Editor’s Note: The “People First” section is compiled from information from the Air Force Personnel Center, TRICARE, 56th Force Support Squadron, Airman and Family Readiness Flight, Veterans Affairs, the civilian personnel office and armed forces news services. For the complete story, go to the web address listed at the end of the story.
Air Force releases new SAPR strategy
Air Force leaders released a five-year Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategy that will guide the Air Force in developing a robust prevention model while continually honing response capabilities.
The secretary, chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force signed a foreword to the strategy charging all Airmen with the responsibility of preventing sexual assault.
“Sexual assault prevention is critical to the health, morale and welfare of Airmen and ultimately essential to Air Force readiness,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “This strategy lays out the deliberate, science-based process we will follow to eradicate this crime from our ranks.”
The two-part document outlines both response and prevention strategies. Although Airmen will likely be familiar with the programs included in the response portion of the strategy, the prevention strategy presents a new phase in Air Force SAPR efforts, said Dr. Andra Tharp, an Air Force sexual assault prevention and response highly qualified prevention expert.
The strategy lays out the sexual assault prevention tenets: preventing violence before it occurs, promoting prevention, and providing ongoing prevention activities.
Cybersecurity program synchronizes efforts
Task Force Cyber Secure has made progress in addressing mission assurance and cybersecurity challenges for Air Force core missions, according to Air Force leaders.
The initiative, originally enacted by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III, aims to synchronize cybersecurity efforts across the Air Force enterprise to improve the security of information and warfighting systems with a special focus on the five core missions.
“With close partnership from key cyber and core mission stakeholders across the Air Force, we’ve jump started, and will continue to lead, many efforts that will eventually provide Air Force commanders with the personnel and TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) who will assure their missions in and through cyberspace,” said Peter Kim, the TFCS director.
Although October’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month has come to a close, it is still important to keep in mind the majority of cybersecurity breaches within the Air Force systems due to poor cyber hygiene habits.
TFCS and the Air Force are measuring cyber hygiene to identify how Airmen can better protect themselves and the mission.
Shirt’s 720-mile run gets national attention
A 2nd Space Warning Squadron first sergeant accomplished his goal of running 720 miles in 30 days from Aurora, Colorado, to Abilene, Texas, in order to raise money and awareness for wounded warriors.
“The moment this idea came to me, it seemed crazy,” said 1st Sgt. Troy Drasher, of his Operation 720. “With all the training, planning and preparation, it started to become a reality. Running the 720 miles and eventually crossing that finish line, all while attaining my original goals with the Wounded Warrior Project, I learned that no matter how far we dream, anything is possible.”
Drasher’s story has gained national attention, appearing on both national and local TV networks. Drasher had no idea that he would get the kind of exposure he has gotten since the completion of the run, but is happy that he has been able to spread the word about the Wounded Warrior Project on such an expansive level, he said.
To put the run Drasher endured into perspective, the run portion of the Air Force physical fitness test is one and a half miles.
MiCARE provides faster care
Capt. Jennifer Varney likes to come to work early.
As a family nurse practitioner and family health flight commander at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, she arrives at the base’s Family Health Clinic around 5 a.m. and checks the MiCARE site for any overnight patient emails.
If a patient requested a refill on their medications, she can fill it and let them know. If someone’s results have come back from the lab, she can email them the results. If someone requested an appointment, she can forward it to a technician to schedule a time.
Varney likes the convenience of MiCARE, both for her and her patients.
“I can get my work done and still contact my patients,” she said, adding that it is better than calling them before sunrise. “I’m happy, they’re happy.”
MiCARE, a secure online messaging service between patients and their health care team, allows patients to renew subscriptions, request appointments, receive test and lab results, communicate online with healthcare professionals about non-urgent symptoms, request a copy of their immunization records, and access a large digital library of patient education materials.
http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/626703/micare-provides-faster-care.aspx