that reporting increased.

"Though we've made some headway, there is still work to do," said Flinders. "And each one of us, from the wing commander to the newest airman basic, has a role to play in appropriately responding and preventing sexual assault.  We are all empowered to intervene when we witness something inappropriate.  We can all do our part to ensure survivors of sexual assault are treated with dignity and are not subjected to social or professional retaliation."

Both Flinders and Grollimund said to those willing to sign the banner that showing each other respect is an integral piece of the Air Force Core Values and that each person (Airman or civilian) is responsible for fostering a culture and climate that ensure people are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. 

With that sentiment in mind it would be hard not to see what R-E-S-P-E-C-T means the Warriors of the North.

Face of Defense: Army family receives basement make-over for Christmas

By J.D. Leipold

Army News Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2014 – An Army staff sergeant, his wife and their seven children received a huge Christmas surprise when they arrived home yesterday morning, to find their basement was no longer a series of never-ending projects.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs, the kids and their parents took in their newly created 800-square foot study-play-lounge room with eyes wide and jaws dropped. The last time they'd seen their basement, it was just a disorderly, confused giant room that offered no real comfort or family warmth.

Support from Business Owners

Just 16 days ago, as the family hunkered down in the upstairs area of their Alexandria, Virginia, home, 35 independent small-business owners in the construction trades from Home Service Solutions Group assaulted the basement with hammers and crowbars, banging and tearing away the walls and ceiling, until the giant space was gutted, with the exception of the bead board wainscoting that wife Jennifer wanted to keep.

What the family was looking at now was this great room with sections -- the kids' nook with its granite desktop and laptops along with two chairs for studying and a giant screen with a gaming console. Then there was that foundation pole that had been turned into a wrap-around square bench with storage beneath, Off to the side rested a large, brown, overstuffed and plushy sectional with a big square ottoman -- a seat for everyone from which to watch TV on a giant screen, which was wrapped with what-not and bookshelves. On one wall hung family photos which 9-year-old Mackenna said "was so cool."

While the space has heat, it doesn't boast air-conditioning, so professional home interior designer Christine Wiott had four ceiling fans installed and added spot-lighting. There's new carpet, all new furniture, curtains, trim work and an updated bunkroom and full bathroom. The project was capped by a twinkling fully decorated Christmas tree, under which lay gifts for the family and along the wainscoting hung nine stockings with more presents under a nativity manger.

The basement make-over idea came about when Wiott and fellow HSSG member David Schroeder approached Operation Homefront on behalf of their organization with the idea of a home make-over of some type.

Operation Homefront

"This is one of those things where it feels great being a part of a group of people being able to give back to a family who will appreciate it during the holidays," said Schroeder. "I've been involved, as have many others, with give-back programs, but this is by far the biggest one I've ever participated in. It's definitely emotional for all of us."

Operation Homefront Mid-Atlantic Outreach Coordinator Cyndi Lucas said there were just three requirements a family had to meet in order to be eligible for the make-over -- own their home, live in the northern Virginia area, and be in a paygrade of E-1 through E-6.

The staff sergeant selected will be called Brandon for security reasons.

Wiott met with Brandon's wife for several hours to discuss her vision, saying the most challenging part was making sure everything functioned, so they would have beauty along with functionality: "I needed to make sure there was enough space for everybody to do different things, but to still be together as a family."

An Emotional Response

Brandon, whose military occupational specialty is computers, will be heading to Germany in February, on a two-year unaccompanied assignment.

"This basement has been a project for the last five years, full of starts and restarts. Now, I'm just so excited and happy for my family -- this is truly amazing," he said. "I thought I'd just be excited and happy, but more emotions came out than I was ready to handle.

"It means people are appreciating what we do as a military and this kind of appreciation is very nice to see and I'm grateful for all these two groups did for us… this really feels like home," he said.

Wiott, who also had a tough time containing her emotions, said her personal motivation for the project was simple; it was all about giving back and helping a family.

"I helped a family; the kids touched my heart, and I think about them all the time. I helped a family," she said again; "I helped a veteran and his family, that's what I did, and it was worth every penny. There's no doubt we will all do this again."