Operation Dragon Foundation - Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson

Operation
Tomodachi
Firebirds continue Japan
tsunami disaster support,
Page A-13
Be bear aware
Practice wise habits
around these curious and
dangerous animals,
Page B-4
Volume 2, No. 14 www.jber.af.mil/news
April 8, 2011
Operation Dragon Foundation
Where there’s smoke, there’s Arctic Dragons
By Army Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson
3rd MEB PAO
Soldiers of the 95th Chemical
Company “Arctic Dragons,”
17th Command Sustainment Support
Battalion, reinforced their
Soldiering skills, March 21, with
Operation Dragon Foundation at
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Operation Dragon Foundation
consists of Individual Arctic Warrior
Tasks, or Army Warrior Tasks,
as well as more specialized tasks
common to the Chemical Corps.
Soldiers took on four tasks
and subtasks consisting of land
navigation, radio communications,
first aid and reacting to chemical,
biological, radiological and nuclear
attack or hazard.
Forward Operating Base Grizzly
was the start and end point
of the land navigation course.
Soldiers trudged through snow,
sometimes waist deep, while plotting
points and navigating from one
point to another.
Pfc. James Wells and his squad
leader Army Staff Sgt. Kerry Harmon,
both members of 1st Platoon,
95th Chemical Company, were
one of many groups paired to find
three of the plotted points within
three hours.
The deep snow and thick
wooded terrain made the training
challenging, Wells, a native of
Falmouth, Ky., said.
See Dragons, Page A-3
Spc. Lindsey M. Velez and Spc. David Burnos, 95th Chemical Company, carry a simulated casualty, March 21, near FOB Grizzly on Joint
Base Elmendorf-Richardson. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson/3rd MEB PAO)
Army honors two Trailblazers officers for leadership
By Army Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson
3rd MEB PAO
“Duty, Honor, Country – those
three hallowed words reverently
dictate what you ought to be, what
you can be, what you will be.”
Those words echoed from
an awards speech Gen. Douglas
MacArthur delivered in 1962.
Today, they are the foundation of
the General Douglas MacArthur
Leadership Award.
The program recognizes
company grade officers who
demonstrate the ideals of duty,
honor and country.
The award is intended to promote
and sustain effective junior
officer leadership throughout the
Army.
Two out of the 14 active duty
officers selected for the award from
the entire active-duty Army hail
from the same Alaska-based unit,
the 3rd Maneuver Enhancement
Brigade “Trailblazers.”
Capt. Anthony Howell and
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lanorris
Ford, both serving in the 3rd MEB,
will travel to Washington, D.C.,
May 18-19 to receive the award.
DoD to drop Social Security
numbers from ID cards
Capt. Anthony Howell
Howell said he first found out
about his nomination through his
chain of command.
His battalion commander recommended
him to the 3rd Maneuver
Enhancement Brigade
commander, Col. Barry Williams.
His packet was then submitted to
the U.S. Army Alaska commanding
general, Maj. Gen. Raymond
Palumbo, who submitted his packet
to U.S. Army Pacific.
“It is a humbling honor to be
Howell has served on three
deployments in Iraq, two of those
as a company commander.
U.S. Army Pacific nominated
the two companies he led, the
164th and the 472d military police
companies, for the Brig. Gen.
Jeremiah P. Holland award, which
recognized outstanding military
police companies.
Howell said he shares the credit
with the Soldiers under his command.
“No one is successful without
Lafayette, Ind., said. “I believe I
had the best company in the Army
comprised of dedicated and disciplined
Soldiers, strong NCOs, and
eager officers all working together.
I’ve also been blessed to have had
amazing first sergeants who have
developed me as a leader and as a
commander.”
Howell’s parents will be in D.C.
to see their son receive the award.
“My parents are very proud,”
Howell said. “Like any parents,
they are proud of what their chilnominated
the help of their Soldiers and
and selected by my
leadership,” Howell said. NCOs,” Howell, a native of West See Trailblazers, Page A-3
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON — Beginning
June 1, Social Security numbers
on military identification cards
will begin to disappear, said Maj.
Monica M. Matoush, a Pentagon
spokeswoman.
The effort is part of a larger
plan to protect service members
and other Department of Defense
identification card holders from
identity theft, officials said.
Criminals use Social Security
numbers to steal identities,
allowing them to pillage resources,
establish credit or to hijack
credit cards, bank accounts or debit
cards.
Currently, the Social Security
number is printed on the back of
common access cards, and on the
front of cards issued to dependents
and retirees.
Beginning in June, when current
cards expire, they will be
replaced with new cards having a
DoD identification number replacing
the Social Security number,
officials said.
The DoD identification number
is a unique 10-digit number
which is assigned to every person
with a direct relationship with the
department. The new number
also will be the service member’s
Geneva Convention identification
number.
An 11-digit DoD benefits number
also will appear on the cards
of those people eligible for DoD
benefits. The first nine digits are
common to a sponsor, the official
said, and the last two digits will
identify a specific person within
the sponsor’s family.
Social Security numbers embedded
in the bar codes on the
back of identification cards will
remain there for the time being, and
will be phased out beginning in
2012.
The department will replace
identification cards as they
expire.
“Because cards will be replaced
upon expiration, it will be approximately
four years until all cards are
replaced with the DoD ID number,”
Matoush said.
The identity protection program
began in 2008, when DOD
started removing Social Security
numbers from family member
identification cards.
With honors
(Left to right) Airman 1st Class Paul Fernandez and Senior
Airman John Mccoy, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Honor
Guard, perform a flag folding ceremony during the funeral of
Military Working Dog Dasty, April 1, as MWD Palli looks on.
Dasty died of an inoperable mass in his abdomen. (Photo by
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee/JBER PAO)
Antiterrorism awareness
ip of the week: Be alert for suspicious parcels and mail
• Look for suspicious characteristics, such as unusual or unknown
place of origin.
• No return address or postmark differs from return address
• Excessive amount of postage.
• Oily stains on the package.
• Wires or strings protruding from or attached to an item.
• Incorrect spelling on the package label.
• Appearance of foreign style handwriting.
• Peculiar smell.
• 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: Retired
chief master sergeant
inspires general, Military
youths
Page A-3, Spartan Soldiers
jump to earn Canadian
parachute wings
Page A-5, Kodiak engineers
win Sapper Olympic gold
Page A-6, Briefs
Page A-11, ‘1 Geronimos’
prepare for combat with
harrowing stress shoot

A-2 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
Word on the street
By DAVID BEDARD
What military leader inspired you
early in your career and why?
“Chief (Master Sgt.)
Evan Godwin because
he took me under his
wing and paid attention
to my career progress.”
Senior Master Sgt.
Jeff Collins,
3rd Equipment
Maintenance Squadron
“(Air Force) Col.
Deborah Van de Ven
because she was so
positive, energetic, hard
working and kind. She
led me to believe that if
you work hard enough,
you can accomplish
anything”
Air Force Capt.
Pamela Nuila,
673d Air Base Wing
“(Air Force) Staff Sgt.
Vu because he took
care of his Airmen and
set the example.”
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Dustin Porter,
673d Logistics
Readiness Squadron
“(Army) Staff Sgt. Brewer
because he took
care of me and I like the
way I was treated: fairly
and equally.”
Army Staff Sgt.
Johnleo Valenzuela,
793rd Military Police Battalion
“Tech. Sgt. Gayle
because of how he
teaches you to balance
your family life and
your Air Force career.”
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Ray Hernandez,
3rd Operations Group
Editorial & Opinion
The Chief:
Your charge is to serve others
Commentary by Air Force great to get a chance to visit with war was soon in sight. The Chief
Brig. Gen. Joseph S. Ward Jr. the Chief.
completed his service and was
Office of the Assistant Secretary He still loves to tell stories discharged at the end of the war.
of the Air Force for Financial about his days serving our great Like many of our returning service
Management and Comptroller nation. He still likes to mentor his
members, the Chief returned
son-in-law who is now a general to his hometown where he found a
The Chief was in charge of a officer, but who, in his mind, has job that paid 25 cents an hour.
large maintenance unit as the senior much to learn and plenty of room After a couple of years back
enlisted member. He had several for improvement.
home in Mississippi, the Chief ran
hundred young Airmen serving While visiting with the Chief into one of his friends who had
with him.
this past summer, he reminded me heard about a brand new service
The Chief lived a life of servant of why he served for 28 years, 6 that was looking for a few recruits.
leadership, always looking out for months and 4 days. The Chief had A quick trip to the Air Force
his troops and always willing to planned on serving 30 years, but recruiter’s office, and as the saying
lend a hand to his fellow Airmen. the day he was not able to help one goes, the rest is history. The Chief
The Chief was proud of his of his troops would be his very last was back serving his country; this
reputation as being approachable day on active duty.
time as an Airman. The year was
and Airmen always felt at ease in He has told me repeatedly, 1947.
seeking his sage advice and assistance.
“When you are through helping By chance, the Chief was as-
others, you are through period.” signed to Wheeler Field in Hono-
On one particular day, an Airman
There is no reason to lulu and he was back serving in
asked the Chief for some help. continue serving if you
the Pacific.
That would be the very last day the are not willing and/or
Life was good as a
Chief served on active duty. able to help others.
young Airman. He
It was a gut-wrenching feeling, On that fateful
was a crew chief in
not being able to help a fellow
day, the Chief
charge of repairing
Airman. The Chief has never told simply went to
P47s, an airplane
me what the Airman asked for, but visit the orderly
he still loves today.
for whatever reason, the Chief was room and asked
He met his
not able to help the young Airman. to put in his letter
lovely bride in Ho-
The Chief knew in his heart that
of resignation.
nolulu and they
he could not continue to serve our The clerk put together
got married the
great Air Force if he was not able
the form
day after the Air
to help others.
and the Chief
Force’s first anniversary,
I met the Chief some 26 years went directly to
Sept. 18,
ago when I was a young lieutenant his commanding
1948. They have
and I was dating his daughter. officer to ask for
been married for 62
The Chief’s daughter caught his permission to retire
years.
my eye and quickly captured my that very day.
The Chief had several
heart. Soon thereafter, I asked the The Chief drove through successful assignments in the
Chief for permission to marry his the gates of the base for the last years to follow and served in the
daughter and the Chief gave me his time as an active-duty Airman. Korean conflict as well as Vietnam.
blessing and offered some advice He did not have a ceremony to He enjoys sharing his stories of
that has served me well throughout honor his service. There would be what it was like to serve in the 40s,
my 27 years of service.
no parade.
50s, and 60s. He said, when he was
He said, “Son, take good care of He simply decided after 28 serving, there was only one shift in
my daughter and take good care of years, 6 months and 4 days, it was those days.
the young Airmen you serve with. time to pass the torch and allow It didn’t matter if the planes
You have a wonderful opportunity someone else an opportunity to were flying day or night, he was
should you decide to make the Air help others while serving this great on the flight line with his tool box
Force a career. Take advantage and nation.
in hand to make sure the airplanes
go out and help others.”
The Chief left school at age 14. were fit to fly. He often slept in
Pretty straight-forward advice At the time, the world was at war. the hangars when the unit was
from a wise chief.
Most of the Chief’s older preparing for a major exercise or
What I didn’t realize then friends had left the small rural town preparing for combat.
was how much I would I grow to of Laurel, Mississippi to join the He didn’t mind. He was living
respect, appreciate and learn from war effort. To the Chief, this was a his dream, and he was enjoying his
my father-in-law.
great adventure waiting to happen; time in the Air Force.
When I met the Chief, he had he desperately wanted to join and Although it has been four
been retired from the Air Force for begin serving.
decades since the Chief retired,
a number of years, but his love for The Chief lied about his age his love of service continues. His
service continued to burn inside when he was 15 and was denied message and example of helping
and that fire is still burning today. entry into the Navy.
others is timeless.
My wife and I recently celebrated
The next year, he lied again at He never looked for credit. He
our 25th wedding an-
age 16 and was once again denied. was only interested in serving. His
niversary while I was TDY at The following year at age 17, the sole purpose was to help his fellow
the Naval Postgraduate School. Navy finally agreed to let him join, Airmen.
Fortunately, my wife was able to and off he went to basic training. For those who struggle with
join me in Monterey to celebrate Soon thereafter, the Chief found knowing when to retire, take a lesson
the big event.
himself serving on an aircraft carrier
from the Chief: keep serving as
Coincidentally, my wife’s parents
in the Pacific as a mechanic in long as you can and are willing to
reside in Sacramento, where the ship’s engine room. The Chief help others.
the Chief retired from active duty. found his “calling;” he loved serving
We can learn so much from the
The ride from Monterey was
in the Navy.
Chief. I am glad to share his story.
only about three hours. It was It was 1944 and the end of the Please pass it on.
Military youths serve too
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
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Warrior are not necessarily the
official views of, or endorsed by,
the U.S. government, Department
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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
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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
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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
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Deadline for article and photos is
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publication. Articles and photos will
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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
By Robert L. Gordon III
Military Community
and Family Policy
Military children continually
amaze us as they rise to the challenges
of military life. It’s a life of
frequent moves, changing schools,
leaving friends and making new
friends.
During April, the Month of the
Military Child, we applaud their
character and maturity, and we
acknowledge that kids serve too.
Our military community includes
1.8 million American children
and youth under 18 years old.
The Defense Department offers a
wide range of programs and services
to support military families
and their kids. Just a few of the
things we’re working on include:
– Working with states to minimize
school disruption for military
children during transition and deployment.
The Interstate Compact
on Educational Opportunity for
Military Children provides common
guidelines for participating
states to follow in handling issues
including initial enrollment age, records
transfer, graduation requirements
and much more. So far, 35
states have adopted the compact,
covering 88 percent of students.
– Increasing access to quality,
affordable child care for military
families. Today’s National Guard
and Reserve forces mobilize and
deploy at historic rates. Many military
children – of all branches and
components – live away from military
installations, and even when
they do live near to one, many
locations are unable to meet the
demand for care at military child
development facilities. The DOD
Child Care Expansion Initiative
will help answer this growing need
by ensuring their access to quality
child care in the communities in
which they reside.
– The Department of Defense
Education Activity launched an
online preregistration application
. Through the site, parents can
preregister their children in a DOD
school from anywhere in the world,
and even while on the move from
one installation to another.
– A new, 365-page deployment
guide is now available. This guide
prepares families for deployment
and has chapters dedicated to preparing
children for deployment,
helping them to cope with separation
and the adjustment when the
deployed parent comes home.
Additionally, installations
around the world offer a huge
range of activities for military kids
at child care centers, youth centers,
clubs and camps.
The professionals at these
programs get vital support from
volunteers. I see the enormous
amount of good done by the hands
and hearts of volunteers. Their
selfless work changes lives and
strengthens our nation.
During the Month of the Military
Child, I also encourage you
to consider volunteering at any of
the many organizations dedicated
to military kids. From the Boys
and Girls Club of America , 4-H
Youth Development and the Armed
Services YMCA , these and many
other organizations provide quality
programs to military families and
their children.
Have you volunteered with
youth in your community? Where
do you volunteer? What inspired
you to get started? What experiences
have you had? How would
you inspire someone else to serve
as a volunteer? We’d like you to
share your stories on the Facebook
wall of Serve.gov.
Is the organization you support
listed on Serve.gov? This is
a nationwide resource for finding
volunteer opportunities in your
community and creating your own.
Listing the organization on this
website allows other people to sign
up and join you.
It’s hard to imagine a local
t-ball league without volunteers.
Who would prepare the field,
coach the players or call the plays?
Children are first in the mind of
their parents, and during Month of
the Military Child, we hope they
become first in the minds of their
communities as well.
There are many ways to serve,
and many reasons. No matter your
age or background, your education
or interests, your experience or
abilities, Serve.gov has a volunteer
opportunity that’s right for you.

