Arctic Warriors assist Japan relief efforts - Joint Base Elmendorf ...

Hillberg Ski 

Area goes out 

with style, 

Page B-1 

Northern Warfare 

Training Center, 

Page A-10 

Volume 2, No. 13 www.jber.af.mil/news 

April 1, 2011 

Arctic Warriors assist Japan relief efforts 

Airmen Capt. Allen Morris, 517th Airlift Squadron pilot, and Staff Sgt. 

Carol Kemmis, a 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, 

help load the first humanitarian relief supplies to be delivered to 

Sendai, Japan, from Yokota Air Base by a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, 

March 20. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Mark Leahy/JBER PAO) 

By Air Force 

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee 

JBER PAO 

Following the disaster in Japan, 

numerous Arctic Warriors 

have pitched in to help. 

Air Force Master Sgt.Augustine 

Circello III, 773d Logistics 

Readiness Squadron, is one of 

those warriors. 

“I have been coordinating 

airlift requirements to move HA/ 

DR (Humanitarian Assistance/ 

Disaster Relief) around Japan,” he 

said. “We have also deployed joint 

inspection teams throughout Japan 

to facilitate aid relief, flying with 

the aircraft, inspecting the cargo, 

and loading it. This was essential 

in transporting the HA/DR quickly 

by air.” 

The sergeant said initial support 

was difficult due to communication 

problems. 

“Trying to coordinate with all 

the different internal functions 

and sister services to move the 

supplies around was hard at first,” 

he said. “In the beginning, everything 

was moving 100 miles per 

hour and chaotic. We now have a 

streamlined process and can move 

equipment around Japan quickly 

and efficiently.” 

He said he can see progress 

being made in Japan, it part due to 

the efforts of his team. 

“Initially we delivered thousands 

of pounds of life-sustaining 

supplies, like blankets, water and 

rations to displaced victims,” he 

said. “We have also aided other 

bases when they needed it. Misawa 

Air Base’s electricity was inoperable, 

and (the base) was living 

off of generators. We delivered 

supplies, generators, fuel and rations 

to sustain them. As soon as 

requirements are sent, our team is 

working feverishly to complete it 

so we can sustain civilian life and 

military operations.” 

Circello said it has been a very 

personally rewarding mission for 

him. 

“It has been completely satisfying; 

being able to see a mission to 

completion and knowing that we 

delivered the supplies to those who 

need it, that’s why we’re here,” 

he said. 

There was one feat that most 

impressed him, Circello said. 

“In my opinion, the re-opening 

of Sendai International Airport 

was probably the most significant 

accomplishment to date,” he said. 

“That airport was devastated. 

The military members deployed 

See Relief, Page A-3 

Soldiers save big money with skill 

By Army Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson 

3rd MEB PAO 

Few things are more important to a 

unit’s readiness than vehicle care and 

maintenance. 

In Alaska, with its extreme sub-arctic 

temperatures, maintenance is particularly 

important, as well as challenging. 

Two mechanics from Forward Support 

Company, 6th Engineer Battalion 

(Airborne), recently conducted repairs of 

an engine with a Class III leak that saved 

the Army thousands of dollars. 

The repairs were anything but routine, 

according to Chief Warrant Officer 3 

Brendan W. Kallenbach, the senior automotive 

technician in the Forward Support 

Company. 

“The procedures performed by our two 

mechanics were not codified in existing 

Army technical manuals. Our mechanics 

disassembled the entire upper engine 

to pinpoint the exact origins of the Class 

III leak without the guide of a technical 

manual to provide step by step instructions,” 

Kallenbach said. 

Mechanics in the motor pool had discovered 

four vehicles with the Class III 

leaks, which the Army defines as “seepage 

of fluid great enough to form drops and 

drip during inspection.” 

See Soldiers save, Page A-3 

Spc. James D. Johnson, a wheeled vehicle repairer with Forward Support Company, 6th 

Engineer Battalion (Airborne), pulls a crank shaft March 17 at the battalion motor pool. 

(Photo by Sgt. Tamika Dillard/3rd MEB PAO) 

Air Force 

Food Transformation 

Initiative 

provides 

new menus, 

high quality 

By Luke Waack 

JBER PAO 

The Air Force Food 

Transformation Initiative has 

already delivered new and improved 

menus to the Iditarod 

Dining Facility, the Kashim 

Club, the Arctic Oasis and 

the Eagleglen Golf Course 

on Joint Base Elmendorf- 

Richardson and more changes 

are soon to come, according 

to officials 

The transformation has 

put menu-planning in the 

hands of ARAMARK Inc., a 

private contractor which has 

See FTI, Page A-6 

Air National Guard adds C-130s to 144th Airlift Squadron 

By Army Staff Sgt. Karima Turner 

Alaska National Guard PAO 

As more than 20 Alaska National Guardsmen 

looked on, the first of four new iron 

birds coming to Alaska touched down on 

the blacktop here at Joint Base Elmendorfichardson, 

March 24. 

As part of the 2005 Defense Base Realignment 

and Closure (BRAC) the Alaska 

Air National Guard’s 144th Airlift Squadron 

received the first of four C-130 Hercules 

aircraft from the Tennessee National Guard. 

According to Lt. Col. Rich Adams, the 

144th Airlift Squadron Commander his unit 

ust receive four C-130s by September due 

o BRAC law. 

“We are going from an eight aircraft 

squadron to a 12 aircraft squadron, but from 

the Air National Guard perspective, the 

squadron formation isn’t changing,” Adams 

said. “We aren’t changing our manning at 

all, what we are getting is an associate unit. 

This means the active-duty Air Force is going 

to bring in about 12 crews of personnel, 

plus some command staff as part of the total 

force initiative.” 

Adams explained, while the Alaska Air 

National Guard will own the aircraft, part of 

the total force initiative is to allow the activeduty 

to access some of the “iron.” 

“The active-duty will work with the Pacific 

Air Forces air mobility division so they 

can task the tails, and we’ll come up with an 

agreement on how many aircraft they can 

task at one time,” Adams said. “What they 

use them for, whether it’s the long range 

radar sites here in Alaska or to fly in the 

desert in a deployed status or in the Pacific 

Command area of responsibility will be up 

to the active-duty.” 

Adams said that on a day-to-day basis, 

the 144th Airlift Squadron will be able to fly 

about 50 percent more missions, which will 

give his Airmen more opportunities. 

“More hours flown will give our Airmen 

opportunities to get on different flights and 

provide a little more flexibility to our traditional 

Guardsmen. We are about 80-percent 

traditional force; we have postmen, teachers, 

airline pilots, etc., so it gives them more 

opportunities to fly during the week and be 

involved in missions too.” 

Another total force opportunity, with 

See Air Guard C-130, Page A-3 

Alaska National Guards Airmen mingle and check out the first of four C-130 Hercules 

aircraft they will receive from the Tennessee Air National Guard. (Photo by Staff Sgt. 

Karima Turner/Alaska National Guard PAO) 

Antiterrorism awareness 

ip of the week: Be alert for suspicious people on base 

• Be alert to strangers who are on government 

property or military installations for no apparent 

reason. 

• Report all suspicious persons loitering near 

your building, office or residence, and try to 

provide a complete description of the person 

and/or vehicle to police or security personnel. 

• Remember the 5 W’s 

• Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. 

• Call JBER Security Forces at 552-3421, 384- 

0823 or for Emergency, dial 911. 

(Courtesy photo) 

Inside this week’s Arctic Warrior: 

Page A-2, Commentary: 

Don’t use flawed math, a 

DUI could be wrong answer 

and career-ender 

Page A-3, Spouses complete 

dental assistant program, 

start new careers 

Page A-5, Interactive Customer 

Evaluation provides 

community feedback 

Page A-6, Briefs 

Page A-13, Soldiers march 

to Best Ranger Competition

A-2 Arctic Warrior April 1, 2011 

Word on the street 

By Luke Waack 

Have you ever been the victim of 

an April Fool’s Day prank? 

“No, but it’s my son’s 

birthday, so I always 

give him a hard time.” 

Chief Master Sgt. 

Mike Davis, 

477th Fighter Group 

“Never; I am 

‘un-foolable.’” 

Senior Airman 

Todd Beranek, 

773rd Civil Engineer 

Squadron 

“When I was a kid, my 

brother switched my 

whole room around, 

making everything 

opposite of how I 

had it.” 

Beth Soderstrol, 

Department of Defense 

spouse 

“When I was little, 

someone put salt in the 

sugar bowl.” 

Sharon Carroll, 

military spouse 

“In ‘Tech School,’ they 

came into our training 

facility and told us all 

our rooms were a mess 

and we were going to 

phase blue restrictions. 

Everyone was freaking 

out.” 

Airman 1st Class 

Jessica Wissmann, 

673d Force 

Support Squadron 

Editorial & Opinion 

Question popular thinking, don’t DUI 

Commentary by 

Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Anderson 

Air Force 

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, 

Nev. — I have been an F-16 crew 

chief for 16 years. In early December 

2010, I was a master sergeant 

awaiting the results from my second 

attempt at promoting to senior 

master sergeant. 

Everything was going well in 

my career, and I felt good about my 

chances of making my next stripe. 

I was where I wanted to be, and 

I was moving into the final portion 

of my career. There was no doubt in 

my mind, I was going to be eligible 

to retire at 20 years as a senior 

master sergeant or perhaps even a 

chief master sergeant. 

All of that changed Dec. 17, 

2010. 

I was running swing shift that 

Friday evening and had finished up 

early. It was 6:30 p.m., and most of 

my work was done. 

I was waiting for a couple of 

shops to send out their emails and 

for workers to turn in their tools. 

As people finished up and were 

released, some stayed behind to 

have a beer and talk. 

I decided to hang out for a bit 

and have a beer with some of my 

coworkers while everyone else 

went home for the weekend. 

My general rule of thumb was 

to drink only one or two alcoholic 

beverages and wait a while if I was 

going to drive. 

That night, I ended up hanging 

out for about three and a half hours 

and drinking two pints of beer. 

With what I knew at the time, it 

seemed to me that drinking that 

amount of alcohol over that time 

period was responsible behavior, 

so I had no worries about driving 

home. 

Around 11:30 p.m., I locked up 

the hangar, cleaned up the break 

room and started to drive home. 

As I turned the corner toward 

the main gate, I noticed the gate 

guards were stopping cars. When a 

security forces Airman approached 

my car, he told me this was a sobriety 

checkpoint. 

Another Airman informed me 

that they were performing breathalyzer 

tests and needed me to exit 

the car. I had never seen a checkpoint 

like this before, but it did not 

worry me because I only had two 

beers in three hours; I figured there 

was no way I was going to have 

any problems. 

As it turned out, I registered a 

.083 on the portable breathalyzer at 

the checkpoint and later registered 

a .096 and .099 on the calibrated 

Members of the Hurlburt Company Grade Officer’s Council distributed 

1,200 balls in support of a DUI-prevention campaign. Each stress 

ball lists the Airmen Against Drunk Driving phone number. (Photo 

by Air Force 2nd Lt. Lauren Johnson) 

breathalyzer at the police station. 

About an hour had passed between 

finishing my last beer and 

using the breathalyzers, so I was 

confused as to why my bloodalcohol 

content level went up on 

the later readings. 

I could not figure out how that 

happened but, at that moment, I 

knew my life was going to change. 

Later on, I reviewed the facts 

and I came to two conclusions. 

The first was I freely chose to 

drink alcohol, I drove my car and 

I was over the legal blood alcohol 

concentration limit – I was solely 

responsible for this situation. 

The second conclusion took 

more time to reach. After all, I was 

nowhere near the 0-0-1-3 guideline 

of one drink per hour and three 

drinks per night (the zeros represent 

zero underage drinking and 

zero driving under the influence). 

But then I realized that the 

guideline assumes you are drinking 

a 12-ounce beer with five percent 

alcohol, which is the Air Force’s 

definition of a drink. 

My two 16-ounce pints of fiveand-one-half 

percent beer equated 

to 2.93 drinks. That increase explained 

my high BAC level a little 

bit, but I had three drinks in three 

hours, so why was I over the legal 

limit? 

I thought again about the day I 

had on Friday, and I remembered 

that I had not eaten anything since 

lunch, and my hydration level was 

probably low. 

