JBER welcomes Alaska Air Guard - Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Soldiers take
a winter ski
challenge
at Dyea,
Page B-10
Volume 2, No. 7
www.jber.af.mil/news
Youth skate
beyond
snow and
ice, indoors,
Page B-1
February 18, 2011
JBER welcomes Alaska Air Guard ‘home’
By Luke Waack
JBER PAO
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
officially welcomed a major
component of the Alaska Air Guard
into its hangars, Saturday.
The people and aircraft of
the Alaska Air National Guard’s
176th Wing moved from Kulis Air
National Guard base to JBER in a
flying formation with hundreds of
ell-wishers on the ground.
The 176th Wing began it’s hisory
as the 8144th Air Base Wing
n 1952, at then Elmendorf Field,
ith a small contingent of T-6G
Texan” trainer aircraft, according
o Alaska Air Guard public affairs.
The unit moved to Kulis in
954.
The 2005 Base Closure and Relignment
Commission ordered the
losure of Kulis as well as the joinng
of Elmendorf Air Force Base
nd Fort Richardson into JBER.
In a ceremony at Hangar 18,
Gov. Sean Parnell described how
the 176th Wing move to JBER is
the start of another chapter in the
state’s military history.
“We’ve heard the closure of
Kulis described as both a happy
and sad occasion,” Parnell said,
inside the hangar as he addressed
hundreds of community members.
“I know what it’s like to leave
a home and to make a new one.
Sometimes it’s bittersweet and we
don’t deny that. As humans we kind
of like the familiar, we tend to it,
but what we’ve become familiar
with in Alaska is our pride in you.”
After the governor’s remarks,
JBER and 673d Air Base Wing
Commander, Air Force Col. Robert
D. Evans welcomed the 176th
back to ground where the unit’s
history began.
“It is my honor this morning to
represent all the men and women
serving on Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson as we proudly welcome
the 176th Wing back home,” Evans
said. “The 176th Wing’s proud
history began at what was then Elmendorf
Field as the first elements
of the Alaska Air National Guard
arrived here almost 60 years ago.”
JBER will support 176th Wing
missions and its families, Evans
said.
“Our joint base combines the
“We know that you’re ready to write more history
for Alaska and for our nation and I’m
reminded of one of those truths Alaskans hold
self-evident; we love Alaska’s military families.”
— Gov. Sean Parnell
Alaska Air National Guard Senior Airman Alexander Van Nice, 176th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron, guides a C-130 Hercules aircraft into a parking position near Hangar 18, at
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Saturday. (Photo by Luke Waack/JBER PAO)
former Elmendorf Air Force Base
and Fort Richardson into a single
installation, fully dedicated to
supporting America’s Arctic Warriors.
Soldiers, Airmen, Marines,
Coast Guardsmen, active, Guard,
Reserve, civilian and their families
and we are proud to welcome the
176th Wing to our team. We look
forward to supporting you and your
families, enabling your important
missions and most importantly
building lasting partnerships that
will enhance our collective capabilities.
Welcome to JBER.”
The wing’s five C-130 cargo
planes, four HH-60 Pave Hawk
helicopters and two HC-130 Hercules
aircraft flew in formation
over Hangar 18 before landing at
their new home airfield.
Air National Guard Brig. Gen.
Chuck Foster, 176th Wing commander,
said he knew the move
would be difficult, but his team
executed the maneuver extremely
well.
“I am proud of you,” Foster
See 176th Wing, Page A-3
Gov. Sean Parnell addresses service members and well wishers
during the ceremony which marked the arrival of the 176th Wing
into Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hangars, Saturday. (Photo
by Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia/JBER PAO)
Anti-terrorism awareness
Social Networking
TOP: Alaska Air National
Guard, 176th Wing HC-130
and C-130 Hercules aircraft
fly on their way to Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson
from Kulis Air National
Guard Base, Saturday, during
the Kulis closure and
“fly away” ceremony. (Photo
by Air Force Staff Sgt.
Joshua Garcia/JBER PAO)
LEFT: Air National Guard
Brig. Gen. Charles Foster,
176th Wing commander,
and Air Force Col. Robert
Evans, JBER/673d Air
Base Wing commander,
salute the U.S. flag during
the 176th Wing arrival and
JBER’s welcome at Hangar
18, Saturday. (Photo by
Steve White/JBER PAO)
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
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A-2 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
Word on the street
By Luke Waack
What is your favorite winter activity?
“We like to go to the
playground in the snow
and go sliding on the
snowy slides.”
Laura Sands,
military spouse
“Downhill skiing; I like
the challenge of going
on some of the trails at
Hilltop (ski area).”
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Matthew Burns,
673d Logistics
Readiness Squadron
“The best way to enjoy
winter is sitting on my
couch, watching the
NBA game.”
Tech. Sgt. Nathan Hanzy,
673d Aerospace
Medicine Squadron
“I like working out at
the gym.”
Sgt. 1st Class
Asa Robitille,
Defense Information System
Agency, Alaska Field Office
“I like running in the
snow. You have to
layer up and you don’t
need cleats if you have
a good path.”
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Amanda Gibson,
3rd Equipment
Maintenance Squadron
Editorial & Opinion
History month highlights service
Commentary by Randy Saunders
Air Force News Service
February is Black History Month and a good time
to recall the vast contributions African-Americans
have made throughout the nation’s military history.
Most are aware of the Tuskegee Airmen and their
heroic contributions during World War II. (For more
on the Tuskegee Airmen, got to Page A-6)
Some may be familiar with the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’
of the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 38th, 39th, 40th,
and 41st Infantry Regiments (later consolidated and
renamed 24th and 25th Infantry) fought during the Indian
Wars and performed a primary role in America’s
western expansion following the Civil War.
But there are many more examples of African-
American military contributions in the defense of
this nation. African-Americans have served in every
conflict in U.S. history.
In 1689, black militia members fought against
French imperialism in then British colonies. Black
militia members also served in Queen Anne’s War,
from 1702 to 1713, and the French and Indian War,
from 1754 to 1763.
Barzilai Lew fought as a member of the Massachusetts
militia during this conflict and later saw
action in the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American
Revolution. By 1770, African-Americans were vital
elements of several colonial militias.
On March 5, 1770, Crispus Attucks, a runaway
slave turned sailor and four other colonists were killed
in the Boston Massacre.
Attucks was the first man killed by the British
Guard, as colonists protested against what
were called “British crimes” for being a colonist.
He became the first casualty of the American
Revolution.
African-Americans took part in the battles of
Concord and Lexington, Mass., in April 1775, and
in May, African-Americans helped Ethan Allen and
the Green Mountain Boys capture Fort Ticonderoga
in New York.
More than 5,000 African-Americans served in the
Continental Army and nearly 5,000 more served with
state militias during the Revolutionary War. African-
Americans also served as spies and undercover agents.
Several were recognized by Congress for their bravery.
As the 18th century drew to a close, Congress enacted
legislation restricting enlistments in the militia
to white male citizens.
This restriction would be short-lived, as African-
Americans continued to serve in the naval forces in
the War of 1812.
During the conflict, African-Americans served
with distinction during important battles, including
the Battle of Lake Erie, in which 10 to 25 percent of
Admiral Oliver H. Perry’s men were black, and the
Battle of New Orleans, two weeks after the signing of
the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war.
Following the war, restrictions on African-American
enlistments returned, as Congress set manpower
limits on the size of the Army. Free blacks, meanwhile,
moved west seeking opportunity, and in the 1830s
fought alongside Texans seeking independence from
Mexico.
Twenty-five African-Americans received the
Medal of Honor for their actions in combat. These 25
men included seven sailors, 15 soldiers assigned to the
“United States Colored Troops,” and three assigned
to other Army units.
In 1866, the U.S. Army established the 9th and
10th Cavalry Regiments and the 38th, 39th, 40th, and
41st Infantry Regiments and stationed them in the
growing western territories.
These Buffalo Soldiers, a name given by Cherokee
tribes, provided invaluable service during the Indian
Wars and the Spanish American War in 1898.
During these two conflicts, 24 African-American
Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr., as commander of the
332nd Fighter Group in Italy, with his P-47. (U.S.
Air Force photo)
service men received the Medal of Honor.
In fewer than 20 years, America was again at war,
fighting for the first time on European soil. As in the
past, African-Americans had to overcome bigotry
within military leadership to participate fully.
Eugene Jacques Bullard, a highly decorated African-American
serving with the French Air Service,
summed up this issue with his famous quote, “Tout le
sang qui coule rouge; all blood is red.”
On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war
on Germany. During the course of the conflict, 367,000
African-American Soldiers served, 1,400 of those as
commissioned officers.
On Sept. 28, 1918, Army Cpl. Freddie Stowers, of
the 371st Infantry Regiment, led his squad to destroy
a group of enemy soldiers.
He was leading his troops in an attack when he
fell to enemy fire.
Inspired by his bravery and leadership, Stowers’
squad continued to fight and took over their enemy
target.
Stowers received the Medal of Honor for his heroism.
He was the only African-American to receive the
country’s highest military award during World War I.
On July 26, 1948, President Harry S. Truman issued
Executive Order 9981, mandating the desegregation
of the United States Armed Forces.
Efforts to improve the treatment of African-Americans
and other minorities in the military services came
to the forefront of personnel policy. In the second half
of the 20th Century, African-Americans broke barriers
in all services.
Benjamin O. Davis Sr., became the first African-
American flag officer when he was promoted to
brigadier general, temporarily, on Oct. 25, 1940. He
retired on July 31, 1941 and was recalled to active duty
and promoted to brigadier general on Aug. 1, 1941.
Then Davis’ son, Benjamin O. Davis Jr., became
the Air Force’s first African-American general officer
when he was promoted to brigadier general, temporarily,
Oct. 27, 1954.
Samuel L. Gravely Jr. became the Navy’s first
African-American to achieve flag rank when he was
promoted to rear admiral in July 1971.
On Feb. 23, 1979, the Marine Corps promoted
Frank E. Peterson to brigadier general, making him
the Corps’ first African-American flag officer.
From the Massachusetts militia to Operation
Enduring Freedom, African-Americans have been
instrumental to the development of and service to
this nation.
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Don’t pay money for taxes
The Arctic Warrior is published
by Wick Communications,
a private firm in no way connected
with the Department of Defense,
the Department of the Air Force or
the Department of the Army, under
exclusive written contract with the
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Public Affairs Office.
This civilian enterprise newspaper
is an authorized publication
for members of the U.S. military
services. Contents of the Arctic
Warrior are not necessarily the
official views of, or endorsed by,
the U.S. government, Department
of Defense, the Department of the
Air Force or the Department of the
Army.
The appearance of advertising
in this publication, including inserts
or supplements, does not constitute
endorsement by U.S. government,
the Department of Defense, the
Department of the Air Force, the
Department of the Army, or Wick
Communications of the products or
services advertised.
Alaskan Command/
11th Air Force
Commanding General
Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins (USAF)
U.S. Army Alaska
Commanding General
Brig. Gen. Raymond P. Palumbo (USA)
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson/
673d Air Base Wing Commander
Col. Robert D. Evans (USAF)
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson/
673d Air Base Wing vice Commander
Col. Timothy R. Prior (USA)
Everything advertised in this
publication shall be made available
for purchase, use or patronage without
regard to race, color, religion,
gender, national origin, age, marital
status, physical handicap, political affiliation,
or any other non-merit factor
of the purchaser, user or patron.
To advertise in the Arctic Warrior,
please call (907) 561-7737. Editorial
content is edited, prepared and
provided by the Arctic Warrior staff.
Editorial office: Building 10480,
Suite 123; Mailing address: JBER
Public Affairs, 10480 22nd St., Suite
123, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506;
telephone (907) 552-8918.
Send emails about news stories
to Arctic.Warrior@elmendorf.af.mil
and luke.waack@elmendorf.af.mil.
Deadline for article and photos is
4:30 p.m., Monday, for the week of
publication. Articles and photos will
be published on a space-available
basis and are subject to editing by
the Arctic Warrior staff.
Submission does not guarantee
publication.
JBER Public Affairs Officer
Maj. Joseph Coslett (USAF)
JBER Deputy Public Affairs Officer
Bob Hall
Internal Information Chief
John Pennell
Arctic Warrior staff
Luke Waack - senior editor
David Bedard - community editor
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Jeremy Larlee - sports editor
Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia
Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
In this file photo, Tech. Sgt. Joel Ketchum, (right) Tax Center noncommissioned
officer-in-charge, and Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew
Lordier, 3rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, review Lordier’s
taxes. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders/JBER PAO)
By Luke Waack
JBER PAO
Whether you’re dreading and
avoiding your tax return this year
because you have to pay in, or
you expect a return but you’re so
busy with life and work that the
tax return keeps getting put off, or
you have absolutely no idea which
way it’s going to go, it’s a good
idea to do your tax return as soon
as you can.