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-3
Canadian, U.S. paratroopers trade wings
By Army Capt. Chase Spears
4-25th ABCT PAO
A group of 198 U.S. Army Alaska paratroopers
stood proudly at attention March
23, as a video of former Canadian paratroopers
sharing war stories and airborne pride
played above.
This was the start of a Canadian-American
exchange-of-wings ceremony hosted by
the 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion,
4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th
Infantry Division here.
The ceremony marked a bilateral friendship
jump the night before. The airborne
operation qualified BSTB Soldiers to wear
the Canadian Parachutist Badge, because
it was overseen by Canadian jumpmasters.
Friendship jumps give paratroopers
from different countries the opportunity to
train together and are intended to reinforce
the spirit of cooperation between nations
by sharing experiences and tactics. They’re
also an opportunity for paratroopers to earn
foreign jump wings.
Sgt. Joseph Hiller and Master Cpl. Marc
Andre Asselin, both from the Canadian
Forces Land Advanced Warfare Center,
served as jumpmasters for the airborne
event and presented the Canadian wings at
the ceremony.
“Congratulations. Wear these wings with
pride. You earned them. Stay airborne,”
Hiller told the recipients.
Hiller and Asselin were both presented
with the United States Army Senior Parachutist
Badge by BSTB Commander Army
Lt. Col. Frank Smith and Command Sgt.
Maj. Henry Montoya.
The friendship jump honored the Allied
paratroopers who jumped into combat on
D-Day during World War II, according to
Smith. Such events help build bonds and
strengthen the camaraderie of the airborne
community, he said.
The jump gave many new paratroopers
an opportunity to earn their foreign wings,
according to Montoya, including some who
ABOVE: Canadian Forces Sgt. Joseph
Hiller presents a 425th Brigade Special
Troops Battalion paratrooper with the
Canadian Parachutist Badge during a
foreign jump wing exchange ceremony,
March 23. RIGHT: Sgt. Hiller presents
Army Lt. Col. Frank Smith with the Canadian
Parachutist Badge. (Photos by Capt.
Chase Spears/4-25th ABCT PAO)
had only been in the unit a week.
“Earning the foreign wings reaffirms
their status of being elite,” Montoya said.
“It’s good for them and good for the Army.”
This was the fourth friendship jump for
the brigade since its return from combat
operations in Afghanistan in February 2010.
The first was in November 2010 when Indian
soldiers visited JBER for Exercise Yudh
Abhyas, followed by a Canadian jump at
JBER in February and a training jump into
Thailand the same month.
Denali paratroopers practice crater analysis skills
By Senior Airman Christopher Gross
JBER PAO
Much can be gleaned from analyzing an
indirect fire crater from an enemy mortar,
eld artillery cannon or rocket launcher.
Soldiers like Army 2nd Lt. Matthew Luman,
1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry
egiment, said it’s a lost art, because nowadays
radar is depended upon in most cases.
However when radar fails or troops are out
at a forward operating base this is a skill that
an pay dividends.
In most cases forward observers, like
those of the 1-40th who took part in crater
analysis training March 31, would be the
ones analyzing craters.
Army Capt. Teresa Doerr, 1-40th fire
support officer commented on how important
this training can be.
“It’s valuable in identifying where our
threats are, mortars and indirect fire are a
uge threat to our (installations),” Doerr
said.
By telling which direction the projectile
came from and knowing approximately how
far it was launched or the maximum distance
it can go, troops are more likely able to tell
where their threat is coming from and can
then engage the enemy with artillery.
Troops can also use the crater analysis
techniques to locate weapon stockpiles left
over from the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
Dragons
From Page A-1
“Land navigation was the most challenging,”
said Pvt. Godfrey Wilson, a member
f 5th Platoon. “You are in full battle rattle
alking through deep snow with a weapon.
ou have a certain amount of time to find
our points, so you can get a go,” the Fort
mith, Ark., native said. “You don’t want to
ail or else you’ll have to go back out there
he next day and do it all again.”
After the Soldiers completed the course,
the same teams moved to the communications
lane on FOB Grizzly to practice a
equest for a medical evacuation on a SINC-
GARS single-channel radio.
Once the teams were
given a “Go” at that station,
hey formed into squads
to conduct dismounted
movements south on Pole
Line Road and to provide
support to a squad which
ad received small arms
re and reported friendly
asualties.
As the teams patrolled
almost two miles down the
road, they identified casualties
lying on the side of the road. Some of the
oldiers set up a perimeter of security, while
thers quickly rushed to perform basic lifeaving
measures after moving the casualties
ut of the kill zone. Shortly after, the patrols
ad to fend off an attack from opposing-force
ole players.
“It opens (the Soldiers’) eyes a little
more and offers them a real life scenario,”
opposing-force role player Sgt. Chaun
auer said.
The last event called on the Chemical
Corps Soldiers’ particular area of expertise.
The chemical, biological, radiological
during the the 1970s and 80s.
Doerr offered a couple examples of how
to locate the threat. She said if they know
it was an 82-mm mortar which caused the
crater, then its point of origin couldn’t be
more than three kilometers away. If they
notice for the past three months the firing of
the munitions are coming from one direction,
then there must be a stockpile of some sort
off in the distance.
When teams go out to analyze craters
they also determine whether or not if it was
fired high-angle – fired with an elongated
high arc which can clear mountainous terrain
– or low-angle – fired with a lower arc
better for achieving long ranges.
Most mortars are high-angle shells and
howitzers can use either of the ballistic
profiles. They also determine the grid location
of the crater and the time they found
the shelling.
Troops use crater analysis tools to determine
the size of the munitions. If the fuse
is visible, it is easier to tell what types of
munitions were used and they can determine
which direction the rounds came from.
Luman noted he felt this is a skill which
has faded away over the years.
“It’s not something you see very often,
crater analysis is kind of a lost art, a lot of
places don’t even teach it anymore. (Everyone)
gets a manual, but sometimes when you
actually get to see it, it’s a little bit better.”
and nuclear lane consisted of individual
and equipment decontamination, detecting
chemical agents with M-8 paper and avoiding
a Chemical Biological Radiological
Nuclear, or CBRN, injury with a protective
suit called a Joint Service Lightweight Integrated
Suit Technology.
Army Staff Sgt. Ricardo Cruz, the
CBRN lane noncommissioned officer in
charge, explained the importance of the
training.
“It’s a good opportunity for them to
refresh on the basics that they are taught
in initial entry training and their (advanced
individual training),” he said.
“Reacting to chemical attack is not only
a chemical task, but it’s Army wide, so it’s
done from an infantryman to the truck driver,”
the McAllen, Texas, native
said. “So it’s very important
to us as chemical Soldiers
to be more than proficient
in this in comparison to all
our other service members.”
Once the Soldiers completed
the course, the final
step was the maskconfidence
portion in the
CS gas chamber. After a
few minutes in the cloudy
chamber, they were then told
to remove their masks. After about
10 seconds they were released to the fresh,
crisp air outside.
Not all of the Soldiers in the unit are
CBRN specialists, however.
Pvt. Chase Edmonds, a wheeled-vehicle
mechanic in Maintenance Platoon, went
through the training as well.
“It’s good to catch up on (training) just
in case anything does happen and we’re
prepared for it,“ Edmonds, a native of Garland,
Utah, said. “I think it’s easier to learn
training out here, because they actually work
with you more, so it’s a lot better for you to
really understand what’s going on.”
Sgt. George Lee, 1st Squadron (Airborne), 40th Cavalry Regiment, analyzes a crater,
March 31. Members of the 1-40th did some hands-on training on how to analyze a
crater, telling what type of munitions were used, where it came from, whether it was
a high-angle or low-angle shot and approximately the distance the round’s point of
origin. (Photo by Senior Airman Christopher Gross/JBER PAO)
Trailblazers
From Page A-1
dren accomplish. This will be the first time
my parents have ever seen me receive an
award.”
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lanorris Ford
Ford, a battalion maintenance officer
with the 793rd Military Police Battalion, had
never heard of the award until his battalion
executive officer informed him he was being
recommended for it.
After some research he soon learned it
was a prestigious award.
Ford’s accomplishments over the past
year caught the attention of his command.
He deployed a company to Iraq, redeployed
two companies Iraq, deployed and
redeployed two companies to the National
Training Center, conducted left-behindequipment
induction for two companies,
reduced the brigade’s backlog of mechanical
services by more than 500 vehicles, assisted
in the turn-in of more than $3.5 million
worth of excess equipment, personally located
mission-essential parts valued at more
than $65,000, and ensured the operational
readiness of five subordinate companies
at two installations separated by 350 miles
across Alaska.
When the 793rd moved from Germany
to Alaska last year, Ford’s brigade executive
officer at the time, Lt. Col. Kim Zimmerman,
selected him to head up the new battalion’s
maintenance program.
“Chief Ford is the best maintenance technician
in the brigade, and I knew if anyone
could accomplish the tough mission ahead,
I knew it would be him. He never fails,”
Zimmerman said.
Ford was the only active duty warrant
officer in the Army to win the MacArthur
Leadership Award.
“It means a lot,” Ford, a Belle Glade,
Fla., native, said. “I’m a no-spotlight type of
guy and don’t like the attention, however to
win a prestigious award like this, and being
the only warrant on active duty to win, is in
itself an accomplishment.”
He said the honor calls to mind this
saying: “To whom much is given, much is
expected.”
“Basically, what that is saying is, I had
this great opportunity to receive this great
award. Now I have to give back and try
to help someone else receive this award,”
Ford said.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lanorris Ford,
793rd Military Police Battalion, walks
through the battalion’s motor pool,
Wednesday. Ford was one of two MacArthur
awardees from the Alaska-based
3rd Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.
(Photo by Staff Sgt. Jason Epperson/3rd
MEB PAO)