Because of those additional 

factors, it made sense that my 

BAC level was higher than I had 

anticipated. 

From this information, I was 

able to develop my second conclusion: 

the 0-0-1-3 guideline does 

work; I just applied it incorrectly. 

I had not educated myself on 

the rules. I had assumed that one 

drink per hour meant that the drink 

would wear off in an hour. 

I had not taken into account the 

amount of time it takes the body 

to absorb the alcohol, which must 

occur before the body can start to 

burn it off. 

I know now that two hours per 

drink more appropriately matches 

the amount of time it takes for the 

BAC reading to return to a lower 

level. 

That Friday night, I had waited 

just long enough to maximize my 

BAC reading at the police station. 

To anyone who consumes alcohol, 

please reflect on the possibility 

that you may not be practicing the 

safe behavior you think you are. 

Take a close look at your own 

perceptions and behavior. 

The rules relating to alcohol 

have changed over the years, but 

some of our habits and traditions 

have not. 

If you have bills to pay, a family 

that depends on you or time 

invested in your career, doublecheck 

what you think you know 

about alcohol. 

I did not feel like I was gambling 

that Friday night, but, in 

reality, I did not take the time to 

consider all the factors I should 

have before I decided to drink. 

By taking a few minutes to update 

your alcohol awareness, you 

may save yourself from ending up 

in a situation like mine. 

April is sexual assault awareness month 

Commentary from a 

sexual assault victim 

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 

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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 

Chris McCann - community editor 

Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Jeremy Larlee - sports editor 

David Bedard, Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua 

Garcia and Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders 

(Editor’s note: Caution, the 

following is a first person account 

from a sexual assault victim who 

received help from the 673d Air 

Base Wing Sexual Assault Prevention 

and Response Office. The 

name of the victim is being withheld 

to protect her privacy, but she 

wanted her story to be told.) 

I met him when I was 17 years 

old, he was 21, and I fell for him 

as soon as I met him. 

He was handsome, older and 

experienced. I was young, inexperienced 

and not so popular with 

the guys. 

It blew me away that a guy 

like him would pay attention to a 

girl like me. 

One day, he picked me up at 

home and drove me to my dorm 

to help me set up before classes 

started. I was very grateful to him 

for helping me. 

On the way back home, he told 

me he felt really tired and that he 

was falling asleep. He asked if we 

could stop at a motel for a little 

while so he could rest. 

It was a long drive so I believed 

him. I got nervous but did not feel 

I had a choice. 

We stopped at a motel. I told 

him I would wait for him in the car 

so he went to the room by himself. 

After a little while he came 

back to the car and asked me to 

come to the room with him. 

I refused but he insisted and 

grabbed me by the wrist reassuring 

me that everything would be fine. 

I stood by the door for a little 

while not knowing what to do 

and getting more nervous by the 

minute. 

He asked me to sit on the bed 

but I refused. He kept insisting so 

A screenshot of the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response & 

Prevention, www.sexualassault.army.mil. (Courtesy photo) 

I sat in the corner of the bed. 

From then on, he just started 

grabbing me and forcing me into 

the bed. 

At first he was playful but the 

more I resisted the more force he 

used. It was a losing fight from the 

very beginning. 

Once I was home, I snuck into 

my room as silently as I could so I 

would not wake anybody up. It was 

around 11 p.m. 

I cried myself to sleep. 

All I understood was how I felt. 

I did not know what had happened 

to me, I did not understand. 

It hurt physically and emotionally. 

When he assaulted me, he violated 

both my body and my soul. 

My senses of safety and trust 

were taken from me. 

I have nightmares almost every 

night, some of them I can’t remember 

clearly but I can feel the fear 

and anxiety when I wake up. 

There are days I just don’t 

want to get out of bed, and simply 

cover myself with the blankets all 

day long. 

Those days, I just want to hide 

in my room and not have to pretend 

I am strong. 

It hurts to replay my story in 

my head and acknowledge it as 

my reality. 

This was not the last time I was 

assaulted. 

There was something about 

me that attracted rapists. I did not 

understand it at the time. 

I felt like I had a sign on my 

forehead that said “rape victim”. 

I was not aware of my behavior 

as I portrayed my vulnerability. 

I always ignored my instincts. 

With the years, I have learned 

to listen and trust my body. 

If I feel nervous about a situation 

there must be something 

wrong with it. 

I have lived and learned even 

though I feel afraid most of the 

time. 

I have not moved on, but work 

harder every day to be okay. 

(Editor’s note: If you have been 

the victim of a sexual assault or 

know someone who has, call the 

SAPRO hotline at 551-7272.)

April 1, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-3 

ilitary spouses graduate dental assistant course 

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee 

JBER PAO 

Wednesday marked the end of six months 

of hard work for six Arctic Warrior Spouses 

as they graduated from the American Red 

Cross Dental Assisting Program. 

The program, run by the 673d Dental 

Squadron, provided the spouses with about 

800 hours of valuable on-the job training in 

numerous different specialties of dentistry. 

Master Sgt. Eric Parcells, 673d Dental 

Squadron clinical flight chief, said that the 

Dental Clinic also benefits from the program 

because it adds extra personnel. He said that 

the clinic has a shortage of enlisted personnel 

at the moment. 

“They have such a big impact on our 

organization,” he said “We wouldn’t be 

able to keep dental readiness to the level we 

currently do. They have been an invaluable 

asset to us.” 

Parcells said the program at Joint Base 

Elmendorf-Richardson had been dormant 

for five years. 

This is Parcells’ second assignment 

here. He said that when he arrived here, 

he remembered what a benefit the program 

had been during his previous assignment in 

1997-2001. 

class has pitched in to help train the new 

recruits by teaching classes on basic anatomy 

and dental terminology. 

Theilacker said that it has really brought 

home to her just how much she has pro- 

Soldier earns DoD award for music talent, leadership 

9th Army Band 

Soldier one of first 

to earn Col. 

Finley R. 

Hamilton 

Outstanding 

Military Musician 

Award 

By Sgt. Patricia McMurphy 

USARAK PAO 

FORT WAINWRIGHT — The 

U.S. military has stepped up to 

recognize musical excellence in 

its ranks with the Col. Finley R. 

amilton Outstanding Military 

Musician Award, and a U.S. Army 

Alaska Soldier is one of the first to 

receive the honor. 

The award recognizes Army, 

Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and 

Coast Guard enlisted musicians 

who exhibit outstanding musical 

and leadership excellence. 

U.S. Army Alaska Commander, 

Brig. Gen. Raymond Palumbo, 

resented the award to Army Staff 

Sgt. Robert Leatherbee of the 

9th Army Band recently at Fort 

Wainwright. 

With the support of his dental clinic leadership, 

he was able to restart the program and 

the first class started in October. 

“I thought it would be an awesome opportunity 

for the spouses,” he said. “They put 

up with so much being married to military 

members. They sometimes have to pack up 

with little notice and relocate. It makes finding 

a job at their new assignment difficult.” 

Nicole Theilacker said her favorite part 

of the class is that it will make it easy for her 

to find work anywhere in the country. 

“It is great because it is nationally certified,” 

she said. “So wherever our spouses 

get stationed we will be able to find a job.” 

She said the class has also been a great 

way to learn about her new community here. 

“I have really enjoyed meeting people,” 

she said. “I had only been here 6 months before 

I started the class. It has allowed me the 

chance to make a lot of friends and contacts.” 

Theilacker is wasting little time putting 

her knowledge to work. She already has 

interview lined up for new jobs. 

“I’m very confident about my interviews,” 

she said “We have had so much 

experience and knowledge pounded into 

our heads.” 

A new class is already in session to replace 

the graduating class. The graduating 

“When you look at the seal of 

the U.S. Army on our flag you will 

find a drum and two drum sticks. 

This signifies the importance of 

past Army musicians to move 

troops on the battlefield and our 

importance today to sustain and 

motivate our Soldiers,” said Chief 

Kelly Thomas, middle, a student in the American Red Cross Dental Assisting Program, 

assists (Dr.) Air Force Capt. Anthony Mecham, 673d Dental Squadron, with a procedure 

at the clinic as Stephanie Savant, a veteran student of the dental assisting program, 

looks on., March 28. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee/JBER PAO) 

Army Staff Sgt. Robert Leatherbee, U.S. Army Alaska, 9th Army Band, practices with a trumpet at Fort 

Wainwright. Leatherbee was awarded the Col. R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award. (Photo 

by Sgt. Patricia McMurphy/USARAK PAO) 

Warrant Officer 2 Jeffrey Price, 9th 

Army Band commander. 

“We are the commanding general’s 

No. 1 weapon of peace,” 

Price said. 

Leatherbee is one of only 12 

awardees selected to receive the 

award. With more than 4,000 members 

in the Army bands and a few 

thousand more in the sister-service 

bands, this is quite an accomplishment, 

according to Price. 

All of the applicants had to 

meet the criteria including musical 

talent, outstanding leadership and 

continuing leadership potential. 

gressed in six months. 

“I didn’t even know how much I had 

learned until the new class came in,” she 

said. “The amount of information I was able 

to feed them was amazing.” 

Leatherbee has had a long 

relationship with music and performing. 

He has played the trumpet 

since the fourth-grade. 

Since joining the Army Leatherbee 

has become a singer, something 

said he never thought he 

would do. Leatherbee even joked, 

he would have run away screaming 

had he known that up front. 

His peers nominated him for 

the award because he not only 

meets the criteria, he exceeds it. 

“(Leatherbee) has earned the 

Charlie 1 additional skill identifier, 

placing him amongst the top 10 

percent of his peers in the field,” 

said 1st Sgt. Miles Griffiths, 9th 

Army Band. “He is always learning.” 

Since joining the Army in 

2006, Leatherbee’s accomplishments 

have extended well beyond 

music. He has completed the 

Army Modern Combatives Level 

I course, Cold Weather Leader’s 

course, Basic Mountaineering with 

an “E” special qualification identifier, 

and is a member of the Order 

of the Silver Spur. 

“Staff Sgt. Leatherbee is a 

complete Soldier,” Griffiths said. 

“It is my hope that he continues to 

be a model Soldier and musician.” 

(Editor’s note: Sgt. Patricia 

McMurphy writes for the U.S. 

Army Alaska Public Affairs Office 

at Fort Wainwright.) 

C-130 

From Page A-1 

the addition of these four C-130’s, 

is deploying the 144th Airlift 

Squadron with the new active-duty 

associate unit, the 537th Airlift 

quadron. 

“The possibility of deploying 

together is still something we’re 

working out,” Adams said. “They 

are going to be doing their assumption 

of command on the 29th of 

pril, so the 537th Airlift Squadron 

will stand up and be at initial 

operational capability sometime 

his fall and full operational capability 

sometime within 18-months 

to two years from now. We are 

deploying to Afghanistan this 

summer, so not this deployment, 

but potentially future deployments 

we’ll all deploy together.” 

While the 144th Airlift Squadron 

will own the aircraft, the arrangement 

of having an associate 

active-duty unit will be beneficial 

to both sides. 

“I think it’s a really exciting 

opportunity for the Guard,” Adams 

said. “Flying together with 

the active-duty will provide the 

Guard the opportunity to fly on 

new missions and exercises and 

gives America a little more iron in 

the fight.” 

A C-130 Hercules from the Tennessee Air National Guard taxis at Joint base Elmendorf-Richardson, 

March 24. (Photo by Army Staff Sgt. Karima Turner, Alaska National Guard Public Affairs Office) 

Japan Relief 

From Page A-1 

there with minimal equipment and have 

returned it to a fully operational airport, 

which will soon be open to commercial 

airlift once again.” 

The sergeant said that personnel from 

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson have 

been a vital part of the recovery. 

“I believe JBER has been an integral 

part of Operation Tomodachi,” he said. 

“From the airlift we have available to 

deliver HA/DR, to the vehicle operators 

driving the 24-hour shuttle busses, JBER 

members are playing a significant role 

supporting not only the deployed members 

but displaced victims as well. We’re 

embedded in almost every facet of the 

operation.” 

Supplies for Japan tsunami relief fill 

the cargo hold of a C-17. (Photo by Air 

Force Staff Sgt. Mark Leahy/JBER PAO) 

Soldiers save 

From Page A-1 

This deficiency deadlines a vehicle, 

making it non-mission capable. 

