Marines, Airmen join forces after aircraft crash

by Senior Airman Sandra Marrero
23d Wing Public Affairs

3/6/2015 - STATENVILLE, Ga. -- Airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., provided support to Marines following a non-lethal F/A-18D Hornet crash Feb. 22 in the woods near Statenville, Ga.

The aircraft, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C., crashed approximately 25 miles from Moody and coordination between personnel at both installations was key in starting a recovery mission.

After ensuring the jet aviators' safety, the Marines' priority was to build a command post and recover aircraft parts from the crash site to help investigators determine the cause of the accident, said U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Luke Knorra All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224 aviation safety officer.

To aid in these efforts, Moody AFB personnel provided tools and the manpower to get the recovery operation started.

"We were their logistical, contracting and supply support in the sense that we provided them materials, tools, manpower, and equipment necessary to start searching for the aircraft," said U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Pete Mines, 23d Contracting Squadron officer in charge of base services.

Support included food, water, vehicles necessary to locate the wreckage. Additionally, they provided Airmen and heavy equipment to clear a path to deliver supplies and build a command post.

"The command post is the mini-command center they'll work out of possibly for the next few months [while they recover aircraft parts from the swampy area]," said U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Travis Brock 23d Civil Engineer Squadron operations management journeyman. "So we gave them a comfortable place to do it."

With the command post ready, MCAS Beaufort members are taking time to consider their next steps.

"Right now we're kind of in pause mode to generate a plan," said Knorra. "The Naval Safety Center is working with us to plan the extraction of the wreckage, investigation and the environmental cleanup."

Getting to this point was a joint effort and Mines said he was pleased to help.

"The Air Force and Moody Air Force Base as a whole are always happy to help a sister service," said Mines. "We fight and work in a joint environment so it's always good to get out there and help them."

Knorra and Brock agreed the partnership between the branches is essential to the success of this mission and Knorra specifically recognized Team Moody's role.

"The coordination with the Air Force has been amazing," said Knorra. "We couldn't have done it without the support we had and in a very timely, expedient manner."

Anything is possible: A new "Gage" on life

by Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson
509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs

3/6/2015 - WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- One of Team Whiteman's priorities is to grow Airman leaders. Taking high schoolers who are interested in the Air Force and providing mentorship is one way of doing that.

Morgan Hildebrand, 509th Bomb Wing secretary, has taken a young teenager under her wing to help mold him into a prospective Airman.

Gage Baska is a 15-year-old teenager Hildebrand found a year and a half ago in Blue Springs, Mo., standing by a highway holding up a sign saying, "I got caught stealing and I lie to my family."

"He had been standing out there for a good 45 minutes when Morgan just happened to drive by," said Gage's mother, Alysia Brown. "She pulled into the parking lot where we were and started speaking to my husband about her life and what she went through."

Hildebrand came up with a mentorship program for Gage. Working directly with multiple units on base, she planned for him to come to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., to tour various units.

"Gage came to my squadron for a few hours and I gave him a tour and a few briefings to show him what we were capable of," said Staff Sgt. Zachary Hildebrand, 20th Reconnaissance Squadron mission intelligence coordinator.

Zachary also gave Gage inspirational tools that could change the outcome of his life. He learned of the possibilities of what could happen if he re-vectored his life, started making better choices and surrounded himself with positive influences.

"When Morgan told me about Gage it reminded me a lot of my younger brother," Zachary said. "I feel like I really connected with him, and joining the Air Force could be a great opportunity for him. He has unlimited potential."

The base visits were used as an incentive for Gage to change his ways.

"Through his mom and Lt. Col. Alex Jernigan, 13th Bomb Squadron director of operations, Gage could continue to visit Whiteman as long as he continued to pursue positive changes in his life," Hildebrand said.

Morgan and Brown emailed each other once a month to keep track of Gage's progress.

"Once he started visiting the base, there was a huge change," Brown said.

Not only did Gage stop stealing and lying, but he looked forward to the base visits.

"He would consistently bother me and ask when we're going," Brown said. "It's amazing to see that he's doing better because he was struggling a lot."

In addition to Hildebrand's program helping Gage stay out of trouble, it also strengthened his relationship with his mother.

"She clearly loves and cares about Gage," Hildebrand said. "She's doing everything on the list to say 'What can we do to repair what's broken between parent and child?'"
The program has given Gage's mom an opportunity to see her son doing something positive with himself, Hildebrand said.

"We honestly don't know where Gage would be if it wasn't for Morgan introducing us to this program," Brown said.