If you get a return on income
tax paid – great. If you have to
pay in, it’s best to know how much
you owe so you can make a payment
plan.
I just finished my federal return
last night and luckily for me this
year, I’ll be getting a return. After
I finished filing, I was looking at
my bank’s website (a very common
bank for current and former
military).
I noticed a survey on the sidebar
asking how I planned to do my
taxes and how I was going to spend
my tax return. I clicked the “use tax
software” option.
I only use software because
I’m not eligible to use the base tax
office. You have to be active-duty
military, a dependent of an activeduty
Soldier or Airman, a military
retiree or a Reserve member on
active duty for more than 30 days.
I used the tax office at my duty
assignments while I was in the
military and it was always a good
experience – when I didn’t have to
pay in, that is.
But I digress; back to my
bank’s survey.
The survey said 63 percent of
users polled reported using tax
software. Twenty-two percent said
they would have an accountant do
their 2010 tax return.
I think the big reason people
use the software is the price.
This year, my software cost was
$35. Last year, I used an accountant
and paid about $150.
The great thing for active-duty
military and many more is, they
don’t have to pay either price.
Sometimes it’s difficult to see
how awesome some military benefits
are because they aren’t exactly
how we want them.
Getting free tax service isn’t
one of them. The tax office provides
high-quality customer service
for taxes with none of the cost.
Another thing I learned from
my bank survey was 42 percent of
people polled planned to pay off
debt with their tax return. Twentythree
percent planned to save it and
19 percent said, “What refund?”
I plan to use my return to pay
off some debt, but it’s a tough
choice for me; I really would rather
buy a four-wheeler. But I’m going
to do the “right” thing and pay
down my debt – the four wheeling
will have to wait a little longer.
The tax offices on base are
ready and willing to help with your
tax return needs. They are staffed
with trained tax preparers who can
help you file your taxes in short
order, provided you bring all the
necessary documents to the office.
Bring your W-2s, Social Security
Card and complete records
of anything you’d like to deduct
or claims you’d like to make on
your return.
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February 18, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-3
Legal office offers more than power of attorney
y Airman 1st Class
ack Sanders
BER PAO
Sitting in a court room is the
ast place any service member
ants to be, when most of their
egal issues can be resolved beorehand
with a quick visit to the
egal office.
Most people know to always
ake sure to read the fine print
efore signing anything.
Some deals that look too good
o be true probably are. But there
s hope for the frustrated and
ontract-illiterate.
The 673d Air Base Wing Legal
ffice can provide Soldiers and Airen
with the legal aid and support
hey may not have even known
hey needed.
Legalities are something every
ervice member will face from
ime to time, whether it’s updating
heir will before a deployment or
rying to get out of their lease for a
ermanent-change-of-station.
When those times come, it may
ay off more in the long run literlly
in some cases to check with
he legal office.
“I think what a lot of people
on’t know is the attorneys can
elp with so much more than what
eople think they can,” said Tech.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Fred Parchman III, 673d Legal Office paralegal, shows Dennis Foreman where to
sign and initial on his last will and testament. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders/JBER PAO)
Sgt. Laurie K Halman, NCO in
charge of the legal office. “It’s
basically free legal advice, and
they’ve gone to law school just
like an attorney that you would get
outside of base.”
Legal advice is only one of the
many services the office provides
here.
“Most people just think we just
do powers-of-attorney or things
like that, but we’re really involved
in any fundraising on base, any private
organizations and any private
businesses,” said Halman. “We
review Air Force Instructions when
they’re republished or revised.
Pretty much anything that needs a
legal review, the paralegals have
to look at.”
Even if the issue isn’t something
they can take care of the
office can still provide assistance.
“We can advise people,” said
Capt. Brett Johnson, 673d Legal
office. Assistant Staff Judge Advocate.
“We see a lot of family-law
matters, questions about divorce,
dissolution, financial issues and
things like that.
“With any legal issue, this is a
good place to start,” he said. “We
can’t go downtown and represent
somebody, but we can point them
in the right direction. People can
come in, and if we don’t have the
answer or we can’t represent them,
we can at least get them pointed in
the right direction.”
Johnson said he is currently in
charge of preventative law, which
works by providing legal aid in
advance to people to keep them
from dealing with something like a
lawsuit. Preventative law is also in
charge of things like getting wills
and powers of attorney ready for
deployers.
With any contract, whether
it’s for buying a car or getting a
record deal, before signing on the
dotted line, it’s a good idea to let
the service members of the legal
office help out first.
ime to file for Permanent Fund Dividend, if qualified
By Charles H. Criss
Army Legal Assistance Attorney
C-17 Globemaster IIIs from the Pacific Air Forces and Air Mobility Command soar over
Alaskan mountain ranges near Fort Greely, Alaska Feb. 10, 2010. Military members
who plan to return to Alaska can apply for the Permanent Dividend Fund. (Photo by
Senior Airman Matt Coleman-Foster/JBER PAO)
Development of Alaska’s huge oil reserves
brought large amounts of cash into
laska.
In 1976, the State of Alaska developed
the Permanent Fund to compensate Alaskans
for the future loss of revenues (employment,
etc.) derived from a nonrenewable resource.
Beginning in 1980, the state decided to issue
annually a portion of the Fund directly to
every Alaska citizen.
By doing so, a portion of the oil revenues
would be conserved for future generations.
The amount of the permanent fund dividend
varies each year and in 2010 the dividend
was $1,281.
Each year Alaska residents apply for
their dividend.
Although it appears to be easy money,
there is one very strict requirement that you
ust meet before you can qualify to receive
he PFD.
On the date of application, you must be
physically present in Alaska with the intent
to remain in the state permanently, or be on
an allowable absence with the intent to return
o the state and remain permanently.
The rules also apply to family members
applying for the PFD.
The burden of proving that you intend to
remain permanently as an Alaskan resident
s on you.
People intending to remain permanently
in Alaska will do most of the following:
obtain an Alaska drivers license, register
heir vehicle in Alaska, sign a lease for nonovernmental
housing or purchase a home in
laska, declare themselves as an Alaska resident
on their Leave and Earnings Statement.
A person would also keep a copy of the
DD Form 2058 that they filled out requesting
to list Alaska as their state of legal residence
on their LES together with proof of the
date they submitted the DD 2058 to their
military finance office for processing, obtain
an Alaskan resident hunting and/or fishing
license, register and vote in Alaska, execute
a will that designates residency in Alaska
and have their immediate family register as
Alaska residents.
Applications for the PFD may be filed
anytime between Jan. 1 and March 31.
Before you apply for your PFD, you must
first have lived in Alaska for a full calendar
year. If you PCSd to Alaska this past summer,
you will not be able to apply for the PFD any
sooner than January 1, 2012. Once your application
is approved, you must apply every
year thereafter in order to receive the PFD.
If you leave Alaska, you can continue to
receive the PFD only if your absence from
the state is excused. Reasons for an allowable
absence include attending specific education
on a full-time basis, receiving continuous
medical treatment or providing care for a
family member with a life-threatening illness.
Serving on active duty as a member
of the armed forces of the U.S. is also an
allowable absence.
If you are on active military duty serving
in a combat zone during the PFD application
period, you have 90 days following your
return in which to file your application.
In the alternative, you can give someone
a special power of attorney permitting that
person to file on your behalf. Before applying
for the PFD, consider that the PFD is a
benefit for legitimate Alaskan residents.
It is not meant to be a windfall for anyone
who just happens to be in Alaska for awhile.
If the State determines you never really
intended to remain in Alaska, you may face
criminal prosecution, be sentenced to jail,
fined up to $3,000, or both. In addition, you
may have to repay all the Permanent Fund
Dividends ever received, and forfeit the right
to all future dividends.
When applying for the PFD, consider
carefully whether you intend to remain in
Alaska or to return as soon as your military
duty allows.
If you have questions about your eligibility,
review the PFD’s web site at www.pfd.
state.ak.us or contact your Legal Assistance
Office (JBER-Richardson at 384-0371;
JBER-Elmendorf at 552-3046).
176th Wing
From Page A-1
aid. “You have pulled off somehing
that we knew you would – we
new it would be difficult – but you
ave done it with such style.”
There is room for the unit to
row and prosper at JBER, Foster
aid.
“We left Kulis this morning …
ut if you do not leave that home
hat you have outgrown you can’t
rasp the future that is laid out in
ront of this wing.”
The governor also remarked
n the professionalism with which
he unit transitioned from Kulis to
BER.
“Knowing this base realignent
has been coming for some
ime, you planned for it, you
repared for it, you moved all the
ieces along to make it happen so
hat as Kulis closed doors of opporunity
would open here at JBER,”
arnell said.
Parnell spoke on behalf of all
laksans, thanking the military for
hat it has done for the state and
hat it will continue to do.
“We know that you’re ready to
rite more history for Alaska and
or our nation and I’m reminded
f one of those truths Alaskans
old self-evident; we love Alaska’s
ilitary families,” Parnell said,
nd then he encouraged those on
emporary assignments to consider
laska a permanent home.
“You’ve made a home here in
he Great Land and we are proud
o call you our family, so here’s my
equest of you. When you retire
rom service, we want you to settle
ere. We’re proud of who you are
nd the character you bring to this
lace,” Parnell said.
A formation of 176th Wing, Alaska Air National Guard aircraft, a C-130
Hercules and two HH-60 Pave Hawks, make a pass over Kulis Air
National Guard Base, Saturday. (Photo by Luke Waack/JBER PAO)
U.S., Canadian jump training
A Canadian paratrooper gives airborne operation instructions to
U.S. Soldiers, prior to a scheduled U.S., Canadian partnership
training jump, which was postponed due to inclimate weather,
Feb. 11. (Photo by Army Sgt. Marcus Butler/4-25th ABCT PAO)

February 18, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-5
Disposition of effects
Anyone having claims against
or who is indebted to the estate of
Pfc. Amy R. Sinkler, 109th Transportation
Company, 17th Combat
Support Sustainment Battalion, 3rd
Maneuver Enhancement Brigade,
U.S. Army Alaska, may contact
Army 2nd Lt. Katrina Fedd, 95th
Chemical Company, 3rd MEB,
17th CSSB, JBER, AK 99506 or
at 384-2008.
Disposition of effects
Any person or persons having
laims for or against the estate of
ir Force Staff Sgt. Paul Auclair,
73d Logistics Readiness Squadon,
should contact Air Force 2nd
t. Aaron Green at 384-7050.
Dr. Ravi Zacharias
Dr. Ravi Zacharias, an international
evangelical Christian apoloist,
will speak at the Talkeetna
heater at 1 p.m., March 4.
The event is open to Departent
of Defense ID cardholders
nd their guests.
Munitions storage
The 3rd Equipment Maintenance
Squadron, Munitions
Flight, will be closed March 2-11,
to conduct a 100 percent closedwarehouse
inventory.
Any munitions requirements
during this time will be considered
“emergency” and will require coordination
through the respective
group commander.
For more information call
Senior Master Sgt. William Mothersell
at 552-2589 or Air Force
Master Sgt. David Scarsella at
552-3119.
Volunteers needed
Air Force volunteers are needd
for Joint POW/MIA Accounting
ommand missions to Vietnam
nd Laos. Volunteers can have any
Air Force Specialty Code.
The mission to Vietnam takes
lace May 10 to June 11. There will
be two missions to Laos; April 18
to June 5 and June 13 to July 31.
All volunteers must be approved
by their commander via
signed memorandum to proceed on
a 45 day TDY; have a fitness score
of 75 or greater; possess a tourist
or official passport that does not
expire within 6 months of mission
completion and be in the grade of
E-5 through E-8.
Senior airmen can apply but
commanders must attest to the
selected Airman’s professionalism.
This mission is unit funded.
For more information call DSN
449-9721 or visit https://13af.
ops.hickam.af.mil/sites/index.
cfm?event=index&page_
id=581&tab_id=782.
Tax offices
The U.S. Army Alaska Tax
Center is open to provide tax
preparation and advice to service
members, retirees, family members,
and eligible members of
the Reserve component through
Briefs and Announcements
April 18.
The center is in Room 306,
Building 600. Hours are Monday
to Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m.-5
p.m. and Thursday, 1-8 p.m. For
more information, call 384-1040.
The 673d Air Base Wing Tax
Office is next to Customer Service
on the first floor of Building 8517,
in the People Center, and remains
open through April 18. Hours are
Monday to Friday from 8 a.m.-2
p.m. Tax preparation is free, but
limited to valid military ID card
holders.
Customers should bring Social
Security cards or a statement from
the Social Security Administration
bearing their Social Security
Number to the tax centers.
Thrift shops
The Thrift Shop, Building
724, Quartermaster Road, Door 8,
is open Tuesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and
Thursday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Thrift Shop is also open
the first and third Saturday of each
month, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Bargain Shop, 8515 Saville
Ave., is open Tuesday, Wednesday,
and Friday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Green to Gold
The Army ROTC Green to
Gold Division Commander’s Hip
Pocket Scholarship Program provides
selected Soldiers the opportunity
to complete their baccalaureate
degree requirements
and obtain a commission through
participation in the ROTC scholarship
program.
