help from above - san antonio...

F R I D AY, J A N U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 0 9

G AT E W AY T O T H E A I R F O R C E • L A C K L A N D A I R F O R C E B A S E , T E X A S • w w w. l a c k l a n d . a f . m i l • V o l . 6 7 N o . 0 2

ENVIRONMENTAL KUDOS: BASE RECYCLING CENTER EARNS TWO AWARDS PAGE 14

HELP FROM ABOVE

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew Hannen

By Mike JosephStaff Writer

The countdown is on as TeamLackland shifts into higher gears forthe upcoming Unit ComplianceInspection.

The team of inspectors is expectedto arrive June 14 for what could beup to a 10-day evaluation process.

“We’re working hand in hand withthe 59th Medical Wing to prep ourpersonnel in addition to insuring thatall the population on Lackland isready for any type of contingency,”said Raul Mancha, chief of the 37thTraining Wing Exercise EvaluationTeam.

There are major changes to thisyear’s UCI: the 37th Training Wingand 59th Medical Wing will beinspected together for the first time

instead of separately.According to the EET, four major

accident responses and seven deploy-ment exercises are planned beforethe UCI in June.

Maj. Dwayne Bowen, EET deputy,emphasized that the Lackland popu-lation needs to take part in the exer-cises to be ready for the June inspec-tion.

“(Everyone must) participatebecause during the UCI if individualsare seen not doing the proper actions,it’s a downgrade for Team Lackland,”Major Bowen said.

“This is definitely a Team LacklandUCI. The evaluators don’t know whatunit you belong to.”

Major Bowen said it is EET’s goalto insure Team Lackland is ready forany contingency that occurs whenresponding to a major accident or

deployment.“We want to make sure if the worst

case scenario happens we’ve alreadyseen it during an exercise,” saidMajor Bowen.

Major Bowen said final guidancefrom Air Education and TrainingCommand on the UCI is still in theworks.

“Everybody needs to be flexible,”he said. “They need to know that thisis going to be different from anythingthat they’ve done before, and be pre-pared to do some different things forthis UCI than from what they’ve donein the past.”

Mr. Mancha said the EET team iswatching with interest inspections atseveral other AETC bases prior toLackland’s evaluation, and that the

Base ramping up for June UCI

See UCI P19

Funeral Servicefor SFS AirmanA funeral service for

A1C Steven Andavazo,37th Security Forces

Squadron, will beheld today, 9:30 a.m.

at Hope Chapel.An 11:30 a.m.

graveside servicewill follow at

Fort Sam HoustonNational Cemetery.

Trying to stabilize aninjured helicopter pilot,Senior Airman JacksonRogers, a pararescuetrainee, tests hismedical skills during afield training exercisefor pararescue studentsat Kirtland Air ForceBase, N.M. Thetrainees are assigned toDetachment 1, 342ndTraining Squadron.Detachment 1 is one ofnine geographical sepa-rated units belongingto Lackland’s 37thTraining Wing.

TALESPINNERPAGE 2 JANUARY 16, 2009

Tax center sets hours, gives tips for tax seasonBy Capt. Charles Hasberry37th Training Wing Legal Office

The Lackland Tax Centerwill provide tax preparationservices for both federal andstate income tax returnsstarting Feb. 2.

Military retirees, Activeduty, reserve and nationalguard members, and theirdependents are eligible forthe free service.

Eligible persons mayschedule appointmentsstarting Jan. 26 by calling210-671-5812.

The tax office is locatedin Bldg. 1000 on KenlyAvenue, directly across fromthe security forces building.

Hours of operation areMonday through Thursdayfrom 8-12 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. The tax center will closeFridays. Appointments arerequired for everyone

except basic trainees andtechnical school studentswho may be seen on a walk-in basis.

Servicemembers atSecurity Hill can get taxassistance at the SecurityHill Tax Center, which ismanaged by the 67thNetwork Warfare Wing. Call977-2291 for more informa-tion.

In addition to the tax cen-ter, most units and organiza-tions will have at least oneunit tax advisor ready toassist with income taxreturns. Some UTAs willwork out of their squadrons.

All UTAs will have com-pleted a comprehensivetraining course and exami-nation to become certified.They will also have refer-ence materials and formsfor processing returns.

Persons who prefer to

prepare and file their owntaxes may stop by the taxcenter beginning Feb. 2 topick up the appropriate taxforms.

Look for additional infor-mation about the tax centerin future editions of theTalespinner. In the mean-time, here are some tips toprepare for the upcomingtax season.

For those deploying, itmay be helpful to designatesomeone to represent youon a federal tax matter.

To do this, fill out andsign IRS Form 2848, Powerof Attorney and Declarationof Representative, and pro-vide it to the person youwant to file your taxes. ThisIRS form does not require anotary.

Only certain people maybe designated as your repre-sentative. Examples include,

but are not limited to,immediate family members,attorneys, and certified pub-lic accountants.

Forms can be down-loaded at www.irs.gov orpicked up at the tax centerin February.

For military membersserving in a combat zone,the IRS automaticallyextends the deadline for fil-ing tax returns, payingtaxes, filing a claim for arefund, and taking otheractions related to federalincome tax.

The IRS also extends thedeadline for membersdeployed overseas, awayfrom their permanent dutystation. The deployed loca-tion must support opera-tions in a qualified haz-ardous duty area.

The deadline for filingreturns, making payments

or taking other actions withthe IRS is extended for atleast 180 days after the lastday of the qualifying combatzone service, or the last dayof any continuous qualifiedhospitalization for injuryfrom service in the combatzone.

Members may qualify fora deferral of taxes owed ifthey can prove military serv-ice had a detrimental impacton their ability to pay taxes.

The Servicemembers CivilRelief Act provides thisoption. However, the defer-ral is not automatic. A tax-payer must apply for it.

The taxpayer must havereceived a notice of tax dueor an installment agreementwith the IRS before applyingfor the deferral. The defer-ral does not extend thedeadline for filing taxreturns.

MLK DAY LUNCHEON

“Revisiting the Dream: Principles forPractical Living in the 21st Century” is thetheme for a Martin Luther King Day luncheonto be held today at 11:30 a.m. in MitchellHall.

Speaker for the event will be Maj. Gen.(select) Darren W. McDew, director of PublicAffairs for the office of the Secretary of theAir Force in Washington, D.C.

Tickets for the buffet luncheon are $5and may be purchased from your first ser-geant.

For additional information, contactChaplain (Maj.) Marvin Williams or StaffSgt. Samuel Girard at 671-2911.

CONSTRUCTION AT SELFRIDGE EAST GATE

Construction begins today with limitedtraffic flow at the Selfridge East Gate whilework at the Selfridge West Gate has beencompleted.

The outbound lanes of the east gate willbe closed and the inbound lanes at thatgate will be reduced to one inbound and oneoutbound lane.

For more information, contact MichaelScoville at 671-9698.

CONTESTANTS TO PERFORM

Contestants for the 2009 Tops In Bluecast will be performing at the Bob HopePerforming Arts Theater today throughSunday with free admission.

Performances begin at 7 p.m. tonightand Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Contact Debbie Milner at 671-3920 formore information.

SINGERS NEEDED

The African American HeritageCommittee is seeking singers for its annualgospel concert to be held Jan. 31.

Rehearsal dates are at 5 p.m. in theGateway Chapel main sanctuary on the fol-lowing dates: today, Jan. 23, and Jan. 30.Contact Master Sgt. Michelle Morgan at292-2993 or Shirley Jones at 671-2854 formore information.

AWARDS CEREMONIES

The Team Lackland fourth quarterawards ceremony will be held Feb. 5 in theGateway Club beginning at 11:30 a.m., andthe annual Team Lackland awards ceremonyis scheduled for Feb. 27 in the Gateway Cubat 6 p.m.

Fourth quarter awards ceremony for the37th Training Wing will be held Thursday at3 p.m. in the Gateway Club, and the 37thTRW annual awards ceremony will be Jan.30 in the Gateway Club at 6 p.m.

PAGE 3TALESPINNERJANUARY 16, 2009

NewsBRIEFS

Photo by Alan BoedekerLorraine Castillo, a phlebotomist, takes the blood of Air Force basic military trainee Kyle Conger, 320th Training Squadron, atthe Lackland Blood Donor Center Tuesday. January is National Blood Donor Month. The Lackland Blood Donor Center thankseveryone who has given blood and encourages those who have not to consider becoming regular donors.

Base supports National Blood Donor MonthBy Mike JosephStaff Writer

January is National Blood DonorMonth and the Lackland BloodDonor Center is marking the occa-sion with an open house Jan. 30.