Mechanics weighed the options 

of buying a new engine for almost 

$25,000 or spending around $1,700 

in replacement parts to fix the engine 

leaks. 

The decision was ultimately made 

to attempt to fix the Class III engine 

leaks, rather than replace the engines. 

Spc. Adam Powell and Spc. James 

Johnson, both light wheel mechanics 

were immediately identified out of 

more than 34 mechanics in the battalion 

as the best mechanics for the job. 

“My two guys, Powell and 

Johnson, they got picked for the 

job,” their supervisor, Sgt. 1st 

Class Jerome A., Shackelford, 

said. 

“Basically, Powell is one of the 

No. 1 mechanics we have and he got 

picked for an inspector slot, which is 

usually reserved for a staff sergeant,” 

Shackelford said. “Johnson came in 

because he’s another one of our top 

mechanics. This is a no-fail mission 

and we know that they won’t fail the 

mission.” 

Powell was a mechanic who 

worked with Caterpillar Inc. before he 

joined the Army. 

He joined the National Guard in 2005 

and then went active duty in January 

2009. 

“I wanted to do something meaningful 

with my life,” Powell said. 

After he joined the Army, his supervisors 

were impressed with Powell’s job 

performance and quickly realized his 

potential and talent. 

Johnson, a Channelview, Texas, native, 

was also recognized for his exceptional 

skills. 

Powell and Johnson performed a complete 

replacement of one engine’s head 

gasket, oil pan gasket, front main seal, 

and O-ring on the fuel pump. 

The mechanics are working on their 

second engine and have two more to 

go. 

The jobs take between five and seven 

duty days to complete, due to the intricate 

parts and assembly. 

After all four engines are repaired, 

the Army will have saved close to 

$100,000. 

Johnson and Powell were both 

recommended for the Army Achievement 

Medal for their exceptional 

performance. 

(Editor’s note: Capt. James S. Kwoun, 

6th Engineer Battalion, contributed to 

this story.) 

Spc. Adam Powell, Forward Support Company, 

6th Engineer Battalion, inspects a crankshaft 

for deficiencies March 17. (Photo by Army Staff 

Sgt. Jason Epperson/3rd MEB PAO)


With Interactive Customer Evaluation, customers have a voice 

By David Bedard 

JBER PAO 

At the bottom of Web pages 

belonging to departments and 

agencies on Joint Base Elmendorf- 

Richardson, are Interactive Customer 

Evaluation banners, guiding 

sers to an interactive comment 

ard. Filling out a card allows the 

ustomer to rate a service while 

lso having the opportunity to 

ffer recommendations for improvement. 

Shaydi DeJesus, JBER customer 

service officer, said ICE 

provides a link between customers 

and managers of the agencies and 

services they use every day. 

“Interactive Customer Evaluation 

is a Department of Defensewide 

online Web-based tool that allows 

you to quickly and efficiently 

submit comments and directly 

interact with the management,” 

DeJesus said. “This is a product 

that you can use worldwide at 

various installations and this is 

something that is supported heavily 

by the command here at Joint 

Base Elmendorf-Richardson.” 

DeJesus said before the JBER 

merger, ICE was used primarily 

by Army agencies, with the exception 

of the Joint Venture DoD/VA 

Hospital and certain 673d Force 

Support Squadron functions. 

Barbara Ringland, chief of 

JBER Air Force Smart Operations 

for the 21st Century and the 

ustomer Management Services 

program, said she relishes expanding 

the reach of ICE to the installation’s 

Air Force agencies and 

customers. 

“I was thrilled we were able to 

carry over the program to JBER 

as an Army best practice and I’m 

proud we were able to successfully 

integrate it into our joint base 

community,” she said. “ICE is for 

everyone, from Airmen to Soldiers, 

to their families, civilians, 

contractors and retirees.” 

DeJesus explained the routing 

of an ICE comment and said the 

the process ensures customers’ 

concerns are addressed by managers 

and JBER leadership. 

The process is initiated when 

a customer submits an ICE 

An example of an ICE comment card. (Courtesy graphic) 

Hoonah Avenue adjacent to Ursa Minor Elementary School has been reconfigured to enhance trafficability 

and safety for parents dropping off their children at the school. The reconfiguration was completed 

as a result of a Interactive Customer Evaluation comment submitted online. Fill out an ICE comment 

at www.jber.af.mil. (Photo by David Bedard/JBER PAO) 

comment online. 

An email is instantly sent to the 

supervisor of that service who can 

provide guidance. If the customer 

requests a response, the manager 

has 72 business hours to reply. 

If the comment can be addressed 

at the manager’s level, then 

the agency takes the appropriate 

steps. If the comment cannot be 

addressed at the manager’s level, it 

is elevated to the next level. 

If the comment is a good recommendation 

but requires funding 

or other resource allocations, then 

it is sent higher in the chain of 

command for discussion. 

Focus groups can be used to 

further determine a need for a 

change, providing customers with 

more detailed input into the implementation 

process. 

The issues are then sent to 673d 

Air Base Wing command for final 

determination to be completed, 

deemed unattainable or kept open 

as active. 

If there are concerns which 

can’t be addressed locally, issues 

are sent to the Pentagon through 

the installation’s Joint Army Family 

Action Plan. 

The process may sound complicated, 

DeJesus said, the level 

at which a comment can be addressed 

depends on the issue’s 

requirements. Many comments 

can be handled within days or 

weeks while issues with greater 

sophistication need to be handled 

at higher levels. 

DeJesus said the program is 

effective because it prevents the 

“runaround” where customers 

are passed from department to 

department before they reach a 

decision maker. She said managers 

are strictly held to the 72-hour 

response time. 

“That allows you to receive 

feedback very promptly,” she said. 

“It also allows you to interact directly 

with the management.” 

She said more than 1,800 JBER 

ICE comments were submitted first 

quarter of fiscal year 2011, with a 

90 percent satisfaction rate. She 

said the volume of comments is important 

because they can identify 

trends which need to be addressed. 

“The more that we see customers 

using ICE, the better it is for us 

to gauge,” DeJesus said. “Because 

perhaps you have one or two comments 

in certain areas. But, if we 

have a hundred people commenting 

on something, then we’re really 

seeing that trend.” 

DeJesus said when it comes 

to ICE comment results, she is 

especially proud of the reconstruction 

of Hoonah Avenue at Ursa 

Major and Ursa Minor elementary 

schools. 

She said an ICE comment 

was submitted to the former Fort 

Richardson Safety Office concerning 

traffic congestion and safety 

concerns at Ursa Major. 

A family member focus group 

was convened to obtain more information 

and recommendations from 

those who were impacted. The 

group’s initial recommendation 

was the Anchorage School District, 

parents and the installation 

commander develop an updated 

procedure for drop-off and pick-up 

at the school. 

“When the recommendation 

was received by the commander, 

they implemented a resolution that 

was ten times better than what they 

had asked for,” DeJesus said. 

Through collaboration with 

several departments including 

Safety, Emergency Services and 

Public Works, the command approved 

a plan to reroute traffic 

around Ursa Major and Ursa Minor 

by converting Hoonah Avenue into 

a one-way road with parallel parking 

from the Child Development 

Center to the school. 

“I absolutely love this project,” 

DeJesus mused. “It shows that a 

simple ICE comment and constructive 

feedback from individuals 

can result in significant change 

to better the community. Who 

would have thought that an initial 

suggestion of changing drop-off 

procedures would give us a oneway 

street protecting our children.” 

Ringland agreed. 

“At the end of my e-mail messages, 

you will see ‘Always make 

it better’ followed by an ICE link,” 

she said. “The link is there, because 

I care about making it better and I 

truly believe ICE is invaluable tool 

for the entire JBER community.” 

“Whatever your concern is, 

we will ensure it is addressed,” 

Ringland promised. “In our quest 

to ‘Always make it better,’ it is 

imperative to truly listen to the 

voice of the customer and ICE is 

the perfect forum to capture your 

voice.”


Briefs and Announcements 

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 through 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 remain 

open through April 18. 

Hours are Monday to Friday 

from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. 

Tax preparation is free of 

charge, 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 Center. 

Road construction 

The Glenn Highway “Frontage 

Road” from the JBER-Richardson 

overpass southward to the intersection 

with Arctic Valley Road will 

be paved early this summer. 

The planned construction dates 

are May 2-21. 

This project will require detours 

and road closures. 

All traffic going to Arctic Valley 

Road from the JBER-Richardson 

Gate (including the Moose 

Run Golf Course, Water Treatment 

Plant, Bulldog Road ranges, and 

Arctic Valley) will have to take 

the Glenn Highway southbound 

to the Muldoon Road (south) exit, 

then re-enter the Glenn Highway 

going north and take the exit onto 

Arctic Valley Road. 

Traffic leaving Arctic Valley 

Road will be under flagman control 

and will be routed through the project 

area northbound on the Frontage 

Road to the JBER-Richardson 

overpass in 30-minute cycles (top 

and bottom of the hour). 

There will be signage positioned 

in the area notifying motorists 

of this project soon. 

Questions can be directed to 

Project Manager Mark Gordon, 

673rd Civil Engineering Squadron, 

384-1064, mark.gordon@elmendorf.af.mil. 

Graduation ceremony 

The Army Education Center 

will hold its 14th Annual Graduation 

Ceremony May 6 for Department 

of Defense ID cardholders 

who have completed a college 

degree or earned a GED here or 

elsewhere. The Army Education 

Center would like to acknowledge 

the accomplishment at the ceremony. 

To participate call the Army 

Education Center at 384-0970, no 

later than April 29. 

Furnishings management 

The Furnishings Management 

Office offers 90-day loaner furniture 

for Airmen arriving at or 

leaving JBER-Elmendorf. 

The FMO also has appliances 

for Airmen residing off base, for 

long term use. Delivery and pickup 

is provided for 90-day loaner 

furniture and appliances. The FMO 

also has longterm furniture for 

ranks E-1 through E-5. 

These items are available on 

a first-come first-serve-basis. The 

service member is responsible 

for transporting these furnishings. 

Airmen should take a copy of PCS 

orders to the Government Housing 

Office at 6346 Arctic Warrior Dr. to 

schedule furniture delivery. 

Call 552-2740 for any questions 

regarding the FMO program. 

Hours of operation are 

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 

4:30 p.m. 

Soldiers can call 384-0092 for 

the JBER-Richardson FMO. 

Official Mail Center 

The Official Mail Center is 

unable to send personal items, to 

include care packages. 

To ship official mail via FedEx, 

pieces need a memo for record attached 

explaining: 

1) “To” address 

2) “From” address 

3) Time of transportation (twoday 

service or overnight) 

If a customer requests or would 

like an e-mail notification with the 

tracking number and estimated arrival 

date, an e-mail address needs 

to be provided in the memo. 

If overnight service is required, 

the memo needs to be signed by an 

E-7 or higher, due to the expensive 

nature of two-day service. 

The package can be a box, 

without any writing on it. If it has 

writing, it needs to be covered 

up by brown shipping paper. 

The weight limit for boxes is 35 

pounds. Packages will be weighed 

prior to acceptance by mail center 

workers. 

Any package over 35 pounds 

will be immediately returned 

to sender. Packages should be 

brought to the Official Mail 

Center located at the south entrance 

of Building 10437, Kuter 

Ave. 

Care packages can be sent 

through the U.S. Postal Service 

Office, at the north entrance of 

Building 10437 Kuter Ave. Call 

552-4622 for more info. 

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. 

The Airman’s Attic is open 

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 

10 a.m.–2 p.m. The attic is 

looking for volunteers. Call 580- 

3120 for more information. 

Direct Access clinic 

The Direct Access Acute Care 

Physical and Occupational Therapy 

Clinic at the Joint DoD/VA 

Hospital is open to active duty 

service members without appointment 

or referral, Monday, Tuesday 

and Thursday, 7–9 a.m. 

Call 580-1701 for more information. 

State fair scholarships 

The Alaska State Fair is currently 

accepting applications for its 

2011 scholarship program, which 

is open to all Alaska high school 

seniors. 

Three $1,000 cash scholarships 

will be awarded. 