Units are encouraged to nominate
Soldiers under their command.
All applications must be submitted
through the unit career
counselor to the Installation Retention
Office, Building 515A, no
later than Feb. 27.
For information, call 568-1121
or visit www.goarmy.com/rotc/
enlisted_soldiers.jsp#hip.
Voting poster contest
Entries are now being accepted
for the Federal Voting Assistance
Program poster and slogan
contest.
The contest is open to U.S.
citizens worldwide, via challenge.
gov. Contests should use ideas
from fvap.gov to inspire members
of the military, their families and
U.S. citizens residing overseas to
participate in elections while away
from home.
More information can be found
at fvap.gov or http://challenge.gov/
dod/115-absentee-voting-slogancontest.
Winners will receive a trip
to Washington D.C., to participate
in special events and tours.
EOSO Scholarships
The Elmendorf Officers’
Spouses’ Organization has scholarships
available for 2011 high
school seniors who are dependents
of active-duty or retired military
members. The application deadline
is March 31.
Visit www.elmendorfoso.com
for more information.
AER scholarships
The Maj. Gen. James Ursano
Scholarship Program was
established in 1976 to help
Army families with undergraduate
college expenses for their
dependent children.
The 2011-2012 scholarship
application and requirement information
are available at www.aerhq.
org. The deadline for submissions
is April 1.
The Stateside Spouse Education
Assistance Program is
designed to provide spouses of
active-duty and retired Soldiers,
and widows or widowers of Soldiers
who died either on active
duty or in a retired status, and
reside in the U.S., with financial
assistance in pursuing educational
goals. For more information, call
384-7478.
Defense logistics
The Defense Logistics Agency
(formerly Document Automation
Production Services) provides a
variety of document services including
programs, in-flight guides
and training manuals.
The DLA office is located
in Building 984 on Warehouse
Street. For questions or document
services call 384-2901.
Housing referral
Visit the Automated Housing
Referral Network at www.AHRN.
com (sponsored by the Dept. of
Defense) to find housing at a
current or upcoming Permanent
Change of Station location.
AHRN.com listings include
available community rentals,
military housing, shared rentals,
temporary lodging and military
for sale by owner listings. Listings
include property descriptions, pictures,
maps, links to local schools,
and contact information.
If you would like to rent your
home, post a “For Sale by Owner”
listing, or are looking for another
service member as a roommate
in your current home, you may
place an ad free of charge on the
site. Call 552-4439 for more information.
Furnishings Management
Office move
The Furnishings Management
Office customer service desk is
now located in Building 4241,
Finletter Ave. Hours of operation
are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.-5
p.m. Users need to bring a copy
of PCS orders to the warehouse.
Call 753-2044 for any questions
regarding the JBER-Elmendorf
FMO program.
The FMO program offers 90-
day loaner furniture for members
who are just arriving or departing
JBER-Elmendorf. FMO has
appliances for longterm use for
those DoD personnel assigned to
JBER-Elmendorf who live in offbase
housing.
Delivery and pick-up is provided
by the FMO contractor for
the 90-day loaner furniture and for
the appliances. The FMO also has
Acquired Dependent Support Program
(ADSP – long term furniture)
for ranks E-1 though E-5 assigned
to JBER-Elmendorf.
These furnishings are available
on a first-come, first-serve, basis
and the member is responsible for
transport.
OSI recruiting
The Air Force Office of Special
Investigations is currently seeking;
staff sergeants with five to
seven time in grade; staff sergeants
outside the time window on an
exception-to-policy basis only;
technical sergeants with less than
one year in grade, and less than 11
years in service.
Those with more than one year
in grade but less than 11 years TIS
will be considered on an exceptionto-policy
basis.
Applicants must also be releasable
from their current career field
and qualify for a top secret security
clearance.
Call 552-2256 for more details.
Firewood cutting permits
Firewood Cutting Permits are
issued at JBER-Richardson, Building
658, in the basement, Monday
to Friday 8-11 a.m. and at the
JBER-Elmendorf Wildlife Education
Center Building 8481 19th St.,
Monday to Thursday from noon
until 4:15 p.m., and on Fridays,
noon until 2:15 p.m.
Woodcutters must have a US-
ARTRAK Pass to cut firewood on
JBER-Richardson. For JBER-Elmendorf,
you must have a military
I.D., or be a DoD card holder. For
more information call 384-3174,
552-0310 or e-mail alicia.bricker.
ctr@elmendorf.af.mil.
Blood drives
There will be a Blood Bank of
Alaska Blood Drive at the Joint
Military Mall, Sunday, 11 a.m.–
5:30 p.m., and Buckner Physical
Fitness Center, Feb. 25, from noon
to 5 p.m. For more information
call 222-5652 or visit www.bloodbankofalaska.org.
Asymetric Warfare
U.S. Army Asymmetric Warfare
Group recruiters will visit
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Feb. 22–24, to conduct recruiting
briefings.
Briefings are scheduled for
Feb. 22, 23 and 24 at 10:30 a.m.
and 1:30 p.m. in Building 56, the
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne),
25th Infantry Division
classroom.
The AWG is seeking senior
noncommissioned officers and
officers with combat experience,
maturity, small-group skills, problem-solving
skills and more.
Spec Ops recruiting
There will be Army Special
Operations recruiters at the Education
Center, Building 7, JBER-
Richardson to answer questions
for Soldiers interested in Psychological
Operations, Civil Affairs
and Explosive Ordnance Disposal,
March 4.
Briefings are scheduled at various
times throughout the day. For
more information, send e-mail to
willie.eller@usarec.army.mil.
Use eFinance caution
Air Force eFinance users
must use caution when uploading
documents. Finance patrons are
prohibited from sending sensitive
documentation with travel
vouchers.
Heed the warning on the entry
page upon logging into eFinance
directing users not to submit any
documentation containing “DATA
MASKED” or “Location: Classified.”
Aurora housing
Aurora Military Housing
has been selected as one of a
few areas in Anchorage to receive
“single stream” recycling
services. Each resident is provided
with a 96-gallon recycle cart;
residents can co-mingle (“single
stream”) recycle in one bin, no
sorting necessary.
This includes mixed paper,
aluminum cans, steel cans, plastic
PET number one bottles (remove
lids), plastic HDPE number two
jugs (remove lids) and cardboard.
The service is provided every
Monday morning for all residents,
the bin should be on the curb by
7 a.m.
Contamination usually occurs
when people are unsure about
what should be recycled. The most
common mistakes are milk cartons,
freezer boxes, tissues, glass, coffee
cups, Styrofoam and plastic
bags.
Passport office
The Army Military Personnel
Section will host its first passport
clinic, Tuesday, from 1:30-3:30
p.m., in the basement of Building
600.
Passport clinics are the fourth
Tuesday each month, from 1:30-
3:30 p.m.
Anyone PCSing within 12
months that will be driving through
Canada, moving overseas, or anyone
preparing for a deployment
(which requires a passport) should
attend this clinic.
Attached is a slide identifying
documents that the military
member and family members will
need to bring when they attend
the clinic.
The passport application and
any visa stamps (if applicable) will
be completed at the clinic, therefore
the military member/family
members must have all documents
when they attend.
Anyone requesting a passport
must be present at the clinic. Call
384-7138 or 552-2906 for more
information on passport photos.

A-6 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
Arctic Reservists remember unit Tuskeegee history
By Air Force Maj. Lisa Reaver
477th Fighter Group PAO
Several original Tuskegee Airmen and their spouses attended the 477th Fighter Group activation ceremony
Oct. 2, 2007. These famous African-American aviators are known for their unrivaled combat skills,
earing two Presidential Unit citations during World War II. The 477th FG’s heritage is rooted in the 477th
Bombardment Group, a Tuskegee Airmen unit from the 1940s. (Photo by Senior Airman Garrett Hothan)
As members of the Air Force
Reserve’s 302nd Fighter Squadron
and 477th Fighter Group here
prepare F-22s for a trip to the Red
Flag exercise at Nellis Air Force
Base, Nev., they remember the
unit’s part in Black History Month
as a Tuskegee heritage unit.
During World War II, a group
known as the Tuskegee Airmen
disproved assumptions that African-Americans
were unsuited for
ervice in the highly technical U.S.
Army Air Corps.
These men faced extreme
challenges in all areas of military
service ranging from bigotry and
racism to inadequate facilities,
funding and training opportunities.
They were based and trained
initially at Tuskegee Army Airfield
in Alabama and fought in Europe
during World War II.
Flying primarily P-51 Mustangs
with tails painted red, by
the end of the war the Tuskeegee
Airmen had won for themselves
he distinction of having damaged
or destroyed more than 400
nemy aircraft and were known
to have a nearly perfect record for
the bombers escort missions over
Europe.
Because of their red-painted
aircraft tail and success in combat,
hey garnered a war-time reputation
as “Red Tail Angels” to the
ombers they escorted and “Red
ail Devils” to their enemies.
Though the F-22 Raptors flown
by today’s 302nd Fighter Squadron
do not have red tails, a similarly
strong reputation precedes them,
and all eyes will be on them during
simulated war games at Red
Flag.
Red Flag is a realistic combat
training exercise conducted on the
vast bombing and gunnery ranges
at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.,
involving the air forces of the U.S.
and its allies.
Aircraft and personnel deploy
to Nellis for Red Flag under the
Air Expeditionary Force concept
and make up the exercise’s
“Blue” forces.
A typical Red Flag exercise
involves a variety of attack, fighters
and bombers, reconnaissance
and electronic warfare aircraft, air
superiority, airlift support, search
and rescue as well as aerial refueling
aircraft.
Command and Control aircraft
play a significant role in the training
by using their unique capabilities
to monitor and support many
aspects of the “Blue” force effort.
The “Red” force threats are
aligned under the 57th Adversary
Tactics Group, which controls
seven squadrons of USAF Aggressors,
including fighter, space,
information operations and air
defense units.
The Red force Aggressors are
specially trained to replicate the
tactics and techniques of potential
adversaries and provide a scalable
threat presentation to Blue forces
which aids in achieving the desired
learning outcomes for each
mission.
Arctic Reserve members from
the 477th and 302nd, in conjunction
with their active-duty counterparts
from 3rd Wing, will join flying
units from across the country
to compete in mock battles in the
skies over Nevada.
“The mission scenarios will be
extremely challenging, both from
an air-to-air and surface-to-air
perspective,” said Air Force Maj.
Chad Newkirk, Red Flag project
officer.
“Red Flag is meant to be as
close to war-time stress as possible,
to prepare pilots for what
they will experience during the
first days of a conflict,” Newkirk
said.
According to Air Force Staff
Sgt. Donna Marshall, an F-22
Avionics specialist who will be
going to the exercise, maintenance
personnel have been preparing for
Red Flag by doing their day-to-day
work on the jets.
“(Pilots) have been preparing
by flying missions similar to what
we’ll fly there,” Newkirk said,
“lots of night flying since this is a
day/night Red Flag, sending guys
to the simulators in Marietta, Georgia
to prepare for large missions.”
Reserve members from the
477th and 302nd trained for Red
Flag in buildings and hangars surrounded
with photos and stories of
the legacy their units carry forward
from World War II, and are reminded
of them especially during
this month dedicated to honoring
the contributions of great Americans
like the Tuskegee Airmen.
3-509th Soldiers see open of Thai Cobra Gold exercise
By Army Staff Sgt. Matthew E. Winstead
4-25th ABCT PAO
CAMP ERAWAN, Thailand — Soldiers
from U.S. Army Alaska’s 4th Brigade Combat
Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division,
ere among the units representing the U.S.
eb. 8 at an opening ceremony for Exercise
obra Gold 2011 here.
Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute
Infantry Regiment, stood alongside
members of the 3rd Marines Logistics Group
and the King’s Guard of the Royal Thai
Army at the ceremony, which shadowed the
multinational exercise’s main opening event
eb. 7 in Chiang Mai.
Cobra Gold is a joint coalition multinational
exercise hosted annually by the
Kingdom of Thailand. Cobra Gold 2011 is
the latest in a continuing series of exercises
designed to promote regional peace and
security.
The Camp Erawan ceremony highlighted
the importance of joint training and was an
pportunity for the participating nations to
demonstrate some of their tactics. Soldiers
from the 3-509th performed squad maneuver
actics and a simulated medical evacuation.
Members of the Royal Thai Army
showed how they react to enemy contact
and clear enemy objectives with precise
flanking movements, fire support and radio
communication.
Since arriving in Thailand Feb. 1, the
Alaska Soldiers have been adjusting to the
warm climate and preparing for joint operations
with physical training and weapons and
tactics training.