Leaders can be grown at any stage of life, and it's important for military members to engage themselves in their community, Zachary said.

"Little kids look up to us," Zachary said. "I love being at the store when a little boy says 'Hey mommy a soldier!' It's funny because they don't know the difference between a soldier and an Airman, but they know we fight bad guys and protect this great nation."

Zachary stressed that military members should set the example for others in their community, in addition to peers and subordinates.

"It's our job as military members to reinforce a positive image, and we can't do that if we sit at home," Zachary said. "It's amazing to see what Team Whiteman has done with Gage, as a community. I can't wait to see him grow as a young man, and I will continue to check up on him and help whenever I'm able."

"The monthly visits helped changed my overall view of life," Gage said. "Now I see there is something out there to look forward to if I stay out of trouble."

1,257 selected for promotion to senior master sergeant

By Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs, / Published March 05, 2015

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO - RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- The Air Force has selected 1,257 master sergeants for promotion to senior master sergeant.

The selection rate was 8.75 percent, with an average selectee overall score of 680.90. Selectees' average time-in-grade was 4.34 years and time-in-service was 18.79 years. Average enlisted performance report score was 135; average decorations score was 20.67; U.S. Air Force Supervisory Examination average score was 79.38; and the average board score was 393.44.

To see the selectee list, go to the Air Force Portal and select the promotions link, or go to myPers and select "Search All Components" from the drop down menu, enter "Active Duty: Enlisted Promotions Home Page" in the search window and scroll down to the appropriate section.

To access test and board scores, go to the Virtual Military Personnel Flight via the secure applications page.

Selectees will be promoted in order of promotion sequence number beginning in April.

Selections are tentative until the data verification process is complete, which is normally within 10 days of the promotion release date. Personnel officials will notify Airmen, via military personnel sections, if their selection is in question.

RUfit? Airmen Ethos program soars

by Staff Sgt. Zachary Wolf
65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

3/5/2015 - LAJES FIELD, Azores, Portugal  -- Over the last six months the Airmen Ethos program at Lajes has been hugely successful. A variety of programs have been offered ranging from nutrition to investing.

"It (the Airmen Ethos program) has become a great resource for Lajes Airmen and civilians to find classes to better themselves through professional development, resiliency, and Airman and Family Readiness Center courses," said Master Sgt. Craig Preston, 65th Force Support Squadron career assistance advisor.

Not only do these classes offer great opportunities, but all of the classes help overall wellness by falling within the pillars of the RUfit?.

"Just a small example would be would be Nutrition Coaching (physical), Ethics (mental), Resiliency Courses (spiritual) and Team Building (social)," Preston said.

Another physical fitness course that has been offered was the Strength and Conditioning class. The class spent time teaching students how to lift properly and get the most out of their workout.

"I use some of the teachings from the 'Strength and Conditioning' class every day I go to the gym," said Airman 1st Class Andrew Owen, 65th Civil Engineer Squadron structural journeyman.

While some classes focus on bettering the students, others may teach them a new skill or hone a skill they already have. Once that happens, the students can make it their own or expand on that skill.

"I have heard great feedback from most of the classes, but one of the most interesting stories is that from the DSLR (Digital Single-Lens Reflex) class, a photography club has formed," Preston said.

Preston said he considers this program a success because it offers a lot of opportunities for everyone to grow professionally and personally. He also said that it couldn't have been a success without help from his team and support of the Lajes community.

"I have a great team who is always there with great ideas and support," Preston said. "Staff Sgt. Marlese Yelardy, Staff Sgt. Belinda Bleyer and I meet at least monthly and work on planning. They have great ideas, and we get great ideas from the Lajes community too.

While people continue to move in and out of Lajes, there is hope for this successful program to continue.

"I would like to see this program sustained here at Lajes for years to come and hopefully something similar to it adopted throughout the command, or possibly the Air Force," Preston said.

Part of keeping this program alive is for students to continue to use it and to come up with new things they want to see taught or offering a skill they have by teaching a class.

"I would recommend others to go out and take a class," Owen said. "It's easy to sign-up and with such a big variety there will be a class you are interested in. They are typically only an hour, and it gives you some time away from work."

If you are interested in signing up for or teaching a class head over to the RUfit? page at www.lajes.af.mil and click on the Airmen Ethos link.

Making the cut: The surgical team

by Airman 1st Class Ryan Conroy
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs

3/5/2015 - AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy  -- Question, scrub, wash, set, prep, drape, brief, cut, stitch and clean up.

