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Team March 101: The Veterans Administration Office of Research Oversight (VAORO)

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(This will be an ongoing series to introduce  you to individual units or offices that make up Team March. The series will run before each Unit Training Assembly or twice a month.)

The Veterans Administration Office of Research Oversight (VAORO) has been at March Air Reserve Base nearly 10 years, according to John Farley, health science specialist here. But many, if not most of you, are unaware of its existence or what its mission is.

The VAORO, in general, is charged with compliance oversight for VA Research to human and animal subjects; laboratory safety and scientific misconducts.

“This office (March location) is focused on oversight of research program management and human research subject protection,” Farley said. “That means that we review VA facilities where research with human subjects is conducted and make sure that they’re following all the federal rules, both the common rule and VA policies.”

The March VAORO team does assessments in advance that amount to document reviews of all of the different location’s standard operating procedures (SOPs) and committee minutes. Then they visit those facilities, interview people and review the program on site as well. After the inspection, the VAORO team gives an assessment of the location’s compliance or non-compliance so that any issues that need to be addressed can be in order to make the program fully compliant, Farley said.

They visit each of their locations on a 3-4 year rotation basis, averaging 7-8 facilities inspected each year with the objective to give oversight by reviewing SOPs (requested and reviewed prior to the visit) to make sure they are in line with VA guidance. Their mission is similar to that of the IG inspection teams who travel to Air Force locations to conduct Unit Compliance Inspections.

“In addition (to reviewing SOPs) there are committees at each location (a safety committee, R&D {research and development} committee, institutional review boards) from whom we request meeting minutes for the past year),” said, Jeff West, health science specialist here. “We read the minutes before our visit to see exactly what they are doing. Then it’s a matter of, is what you’re doing in line with what your SOPs say, and also in line with VA policy.”

If things don’t line up, the inspection team will make necessary recommendations to the medical center director. Findings are given verbally after an on-site inspection. Subsequently, a written report is compiled, and the inspectors receive an action plan on how the researchers will correct non-compliance items.

They also choose research protocols (specific research plans) to review. These protocols are not just a one-time thing, according to Carrie Pennison, health science specialist.

“The protocols are an ongoing process. When reviewing, we will pull a research study to make sure from the beginning to the end that all of the steps have been hit, all the records have been maintained for as long as required,” Pennison said. “There are administration and research parts to each protocol.”

The administrative part makes sure that research is being done in compliance and on a timely basis. They review the processes and interview the principal investigators to make sure that those principals understand what they are responsible for, and that their staffs are trained, make sure the medical center director (ultimately responsible for everything) knows what his or her responsibilities are and that those have been delegated accordingly so that everything flows in a manner that is compliant, Pennison said.

Permission to conduct research

Farley explains that facilities have to get a federal-wide assurance, which is permission from the Office of Human Research Protection, to conduct research at their facilities. By obtaining that, they promise to follow a set of ethical guidelines, and all the federal and VA rules.

“They have to establish this institutional review board. That’s a committee of physicians and non-scientists, community members, lay people, to review each protocol and either approve it or not,” Farley said. “During that review they will be asking, ‘What are you going to be asking the veteran participant to do? Is this going to have any particular benefit to them or to people afterward? What are the risks involved?’ Then they make a determination as to whether to permit it or not.”

He said the studies usually come with a consent form that each participant gets to read and have his or her questions answered about the study. It formalizes his or her agreement to participate in the study.

“Nobody is involved in research without their permission. That’s one of these guiding, ethical principles,” Farley said.

When they go on site, they ask if consent has been obtained from everyone who is enrolled in the study, and if the study has been properly reviewed with experts in the area to help judge whether it was safe and appropriate, Farley said.

“If program is extremely non-compliant, where participant veterans in studies were at risk, we have the authority to actually stop the research at that facility.”

The VA components

The Department of Veterans Affairs is divided up into three components; the cemetery, the VA Benefits administration and the VA Health administration, said Dr. Paul Hammond, director of the March VAORO facility.