“More repetitions on the rifle range never
hurt,” Army Lt. Col. Shawn Daniel, 3-509th
commander said. “Most of these Soldiers
idn’t grow up hunting or shooting, so the
uscle memory associated with shooting
ell must come from hours spent on the
ange. The opportunity for ranges prior to
he opening ceremony were of great value”
The Soldiers have also been getting cultural
awareness classes from members of the
Royal Thai Army and have been encouraged
to experience Thai culture in their off time.
Many Soldiers took the opportunity to
sightsee and explore the neighboring city
of Lop Buri.
“While the exercise is the priority for this
trip, the cultural experience of seeing life in
hailand outside the gates of Camp Erawan
Thai Army Maj. Gen. Phi Boon Khoomchaya, deputy commander of the 1st Army Area Thailand, inspects and greets American
troops here during a Cobra Gold 2011 opening ceremony. Cobra Gold 2011 is the latest in a continuing series of exercises designed
to promote regional peace and security. (Photos by Army Staff Sgt. Matthew E. Winstead/4-25th ABCT PAO)
was a great opportunity for the Soldiers,”
Daniel said.
Many Soldiers welcomed the break from
rigorous mountain and jungle training.
“It was great to get out and relax for a
bit,” said Cpl. Daniel Dekorte of the 205th
Military Intelligence Brigade, based in Fort
Shafter, Hawaii. “Training is good and all,
but you can only do so much of it before you
overload. Plus, it was cool to get out and
experience such a different culture.”
The Soldiers will train on a multitude of
joint military operations during their stay
in Thailand and will regularly engage in
cultural events as they progress toward the
closing ceremony, slated for Feb. 17.
ABOVE: Soldiers raise the American flag at the opening ceremony for Exercise Cobra
Gold 2011 at Camp Erawan, Thailand. RIGHT: Medics from 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute
Infantry Regiment, treat a simulated injury as part of a presentation during a
Feb. 8 opening ceremony for Cobra Gold 2011.

A-10 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
Aurora military housing utility allowance changes
Aurora Military Housing
News release
Starting in January, the utility
allowance was adjusted for all
hase I (Sunflower – those units
on Fairchild Ave., Dallas, Silver
Run and Chugach housing areas)
metered housing units to reflect a
16.5 percent increase in electricity
and 4.5 increase in natural gas rates
urora pays to the government and
local provider, respectively.
The new rates will be included
in the monthly utility statement.
Implementation of utility allowances
for metered phase II
ousing units (Moose Crossing,
ew Sunflower – those units not on
airchild Ave., Denver, Houston,
herry Hill and Dayton Housing
reas) has been deferred for at
east a year.
Compiling accurate utility
consumption data over a number
f years is the key to developing
ccurate utility allowance figures.
Since insufficient utility data
is available for metered Phase II
ousing units, implementation of
utility allowance for these units
as been deferred by the Air Force
Center for Engineering and the
Environment, for at least one year.
Until such time that these
housing areas receive a utility allowance,
Aurora will pay for all
utility usage.
The Phase I utility allowance is
a portion of the Basic Allowance
or Housing that Aurora sets aside
o cover the gas and electric utility
osts for each house.
Aurora pays for each resident’s
water and sewer costs regardless
f the usage.
The utility allowance encourages
energy conservation and also
protects tenants from spikes due
to severe weather conditions and
seasonal anomalies.
In accordance with the agreements
between Aurora and the Air
Force, Aurora is required to annually
adjust the utility allowances
based upon actual metered usage
data and current utility rates.
In calculating the allowances,
consumption is based upon 110
percent of the actual metered average
consumption data for units in
our housing area from the past
five years.
As an example from last year,
A row of housing on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. (Courtesy photo)
based on a 5-year period, Chugach
housing area residents consumed
an average of 677 kilowatt hours
per month and have received an
allowance equal to a consumption
rate of 745 kWh/month (110
percent of 677) times the electric
rate the Air Force charges Aurora.
Aurora has been providing
Phase I tenants with a quarterly
adjusted utility allowance.
Since gas and electric consumption
have large seasonal consumption
variations residents often
found themselves in a position of
either making a payment in the late
winter or obtaining a refund in the
late summer or fall.
In an attempt to minimize the
seasonal effects of utility usage
and limit tenant utility payments,
Aurora will again be adjusting the
allowance on a quarterly basis.
Aurora will continue to read
utility meters monthly and provide
a statement reflecting actual
consumption, quarterly allowance
amount and the resulting balance
of the account.
As is currently the case, when
the credit balance of an account
exceeds $200, Aurora will issue a
refund check.
In the alternative, if an account
reflects a debit balance in excess of
$250, tenants are required to make
payment to Aurora in the amount
of the account balance.
In addition, each account is
annually reconciled and adjusted
to zero at the end June.
This means during July residents
will either be refunded any
accumulated credit, or invoiced for
any amount owed regardless of the
dollar amount.
By following just a few of the
simple tips, residents can make
their homes more comfortable and
easier to heat and electrify – while
saving money.
Heating a home uses more
energy and drains more energy
dollars than any other system.
Turning thermostats down
when no one is at home or limiting
opening the garage door to the
shortest possible period can result
in substantial savings in natural
gas usage.
Electricity and natural gas can
be saved by making certain that the
full capacity of the washer, dryer or
dishwasher is being used.
Turning off lights in unoccupied
rooms or during the day
can have a significant impact on
electrical energy usage.
Aurora encourages tenants to
call or stop by their office to discuss
other energy savings tips, heat
loss issues and to check out what
items are available in the u-fix-it
store for energy conservation.
“Utilities rates on (base) have
been and continue to be lower than
off-base,” said David Germer of
Aurora Housing. “As long as everyone
exercises energy conservation
measures, there will be no out
of pocket expenses. However, for
those who do not conserve energy,
they may find themselves in the
position of paying for the greater
energy use than what is set aside
by Aurora.”
Residents with questions can
call Aurora at 753-1023.

A-12 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
End of Iraq operations leads to smaller Army budget
By C. Todd Lopez
Army News Service
WASHINGTON — The Army’s
Fiscal Year 2012 budget
request includes funding for a 1.5
percent pay raise for Soldiers, a 3.1
percent increase in housing allowance,
and a 3.4 percent increase in
subsistence.
The Army base budget request
for FY 2012 amounts to $144.9 billion,
an increase of just $1.5 billion
over the FY 2011 request.
The Army also requested an
additional $71.1 billion for the
overseas contingency operations,
or OCO, budget — to fund operations
in Afghanistan and to wrap
up operations in Iraq.
The OCO budget request was
$31 billion less than the FY2011
request, said Army Maj. Gen. Phillip
McGhee, director, Army Budget,
because Operation New Dawn
in Iraq will end in December 2011.
Overall, the Army is asking in
FY 2012 for about $29.5 billion
less than it did in FY 2011.
One place the Army is not asking
for less money is the military
personnel budget, or MILPERS.
“The Army leadership’s highest
priority is caring for our people,”
said McGhee. “That is our
Soldiers, our families, and our
civilian workforce — all with the
goal of restoring balance across
the Army, (and) continuing to
build resiliency to sustain an allvolunteer
force.”
The military personnel portion
of the base budget comes to $60.6
billion, by far the largest portion
of the Army’s budget.
That portion of the budget
provides the funding for Soldiers’
pay increase.
“Caring for our Soldiers and
sustaining the quality of our allvolunteer
force are the top priorities
of the Army leadership,”
McGhee said. “So in addition to
caring for our Soldiers, the military
Army Maj. Gen. Phillip McGhee, Army Budget director, and Barbara Bonessa, Army Budget deputy
director, discussed the Army’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget request, Monday, at the Pentagon. (Photo by
C. Todd Lopez)
personnel budget of $60.6 billion
also achieves our manning objectives.”
In FY 2012, the Army continues
maintaining the total force
end strength of 1,110,600 it was
authorized in FY 2011.
That includes 547,400 for the
active force; 358,200 for the Army
National Guard and 205,000 for the
Army Reserve.
The OCO budget also includes
$8 billion to support the active
Army temporary troop increase
of 22,000 Soldiers. That number
will decrease to about 14,600 by
the end of the year, and will zero
out by the end of FY 2013.
The general also said the FY
2012 budget would focus on mainlining
the Army’s “combat edge,”
on training and equipping Soldiers
and units for the current fight, and
for reconstituting and modernizing
the force.
The $45 billion operation and
maintenance budget request is
about a billion higher than last
year’s request due primarily to
more Soldiers in home station and
available for training, McGhee
said.
The Operation and Maintenance,
or O&M, budget, he said,
includes “a revised combined arms
training strategy, that focuses and
shifts training from major combat
operations to full-spectrum operations,
so funding will support 24
rotations to the Combined Arms
Training Centers for all the brigade
combat teams and 33 war-fighting
exercises for our multi-functional
and our functional support brigades.”
The O&M budget also includes
$900 million for recruiting and
advertising and initial training for
Soldiers and provides for funding
for 73 brigade combat teams, 98
multi-functional support brigades,
and 133 functional and support
brigades, McGhee said.
The Army’s procurement request
for FY 2012 comes to $22.1
billion, about $800 million more
than last year.
The funding will support modernization
of the UH-60M/HH-
60M Black Hawk helicopter fleet,
including $1.5 billion for some 71
new aircraft.
An additional $1.4 billion is
marked for modernization of the
CH-47 Chinook helicopter from
the “D” to the “F” model.
The Army will purchase 32
new Chinooks in FY 2012.
Also part of the procurement
budget: 88 Patriot Advanced Capability-3
missiles for $662 million,
710 Javelin missiles for $161
million, 2,784 Guided Multiple
Launch Rocket System missiles for
$314 million and modifications to
the Patriot missile system for $67
million.
The Army expects to spend
about $1.4 billion on missile procurement
in FY 2012.
The Army also expects in FY
2012 to upgrade 21 Abrams tanks
to M1-A2 vehicles, and to convert
100 Strykers into nuclear, biological,
chemical reconnaissance
vehicles.
As part of its $5.2 billion facilities
budget, the Army will continue
with investment in barracks in FY
2012 and will construct 128 new
family housing units.
The four military services were
directed by Defense Secretary
Robert Gates to achieve $100 billion
in efficiencies over the Fiscal
Years 2012 to 2016 Future Years
Defense Plan, or FYDP.
The services would be allowed
to retain and reinvest these efficiency
savings in enhancements
of their own high-priority warfighting
programs.
The Army found efficiencies
through the consolidation of six Installation
Management Command
regions into four, for instance.
Also, through portfolio reviews,
the service determined it
could terminate both the costly
SLAMRAAM surface-to-air missile
program and the Non-Line-of-
Sight Launch System.
“Our DoD efficiency initiatives
are enabling the Army to maintain
our forces and our force structure
in FY 2012,” said McGhee. “It
will sustain an Army at war, it does
build Soldier and family resiliency
and it does help build our fullspectrum
readiness and strategic
flexibility.”
McGhee said of the $100 billion
the DoD asked the services to
find, the Army’s portion comes to
$26 billion. In FY 2012, the Army
found $2.6 billion in savings.
Congress told every military MWR dollar will count
By Rob McIlvaine
Army News Service
WASHINGTON — The House Armed
Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel
began its 2011 hearing cycle last
week looking at the Defense Department’s
Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.
MWR can be broken down into two
categories:
• Mission support activities, which include
fitness, libraries, recreation centers,
single servicemember programs, intramural
sports, and unit activities
• Community support activities, which
include child and youth development
programs, outdoor recreation, crafts
and automotive skills, and small bowling
centers
“MWR programs will be subjected to
increased pressure to maintain effectiveness
while operating more efficiently,” said
Congressman Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), chairman
of the Armed Services Military Personnel
Subcommittee.
“(But) we must not allow MWR programs
to become easy targets for the budget
cutters,” Wilson said.
While Wilson acknowledged that decisions
about programs needing to be cut
or reduced will be difficult, he hoped that
MWR managers are prepared to justify the
programs that are truly critical to servicemembers
and their families.
“We hope to learn more about the strategy
that MWR managers will pursue in the
coming months to meet the demands of
this new era of budget austerity,” Wilson
said.
Wilson, a retired Army National Guard
colonel, opened the hearing Feb. 10, with
other congressmen, directors of military
MWR programs, and Robert L. Gordon,
deputy assistant secretary of defense for
Military Community and Family Policy in
attendance.
“This subcommittee has always viewed
the wide range of programs that comprise
the MWR community as essential elements
within a healthy military community, and it
remains strongly committed to supporting
these programs,” Wilson said.
Leaders
look to
protect best
programs
By Lisa Daniel
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – The leaders
of the services’ morale, welfare,
and recreation departments today
pledged to sustain military families’
best programs while searching
for ways to deal with inevitable
Army Col. Michael Saulnier reads to Child Development Center students June 9, at
Daegu, South Korea, Camp George. (Photo by Ron Inman)
DoD, Wilson said, has correctly crossed
over into a new era of austerity marked
by increased fiscal scrutiny of all programs
and a pursuit of increased budget
efficiency.