A-4 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-5
Kodiaks win Sapper gold
84th Engineer Support Company earn Sapper Olympics laurels
By Army 2nd Lt. Justin Smith
6th Engineer Battalion
The 84th Engineer Support
Company finished first out of five
companies competing in the 6th
ngineer Battalion’s Arctic Sapper
inter Olympic Games, March
5, at Joint Base Elmendorfichardson.
The competition started March
14 and consisted of 15 individual
and team-based events over two
eeks.
The goal of the games was twofold,
according to Army Lt. Col.
Marc Hoffmeister, commander
of the 6th Engineer Battalion
Combat) (Airborne): to foster unit
cohesion and encourage Soldiers
and families to participate in winter
activities in Alaska.
“There is nothing more powerful
than the fighting spirit of an
rctic Sapper – the same type of
ghting spirit that enabled the 23rd
ngineer Company to safely bring
ome all of its Soldiers from a
earlong deployment to Afghanistan,”
Hoffmeister said. “We hope
to channel our Soldiers’ energy
towards family-oriented events
involving friendly competition.”
The games opened March 14
behind the Buckner Physical Fitness
Center with the lighting of a
pyre by a torch. Upon completion
of the games, the pyre was extinguished
in true engineer fashion,
using a bulldozer to smother the
pyre with snow.
The competition was fierce
throughout the event. The second
place finisher, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, remained
tied with the 84th Engineer Support
Company (Airborne) on the
last day of the games. The tie was
ultimately broken with commanders
of both companies competing
in the Small Unit Support Vehicle
skijoring event.
The skijor event was an obstacle
course in which Soldiers on
skis were towed behind the SUSV,
a tracked all-terrain vehicle. Judges
scored each competitor on a scale
of one to 10, based on the number
of obstacles completed and the
overall technique.
Army Capt. Bradley Pietzyk,
commander of the 84th ESC, was
judged the best performer, winning
the trophy for his company.
“The skijor event was a great
way to end the two weeks of winter
games,” said Army 1st Lt. Megan
Hedman, officer in charge of the
event. The event truly highlighted
our winter skills, particularly the
arctic proficiency of our commanders.”
Despite finishing in second
place, HHC had some notable individual
performers. Hoffmeister
made a strong showing with three
gold medals in downhill skiing,
randonne (backcountry skiing)
and cross-country skiing. Also
finishing strong was Army Capt.
Chelsea Frehulfer, who won the
biathlon and finished second in
cross-country skiing.
The 84th ESC’s star performer
was Sgt. Richard Saincome with
two gold medals in arctic orienteering
and the SUSV Skijor, as well
as bronze medals in biathlon and
the snow tube race.
The 84th Engineer Support
Company was particularly strong
in team-based events, winning two
gold medals, two silver medals,
and a bronze medal in those events
involving teams.
The Soldiers of 23rd Eng.,
having recently returned from 100
degree temperatures in Afghanistan,
were not as current in their
arctic skills. However, the tenacity
and competitive spirit of these
Sappers were on display during
the combatives tournament. They
took four gold medals, three silver
medals, and three bronze medals.
They also placed first overall in the
tournament.
“The Olympic games was a
great opportunity for Soldiers to
demonstrate some of the arctic
skills they had learned over the
winter months,” Pietzyk said. “It
also serves as a transition from a
winter mindset into the spring.”
Although the Olympic flame
was extinguished for the year, the
flame is not out for good and will
be reignited, according to Hoffmeister.
“The Arctic Sapper Winter
Olympic Games was a resounding
success, and we hope to continue
it again next year,” he said. “In
addition to being a family-oriented
event, the Olympic games has
tremendous value in building the
individual skill sets needed to
maintain our capabilities as the
only arctic engineer battalion in
the Army.”
The 84th Engineer Support Company’s ahkio-sled-pull team nears the finish line, March 15, in the 6th
Engineer Battalion’s Arctic Sapper Winter Olympic Games. Soldiers of 84th ESC won the event when
they defeated Headquarters and Headquarters Company in the final event, Small Unit Support Vehicle
skijoring. (Photos courtesy of 6th Engineer Battalion)
Army Capt. Kurtis Schaaf, the commander of the Forward Support
Company, 6th Engineer Battalion, starts his second lap of the biathlon
course, March 14, in the 6th Engineer Battalion’s Arctic Sapper
Winter Olympic Games.

A-6 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
Volunteer opportunity
Volunteers are needed for
Holocaust Remembrance Week,
May 2–6.
Actors are needed to perform
and read the names of Holocaust
victims for a May 3 event. No acting
experience is required.
E-mail jber.noc@elmendorf.
af.mil if interested in volunteering.
Rental Partnership
The Rental Partnership Program
is available to all eligible
active-duty members and consists
of two options.
The first option, RPP Plus,
includes utilities and sometimes
cable costs providing a easier
budget with a set rental payment
year round.
The other option, RPP 5 percent
Below Market, saves the
member five percent off the rental
fee that other tenants pay however
utilities are paid for by the tenant.
Both options are made available
with no deposits or fees to the
member with the exclusion of pet
fees as it may apply.
T h i s p r o g r a m i s d e -
signed to provide active duty
m i l i t a r y p e r s o n n e l , e n -
l i s t e d a n d o f f i c e r s ,
accompanied and unaccompanied
with affordable off-base housing.
An allotment must be executed
under either option of the RPP for
the rental payments which is made
directly to the landlord resulting in
a more trouble free transactions.
See RPP officials at the Capital
Asset Management Office, Building
6346, Arctic Warrior Dr, or
call at 552-4328 or 552-4374 for
further information and assistance
regarding this program.
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 will 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.
Air Force launches
online retirement tool
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs
The Employee Benefits Information System launched a web
tool March 31 that will allow Air Force appropriated fund civilian
employees to accomplish additional benefits-related actions online,
such retirement planning.
The eRetirement tool is the latest of many tools implemented by
the Air Force Personnel Center Benefits and Entitlements Service
Team to improve the customer service experience. The tool will
help retiring civilians complete and print retirement applications
on line.
“The eRetirement tool will eliminate the worry and the guesswork
often associated with completing a retirement application,”
said Kathryn Iapichino, AFPC human resources specialist. “It auto
populates the retirement form, prompting users to complete sections
such as health and life insurance eligibility, military service,
and marital status.”
It also helps prevent re-work because eRetirement will not allow
a user move to a new screen until all required fields are complete.
Employees will be able to access the eRetirement module
in EBIS through the Air Force Portal or the Air Force personnel
services website (enter 4872 in the keyword search).
In addition, members can contact the Total Force Service Center
at (800) 525-0102. Hearing impaired employees can call the
toll-free TDD number: (800) 382-0893 or commercial (210) 565-
2276. Counselors are available (Central Standard Time) Sundays
3 p.m.-11 p.m.; Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m.-11 p.m.; and
Fridays 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
For more information on personnel issues, go to the personnel
services website or call the Total Force Service Center at (800)
525-0102.
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.