It sounds simple when general surgery is broken down into several verbs, but the truth is, there's a group of Airmen with a particular set of skills and decades of education in charge of ensuring the safety, comfort and health of the patients of the base populace.

The Airmen are a dedicated surgical team of the 31st Surgical Operations Squadron who lead the charge to provide first-rate surgical healthcare here.

"We have to offer the best healthcare possible so our Airmen can complete the mission," said Tech. Sgt. Eugenia Harrison, 31 SGC surgical technician.

The SGC operates on a variety of different routine surgeries here, such as: Cesarean-sections, vasectomies, gall bladder removal, benign mass removal, orthopedics and biopsies for cancer. To handle these varied tasks, a surgical team operates like a professional sports team - each player contributes a specific role.

The surgeon acts as the quarterback of the team. They know the procedures and instruct their team on how to perform the surgery. While they are important, they must depend on their teammates for a successful surgery.

The roster changes depending on the surgery and the teammates can include: A certified registered nurse anesthetist, a surgical technician, an operating room nurse and a general surgery physician assistant.

A CRNA provides anesthesia care for surgeries to ensure patients are comfortable and under sedation for the duration of the procedure. If an anesthetist were to make a mistake, there are serious consequences of death or extreme pain, said Capt. Nicholas Bancroft, 31 SGC CRNA.

"When I do my job, I'm making a lot of decisions based on a patient's medical and health history," said Bancroft. "I have to figure out how their history will affect what kind of anesthetic I give them and what they need to be pain free."

The surgical technician, and the only enlisted Service member in the operation room, has several different jobs before and after surgery. The technician must review the case before surgery, make sure all tools used are available and sterile and assist with the surgery if necessary.

"A surgical technician tries to make the surgeon's job easier in any way possible," said Senior Airman Sylvia Coon, 31st SGC surgical technician. "We have to be on our game in the operating room and be ready to give the surgeon anything they need."

An OR nurse is responsible for providing professional nursing care to patients undergoing surgery, conducting post and preoperative visits with patients. An OR nurse will also chart patient information, specimens, medication, implants and fill out the nurse notes of the patient's chart during and after a surgery.

The surgical team has the medical experience and unequivocal teamwork to take a complicated in-depth process and turn it into simple health care for Team Aviano.

"When our Airmen come in injured, it's a good feeling knowing I can help out. I know this is how I fit into the overall mission - keeping our guys safe, comfortable and whole," said Bancroft.

Missile fields in winter

by Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

3/3/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Minot's demanding winters can be an inconvenience for anyone who has to drive to work, but extreme weather and low temperatures are a more immediate issue for people who do the majority of their work outdoors.

"Many of the tasks we complete on a day-to-day basis, while imperative to the mission, are actually quite easy when done in nice weather," said Airman 1st Class Patrick Boylan, 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron operator. "In my opinion, the hardest part of being a missile cop is withstanding the elements."

Security forces have cold weather gear and layers for warmth. The Humvees that they travel in are heated, and they're able to switch out if necessary so that individuals don't have to stay in the cold for dangerously long periods - but that's not as simple as it sounds when the mercury really starts to drop.

"The exposure that we have is when we're out there in the field, and that's four days at a time," said 2nd Lt. Christopher Anda, 91st MSFS flight commander, flight five.  "If we have to respond to an alarm out there, that can be 30 minutes in the open, or it can be as much as eight to ten hours."

The weather is an important consideration throughout a defender's shift.

"When not responding to anything we make sure to keep the vehicles in a heated garage to ensure they will start the moment we need them," Boylan said. "Extreme cold also affects the amount of responses we make because the cold, snow, and ice sporadically affect the sensors and causes false alarms."

The challenges posed by the cold also demand that Airmen look out for each other.

"If they're out there a long time, we run into issues like how much water do they have, how much food, and does the heater even work?" Anda said. "Stuff like that really tests them because of the cold. The wind just keeps blowing.

"We try to have fun with what we do, and we found that a lot of people end up enjoying it," Anda said. "It's because they realize that it's not about them, it's about everyone else. We keep telling them this flight could be a better flight if everyone got involved."

Anda says to keep morale and performance high, leaders have to take a personal stake in the lives of their Airmen.

"The more we dig into peoples' lives, the better they like it," Anda said. "Everyone just says 'this is what we do,' and it's really good to hear people say that. We just have to stay consistent no matter how cold it gets. We trust each other."

If you can help someone, help them

by Senior Airman Sean D. Smith
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

3/3/2015 - MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- A key component of the military's response to counter sexual assault is the victim advocate program. Victim advocates are individuals a victim can talk to in the aftermath of an assault, and a companion through everything that follows, from medical appointments to, potentially, a court-martial for the perpetrator.