“While demands for increased effectiveness
and efficiency are to be expected, I fear
that misperceptions about the absence of a
link between MWR programs and combat
readiness will place those programs at
greater risk of being cut too deeply,” Wilson
said, adding that superior combat capability
is directly dependent on the strength of the
military community.
On Jan. 24, President Obama announced
50 initiatives by 16 federal agencies to help
support military families with programs
designed to improve psychological health
resources, ensure excellence in education
for children of servicemembers, develop
career and education opportunities for military
spouses, and increase the availability
of child care.
Speaking to cabinet members, military
senior leaders and their spouses in the White
House Green Room, Obama was reported as
saying, “One hundred percent of Americans
need to be supporting the one percent who
are fighting U.S. wars.”
First Lady Michelle Obama, according
to a House Armed Services Subcommittee
report, announced a year-long campaign to
promote the plan and draw more attention to
the needs of military families.
Gordon told the panel that the services
have been doing a good job to assess their
programs by sharply focusing on what servicemembers
and families want.
“In the defense department, we are about
machines and people. We’ve been at war for
10 years and families, in terms of retention
and readiness, are essential,” said Gordon,
a West Point graduate with an Army career
of 26 years.
“So with respect to leadership, with respect
to assessment of programs, and with
respect to the infrastructure in place, I think
we’re in good shape,” he said.
Rich Gorman, executive director and
chief operating officer of the Army’s Family
& MWR Command, acknowledged the need
to be fiscally conscious.
budget cuts.
“As we are focused on efficiencies,
we will take care of our
most valuable asset: our service
members and their families,” said
Robert L. Gordon, the Defense
Department’s deputy assistant
secretary for military community
and family policy, before a congressional
subcommittee.
Gordon appeared before the
House Armed Services Committee’s
military personnel subcommittee
to discuss morale, welfare,
and recreation programs, along
with leaders of each of the service
MWR programs.
Results from the first survey of
MWR program patrons conducted
in 2009 shows the programs are
fine, but could use improvement,
especially in outdoor and recreational
facilities, Gordon said.
Rich Gorman, executive director
of the Army’s Family and
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation
Command, said MWR programs
are important to help Soldiers
maintain physical fitness and alleviate
stress, and support families.
“Everything we do every day is
designed to support our Soldiers,”
he said. “MWR serves Soldiers
everywhere they serve.”
Gorman added that support is
equal for families.
“Mission accomplishment is
directly related to Soldiers’ knowing
their families are safe and
happy,” he said. “The Army has
long recognized that if we don’t
retain the family, we simply won’t
retain the Soldier.”
Rogers Patrick, acting director
of the Navy’s Fleet and Family
Readiness Programs, said his
department has streamlined costs
through its Quality of Life models
to improve on-base housing, community
centers, and galleys.
Those savings have helped to
fund 30 more child care centers,
allowing for 7,000 more openings
and a waiting list of no more than
three months, he said.
“Whatever the need, whatever
the location, our patrons know they
can count on MWR to give highquality
programs,” Patrick said.
Charles E. Milam, director of
Air Force Services, said his office
has “stretched the traditional programs
of MWR to meet the constantly
changing needs of Airmen.”
Air Force Services has enhanced
warrior and survivor care,
“When the Army Chief of Staff Gen.
George W. Casey Jr. came out of Iraq in
April 2007, he said the Army was out of
balance. So, he immediately put us to work
to create the Army Family Covenant and the
commitment to funding that is steadfast,”
Gorman said.
“At the same time, we also accept the
responsibility to develop, what General
Casey calls, a cost culture, where we turn a
new page in our approach to fiscal management.
It’s not about executing dollars, but it’s
about what we get for the money we spend in
terms of value we provide our servicemembers
and their families in exchange for their
magnificent service,” he said.
Casey and Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander
of the Army Installation Management
Command, said Gorman, frequently
say that the Army is not going to break
because of its Soldiers, but it might break
because of its families.
“Economy, efficiency and effectiveness
have long been goals of Army MWR
programs, although their relative priority
has changed over time, driven by deployment,
budget and staffing requirements,”
Gorman said.
“Where it makes sense, we will embrace
change to address what’s missing. But our
focus will remain not on “change” but on
“better” as we strive, with your help, to keep
our promise to provide Soldiers and families
with a quality of life commensurate with
their service and sacrifice,” he said.
At the conclusion of the second day of
hearings, Gordon summed up the efforts of
the military MWR program directors for the
panel of congressmen that included Susan
Davis (D-Calif.), retired Army Lt. Col. Allen
West (R-Fla.), and Austin Scott (R-Ga.).
“Be assured that as we move our defense
enterprise toward a more efficient, effective,
and cost-conscious way of doing business,
we will take care of our most valuable asset:
our servicemembers and their families,”
he said.
“I look forward to working with Congress
in this effort. We share a passion for
improving the quality of life of our Soldiers,
Sailors, Airmen and Marines and their families,”
Gordon said.
outreach programs, and the dignified
transfer services of fallen
service members, Milam said. “We
will not lose site of our core function
of allowing for mission-ready
airmen” as he and others develop
next year’s budget, he said.
Timothy Larsen, Marine Corps’
Personnel and Family Readiness
Division director, said the Corps
increased funding for the programs
by $10 million this year as part of
a multi-year effort to transition
programs such as the Exceptional
Family Member and Quality of
Life programs into the Personnel
and Family Readiness Division.
Gordon and the others said they
are focused on how to preserve the
best programs while finding cost
savings in ones that are less effective
or valued.

age to 42.
“They
wanted to
see how older
Soldiers
would help
younger Soldiers,”
she
said.
Her husband,
a re-
Taylor-Scales
tired Army master sergeant, told
Taylor-Scales about the program
and inspired her to enlist.
“I liked the qualities he had as a
Soldier, as an NCO,” Taylor-Scales
said “I wished I could’ve done that
when I was younger.”
She started from the bottom,
and is working her way up.
“I (knew I) would have to go to
Basic Combat Training,” Taylor-
Scales said. “I would have to start
as a Soldier, as a private.”
ebruary 18, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-15
Iraqi medics learn first responder skills
By Air Force Staff Sgt.
Levi Riendeau
321st Air Expeditionary Wing
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq —
The first moments after an injury
re the most important, when it
comes to first responder care.
That’s why medics at the 332nd
Expeditionary Medical Group have
been teaching Iraqi medics how to
take care of trauma patients during
those first few minutes.
“You can have world-class
trained plastic surgeons all over
this hospital, but it doesn’t do any
ood if people don’t get stabilized
in the field,” said Air Force
Master Sgt. Kristen Hess, 332nd
Expeditionary Medical Operations
Squadron.
A variety of U.S. Airmen
taught many first responder skills
to a class of six Iraqi medics.
With participation from several
Iraqi bases, the three days of training
covered everything from basic
rst aid to applying a chest tube to
remove fluids.
“I tried not to focus on specific
equipment we use, because they
may have different equipment, and
hat information wouldn’t be useful
to them,” said Air Force Capt.
Air Force 1st Lt. Stephanie Allen, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group staff nurse, teaches Iraqi medics
wound care at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Feb. 8. The training was part of a first responder workshop held for
Iraqi medics to help develop skills to treat trauma patients. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Levi Riendeau)
Susan Senko, 332nd Expeditionary
Medical Group emergency room
registered nurse.
Instead, most of the training
focused on the specific types of injuries
trauma victims might receive
and the specific techniques that are
used to treat them.
“(The Iraqis) seemed to get the
concepts,” said Hess, deployed
from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson,
Alaska. “They asked very
intelligent questions.”
In addition to formal training,
they gave a hands-on portion for
most of the training modules.
The formal training was rounded
off with a hands-on exercise on
the last day.
Trainees were presented with a
trauma victim and asked to stabilize
them from the accident site to
the emergency room.
There they put their new
knowledge to the test.
“(During the exercise) they
were very jelled together as a
team,” Hess said. “You can train
all you want to, but at home if you
can’t work together as a team, it
doesn’t do you any good.”
All of this training and experience
has only a small impact if
given just to the six Iraqi medics,
Hess said.
“One of the goals was to take
the information that we gave them
and (challenge them) to train others,”
Senko said.
Through this progressive transfer
of knowledge, the expertise of
the 332nd Expeditionary Medical
Group can be passed on to many
Iraqi medics who didn’t have the
opportunity to work directly with
the U.S. medics, Hess said.
“For a lot of us, it’s an honor to
take what are daily operations for
us and give that back to people that,
had we never been here, would
never have had that opportunity
(to learn),” Hess said.
USARAK Soldier joins Army at 39, serves in Afghanistan
By Spc. Michael Vanpool
101st Sustainment Brigade
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan
— Months after her
usband retired from the Army,
pc. Deirdré Taylor-Scales began
er military career at the age of 39.
“My friends and family thought
I was going through a mid-life
crisis,” Taylor-Scales said. “Some
eople buy red Corvettes. I wanted
o wear combat boots.”
Taylor-Scales, now the Standard
Army Maintenance System
anager for the 17th Combat
Sustainment Support Battalion,
attached to the 101st Sustainment
rigade, laced up her boots in 2005
when she joined the Army.
“It sounds crazy now, but it’s
what I wanted to do,” she said.
She enlisted under a test program
which elevated enlistment
Twenty-four enlistees started
the test program and only seven
graduated BCT, she said.
Taylor-Scales went into the
Army Reserve, joining the 55th
Sustainment Brigade at Fort Belvoir,
Va., as an automated logistical
specialist after completing
training. She also started a job as
a police dispatcher.
After two years, she decided to
focus on the military.
“I chose to come into the active
component to be a part of something
bigger,” Taylor-Scales said.
“I wanted to do more; I wanted to
wear my uniform every day.”
She met with a recruiter to
fulfill her wishes. Her only request
was to be stationed at Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
“It was a special assignment to
me,” she said. “I had only been to
Virginia and Texas. If I was coming
in at my age, I wanted to do
something incredible. The arctic
is amazing.”
She got her wish. Taylor-Scales
packed up and headed to Alaska
with her husband and two sons to
begin her active-duty career.
“I made a solid decision to be
a Soldier and everything it came
with,” she said. “When I raised my
hand, I knew being a Soldier would
be integrated into my life.”
She continued her military education
by graduating the Warrior
Leader Course, becoming proficient
in the Standard Army Maintenance
System and completing
military correspondence courses.
“I want to be the best at it,”
Taylor-Scales said. “I wanted to
challenge myself at that age. The
standards keep me young.”
While working with Soldiers
nearly half her age, Taylor-Scales
assisted the younger Soldiers with
challenges they encountered in
their lives.
“I made sure that I provide
guidance to younger Soldiers, but
don’t place any pressure on them,”
she said. “I let the young Soldiers
figure out their life experiences.”
Taylor-Scales’ life took another
turn when she deployed to Afghanistan
this past year. Her family has
supported her throughout her tour.
“I sacrifice a lot to be away
from my family and serve the military,”
she said. “The family comes
first. There’s not enough money in
the world to change that.”
Her husband continued to
guide her with his experience and
supported her unit as the battalion’s
Family Readiness Group advisor.
“He was a good NCO,” she
said. “He was a blueprint to what
a Soldier is.”

School shows
military
appreciation,
Page B-6
Intelligence Squadron Airmen
take to the ice to sweep
3 Geronimo Soldiers during the
JBER broomball championship,
Page B-10
Volume 2, No. 7 www.jber.af.mil/news
February 18, 2011
From free spirits and mohawks to
grunge and graffiti, skateboarding has
evolved precipitously through the years. It
has not always had a positive name and is
still prohibited in many areas, but this nontraditional
sport still remains as popular as
it was 50 years ago.
Skateboarding was developed to recreate
the feeling of surfing. It originated in California
and was known as sidewalk surfing
in the early days, but is now common all
over the world.
Not even cold weather has managed
to stop the trend from growing. Due to the
development of indoor skate parks, even a
place as cold as Alaska has a skater subculture
following.
Professional skateboarders, like Tony
Hawk and Rob Dyrdek, made the culture
trendy by performing in skateboarding demonstrations
like the one hosted at Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson, Feb. 12.
The event was hosted by the Teen Center,
located in the Arctic Oasis, for JBER youth.
“I wanted to put on a skate demonstration
for the teens and the smaller kids as well to
see what actually is possible with hard work
and dedication,” said A.J. Brooks, JBER
Teen Center teen coordinator. “These tricks
don’t come easy. It comes with being a positive
influence and working hard in the skate
park. You don’t have time to go out and be
a negative person if you’re putting in a lot
of work. The kids see that it’s definitely a
positive influence for the smaller generation
to see what’s possible also.”
Parents and friends showed up to support
almost 30 participants who dared to try the
elusive tricks and flying stunts.
“I love it. It’s fun to see him growing up
doing something I loved as well, like passing
the torch,” said Air Force Master Sergeant
Sean Nelms, 773d Civil Engineering
Squadron, as he watched his son Matthew
compete. “Of course as a parent I worry,
but I’m pretty confident in his abilities and
his discretion.”