The deadline to apply is 4 p.m., 

April 22. 

Scholarship recipients will be 

announced by May 2. 

For more information, call 

746-7164 or email to marketing@ 

alaskastatefair.org, or visit alaskastatefair.org. 

FTI 

From Page A-1 

introduced a bistro-like atmosphere 

to the Iditarod, which seats 300 

and is open to all Department of 

Defense ID cardholders. 

“ARAMARK has brought to 

JBER a best-value contract … 

menus that offer great tasting food 

with potential for growth, healthy 

eating solutions and contract savings 

creating a positive dining 

experience,” said Air Force Capt. 

Christina Harris, 673d Force Support 

Squadron, Sustainment Services 

Flight commander. 

ARAMARK has plans to continue 

reshaping JBER-Elmendorf 

dining. 

“Campus-style marketplace 

dining is on the horizon,” Harris 

said. “In addition, there are plans 

to have dedicated cooking light 

stations in the DFAC (Iditarod Dining 

Facility) as well as eventually 

in the snack bar operations. The 

enhanced Grab-n-go Provisions 

on Demand (POD) location and 

flight line feeding design should 

be finalized within the next few 

months and operations should be 

up and running soon.” 

The 673d Force Support Squadron 

has received positive feedback 

about the updates. 

“Overall guests are satisfied 

with the quality of the food at the 

facilities,” Harris said. “Diners 

enjoy the healthy choice menu 

items at the Paradise Café and the 

new hot entrée menus offered at 

the Iditarod Dining Facility. Also 

H1N1 Flu on the rise 

Commentary by Tech. Sgt. 

Brandon Swalla 

Public Health Office 

the extended serving hours at the 

locations are popular amongst 

customers. The fresh seasonal 

salad ingredients and fruit offered 

and sold at a reasonable price are 

also popular.” 

This initiative demonstrates the 

673d Force Support Squadron’s 

commitment to troops, and the 

JBER community, Harris said. 

“Food Transformation is customized 

to the needs of the installation 

needs,” Harris said. 

“ARAMARK is very receptive 

to the feedback from customers. 

In addition, base residents have 

greater options for feeding with 

the inception of FTI. Specifically 

for our Airmen and Soldiers, it 

will give them the opportunity to 

choose from several locations to 

eat that may be in more convenient 

locations to their workstation.” 

If customers have comments 

or compliments they would like 

to give concerning the changes in 

food service, they can use comment 

cards found at each eatery 

or they can use the Interactive 

Customer Evaluation link near the 

bottom of the JBER homepage, 

www.jber.af.mil. 

ARAMARK is also taking 

charge with catering operations 

and all reservations for the 6-mile 

chalet and Kashim ballroom, 

Harris said. For the ARAMARK 

office, reservations or catering, 

customers can call 222-0394. 

“Food Transformation is customized 

to the installations needs,” 

Harris said. “Guest satisfaction is 

important and our hope is to provide 

a great service to the JBER 

community.” 

Over the past few weeks, 

confirmed cases of the H1N1 

influenza virus have been on 

the rise here in the Anchorage 

Bowl. The H1N1 virus has been 

detected worldwide and was 

first diagnosed in North America 

in April of 2009. 

H1N1 is spread from person 

to person by way of coughing, 

sneezing, talking with someone 

that is infected, or by touching a 

hard surface contaminated with 

the H1N1 virus and then touching 

your mouth or nose with the 

contaminated hand. Symptoms 

of H1N1 include: coughing, 

sore throat, fever, dizziness, and 

shortness of breath. 

The number one way to prevent 

H1N1 is to get inoculated 

at the 673rd Medical Group 

Immunization Clinic. 

If you have any questions or 

concerns in regards to the H1N1 

virus, or if you are currently experiencing 

any of the symptoms 

associated with H1N1 listed 

above, contact your primary 

care provider at 580-2778 or 

contact the Public Health Office 

at 580-4000.


Battling cold at Army’s northern warfare school 

By Sgt. Patricia McMurphy 

U.S. Army Alaska PAO 

BLACK RAPIDS TRAIN- 

ING SITE — The bright blue sky 

against the mountain backdrop 

here is beautiful, but the early 

March subzero temperatures can 

be devastating to those who aren’t 

repared for it. 

Temperatures plummet at night 

and without the proper supplies or 

shelter, being caught outdoors can 

be deadly. 

Soldiers at The Northern Warfare 

Training Center at Black 

Rapids Training Site south of 

Fort Greely learn how to survive, 

aneuver and fight in the these 

extreme conditions. 

Although the school is in the 

frozen north, the skills Soldiers 

learn here translate readily to 

places like Afghanistan’s rough, 

mountainous terrain. 

The NWTC’s commandant 

says training in such extremes 

ake Soldiers more adaptable in 

all climates. 

“(U.S. forces) must be capable 

of conducting operations 

anywhere, in any type of environment,” 

said Army Maj. Gary 

McDonald, NWTC commandant. 

“History has shown that units that 

are prepared to fight in the cold can 

definitely fight in warmer environments. 

The units that were able to 

leverage the environment to their 

advantage were the ones who were 

victorious.” 

Ever since the Revolutionary 

War, when the ill-equipped and 

poorly-trained Army of General 

Washington suffered in the cold at 

Valley Forge, many of our nation’s 

conflicts have involved fighting in 

mountain terrain, cold weather, 

r both. 

The NWTC is responsible for 

developing and maintaining the 

.S. Army’s state-of-the-art cold 

eather and mountain warfare 

actics and techniques. 

The NWTC teaches three basic 

courses during the harsh Alaska 

winter months: the Cold Weather 

Leader’s Course, the Cold Weather 

Orientation Course and Arctic 

Light Individual Training. 

The CWLC is a two-week 

course that teaches everything 

from the basics of learning to stand 

nd move on skis and snowshoes 

to a full range of arctic survival 

skills. 

“It is really hard to gain the initiative 

in the winter time because 

he environment is such that a lot 

f leaders aren’t comfortable,” 

McDonald said. 

Leaders must be mentally and 

physically ready to operate safely 

nd effectively in high-altitude and 

old-weather climates, according 

o McDonald. 

Having the confidence in themselves 

and their equipment in 

those conditions will give them 

he advantage they need to fight 

he enemy. 

The NWTC is providing tech- 

Students unpack their ahkio sled and arctic survival equipment as they erect their 10-man tent March 9 during the two-week Cold Weather 

Leaders Course at Black Rapids Training Site. (Photos by Sgt. Trish McMurphy/U.S. Army Alaska PAO-Fort Wainwright) 

A Soldier at the Army’s 

Northern Warfare Training 

Center in Black Rapids 

learns to ski and 

with a full combat load. 

niques, tactics and procedures to 

enhance today’s military in modern 

war fighting capabilities. 

One recent student said he 

plans to use what he learned at the 

CWLC. 

“I never understood the safety 

aspects until I attended this 

course,” said Sgt. 1st Class Bryan 

Nelson, a platoon sergeant for the 

Warrior Transition Battalion at 

Fort Wainwright. “We had over 70 

students and stayed out six nights 

in thermal shelters (and tents) in 

negative-degree weather with no 

cold weather injuries.” 

Nelson said he learned a lot 

from the risk management classes. 

Staying outdoors in arctic 

conditions showed him how the 

techniques he learned in the classroom 

translate to the field. 

“I believe each leader from 

the platoon to command level 

needs to attend this training so 

we can enhance our safety training 

throughout Alaska,” Nelson 

said. 

One student said the safety and 

survival techniques she learned 

Soldiers at the Army’s Northern Warfare Training Center’s Cold 

Weather Leaders Course learn to use rescue equipment in Alaska’s 

harsh winter conditions. 

in the two-week course gave her 

greater confidence in her equipment 

and herself. 

“I was definitely taught how to 

survive in the wilderness. How to 

stay warm, build thermal shelters 

and how to get water,” said Sgt. 

1st Class Alison Humphrey of the 

240th Survey Design Detachment, 

6th Engineer Battalion, stationed at 

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. 

“I feel prepared that I can actually 

survive outside if I needed 

to.” 

The Waukon, Iowa, native 

started CLWC not knowing how 

to do the basics, like ski. 

She left not only knowing how 

to ski, but equipped with the skills 

and confidence to survive and keep 

her Soldiers alive. 

“I have a lot of new Soldiers, 

new to the Army and Alaska,” 

Humphrey said. “Everything I 

learned here can be passed on to 

them and I plan on sending them 

to the course if I can.” 

For more photos related to this 

story see: www.flickr.com/photos/ 

usarak/sets/72157626282667168.


Spartans set out for Best Ranger Competition 

By David Bedard 

JBER PAO 

Two paratroopers from 3rd 

Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment 

(Airborne), will represent 

U.S. Army Alaska and Joint Base 

lmendorf-Richardson this month 

uring the David E. Grange Jr. 

est Ranger Competition at Fort 

enning, Ga. 

Army Capt. Dan Strathman 

from Rockford, Ill., and Sgt. 1st 

Class Robert Allen from Columbus, 

Ga., said they have been 

training for the past few months 

in an effort to be successful at the 

rueling three-day event. 

Allen said Army Rangers are 

set apart because they volunteered 

to attend the rigorous Ranger 

School at Fort Benning, where 

students are subjected to a lack of 

sleep and food while learning to 

lead small units in a wide range of 

combat scenarios. 

The noncommissioned officer’s 

description of what distinguishes 

a Ranger echoed the words 

f the Ranger creed. 

“Knowledge, experience, the 

will to never leave a fallen comrade, 

never quit, never accept 

defeat,” Allen said. “If they give 

ou a mission, you’re going to accomplish 

that mission and you go 

urther, faster and fight harder than 

ny Soldier. 

“The creed is not just something 

written down, it’s something 

angers live by,” he continued. 

That’s something a Ranger does. 

e sets the example for others to 

ollow. There’s not a task that a 

anger will not accomplish or attempt 

to accomplish.” 

Allen, who has competed twice 

before, said the duo will report to 

competition officials a few days 

early for inprocessing, a packing 

list inspection and issuance of their 

roster and team numbers. 

He said day one of the competition 

typically starts with a 

anger Physical Fitness Test which 

includes events like a 3-mile run 

with body armor and carbine, and 

either the notorious Malvesti Field 

Obstacle Course or the equally 

infamous Darby Queen obstacle 

course. 

Later that day, the team will 

compete in other events which will 

remain unknown to them until they 

arrive. In the past, day one events 

included road marches up to 25 

miles, marksmanship ranges, and 

demolitions. 

Allen said Day Two usually 

starts with a long road march 

early in the morning before teams 

compete in “day stakes,” when 

they will go to dozens of stations 

testing their skills in weapons 

disassembly, map reading, range 

estimation and map reading. 

Though many of the stations 

test entry “10-level” infantry tasks, 

Strathman said the stakes feel anything 

but basic. 

“It’s really easy to put an M-4 

(carbine) together when you’re 

sitting here hanging out having a 

good time,” he said. “You go on 

Day Three when you haven’t been 

sleeping or eating, then it’s like 

‘Where does this pin go?’” 

Day Two melds into Day Three 

with a grueling night orienteering 

course which will test a team’s 

skills after two days of sleep and 

food deprivation. 

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Allen and Army Capt. Dan Strathman, 3rd Battalion, 

509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), tie knots in preparation 

for the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Ga. 

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Allen and Army Capt. Dan Strathman, both of 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment (Airborne), pass the halfway 

point during a 16-mile ruck march along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, March 23, in an effort to prepare for the Best Ranger Competition 

at Fort Benning, Ga. (Photos by David Bedard/JBER PAO) 

Allen said the 3-509th selected 

the two Rangers based upon the 

unit’s desire to send an officer and 

NCO combination. Because Allen 

is scheduled to relocate in May 

and Strathman is going to Special 

Forces Assessment and Selection 

at Fort Bragg, N.C., the two were 

able to focus solely on training for 

the event. 

The NCO said he originally 

wanted to be a Marine because 

of the prestige of the maritime 

service’s dress uniform, but influence 

from his Army Junior ROTC 

instructors and the local presence 

of Soldiers changed his mind. 

“I’m from Columbus and Fort 

Benning is there,” Allen explained. 