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-7

A-8 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
Classified

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-9
Classified

A-10 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
McHugh talks Iraq transition,
Soldier quality of life
By C. Todd Lopez
Army News Service
WASHINGTON — It’s up to Iraq now
to be successful in their own future, said
Secretary of the Army John McHugh.
“The longer-term key for success, is
the success of the Iraqi government,”
cHugh said, adding that in his personal
pinion “We’ve brought them as far as we
easonably can be expected to bring them.
e’ve given them every opportunity and
very basis upon which to succeed and now
t’s up to them.”
McHugh and Chief of Staff of the Army
Gen. George W. Casey Jr. spoke March 16,
before the House Appropriations Committee
- Defense subcommittee regarding Army
budget and posture.
McHugh said the Army is having success
in its withdrawal from Iraq, and should meet
an end-of-year deadline for American forces
to withdraw from country.
In terms of American forces, and retrograde
of equipment back to the United States,
McHugh said that the drawdown in Iraq is
“going about as well as anybody could have
hoped.”
Now, he said, the Army is down to about
50,000 troops in Iraq, who are providing advice
and assistance to Iraqi forces, with about
six advise and assist brigades in country.
Additionally, the Army has significantly
reduced its footprint in country from what it
had been. “We’re down to about 73 bases,
down from several hundred at our peak and
the retrograde of equipment continues and
in very good order,” McHugh said. “And we
re in fact ahead of our schedule to be totally
out, as the order now stands at the end of this
calendar year.”
Both McHugh and Casey agreed that
“development of civil society” in Iraq rests
argely on the shoulders of agencies other
han the U.S. military and American efforts
hould be led by agencies like the Department
of State, for instance.
“The development of civil society really
falls under the Department of State’s
ailiwick,” Casey said. “We have redone
our core doctrine in 2008 to say Soldiers
ill do offense, defense and stability operations.
Stability operations basically provides
a secure environment so these other types of
civil-society development can take place.
“We have to ask ourselves, ‘do we really
want Soldiers doing civil-society development?’
I really think that falls on Department
of State and USAID and those kinds of agencies
to do that.”
Casey’s comments had reflected
McHugh’s, who said “We need that
whole-of-government approach, but I feel
ery confident and comfortable in having
visited Iraq 16 times now, that is indeed
happening.”
Lightening combat loads
Lawmakers asked both McHugh and
Casey about Army efforts to reduce the
weight of gear carried by Soldiers in theater,
sometimes as much as 130 pounds. Members
of the committee expressed concern about
muscular-skeletal conditions that could arise
from carrying that much weight for too long.
“It’s a challenge and it is something we
work very hard on,” McHugh said, saying it
is Program Executive Officer Solider that is
working on “lightening the load” for Soldiers
and that the organization is working to “take
ounces off in any way they can.”
Nevertheless, McHugh said, there are
some technical limits to reducing weight
on Soldiers. In particular, he said, “we are
pushing up against the limits of technology”
in two areas, including development
of lighter ceramics for body armor, and
reduced-weight batteries to power Soldiers
equipment.
The Army has a “very focused” effort
on lightening the load for Soldiers, McHugh
told legislators.
Prescription drugs
Also of concern to lawmakers: overuse
and misuse of prescription painkillers.
“It’s a serious problem,” McHugh said.
“We consider it one of the primarily indices
we track in terms of stress on the force.”
McHugh cited one reason for an increase
in prescription drug use since 2001 – Soldiers
are taking wounds now that would have
caused loss of life 15 years ago.
“And the pain medications are not just
appropriate, but necessary in terms of caring
for those Soldiers,” he said.
The secretary told lawmakers the Army
did a study on pain management that came
back with 100 recommendations to ensure
there is tight oversight of the prescriptiondrug
program and to “ensure Soldiers are not
becoming addicted.”
“No one, I think, goes in and purposely
becomes addicted to pain medication,”
McHugh said.
One system the Army is using to help
prevent Soldiers from potentially becoming
addicts is informed consent, which means
making Soldiers aware of the dangers of
their prescription ahead of time. Another
is a system that mechanically manages a
Soldier’s drugs. The Electronic Medication
Management Assistant, or EMMA system
has been piloted at Walter Reed Army
Medical Center and creates a drug-delivery
system “where you can only get one dose at
the proper time,” McHugh said.
Once challenge, McHugh said, is that
Soldiers can go outside military medicine
to seek treatment. “We have very little if
any control over that,” he said. “Soldiers
are American citizens, and they are entitled
to privacy.”
Pfc. Dorian Staley, center, 6th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist
Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, watches as a member of the 4th Iraqi Federal Police
practices administering an IV, March 29. (Photo by Army Capt. Michael De La Vega)
Ground Combat Vehicle
It’s expected the Ground Combat Vehicle
will take seven years to deliver to the Army.
That is too long, according to some lawmakers.
Casey said he had originally hoped for
delivery in less time, but that Army staff had
said it could not be done.
“Both Secretary Gates and I pushed very
hard to get this done in five years,” Casey
said. “And both of our staffs pushed backed
and said seven is as fast as you could possibly
do it.”
McHugh also told lawmakers that the
Government Accountability Office had said
seven years might be too ambitious for delivery
of the vehicle.
“GAO cautioned that seven years may be
too quick,” McHugh said. “No matter how
we try to field a system, somebody has an
opposing view.”
The secretary told lawmakers the Army
is trying to expedite the process by making
things easier for industry to develop
the system. For instance, he said the initial
request for proposal to develop the system
had 990 “tier one” requirements. The GCV
program released an RFP in February 2010,
but that RFP was ultimately canceled in
August 2010, and re-released in November
with streamlined requirements.
“I think the Army has come a long way
in learning the lessons of the past,” McHugh
said.
Force balance
Casey also told lawmakers that the Fiscal
Year 2012 budget sustains balance the Army
has achieved.
“Today we have made great progress
toward the goals we set for ourselves in 2007.
And as an Army we are starting to breathe
again,” Casey said.
That progress includes a permanent endstrength
increase that had been directed by
President Bush, and a temporary increase
of 22,000 authorized by Secretary Gates
in 2009.
Dwell time has also increased for Soldiers,
he said. “This was a critical component
to sustaining the all-volunteer force.” In the
past, Soldiers went back to the fight with less
than a year at home.
“Beginning October 1 this year, Soldiers
deploying after that time will deploy with
an expectation of two years at home if they
are in the active force, and four years at
home if they are in the Guard and Reserve,”
Casey said.
The Army will continue to work toward
a goal of three years at home.
Transformation
Also, Casey said, the Army will complete
the largest transformation of the service since
World War II.
“We’ve finished modular conversion on
all but a couple of our over 300 brigades,”
Casey said. And the Army has also balanced
the skill set of Soldiers away from Cold
War skills, to skills more suitable for today.
“That’s about 150-160k Soldiers changing
jobs.”
Casey also said the Army Force Generation
Model, the Army’s model to provide
Soldiers to combatant commanders is “a
more effective and efficient way of building
the readiness we need, when we need it.”
The general summed up Army successes
for lawmakers, by saying “after a
decade of very hard work, we have a force
that is the right size, that is organized into
modular, versatile formations, that is operating
in a rotational cycle, and that is
beginning to have sufficient time at home to
begin training for full range of missions and
recover from war.”
Secretary McHugh also told legislators
that Soldiers in Japan are largely safe from
concerns related to that nation’s nuclearreactor
crisis. “From the perspective of
their physical location, from the Army side
– Camp Zama, Okinawa – our troops are
located a significant distance from the actual
reactor site,” he said. And added “should
things take a significant turn for the worse,
we’re prepared to react.”
He also commented on the departure of
General Casey as the chief of staff of the
Army, saying “George Casey will leave
service with his head held high and with a
great many admirers, which I count myself
among them.”

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-11
‘1 Geronimos’ prepare for combat deployment
By David Bedard
JBER PAO
Sgt. Michael Hammonds, A
Company, 1st Battalion, 501st
nfantry Regiment (Airborne),
reathed sharply as he labored
nder the weight of an 80-pound
duffel bag during a 200-meter
simulated buddy carry.
He threw the green “casualty”
down with a groan of relief before
running to the range ready line to
et into a kneeling position.
Fighting a machine gun heartbeat
and labored breathing, Hammonds
peered through his optic.
The reticle jumped and wagged.
The paratrooper remembered
his training, he breathed with more
control and waited for the crosshairs
to find their mark.
Plink. Plink. Two rounds which
sounded from his M-4 carbine
ound their mark in the steel manhaped
targets.
Though perhaps sounding more
like a challenge from the television
show “Sharp Shooters,” the
elaborate training scenario was part
of last weeks’ A Company range
density training.
Army Capt. David Stroud, A
Company commander, said the
raining was designed to increase
onfidence and proficiency with
mall arms and grenades.
“Range density training is focused
on individual marksmanship
with Soldiers,” Stroud said. “It’s
basically the foundation of marksmanship
for not only the younger
oldiers, but the older Soldiers as
ell that haven’t shot maybe in the
ast couple of months.”
To that end, Stroud said the
training included the precise
zeroing of the company’s weapons,
ensuring the strike of the
bullet matched the optics’ reticle
patterns.
Soldiers then graduated to the
known distance range, where they
gained confidence in being able to
consistently hit targets at 100, 200
and 300 meters.
The capstone event was qualification,
when Soldiers were expected
to engage a series of 40 popup
argets requiring 36 hits to qualify
xpert. Soldiers also qualified with
and grenades.
The company didn’t stop there,
Stroud said, because infantryman
are often judged for their skills with
their assigned weapon.
“The fundamentals of marksmanship
are important because
that’s exactly what we do,” the
commander said. “When we go
overseas, we want to be able to
see whatever enemy it is – at 300
meters, 200 meters, whatever
distance – and be confident in our
ability to be able to shoot and kill
the enemy.”
Army 2nd Lt. Caleb Sheffield,
A Company range safety officer,
said all of the skills honed during
the course of the week culminated
at the stress shoot range, designed
to simulate marksmanship under
combat conditions.
“The intent of this range is
to distinctly show the difference
between a qualification range and
how we’re more likely to fire in
combat,” Sheffield explained.
“That is with elevated stress levels,
elevated heart rate, tunnel vision,
things like that. So when you get
the heart rate up around 150 to 170,
you can see a really big difference
in fine motor skills and situational
awareness.”
Sheffield said the first stage of
the stress shoot was the casualty
drag. Because the litter works so
well on snow and ice, Soldiers
were required to drag a Humvee
tire filled with sandbags to simulate
the resistance encountered when
dragging a casualty on sand.
“Obviously dragging a casualty
in a Skedco on snow isn’t all that
difficult,” Sheffield said. “It will
slide too well, so we swapped them
out with something that will cause
a little bit more resistance.”
After completing the casualty
drag, Soldiers immediately went
into the rapid-fire transition lane,
placing two controlled rounds
into each of a series of three steel
targets.
The paratroopers then carried
two five-gallon water jugs, adding
fatigue to the grip of their hands.
“(Soldiers) could be pulling a
rope, could be carrying ammo cans,
could be carrying water, sandbags,
anything that you’re going to use a
grip for,” Sheffield said.
Paratroopers then engaged targets
at three different ranges with
the rapid sequence determined by
their coach.
Soldiers moved to the next and
perhaps toughest leg, carrying a
duffel bag laden with 80 pounds
of sandbags for 200 meters before
firing a transition range in the
kneeling position.
The Soldiers finally ran a 200
meter unladen sprint before having
to engage a single target, but with
the non-dominant hand and eye.
When asked about the difficulty
of the range following his turn
through the gauntlet, a sweating
Sheffield remained philosophical.
“Physically, it was tough,” he
said. “No matter who you are,
you’re heart rate is going to get
up. But it was doable. The range
requires you to settle that heart
rate and requires you to settle
your breath, but the targets are not
unhittable.”
Stroud said during the next
few months, the company will
move on to Expert Infantryman
Badge training, team and squad
live fire exercises, situational
training exercises, platoon live
fire exercises, company command
and control training and finally a
mission rehearsal exercise at Joint
Readiness Training Center, Fort
Polk, La. – all pursuant to a future
combat deployment.
“All of these individual fundamentals
that they’re learning right
now are going to carry over into
those collective tasks in the future,”
he said.
TOP: Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Rose, A Company, 1st Battalion,
501st Infantry Regiment (Airborne), drags a Humvee tire during
the company’s March 24 stress shoot at the Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson range. ABOVE: Pfc. Norberto Valle, A/1-501st prepares
mentally, March 24, for the company’s stress shoot. (Photos by David
Bedard/JBER PAO)

A-12 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior A-13
Firebirds continue support to Operation Tomodachi
1st Lt JohnRoss Wendler and Captain Meghan Fridley-Geiger, pilots with the 517th Airlift Squadron, preflight a C-17 Globemaster III to take off at Misawa Air Base, Japan,
April 1. Wendler and Fridley-Geiger along with other 517th AS crews provide support to Operation Tamodachi transporting supplies to and from Yokota Air Base, Japan.
(Photos by Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Garcia/JBER PAO)
Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Wilkinson, 621st Contingency Responce Wing, and Technical Sgt. Travis Duxsbury,
a loadmaster with the 517th Airlift Squadron, offload cargo at Misawa Air Base, Japan, April 1.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Carol Ann Kemmis, a flight crew chief
with the 703rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, goes over
the maintenance logs of a C-17 Globemaster III prior to a
mission At Misawa Air Base, Japan, Saturday.