“We’re in the Veteran’s Health Administration, which has three legs to the stool; patient care, education and research,” Hammond said. “The majority of large VAs are attached and affiliated with a university. So it is thought that instead of being just a mediocre HMO by virtue of the academic affiliations, that the care that is provided to veterans is superlative, that it is the best that can be provided,” he said.

He went on to say that the problem with the VA is that it is overwhelmed with patients and the care that they receive, and it is the access to care, not the care itself that is drawing the majority of complaints.

“So, the research component is a very, very important one. That covers animals, wet labs and human subject research,” Hammond said. “Veterans, when engaged in that type of research, really benefit from it, but we have to make sure they are protected.”

Unlike human subject research, the VA maintained a number of regulations in place for animal care that were quite profound, Hammond said. So, in 1999, the VA set up an accrediting program for human subject research. This included an oversight program to include the office of research and development plus the office of VA research compliance and assurance. This program was divided into five regions, with the West Coast region responsible for locations west of the Mississippi River. The March facility oversees 28 locations, Hammond said.

Originally they were based at the VA in Loma Linda, said Hammond, who has been with the West Coast region office since its inception.

“They were going to move me to LA and I heard about this area becoming vacant after recruiters moved to a larger area,” Hammond said. “We’ve been very fortunate. Team March has been very gracious to us from the onset. They made base assets available to us (lodging and conference space) for our training sessions.”

The VAORO West Coast is staffed by six employees. Hammond, the director is a medical doctor, and the others are health science specialists.

2015 Military ball unit ticket representatives

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UNIT RANK / NAME DUTY PHONE

452 Wing Staff (951-655-xxxx or DSN 447-xxxx)

AMW/CSS TSgt/SrA Victor Velasco/Breah Terry 4522

EO Maj             Nixomar Santiago 4782

PC Ms.             Elaine Plein (DV Tickets {80}) 3060

452 MSG Units

4CTCS Ms Linda Welz (alumni) 4137/2862

452 CES TSgt Omar Baraza 4369

452 CES SrA Elizabeth Stevens 4369

452 CS MSgt Christine Devin 5945

452MSG/FSS MSgt Michelle Aspeytia 3061

452MSG/FSS TSgt Kameika Embry 3121

Honor Guard MSgt Phillip Powell 3086

Honor Guard MSgt Damon Mazyck 6105

452 LRS TSgt Christina Huerta 3437

452 LRS TSgt Duane Bogard 3437

452 SFS TSgt David House 2985

452 SFS MSgt Darrel Heisser 4355

50 APS MSgt Phil Maffett 4990/4992

50 APS MSgt Brenda Menjivar 4990

56 APS MSgt Anoinette Lewis 7854

452 MXG Units

452 AMXS TSgt Jessie Gonzales 4241

452 AMXS TSgt Ana Najara             4701

452 MXS TSgt Araceli Saucedo 6704

452  MXS SrA Ivette Quinones 6704

752 MXG/CSS Maj Katherine Ahadi 2372

452 MDG Units

452AMDS CMSgt Timi C. Bilal 2839/2773

452 AMDS SMSgt Stanley-Wolfe 2839/2773

452 ASTS SMSgt Cordova-Martinez 2751

752 MDS SMSgt Tammy Hellow 5628

452 Ops Group Units

336 ARS CMSgt Deborah McGuane 2153

912 ARS Ms Patrica Vegas 3477

452 AES Mrs Rosemary Pena 5282

452 AES MSgt Adriana Cortez 5228

452 ALCF SSgt Amber Lyon 5102

452 OSS TSgt Adelina Quintero 2856/5448

729 AS TSgt Andrew Lucas             4098

Tenant Units

163 MSG MSgt  Lana Miller 3580

163 RW TSgt Ines Jasso 7713

4 AF Ms Sherry Kemper 3432

701 COS SMSgt Christina Dowal 4735

362 RS SMSgt Russell Forsee 3751

Help available. Reach, maintain tobacco-free living

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The Military Health System has designated November as Smoking Cessation Month as an opportunity to increase awareness of service members, family members and employees of the benefits of tobacco free living. Tobacco-free living is avoiding use of all types of tobacco products — including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, pipes and hookahs — and also living free from secondhand smoke exposure.