Tracy Parmer, public affairsspecialist for the Armed ServicesBlood Program, said the openhouse is a way for the blood donorcenter to repay those that donateblood.

“This is the month we just say,‘thank you,’” Mrs. Parmer said.“Thank you for giving, thank youfor taking the time, thank you forsetting up a drive.”

The daylong celebration willinclude a barbeque lunch and a

short recognition ceremony. Therewill also be a blood drive at thecenter from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Mrs. Parmer expects a Web siteto be up and running by the end ofJanuary for its new e-donor pro-gram. The site will allow onlinescheduling. After donating blood,donors can be notified via e-mailwhen they are eligible to donateagain.

The blood donor center is one of19 in the continental United Statesproviding blood only for the mili-tary. The Lackland center is thetop supplier of blood to Iraq andAfghanistan, and also supportsWilford Hall , the VeteransAdministration hospital andBrooke Army Medical Center with

blood products such as plateletsand plasma.

“Platelets are really important,”said Mrs. Parmer, who came toLackland after four and a halfyears at the blood center inOkinawa. “They’re only good forfive days, and we need to get themon a regular basis.”

Mrs. Parmer explained, “Whenyou go to the hospital, you getwhat you need; you don’t getwhole blood. It can be platelets,plasma or red cells. Platelets lastfive days, red cells are good for 42days and plasma, if frozen, can bestored for up to a year.

“I tell people how important it isto give blood, because by giving,you save somebody’s life.”


COMMENTARY

Editorial staffBRIG. GEN. LEN PATRICK,37TH TRAINING WING COMMANDER

KIRK FRADY,DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS

JOE BELA,CHIEF OF INTERNAL

COMMUNICATIONS, 671-4111

SHANNON CARABAJAL,MANAGING EDITOR, 671-1786

MIKE JOSEPH,STAFF WRITER, 671-4357

PATRICK DESMOND,SPORTS EDITOR/STAFF WRITER,671-5049

PAUL NOVAK,DESIGN/LAYOUT, 671-0478

Office:1701 Kenly Ave. Suite 102Lackland AFB, Texas 78236-5103(210) 671-1786;(fax) 671-2022E-mail: [email protected]’s AccessChannel: Team Lackland CableTV 21Straight Talk: 671-7469 (NEWS)For advertising information:Prime Time Military Newspapers2203 S. HackberrySan Antonio, Texas 78210(210) 534-8848(fax) 534-7134

This newspaper is publishedby Prime Time MilitaryNewspapers, a private firm in noway connected with the U.S. AirForce, under exclusive writtencontract with Lackland AFB, Texas.This commercial enterprise AirForce newspaper is an authorizedpublication for members of theU.S. military services. Contents ofthe Talespinner are not necessarilythe official views of, or endorsedby, the U.S. government, theDepartment of Defense, or theDepartment of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertisingin this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does notconstitute endorsement by theDepartment of Defense, theDepartment of the Air Force orPrime Time Military Newspapers,of the products or servicesadvertised.

Everything advertised in thispublication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronagewithout regard to race, color,religion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap,political affiliation, or any othernonmerit factor of the purchaser,user or patron.

Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided by thePublic Affairs Office of the 37thTraining Wing. All photos, unlessotherwise indicated, are U.S. AirForce photos.

Deadline for submissions isnoon Thursday the week priorto publication.

By Chaplain (Maj.) Marvin Williams37th Training Wing

In 1983, President Reagansigned into law the nationalobservance of Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr., setting asideevery third Monday ofJanuary to commemorate thelegacy of Dr. King and hiscommitment to non-violentsocial change.

Among the many facets ofDr. King’s legacy, his speech-es continue to resonate withpeople seeking to overturnsocial and political injusticesas a means of making theworld a better place to live.Without question, one of Dr.King’s most notable speechesis the one delivered at theMarch on Washington, Aug.28, 1963, entitled “I Have aDream”. This speech, it isbelieved, is one of those

moments in American historythat changed the world for-ever. Dr. King’s speechchanged the world becausehe envisioned a place wherelove will be at the center ofhuman action, thereby pro-ducing a society bound topursue equality for all citi-zens.

Dr. King’s “I Have aDream” speech is significantfor understanding the endur-ing impact of his legacythroughout the 21st centuryand beyond. No matter whathistorical period we are liv-ing in, it seems Dr. King’sspeech takes on the quality oftimelessness. The speech istimeless because it neverloses its relevancy or powerin offering social critiquewhile giving hope to thehopeless. The values in his “IHave a Dream” speech tran-

scend time and space. Thesevalues, as Dr. King under-stood them, are distinctivelyAmerican values.

Although Dr. King may nothave envisioned his speechas timeless when he wrote it,a closer look at his speechreveals the intentional natureof his thoughts and how heconveyed those thoughts byusing situations in everydaylife as material for his mes-sage. Like any great orator,Dr. King related to his audi-ence and knew that wordsare powerful instruments forbringing about social change.

Dr. King’s speech is notsimply about oratorical skillor the ability to use wordseffectively; his speech isabout inspiring hope andbuilding a community that isgrounded in love, decency,and respect for humanity.

What is, perhaps, one ofthe most underestimatedaspects of Dr. King’s speechis its ability to represent thevoices marginalization. Thesevoices are not defined,according to Dr. King, by thecolor of their skin, gender,religious persuasion, orsocioeconomic status; rather,they share the common bondof wanting to rise from therubble of oppressive struc-tures and claiming the rightto live with dignity and hope.

For Dr. King, the AmericanDream is living with the hopethat America will championthe cause of freedom for itscitizens and lead the world infreedom from the social illsof our day.

In honoring Dr. King’s life,let us build on the legacy tomake our world a betterplace to live.

By Brig. Gen. Len Patrick37th Training Wing commander

As Airmen, one of ourresponsibilities is to stay fitand maintain a healthylifestyle.

We are an expeditionary AirForce whose mission oftenrequires us to work long hoursand deploy to austere condi-tions. Maintaining personalreadiness is essential to meeting thechallenges of our mission and a healthylifestyle is essential to that readiness.

Fitness is perhaps the biggest part ofa healthy lifestyle. But remember, fit-ness isn’t a once-a-year requirement,it’s a daily standard.

Our goal is not to simply work hardfor a few weeks, pass the annual fitnesstest and be done. We need a good mixof cardiovascular, muscular resistanceand flexibility training while makingregular exercise a part of our lives.

Routine exercise keeps us combat-ready by strengthening our hearts,reducing blood pressure, decreasing

stress and lowering cholesterol,all of which reduce the risk ofheart disease. It also boostsenergy, improves sleep and issignificant for long-term weightmanagement.

But exercise isn’t the onlyingredient to a healthy lifestyle.Good nutrition is also impor-tant. Eat a variety of foods,including whole grains andplenty of fruits and vegetables,

monitor your calories, and drink plentyof water.

It’s not always easy to find time to hitthe treadmill or resist the temptationand convenience of a fast food meal,but it’s not impossible. Lackland hasplenty of resources available to help usstay physically fit to fight.

Health and fitness professionals atthe Lackland Health and WellnessCenter and any of our fitness centersare there to help meet our fitnessneeds. I encourage everyone to paythem a visit and to learn about theresources we have available.

The HAWC staff members can assess

our fitness levels; they even have ameta-check that measures your meta-bolic rate to determine the amount ofcalories you should be consuming.

They can establish a timetable tomeet our personal weight loss goals. Adietician is also on staff to help planmenus that work with your personallifestyle.

Commanders, superintendents andsupervisors have a responsibility tomake time for physical fitness – allow-ing Airmen 90 minutes a day, at leastthree times a week to work out. Civilianemployees may also be excused forphysical fitness activities – up to threehours a week based on mission andwork requirements. I encourage peopleto make fitness a part of their lifestyle.

Striving to achieve and maintain ahealthy lifestyle is not just a good idea,it is our responsibility. Team Lacklanddepends on every one of us to effective-ly accomplish the mission. We are wellinto the new year and 2009 will bringnew challenges. I need every memberof our Lackland family healthy and fitto face these challenges.

Stay fit, maintain a healthy lifestylePhysical fitness not a once-a-year requirement

Brig. Gen.Len Patrick

Revisiting the dream

Martin Luther King’s legacy

TALESPINNERJANUARY 16, 2009

Photo by Alan BoedekerFisher House III on Lackland recently underwent a $190,000 renovation to replace all carpet,provide fresh paint and install new furniture. Fisher House III provides lodging for families withchildren at Wilford Hall Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center.