“When I was a kid, I used to go to 

Fort Benning and see Soldiers and 

everything. I used to play Army 

and I used to see Sniper School 

stuff, I saw them walking around 

in their ghillie suits. I saw people 

jumping out of planes. I was like, 

‘Hey, this is what I want to do,’ and 

I’ve done it. 

“It’s pretty fun,” he said with 

a grin. “I get paid to jump out of 

planes. I get paid to do a lot of cool 

stuff in the military.” 

Allen said he joined as a mechanized 

infantryman before the 

Army merged all infantryman into 

one career field. The NCO said he 

wanted to cut loose of an infantry 

fighting vehicle and jump out of 

planes as an Airborne Ranger. 

“I used to see Ranger demonstrations, 

and it was something I 

always wanted to do,” he recalled. 

“They stood out from everybody 

else. They did cool stuff. 

“I thought it was cool when I 

was a little kid, you know, blowing 

stuff up, jumping out of planes, 

fast roping from helicopters, and I 

decided to try it. I will try anything 

once.” 

A United States Military Academy 

graduate, Strathman said he 

originally wanted to be an Air 

Force fighter pilot. He said he reconsidered 

when he read an article 

in Popular Mechanics magazine 

about Army Rangers. 

A photo in the article challenged 

readers to find Ranger 

snipers in a landscape, and Strathman’s 

interest was piqued when 

he couldn’t find the sharpshooters. 

He said he began reading books 

about Rangers and Special Forces, 

and his mind was made up to go to 

West Point. 

Commissioned in the infantry, 

Strathman said he had little choice 

but to go to Ranger School. 

“If you’re going to be an infantry 

officer, you’d better get your 

Ranger Tab,” he said. “It’s not a 

question. You have to.” 

Allen said the fact the Best 

Ranger Competition features 

teams, as opposed to individual 

Soldiers, indicates the nature of 

the event. 

“Anyone could do it as an 

individual, but this is teamwork,” 

he said. “So you and your partner 

have to work as one. 

“(Strathman’s) a captain and 

I’m a (sergeant first class), but 

you’re going to hear me yelling at 

him, cussing at him; he’s going to 

be yelling at me, cussing at me,” 

Allen continued. “But we know 

it’s a team.” 

Though both Rangers admit 

it will be a challenge to adapt to 

the southern spring temperatures 

after training this winter, they 

both said they feel their training 

in subarctic conditions will serve 

as an advantage. 

Strathman said training on 

winter surface conditions will put 

the team in good stead. 

“We did a 16-mile ruck march 

… on that loose sugary snow, and 

it’s like walking on a beach,” he 

said. “It’s hard to do that. You lose 

traction and grip, but when we go 

and jump on the pavement, it feels 

like we’re 20 pound-lighter.” 

The officer said training in subzero 

temperatures has only steeled 

the pair’s resolve to compete well. 

“It would have been easy to 

just not do stuff when it was cold 

up here but we did it anyway, 

so there’s added commitment,” 

Strathman explained. “We have a 

lot invested in it.” 

Mindful of the fact the Ranger 

Competition is a three-day event, 

Allen said the team’s strategy is to 

pace themselves. 

“It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon,” 

he explained. “We’re coming 

up with a plan where we know 

what our bodies can take. We’re 

not going to push 130 percent on 

the first event, because we know 

if they say it’s a 4-mile run, that 

might not be the case, so we stuck 

with what we know and maintain 

what we got.” 

Despite the hardship endured 

during the competition, Allen advises 

tabbed Soldiers make the trip. 

“I recommend, if you’re a 

Ranger, at least try it once because 

you won’t regret it,” he said. “Even 

if you don’t win first place, but you 

finish, that’s a big accomplishment.”

Physical 

therapists 

making 

walking in 

easy, 

Page B-6 

JBER youth 

competes at 

Tae Kwon Do 

championship, 

Page B-4 

Volume 2, No. 13 

www.jber.af.mil/news 

April 1, 2011 

Season ends with slush, sleds and competitions 

y Senior Airman Christopher Gross 

BER PAO 

Hundreds of people from the Joint Base Elmendorfichardson 

community came out to enjoy a warm weekend 

nd ski, snowboard or tube the hills of Hillberg and Dyea 

ne last time before the season came to a close Sunday at 

he Annual JBER Spring Melt Down at Hillberg Ski Area. 

Attendees could to watch or join in on five competitions. 

The first day consisted of an uphill-downhill race, where 

articipants had to run or ski up the hill and the first one 

o reach the bottom was named the winner, C.T. Roberts 

ompleted the challenge in only 5 minutes and 12 seconds. 

The Big Air Competition was the second event held on 

ay one, where participants started down the hill picking up 

peed and then threw themselves into the air coming off a 

ump and performed aerial maneuvers as the crowed below 

atched and judges scored them on their performance. Pickng 

up the win in that category was Chanler Renna and his 

rother Kristian finished in a close second. 

The second day of events started off with a tubing reay, 

an endurance race where teams of three and four sent 

member of their team racing up the hill and tubing back 

own, each team had to go through one cycle of a four-man 

otation, so teams of three had to send somebody twice. 

It would probably be easy to say the teams of three 

eren’t favored, however, the team of Bryan Sullins, Anhony 

Roane and Thomas Rayniak finished in first place, 

head of two teams consisting of four members. 

The second event on the day was the commanders’ sled 

ace, where JBER commanders and their team constructed 

See Melt Down, Page B-4 

Skiers and snowboarders 

compete at Hillberg’s 

annual Spring Melt Down. 

Saturday, Chanler Renna, 

upper right performes an 

aerial maneuver; David 

Tobin, directly left, takes 

a dive while landing and 

Kevin Stumm, lower left, 

attempts to land after a 

jump. At Sunday’s Slush 

Cup, Zack Warners, upper 

left, skied 100 feet over water, 

and Ernie, lower right, 

show his skills before 

hitting the water. (Photos 

by Steve White and Senior 

Airman Christopher Gross/ 

JBER PAO) 

Small business ownership offers opportunities 

By Chris McCann 

JBER PAO 

Transitioning out of the military is tough, 

and the longer you’ve been in the tougher it 

gets. There’s a whole new life to plan for, 

and while it can feel liberating, it can also 

be scary. For a wounded warrior, there are 

additional worries – not the least of which 

is a job “on the outside.” 

One option is to start a small business. 

Air Force Master Sgt. Kevin McDonald, 

an anti-terrorism specialist with the 673d 

Security Forces Squadron, is transitioning 

out of the Air Force after being wounded 

in Afghanistan. He has been building up a 

business using his passion for the art of taxidermy 

since his last duty station at Minot Air 

Force Base, N.D., and has been passing on 

not only taxidermy skills but encouragement 

to other wounded warriors. 

“I want to let them know we’re still 

productive members of society. We can’t let 

injuries hold us back,” McDonald said. “I’ve 

been there, I’ve been messed up – and here I 

am, making something. Find something you 

enjoy, and it can occupy your time so you’re 

not thinking about the past.” 

McDonald was part of a scheduled block 

of training held March 10 by the Soldier 

and Family Assistance Program which offered 

wounded warriors a forum to talk with 

small-business owners and a representative 

from the Alaska Small Business Development 

Council. 

Jessica Gahan, who runs Bait ‘Em 907, 

started her bear-bait business in 2008 after 

her child had a traumatic brain injury and 

she was unable to work outside the home. 

Gahan spoke to the gathered service 

members and spouses about the struggles 

she faced and the work she does with and 

for wounded veterans, donating bear bait 

and sponsoring hunts. 

“It’s about finding that smile again, after 

you’ve lost it for so long,” Gahan wrote on 

her business’ website. “The best part is being 

able to pay it forward.” 

McDonald also hosted a clinic at the Warrior 

Transition Unit building on Joint Base 

Elmendorf-Richardson, at which he brought 

a whole bear and showed the gathered veterans 

how to skin it for taxidermy. 

See Business, Page B-6 

Air Force Master Sgt. Kevin McDonald, white sweatshirt, shows members of the Warrior 

Transition Unit how to properly skin a bear March 25. (Photo by Senior Airman 

Christopher Gross/JBER PAO)

B-2 Arctic Warrior April 1, 2011 

No need for abuse: JBER provides support 

New Parent 

Support 

Program 

can help 


JBER PAO 

There’s no test required, no 

certification necessary, to have a 

child. Children don’t come with 

owner’s manuals either. 

Raising children can be stressful 

and confusing, and when a new 

parent doesn’t have family support, 

it can make it even harder. Children 

can be neglected or even abused 

when a parent doesn’t know where 

to turn. 

The New Parent Support Program 

on Joint Base Elmendorf- 

Richardson tries to remedy this 

problem by assisting those new 

to the process, from pre-natal care 

through the third year of a child’s 

life. 

“The public accepts that child 

abuse is a problem,” said Verna 

Loosli, outreach manager for 

the Air Force Family Advocacy 

program on JBER. “The protective 

factor to prevent it is keeping 

families strong.” 

The nature of the military 

means that people – both service 

members and their families – are 

often separated from their natural 

support systems. 

When you’ve just changed duty 

Commentary by Air Force Chaplain 

(Capt.) Matthew A. Clouse 

673d ABW 

Much is known about the life of the 

famous author, C.S. Lewis. He grew up in 

Belfast, Ireland and spent most of his adult 

life in Britain. 

Before the world equated his name with 

masterful literary works, his life was a series 

of strenuous undertakings. 

His mother died when he was a young 

boy; he had a severely strained relationship 

with his father into adulthood; he fought 

against the Germans in the muddy trenches 

of WWI. 

Later, he found employment at two universities 

after completion of his education. 

His brother lived with him, as did his 

wartime best friend’s mother and daughter 

for many years. 

It is amazing to fathom a man with so 

many items of burden was able to produce 

stations, it takes time to make new 

friends, and parents and siblings 

usually aren’t nearby to help with 

babysitting or advice. 

The AFFAP provides child 

abuse prevention training to all 

service members, and focuses on 

it strongly during Child Abuse 

Prevention Month in April. 

Perhaps more importantly, 

they provide outreach to all military 

families to help parents learn 

what’s normal and how to focus on 

any literary creativity at all. 

Lewis had seen the ferocity and gruesome 

nature of war first-hand, yet somehow 

he maintained his imaginative nature and 

wrote “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “The 

Screwtape Letters,” “Mere Christianity,” 

“A Grief Observed,” and “Miracles,” among 

others. 

You see, like most of us, C.S. Lewis had 

an escape from the things that consumed his 

mind – literature. 

Books were his silent medium to live 

through other’s thoughts and adventures. 

He fancied himself a writer as well, 

though he wasn’t successful in his early 

years. 

As a young professor, his students knew 

him to be brash and brutally honest. 

His family situation, wartime experiences, 

inner struggles and misguided pursuits 

would have continued, had he not crossed 

paths with a devout Catholic writer, J.R.R. 

Tolkien, author of “The Lord of the Rings.” 

Courtesy photo 

spending time with their children 

and enjoying it. 

“Families are doing the best 

they can with the tools they have,” 

Loosli said. “No one wants to hurt 

their kids. We all have a ‘tool belt’ 

of parenting skills, usually what we 

learned from our parents. We just 

give people more tools.” 

Loosli pointed out that 2-yearolds 

usually learn – and use – the 

word ‘No.’ Their chronic refusals 

of things can be frustrating; it’s 

called the ‘terrible twos’ 

for a reason. But parents 

who understand that point 

of development can take 

comfort in the fact that 

their child is developing 

normally and taking the 

first steps toward independence. 

The NPSP provides 

plenty of assistance, with 

events for parents and 

children to spend time together. 

They also provide 

home visits from nurses 

and social workers – all 

voluntary – to help new 

parents with pregnancy, 

post-partum care, and support 

and respite care. 

“They can talk about 

ways parents can manage 

stress,” Loosli said. The 

program also provides 

vouchers to the JBER 

child development centers 

for care, so parents can get 

away for a date. 

“They’re still husband 

and wife,” she said. “And 

they need to keep their 

marriage strong.” 

Child abuse has far-reaching 

implications, Loosli said. Childen 

who are abused or who are even 

exposed to domestic violence are 

three times more likely to be in an 

abusive situation – as the abuser or 

the victim – as adults. 