Every year on the third Thursday of November, the Great American Smoke out (GASO) is observed. The GASO is sponsored by the American Cancer Society and serves as a challenge for smokers to quit – even just for one day. Quit Tobacco – UCanQuit2.org observes the Great American Smoke out with its own theme, resources and downloadable materials for use by service members and tobacco cessation points of contact at military installations.

(The following is taken from ucanquit2.org)

E-cigarettes: Seeing through the Hype

You’ve noticed all the hype around e-cigarettes lately. You see them advertised on television, the internet, the radio, and may even see them around your installation. As a service member, you’re used to taking risks. But e-cigarettes may not be worth it. Whether you are trying to quit smoking, thinking about starting again, or just curious, it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into.

Here are some facts that might make you think twice about e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes aren’t regulated.

E-cigarettes, and all related devices such as e-hookahs and e-pens, are not currently regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that the e-cigarette makers don’t have to disclose ingredients or have warning labels. There is no evaluation on how the product is made, what it is made with (including chemicals) and how it might affect your health. This includes the device itself as well as the e-liquid. 1

E-cigarettes may contain chemicals, including formaldehyde.

In 2009, the FDA found carcinogens and other toxic cancer-causing chemicals, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in two leading e-cigarette brands. In 2014, a follow-up study was done, that found higher levels of chemicals in e-cigarettes that had a higher voltage.

We don’t know the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.

Little is known about what is in e-cigarettes (since contents can vary by product), making it hard to understand the long-term health effects of using them.

The E-cigarette industry aggressively markets to youth.

Cigarette commercials were banned from television in 1971! But today, e-cigarette commercials are running on television and other mainstream media. E-cigarette use among teens is increasing, growing to 13.4% among high school students. The tobacco industry is glamorizing e-cigarettes in advertisements, candy flavors, and making e-cigarettes easy to buy online.1

Not all e-cigarettes are nicotine-free. Even if they say they are.

Some smokers may try to wean themselves off nicotine by purchasing lower dose nicotine e-liquid or think it’s safe to smoke e-cigarettes because they don’t contain nicotine. The truth is, e-cigarettes and e-liquids aren’t regulated. They may contain nicotine, even if the bottle says “nicotine-free.”

E-cigarettes expose others to secondhand aerosol.

The aerosol that e-cigarette smokers exhale can be potentially harmful to others. Various studies have shown that e-cigarette vapor can contain carcinogens, chemicals, and other potential toxins. Currently, there is no evidence that shows e-cigarette aerosol is safe for non-users to inhale.

More people are calling poison control centers about e-cigarette exposures.

In September 2010, there was one call per month to poison centers about e-cigarette exposures. That figure drastically increased to 215 per month in February 2014. Over half of the e-cigarette exposure calls (reporting ingestion, absorption or inhalation of e-cigarette liquid) were concerning children ages 5 and under. The fatal dose of nicotine for children is 10mg, while an e-cig liquid refill may contain 10-20 mg of nicotine.

There are cheaper (and proven!) ways to quit.

A starter e-cigarette may cost you between $30 and $60. That cost doesn’t include the refills of e-liquid as well as any additional accessories. Quitting cold turkey is free and so are most tobacco cessation methods. If you’re a TRICARE beneficiary, you can receive nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) or prescription medications at no cost. To learn more about medications and how to get them free through TRICARE, visit UCanQuit2.org/Meds.

Bottom line, it’s time you see through the e-cigarette hype. If you are trying to quit smoking, we have resources that have been proven to help you quit. You can LiveChat with a tobacco cessation coach, SmokefreeMIL for our text-message program, and even create a personalized quit plan.

Exchange Essay Contest Highlights Vietnam Battle Buddies

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DALLAS – The Army & Air Force Exchange Service, along with Nautilus, is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War with an essay contest to honor the heroes who served and the “battle buddies” who saw them through.