A ribbon-cutting ceremo-ny was held Jan. 8 to show-case renovations to FisherHouse III, a 10-room inn forfamilies with children.

The $190,000 projectincluded new carpet, furni-ture and l ight f ixtures,along with painting andminor repairs. Previouslypurchased flat screen tele-vision sets were alsoinstalled as part of the ren-ovation, which took 45 daysto complete.

Plans for the renovation

had been in the works forapproximately a year, andwas financed by requestednon-appropriated funds,according to DwayneHopkins, executive directorof Fisher House.

“The civil engineers andservices and contractorsdid an absolutely fabulousjob,” said Mr. Hopkins.

Fisher House is housingfor military active duty andveterans receiving care atWilford Hall Medical Centerand Brooke Army MedicalCenter. Fisher House I andII had previously been ren-ovated.

Fisher House IIIreceives facelift

To report Fraud, Waste & Abuse matters or if you have aconcern and are unsure if you should file a complaint,

contact the 37 TRW/IG Office at 671-3347or e-mail to [email protected].


Congratulations to the fol-lowing 54 Airmen for beingselected as honor graduatesamong 778 trainees gradu-ating Jan. 16.

320th Training SquadronFlight 109Michael ElderJeffery FarmerJoshua KeyfauverTheodore PorumbMark RothFlight 110Rebecca Petri-Burkhart

322nd Training SquadronFlight 115Douglas BrummundJonathan EscamillaRobert WaltersFlight 116Christina Berumen

Hannah WaltersHannah WellsStephanie YoungFlight 117Jeffrey SollingerJoshua ZifzalFlight 118Levi Bates

323rd Training SquadronFlight 119Richartz SheltonJordan SkeetersFlight 120Samantha Gonzalez

324th Training SquadronFlight 105Jeffrey MilesFlight 106Kellie HinkleAmie MorrisJessica Morris

Petra ReidTeonna RussellOlivia ZanfardinoFlight 113Jaime Escalante

326th Training SquadronFlight 111Scott AmbersonTaj CopelandMatthew LyonsHunter MartinGarrett PeddicordCody RigdonZachary RiserAnthony Romero-CanoJoshua WalkFlight 112Joshua DulekEdwin MollenidoKristopher MurphyDonovan NalleyJoshua Owoc

Richard SyngerChristopher TeelKyle Walden

331st Training SquadronFlight 107Brandon DeyoCharles DixEdward KipronoGreggory MillerJoshua StewartKyle WestRyan WhearyFlight 108Charles EvansThomas FloydNathanael Guy

Top BMT AirmanJoshua Owoc, 326th TRS,Flight 112

Most Physically Fit

Male AirmenBrian Sullivan, 323rd TRS,Flight 119Tyler DeLacruz, 324th TRS,Flight 113Female AirmenPetra Reid, 324th TRS,Flight 106Lenzie Staneart, 323rd TRS,Flight 120

Top PT FlightsMale Flights331st TRS, Flight 107331st TRS, Flight 108Female Flights324th TRS, Flight 106323rd TRS, Flight 120

Top Academic Flights326th TRS, Flight 112326th TRS, Flight 111

BMT HONORS

STRIPES AND SMILES

Photo by William BelcherTech. Sgt. Rodolfo Gamez, Air Force ISR Agency, receives his step promotion to master sergeant.Chief Master Sgt. Paul Weseloh (left), Air Force ISR Agency command chief, his wife, Tech. Sgt.Christina Gamez, Defense Media Activity San Antonio, and Maj. Gen. Craig Koziol, Air Force ISRAgency commander, help pin on the new stripes during the ceremony Dec. 31.

Team Lackland officersselected for promotionCongratulations to thefollowing officers selectedfor promotion:

Major selects 59th Medical OperationsGroupCapt. Herman Baldwin

37th Medical GroupCapt. Scott Miller

Lieutenant colonelselectsAir Force Intelligence,Surveillance andReconnaissance AgencyMaj. Thomas AllenMaj. Joseph BobrowskiMaj. Michael GrunwaldMaj. Phuong TranMaj. Gerald Ramsey

342nd Training SquadronMaj. Patrick BarnettMaj. Danny Davis

59th Medical Logisticsand Readiness SquadronMaj. Rashon Gilbertsteele

33rd Network WarfareSquadronMaj. Carl Grant

59th Medical WingMaj. Marguerite Guillory

Air Force Medical Oper-ations AgencyMaj. Evyn HelberMaj. Michael Roberts

Air Force Institute ofTechnologyMaj. Marcus King

737th Training SupportSquadronMaj. John Torres

93rd Intelligence Squad-ronMaj. Jenifer Warren

23rd Information Oper-ations SquadronMaj. William Warren

Colonel selectsAFMOALt. Col. Eleanor Foreman

59th Emergency MedicalSquadronLt. Col. Barbara Kuhn

59th Training SquadronLt. Col. Richard Reusch

Lackland Conservation CornerSAVE ENERGY!

Reset your thermostat from 72 degreesto 65 degrees for eight hours a day(for instance, while no one is home

or while everyone is tucked in bed) you can cutyour heating bill by up to 10 percent.



Imagine you’ve taken a new job. Nowfactor in that it starts at a time of yearwhen employees are taking leave to bewith their families at the holidays. Add tothe mix that you also have employeesaround the world.

That’s part of what the new comman-dant of the Defense Language InstituteEnglish Language Center is going through.

Col. Howard Jones III came aboard as thenew DLIELC commandant recently from LangleyAir Force Base, Va., and has been in constantmotion since his arrival. But that’s only thebeginning. He has plans to visit DLIELC loca-tions around the globe.

“I want to get out and meet as many peopleas I can,” said Colonel Jones, who replaced Col.Stephen M. Jones when he retired in November2008.

“I’m still very much starting the process oflearning about the mission at Lackland. I wantto complete that in early January, and extend itby going overseas to meet some of our instruc-

tors that are working in the MiddleEast and other parts of the world.

“Then the next step is to get toknow and establish closer workingrelations with other organizationsthat support us.”

In the past three years, DLIELCinstructors has increased the numberof almost fourfold to nearly 60 at vari-ous locales internationally. ColonelJones has about 300 people under hiscommand in addition to the students

at DLIELC.“The mission is clear: help our partner

nations learn English and prepare for furthertraining with the United States military,” ColonelJones said. “The clear mission helps focus oureffort even though we are all over the world atthis point. The key is to share that vision withstaff that doesn’t get together in the same con-ference room every week or even on a periodicbasis.

“I plan to visit them in the field and learnwhat their issues are. We can use our expertiseat Lackland to help make their mission easier inwhatever nation they’re assigned.”

A unique part of the DLIELC mission is theAmerican Members of International Goodwill toOthers program, when international studentsare sponsored by local families and have achance firsthand to learn about American cul-ture and the way of life in this country.

“The people of San Antonio: that’s an excitingpart of this mission,” said Colonel Jones. “In my23 years in the Air Force, I’ve not seen the kindof support the city of San Antonio shows forLackland, ELC included. The AMIGO program isa big part of the DLI mission; we’ve got peoplefrom all over the city that are really excitedabout working with, hosting and supporting theinternational students that come to DLI.”

In addition to working with the sponsors,Colonel Jones plans to expand the DLI presenceon base.

“I look forward to helping integrate DLI withthe wing,” said Colonel Jones. “I think we havea great mission and I think we do it very well. Iwould like to see some of our instructors outand about to see what other pieces of theLackland mission look like. I’d like for us to takepart in other ceremonies and events aroundbase as well.”

Col. HowardJones

Col. Jones takes reigns as DLIELC commandant

See if your business sense could earn you extra money.Learn how to submit your ideas by calling

671-CASH


Story and photos by Senior Airman Thomas Trower332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – How many steps does ittake to prepare an F-16 Fighting Falcon to launch for acombat sortie? How stomach-turning is it to sit in on asurgery?

Staff Sgt. Ubong Okokon and Master Sgt. Mark Crew arededicated to answering these questions and more forAirmen serving in the Air Force Theater Hospital or on theflightline here.

The two NCOs orchestrated a program dubbed Medicsto Maintainers – or Maintainers to Medics – where Airmenhave the opportunity to volunteer their free time to internin a career field far different from their own.

“It’s a great chance to learn what your neighbor does,”said Sergeant Okokon, the 332nd Expeditionary MedicalGroup NCO in charge of storage distribution. “I let every-one in the medical group know about the opportunity toparticipate in the program and my e-mail box is alwaysfull.”