Studies also have shown that 

long exposure to the fight-or-flight 

response and the chemicals in the 

brain that it causes makes children’s 

brains develop differently, 

Tolkien attended regular writing and review 

sessions for professors that C.S. Lewis 

also attended. 

Tolkien challenged Lewis – through 

writing, theological debate and kindness of 

spirit – to let God inside. 

Lewis’ conversion experience was not 

an observable activity of note, but within his 

mind, heart, and spirit the fire was lit. 

As Lewis welcomed God’s direction in 

his life, his perspective and interactive communication 

style changed. 

His morals aligned with the Protestant 

faith his father attempted to ingrain in him 

as a boy. 

Lewis’ life turned around completely 

when he was in his early 30s. 

The river of creativity flowed from then 

forward, as he celebrated his faith by writing 

his famous works. 

His life ended due to renal failure, on a 

historically significant date, Nov. 22, 1963. 

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 

Experience JBER Elmendorf-Richardson 

she said. They can be more prone 

to lashing out when they get older. 

While this can certainly be overcome, 

it’s better to stop it before 

it begins. 

Victoria Stewart, an Air Force 

spouse, has twins who are two and 

a half. She has been involved with 

the NPSP since her pregnancy. 

“One thing that almost kept me 

from using the program was that I 

have two college degrees,” Stewart 

said. “I thought, ‘I don’t need that!’ 

But no college can prepare you 

for parenthood. I did it reluctantly, 

but now I can’t imagine doing this 

without those resources.” 

“They helped me a lot with the 

twins’ sleeplessness,” Stewart said. 

“Of course, when one wakes up, it 

sets the other off. They gave me a 

lot of encouragement and a lot of 

practical information.” 

Additionally, Rudy, the older 

twin, had a mild neck problem that 

gave him difficulty in crawling and 

walking. 

“The NPSP turned me on to 

therapy through TRICARE – and 

I never would’ve thought about it, 

because I was so exhausted from 

their sleeplessness.” 

Rudy and Teddy, like many 

twins, have their own ‘language’ 

they use with each other, and 

are now in speech therapy – also 

through TRICARE – and are making 

great strides. 

“It comes from the information 

that the NPSP provided,” Stewart 

said. 

“Parents really should have a 

resource this rich in information 

and this readily available.” 

C.S. Lewis’ literature continues to inspire us 

that same day on the other side of the globe. 

Lewis left this world quietly, but his work 

and message lives on. 

The moral of this story – you may have 

grown up as C.S. Lewis did, in a difficult 

and lonely home. 

You may have experienced the disparity 

and atrocities of war. And you may not have 

made the best decisions along your personal 

journey. 

But the God of Creation wants to reach 

through your struggles and despair. 

He wants your story to be one of restoration, 

whereby you affect those around you 

for His heavenly good. 

Your story may one day mirror C.S. 

Lewis’. God bless. 

1 Peter 5:10 

And the God of all grace, who called you 

to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have 

suffered a little while, will Himself restore 

you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

GET READY FOR SOME BOWLING FUN... 

AT THE POLAR BOWL! 

DOLLAR WEEK 

APRIL 3 - 9 

$1 PER GAME • $1 SHOE RENTAL 

Say Hello 

To Spring! 

Season Cross Country Ski Rentals Returns, 

April 15 is the deadline for returns. 

SUMMER SEASON ITEMS 

Reservations for campers, boats, 

Bouncy Castle/Ring & Super Cookers 

begin April 15. Full payment is required in 

advance and some restrictions apply. 

Sun, 1 - 8 p.m. 

Mon. - Thurs. 

11 a.m.- 9 p.m. 

Fri., 11 a.m. - 1 a.m. 

Sat., Noon. - 1 a.m. 

Polar Bowl 

753-7467 

Planning 

a Function? 

Polar Bowl is 

available for your 

Hail and Farewells, 

Holiday, Promotion 

and Birthday Parties. 

Call 552-4108 for 

more information and 

to set your date. 

RELOADING CLASSES 

Pistol Cartridge Reloading Friday, April 15, 

5:30 p.m. $5 per person. 

GARDEN PLOTS 

Garden Plot Reservations on April 15. Previous 

Plot Holders will be given priority 

on Plot assignments. 

Birch Syrup-Making Class 

April 16, Noon, 

$5 per person, 

Elmendorf 

Outdoor Recreation Center 

552-2023. 

Express Yourself 

Open Mic 

Poetry Night 

April 5 • 5 - 8 p.m. 

JBER Elmendorf Talkeetna Theater 

for Poets 13 -18 years old. 

For more information call 

Teen Center 753-2371

April 1, 2011 Arctic Warrior B-3 

Community happenings 

Friday - Sunday 

Great Alaska Sportsman 

Show 

Alaska’s largest annual sports 

and outdoor show offers everything 

for the sports and outdoor enthusiast 

with demonstrations, clinics, 

the kids’ fishing pond, laser rifle 

range, mobile aquatic classroom 

and more at Sullivan Arena. 

The doors are open Thursday 

from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., April 1 

from noon until 9 p.m.; April 2 

from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and April 

3 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. 

Fools on Ice Women’s 

Hockey Tournament 

This April Fool’s Day weekend 

tournament is to have fun and promote 

hockey for women of all ages. 

Women age 21 and up face off 

at the Subway Sports Centre, April 

1 at 6 p.m. and April 2 and 3 at 9 

a.m. For information, visit www. 

alaskafoolsonice.com. 

Saturday 

Gin Blossoms 

The Arizona band is back in 

support of their latest album, “No 

Chocolate Cake,” at the Dena’ina 

Center at 8 p.m. The band will be 

available for a meet-and-greet session 

at the Arctic Chill at 1 p.m. For 

information, call 384-7619. 

April 8 - May 1 

“Becky’s New Car” 

Cyrano’s Off Center Playhouse 

presents a comic cruise through 

the perils of middle-aged longing 

and regret, 7 p.m. Thursday 

through Saturday, and 3 p.m. 

Sundays. 

For more information, visit 

www.cyranos.org. 

April 9 

Rage City Roller Derby 

The Sockeye Sallys are back 

and looking to put the Dirty Polli’s 

in their place. 

Roaring Rage is coming to 

the Dena’ina Center on April 9th. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. and wheels 

roll at 7. 

For information, visit www. 

ragecityrollergirls.org. 

April 16 

Model Railroad day 

The Military Society of Model 

Railroad Engineers presents Model 

Train Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

in basement room 35 of Matanuska 

Hall, 7153 Fighter Dr. 

The club meets at at 7 p.m. 

Tuesdays with work sessions at 

1 p.m. Saturdays at Matanuska 

Hall. Anyone interested in model 

railroading is invited. 


552-5234 or 952-4353, visit www. 

trainweb.org/msmrre or email 

bjorgan@alaska.net. 

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 

The Anchorage Symphony 

presents a roller coaster ride of 

raw power. 

Gustav Mahler’s monumental 

opus employs expanded wind, 

brass and percussion sections plus 

a chorus nearly 200 strong at the 

Alaska Center for the Performing 

Arts at 8 p.m. 


263-2787. 

Ongoing 

Volunteer coaching 

Due to the large number of 

registrations, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson 

Youth Sports Program/Anchorage 

Military Community 

Little League still needs 

45 volunteer coaches for the upcoming 

youth baseball and softball 

season. 

The regular season begins April 

15 and concludes June 30. 

For more information, call 552- 

2266 or 384-1508. 

Ice age titans 

The Anchorage Museum presents 

“Mammoths and Mastodons: 

Titans of the Ice Age.” 

Developed by the Field Museum 

of Chicago, this exhibit 

includes life-size replica creatures, 

skeletons, skulls and tusks; and 

includes ancient art contemporary 

to the extinct giants. 

For more information, 

call 929-9200, or visit www. 

anchoragemuseum.org. 

Cabaret 

The Wild Berry Theater hosts 

“Cabaret,” one of Broadway’s and 

Hollywood’s most famous musicals, 

Fridays and Saturdays at 8 

p.m, through April 9. 



alaskawildberryproducts.com. 

Ice skating 

A new outdoor ice skating rink 

is open for winter fun and fitness is 

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. 


552-2023. 

Free shotgun rentals 

The Joint Base Elmendorf- 

Richardson Skeet and Trap Range 

is offering free shotgun use during 

April for new shooters. 


384-1480. 

Kashim karaoke 

Karaoke for ages 18 and older 

is offered in the Kashim Lounge, 

Saturday night, 9 p.m. until 2:30 

a.m. 

Night of Discovery 

Discovery is a religious education 

program of the Joint Base 

Elmendorf-Richardson Chapel 

community and meets Wednesdays 

from 5:45 p.m.until 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 with a nursery 

ministry for pre-school youth. 

At the same time as Discovery, 

the Soldiers’ Chapel hosts Club 

Beyond, an ecumenical youth 

ministry which is open to all juniorand 

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-fromhome 

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. 

New Parent Support 

Program 

The New Parent Support Program 

hosts several activities for 

families with young children up 

to age 3. 


NPSP at 580-5858 or see the article 

on page 2. 

Planetarium shows 

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. 




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. 




Knee-High Naturalists 

This Eagle River Nature Center 

program, through April 9, offers 

nature exploration for pre-schoolers 

age 3-5 together with a parent 

starting at 11 a.m. 

Dress for the outdoors, and 

bring a snack or lunch to join 

fellow knee highs for a picnic 

immediately after the program. 

Crafts and toys are available for 

30 minutes before program start. 

The program is limited to 10 

children (minimum 5; no walkins). 

Please note that siblings are 

welcome, but they need to register 

and pay (if 2 years or older) in 

order to participate. This program 

is not appropriate for school-aged 

children. For more information, 

visit www.ernc.com. 

“Sailing for Salmon: 125 

Years of Commercial 

Fishing in Bristol Bay” 

This exhibit features historic 

photographs of commercial fishermen 

who sailed Bristol Bay, the 

hub of the Alaska salmon industry. 

Tuesdays through Saturdays 

from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., and 

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 

673d Force Support Squadron s JBER-Richardson Events 

Meet & Greet the... 

Sundays from noon until 6 p.m. 

through May 7. For information, 

visit www.anchoragemuseum.org. 

Storytime at the Zoo 

Pre-school age kids can explore 

the world of animals with their parents 

by listening to an Alaska Zoo 

storyteller, then visit the animals. 

Programs are held in the Coffee 

Shop greenhouse each Wednesday. 

For more information, e-mail klarson@alaskazoo.org. 

at the Arctic Chill 

Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m. 

Call 384-7619 for more information. 

For Singles! 

Tournament 

National Library Week 

April 10 - 16 

Never been to your 

library? Well now’s 

your chance! Come in 

during National Library 

Week and check out 

what your JBER Library 

has to offer! Fiction, 

Non-fiction, Audio 

books, PlayAways, 

DVDs, and yes, even 

games! 

April 2 

Meet & Greet starts at 6 p.m. 

Bidding starts at 7 p.m. 

Social hour 8 to 10 p.m. 

$2 pints $6 pitchers domestic only. 

How game will be played... 

People bid on individuals for a chance to win partnership in Newbie Game. 

Winners get 1/2 hour to talk to partner and learn about each other then play 

Newlywed style game. Three rounds with minute to win it in between. 

The Arctic Chill, Building 655 

Everyone Welcome! 18 years old and older. 

Call 384 - 7619/9023 for more details. 

3 Camp Ops 

- Space Camp 

- Teen Aviation Camp 

- Teen Leadership Camp 

Be in the lead! 

capture the Flag!! 

Free s Teams of 4 

April 9 & 16 s 2 p.m. at the Warrior Zone 

(Tournament will be extended to April 16 depending on participation). 

Sign up or call the Front Desk: 

The Warrior Zone s Building 655 s 384-9006 

Must be 18 years old or older. 

Visit us: www.elmendorf - richardson.com 

Open to All: Military Teens, JBER Community. 

Be your BEST! 

Sign up: Now - April 15 

Great opportunity for your youth 

to grow as an adult. 

Camps are all Out of State. 

Call the Two Rivers Youth Center at 

384 - 1508 or Kennecott Youth Center at 

552 - 2266 for more information. 