With the Exchange’s My Vietnam Battle Buddy essay contest, Exchange shoppers are invited to share stories of their Vietnam War battle buddies and how their lives were affected by their time of service together.  The first-place winner will take home a Schwinn 470 Elliptical valued at $799. Second place wins a Schwinn 270 Recumbent worth $469, while two third-place winners will each receive a Schwinn 170 Upright valued at $379.

From Oct. 30 through Nov. 20, authorized Exchange shoppers can send their essays to patriotfamily@aafes.com. Entries must include full name, mailing address, email address and telephone number. Essays should be 200 words or fewer.

“Many Exchange shoppers who served in Vietnam will be able to relate to having a battle buddy” said Richard Pils, who served as an Army captain in Vietnam and works in the Exchange’s Merchandising Directorate at its Dallas headquarters. “Hearing their stories of service helps us all remember the selfless sacrifice of these heroes.”

The My Vietnam Battle Buddy essay contest is part of the Exchange’s participation in the 50th Anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative Partner Program, designed for federal, state and local agencies to thank and honor Vietnam veterans and their families.

Additional information and instructions can be found at the Exchange’s Patriot Family Connection site at www.shopmyexchange.com/patriot-family.

BATMAN creates BATDOK to save lives using technology

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Courtesy photo/711th Human Performance Wing Human Effectiveness Directorate

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFNS) — Imagine a future battlefield where an Air Force pararescue jumper treats seven wounded service members at once. He places sensors on their chests, arms and fingers, which immediately feed vital signs to a small wireless computer, no bigger than a cell phone, on his forearm.

As he checks out the fifth person, his computer vibrates. He looks at the computer screen: the second person’s heart rate is dropping. The pararescueman moves back to the second person and performs chest compressions, saving their life.

That future is not far off. Engineers with the 711th Human Performance Wing from the Human Effectiveness Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are working on exactly this kind of wearable technology to assist medics in the field.

It’s called BATDOK (Battlefield Airmen Trauma Distributed Observation Kit), and it is part of a larger advanced technology demonstration program known as BATMAN (Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided Knowledge), which focuses on adapting technologies to dismounted Airmen.

“Currently PJs treat patients one-to-one,” said Dr. Gregory Burnett, the program’s chief engineer. “Now we can have one PJ treat and monitor multiple patients simultaneously.”

BATDOK runs on a smartphone but can transfer to any variety of devices. “If a PJ wanted to run it in the field, he could use it on a smartphone,” Burnett said, “or he could use it on a 10-inch tablet in a helicopter.”

BATDOK includes wrist and chest mounts to make access to the device easier, although some PJs simply prefer keeping the device in their pocket.

Wireless sensors placed on the patient send aggregated vitals to the computer screen, providing PJs the ability to make emergency medical decisions. Like a cellphone, the device can be set for three kinds of alerts: auditory, tactical or visual. The alerts notify the PJ not only to which patient is in danger, but also to his or her vitals.

To develop this technology, the BATMAN research team worked very closely with PJs to identify what critical information the operators needed so the team could develop the most intuitive and effective interface.

Burnett explained that there are three phases to the team’s work: interface, innovate and integrate. Through direct interaction with the operators, the team innovated a solution, and integrated it to the PJs’ equipment and mission needs.

BATDOK does not just help during critical care. It keeps a record of all its patients’ vitals and other information. After a mission, a PJ could retrieve the data for a patient care report.

“All those key medical care procedures are logged for better documentation of care,” Burnett said.

It is also adaptable for improved technology. “We use FDA approved sensors,” said 1st Lt. Max Gabreski, a software engineer on the BATMAN team, “but if a new sensor becomes available, we find a way to quickly integrate the sensor into our system.”

BATDOK could also be used on humanitarian missions, where a commander monitors a team entering an earthquake- or tsunami-ravaged area. “It could accommodate not just the military, but civilian needs,” Burnett added.

Presently, BATDOK is being tested by Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Combat Command, and will be brought to decision boards soon. It is also being used in training scenarios at strategic locations around the United States.

“It’s getting a lot of attention from the pararescue community,” Burnett said. “It’s a really effective system, capable of improving patient survivability not just in the Air Force, but the DOD and the civilians that it cares for.”