Sergeant Okokon, deployed from MacDill Air ForceBase, Fla., has arranged for more than 110 crew chiefsand other maintainers to participate in standard medicalpractices such as lab work, transporting patients from thehelipad to the emergency room or observing surgery.

“I got to see open-heart surgery. How many maintainersget to say that?” said Senior Airman Timothy Loop, a332nd Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crewchief. “I’ve volunteered at the intensive care unit twice.”

“A lot of the maintainers find it interesting that many ofthe patients they see on the news are being brought herefor treatment,” Sergeant Okokon said. “They also don’t

Lackland medics test skills at alternative careers

Staff Sgt. Kelly Lomeli reviews the maintenance records of an F-16 Fighting Falcon with SeniorAirman Timothy Loop Dec. 9 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Airman Loop, a 332nd Expeditionary AircraftMaintenance Squadron crew chief, taught Sergeant Lomeli basic aircraft knowledge and how tomarshal the aircraft out for takeoff. This was part of the Medics to Maintainers program whereSergeant Lomeli volunteered to work on the flightline. Sergeant Lomeli is the the 332ndExpeditionary Medical Group NCO in charge of the medical equipment management office. She is anative of Green Bay, Wis., deployed from Lackland.See SKILLS P9


Staff Sgt. Andrew Lomeli installs screws into a wing panel on an F-16 Fighting Falcon Dec. 9at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. He volunteered as part of the Medics to Maintainers program andinterned on the flightline under the supervision of F-16 crew chiefs. The program has allowedmore than 110 maintainers and 65 medics to trade work areas and accumulate more than1,100 volunteer hours. Sergeant Lomeli is the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group NCO incharge of medical material. He is a native of Colton, Calif., deployed from Lackland.

realize a lot of the patients wecare for are children. It can bedifficult to see a child in needof skin grafts to repair burndamage.”

“We never place a volunteerinto a situation he can’t han-dle,” said Airman Crew, the332nd EAMXS support andsupply section chief whostressed the importance ofsafety. “I’ve checked out everyarea of the hospital so I canbetter help people decidewhere to visit.”

More than 65 medics havejoined the maintainers to takeadvantage of the program andaccumulated more than 1,100volunteer hours.

Staff Sgts. Andrew andKelly Lomeli, a husband andwife deployed from Lacklandto the 332nd EMDG, added tothese numbers as they testedtheir maintenance skills byattaching wing panels andmarshaling F-16s for takeoff.

The first question SergeantCrew, deployed from MisawaAir Base, Japan, had for theduo was, “How dirty do youwant to get?” After a safetybriefing and receiving a pairof coveralls, they went towork.

“Install ing panels was along process,” said SergeantAndrew Lomeli, the NCO incharge of medical material.

“This was our first time thisclose to an F-16,” saidSergeant Kelly Lomeli, theNCO in charge of the medicalequipment management office.“We’ve wanted to do this eversince we first got here.”

She and her husbanddeployed here three monthsago. They were deployed tothe same unit by chance.

Participants in the programcan also receive benefits thatinfluence their careers.

“This program is a greattool for people consideringother careers,” SergeantOkokon said. “We’ve had a fewmaintainers going through thecross-training process cometry their new career f ieldbefore heading off to school.”

“Sometimes it’s just nice todo something different,” saidAirman Loop, deployed fromMisawa Air Base, Japan.

“This is a lot more than aregular volunteer opportuni-ty,” Sergeant Okokon said.“We let everyone get hands-onexperience. From airmanbasic to colonel, there’s nolimit to who can benefit fromthe program.”

SKILLS from P8


By Phil BrownGround Safety Manager

Even for those sta-t ioned in a cl imatelike San Antonio, win-ter driving poses risksto drivers that can bemitigated with properattitude, preparation and awareness.Here are some things to keep in mind thiswinter:

AttitudeA good attitude means avoiding unnec-

essary risks by putting safety first andfocusing your attention on your driving.Drivers with a good attitude have feweraccidents, regardless of their drivingskills, because they do not place them-selves in high risk situations.

SkillBasic skills are required for all driving.

Winter driving requires additional skillssuch as skid control, and being smoothand gentle when turning, braking, andaccelerating; however, the best driversare not always highly skilled or expert athandling emergency situations. Theyhave a good appreciation of the addition-al time that may be required to drivesafely.

TimeTo avoid being rushed, check the

weather before you go to bed. Give your-self ample time to prepare the vehicleand get to your destination.

VisibilityMake sure you can see and be seen.

Make sure all win-dows, mirrors, andlights are free offrost and working.Headlights must beon when visibility islimited. Windows ofvehicles that havebeen parked outside

overnight often frost up.Following distance: Slow down,

increase your following distance, andadjust your speed for road conditions andvisibility. With less than ideal conditionsyou must drive, corner, decelerate, andaccelerate more slowly. Increase your fol-lowing distance as road conditions andvisibility get worse. For example, withcompact snow or ice, your following dis-tance should be 8 to 10 seconds.

Cruise ControlDo not use cruise control when the

roads might be slick. Cruise control canapply power suddenly or at the wrongtime and cause a skid, or make a smallskid uncontrollable. If you have the cruisecontrol on and realize the road might beslick, use the hand operated controls toturn it off. Tapping the brakes can initiatea skid if the roads are slick.

AttentionLastly, to sustain total control of your

vehicle, avoid distractions regardless ofthe temptations. Sipping a hot cup of lattécan be tasty on a cold winter morning butthe brief distraction can start a chainreaction that may result in a mishap.

Please continue to drive as if your lifedepended on it … happy motoringthrough 2009.

Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Erin Peterson59th Medical Wing Public Affairs

The 59th Dental Group at Lackland Air Force Base isusing the wingman concept to encourage Air Force mem-bers to stop the use of tobacco.

Col. Timothy Halligan, the 59th Dental Group commander,is using an incentive program to assist with this goal.

Colonel Halligan, who lost his father to lung cancer,offered Airmen in his group a three-day pass for the firstmonth they abstain from tobacco. Each additional month, upto six months, Airmen will receive a one-day pass. At theend of six months, the member will be considered “tobacco-

Airman 1st Class Laura Cox, 59th Dental Squadron, signs the"Stop Tobacco Use" contract at the 59th Dental Group Wingmanday at Lackland Dec. 19. The contract was created to holdmembers accountable for quitting the use of tobacco.

Dental Group personnelwork to stop tobacco use

See TOBACCO P19

Wing safety office offersdriving tips for winter


WASHINGTON (AFNS) – Retiree spouses with an eye onprofessional certification or a post-secondary education maynot have to foot the entire bill, thanks to a National MilitaryFamily Association scholarship program.

The group is accepting applications for its annual JoanneHolbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship. The scholarshipis awarded to spouses or surviving spouses of servicememberson active duty or in the National Guard or reserves and spous-es of military retirees.

The $500 to $1,000 scholarships can be used for tuition,fees, and school room and board while the spouse obtains pro-fessional certification or attends post-secondary or graduateschool.

Funding determines the number of scholarships awardedeach year. A partnership with the Fisher House and Folds ofHonor foundations has resulted in a larger number of scholar-ships.

Scholarship selection is based on answers to survey ques-tions used to help the association advocate for educationchanges on the applicant’s behalf.

Applications are accepted online only, through the NationalMilitary Family Association Web site, www.nmfa.org, and mustbe submitted before midnight Feb. 1.

Association officials said they started the scholarship pro-gram to recognize that unique challenges, including frequentmoves and deployments, can interfere with military spouses’ability to complete their education. The association also hascreated a Web portal at www.nmfa.org/SpouseEd that isstocked with military spouse education resources and informa-tion to help spouses reach their career and educational goals.

(Courtesy of American Forces Press Service from a NationalMilitary Family Association news release)

Scholarships help retireespouses finish education

DADDY’S DEPLOYMENT

Photo by Staff Sgt. Erin PetersonStaff Sgt. Ricky Smith, respiratory therapy technician, 59th Surgical Specialties Squadron,says goodbye to his son, Jacob, at Wilford Hall Medical Center on Jan. 8 as he prepares todeploy to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, for six months. Sergeant Smith is one of more than 150personnel from the 59th Medical Wing who are deploying in the next few weeks.


Story and photo by Staff Sgt. Vanessa YoungDefense Media Activity-San Antonio

As the Air Force’s operations tempochanges, so does the role of Air Force Reserveindividual mobilization augmentees.

Today these Airmen, called IMAs, are theAir Force’s strategic reserve. They servewhenever, in whatever capacity necessary tocomplete the Air Force mission. At times,IMAs backfill during manning shortages;other times they deploy alongside their active-duty counterparts. This total integration hasproven invaluable during these times ofextended increased operations.