Block Party! Legos TM 

at the Library 

April 16, 

Registration will 

begin April 1 

For boys ages 6 - 12 

years old. 

12:30 - 2 p.m. 

Come to the library 

and let creativity be 

your guide. Our 

first theme for 

the Block Party is 

Military Vehicles. We 

will have books of 

military vehicles 

available for guidance, 

or come up with your 

own version. 

Please leave 

personal legos TM 

at home 

so they do not get 

mixed up with ours! 

Seating is limited. 

Call 384 - 1640 or 

384 - 1648 for 

more information. 

JBER Community 

Library 

Building 7, 384 - 1640


Father, son share joy of practicing Tae Kwon Do 

Experience has numerous physical, discipline, mental benefits 

By Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Jeremy Larlee 

JBER PAO 

Throughout his childhood 

Tech. Sgt. Charles Collins always 

wanted to try his hand at martial 

arts, but he never got the opportunity. 

I t wasn’t until more than 

three years ago that he finally got 

the chance. 

Collins, 673d Medical Operations 

Squadron, saw an ad for a Tae 

Kwon Do class that was offering 

free classes for a week of the Korean 

martial art. He brought his son 

Sean with him to the class and both 

were hooked. 

“We started out together three 

and a half years ago,” he said. “We 

have advanced through the belts at 

the same time and it has been great 

to share this challenge with my son. 

To see him come along like this has 

been remarkable.” 

Sean’s progress led him to the 

2011 Alaska State Tae Kwon Do 

Championship held in Anchorage, 

March 26. The elder Collins 

was not able to participate as well 

because work requirements limited 

his practice time. Sean said he 

Melting snow brings memories of baseball past 

Commentary by Air Force 

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee 

JBER PAO 

During my life, I have seen 

the popularity of baseball wane 

significantly. 

There seem to be a few reasons 

for this. The deliberate pace of the 

game seems to bore people. Over 

the course of a three-hour game, 

there might be only two or three 

scores or exciting plays. Major 

League Baseball has tried to stem 

the bleeding from this by incorporating 

a few rules over the years to 

speed up the games. 

But an even more serious problem 

for baseball purists like me is 

the steroid era. During this time 

players put up ridiculous numbers 

as they were illegally augmenting 

their abilities. The taint of this 

Meltdown 

From Page B-1 

enjoyed taking part in the event. 

“I was pretty excited to be able 

to compete because I enjoy seeing 

how well I can perform,” he said. 

The elder Collins said he sees a 

lot of parallels between his military 

service and his Tae Kwon Do training. 

In addition to both requiring 

extreme discipline, he said both 

require good supervision 

“As you advance in belts and 

rank you are seen as more of a 

leader,” Charles Collins said. 

“Mentoring and teaching helps you 

maintain your discipline.” 

He also said Tae Kwon Do has 

whipped him into shape physically 

and mentally. 

“I get a lot of physical benefits 

out of Tae Kwon Do, he said. “My 

flexibility and endurance have improved 

by a large margin.” 

Sean, who is 12-years-old, said 

he enjoys sparring and sharing 

quality time with his father. 

“I really enjoy doing Tae Kwon 

Do with my dad, he said. “I enjoy 

seeing us overcome the same difficulties 

at the same time.” 

The next challenge for the 

father-son duo is testing for their 

next belts this summer. 

smirched other sports as well, but 

it did its most damage to baseball. 

The bedrock of baseball is statistics. 

Stats tell the story of what 

happened in a baseball game better 

than in any other sport. The homerun, 

baseball’s most exciting play 

was severely devalued. The feat of 

hitting 40 homeruns, once a rare 

occurrence, was done commonly. 

In fact, 16 players hit 40 homeruns 

or more in the 2000 season alone. 

The abnormality in the statistics 

during the steroid era ruined 

the integrity of the game. Coveted 

records like the totals for most 

season and career homeruns hold 

no weight anymore. Barry Bonds, 

who holds both of those records, 

is currently on trial for perjury 

involving his steroid use. 

But regardless of baseball’s 

warts, watching the snow melt 

Sean Collins, son of Tech. Sgt. Charles Collins, 673d Medical Operations Squadron, performs a routine 

during the 2011 Alaska State Tae Kwon Do Championship in Anchorage, Saturday. The father and son 

have practiced the martial art for three years. (Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee/JBER PAO) 

outside makes me think instantly 

of the national pastime. 

I wax nostalgically of long 

summer days, spent tossing a 

whiffle ball up in the air and hitting 

it against my parents garage. 

I would appoint values to each 

type of hit with a homerun being a 

smash that cleared the garage. To 

make it even more complicated, I 

would make believe I was playing 

as my beloved Boston Red Sox and 

simulate entire nine innings games 

doing this. Yes, things did move 

quite slowly in rural Maine. 

As I grew older, I remember 

spending days anxiously waiting 

for that evening’s Little League 

game. I would watch the skies like 

a hawk and hoping that my game 

wouldn’t be rained out. Win or 

lose, after the game we always 

walked down the street to get an 

ice cream. I have spent decades 

playing numerous different sports 

but this was the most fun. 

Sadly the older you get the 

harder it is to find an organized 

baseball game. The smaller baseball 

sphere is replaced by the 

grapefruit-sized softball in the majority 

of organized men’s leagues. 

All of my baseball energy now 

is spent watching the sport. The 

Red Sox have provided me an 

entertaining saga. 

For most of my life, the Sox and 

the Cubs have been labeled as lovable 

losers. Each team even had its 

own curse, the curse of Babe Ruth 

and the goat respectively. 

In 2004, the Red Sox broke that 

label by winning the World Series. 

Their path to the championship was 

not easy and involved them digging 

out of a 3-0 hole in the American 

league Championship against their 

hated rival the New York Yankees. 

My New England pessimism 

drove me to wake my three-yearold 

son to watch the end. I figured 

it had been 86 years since the last 

title; it might be 86 more to the next 

one. It turned out to be just three 

years as the Sox broke through to 

grab another title in 2007. 

This was of course slightly 

tainted by steroids as well. The 

hero of the 2004 postseason, and 

my favorite player, David Ortiz 

has been accused of using steroids. 

Baseball has fallen behind 

football and basketball in my 

heart. It is like a best friend that I 

have grown apart from. We don’t 

spend as much time together as we 

used to, but we still get along and I 

will always treasure our memories 

together. 

sleds made of only cardboard 

and duct tape. 

A trophy was given to the 3rd 

Component Maintenance Squadron 

commander Maj. Jay Hennette 

for the best in show and creative 

sled with his version of the F-22 

Raptor. 

A second trophy was awarded 

to Air Force Maj. Brian Rendell, 

673d Force Support Squadron 

commander, for having the fastest 

sled. 

The “Slush Cup” was the final 

event of the day, this is the oldest 

and most likely popular of the 

events that take place throughout 

the weekend. 

Participants raced down the 

hill on skis or snowboards propelling 

themselves off of a jump and 

attempt to skid across about 100 

feet of water, which was about four 

feet deep. 

Zach Warners took first place 

for this event and the winner for 

best costume was Collen Mueller, 

dressed as an arctic flying 

mermaid. 

First, second and third place 

finishers along with some honorable 

mentions received prizes at 

the end of their event. 

Gift certificates to outdoor 

facilities season passes to Hillberg 

were some of the things given 

away. 

Raina Panarese, Outdoor Adventure 

Program director, said 

these end of season events allow 

people to get out and enjoy the 

warmer temperatures and remind 

them that spring-time skiing and 

snowboarding can be some of the 

best. 

This also allows everybody to 

come out and enjoy and tear up the 

hill one last time before it shuts 

down and maintenance begins, 

she said. 

David Chapa, the outdoor 

roads and grounds supervisor, 

said they had a great group of 

workers that made all the events 

possible from building jumps and 

digging the ditch for the “Slush 

Cup.” 

“It’s just a great event, the 

weather’s working out and this is 

(wonderful) for the military to out 

and enjoy.” 

During the offseason Hillberg 

and Dyea are used for ATV training 

along with physical training 

exercises and several other 

events. 

A crowd sits at the bottom outside of Hillberg Ski Lodge March 26, watching contestants perform jumps in the big air completion during 

Hillberg’s Annual Meltdown weekend. During the last few days of the season, various competitions such as the big air competition and 

annual Slush Cup were held. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Gross) 

Raise the 

Fitness Bar 

Challenge 

winner 

Thianny Abadia poses with 

her 8-month-old son Steven 

after she was selected as the 

winner for the Raise the Bar 

Fitness Challenge at Buckner 

Physical Fitness Center. The 

eight- week competition began 

in December. Thianny is a 

425th Brigade Special Troops 

Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat 

Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry 

Division, spouse and is actively 

involved in Buckner’s 

free Fitness Classes. Thianny 

was the winner of a new Life 

Fitness Stationery Bike. (Courtesy 

Photo)


Physical therapy without referral eases process 


JBER PAO 

Emergency medical technicians often 

refer to the “golden hour” – the time immediately 

after a traumatic injury, in which 

the treatment a patient receives can make a 

life-or-death difference and even drastically 

alter the amount of recovery time needed. 

Ankle sprains, on the other hand, often 

get a shrug and a wait-and-see attitude. 

Waiting a week or two for an appointment 

with a primary care physician doesn’t matter 

– right? Wrong. 

On Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, 

Airman 1st Class 

Blake Harris, a native 

of Houston, Texas, 

and a physical therapy 

technician with the 

673d Medical Operations 

Squadron, applies 

tape to stabilize 

the knee of Spc. Ryan 

Harris who serves 

with Company D, 3rd 

Battalion, 509th Infantry 

Regiment (Airborne) 

at the Joint 

Base Elmendorf- 

Richardson hospital 

March 24. Ryan Harris 

goes to the walk-in 

physical therapy clinic 

for post-surgical 

treatment. (Photo by 

Chris McCann/JBER 

PAO) 

By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders 

JBER PAO 

there’s no need to wait and see, and physical 

therapist Air Force Maj. Troy McGill said 

immediate treatment can dramatically speed 

healing time for everything from a strained 

back to a sprung knee. 

The direct-access Acute Care Physical 

and Occupational Therapy Clinic is currently 

open to all active-duty service members 

from 7 until 9 a.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and 

Thursdays at the JBER hospital. 

“Direct access” means there’s no need 

for a referral from a primary care provider. 

Injured service members can simply walk 

into the clinic, and while there may be a bit 

of a wait, it’s same-day service, McGill said. 

Members of the 673d Medical 

Group Pharmaceutical team work 

together to ensure quick and accurate 

dispensing of medications 

to hospital patrons. 

From the time the doctors write 

the prescription until it’s picked up, 

the pharmacy is working diligently 

to fill the order. First, ensure the 

correct medication and amount gets 

to the patient. Secondly, they strive 

to provide quick process time with 

minimal wait time on the patient. 

A minimal wait time is can be 

challenging for the pharmacy team 

since it supplies a large customer 

base, said Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Christina Easter, 673d Medical 

Group. 

The pharmacy team serves 

around 115,000 beneficiaries each 

year, which averages out to roughly 

400 people daily. Most have more 

than one prescription, and all of the 

medications go through the same 

screening process. 

The pharmacy team begins its 

thorough check-and-balance process 

after the order is dropped off. 

For most of the commonly prescribed 

medications, the pharmacy 

technician scans the order and the 

medication is counted out by machine. 

After the machine dispenses 

the drugs, they’re checked and 

double-checked by two technicians 

to ensure it’s the right drug and that 

the correct amount is there. After 

both technicians have signed off 

on the process, the medicines are 

sent through a final check by a 

pharmacist. 

“Everything for that (particular) 

patient goes into a tote and 

it comes over here so that the 

pharmacist can check it and verify 

the prescription,” said Tech. Sgt. 

Latonya Reno, 673d MDG, noncommissioned 

officer in charge 

of the outpatient pharmacy. “She 

gets the same screen for each (of 

the medications) that she scans. 

She’ll verify the directions and that 

everything is on that prescription, 

… then she’ll scan her barcode 

that says she’s the pharmacist that 

checked it.” 

For more uncommon medications, 

technicians still have to 

count the drugs out by hand before 

sending it through to the next check 

station. 

Reno said that all medications 

receive the same level of care and 

inspection, but narcotics require a 

few extra safety steps. 