November is Warrior Care Month: Show of Strength

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On November 5, 2008, then Secretary of Defense Robert F. Gates established November as Warrior Care Month. He said Warrior Care Month is a, “DOD wide effort aimed at increasing awareness of programs and resources available to wounded, ill, and injured service members, their families, and those who care about them.” Secretary Gates charged DOD to “continue to make it easier for our troops and their families to take advantage of all the assistance now available to them.”

In accordance with Secretary Gates, the Department of Defense and the military services will use November to highlight the programs, services, and resources available to wounded, ill, and injured Service members, their families and caregivers. This is achieved through events, outreach, and communications designed to celebrate and honor these service members, and highlight their resilience, strength, and successes as they continue to face a multitude of challenges associated with recovery, transition, and remaining strong in the aftermath of war.

This year’s theme for Warrior Care Month is “Show of Strength.”

November: National American Indian Heritage Month 2015

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National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the original inhabitants, explorers, and settlers of the United States.

This presentation reviews the historical milestones that led to the establishment of National American Indian Heritage Month, covers various aspects of American Indian and Alaska Native life, and honors the contributions of our Native Service Members.

The Society of American Indian Government Employees has chosen this year’s theme, Growing Native Leaders: Enhancing Our Seven Generations.

During the Civil War, American Indians served on both sides of the conflict. 

Ely Parker was a Union Civil War General who wrote the terms of surrender between the United States and the Confederate States of America.  Parker was one of two American Indians to reach the rank of Brigadier General during the Civil War.

The second American Indian General was Stand Watie, a leader of the Cherokee Nation and Confederate Indian cavalry commander—the last Confederate General to surrender his troops.

In World War I, roughly 12,000 American Indians joined the ranks of the armed forces—their patriotism moved Congress to pass the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. Their unique combat abilities and survival skills, which frustrated opponents for generations, became invaluable to the nation’s combat success.

Approximately 600 Oklahoma Indians, mostly Choctaw and Cherokee, were assigned to the 142nd Infantry of the 36th Texas-Oklahoma National Guard Division. The 142nd saw action in France and its soldiers were widely recognized for their contributions in battle.  Four men from this unit were awarded the Croix de Guerre, while many others received the Church War Cross for gallantry.

News Briefs

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BENEFEDS OPEN SEASON STARTS NOVEMBER 9

The 2015 Federal Benefits Open Season (for the 2016 plan year) runs from Monday, Nov. 9, through Monday, Dec. 14. If you are enrolled in the Federal Employee Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) plan, it will automatically continue into the 2016 plan year, even if you retire. You must take action if you wish to make changes or cancel. Visit BENEFEDS.com to check the 2016 premium amounts, research plan coverage and/or make changes. For general questions, visit the Education & Support section at BENEFEDS.com.

SARC HOSTS FREE MIND BODY RESILIENCY CLASSES

Are you interested in learning more about the Mind and Body connection and how this can promote better overall health? Then come join the interactive and informational series of one-hour classes based on the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine’s Resilient Warrior. Classes are scheduled on the A and B Unit Training Assemblies through September 2016. Topics for the six-part series include

– Stress Reactions and Relaxation Response

– Getting Good Sleep

– Mindfulness and a Positive State of Mind

– Yin and Yang of Resiliency

– Yoga & Journaling

Social Connections & Communication

Time and Location:

UTA Sundays, 11 a.m. – noon

Bldg. 470, room 205   

Contact frank.pavone@us.af.mil or 655-4551 for more information. No reservation required.

REGISTER FOR YELLOW RIBBON EVENTS

Upcoming dates for Yellow Ribbon events are Nov. 20-22; Dec. 18-20; Jan. 29-31; Feb 19-21; and Mar 18-20. The December Yellow Ribbon is now open for registration for eligible members. For more formation, contact 1st Lt. Shelley Lawrence, your 452nd Air Mobility Wing Yellow Ribbon representative, for details at 951-655-4615.