A-14 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011

Be bear
aware and
safe with
trash this
spring,
Page B-4
Spice and
salvia are
incompatible
with military
service, page
B-9
Volume 2, No. 14
Hospital
sleep lab
helping
troops get
shuteye
By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
JBER PAO
www.jber.af.mil/news
April 8, 2011
Sleeping through the night can be a difficult
task for anyone, but for individuals with
sleep disorders, it can be almost impossible.
Sleep disorders come in many forms;
the most common, according to www.sleepfoundation.org,
are restless legs syndrome,
insomnia, sleep apnea, sleepwalking, snoring,
teeth grinding and difficulty breathing.
Those suffering from severe sleeprelated
issues can schedule an appointment at
the sleep lab at the 3d Medical Group at the
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson hospital.
Sleep labs are common across the U.S.,
however, this is the only Air-Force-run sleep
lab in the Pacific Air Forces, said Air Force
Staff Sgt. Stanley Manning, 3d MDG sleep
lab technician.
The lab’s technicians monitor patients
in their sleep. Technicians closely watch
brain-wave activity, along with several other
bodily functions, like heart rate and breathing.
After the study is concluded, all of the
technicians’ information goes to
a neurologist who will determine
if the patient has a sleep disorder.
For some patients, multiple trips to
the sleep lab are common.
People with sleep disorders
can have multiple problems while
awake as well. Not being alert
or falling asleep during daytime
hours can be a large problem for
military members.
Some sleep conditions, like
sleep apnea, can even be fatal
if left untreated, said Tech. Sgt.
Cynthia Palmer, 3d MDG sleep
lab technician.
Patients wishing to be seen
by the sleep lab must first pass
through a small screening process,
she said.
“When the clinic first opened,
we were getting people left and
right until they learned how to
skim them out,” Palmer said. “They said,
‘We’re going to look for daytime sleepiness,
very bad snoring and witnessed episodes of
non-breathing.’ We had a lot of patients (before
that) that had nothing wrong with them.”
Going to the sleep lab for treatment differs
from most trips to the hospital.
“Most people are anxious because
they’re sleeping in a different environment,”
Manning said. “When they see all the wires
they’re going to have to wear, they get all
freaked out, but once you sit them in the bed
they pretty much relax. There’s really nothing
to be anxious about. It’s a pretty easy test
to pass – all you have to do is sleep.”
The technicians watch brain waves for
patterns typical with sleep and breathing
patterns with a sleep mask as well as sensors
that respond to chest and stomach rise
and fall during their monitoring period. The
lab techs can even tell which stage of sleep
the patients are in depending on the brain’s
alpha waves.
Sleep lab technicians spend time with
each patient explaining the process of the
procedures and why they’re doing them.
“We try to make (patients) as comfortable
as they can be. (Sometimes) we have
to ask them to come back again and bring
some kind of sleep aid, or ask a doctor to
give them something to help them relax
or give them a sleep aid,” Palmer said.
Patients visiting the lab are walked
through the process before their test periods
to take away some anxieties, as well
as answer any questions they may have.
“We need to see everybody go through
all the stages of sleep, and the stage that
we’re most concerned with is while
they’re laying on their back going through
a REM cycle. That’s there dreaming
stage,” Manning said. “That’s when your
body is totally relaxed, so if you’re going
to have problems it’s going to happen
then. We ask that you sleep on your back,
and I know it’s the most uncomfortable
position for most people, but when you’re
on your back and you’re relaxed that’s
when all your breathing problems are
more prone to happen.”
Air Force Staff Sgt.
Stanley Manning, 3rd
Medical Group Sleep
Lab technician, prepares
Jason Manzel,
725th Brigade Support
Battalion, for a
sleep test at the JBER
Hospital sleep lab. The
preparation included
marking for and placing
electrodes, and
checking the input on a
monitor before Manzel
went to sleep. (Photos
by Airman 1st Class
Jack Sanders/JBER
PAO)
Military youth
not immune
to autism
Commentary by
Air Force Maj. Nicholas J. Sabula
Defense Media Activity
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The second of
April has special significance for my family
– one year ago I was transitioning out of
Afghanistan and returning home to a family
I had not seen in seven months.
What kept me going through the deployment
was not just the important mission, the
camaraderie, or the fact that I was looking
forward to some down time upon my return.
It was that I could get home and see my
heroes.
These heroes are my family. One of our
sons, who happens to have autism spectrum
disorder, is my inspiration. My wife is a true
unsung heroine, like other military families
raising a child with autism, fighting a daily
battle on the homefront for our children.
I view World Autism Awareness Day as
an opportunity to recognize the tremendous
sacrifices of these “Autism Warriors.”
Autism is a neurobiological developmental
disability that impacts normal
development of the brain in the areas of
social interaction, communication skills and
cognitive function. The word “autism”comes
from the Greek word autos, meaning “self”
and children with the disorder are often
described as being in their own little world,
typically having difficulty with social communication
such as eye contact, interaction
or conversation.
Children with autism may give the appearance
of a dazed, cold, unfeeling or even
unintelligent individual to people who don’t
understand the disability.
The truth is that under this dark cloud
is actually a smart, smiling, beautiful child
just wanting to break out. Others may show
no distinguishable characteristics other than
quirkiness, inability to focus, appearing shy,
or even the other extreme of sensory seeking,
hyperactive, and surprisingly overly social.
Autism affects military families, your
coworkers, people you supervise, or even
someone you work for.
Like the military represents a cross-section
of America, so do families with autism;
it does not discriminate.
It seems somewhat ironic that as an Air
Force public affairs officer communicating
stories for the Department of Defense, I have
a son who has challenges communicating in
general. I see his frustration, but his diagnosis
has emboldened me to better support all
military families who share our story.
Looking for signs
I had no clue what autism was when our
son was diagnosed in 2006.
It was my wife who pushed us to seek
professional help. Being our first child, I just
figured it was a stage, but the adage that he
or she is “just a slow learner” can be a signal
something is wrong.
Our son was developing normally until
about 16 months. Things changed as he
gradually regressed from saying about 20
words to just babbling, spontaneous screaming,
looking off into space and not reacting
when spoken to.
We thought it was because of the birth of
our second son at this time, but soon realized
there was something serious going on.
One tell-tale sign of concern is what
autism families know as stimming, or self
stimulation in a continuous, purposeless
movement.
Flapping hands or twisting a spoon or
pen; rocking; lining up objects; echolalia,
or repeating exactly what is asked instead of
an answer; or staring repetitively at an object
are pretty easy to spot.
Not making eye contact, talking, or interacting
with other children are also areas
for concern.
If you suspect something is wrong, make
an appointment to talk with your pediatrician
about an assessment. Research shows
that taking the initial step of getting your
child diagnosed early has a dramatic impact
on results; the sooner intervention begins,
the better.
If your child is diagnosed with autism,
your next step is contacting the Exceptional
Family Member Program office for enrollment.
EFMP maintains accountability of military
families with special needs and can have
a tremendous impact on future assignments
to locations with support.
I have had orders made and canceled
based on the gaining location’s ability to
support him.
Getting to know your EFMP coordinator
can go a long way in possible avenues for
care at your location and make it known to
them that you have questions and concerns.
They can also provide feedback on the
enrollment, required to sign your child up for
TRICARE’s Extended Care Health Option
that will help cover a type of therapy called
applied behavioral analysis.
What now
It really comes down to the basics of
knowing your child, getting educated, seeking
answers and establishing a treatment
plan.
Autism is not a cookie-cutter diagnosis.
The challenge for parents is every case is
different and requires different treatment
plans; the road ahead is tough and you need
to think long-term.
To say it can be overwhelming is an
understatement. Autism, like many other
special needs conditions, creates additional
see Autism, page B-6

B-2 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
There’s no excuse for angry abuse
‘Home
Improvement’
offers coping
strategies
By Chris McCann
JBER PAO
Anger can be a cover for a lot
of other emotions – fear, disappointment,
even sadness. Anyone
who has deployed has probably
experienced a short temper before
leaving because it’s easier to lash
out sometimes than admit to being
afraid or anticipating the temporary
loss of family.
But anger can be destructive,
and children are especially at risk
of being on the receiving end of
name-calling or even blows when
it’s not properly dealt with.
Part of preventing military child
abuse is helping service members
deal with a perfectly normal emotion
in a healthy way, said Jennifer
Frysz, an outreach manager with
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Family Advocacy Program.
“If people don’t manage their
emotions, it can teach children in
a bad way how to deal with them,”
Frysz said.
“Kids model what they see, and
they repeat what they hear.
“Anger is a tough emotion,”
she said. “We’re humans first, and
anger protects us in a fight-orflight
situation. But dealing with it
improperly teaches children poor
conflict-resolution skills.”
To help service members with
the issue, the program offers a class
called “Home Improvement,” a
six-week anger-management class
at the JBER hospital which helps
people work through the ways they
deal with strong emotions.
“If you take the emotion out
and let the logic kick in, it’s much
easier to handle,” said Frysz.
“What do you tell yourself when
you’re angry? Are you going to escalate
the situation or try to ‘win’?
We try to help people identify the
emotion, because if they can identify
what they’re really feeling,
then they can manage it. And you
have to know your triggers before
you can stop.”
Frysz said when a person can
see tension escalating, they can
tell themselves to take a timeout
or leave the situation. While that’s
not always feasible – for example,
a service member being caught in a
Courtesy graphic
situation he can’t walk away from
– there’s also a need to understand
it’s not necessarily a personal attack,
and that it’s possible to be
assertive without being aggressive.
The Home Improvement program
also helps people deal with
their own underlying issues which
may feed into anger, such as the
way they were raised or unhealthy
behaviors that they learned.
“It allows people to relate to
each other,” Frysz said. “It’s a relaxed
atmosphere, it’s a safe place
to openly discuss life and conflict.
No one’s going to get into trouble.”
Sometimes service members
are referred to the program by
commanders, she said, but often,
they come on their own because
they want to learn to better handle
their anger.
Airman 1st Class Chris Mendow,
732d Air Mobility Squadron,
attended the full six weeks of meetings
recently.
“My first sergeant suggested
the anger management class,”
Mendow said. “And yeah, I do get
mad – so I went.”
“Upon going, I was thinking of
the movie ‘Anger Management.’ I
was kind of expecting Jack Nicholson
telling us we’re all so angry – a
real stereotype. And I thought, ‘I’m
not an angry person!’”
Mendow said he felt misplaced
at first because of that stereotype,
but soon realized the class was
entirely different.
“I learned that it’s totally
healthy to be angry – it’s just how
you deal with it,” Mendow said. “I
used to throw cell phones. I broke
three cell phones – it was bad.
Now I step back and think, ‘Is this
worth getting mad about? No, it’s
ridiculous!’ It’s not a class that says
you’re not going to get angry – it’s
about how to control it when you
do get upset.”
Mendow recommends the
classes wholeheartedly.
“Even going to one session,
everyone will walk away with
something valuable,” he said. “I
think everyone should go to it.”
Parents’ emotions can have a
profound effect on children.
“From birth, children are modeling
emotions,” Frysz said. “Even
very young children are watching
our eye contact, and mimicking
facial expressions. That’s how
they learn. So if a person always
looks angry, they’re sending mixed
signals – nice things should get a
smile. If you’re stressed and grimacing,
those things carry over.”
Depression and anxiety can get
pushed onto children just by this
modeling, Frysz said. But children
aren’t so good with the finer points
of anger yet, so a child who sees a
chronically angry parent, even if
the child isn’t physically abused,
will sometimes hit or bite other
children.
“The more you know yourself
– and can check yourself and take
a time out if you need it – the more
you can mellow out your reaction
so you don’t pass it on,” Frysz said.
Even when a child is the cause
of the anger, it’s important to
modulate the response.
“Kids push buttons – it’s part
of the growth process,” she said.
“It’s the responsibility of the parent
to think ahead and model the right
behavior.
“Usually, the less you react, the
better; take a deep breath and look
back at what happened. Is the child
testing you?”
Part of each meeting in the
Home Improvement program is
making a log of tense moments as
an after-action review, to see how a
person reacted well and what ways
they could improve their reaction.
Frysz stressed that the most
important thing is to take care of
yourself. While selfless service is
a core military value, the individual
has to come first in some ways.
“When you’re the best you
can be, then you can help other
people,” she said.
“When kids see that you’re
angry and you’re dealing with it
well, that’s an opportunity to teach
them how to manage it and that
anger isn’t a bad thing, as long as
you handle it the right way.”
Experience JBER Elmendorf-Richardson
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. Check out our website for more information.
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.
Save 10%
at JBER with your FSS Benefits Card.
Open to all eligible personnel-Active Duty, Retirees, DoD, NAF,
• Eagleglen/Moose Run Golf Course
Frequent player cards
Golf Pro Shop
• Outdoor Recreation Centers
Equipment Rental
RV Storage
• Outdoor Adventure Program
Trips and Programs
• Arts & Crafts Centers
Framing
Engraving
Painting Ceramics
Store Purchases
Auto Parts & Labor
(Excludes IM Testing)
All Reserve and family members.
These are just some of the ways to save on
JBER with your membership!
• Arctic Oasis
Community Center
Indoor Full-Swing Golf
Indoor 18 hole Mini Golf
Archery Simulator
(Excludes classes)
• Warrior Zone
For more information on becoming a club member visit our website at:
www.elmendorf-richardson.com/clubs
Porcelain Doll making classes start on
Tuesdays, weekly, beginning April 19 for
six weeks from 6 - 8 p.m. Your instructor
will take you every step of the way to
making your own doll.
You will bring home a 19 inch jointed
porcelain soft body doll that will be able
to wear newborn size clothing. The only
thing you will need to supply is your time
and the clothes you wish your finished
doll to wear. All other supplies needed
are included in the supply fee.
Porcelain
Doll
Making
JBER Elmendorf
Arts & Crafts
552-7012
Class fee is $25
and the supply fee is $95.
Students need to pre-enroll by April 12.
JBER Elmendorf
Auto Hobby Shop
OPEN
Sat. & Sun.
10 - 5 p.m.
Are You Ready?
Golf Season is almost here!
Golf Shop Opens April 25.
2011 equipment is arriving daily.
2010 Specials & closeouts.
Save an extra 10% off with your
FSS Benefits Card!
Eagleglen
Golf Course
552-3821
Need Catering?
Contact Aramark for all your onbase
catering needs. They have
an extensive catering brochure with
many items to choose from. They
can cater to your location, or you may
book the Kashim Club Ballroom or
6-Mile Chalet for your catered events.
The 6-Mile Chalet is available for
rental without catering service, as
well.
Aramark, our NAF Food
Contractor, offers catering
services on JBER.
Larry Gonzalez Rivera
General Manager, Aramark
Office - 907-222-0394
Fax - 907-222-0398