“The Air Force has been engaged in com-bat for more than 16 years, and the Air ForceReserve has been and will continue to be anintegral part of that effort,” said Maj. Gen.Robert Duignan, the 4th Air Force command-er during a recent worldwide Web cast paneldiscussion.

“We maintain a combat-ready force thathas a 72-hour response to global crisis with asingle level of readiness with a full spectrumof combat operations.”

Since IMAs serve as individuals as opposedto being a part of a unit, that level of readi-ness is ensured by the base individual mobi-lization augmentee administrator, calledBIMAAs.

A BIMAA’s role includes training, orientingIMAs to their responsibilities and trackingparticipation.

A typical day in the life of a BIMAA is any-thing but typical, said Senior Master Sgt.Patricia Lawrence, the BIMAA at Lackland.Though personnelists by trade, SergeantLawrence said she and her counterpart,Master Sgt. Christine Tindal, are jacks-of-all-trades when it comes to their role as BIMAAs.

“Any IMA issue, regardless if its personnel,finance or medical, ends up at our door step

and it’s our job to help them,” she said.BIMAAs also serve as a liaison for the IMA

and the active-duty units they support.Lackland has a large IMA population con-

tributing to its medical, intelligence and train-ing missions. Along with supporting the IMAs,Sergeant Lawrence said they work hand inhand with their active-duty counterparts toensure the units understand their responsibil-ities to the IMAs.

“The BIMAAs provide a multitude of sup-port for unit reserve coordinators,” saidMaster Sgt. Simone Sauceda, the 37thSecurity Forces Squadron unit Reserve coor-dinator.

BIMAAs provided training on roles andresponsibilities and continue to provide guid-ance on all administrative actions for theIMAs assigned to a unit, said SergeantSauceda, who is also an IMA.

The BIMAAs’ commitment to providing amutual understanding of roles and responsi-bilities contributes to the success of the pro-gram.

“A frequent compliment we get is that ouractive duty can’t tell whether they are work-ing with an active-duty Airman or an IMA,”Sergeant Lawrence said.

BIMAAs’ commitment is also recognized byLt. Col. Holly Ortega, an IMA to the chief ofeducation and training at Lackland. She saidshe receives a lot of support from the BIMAA.

Colonel Ortega said she hears from herBIMAA about once a week on new proce-dures or readiness notifications. She also con-tacts them concerning any problems sheencounters.

“Sometimes in the IMA world you don’thave a unit to go to; you are the unit. TheBIMAA is a helpful liaison between the activeduty and the Reserve world. If you have agood BIMAA, it’s like gold. It really is impor-tant,” she said.

Lt. Col. Holly Ortega, right, instructs Maj. William Magee on howto open the airway of a patient as part of a Sustainment of Traumaand Readiness Skills course. Colonel Oretega is an individualmobilization augmentee to the Education and Training Divisionchief assigned to the 59th Inpatient Operations Group.

BIMAAs ensure readiness ofAir Force’s strategic reserve



The Lackland recycling program continues toclean up on awards after recently being accordedtwo more honors for its efforts.

The recycling program was honored with the2007 Alliance Recognition Award for its overalleffort in recycling and the 2007 Excellence Awardfrom Vista Fibers for its cardboard recycling pro-gram.

In the past seven years, the program has won 10awards from the state, and for the past eight years,Cooperative Teamwork and Recycling Assistancehas judged it the best. In addition, the state hasgiven it awards for four straight years for sustain-ability.

Recycling at Lackland has come a long way fromthe early 2000s when it was on the verge of beingshuttered. The growth of the program is reflectedin the numbers: almost 7 million pounds of recycla-

ble materials during the past year, a 15-foldincrease from 2001.

A further breakdown of the numbers is morestaggering: an average month means 600,000pounds of recycled materials when as recently as2001, 450,000 pounds constituted an entire year.

Paired with the increase in recyclable items hasbeen a huge boost in revenue, from $15,000 a yearto as much as $300,000 annually depending onmarket conditions.

“Last year was a great year because the marketswere real high,” said Jesse Salinas, qualified recy-cling program manager and pollution preservationchief for the Lackland Recycling Center. “We won’tsee as much money coming in as in years pastbecause of the economy, and recycling prices havereally dropped but the tonnage is still way upthere.”

The monies generated by the recycling programare naturally recycled. Through the past severalyears, the program has been able to add equip-

ment to expedite its process and create revenuesources to put back into the center. More than$500,000 worth of equipment has been added, allpaid for by funds generated in the recycling pro-gram.

Two plastics balers were purchased andinstalled last year at a cost of $12,000 each. Thecenter was collecting 30,000 pounds of plasticevery quarter but because it wasn’t processed,received zero dollars.

The new closed loop balers allow the base’splastics to be processed while capturing any liquidsto be recycled, and will generate $700-$800 per12,000 pounds resulting in a payback on themachines in approximately a year.

“We’re trying to automate as much as we can toget the most bang for our buck,” said Mr. Salinas.

A recently purchased ground conveyor systemwill assist in processing cardboard, as the limited

Photos by Robbin CresswellDaniel Lange of the Lackland Recycling Center processes plastics in one of the center’s new balers. The Lackland recycling program has earned 10 awards from the state andhas been judged the best by Cooperative Teamwork & Recycling Assistance.

Lackland recycling center picks up two awards

See RECYCLING P15


A conveyor takes cardboard to a machine for processing after being loaded by DanielLange, an employee of the Lackland Recycling Center.

staff now has 50 16-foot trailers forcardboard set strategically aroundbase, after starting the programwith only four.

The newest technology to arriveat the recycling center will be abrass-deforming machine. The baseuses 4 million rounds a year; afterprocessing the brass shell casings,the center will be able to sell direct-ly to an open market, unlike before,having to wait up to six months forits money, if any.

“We depend on being self-suffi-cient so that is one of the things thatwill take us there,” Mr. Salinas said.

The Lackland program is one ofthe few recycling programs run bycivil service. It saves Wilford Hallmore than $100,000 year in con-tractor’s costs, in part because therecycling center can process privacyact material.

Lackland recycling provideslocked bins, locked trucks and alocked area at its center to handleprivacy act materials, which goesout in 2,000-pound bales aftershredding. Starting with 50 lockedbins for the privacy act, there arenow more than 300 on base.

The recycling center also handlesglass and cooking oil.

“We don’t make money at it butwe keep it out of the landfill,” saidMr. Salinas. Future plans include acomposting program that ispresently being researched.

Once a year, a phonebook drive isheld, and there is a 24-hour drop-off at the center for persons inter-ested in bringing items from home.

The recycling outreach educationprogram has also taken off, averag-

ing three to six presentations amonth with character Sheriff R.E.Cycle. Outreach has also branchedout into energy conservation andadded a new character in EnergyRay.

“Outreach has paid huge divi-dends,” said Mr. Salinas. “The littleones are starting to recycle; if theolder ones paid attention to the littleones, we’d have it made.”

And if there is an event on base,like Lackland Air Fest, recyclingemployees will be present. The out-reach program, community presen-tations and base events are on topof the daily workload.

With the 50 trailers around base,10 a day need to be processed tokeep current, and when holidaysinterrupt the work week, that onlyincreases the processing demandand keeps the center in a constantstage of catch up.

Mr. Salinas said the hospitals,mini-malls and BMT trailers have tobe emptied twice a week, and heemphasized if necessary, base con-tainers can be brought to the recy-cling center where employees willoff load them for processing.

“You’re never there more than30 minutes,” he said.

Tours of the facility are availableto base personnel by calling 671-5302, 671-4800 or 379-2922, some-thing Mr. Salinas encourages.

“We welcome them,” he said.“When you leave, you leave with awhole new attitude about recyclingand what goes on at the base.

“Recycling is the right thing todo, keeping it out of the landfill,” headded. “Our job is to preserve (theenvironment), and that should beeveryone’s goal.”

RECYCLING from P14

Think recycling doesn’t matter? The numbers suggest otherwise.