The participants ranged in age and experience.
Donovan Campbell, age 12, has
been skateboarding for a little more than a
year and is already considering a career in the
sport. He hasn’t been skateboarding as long
as most of the contestants, but his dedication
drove him to win in the beginners group.
“I just felt like I could show what I could
do and felt like I was good enough to win,”
Campbell said.
Not everyone agrees that skateboarding
is a positive sport for youth but aspiring
professional skater Christian Sallee, age 17,
thinks otherwise.
“If kids take it in a positive way, it’s not
all about being a rebel and out doing bad
things. It can be influential,” he said.
ABOVE: Donovan Campbell, 12, grinds along a rail during the skate demonstration,
Feb 12, at the Arctic Oasis Teen Center. The demo was put together for youth to be
able to see the positive influences skateboarding can bring.
RIGHT: Matthew Nelms, 12, attempts a kickflip during the skate demonstration, Feb 12.
Arctic Warriors help inspire new generation of aviators
By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
JBER PAO
Volunteers from Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson spent their weekend helping
inspire children from local school districts
to get involved in aviation.
Volunteers participated in the Build-a-
Plane program at Begich Middle School.
The program is designed to help motivate
children to take an active interest in aviation
and life.
The program got off the ground of the
school after speaker Barrington Irving, the
youngest and first African-American to
pilot a plane around the world, stopped by
the school for a speech, according to Angie
Slingluff, FAA Education coordinator.
“Jeanna Fisher, the principal, said, ‘Can’t
we do something like that at this school?’”
Slingluff said. “So, we began looking around
for an airplane that was suitable.”
Luckily for the school, a New Mexico
kindergarten teacher had begun her own
Build-a-Plane project.
“In her classroom she had a mock instrument
panel, a mock yoke, and an old
headset, and she would let her kindergarten
students “fly airplanes.” Slingluff said. “So
she really wanted to build an airplane to use
for educational purposes, but unfortunately
she died in a car crash in 2008. Her estate
donated the Pete and Pull model aircraft to
Begich Middle School.”
After the project managers had the plane
they decided they needed some expertise.
“They contacted Norm Lagasse at the
Volunters from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson put together an ultra-light model
plane at Begich Middle School for the Build-a-Plane program, Feb. 12. The plane was
donated by the 3rd Maintenance Squadron. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders/JBER
PAO)
aviation museum; he’s the director down
there and he’s an engineer, but Norm’s never
built an airplane, so he cornered me one day
and asked if I’d be willing to help and I’ve
been here ever since,” said Ernest Mitchell,
master restorer at the Anchorage Aviation
Heritage Museum.
Mitchell said, “Our goal is to teach them
some of the things they need to know (in
life) and if we build an airplane that will
be a plus.”
“We’re basically trying to teach the kids
a little about craftsmanship and wood working
aviation and aeronautics,” Mitchell said.
“So far we’ve had between 80 and 100 kids
come through the program in the two years
we’ve been going. We haven’t built much,
but most of them have learned how to drive
a nail,” he said with a laugh. “That is a major
accomplishment today because a lot of kids
don’t have that skill set any more.”
Some skill sets may be easier to acquire
than others when it comes to aviation, which
is where the volunteers come in.
“These guys have a lot of skills that they
can pass onto the kids,” Mitchell said. “My
goal is to be able to pass on the things that
I know. I’ve been working with airplanes
for almost 60 years and hoping to pass on
some of those skills to those kids and create
an enthusiasm for not just aviation but to do
things right,” he said.
The most recent group of volunteers
brought in and helped to set up a donated
small-frame aircraft, an ultra-light. The
Build-a-Plane group plans to fully restore
the ultra-light, including a new paint job for
school spirit along with an Air Force patch,
and hang it in the school for all to see.
“I have kids myself and it’s good to
get kids involved in aviation,” said Tech.
Sgt. Nolan Busby, Build-a-Plane volunteer
and 3rd Wing Maintenance Squadron
member.
“(With this program), all of a sudden
math makes sense, angles make sense, precision
makes sense,” said Slingluff. “Most
of the kids think of aviation as only being a
pilot and say, ‘Well I don’t want to be a pilot’
but they know nothing about the rest of the
careers out there. We need mechanics, we
need air traffic controllers, we need pilots
desperately.”
“It’s something that as big as aviation
is in Anchorage, with the military base out
here, with the general aviation industry being
as big as it is, it would have never occurred
to some of these kids to go get involved in
the aviation programs here,” Mitchell said.
“If we get one success story a year I’ll
be happy. It’s a good program; it gives the
kids something to focus on and talk about
and think about,” Mitchell said.

B-2 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
Friday
Fireproof marriage
Watch a free movie, “Fireproof,”
7 p.m. at the Richardson
Theater.
Fireproof marriage addresses
the difficulty of maintaining a
healthy marriage, give a faithbased
definition of authentic love
and provide usable strategies to
increase marital happiness through
a follow-on, 40-day marriage enhancement
challenge with the book
“The Love Dare.”
The book will be available
to those willing and interested to
committing to the challenge.
A six-week marriage enrichment
course begins in February on
Wednesday nights at the Soldiers’
Chapel at 6:30 p.m.
For more information, call
552-4422.
Celtic music
See Celtic band, Solas, in
concert, 7 :30 p.m., at the Alaska
Center for the Performing Arts.
For more information,
call 263-2787, or visit
www.myalaskacenter.com.
Community happenings
Shooting stars
Astronomer Bob Matthews
talks bout shooting stars and
other stargazing opportunities, 7
p.m., at the Eagle River Nature
Center.
Be ready to go outside, clear
skies permitting, with your own
binoculars or telescope or share the
ones provided by the center.
For information, e-mail info@
emc.org or visit www.emc.org.
Mars and the new Rover
Eagle River Nature Center
astronomers present this popular
indoor and outdoor program at 7
p.m. about Mars and the efforts to
explore the red planet.
For information, e-mail info@
emc.org or visit www.emc.org.
Friday and Saturday
Seawolves vs. Mavericks
The University of Alaska Anchorage
Seawolves hockey team
takes on the University of Nebraska
at Omaha Mavericks, 7:07 p.m.
both days at the Sullivan Arena.
For more information, visit
www.goseawolves.com.
Friday–Sunday
Alice in Wonderland Jr.
The Alaska Theater of Youth
presents Disney’s 1951 vision of
Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic,
Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., Feb. 19 at 2 and
7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., at the
Alaska Center for the Performing
Arts.
For more information,
call 263-2787, or visit
www.myalaskacenter.com.
Little Women
The Anchorage Community
Theater presents Louisa May
Alcott’s 1867 classic as a play
through Friday and Saturdaysat 7
p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.
For more information, call
868-4913, or visit www.actalaska.
org.
Chapel
services
Catholic Mass
Sunday
9 a.m. – Soldiers’ Chapel
10:30 a.m. – Elmendorf
Chapel 1
5 p.m. – Soldiers’ Chapel
(Confession is available 30
minutes prior to
Sunday Evening Mass)
Monday through Friday
11:40 a.m. – Soldiers’ Chapel
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday
11:30 a.m. – Elmendorf Chapel
Center
Thursday
11:30 a.m. – Hospital Chapel
Confession
Sunday
4:30 p.m. – Soldiers’ Chapel
Monday though Friday
Before/after 11:40 Mass –
Soldiers’ Chapel
Protestant Sunday
Services
Joint Liturgical Service
9 a.m. – Elmendorf Chapel 2
Protestant Celebration
Service
9 a.m. – Elmendorf Chapel 1
Collective Protestant Service
11 a.m. – Soldiers’ Chapel
Gospel Service
Noon – Elmendorf Chapel 1
Contemporary Protestant
Service
5 p.m. – Elmendorf Chapel 1
Heisman Trophy recipient Herschel Walker answers questions for reporters, during a media session at Fort Gordon, Ga., May 14, 2010.
Walker will visit with troops Tuesday, 10-11:30 a.m. at the Talkeetna Theater and 1:15–2:45 p.m. at the Post Theater to talk about his book,
“Breaking Free, My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder.” (Photo by John Vannucci/Fort Gordon PAO)
Friday and Sunday
Symphony of Sounds
The Symphony of Sounds
Concert is a presentation of music
ranging from classical to jazz,
7:30 p.m. on Friday, and 4 p.m. on
Sunday, at the University of Alaska
Anchorage Fine Arts Building
Recital Hall.
For more information, call 786-
4849, or visit http://bit.ly/i1g03R.
Saturday
Eddie Griffin meet & greet
Comedian and actor Eddie
Griffin will meet with troops and
family members, noon, at the
Model Train Day
The Military Society of Model
Railroad Engineers presents Model
Train Day from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in
basement Room 35 of Matanuska
Hall.
Anyone interested in model
railroads is invited to attend.
For more information, visit
www.trainweb.org/msmrre.
Walk for Warmth
Walk to keep neighbors warm
this winter in the United Way of
Anchorage Walk for Warmth,
9–11:30 a.m. at the Dena’ina Civic
Convention Center.
For more information, call
263-4696.
Paw prints
Eagle River Nature Center
presents Tales Written in Snow or
Mud at 2 p.m.
As part of the Junior Naturalist
program, children in grade school
can learn how to “read” animal
footprints.
For more information, e-mail
info@emc.org, or visit www.emc.
org.
Jazz orchestra
The Duke Ellington Orchestra,
directed by the band namesake’s
grandson, Paul Mercer Ellington,
is featured, 8 p.m., at the Alaska
Center for the Performing Arts.
For more information,
call 263-2787, or visit
www.myalaskacenter.com.
Eddie Griffin in concert
Comedian turned actor Eddie
Griffin headlines, 8 p.m., at the
Egan Center.
For more information, visit
www.eddiegriffin.com.
Youth symphony
The Anchorage Youth Symphony
performs, 7 p.m., at the Alaska
Center for the Performing Arts.
For more information,
call 263-2787, or visit
www.myalaskacenter.com.
Peace Corps
REI of Anchorage hosts an information
seminar about the Peace
Corps from 2-3:30 p.m.
For more information, visit
www.peacecorps.gov.
River Walk for Justice
Victims for Justice sponsors a
walk or run in the moving water,
8:30 a.m., at H2Oasis Water Park.
For more information, call
278-0986.
Sunday
Winter camping essentials
Join resident volunteer and
outdoor educator Jack Noll to learn
more about what to consider when
planning a winter camping trip,
2 p.m., at the Eagle River Nature
Center.
For more information, visit
www.emc.org.
Monday
Water Balloon Royale
Face off in a last-person-standing
battle of water balloons for
different age groups starting 11
a.m. at the Arctic Oasis Community
Center.
See Page B-3 for more details.
Tuesday
Herschel Walker visit
Former National Football
League player Herschel Walker
will speak about understanding
mental health and the stigmas
involved with mental health problems,
10–11:30 a.m. at the Talkeetna
Theater and 1:15–2:45 p.m.
at the Post Theater.
Tuesday–Thursday
JAFAP Conference
The Joint Army Family Action
Plan Conference gives Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson community
members the opportunity to discuss
quality-of-life issues.
See page B-4 for more details.
Feb. 25
Black History observance
The Soldiers of 4th Brigade
Combat Team (Airborne), 25th
Infantry Division, host the Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson Black
History Month observance, 10:30
a.m.–noon, at the Post Theater.
Free movie night
The Little Rascals will be
played at the Arctic Oasis Community
Center at 6 p.m.
See page B-3 for more details.
Feb. 25–March 6
Fur Rendezvous
Dating back to the early 1900s,
Anchorage Fur Rendezvous features
performances, snowshoe softball,
ice bowling, the Trappers Ball,
and other time-honored wacky
events in downtown Anchorage.
For more information, visit
www.furrondy.net.
Feb. 26
Snowmachine fun run
The Outdoor Recreation Center,
Building 794, hosts a snowmachine
fun run from 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
See Page B-4 for more details.
March 4
Dr. Ravi Zacharias
Dr. Ravi Zacharias, an international
evangelical Christian apologist,
will speak at the Talkeetna
Theater, 1 p.m.
The event is open to Department
of Defense ID cardholders
and their guests.
Ongoing
Ice skating
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
recently opened a new outdoor
ice skating rink for winter fun
and fitness located adjacent to the
Kashim Club.
The regulation ice hockey rink
is lit and is professionally resurfaced
twice weekly.
Outdoor recreation rents a variety
of ice skates.
For more information, call
552-2023.
La Boheme
Experience a world-class
troupe of artists in a deeply moving
story set to the music of Puccini’s
greatest opera, Saturday at 8 p.m.,
Feb. 23 at 7 p.m., and Feb. 25 at 8
p.m., at the Alaska Center for the
Performing Arts.
For more information,
call 263-2787, or visit
www.myalaskacenter.com.
Hillberg happenings
Dog sled rides are offered this
weekend through Monday, noon–5
p.m.