PLACE FLAGS TO HONOR VETS

If you are interested in helping place flags on the graves of Veterans prior to Veteran’s Day, please join us. We plan to meet at Riverside Evergreen Historical Cemetery (4414 14th St., Riverside, 92501) on Saturday morning, Nov. 7, 8 a.m. to place American flags on the graves of more than 1,000 Veterans (to include the gravesite of Col. Cornelius Cole Smith, United States Army, the cemetery’s only Congressional Medal of Honor recipient) in honor of Veteran’s Day, which is Nov. 11. All American flags are provided. Any and all volunteers are welcomed to participate. The flags will remain in place through Veteran’s Day. Make it a family day and hike to the top of Mount Rubidoux after you are done placing flags. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. John Morris at 951-655-3622 or 951-746-0416.

MANDATORY FLU VACCINATIONS

The 452 AMW Flu Vaccination Campaign has begun, and will continue through the December’s UTAs. The Flu vaccination is mandatory for all Airmen unless exempted by medical staff. Airmen not current with their Flu vaccination after the December UTAs will potentially be placed in a no-point, no-pay status.

Please remind your fellow Airmen to attend our mass immunization site at Bldg. 355 (2355 Graeber St.) during the October and November UTAs.

Schedule for October/November UTAs is: Saturdays 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sundays 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Additionally, there will be a mobile vaccination site at the Wing Commander’s Call during the November UTAs. Starting in December, all Flu vaccinations will be given at the base clinic.

All Airmen, Unit Health Monitors and leaders are asked to get their annual Flu vaccination at the earliest convenience, and to encourage others to do the same. Help make this year’s Flu Campaign a success. There is no vaccine available for civilians at this time. For questions or concerns, email Maj. David Haupt at david.haupt.7@us.af.mil.

BACK STREET TRANSFORMATION

The Hap Arnold Club is looking for “Team March” specific items/memorabilia to decorate the walls of the new Backstreet Café! Bring items to Bldg. 434, administration office. Any unused items will be returned. Call 951-655-2801 for more information.

NAF TEAM JOBS AVAILABLE

Non-appropriated jobs are available at various locations throughout the USAF. View available positions at www.NAFJobs.org.

INSTALLATION VOTING ASSISTANCE OFFICER

With the onslaught of political debates in the news, it’s time to consider your right to vote. Are you registered? Do you understand military and federal employee guidelines for participating in a political rally or event? Are your social media postings getting political? The March Air Reserve Base Installation Voting Assistance Officer, Maj. Jessica Ditson, can help you find the information you need. She can be reached at Jessica.ditson@us.af.mi l or by calling 951-655-4551. Don’t wait until your state’s deadline to register. Choose to make your vote count!

MARCH EQUAL OPPORTUNITY SEEKS COUNSELORS

The March EO office is looking for ARTs/civilians interested in training to serve as Collateral Equal Opportunity counselors. This is an additional duty appointment. The Collateral EO counselors serve as a bridge between civilian employees and management for informal complaints concerning discrimination. Applicants should be at ease with oral and written communication to all pay grades, and have the ability to remain neutral while performing his or her duties. The additional duty will not exceed 20 percent of the counselor’s primary job duties. Applicants range from GS-05 to GS-12 or equivalent. Primary supervisor concurrence required. Training is required, date/time to be determined. If interested, contact Ms Paula Greenhaw, paula.greenhaw@us.af.mil, Maj. Nixomar Santiago, nixomar.santiago@us.af.mil.

HAP ARNOLD CLUB

The Back Street Café is temporarily operating in the Grande Ballroom at the Hap Arnold Club and serving breakfast and lunch.  Most of your Back Street favorites are available, such as breakfast burritos, French toast, fried chicken, March Burger, salmon sandwich and more!  Download the full menu with pricing at MarchFSS.com. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday: 6:30-10 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. for lunch.

UTA operating hours are 5:30-9 a.m. for breakfast (Sat & Sun); 11-1 p.m. for lunch (Sat & Sun), and 4-8 p.m. for dinner (Fri & Sat).

MARCH TICKETS & TOURS

Amusement Park Specials

Knott’s Scary Farm tickets are here!! Prices range from $38 to $48 depending on the date. Visit MarchFSS.com for more information.