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior B-3
Friday
Bowl for Kids’ Sake
Big Brothers and Big Sisters
of Alaska hosts its first-ever
Bowl for Kids’ Sake for military
members at the Polar Bowl,
starting at 4 p.m.
For information about the event
or Operation Bigs, volunteering, or
enrolling a child, call 433-4623.
Friday- 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.
Saturday
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
odel 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.
For more information, call
552-5234 or 952-4353, visit www.
trainweb.org/msmrre or email
bjorgan@alaska.net.
Community happenings
Anchorage’s Promise Kids
Day
The Dena’ina Center hosts a
day of free, interactive activities
for youth & families from 10 a.m.
until 4 p.m.
More than 70 youth-serving
agencies and organizations provide
free activities and information on
the program services available to
children, youth and families.
Throughout the day, entertainment
is provided by talented
youth. Transportation to outlying
AP KidsDay Partner locations can
be taken directly from the Convention
Center.
For information, call 272-4100.
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.
For more information, call
263-2787.
April 23
Easter Eggstravaganza
The 673d Force Support Squadron
presents the Easter Eggstravaganza.
For information, see the ad
this page or call 384-9006.
May 21
Alaska Assistance Dogs
Paintball Tournament
The Alaska Assistance Dogs
Charity Paintball Tournament kicks
off at noon at the 907 Paintball field
at Klatt and Timberlane Drive.
Registration includes full-day
rental for paintball marker, air, protective
gear and T-shirt. Proceeds
benefit Alaska Assistance Dogs.
For information call 250-7252
or email april@alaskaasisstancedogs.org.
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.
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n ,
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.
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n ,
call 562-8858, or visit www.
alaskawildberryproducts.com.
Free shotgun rentals
The Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson Skeet and Trap Range
is offering free shotgun use during
April for new shooters.
For more information, call
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.
Tournament
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.
For more information, call
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.
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n ,
call 929-9200, or visit www.
anchoragemuseum.org.
‘Unraveling the History of
Basketry’
The Anchorage Museum presents
“Unraveling the History of
Basketry,” exhibiting baskets
from Haida, Tlingit, Tsimshian,
and Yup’ik baskets and outlining
the history, methods and regional
styles of Alaskan native basketmaking
and the impact of nonnative
contact.
F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n ,
call 929-9200, or visit www.
anchoragemuseum.org.
‘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.
The exhibit runs Tuesdays
through Saturdays from 10 a.m.
until 6 p.m., and 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.
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
Anchorage Library
programs
The Anchorage Public Library
hosts programs for families and
youth from infants through teens
until April 23 at Loussac, Muldoon,
Chugiak-Eagle River and Gerrish/
Girdwood libraries.
There are also teenage volunteer
programs through the summer.
For information on dates and
locations, call 343-2840 or email
douglasss@muni.org.
673d Force Support Squadron s JBER-Richardson Events
Easter
Eggstravaganza
April 23
2 locations:
Hangar 20 parking lot
Airdrop Avenue & 33rd Street, Building 17534.
cottonwood park
Last Frontier Playground on Arctic Valley Road
& Sixth Avenue.
Egg Hunt will be open to:
Infants to 4-year-olds at 9:30 a.m.
5- to 8-year olds at 10 a.m.
9- to 12-year-olds at 10:30 a.m.
Let the
HUNT begin!
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

B-4 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
Engineers hammer
airlifters in
intramural
competition
By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
JBER PAO
Last year’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
intramural volleyball
season winners, the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers are still
a force to be reckoned with.
The USACE squad destroyed
the 517th Airlift Squadron’s volleyball
team this season in their
April 1 game, with a score of 25 to
17 in the first match and 25 to 15
in the second.
The first match started off
close with both teams keeping the
game tied.
The USACE team jumped
ahead after their first time-out with
a 10-point run to pull their lead to
20-to-13.
“We absolutely have every intention
of repeating (last years victory),”
said Mark Viotto, USACE
team member after the game.
Unable to come back from the
spike in both points and volleys, the
5 1 7 t h
t e a m
w a s d e -
feated after a short
rally, bringing the score of the first
game to 25 to 17.
With the momentum on their
side, the USACE team continued
to spike and ace their way ahead
in the second matchup.
The 517th team failed to return
several serves from USACE players
and found themselves quickly
on the wrong side of the 25-to-15
score.
“We did pretty well,” said Allison
Snow, 517th team member.
“We held our
own. We’re
always up
a g a i n s t
different
t e a m s
and our
team –
always
h a s
d i f -
ferent
people
c o m -
i n g i n
and out
but overall
we did pretty
good,” said.
The USACE
team was all smiles at
the end of the second match.
“We were rusty this game,”
Viotto said. “A lot of us had gone
on vacation, so we hadn’t played
together for a while.”
Snow said although their team
lost they would still keep playing
and, “try and have a little more fun
instead of all the seriousness.”
The USACE coach said his
team has yet to show its full
promise.
“We’re shaking off the rust but
we’ll get there,” Viotto said.
Left: A member of the 517th Airlift Squadron intramural volleyball
team spikes as a defender on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers team
defends during a game April 1.
Above: April Labrecque sets for a fellow U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
team member to spike on the awaiting 517th Airlift Squadron
team members. The USACE volleyball team won last year’s JBER
volleyball tournament. (Photos by Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders/
JBER PAO)
Being the new kid on the block can be tough
Commentary by
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee
JBER PAO
One of the hardest things I had to deal
with as a child was moving to a new town
when I was seven.
There is probably no feeling more
awkward than entering a classroom, while
everybody’s eyes bore a hole into you.
I was naturally shy then, so making new
friends wasn’t easy for me.
After joining the military, I got to replicate
that feeling with each change of station.
I’m no longer shy, so it’s not as traumatic
an experience as it was before. The seemingly
never-ending stream of new faces and
handshakes can be tiring, though.
Something of a similar nature happens
in professional sports quite often.
Athletes are constantly moving to new
teams and sometimes even burning bridges
behind them as they go. There are multiple
motivations for athletes to move on.
In my opinion, even though most athletes
will deny it, the most common
reason is money.
I’m not judging them; the
possibility of making millions
of dollars more at a new location
would probably dominate my
mind too if I was in their shoes.
In some cases, and especially
with athletes who are entering the
twilight of their careers, the motivation
is going to an organization
that gives them the best chance
to win a title.
Sometimes it’s about the new
location they are moving to and
what that means for their career after sports.
Carmelo Anthony leaving the Denver
Nuggets for the New York Knicks was a
good example of this.
The Nuggets have been a perennial
playoff team the last couple years while the
a new player
can help that
organization
ascend further
– or make it
blow apart
Knicks have been a train wreck.
This offseason in the NBA there was
more movem
e n t t h a n
usual and it
has made for
an entertaining
season.
One of the
things that
fascinates me
about basketball
is how the
chemistry
of a winning
team
has to be
done just right.
Players have to complement each other
on the court. Putting five great players together
is no guarantee of a winning season.
On successful teams, a new player can
help that organization ascend further – or
make it blow apart like a failed science
experiment.
I often learn a lot about an athlete by how
they deal with being on a new team.
Do they take a look around and try to
change to fit in? Or do they act like it is
business as usual and just go about things
the way they always have?
As members of the military we are part of
a team that has been kicking butt and taking
names for years. When you get to a new work
center, how do you approach it?
Do you try to change everything right off
the bat or do you take time to see if things
are done a certain way for a reason?
Kicking holes into processes your new
coworkers have had for years may not be the
best way to start off – not to say that change
shouldn’t be made when it’s needed.
The good news about frequent military
moves is all you have to do is wait a few
months and somebody else can be the new
kid in town.
Bear
aware
Bears and
trash a bad
combination
By Alaska Department Fish and
Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation
Bears that become attracted to
garbage, pet food and birdseed can
become public safety hazards.
Keeping bears away from
human food is perhaps the most
important thing we can do to prevent
conflicts and confrontations
between bears and people.
It is against the law to feed
bears – no matter what.
The law states, “A person may
not intentionally feed a moose,
deer, elk, bear, wolf, coyote, fox
or wolverine, or negligently leave
human food, animal food, or garbage
in a manner that attracts these
animals.”
It is also against the law to
kill a bear you have attracted by
improperly storing human food,
animal food or garbage.
A fed bear is a dead bear.
Bad habits are hard to break,
and bears are creatures of habit.
Bears seek out the same wild foods
in the same places year after year.
Bears conditioned to eating human
food behave the same way.
They keep returning to the
same neighborhoods, campgrounds
and dumpsters, until food is no
longer available or until they are
killed.
Food-conditioned bears can
be aggressive.
A person who allows bears to
feed on improperly stored food or
garbage may well be putting other
people at risk with their behavior.
Bears like garbage.
Garbage is both nutritious and
available, which makes it ideal
bear food.
Negligently leaving unsecured
garbage in a manner that attracts
a bear is punishable with up to a
$310 fine, and feeding bears, intentionally
or negligently, is against
the law.
What we can do around our
homes and cabins.
Preventing bear problems is
everyone’s responsibility.
Work within your neighborhood
and community to encourage
others to manage their garbage, dog
food, birdseed — anything that
might attract a bear.
Encourage your neighbors not
to put out garbage for pickup the
night before.
If there is a bear in the neighborhood,
let people know. Work
together to protect your neighborhood
and to conserve bears.
Store garbage and animal feed
inside secure buildings or in bearproof
containers.
Keep your garbage secured
File photo
until just before scheduled pickup.
If you take your garbage to
a collection site, do so regularly.
Make sure to place it in the dumpster
and close the lid.
These collection sites attract
bears.
Pack your garbage out.
At your weekend cabin, keep
your garbage in a bear-proof container,
such as a steel drum fitted
with a locking lid, and take it home
with you.
If you bury or burn your garbage,
it may still attract bears.
Bears like to eat pet food, horse
feed, meat scraps and fish. Keep
these items in a secure place.
Barbecues can also be powerful
attractants.
Storing grills and smokers in
a protected place and burning off
grease after each meal helps to
discourage bears.
Be smart about pets and bird
feeding
Domestic animals draw bears.
Keep them where they are safe.
Chickens and rabbits kept in
outside pens are easy and attractive
prey.
Bears, especially black bears,
like birdseed and suet, so don’t
feed birds between early April and
late October when bears are out
foraging.
Clean up uneaten food and seed
hulls each spring when you put
your feeders away.
For more information about
coexisting with bears, go to www.
wildelife.alaska.gov and click on
the link for Alaska’s bears.