Group lessons will be 50 percent
off for first term Soldiers and
Airmen, Feb. 25.
See Page B-3 for more details.
Polar Bowl happenings
The Polar Bowl offers a wide
range of events throughout the
week.
See page B-3 for more details.
Outdoor adventures
Learn how to cross-country ski
or how to snowshoe geocache.
See Page B-3 for more details.
Venture Point
Venture Point offers Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson youth opportunities
in the Edge and Hired.
See Page B-4 for more details.
Homeschool labs
The Youth Services Technology
Lab, located in Building 337,
offers labs Monday–Friday for
homeschool students.
See page B-4 for more details.
Texas Hold ’em
The Arctic Chill hosts weekly
Texas Hold ’em games, Thursdays,
at 5 p.m.
See Page B-4 for more details.
Kashim Karaoke
Karaoke for ages 18 and older
is offered in the Kashim Lounge, 9
p.m.–2:30 a.m.
See page B-3 for more details.
Night of Discovery
Discovery is a religious education
program of the Joint Base
Elmendorf-Richardson Chapel
community and meets on Wednesdays
5:45 p.m.-7:30 p.m. through
May 4.
Meals are provided at 5:45 p.m.
with classes beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Bible-based classes for children
K–6 are provided along with
a nursery ministry for pre-school
youth.
At the same time as Discovery,
the Soldiers’ Chapel hosts Club
Beyond, an ecumenical youth
ministry open to all junior and high
school youth.
For more information, call 552-
6480 or 552-0183.
Wired Cafe
The Wired Cafe is located at
7076 Fighter Dr., between Polaris
and Yukla dormitories.
The cafe was built to serve
Airmen who live in the dormitories
with a home away from
home atmosphere.
The cafe has wireless internet
and programs throughout the week.
There are also free homecooked
meals Thursdays with dinner
served at 6:30 p.m.
For information, call 552-4422.
Parent support program
The New Parent Support Program
hosts several activities for
families with young children.
In Jay Bear Play Group, parents
meet other parents and enjoy a
fun time with their children from
infants to school age.
The group meets Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays from
9:30-11:30 a.m. in rooms 16 and
17, Building 337.
In Aqua Play, parents introduce
their children, 6 months to school
age, to water play and preparation
for swimming.
The group meets every Tuesday
from 10-11 a.m. at the Buckner
Physical Fitness Center Pool.
In Craft Time, parents enjoy
a weekly craft activity with their
children, ages 2 to 5, followed by
an interactive story time for parents
and children.
The group meets every Thursday
from 10-11:30 a.m. in Room
18, Building 337.
For more information, call
NPSP at 580-5858.
Lifeguard certification
Become a certified lifeguard
through classes at Buckner Physical
Fitness Center pool.
See Page B-4 for more details.
Zoo Lights
The Alaska Zoo presents a new
parade of animals for the winter
while unveiling a new winter
wonderland.
Walk the trails, 5–8 p.m daily
until March 5, decked with colorful
displays of wrapped trees,
canopied walkways and brightly
lit animal displays to guide visitors
through the zoo.
For more information, call 346-
3242, or visit www.alaskazoo.org.
Planetarium shows
Embark on a journey to the
stars.
Through 3-D graphics, surround
sound and a dome screen, the
Anchorage Museum’s planetarium
offers a fascinating way to learn
about astronomy, the solar system
and more.
For more information,
call 929-9200, or visit www.
anchoragemuseum.org.
Crystal Gallery of Ice
Enjoy an urban winter wonderland
in ice a Anchorage’s Town
Square until March 1, with professionally
carved ice sculptures.
Native Art
The Anchorage Museum presents
(Re) Emergence: Contemporary
Alaska Native Art and Design,
exhibiting nearly 50 art works
created during the past 50 years by
prominent Native artists.
For more information,
call 929-9200, or visit www.
anchoragemuseum.org.
Iditarod volunteers
Are you volunteering to help
out with the 2011 Iditarod Trail
Sled Dog Race ceremonial start
in Anchorage or the official start
in Willow?
If so, the Arctic Warrior newspaper
would like to talk to interested
readers for an upcoming
feature story.
From helping blaze the trail for
the first race in 1973 to providing
care for mushers and dogs last year,
the military has a strong tie to the
Last Great Race, and we’d like to
share it around the world.
If interested, please contact
David Bedard at 552-2174, or e-
mail at david.bedard@elmendorf.
af.mil.

February 18, 2011 Arctic Warrior B-5
Guardsmen help make history in rugby competition
By Pfc. Karina Paraoan
AKARNG PAO
CAMP DENALI — Alaska
National Guardsmen had a rare
opportunity to be a part of the first
Alaska National Guard sponsored
rugby team to compete in a worldwide
tournament hosted at the Sam
Boyd Stadium Complex in Las
Vegas Feb. 10-12.
The team, also known as the
Alaska Maulers, consists of Alaska
National Guardsmen, active duty
Soldiers, a Navy reservist and civilian
rugby players.
The Alaska National Guard
Soldiers are Sgt. 1st Class Donald
Gum and Sgt. Eti Edward Faaaliga,
both with Recruiting and Retention
Command, Sgt. Anthony Lee from
the 207th Battlefield Surveillance
Brigade and Spc. Thomas Foilefutu
from 1-207th Aviation.
Capt. August Manelick, an
active duty Soldier, and Lt. Cmdr.
Dennis Gum Jr., a naval reserve
officer, are the captains of the team.
The members of the Alaska
Maulers began playing together
in late October 2010. Since then,
they have been preparing for this
tournament, hoping to bring home
a victory.
The first team they played
against was Kamikaze International,
England’s all-star rugby team.
The second was Chile’s national
rugby team.
“We have been practicing twice
a week at the Alaska Dome,” said
Manelick, one of captains of the
Alaska Maulers. “We work on
individual fitness for the first half
hour, then work on our agility skills
for another half hour and then we
work on game plays.”
The Las Vegas Invitational
Tournament is the official tournament
for all teams of different ages
and skill levels associated with the
USA Sevens International Tournament
and Festival. The annual
tournament features club teams
from across the USA and Canada,
as well as select countries from
around the world.
“I think we definitely have the
talent to compete in this tournament,”
said Gum. “Even if we lose,
we’re going to try to compete again
next year.”
The Alaska Maulers, an Alaska National Guard sponsored rugby team, poses for a photo before heading
down to Nevada for The Las Vegas Invitational Tournament hosted, Feb. 10-12. The Alaska Maulers
competed against all-star teams from different countries all over the world. (Photo courtesy of the
Alaska National Guard)
Sippy cups, the health of your child’s teeth
By Air Force Capt. Ashley Brooks
7th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
As soon as teeth appear in the
mouth, decay can occur.
One of the risk factors for early
childhood caries (sometimes called
baby bottle tooth decay or nursing
mouth syndrome) is frequent and
prolonged exposure of a baby’s
teeth to liquids, such as fruit juice,
milk or formula, which all contain
sugar.
Tooth decay can occur when
a baby is put to bed with a bottle.
Infants should finish their naptime
or bed-time bottle before
going to bed.
Because decay can destroy the
teeth of an infant or young child,
you should encourage your children
to drink from a cup by their
first birthday.
Many training cups, also called
sippy or tippy cups, are available
in stores. Many are no spill cups,
which are essentially baby bottles.
No spill cups include a valve
beneath the spout to stop spills.
However, cups with valves do not
allow your child to sip. Instead the
child gets liquid by sucking on the
cup, much like a baby bottle.
This practice defeats the purpose
of using a training cup, as it
prevents the child from learning
to sip.
Don’t let your child carry the
training cup around. Toddlers are
often unsteady on their feet. They
take an unnecessary risk if they try
to walk and drink at the same time.
Falling, while drinking from
a cup, has the potential to injure
the mouth.
A training cup should be used
temporarily. Once your child has
learned how to sip, the training cup
has achieved its purpose. It can and
should be set aside when no longer
needed.
Tips for sipping success first
begin by carefully choosing and
using a training cup.
As the first birthday approaches,
encourage your child to drink
from a cup.
As this changeover from baby
bottle to training cup takes place,
keep the following in mind:
• Type of training cup chosen
• Contents of the cup (limit
sugary drinks)
• Frequency of drinks
• Prevent child from carrying
the cup around
If your child has not had a dental
examination, schedule a wellbaby
checkup for his or her teeth.
The American Dental Association
says it is beneficial for the
first dental visit to occur within six
months of the appearance of the
first tooth, and no later than the
child’s first birthday.
February is National Children’s
Dental Health Month.
The 673d Dental Squadron
reminds parents their children
can avoid cavities. Ensure your
children have a well-balanced
diet, limit snacks, brush and
floss their teeth each day and get
regular dental check-ups.
U.S. Navy Cmdr. Gordon G. Wisbach operates on a 13-year-old Nicaraguan
child aboard amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD
7) Sept. 17, 2010. Regular brushing, flossing and dental check-ups
are especially important for children. (Photo by Marine Cpl. Alicia
R. Giron/USS Iwo Jima PAO)

B-6 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
Central Middle School shows military appreciation
By David Bedard
JBER PAO
With his red hair styled into a
mischievous peak, Central Middle
School of Science Orchestra
member 14-year-old Paul Lindemuth
delicately raised his bow
to a prone, cherry-colored cello,
prompting violinists Emily Decker,
14, and Samathna Paskvan, 13,
to join him in an instrumental
rendition of “The Star Spangled
Banner.”
Service members, some fresh
from the duty day and still wearing
their tiger-stripe Airman Battle
Uniforms, smartly rose to their
feet. The troops stood at crisp attention
while facing a small U.S.
flag hanging in the Central Middle
School of Science cafeteria.
The National Anthem capped
off the musical trio’s five-song prelude
to this year’s CMSS military
appreciation banquet, Feb. 10, and
provided the formal beginning of
the night’s activities.
Families filed through a line for
a taco dinner complete with all of
the trimmings before sitting down
to watch four video presentations
prepared by military children as
a tribute to their parents’ service.
Agencies representing many
of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s
family support agencies
spoke briefly about their capabilities
and made themselves available
afterward for questions.
Senior Master Sgt. Robert
Bolton, 732nd Air Mobility Squadron,
came with his 12-year-old
daughter, Allison. The non-commissioned
officer said he appreciated
the effort put forth by the
Retired Air Force chief helps preserve black history
By Airman 1st Class
Brigitte Brantley-Sisk
23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE,
Ga. — On a rack of military uniforms
mostly from World Wars
I and II, it is the service dress
uniform of a chief master sergeant
who retired in 1984 which stands
out the most.
Now 74 years old and married
for more than half a century to his
high school sweetheart, retired
Chief Master Sgt. James “Jack”
Hadley’s mission in life is to educate
as many people as he can about
African-American history.
“One day in 1979, my son came
home from school and said nothing
was being done to commemorate
Black History Month,” Chief Hadley
said. “We made a few posters
about significant achievements
by black people and he took it to
school. Students and teachers loved
it, and that was the beginning of my
collection.”
Chief Hadley still has those
posters, and his collection has
grown to more than 4,000 other
artifacts, documents and pictures
of black history. Quite a few of
these are directly related to history
within Thomasville, Ga., the town
in which he grew up. He now owns
the Jack Hadley Black History Museum
there and educates approximately
3,000 visitors each year.
“Jack worked hard in the military
and he works hard now,” said
his wife, Christine Hadley, who
Army drafting new regulations for warrior transition units
By J.D. Leipold
Army News Service
WASHINGTON — The Warrior
Transition Command is developing
a consolidated regulation
which will provide complete oversight
and guidance for its 29 units
across the Army.
The new regulation was one
of the recommendations of a 158-
page Inspector General report
concerning the warrior transition
units WTC Commander Brig. Gen.
Darryl Williams spoke to reporters
about, Jan. 25, at the Pentagon.
Inspectors noted the Warrior
Care and Transition Program had
no single synchronizing document
which outlined governing
policies, guidance and regulatory
requirements. In lieu of a primary
instruction or regulation, the WTUs
have been working under numerous
orders, messages, directives
and policy memos which create
varying interpretations and cause
some confusion among the staff.
“Folks in my organization need
to be able to pull off their shelf a
single document, an Army regulation
that contain the rules and missions,
and where they (WTUs) fit
into this bigger picture,” Williams
said. “It’s very confederated right
now and what we hear most about
from the field.”
Sam Hunter, 13, and father Air Force Col. Bill Murphey, 715th Air Mobility Operations Group commander,
build a paper tower in and Adventure Club exercise, Feb. 10, for Central Middle School of Science’s
military appreciation banquet. (Photo by David Bedard/JBER PAO)
school and JBER agencies to host
the event.
“This was an awesome thing
for the school to do and to involve
the military community, not just
the military members,” he said.
“But also the people who help us
every day.”
The event was hosted and
largely organized by Dan Pinkerton,
8th grade counselor.