From 1999 through 2008,Team Lackland has recycled 17,408 tons resulting in the savings of:

• 295,936 trees • 71,372,800 kilowatt hours of electricity • 121,856,000 gallons of water• 57,446.4 cubic yards of landfill space • 1,044,480 pounds of air pollution • $521,369 in landfill fees

From 1995 through 2007,Cooperative Teamwork & Recycling Assistance members have recycled 83,407 tons resulting in the savings of:

• 1,417,919 trees • 341,968,700 kilowatt hours of electricity • 5,004,420 pounds of air pollution• 583,849,000 gallons of water • 275,243 cubic yards of landfill space • $2,498,039 in landfill fees

Source: CTRA


If you’ve ever wanted tohave the opportunity torecruit sharp individualsinto the Air Force as anAir Force Recruit-er, or moldcivil ians intoAirmen as anAir Force Mil-i tary TrainingI n s t r u c t o r,the Air Edu-cation andT r a i n i n gC o m m a n dSpecial DutyBrief ing Teamcan answer anyquestions you may haveconcerning these challeng-ing and rewardingcareers.

The team will brief onall aspects of special dutyopportunit ies at 8 a.m.Tuesday at the GatewayClub Ballroom.

Spouses are highly

encouraged to attend.Senior airmen with atleast 35 months time inservice through master

sergeants withless than 16

years TotalActive Federal

Military Serviceare invited to

attend thebriefing andare eligibleto apply for

these specialduty assign-

ments.To obtain a copy

of the AETC special dutyapplication, contact theTeam Lackland CareerAssistance Advisors,Master Sgt. TimothyGodfrey at 671-1575,Senior Master Sgt. DavidHarris at 925-0424 orMaster Sgt. JacquelineLerma at 925-0424.

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE – Toincrease the efficiency in filling civilianvacancies, effective New Year’s Day, select-ing officials will have 45 days instead of 90to choose the best-qualified candidate.

“We continue to refine the civilian hiringprocess where we can, to speed up the hir-ing action,” said Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain, AirForce Personnel Center commander. “Weunderstand that mission requirements arehampered when positions remain vacant.Our goal is to fill civilian vacancies in lessthan 120 days, and with the support of man-agers Air Force-wide, we can get Air Forcejobs filled in a timelier manner.”

Under current policy, managers have 90days to make a selection once they receive alist of candidates. The 90-day rule was putin place in June 2007 to ease the transitioninto the National Security Personnel System.A review of policy showed managers weremore comfortable with the system and couldmake the decision in 45 days or less.

Jamie Beattie with the Directorate ofCivilian Force Integration at AFPC said shedoesn’t anticipate managers having anyproblems keeping within the 45-day win-dow.

“This is not only a very doable require-ment, but right now many of our managers

are currently making their decisions in lessthan 45 days because they are anxious toget their workforce up to full strength,” saidMs. Beattie. “In those rare cases where anexception is needed, the new rules will allowthe wing commander or equivalent to granta 15-day extension when extenuating cir-cumstances dictate.”

Hiring officials are also encouraged tosubmit a personnel action as soon as theyare aware there will be a vacancy.

“Hiring officials do not have to wait forthe position to be vacant before they beginthe fill action,” said Ms. Beattie. “We needthe action in the system so we can begin thehiring process. By working together, we canbetter deliver capability to commanders.”

AFPC continues to work internal processinitiatives that reduce hiring time. TheCenter is currently working with the Officeof the Secretary of Defense on a single sys-tem that will streamline the hiring actionsby replacing three existing systems.

The Air Force is scheduled to launch thesystem in February with all Pacific Air Forcebases, Lackland and Randolph as the testbases.

For more information, visit AFPC’s “Ask”Web site or call the 24-hour Air ForceContact Center at 800-616-3775.

Policy update to make civilian hiring quicker AETC special duty assignmentteam to brief opportunities


MILITARY JUSTICESPOTLIGHT

The 37th Training WingOffice of the Staff JudgeAdvocate administeredthese judgments from Jan.1 to Jan. 7:

• An airman first classfrom the 342nd TrainingSquadron violated Article92 (dereliction of duty) andreceived suspended reduc-tion to airman and forfei-ture of $352 for twomonths with one monthsuspended.

• An airman from the345th Training Squadron

violated Article 92 (derelic-tion of duty) and Article107 (false official state-ment), and received sus-pended reduction to airmanbasic, forfeiture of $673and a reprimand.

Mandatory Uniform Codeof Military Justice briefingsfor second-term re-enlis-tees are conducted on awalk-in basis in the 37thTRW headquarters court-room.

For more information,call 671-2007.

Stay up-to-dateduring special events

and rough skies.

Call 671-NEWS

office is depending on more than220 representatives throughoutthe installation for their expertise.

“We rely on those subject mat-ter experts to bring those require-ments to the table so that when wedo an exercise we’re inclusive ofall those requirements,” said Mr.Mancha.

“We don’t just do (an exercise)for the 37th or the 59th, but for the(benefit) of all Team Lackland.”

Major Bowen also said there area number of events that arerequired by regulations on anannual basis that are built into theUCI exercises.

“We’re going to do those but aswe do them, we’re going to focuson June but our focus has to begreater than that,” he said.

From a contingency or exerciseperspective, “We can do excellentin June but still fail in the realworld. Our goal is to prepare TeamLackland to handle the real world,and by doing that, we will be readyfor the UCI in June,” said MajorBowen.

PAGE 19TALESPINNERJANUARY 16, 2009

UCI from P1

free” and will receive a dentalbleaching.

The Airmen will also be setup with the Lackland Healthand Wellness Center to attendsmoking cessation classes, andare encouraged to ask theirproviders to prescribe neces-sary medications.

“If I could have one personend the use of tobacco, it wouldbe my most successful accom-plishment as a group com-mander,” said Colonel Halligan.

Participating active dutymembers signed a StopTobacco Use contract in front oftheir peers at the 59th DentalGroup Wingman Day on Dec.19. The contracts are posted atdesignated smoking areasaround the various DentalGroup buildings to help encour-age those who want to quitusing tobacco.

Colonel Halligan is hopingthis trial program will eventu-ally become a 59th MedicalWing program.

TOBACCO from P10

The following inci-dents, reported by the37th Security ForcesSquadron, took place onLackland from Dec. 31-Jan. 7:

• Nine minor vehicleaccidents, no injuries,reported.

• Fifty-three trafficcitations were issued.

• A master sergeantfrom the 737th TrainingGroup reported the theftof 15-foot trailer.

• A master sergeantfrom the 543rd Intell-igence Group reported asimple assault atSecurity Hill dormitories.

• A civilian from thebase exchange reported22 checks returned forinsufficient funds total-ing $5,100.

• A family memberwas arrested for

shoplifting two X-Box360 games at the baseexchange.

• An airman first classfrom the 37th Contract-ing Squadron reporteddamage to a door atbase housing.

• A civilian from the37th Services Squadronreported damage to avehicle at the Skylarkbowling alley.

• A civilian wasarrested for drivingwhile intoxicated.

• A master sergeantfrom the 344th TrainingSquadron reported dam-age to a forklift at theBEAST training area.

• A senior master ser-geant from the 149thFighter Wing reportedtheft of a ladder fromthe 149th Fighter WingAircraft MaintenanceSquadron.

• A staff sergeantfrom the 59th DentalSquadron reported theftof jewelry valued at$2,600 from theMcKown Dental Clinic.

• A technical sergeantfrom the 737th TrainingSupport Squadronreported theft of laptopcomputer and carryingcase valued at $675.

• A civilian from the435th Services Squad-ron, Ramstein Air Base,Germany, reported asimple assault atGateway Inn.

If you have informa-tion about criminalactivity on Lackland, callthe Security ForcesControl Center at 671-2018.

To report emergen-cies, call 911. You mayremain anonymous.

SECURITY FORCES ON PATROL


CHAPEL SERVICESBaha’iSunday (1st, 3rd, and 5th):Education Classroom, Bldg.5200, Room 108, 11 a.m.

BuddhistSunday:Gateway Chapel, 3 p.m.

CatholicDaily, Monday-Friday:WHMC ChapelMass, 11 a.m.Freedom ChapelMass, 11:30 a.m.

Saturday:Freedom ChapelConfessions, 4:45 p.m.Mass, 5:30 p.m.

Sunday:Freedom ChapelReligious Education, 9 a.m.Mass, 11 a.m.

Hope ChapelHispanic Mass, 9:15 a.m.Gateway ChapelMass, 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m.

WHMC ChapelMass, 3 p.m.

The Church ofJesus Christ ofLatter-day SaintsTuesday:Hope ChapelReligious Education, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday:Hope ChapelBible Study (Institute), 6:30p.m.

Sunday:Hope Chapel, 2:30 p.m.

Christian ScienceSunday:Education Classroom, Bldg.5200, Room 108, 8 a.m.

Church of ChristSunday:Arnold Hall, Bldg. 5506, 7:30a.m.