Castle Park: $16 per person includes unlimited rides, water park access, miniature golf and the new Sky Rider.

Disney 3-Day Park Hopper military special: $130 per person (adult/child)

SeaWorld “Waves of Honor” special: Extended through November 11, 2015. Program provides a one-time, limited, free admission to SeaWorld San Diego per veteran service member and up to three guests. Visit WavesofHonor.com to register for and obtain your free admissions. Additional tickets are available for purchase from the Tickets & Tours office.

Discount Movie Tickets

Available for only $10 each and valid for Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Cinemas.

Hotel Discounts

Receive 10% off any Best Western and 15% off any Choice Hotel

Visit the Tickets & Tours page at MarchFSS.com and download the Discount Ticket Price List for a full list of discounts tickets prices, hotel discounts and special promotions. Call Tickets & Tours at 951-655-4123 for more information.

LEARN TO FLY WITH THE AERO CLUB

The March Aero Club offers flight training (flying, private license, ground school, instrument training) at very reasonable rates including a pay-as-you-go plan with zero down. Visit Hangar 355 on base or call 951-655-3875 for more information.

OUTDOOR REC EQUIPMENT RENTALS

Outdoor Recreation has a variety of equipment for rent such as camping gear, water sports equipment, bicycles, and trailers to carry it all! Special orders for Callaway, Odyssey, Cleveland, Never Compromise, Nike, Bag Boy, Sun Mountain and Staff golf equipment are also available.  Download the full equipment rental price list at MarchFSS.com, call 951-655-2816 or come on by for more information.

BACK STREET CAFÉ TEMPORARILY OPERATING IN BALLROOM

Breakfast and lunch are available in the club’s Grande Ballroom. Most of your Back Street favorites are available such as Breakfast Burritos, French toast, fried chicken, March Burger, salmon sandwich and more! Download the full menu with pricing at MarchFSS.com. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 6:30-10 a.m. for breakfast; 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. for lunch. UTA operating hours are 5:30-9 a.m. for breakfast (Sat & Sun); 11-1 p.m. for lunch (Sat & Sun), and 4-8 p.m. for dinner (Fri & Sat).

FITNESS CENTER NEWS

The March Fitness Center has received the Wellbeats Virtual Group Fitness Kiosk. This kiosk allows members to participate in virtual fitness classes.

Daily Fitness Schedule is:

Mondays: 6 a.m. — Virtual Fusion Yoga; 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. — Intro TRX; 11 a.m. —Virtual Spin

Tuesdays: 11 a.m. — Virtual Strength “Fit for Duty;” 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. — Circuit Training

Wednesdays: 6 a.m. — Virtual Fusion Yoga; 11 a.m. — Zumba; 12:15 p.m. — Virtual Fusion Yoga; 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. — Battle Ropes Circuit Training

Thursdays: 11 a.m. —Virtual Spin; 12:15 p.m. — Virtual Strength “Fit for Duty;” 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. — Circuit Training

Fridays: 10 a.m. — Zumba; 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. — Intermediate TRX; 11:15 a.m. — Virtual Cardio

UTA Saturdays: (A UTA) 5 p.m. — Virtual Strength “Fit for Duty;” (B UTA) 5-7 p.m. — Pick-up Basketball

Call the Fitness & Sports center at 951-655-2292 to sign up or for more information on these programs.

GRILL NIGHT AT SALLY’S ALLEY

Every Wednesday night starting at 4 p.m., Sally’s Alley is open for business with Grill Night. Sally’s Alley is also now open every Pre-UTA Thursday at 4 p.m. For more information, call them at 951-653-2121.

THE TEAM MARCH 2015 MILITARY BALL

The Team March 2015 Military Ball is scheduled for Saturday, November 21. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails at 6 p.m. and seating at 6:30 p.m. This year’s location remains the Riverside Convention Center, and this year’s theme is “Winter Wonderland.” This will be a fantastic evening and one you do not want to miss. Ticket prices dropped to $60 per person. See your squadron rep (listed in this issue) to purchase tickets or contact MSgt. Devin at 951-655-5945. There are still rooms available at the Hyatt Place for $105 each (the Hyatt Place price includes breakfast) listed under 452nd Air Mobility Wing 2015 Military Ball. You can contact The Hyatt Place at 1-888-553-1300 or (951)321-3500.

