Commentary

November 9, 2012

Candid Comments | November 9, 2012

What part did you play in the Hurricane Sandy relief effort?


Chief Master Sgt. Robert Ehlers

Job: Air transportation manager
Unit: 56th Aerial Port Squadron
Hometown: Anaheim, Calif.
Hobbies: Jogging, softball and golf

As soon as we got the call that March Field would spin-up airlift operations, in support of restoration efforts for those devastated by super-storm Sandy, I immediately began to rally our traditional reservists and civilians. As the Cargo Deployment Function representative, I had to ensure the equipment, personnel and supplies were properly manifested and on its way, in less than 36 hours. When the last jet departed and our mission complete, a sense of satisfaction came out of everyone in our crew, despite the hurry-up operations and strained work conditions. It is a great feeling when you can assist people in their time of need.

Master Sgt. Christopher Alcala

Job: C-17 Loadmaster/Affiliation Manger
Unit: 452nd Airlift Control Flight
Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.

I received the initial call from Southern California Edison around 7 a.m. with their list of vehicles and support equipment that would be allocated for the relief effort. At noon, a crew of loadmasters conducted a survey of SCE vehicles at the Menifee truck yard, to get an idea of size and weight in order to draft up load plans. This was our opportunity to show the rest of the world what we here at March are capable of doing. Tremendous efforts were displayed by Senior Master Sgts. Gary Cole and Jeff Wooten, Master Sgts. Chris Schuldes and Brian Sinclair, Staff Sgt. Gary Mathieson, and Senior Airmans Patrick Bradley and Frankarl Culotta.

Staff Sgt. Shawn Terreault

Job: Air transportation
Unit: 452nd Aerial Port Squadron
Hometown: San Diego, Calif.
Hobbies: Flying and music

When the call came to support the relief effort, we immediately went to 12-hour shifts—at height of operations, we were averaging 16-hours days. I was responsible for generating the load plans for flights departing March Field. When the last aircraft departed, I felt great pride in what we were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. We hope that our efforts and support will help the people affected by the hurricane regain power and have their lives return to normalcy. My shop and I stand ready to help our fellow Americans when called.




All of this week's top headlines to your email every Friday.


 
 

 

Autism, …

With world Autism awareness month coming to an end, I wonder, being the parent of a child affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and part of military leadership, did it help? Specifically, has military leadership become any more aware of the trials and tribulations that raising a child with ASD can have on military families?...
 
 

ECARS: Reminder and Exemptions

March Air Reserve Base is in an enhanced smog area requiring cars to have biennial smog testing, unless they qualify for a smog exemption. To ensure that we are compliant with the regulations, March ARB has implemented the ECARS self-certification system. Vehicles registered in areas subject to the biennial smog certification program are required to submit...
 
 

The Chaplain’s Corner

I’ve noticed in the past month that my mailbox and Facebook account have been flooded with dozens of special event invitations, mainly in the graduation and wedding category. The month of June is particularly jam-packed, sometimes with two different occasions marked on the same day.Now, if you’re like me, your first reaction to such events...
 

 

Leadership starts with why

MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — I recently had the unique privilege to spend time listening to and talking with Simon Sinek, author of the 2012 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force’s Reading List book, “Start with Why.” If you have not heard him speak, read this book, or perhaps watched his technology, entertainment and design...
 
 

How to lower your property tax assessment

Sequesters, furloughs, recessions, debt ceilings, mortgage fraud, money-laundering, job market, housing bubble, under water, reverse mortgages; sadly, these words have all gained increased use in our vocabulary since 2008. Luckily, it’s not all doom and gloom because the March legal office is aware of an easy tip on how to help save money by lowering...
 
 
AAPIHM_13_FNL6_poster[1]

Presidential Proclamation — Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 2013

ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH, 2013 — BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION   Each May, our Nation comes together to recount the ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders h...
 




0 Comments


Be the first to comment!


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>


Directory powered by Business Directory Plugin