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior B-5
Face to face, even in the midst of troubles
Commentary by
Chaplain (Maj.) Mike Shannon
673d ABW
Do you ever feel as though you are alone,
in the dark, depressed, overwhelmed – sometimes
up at night, unable to sleep, wondering
if anyone out there really cares?
We know faith and spirituality is important
to many warriors we encounter.
There was one ancient warrior who wrote
a psalm at one point that seemed to feel the
same way as described in my opening sentence.
At one point he even states that he is
not alone in these feelings, “There are many
who say, ‘Who will show us some good?’”
(Psalms 4:6)
This is a great question, is it not? Who
will show us good? Who does care?
This warrior knew where to turn in such
times and responds, “Lift up the light of your
face upon us, O Lord!” and continues, “You
have put more joy in my heart than they have
when their grain and wine abound. In peace
I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone,
O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
(Psalms 4:6-8).
The ultimate blessing this
warrior needed and desired
in order to have peace
and to sleep at night is to
have God’s face shine
upon him.
Recently I have had
to walk with some people
through grief as a
result of some tragic and
difficult events such as
death and divorce.
When faced with such
things anyone can wonder, “Who
will show us good?”
Several years ago I read a book by James
W. Moore, “When Grief Breaks Your Heart.”
Moore tells a great story of a father and
son.
“A young man’s wife died, leaving him
with a small son. After returning from the
cemetery, they went to bed as soon as it was
dark, because there was nothing
else the father could bear to
do. As he lay there in the
darkness – brokenhearted,
grief-stricken, numb
with sorrow – the boy
broke the stillness
from his little bed
with a disturbing
question: ‘Daddy,
where is Mommy?’
The father tried
to get the boy to go to
sleep, but the questions
kept coming from his confused,
childish mind.
After a while, the father got up
and brought the boy to bed with him. But
the child was still disturbed and restless, and
occasionally would ask a probing, heartbreaking
question.
Finally, the boy reached out in the darkness
and placed his hand on his father’s face,
asking, ‘Daddy is your face toward me?’
Assured by his father’s words, and by his
own touch, that his father’s face was indeed
toward him, the boy said, ‘If your face is
toward me, I think I can go to sleep.’ And
in a little while, he was quiet.
The father lay there in the darkness and,
with childlike faith, lifted up his own needy
heart to his Father in heaven.
He prayed something like this: ‘O God,
the way is dark, and I confess that I do not
see my way through right now. But if your
face is toward me, somehow I think I can
make it.’”
In the midst of such troubled times, many
warriors have learned the importance of going
to God and clinging to their faith, that
someone greater than themselves exist and
cares for them.
Here’s my prayer for you, “The Lord
bless you and keep you; the Lord make his
face to shine upon you and be gracious to
you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon
you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).
Autism
From page B-1
requirements – many times unseen
to your peers since you try to not
bring issues to work with you.
It has taken a toll on finances,
family and career. That’s reality,
but as a military family you get
over it and press on.
Having a child with autism
changes you in so many ways,
but strengthens you in ways you
could never imagine. This strength
becomes an asset for the realities
of service.
Military life can be particularly
difficult for children with autism
and their families.
Children with autism need
structure in their lives, and while
the military focuses on structure
and order for mission accomplishment,
this doesn’t always translate
to the home front.
Stressors the general public
typically don’t have to deal with
such as deployments, temporary
duty assignments, permanent
change of station assignments
every few years or less, exercises
and so many other requirements
can take a toll on these families,
since autistic kids have such a hard
time adapting to change.
When we moved last fall it
was our fourth move in just over
five years.
The military stresses providing
a unit support system, when you
have a special needs child it creates
challenges for people who want to
be supportive; not knowing how to
approach parents and exactly what
support to offer can act as a buffer
against such volunteerism.
This is where communicating
these special family needs and
helping people understand can pay
dividends.
Talking with leaders in your
organization might seem difficult,
but is necessary to help communicate
concerns.
If they aren’t aware, they can’t
help you. For commanders and
supervisors, better understanding
of autism’s impact can potentially
reduce or eliminate domestic issues
affecting the unit.
Get informed
Education is one of the most
important aspects of being a parent
of a special-needs child. Learning
about the signs, symptoms and options
will be integral to your child’s
recovery.
In learning about and experiencing
my son’s condition, I’ve
been exposed to a great number
of scientific topics, from chelation
to sensory issues to oxalates and
yeast.
I never realized the impact of
diet and therapies, and understanding
challenges such as gastrointestinal
problems, food sensitivities or
sensory issues leading to what are
called meltdowns.
These may not be readily apparent
to most people, but learning
how the smallest thing impacts
your child gives you a new perspective.
Surrounding yourself with people
going through the same thing
can have a profound impact on the
type of care you give your child.
Online forums, local support
groups and base resources provide
a great means to talk about your
issues, learn new options, and information.
On Facebook, a quick
search for “military autism” can
help find a support group.
With April also being recognized
as the Month of the Military
Child and National Autism Awareness
Month, it’s especially important
to recognize the challenges
our children face; the sacrifices of
our warriors: the mothers, fathers,
family members and supporters
of these special children; and the
hope that we will one day recover
all our children from this pervasive
disorder.
Our heroes deserve no less.

B-6 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
Engineers mentor Chester Valley elementary students
Troops motivate
local youth with
math, sports
By Sgt. Isaac Reighard
56th Engineer Co.
The 2010-2011 school year at Chester
Valley Elementary School started with a
new twist: Soldiers volunteering as mentors
for students.
After a pilot program during the 2009-
2010 school year, the partnership program
was fully implemented in June 2010 and is
scheduled to last until the end of this school
year.
Soldiers from the 6th Engineer Battalion
(Airborne) have volunteered more than 230
hours mentoring more than 20 students from
Chester Valley Elementary School.
These volunteer hours involved coaching
and assisting students with reading, math,
science experiments and various extracurricular
activities.
The Soldier-mentors are part of the 6th
Engineer Battalion’s community engagement
program. The program is designed to
promote a sense of service and volunteerism
within the battalion, as well as to strengthen
relationships with the Anchorage community.
“Integrating ourselves with the Anchorage
community is essential in fostering
mutual understanding and support between
our Soldiers and the people we are sworn to
defend,” said Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister, 6th
Engineer Battalion commander. “The school
partnership program is also an opportunity to
give back to a community that has provided
us such wonderful support over the years,”
Mary Rawlins, a fifth-grade teacher at
Chester Valley Elementary School, said her
class appreciates the program.
“My class loves their mentors,” Rawlins
said. “The students form an attachment to the
Soldiers that come in and see the Soldiers in
a very unique role … like an older brother
or uncle and as a teacher too.”
Rawlins was in charge of the running
club that was formed at the beginning of the
school year and lasted through September
2010.
The Soldier-mentors provided coaching
that helped improve students’ running techniques
and performance.
They were also instrumental in helping
to organize and manage the running club,
according to Rawlins.
“When the mentors had better ideas for
running activities or how to set things up, I
applied them,” Rawlins said. “This was my
first time doing the running club, so I was
making it up as I went along.”
The culminating event of the running
season was a competition with other nearby
schools. The main event was a one-mile
race in which students ran in designated
age groups.
Soldiers from the 6th Engineer Battalion
arrived with healthy snacks and Gatorade
to support the Chester Valley Elementary
students as they finished the race.
In addition to the running club, Soldiers
participated in the school’s homework club
every Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The club includes students from second
to fifth grades who are in need of assistance
on assigned homework.
One of the main coaching focuses for
the Soldier-mentors is to encourage students
to solve math problems without the aid of
calculators.
They also use learning games and other
interactive techniques to motivate the students.
One extracurricular activity that has
recently generated momentum is a drama
club, which began in February.
The Soldier-mentors managed to generate
enough interest in the club that its
members are now preparing for a live performance
scheduled for April 28.
The play “A Thousand Cranes,” is set in
post-World War II Japan. Soldiers from the
6th Engineer Battalion will help coach the
student actors and some may serve as narrators
alongside students.
Spc. Michael Miller, a volunteer Soldier
from the 56th Engineer Company, said he is
thrilled to have this opportunity to be a role
model at the school.
“The kids always have questions about
our jobs in the Army, which I find as an
opportunity to tell them how school helped
prepare me for what I do now,” Miller said.
“They usually appreciate the perspective.
The funniest thing is sometimes I learn
things from them, since they have a totally
different way of seeing things.”
Sgt. Isaac Reighard, 56th Engineer Company, 6th Engineer Battalion (Airborne), assists
three fifth-grade students as they assemble a monthly school newsletter, at
Chester Valley Elementary School, Feb. 28. Several Soldiers from the 56th volunteer
at the school through the U.S. Army Alaska and Anchorage School District Partnership
Program. (Courtesy photo)