"The VA's are all volunteers who want to help make a difference in the lives of others," said Reagan Gagne, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. "There is a great mix of rank, personalities, and backgrounds among the VA's that it forms a cohesiveness to provide the best service possible."

Victim advocates are a diverse group with a variety of tools to help victims.

"The strongest point of the VA program is the confidentiality that a VA offers," said Tech. Sgt. Dean Sides, 5th Civil Engineer Squadron NCO in charge of structures. "A lot of VAs are survivors of sexual assault themselves."

Sides is one such survivor who is also a VA. When he was assaulted 19 years ago, there were no victim advocates in the Air Force, and at the time, the hospital wouldn't even treat his physical injuries or acknowledge what had happened.

"My discharge paper said I'd been in a car accident," Sides said. "They didn't do anything for me."

While he wasn't able to get help from a victim advocate in the military back then, he stayed in the uniform regardless.

"There was nowhere else I wanted to go," Sides said.

Working as a VA allowed Sides to keep his mind off his own demons, while helping other survivors with theirs.

Sides believes that the most important step that a VA can help a survivor take is to talk about what's happened.

"I can see when I'm working with someone after the report, the change in people - it's instant," Sides said. "Once you say 'Hey, my name is whatever, and this is what happened to me,' it's instantly gratifying. It instantly makes you feel better. Not 100 percent obviously, but every little bit helps with something like that."

For those who aren't VAs, to be more supportive of survivors, Sides reminds people not to blame victims.

"If someone tells you they're a survivor, first and foremost, believe them," Sides said. "What were they doing, what were they wearing, how much were they drinking? Those are always the first questions, but none of that matters."

Standing up to sexual assault and being supportive of survivors isn't solely the role of VAs and the SAPR program - it's everyone's responsibility to be a good wingman.

"If we can prevent one, it's worth it," Sides said. "If you can help somebody, help somebody. If you can't help them, then help them find someone who can."

AFGSC commander visits Andersen, addresses changes with deployed Airmen

by Staff Sgt. Melissa B. White
36th Wing Public Affairs

3/6/2015 - ANDERESEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, met with deployed Airmen here March 2-3, to thank them for their work and provide updates on various command initiatives.

"Thank you all for setting a really high bar over the last six months and doing some extraordinary things like supporting Cope North, the no-notice deployments, getting jets out of here for typhoon evacuations ...  flying around every place in the AOR, and just being good Airmen setting a great example for all our partners," Wilson said during an all-call with nearly 400 Airmen deployed here from Barksdale AFB, La., supporting the Continuous Bomber Presence mission in the Asia-Pacific region.

During the event, the general also provided an update on AFGSC's Force Improvement Program, an ongoing bottom-up program that seeks feedback from Airmen directly on how to improve mission accomplishment.

"It's a continuous force improvement philosophy, so I want to make sure that people understand that.  It's not a 'one and done,'" Wilson said. "We're going to go back to the field and talk to people who have ideas on how to do things better."

Since FIP's inception a year ago, AFGSC has collected more than 4,100 surveys and conducted more than 1,700 one-on-one interviews with Airmen supporting the bomber mission. This program helped leadership pin-point six major areas that needed more focus including training capabilities, CBP, aircraft sustainment, cruise missile sustainment, Total Force integration and maintenance generation.

Wilson also noted some other changes within the command, including an upcoming change in leadership. AFGSC will become a four-star command, pending the Senate's confirmation of Gen. Robin Rand, the current commander of Air Education and Training Command.

In addition to the all call, Wilson met with the governor of Guam and the commander of Joint Region Marianas. He also made several site visits around the base to meet one-on-one with deployed Airmen supporting the CBP and garnered feedback from them regarding accomplishments and recommended improvements from their deployment.

The general also took the opportunity to recognize a handful of Airmen who came up with problem-solving initiatives for the mission during their six-month deployment here. Among those recognized was a group of Airmen who set up a fully-functional consolidated toolkit located conveniently on the flightline, saving the Air force almost $2 million and significantly cutting down on transit time for maintainers to manage their tools.

"We've got a lot of incredibly smart and talented Airmen," Wilson said. "We need to listen to them and empower them to continue to be innovative."