“We use a C-2 safe which uses 

biometrics to get in, like a finger 

print,” Reno said. “The technician 

will go and log all the prescription 

information like the drug and the 

quantity they’re trying to take out 

and it will pop a door open for that 

medication(in the safe), but narcotics 

have to go through the same 

procedures that we do for all the 

medicine,” she said. “The narcotics 

technician will have to scan the 

barcode on the bottle. 

“If the technician had scanned 

the wrong one it would have 

beeped and it would have told her 

to look at this medication again to 

ensure it is the right one,” Reno 

said. “All the narcotics are double 

count by two people just to verify 

the count.” 

Narcotics also have a tamper 

seal placed on the bottle after the 

final count. 

After all the medications have 

been checked, they get handed out 

to the patients by technicians, or 

by pharmaceutical interns working 

toward their degree. 

Along with ensuring quality 

Importantly, the walk-in treatment idea is exactly 

how the doctors operate in a deployed 

environment. 

“(Doing it this way) keeps us ready to 

deploy, and it also pulls a load off the family 

practice clinic and the emergency room,” 

McGill said. “If the patient has an acute ankle 

sprain, for example, we’re going to see them 

anyway, so why make them go through a 

referral process? It’s worked out well so far.” 

The direct-access idea is the standard in 

the private sector, and Army facilities have 

largely done it for years. But at the JBER 

hospital, it’s new; McGill only started the 

clinic about eight months ago, he said. 

In a military environment, 

the goal of treatment 

is to get a service member 

back to duty as quickly as 

possible, while still ensuring 

wellness. The usual treatment 

for strains, sprains and 

the like was to immobilize 

the joint if possible and manage 

swelling. But that can 

be less than ideal, McGill 

explained; the injured tissue 

heals as if that immobile 

position is permanent, since 

it’s not being moved, and 

recovering range of motion 

takes a long time. 

“It can mean the difference 

between a patient being 

on a limited-duty profile 

for two weeks, then two 

weeks of reduced running 

Diligent work keeps pharmacy, technicians busy 

work and care for patients leaving 

the hospital, the pharmacy staff 

takes care of the medications for 

patients staying in the hospital. 

“We have 55 active beds, but 

we can accommodate up to 75,” 

Easter said. 

Pharmacy technicians working 

in the inpatient processing section 

of the pharmacy will measure out 

medication in IV’s using a germfree 

hood, and fill prescriptions for 

and walking, and then being returned to 

duty, or being on a limited-duty profile for 

six weeks,” McGill said. 

On an average morning, between six and 

10 patients come into the clinic. A little more 

than half are Air Force service members, 

since the Army has a small physical therapy 

clinic on Fort Richardson. 

“It’s really convenient to have the clinic 

right here on base,” said Air Force Staff 

Sgt. Stanley Manning of the 673d Medical 

Operations Squadron. He visits the clinic to 

improve the stability of his ankles. “I live 

right here on base, so it’s nice.” 

Physical therapists and technicians assist 

with exercises and meet with service 

members to help them achieve their recovery 

goals. If the service member has problems 

that the staff can’t treat, they can be referred 

to another physician within the hospital. For 

outside referrals, patients still have to go 

through their primary care provider. 

However, the ability to walk in and get 

an injured knee or elbow moving without 

waiting for a referral is the clinic’s draw. 

McGill explained they hope to expand the 

clinic’s hours and even open it to family 

members, since the physical therapists have 

the credentials to do that. 

“It’s good that people can get in right 

away, without the need for a referral,” said 

Air Force Staff Sgt. Antone Schiefelbein, 

a physical therapy technician at the clinic. 

“They can get in and get out, and often they 

only need to visit a few times.” 

For information or to make an appointment, 

call 580-1701. 

A member 

of the 

673d Medical 

Group 

Pharmacy 

pours medication 

onto 

a counting 

block, March 

24. (Photo 

byAirman 

1st Class 

Jack Sanders/JBER 

PAO) 

the patients. 

Patient satisfaction stays at the 

forefront of the team’s mind, said 

Easter. 

“We’d like to let patients know 

we do our very best even during 

current events,” Easter said. 

“Safety’s our number one goal, 

but we do try and get it out as fast as 

we can,” Easter said “Patients have 

the option of filling out a drop-box 

slip if they don’t want to wait.” 

Business 

From Page A-1 

Sgt. Jason Turner of Company A, Warrior 

Transition Battalion, an avid outdoorsman 

and hunter, went to the clinic in anticipation 

of an upcoming hunt. 

Although Turner doesn’t plan to become 

a taxidermist himself, he said the class offered 

good skills that will come in useful 

for him. 

“I’m going on a 20-day bear hunt next 

month, so obviously it’s a great skill to come 

and learn about – (I got) some fine tips on 

skinning a bear, little things I need to know 

so I don’t mess up on my bear and it’s in 

good shape when I take it to the taxidermist.” 

McDonald said he is only too happy to 

share his knowledge. 

“I guess I was blessed with a talent,” he 

said, “And who better to share it with than 

other wounded warriors transitioning out of 

the military?” 

“Being able to start a business, working 

your own hours, fulfilling your passion – 

that’s priceless.”

April 1, 2011 Arctic Warrior B-9 

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 

At the movies 

I AM NUMBER 

FOUR 

Rated: PG-13 (battle 

sequences and some 

disturbing images) 

Playing: Saturday at 

7 p.m. 

Run time: 109 minutes 

Starring:Alex Pettyfer, 

Timothy Olyphant and 

Dianna Agron 

Now playing 

JUST GO 

WITH IT 

Rated: PG-13 (brief 

drug references, partial 

nudity, language and 

frequent crude/sexual 

content) Playing: Sunday 

at 6 p.m. 

Run time: 130 minutes 

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, 

Adam Sandler 

Feb. 15 

A daughter, Charleigh Isabelle Hester, 

was born 22 inches long and weighing 8 

pounds, 4 ounces, at 8:08 p.m. to Shannon 

Marie Shaw-Hester and Master Sgt. Rory 

Donald Hester of the 3rd Equipment Maintenance 

Squadron. 

March 14 

A daughter, Lily Ann Thornhill, was 

born weighing 7 pounds, at 6:19 p.m. to 

Alisha Grace Thornhill and Air Force Staff 

Sgt. James Lee Thornhill of the 381st Intelligence 

Squadron. 

March 15 

A son, Nathan Eben Brazeal, was born 

20.25 inches long and weighing 7 pounds, 13 

ounces, at 1:17 a.m. to Candice A. Brazeal 

and Spc. Nicholas E. Brazeal of Company 

A, 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion 

(Airborne). 

A son, Ethan Caleb Budniewski, was 

born 20 inches long and weighing 8 pounds, 

1 ounce, at 12:50 a.m. to Rachelle Melissa 

Budniewski and Sgt. Richard Steven Budniewski 

Jr. of Company B, 425th Brigade 

Special Troops Battalion (Airborne). 

March 16 

A son, Austyn Avery Moore, was born 

20.25 inches long and weighing 7 pounds, 

3 ounces, to Heather Joan Moore and Spc. 

Justin Raymond Moore of the 1st Squadron, 

(Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, 

4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th 

Infantry Division. 

March 17 

A son, Barrett Russell Davis, was born 

21 inches long and weighing 8 pounds, 13 

ounces, at 3:31 p.m. to Amanda Nichelle Davis 

and Chief Warrant Officer Robert Alvin 

Davis of the 98th Maintenance Company. 

A daughter, Ariel Nicole Stapp, was born 


2 ounces, at 3:08 a.m., to Marites Fabillar 

Stapp and Sgt. Sean Darrell Stapp of the 

1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th 

Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th 

Infantry Division. 

March 18 

A son, Timothy- 

Josiah Bryan Gamez 

was born 20.5 inches 

long and weighing 7 

pounds, 14 ounces, at 

1:54 p.m. to Kasandra 

Francine Gamez and 

Pfc. Matthew Ryan 

Gamez of the 4th 

Quartermaster 

Detachment. 

John (Pettyfer) is an 

extraordinary teen who 

moves from town to 

town, masking his true 

identity in order to keep 

ahead of a deadly enemy. 

When John falls for 

Sarah (Agron) and discovers 

his connection 

to the others who share 

his destiny, he looks to 

face those who want to 

destroy him. 

A daughter, 

Aria Elizabeth 

Trusty, 

was born 20.25 

inches long and 

weighing 

6 pounds, 7 ounces, was born at 

8:26 a.m., and a son, Iain Edward Trusty, 

was born 20.5 inches long and weighing 8 

pounds, 12 ounces, at 8:25 a.m., to Kristi 

Lynn Trusty and Tech. Sgt. Ryan Edward 

Trusty of the 673d Medical Support Squadron. 

March 19 

A son, Ray Carl Bender, was born 


11 ounces, at 10:05 a.m. to Senior Airman 

Births 

Madalyne Joy Bender of the 3rd Operations 

Support Squadron. 

A daughter, Ariana Gabriela Meléndez, 

was born 20 inches long and weighing 7 

pounds, 1 ounce, at 6:47 p.m. to Jessica 

Meléndez and Army 2nd Lt. José Meléndez 

of the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field 

Artillery Regiment. 

March 20 

A son, Andrew 

Elijah 

Monroe, 

was born 

20.5 inches 

long and weighing 

7 pounds, 15 

ounces, at 6:32 p.m. to 

Mercedes Athena Monroe 

and Senior Airman 

Mark Andrew Monroe 

of the 732d Air Mobility 

Squadron. 

March 21 

A son, Elijah Clayton 

Bronnée, was born 21 inches 

long and weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces at 

6:21 a.m. to Sharon Rae Bronnée and Tech. 

Sgt. Clayton Edward Bronnée of the 381st 

Intelligence Squadron. 

A daughter, Brooklyn Sierra Caruso, was 

born 21 inches long and weighing 7 pounds, 

15 ounces at 7:35 p.m. to Air Force Staff Sgt. 

Kelly Caruso of the 3d Operations Support 

Squadron and Tech. Sgt. James Caruso of the 

673d Medical Operations Squadron. 

A daughter, Zöe Nikole Stringer, was 

born 19.75 inches long and weighing 7 

A plastic surgeon, romancing 

a much younger 

schoolteacher, enlists 

his loyal assistant to 

pretend to be his soon to 

be ex-wife, in order to 

cover up a careless lie. 

When more lies backfire, 

the assistant’s kids 

become involved, and 

everyone heads off for 

a weekend in Hawaii 

that will change all their 

lives. 

pounds, 4 ounces, at 3:31 p.m. to Victoria 

Lynn Dimock and Senior Airman Nathan 

John Stringer of the 673d Security Forces 

Squadron. 

March 22 

A daughter, Sasha Jane Pack, was born 

20 inches long and weighing 7 pounds, 2 

ounces, at 6:54 p.m. to Jennifer Shermer 

Pack and Air Force Staff Sgt. Dennis Lynn 

Pack of the Air Force Band of the Pacific. 

March 23 

A daughter, Landry Addison Lemke, 

was born 21.5 inches long and weighing 7 

pounds, 12 ounces, at 9:07 p.m. to Ingrid 

Genevieve Lemke and Airman 1st Class 

Josh Allen Lemke of the 673d Equipment 

Maintenance Squadron. 

March 24 

A son, Cillian Jacob Cline, was born 22 

inches long and weighing 9 pounds, 1 ounce, 

at 6:22 a.m. to Tech. Sgt. Crystal Leigh Cline 

of the 673d Operations Support Squadron 

and Tech Sgt. Sean M. Cline of the 381st 

Intelligence Squadron. 

A son, Cobain James Ruthem, was born 

21.5 inches long and weighing 8 pounds, 9 

ounces, at 2:06 a.m. to Allison Stacey Marie 

Ruthem and Senior Airman Colin Joseph 

Ruthem of the 90th Aircraft Maintenance 

Unit. 

March 25 

A son, Owyn Joshua Bales, was 

born 19 inches long and weighing 

7 pounds, 8 ounces, at 11:28 p.m. to 

Emily Paij Parsons and Senior Airman Matthew 

Raymond Bales of the 90th Aircraft 

Maintenance Unit.

Arctic Warriors assist Japan relief efforts - Joint Base Elmendorf ...

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