B-8 Arctic Warrior April 8, 2011
Bystander intervention key to stopping assault
By Staff Sgt. Carolyn (Viss) Herrick
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
Public Affairs
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-
HICKAM, Hawaii – “Every single day for
over a year, he’d come home and beat me. I
came to work with black eyes, fat lips, and
bruises on the sides of my neck. Nobody did
anything. Nobody called the cops, nobody
sent me to family advocacy; no one wanted
to say anything.”
This was the testimony of a now 29-yearold
female staff sergeant, 10 years after her
brutal first marriage, as she opened discussion
at Bystander Intervention Training.
“He forbade me from talking to men. He
threatened to kill me, and I believed him,”
said Staff Sgt. Christine Kearney-Kurt, a
65th Airlift Squadron communications systems
operator and instructor for Bystander
Intervention Training, a new mandatory
program for all Air Force military service
members and civilians.
In the gender-segregated forum, men
and women alike are encouraged to speak
openly about their experiences, discussing
how they, as bystanders, might have colossal
impact on potential victims of physical
or sexual assault.
“It’s a little bit different than ‘death by
PowerPoint,’ or a typical briefing,” said
Master Sgt. Jason Redford, the 647th Logistics
Readiness Squadron acting first sergeant,
and
a victim
advocate
a n d B I T
instructor.
“ I t ’s i n -
teractive.
I t ’s n o t
canned. You’re
asking for their direct
thoughts, their
ideas, and things
they’ve seen in the
Air Force, right or
wrong.”
The intent of
the curriculum is to
help Airmen assess
if, when and how
to intervene in questionable, intimidating
or even explicitly dangerous situations, in a
non-attribution environment.
“Bottom line is giving people options and
preparing them beforehand,” Redford said.
“When it comes to sexual assault, we
When it comes
to sexual assault,
we can talk about
the end result, but
often people aren’t
looking at the steps
that lead up to that.
can talk about the end result, but often
people aren’t looking at the steps that lead
up to that.”
In the breakout sessions, which Kearney-
Kurt said are different for males and females,
they talk about the “continuum of harm,”
which is a scale of
things that lead up to
sexual assault. That
could be anything,
from sexist jokes
to inappropriate e-
mails.
“As you allow
those behaviors to
occur, it becomes inappropriate
touching,
(and) then it
could turn to an assault,”
which isn’t
always necessarily
rape, she said.
Sexual assault
can occur on many levels.
Allowing and tolerating negative or derogatory
behaviors in the Air Force breaks
down unit cohesion, morale and productivity,
and decreases the ability to accomplish the
mission, agreed many of the females during
one open forum.
If those things escalate, they could very
quickly turn into a full-blown assault.
“We want a culture shift,” Kearney-Kurt
said. “We want to get people to understand
that the person being assaulted, if it’s a
woman, could be your girlfriend or sister.
That (analogy) seems to hit home with the
men. They don’t want their sister to be assaulted.”
Every person is a bystander, she said. The
BIT is geared to help every bystander be able
to intervene on another’s behalf.
“This is being taught at college campuses
now,” she said. “Eventually, we want the
whole country doing this. Hopefully it’ll be
a learn-by-seeing thing. It’s like paying it
forward. Someone helped me; let me help
someone else.”
April is Sexual Assault Awareness
Month. For more information on sexual
assault prevention, response or reporting
procedures, or to become a victim advocate,
contact your installation Sexual Assault Response
Coordinator.
Information is also available on the
Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response website at http://
www.sapr.mil/.
VA budget request
signals commitment
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – President
Barack Obama’s $132 billion 2012
budget request for the Veterans Affairs
Department demonstrates that
despite a tight fiscal environment,
U.S. officials stand by their commitment
to men and women who
have served in uniform, Deputy
VA Secretary W. Scott Gould told
American Forces Press Service.
“It says that VA and veterans
are the president’s top priority,”
Gould said during an interview
in Snowmass Village, Colo., last
week at the 25th National Disabled
Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.
Gould said the budget request
reflects a commitment to VA’s charter
as President Abraham Lincoln
enunciated it in his second inaugural
address: “to care for him who
shall have borne the battle, and for
his widow and his orphan.”
“If you look at our fiscal year
2010 budget, it was the largest in
30 years,” Gould said. “It was fol-
lowed by another roughly 7 and a
half percent in 2011, and now we
have another 3 and a half percent
on top of that. So it is a striking
level of investment.
“We are working really hard
to make sure we use every dollar
wisely,” he said.
The fiscal 2012 budget request
supports VA’s five-year strategic
plan, with priority goals to:
- End veteran homelessness
by 2015, with $940 million in the
fiscal 2012 request for programs to
reduce and prevent homelessness
among veterans and their families;
- Implement a paperless claimsprocessing
system by 2012, a major
step toward eliminating the disability
claims backlog so no veteran
has to wait more than 125 days for
a decision;
- Build and deploy an automated
Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits
system to speed tuition and housing
payments for all eligible veterans;
- Create the next-generation
electronic record system that begins
when service members enlist
in the military and remains with
them through retirement or after
they return to civilian life;
- Improve the quality, access
and value of mental health care
provided, with $6.2 million in
the fiscal 2012 request for mental
health programs, including $68
million for suicide prevention; and
- Deploy a new management
program to improve client access
to VA services and benefits by
June 2012.
“We have a very bold strategy,”
Gould said. “And we are very focused
on making sure that we get
the resources to support it in a way
that ties the budget to this strategic
strategy.”
Much of VA’s focus is on making
the organizational changes and
systems improvements required for
it to function more efficiently and
effectively, Gould said.
“We want to invest in the people,
their training and the systems
that make our organization more
intelligent, more able to deliver on
the promise of these priorities and
the overall strategy,” he explained.
VA is working to become Secretary
Eric K. Shinseki’s vision of
a veteran-centric, results-driven,
forward-looking system, he said.
This, Gould said, involves new
management systems that ensure
accountability while eliminating
waste and improving the delivery
of high-quality and timely veterans
benefits and services. To that end,
VA is seeking nearly $3.2 billion to
maintain and improve its information
technology systems.
Gould reported progress already
made on the IT front. “Two
years ago, only 20 percent of projects
were on time, on budget and
to technical standards,” he said.
“Today, 80 percent are.”
Similar improvements are bearing
fruit in how VA manages its
human resources. “Two years ago
when we started hiring people, it
took us 108 days,” Gould said.
“Now we have it down to 76, and
will achieve a goal ... of 60 days,
the private-sector standard.”
Another improvement uses
strategic sourcing, with VA’s separate
operating units pooling their
buying power to get the best price
for their goods and services. Previously,
the department’s units did
their buying separately.
In addition, VA adopted a strategic
capital investment plan that
improves the way it manages its
infrastructure -- 6,500 buildings
nationwide, with a replacement
value of $87 billion.
“Two years ago, there was no
integrated process for evaluating
where you would invest your next
dollar in that physical infrastructure,”
Gould said. Today, VA makes
a business case for every proposal,
pools proposals, then evaluates and
prioritizes them.
“So now we can go to the
secretary and say, ’For the limited
dollars we have, here is the best
investment we can make to improve
the security and safety of our
veterans and improve quality and
access,’” Gould said.
He noted an adage in the health
care realm: health care is 85 percent
business and 15 percent medicine.
The VA’s care providers, who
make up the country’s largest
direct-care health system, receive
consistently high marks in the quality
of care they provide, he said.
Many, he added, are on par with
their counterparts at prestigious
hospitals and medical centers.
“So think about how much cost
(savings) and how much potential
efficiency is created if you can improve
the underlying systems” that
support them, Gould said, “while
giving the doctors the maximum
freedom to make the best judgment
they can based on health care
principles.”

April 8, 2011 Arctic Warrior B-9
At the movies
For recorded show and movie times, call 428-1200 or visit the Army and Air Force Exchange Services website at www.aafes.com. Movies are subject to change without notice.
Admission: Adults $4, children $2. Information provided courtesy of AAFES.
Now playing
GNOMEO AND
JULIET
Rated: G
Playing: Saturday at 7
p.m.
Run time: 84 minutes
Starring: James McAvoy,
Emily Blunt, Ashley Jensen,
Michael Caine
Garden gnomes Gnomeo
(voice of James
McAvoy) and Juliet
(voice of Emily Blunt)
have as many obstacles
to overcome as their quasi
namesakes when they
are caught up in a feud
between neighbors in this
William Shakespeareinspired
romp.
But with plastic pink
flamingos and lawnmower
races in the mix, can this
young couple find lasting
happiness?
Now playing
JUSTIN BIEBER:
NEVER SAY
NEVER
Rated: G
Playing: Sunday at 6 p.m.
Run time: 105 minutes
Starring: Justin Bieber
As Justin Bieber himself
explains, “Everyone thinks
this is going to be another 3D
concert movie, but it’s anything
but that. It’s a story of
how my family, friends and
the fans helped me get here
and everyday are helping me
live an impossible dream.”
Bieber plays himself in
his life story. The biopic is
sprinkled with performances
from his current concert tour.
Spice, salvia don’t mix with military service
By Airman 1st Class Jack Sanders
JBER PAO
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
leadership hosted meetings
on March 28 and 29 to promote
knowledge about the newly illegal
substances, ‘Spice’ and salvia, or
salvia divinorum.
The meetings were voluntary
and open to all Department of
Defense ID-card holders.
“We wanted to make it available
to family members across our
base community… and set this up
across our joint base both on the
Richardson side and the Elmendorf
side,” said Air Force Col. Robert
Evans, 673d Air Base Wing commander.
“We made it available to
everyone and we encouraged folks
to attend.”
Evans said one meeting was
in the evening in hopes of capturing
family members who might
otherwise not have been available
during the day.
As of March 1, 2011, the use
of Spice violates federal law since
it is now considered a Schedule 1
substance.
According to the Drug Enforcment
Agency website, salvia
divinorum and salvinorin-A, the
active chemical in the plant, are
not currently controlled under the
Controlled Substances Act. However,
a number of states – and the
military – have placed controls on
the substances.
“With the DEA putting this
under Schedule 1 controlled substance
(status) means that under
the (Uniform Code of Military
Justice) now it could be prosecuted
under Article 112A, which covers
wrongful use and possession of
a controlled substance such as a
drug. In the past, it was prosecuted
under Article 92, which is violation
of a lawful order,” said Todd Sherwood,
an Air Force Reservist and
attorney who spoke at the meeting.
“On JBER, there are courts-martial
pending for this stuff.”
Spice is unlike other drugs
like marijuana for several reasons.
Sometimes it’s seen as clean or
untraceable, since it was legal.
However, it can have chemicals
in it that are hundreds of times
more potent than marijuana’s main
chemical THC – some as high as
800 times more potent, Sherwood
said.
“You can have unbelievably
physical and dangerous reactions
to this,” he said. “… (Spice) is
frequently smoked, but sometimes
it’s put in food, so just how you
hear about marijuana in brownies,
(people) will do the same thing.
So, don’t go to a party where you
don’t know the people well and you
don’t know who has brought which
items. You don’t want to get caught
saying, ‘Well it must have been
something I ate. That must be why
I was positive in this drug test.’”
Identifying the substances isn’t
hard, Sherwood said.
“They come in small packages
and are twice the price of pot, so
there’s big money to be made in
this,” said Sherwood.
“The chemical (in Spice) is a
powder, but they mix it with liquid
and spray it onto (plant material),
and the reason this stuff is so potent
at times is because they don’t
have any quality control with this,”
he said.
“This is totally inconsistent
because they spray it on in a tub
and they mix it up from time to
time. The herb that’s sitting on the
bottom is going to get a lot more of
the chemical than the stuff sitting
on the top.”
Sherwood said while he was
at Royal Air Force – Lakenheath,
England, he saw Spice and salvia
sold in the same types of packaging.
“The packages will always say
“incense: not intended for human
consumption.” It’s a big joke because
everyone knows that’s why
they’re selling them – for human
consumption,” Sherwood said.
“A lot of times you hear about
these two together, Spice and
salvia,” Sherwood said. “They are
different in terms of the reaction
and in terms of what it is.
“In Spice, the herb really
doesn’t matter; it’s the synthetic
chemical that’s sprayed on it.
Salvia is the plant, and the plant is
what causes the high.”