Orthodox ChristianSunday:

Airmen Memorial ChapelDivine Liturgy, 9:30 a.m.Religious Education, 10:45a.m.

EckankarSaturday (1st, 3rd and 5th):Gateway Chapel, 12:30 p.m.

JewishFriday:Airmen Memorial ChapelSabbath Eve Service, 6:00p.m. Sunday:Religious Education, 9:00 a.m.

IslamicFriday:Defense Language InstituteStudent CenterJummah Prayer, 1:30 p.m.Sunday:DLI Student CenterReligious Education, 1 p.m.

ProtestantSunday:Airmen Memorial ChapelLiturgical Service, 8 a.m.

Hope ChapelSpanish Service, 12:45 p.m.Arnold HallLiturgical ReligiousEducation, 9:30 a.m.Freedom ChapelTraditional Service, 9:30 a.m.Children’s Church, 9:30 a.m.,12:30 p.m.Religious Education, 11 a.m.Gospel Service, 12:30 p.m.Wednesday:Bible Study, 6 p.m.

Medina ChapelContemporary Service, 10:30a.m.

Hope Chapel Contemporary Service, 10:45a.m.

Gateway ChapelContemporary Service, 8 a.m.,9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. & 12:30p.m, (12:30 p.m. service is for5th week and BMT graduatesand their families only)

WHMC Chapel

General Service, 1:30 p.m.Friday:The Refuge“Fusion” Contemporary, 6:30p.m. (technical training stu-dents only)

Seventh-day AdventistSaturday:Gateway Chapel, 12:30 p.m.

WiccaSunday:Arnold Hall, information andfellowship 1-3 p.m., open toBMT personnel

Wednesday (1st only): Freedom Chapel, Room 8, SanAntonio Military Open Circle,6 p.m., open to all personnel

For more information, con-tact:Airmen Memorial Chapel/Gateway Chapel 671-2911Hope Chapel 671-2941Medina Chapel 671-3774Freedom Chapel 671-4208The Refuge 671-6023WHMC Chapel 292-7373

COMMUNITY

SINGLE PARENT SUPPORT GROUP

The next Single Parent SupportGroup meeting is Feb. 10 at 11:30a.m. at the Airman and FamilyReadiness Flight, Bldg. 1242.

The group offers a way for sin-gle parents to form a social net-work.

For more information, call theAFRF at 671-3722.

SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULED

An Air Education and TrainingCommand additional duty first ser-geant symposium is Feb. 23-27from 7:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at theInter-American Air Forces Academyauditorium, Bldg. 7356.

This is a unit-funded TDYdesigned to provide invaluabletools to prospective, current oradditional duty first sergeants.Interested members should contacttheir first sergeant or commandchief prior to registration.

Contact Master Sgt. BrianGraybeal at 671-4083 about thesymposium or Master Sgt. KeithBarber 671-9481 to register.

NOMINATIONS BEING ACCEPTED

The Alamo City chapter of theAmerican Society of MilitaryComptrollers is accepting nomina-tions for its 2008 annual ASMCawards.

Awards will be presented toindividuals and teams for out-standing accomplishment in thefield of comptrollership Feb. 13,2009.

PRE-TEEN SOCIAL

The Lackland Youth Center willhost a pre-teen social with music,games and activities tonight from7 to 10 p.m.

Call 671-2388 for more details.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

The Lackland Officers’ SpousesClub is offering scholarships toservicemembers’ dependents pur-suing a degree from a two- or four-year college, university or vocation-al school.

Applications are available atthe Gateway Club cashiers’ cage,the thrift shop, area high school

senior guidance offices, and onLOSC Web site at www.lacklandosc.org under informationand forms.

Submission deadline is Feb. 2. For more information, refer to

the OSC Web site or call KarenRomano, scholarship chairman, at314-1863.

DISABILITY CLAIM FILING

An American Veterans NationalService Officer will be available atthe Airman and Family ReadinessFlight, Bldg. 1249, Tuesdays from 8a.m. to noon to discuss claim filingwith the Department of VeteransAffairs for disability compensation.

To schedule an appointment,call Robert Carpenter at 699-5087.

WILFORD HALL VOLUNTEERS

Wilford Hall Medical Center islooking for volunteers for four ormore hours a week in several areas.

Volunteers are needed forpatient escort transportation, step-saver cart drivers, clinic informa-tion desk and other areas.

Interested persons can go to theWilford Hall volunteer servicesoffice Monday through Friday, 8:30a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.to 3:30 p.m.

For more information, callPatricia Gill at 292-6592.

PROTESTANT WOMEN TO MEET

Protestant women of the chapelwill meet Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. in FisherHouse I.

Contact Marie Scott at 520-2956 or Gloria Riggs at 623-1365for more information.

QUIT SMOKING LINE

The San Antonio MilitaryMedical Center smoking quit line iscurrently available to active duty

and reserve personnel.The line is a telephone counsel-

ing service that is part of aresearch investigation assessingthe effectiveness of a quit line withmilitary personnel, and is a jointeffort of Wilford Hall MedicalCenter, the University of Tennessee,and the National Heart and LungBlood Institute. There is no cost forusing the line.

For more information, call 877-726-6211.

GROUP SETS MEETINGS

The Lackland Performing ArtsGroup will hold general member-ship meetings Jan. 28 and Feb. 25

LocalBRIEFS

To see menus forLackland dining

halls, go online towww.lackland.af.mil

and click on the“Services“ link.

See BRIEFS P21


in the Arnold Hall Community Center.Starting time for the meetings is

6 p.m., and membership in the groupis free and open to persons interest-ed in volunteer theater arts opportu-nities.

For more information, call 671-2619.

VALENTINE’S THEATER

The Arnold Hall CommunityCenter and the Lackland PerformingArts Group will present the play

“Love, Sex and the I.R.S.” onValentine’s weekend.

Performances will be held Feb.13-14 at 7 p.m. each evening in theArnold Hall Ballroom with a socialhour prior at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $10 each and includelight hors d’oeuvres. Call Arnold Hallat 671-2619 to purchase tickets orfor more information.

ENLISTED SPOUSE’S CLUB

The Lackland enlisted spouse’sclub meeting will be held Tuesday at6:30 p.m. in the Skylark Community

Center with a potluck dinner.For more information, contact

Donna Morris at 896-1513 or KarenBorkowski at 437-4661.

GENEALOGY SEMINAR SET

The Lackland library is hosting a“Take the Mystery Out of YourHistory” seminar Jan. 24 at 2 p.m.

A representative from the SanAntonio Genealogical and HistoricalSociety will provide an overview ofgenealogy research basics.

For more information, call 671-6609.

BRIEFS from P20

Do you … have a photographer’s eye?Do you … catch those

candid moments?Let us see your work

and you could be published!E-mail your

Lackland-related photos to:[email protected] shots only please.

GATEWAY THEATERAustralia

Four Christmases

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Nothing Like the Holidays

Adults – $4. Children – $2.Closed Monday

through Wednesday.

FRIDAYAustralia, 6 p.m. (PG-13), starringHugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.

SATURDAYFour Christmases, noon (PG-13),starring Reese Witherspoon andJon Facreau.The Day the Earth Stood Still, 3 p.m.(PG-13), starring Keanu Reeves andJennifer Connelly.Nothing Like the Holidays, 6 p.m.(PG-13), starring John Leguizamoand Debra Messing.

SUNDAYThe Day the Earth Stood Still, noon(PG-13).Four Christmases, 3 p.m. (PG-13).

THURSDAYFour Christmases, 4 p.m. (PG-13).

For more information and futuremovie listings, go to www.aafes.com/ems/conus/lackland.htm.


Story and photo by Patrick DesmondSports Editor

In an outcome deciding the top spot in the intramuralbasketball league’s National Conference, the 37th CivilEngineer Squadron Black Knights completed an unexpectedsecond-half comeback to edge Air Force InformationOperations Center 39-38 Jan. 8 at the Chaparral FitnessCenter.

After posting just 14 points in the first half and trailing by10, the Black Knights turned it around with 25 second-halfpoints while styming the high-powered AFIOC offense to 14.

Receiving the ball in the low post, Black Knights’ powerforward Clayborne Staten provided the lead-changing buck-et with a late-game turnaround shot.