Time to change batteries, ‘fall back’

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This article is part of the Energy.gov series “Joules of Wisdom: Top Things You Didn’t Know About Energy”and from cpsc.gov

Fall back

This Sunday, at 2 a.m. (or before going to bed Saturday night) people across the country will set their clocks back an hour, marking the end to Daylight Saving Time.

The U.S. adopted Daylight Saving Time toward the end of World War I and then again during World War II, but between 1945 and 1966, there was no federal law regulating it. This led to confusion between states, and in 1966 Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to establish uniform dates for observing Daylight Saving Time.

However, not all states will change their clocks on Sunday. Hawaii and Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation) along with the U.S. overseas territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

Although the start of Daylight Saving Time falls on the second Sunday in March, it hasn’t always been that way. The Energy Policy Act of 2005, which was implemented in 2007, added four weeks to Daylight Saving Time by changing it to start on the second Sunday in March and end on the first Sunday in November.

Often mistakenly called daylight savings time, its official name in the U.S. is Daylight Saving Time. In European countries, it is called Summer Time.

Ever wonder why we change our clocks? While some think it is to give farmers an extra hour of sunlight in the evenings during warmer months, Daylight Saving Time was seen as a means to help reduce electricity use in buildings.

Sometimes credited with inventing Daylight Saving Time, Benjamin Franklin — the man who is known for the saying “Early to bed and early to rise …” — did not actually suggest a change in time. Franklin’s connection to Daylight Saving Time comes from his 1784 satirical letter to the editor in the Journal de Paris in which he proposed that Parisians could save money on candles by waking up before their normal time of noon.

Depending on how you phrase the question, Daylight Saving Time is either credited to a New Zealand entomologist who proposed the idea in a 1895 paper or an Englishman who campaigned to get the British parliament to pass a Daylight Saving Bill in 1908. In the end, Germany was the first country to implement Daylight Saving Time in 1916 to conserve resources during World War I.

How much energy does Daylight Saving Time save? In 2008, Energy Department experts studied the impact of the extended Daylight Saving Time on energy consumption in the U.S. and found that the extra four weeks of Daylight Saving Time saved about 0.5 percent in total electricity per day. While this might not sound like a lot, it adds up to electricity savings of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours — or the amount of electricity used by more than 100,000 households for an entire year. These electricity savings generally occur during a three- to five-hour period in the evening. To learn how you can save energy during Daylight Saving Time, visit Energy.gov/energysaver.

Replace batteries

Fall is a good time of year to think about fire and carbon monoxide safety in your home. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urges consumers to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms this weekend. Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, November 2, and that’s when consumers will turn their clocks back one hour.

“Smoke and CO alarms can save lives, but only if you have working alarms,” said CPSC Chairman Elliot F. Kaye. “Make it a tradition, that when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time, you also change your smoke and CO alarm batteries. Working alarms, on every level of your home, can buy your family valuable time to escape from a fire or dangerous level of carbon monoxide.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately three out of five fire deaths occur in homes with no smoke alarms or homes without working smoke alarms.

Batteries should be replaced in smoke alarms at least once a year, unless the alarms have sealed, 10-year batteries. CPSC recommends that consumers test their smoke alarms every month to make sure that the alarms are working properly. Smoke alarms should be placed on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside sleeping areas.

Carbon monoxide alarms are also critically important safety equipment in the home. Each year from 2008 to 2010, there were an average162 reported carbon monoxide deaths involving consumer products under CPSC’s jurisdiction, including portable generators and home heating systems.

Carbon monoxide is called the invisible killer. You cannot see or smell CO. This poisonous gas can come from a variety of sources and can quickly incapacitate and kill its victims.

Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide alarms need fresh batteries at least once every year, unless they are powered by sealed, 10-year batteries. Carbon monoxide alarms should be tested once a month to make sure they are working properly.