Reserve Airman Becomes ‘Hometown Hero’

By Air Force Capt. Michaela Judge

315th Airlift Wing

JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C., March 6, 2015 – The responsibility and moral character that come with wearing the uniform doesn't stop when a reservist signs out at the end of each unit training assembly. It's a constant professional mindset.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Landis, 315th Maintenance Squadron aircraft maintenance mechanic, knows this all too well.

During his commute home from a recent drill weekend, Landis faced a very real call to action that would change the course of what should have been a familiar and uneventful drive through St. Stephens, South Carolina.

"As I was going through the main area of town, I looked up at the gas prices to see what they were. Just catty-corner from the sign was this little red house with a white garage," Landis said.

At a glance, he saw flames through the front garage door next to the red house, and immediately thought someone had lit a charcoal grill with too much lighter fluid.

As his car passed the house, Landis said, something in him told him to look back. And this time he saw something different: a flame was peeking over the roof of the garage.

Knowing the flames of a grill wouldn't get that high, he made the quick decision to go back and investigate.

"When I got to the house, I first ran to the garage and looked inside. The back left room was fully engulfed in flames,” he said. “I looked for a second -- the best I could without going in -- to make sure there wasn't anyone inside. When I didn't see anyone, I ran to the house beating on every window I passed."

Alerting the Family

Landis said he ran up on the porch and opened the door of the house. Rushing inside, he saw a woman in the kitchen, with her two children close by on a couch playing games.

"They all looked completely scared that I just came into their house,” he recalled. “I yelled, ‘Ma'am, do you know that your garage is on fire?’ And when she ran past me and saw the fire for herself, she came back completely hysterical, and picked up her phone, I think to call her husband."

While she was on the phone, Landis said, he continued yelling for the family to get out of the house. He grabbed the children’s hands, and they rushed to the front yard, where he could safely call 911.

"As soon as I got an operator, a St. Stephen's police officer was driving by,” he said. “So I dropped my phone and flagged him down. [The police officer] stopped to get out and called dispatch for the fire department."

During the wait for the fire department, the garage and one of the family's cars became fully engulfed in flames, with the fire reaching about 40 feet high, Landis said.

"All of a sudden,” he added, “the power line burns in half and falls to the ground and starts popping and flashing, as it’s shorting out as it burns. The power line continued to do this for the rest of the time that I was there."

The destruction and danger of the fire didn't stop there, though.

"When the power line fell, the telephone-pole side of the power line fell on [a] pickup truck,” he said. “The heat from the garage fire and the power line together caused the truck to burst into flames, [causing] the tires to start exploding."

Fire Continues to Spread

At that point, the garage’s roof and shingles had caught fire, the flame height had doubled, and the fire had spread to the trees beside the garage. With the leaves and branches starting to rain down in flames, Landis said, it caused the fire to run toward the house and caught the house's wood siding on fire.

The fire engine arrived and the team had to jump into action immediately. Though he could have taken a step back, Landis said, he saw another need for help jumped in.

"[The firefighters] instantly turned on the truck's pump and grabbed the fire hose and ran it down the driveway to stop the house from catching on fire,” he said. “While they were doing that, it left only one firefighter to get the hoses out of the truck and hook up to the fire hydrant 100 feet away. So the officer and I grabbed the large hose and dragged it to the fire hydrant."

Doing the Right Thing

By taking a moment to think and to check back on the house, Landis was able to help the family escape from the house and to aid in minimizing the damage to their home.

"I don't know if it took moral courage,” he said. “[It was] just about turning around and making sure that the family was aware of the situation and to make sure that they were able to get to a safe place.”

His actions that day simply mirrored what he's learned as a military member, he said: doing the right thing at all times, not matter what.

"If you see something wrong or not being done correctly, it's your job as a [noncommissioned officer] to correct the situation," he added.

Landis's work ethic is evident in his day-to-day job as a reservist. His flight chief called him “an outstanding airman who exemplifies what the Air Force core values are.”

“He has a strong leadership mind and is always leaning forward with ideas for growing the airmen who work for him,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Johnson, 315th Maintenance flight chief.

Recognition From Harlem Globetrotters

The actions that Landis took that day also earned praise from outside his team. Harlem Globetrotters basketball player Zeus McClurkin recognized Landis as the team's Hometown Hero during a March 3 visit here.

"It was an amazing opportunity to meet Sergeant Landis," McClurkin said. “He's a real hero and embodies what we have been trying to capture with our Hometown Heroes initiative. He saved a family's life, and he's a part of our nation's military. It's just our chance to give back to these people who have sacrificed so much for us over the years, and it's really the least we can do."

Landis will also be recognized during the Globetrotters’ March 10 game at the Charleston Coliseum.