SPORTS

SCOREBOARD

American W L

1. 433rd AW 5 02. Medical Operations 4 03. 737th TRG 4 14. Medical LRS 3 15. 690th ALIS 3 16. 93rd IS 3 27. 543rd Spts Sq 2 28. 314th MI Bn 2 29. 37th COMM 2 310. 37th LRS 2 311. DLI 1 5National W L

1. C.E.S. 4 02. Security Forces 4 13. AFIOC 3 14. Mission Spt Sq 3 15. NIOC 2 16. 149th FW 2 17. 345th TRS 3 28. 344th TRS 2 2 9. Clinical Spt Gq 2 210. 37th Medical Gp 1 311. CPSG 1 412 Emergency Med Sq 0 413. Nutritional Medicine 0 5

Division I W L

37 CES #2 91 29543rd SPTS 84 36LRS 82 38Allen Tharpe “Hard Luck” 80 40690 NSG #2 76 44Marines 74 4637 CS #1 72 48CPSG 71 49341 TRS Dawg Pound 70 5093 IS #1 68 52453 EWS 68 52C-5 Haulers 64 56CES #1 64 5659 RSQ 64 56345th TRS 62 5837 SVS 62 5859 PSQ 60 6033rd IOS 56 64DLIELC 56 64Allen Tharpe #2 56 64AFNEWS 4 Ever 54 6659 MD IS 52 68NIOC “Swabs” 50 7093 IS #2 50 70DLI Mine’s in the Gutter 48 7237 CS #2 42 78690 NSG #1 42 78AFISR Agency 38 82737 TRG 36 84

VARSITY BASEBALL/ SOFTBALL

Lackland’s varsity baseball team startsinformal practice tomorrow with tryouts forboth baseball and women’s softball heldFeb. 18. The men’s varsity softball tryouts isFeb. 23. For more information, contact thesports office at 671-2725.

FORMATION RUN

The 37th Training Wing is holding its for-mation run Jan. 21, starting at 3:30 p.m.behind the 37th Training Group building. Formore information, call 671-2725.

SUPER BOWL PARTY

The Lonestar Lounge is hosting a Super

Bowl celebration Feb. 1 from 3 to 10 p.m. inthe Gateway Club. The lounge offers music,games and prizes. For more information, call645-7034.

SUPER BOWL GOLF TOURNAMENT

The third annual Super Bowl Challengegolf tournament will be held at the GatewayGolf Course Feb. 1. Registration is limited to34 teams, three to four members, and fees,$80 per team, are due Jan. 28. Door prizesoffered will include a flat screen T.V. Formore information, call 671-2401.

VOLLEYBALL

The men's and women's intramural vol-

leyball season begins Feb. 2. Registration isstill available for people interested in enter-ing their squadron’s team. For more informa-tion, call the sports office at 671-2725.

PAINTBALL

The Lackland Outdoor Adventure Center isopen Sundays for people interested in paint-ball matches. Offering a paintball course,the Lackland Outdoor Adventure Club alsorents gun kits and one bag of paintballs for$20 per person. For more information, con-tact the LOAC at 925-5532.

MEN’S SOCCER

The Raiders Futbol Club is looking for

players with college experience or better. TheDivision I team plays in the San AntonioSoccer Association on Sundays with prac-tices on Mondays and Thursdays.

For more information, contact the Raiderscoach Oscar Lupiba at 365-6484.

LACKLAND SUMO TEAM

Lone Star Sumo is seeking members forthe Lackland sumo team in anticipation oftheir tournament Jan. 31. Men, women andchildren are encouraged to join and free les-sons are given by three-time U.S. NationalSumo medalist Master Sgt. Tom Zabel.People interested in joining should contactSergeant Zabel at 977-3202.

BASKETBALL

BOWLING

By Patrick DesmondSports Editor

By day, members of the two intramu-ral basketball teams – the 93rdIntelligence Squadron Knights and the543rd Support Squadron Trojans –work side-by-side. On the night of Jan.7, they engaged in another friendly bas-ketball rivalry.

The intramural basketball league’sAmerican Conference game did not dis-appoint as the Knights’ sealed the 47-44victory in the closing seconds at theChaparral Fitness Center.

The deciding basket came with 1:56left as the Knights, showing good ballmovement, pulled ahead when VickStewart nailed a jumper to give themthe 46-44 lead.

“We just needed intensity,” Knights’coach Isaiah Stephen said. “We neededour defense in the end to really get usback in the game. Good defense allowedus to control the game with ouroffense.”

Ronald Carmichael dropped twoopen threes to start the game for the

93rd IS escapes with 47-44 win over rival Trojans

BRIEFS

Photos by Robbin CresswellStan Riley, 93rd Intelligence Squadron,blocks an opponent going to the hoop Jan. 7.

See CES P23

Civil Engineer Squadron forward Clayborne Staten’s low-post turn-around gave the Black Knights their first lead during their 39-38win over AFIOC, Jan. 8 at the Chaparral Fitness Center.

Black Knights take control

See 93rd IS P23

37th CES rallies pastAFIOC for 39-38 win


By Patrick DesmondSports Editor

The Stacey High School girl’s varsitybasketball team suffered their first dis-trict loss at home Tuesday night to pow-erhouse D’Hanis Cowgirls, 52-37.

Akelishana Holmes led all eaglescoring with 22 points in the contest,while Stephanie Glatt dropped in eightof her own.

“For (Holmes), she ‘only’ had 22points last night and normally shescores 27, 28 points a game. I think sheand the rest of the team were reallynervous going into the game last nightknowing that D'Hanis went all the waylast year.”

With the loss, the Eagles drop to 1-1in their district and 8-9 on the year.

Coach Amber Greeness commentedon moving forward in the season.

“We will face D'Hanis again on theJan. 27 at their house, so we need tocome out ready to play,” she said. “I

think we will have the nerves out now,knowing that we did face the best teamand we hung with them for the most ofthe game.”

The Eagles had control of the gamegoing into halftime, leading 18-16 after

outscoring the Cowgirls11-6 in the secondquarter.

Holmes and Glattsparked the run, con-verting steals intopoints.

In the third, Glatt,emulating a pro-bowlcornerback, jumped apass from the Cowgirlpoint guard to the wing,racing toward an easylay up.

However, theCowgirls’ perimetershooting caught fire inthe third, at one timegiving them a 15-point

lead. A lead that proved too much, despite

late fourth-quarter Eagle efforts.The Stacey Eagles continue district

play at home against Sabinal HighSchool Jan. 20.

Brian Hansberry37th TRW/PA

Last week: 4-3Season: 132-81

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Steve ReichertFitness & Sports Director


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Patrick DesmondTalespinner Sports


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“That's just a normal postplay we make,” Staten said.

“Our whole offense is setaround running screens,getting everyone involved,and whomever is the openman – the hot man – that iswho we are going to give theball,” he said. “I just hap-pened to be the open man

and made a good play.” The Black Knights’ come-

back started late in the firsthalf with a 7-0 run, spurredon by Jason Vargas’ stealand fast break bucket.

“We were down 24-7, andthen we switched to man-to-man defense and justworked hard,” Black Knightshooting guard Elton Brocksaid. “We found the open

man on the inside, hit openshots, kept pressure on theball and everything went ourway.”

After streaking out to a16-point early lead, 11 con-tributed by Vincent Mingo,AFIOC began to cool downgoing into halftime.

With 1:48 left to play,Brock banked in a jump shotto tie the game at 36.

Capturing the lead withunder a minute to play, theBlack Knights sealed the winby maintaining possessionthrough offensive reboundsand forced turnovers.

With the win, the No.1Black Knights, 4-0, becamethe lone undefeated team inthe National Conferencewhile AFIOC dropped to sec-ond place at 3-1.

CES from P22

Eagles’ grasp slips, D’Hanis wins 52-37 93rd IS from P22

Trojans but they could nothold the early 12-4 lead.

Then came the shift inmomentum.

Stewart punctuated a 11-4 Knights run by flyingunguarded to the basket toslam home a midair rebound.

“I just saw it open; no onewas boxing me out,” Stewartsaid. “That was my time toshine.”

The Trojans were notwithout opportunities as aKnight turnover following thelead change put the ball intheir hands with 25 secondsleft. However, the Trojansgave the ball right back on apassing error, and fouledRobert Dixon to stop theclock.

Dixon extended the lead tothree on the foul line.

With five seconds left, theinbound pass went to Trojanguard Ivan Thomas whosehalf-court prayer went unan-swered as the buzzer sound-ed the Knight’s 47-44 win.

Trojan Stan Riley addedlow-post baskets, but goodball movement and fastbreak points eventuallyallowed the Knights to securethe win.

The win improves the93rd IS to 2-1, while the543rd SS falls to .500 at 2-2.

Photo by Robbin CresswellBrianna Reed saves an Eagle possession by deflecting the balloff a D’Hanis defender Tuesday during a their 52-37 loss.

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