Pinkerton said he served twenty
years in the Air Force and retired
as a Office of Special Investigations
master sergeant in 1993
before finding his second career
still laughs at the mention of their
high-school romance. “He’s a good
Christian man, father and husband
who has always provided for his
family. His life dream was to own
this museum and he did it.”
Mrs. Hadley served as the
museum’s secretary until last year
and still makes an occasional appearance
when a tour goes through.
The couple has been married for
53 years. They have two daughters
and a son.
“We got married after Jack had
been in the military for just one
year,” she said. “Whenever we got
orders every few years, the kids
and I were ready to move. It got
harder when our children were in
high school because then they were
more reluctant to move and leave
their friends, but overall it was a
good lifestyle that we enjoyed.”
Chief Hadley graduated from
high school in 1956 and joined the
Air Force two weeks later.
“My high school didn’t become
integrated until 1970, after I had
left, so things like having a separate
water fountain were the normal
way of life,” he said. “When I
left for basic training, segregation
wasn’t as prominent in the Air
Force, but once I graduated from
there, I was reminded nothing had
changed.
“I was riding a bus to go back
home on leave and I was wearing
my uniform,” Chief Hadley said.
“Once we reached the Mason-
Dixon Line, the bus driver stopped
the bus and told us to go the back
So the WTC is now working
with G-1 on a regulation for its
29 WTUs and community-based
WTUs.
Williams said he expects most
of the tasks recommended by the
IG report to be completed by this
summer.
However, the IG team’s conclusion
that the Comprehensive Transition
Plan was not being applied
consistently across the WTUs is an
example of conflicting guidance,
according to Williams.
He said the six-part Comprehensive
Transition Plan process is
at the very core of how the Army
develops each Soldier’s unique
approach to recovery, ultimately
resulting in a Wounded Warrior
either returning to Active Duty or
starting a new career.
The general said the WTC was
in the process of automating the
Comprehensive Transition Plan –
which when all the mechanics are
ironed out – will allow full transparency
throughout the command
and across the WTUs.
Williams said the automated
system will permit the entire chain
of command to holistically track
the progress of the 10,076 Soldiers
(5,000 active-duty, 3,000 Guard
members, 2,000 Reserve Soldiers)
within the WTC. He expects
the automated tool to be up and
in education.
Pinkerton said approximately
30 percent of the school’s students
are military children, and CMSS
leadership acknowledges that fact
through awareness and care.
“The military kids are much
like a lot of our Native population,
very transitory,” he explained. “In
that, there are a lot more issues that
come up.
“So as a staff, they’re hired
with that intent – do these teachers
have the heart to have empathy for
that kind of student?” Pinkerton
asked. “Which can be pretty chal-
Retired Chief Master Sgt. James “Jack” Hadley gives a brief history lesson to children from the local
community Feb. 12, during a tour of the Jack Hadley Black History Museum in Thomasville, Ga. After
retiring from the Air Force, Chief Hadley moved back to his hometown to educate people about African-
American history. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman)
of the bus.”
Remembering history is the
overall goal he hopes to achieve
through his museum.
“We’ve heard a lot from the
older visitors that their towns don’t
have anything like this,” Chief
Hadley said. “For our younger
visitors who might be working on
a school project, I have something
else in mind. I want them to be able
to come in here, look at any subject
Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., center, talks
with cadre, from Warrior Transition Battalion, at Fort Benning, Ga.,
Aug. 2, 2010. The Army is aiming to establish a definitive regulation
designed to govern 29 Warrior Transition Units across the Army.
(Photo by D. Myles Cullen)
running within the next few
months.
Between January and June
2010, the inspection team visited
17 installations with WTUs or
community-based WTUs to assess
policies, procedures and support
systems. WTUs and communitybased
WTUs are designed to
provide support to wounded, ill
or injured Soldiers who need at
minimum six months of rehabilitative
care and who require “complex
lenging at times.”
Pinkerton said the primary
intent of military appreciation
night – even beyond honoring
military service – is to get parents
intimately involved in the education
of their children and to break
down a hard delineation between
school and home life.
“With the mentality that school
is school and home is home, there’s
no connectivity,” he said. “Kids see
that and try to play that game, so
we try to keep our doors open and
do these kinds of things to invite
different parent groups in.”
medical case management.”
Inspectors also contacted more
than 2,100 individuals which including
senior and unit commanders,
healthcare professionals, cadre
members, warriors in transition and
Family members.
Looking at support systems for
Soldiers and their Families, the IG
team evaluated the variety of programs
and services offered by the
Soldier Family Assistance Centers
and concluded their services were
Pinkerton said though the military
appreciation night has been
hosted for several years, this was
the first year installation services
were expressly invited.
“If we can get the parents in
and get that information right there
in front of them, we drop barriers
and – rather than go to this building
or that building – they put a face
to a resource,” he elaborated. “As
soon as you put a human face to a
resource, it becomes useable. Until
then, it’s just a bureaucracy.
“School is more than just teachers,”
Pinkerton added. “We really
care about the whole family.”
An Adventure Club team building
exercise was the capstone event
for the evening. Families were given
a short stack of paper, a bundle
of paper clips and the dubious task
of engineering and constructing the
highest tower.
Perhaps it was no small wonder
Tanner Chandler, 12, son of Senior
Master Sgt. Robert Chandler,
773d Civil Engineering Squadron,
and Air Force Master Sgt. Patrice
Chandler, 673d Logistics Readiness
Group, came out the victor,
constructing a cleverly designed
tower of some four feet with the
help of his parents who offered a
bit of their military expertise.
The counselor explained the
intent of the paper engineering
exercise went beyond problem
solving and team building.
“Adventure Club isn’t about
self esteem, it’s about self worth,
which are two different concepts,”
Pinkerton explained. “It isn’t about
how the world sees you and finding
your approval there. It’s about how
you see yourself.”
and learn about it. Then they can
go to the Internet and other sources
and learn even more.”
The museum covers subjects
from the 1800s to present day
and focuses on local history. One
notable citizen from the area is
Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper, the first
black graduate from the U.S. Military
Academy.
“Of course we also want to
highlight the military accomplishments
of our citizens,” Chief Hadley
said. “I proudly served for 28
years, and am happy to give back
to our community in any way, including
educating visitors on black
history.”
Other artifacts within the museum
include obituaries used to
track genealogy, chains previously
used to hold slaves and plenty of
pictures illustrating Chief Hadley’s
life and military career.
underutilized. Williams said the
WTC was constantly exploring
new ways to use the resources
available within the Soldier Family
Assistance Centers.
Williams and the IG agreed on
most of the findings and recommendations
for improvement. In
fact, the IG report states: the “inspection
team concluded that WTU
leaders and cadre were dedicated
and committed to assuring care and
transition of warriors back to duty
or into civilian life as productive
veterans.”
The inspectors interviewed 786
Wounded Warriors and determined
that “most felt that being assigned
to a transition unit was the best
place for them to recuperate.” Williams
said the number of Soldiers
who felt they were in the “right
place” was about 715 of the 786,
or 91 percent.
“We’re committed to the points
in the report. We’re a learning organization,
and this is complex medical
care,” said Williams. “These
are hard problems, and we want to
continue to adapt, transform and
listen.”
Editor’s note: Warrior Transition
Battalion-Alaska commands
WTUs at Fort Wainwright
and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

B-8 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
At the movies
For recorded show and movie times, call 428-1200 or visit the Army and Air Force Exchange Services website at www.aafes.com. Movies are subject to change without notice.
Admission: Adults $4, children $2. Information provided courtesy of AAFES.
Now playing
Coming attractions
Gulliver’s Travels
Rated: PG (for some mild rude humor)
Playing: Feb. 20 at 1 p.m.
Run time: 85 minutes
Starring: Jack Black, Jason Segel
Season of the Witch
Rated: PG-13 (drama and suspense horror)
Playing: Feb. 19, at 7 p.m.
Run time: 95 minutes
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Ron Pelman
Nicolas Cage stars as a 14th century
Crusader who returns with his comrade to a
homeland devastated by the Black Plague. A
beleaguered church, deeming sorcery the culprit
of the plague, commands the two knights
to transport an accused witch to a remote
abbey, where monks will perform a ritual in
hopes of ending the pestilence.
THE FIGHTER
Rated: PG-13 (mature thematic
elements involving
sexual content) 111 min
Playing: Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
Run time:115 minutes
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Christian
Bale
Inspired by the true story of
two brothers who, against all the
odds, come together to train for a
historic title bout that will unite
their fractured family, redeem their
past and at last, give their hard-luck
town what it’s been waiting for:
Pride. The story unfolds on the
gritty, blue-collar streets of Lowell,
Mass, where Dicky is a former
boxing hero that squandered his
talents and threw away his shot at
greatness. Micky Ward, his half
brother, is the struggling journeyman
boxer who spent his life living
in his big brother’s shadow.
Lemuel Gulliver is a mailroom clerk at a
New York newspaper. After Gulliver bluffs his
way into an assignment writing about the secrets
of the Bermuda Triangle, he is hurtled to an
undiscovered land, Lilliput. In this fantastical
new world, Gulliver is a bigger-than-life figure
in size and ego especially after he starts telling
tall tales, taking credit for his world’s greatest
inventions, and placing himself at the center of
its most historic events.
THE DILEMMA
Rated: Rated R (language
throughout, drug content,
some violence and sexuality)
Playing: Feb. 27, at 1 p.m.
Run time: 111 minutes
Starring: Vince Vaughn,
Kevin James
Since college Ronny and Nick have
been through thick and thin. Now
partners in an auto design firm, the
two pals are vying to land a dream
project that would launch their company.
With Ronny’s girlfriend, Beth,
and Nick’s wife, Geneva, by their
sides, they’re unbeatable. Ronny’s
world is turned upside down when
he sees Geneva out with another
man making it his mission to get
answers. As the investigation dissolves
his world into comic mayhem,
he learns that Nick has a few secrets
of his own.

B-10 Arctic Warrior February 18, 2011
Teams clash in broomball finals
Intelligence squadron sweeps past 3 Geronimo Soldiers
A B Company, 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) player dribbles the ball down the
sideline during the broomball championship. The 381st beat the Army in both matches Friday.
A 3/509th player attempts to pass the ball during the broomball championship. Until the 381st
beat them Friday the 3/509th Company B had not lost a game all year.
Kyle Brown, 381st Intelligence Squadron, celebrates following a goal by
his team during the broomball championship, Friday at the Buckner Fitness
Center recreation area. The 381st IS swept the 3/509th. (Photos by
Steve White/JBER PAO)
Skip Facebook, social network on the basketball courts
Sports column by Air Force
Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
JBER PAO
Of all of my hobbies, my favorite
is playing sports and basketball
in particular. I grew up in rural
Maine and getting enough people
together to play a game often took
an hour on the phone.
Once I joined the military, I was
pleasantly surprised to learn that
people played on the courts at all
hours of the day. My right ear could
finally get a break from being on
the horn constantly asking, pleading
and often begging for people to
come out and play.
In military fitness centers there
are often certain times of the week
that people meet up to play.
At the Elmendorf Fitness center,
I personally prefer the Tuesday
and Thursday runs at 11:30 a.m.
(When the over-30 basketball season
isn’t going on of course) and
the Saturday games at 10 a.m. and
Sundays at 2 p.m.
These games often involve
players that show up each week
like clockwork.
Besides getting a good work
out that doesn’t involve jumping
on a treadmill, my favorite part of
hooping on a regular basis is the
social networking aspect. It is a
great way to meet people in career
fields that I don’t often get to meet.
It is extremely valuable in my job
of covering the base mission to
know a lot of people in a variety
of different jobs.
I know for some people this
may not be as vital. But I think
being able to put a face to an organization
always helps. I know
we often have misconceptions
about what our fellow Airmen and
Soldiers do for a living. Clearing
up some of that misinformation
can only help us work together as
a better team.
If you are having a problem
working with a certain office, it
can sometimes help to get insight
from someone you know socially.
Maybe Joe (with the great jump
shot) can best explain to you why
something is done the way it is.
I have made some of my closest
friends through sports.We live
such a transient lifestyle and it can
be hard to make friends outside of
your work area. If you are new to
the base there is no better place to
meet people than the fitness center.
There are options for people
who are not sports nuts as well.
Our Force Support Squadron does
a great job of sponsoring numerous
different activities. If you want to
do something a little less active
there is poker at the Kashim Club
or video game tournaments at the
Arctic Oasis. Those events are just
scratching the surface of what is
offered. Keep an eye out for the
flyers. Not only well you get some
entertainment, you will get a professional
benefit.
Slalom:
Arctic Warriors glide
through sking event
Top: Jason Moore, 95th Chemical Company , navigates around a gate during the slalom
competition Friday at the Dyea Ski Hill.
Left: Pfc. Dawit Mekongn, 95th Chem., makes his way through the course. It was Mekongn’s
first time on skis. (Photos by Steve White/JBER PAO)