Home Blog Page 4

Goldfein swears in as 21st CSAF

By
Aerotech News
-
0
Air Force photograph by Andy Morataya

Gen. David L. Goldfein was sworn in as the Air Force’s 21st chief of staff by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James during a ceremony at the Pentagon July 1, 2016.

As the Air Force’s most senior uniformed leader, Goldfein is responsible for ensuring the 660,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian airmen under his command are fully trained and equipped. He also joins the Joint Chiefs of Staff as an adviser to the secretary of defense, National Security Council and the president of the United States.

“The Air Force is going to be relying on your determination, General Goldfein, to improve readiness, to improve our modernization, and most importantly — always at the top of the list — taking care of our airmen,” James said. “It is a huge responsibility, it’s also an honor, and it’s also a great privilege, and I have every confidence that you are going to take our Air Force to new heights.”

Air Force photograph by Andy Morataya Air Force photograph by Andy Morataya

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James reads the oath of office to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein as his wife, Dawn, holds the chief of staff Bible during a swearing-in ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., July 1, 2016. Goldfein became the 21st chief of staff of the Air Force.

One of Goldfein’s first acts as chief of staff was to make a pledge to his airmen.

“(This is) my commitment to you — to work every day to give you everything I’ve got, to leave nothing on the table, to remain laser-focused on warfighting excellence, to find the opportunity in every challenge, to treat team building as a contact sport, and to be worthy of this honor,” he said. “And I can’t wait to get started. Fight’s on!”

In his previous position as the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, Goldfein presided over the Air Staff, and served as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy Advisory Working Group.

Around the Air Force: July 6

By
Aerotech News
-
0

In this look around the Air Force, an F-35A Lightning II makes a trans-Atlantic flight, an Airman runs 694 miles for post-traumatic stress disorder awareness, and the Minnesota Air National Guard deploys to South Korea.

Welsh: Joint force in excellent shape, but needs resources, prioritization

By
Aerotech News
-
0

The joint force is in excellent shape, but leaders must pay attention to it, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told the Defense Writers Group in Washington, D.C., June 15.

Welsh, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke to the group as one of his last public acts in office. He retires later this month after 40 years in uniform.

But the general didn’t look back, and he said his service is well-placed to counter future threats.

Transnational, multi-domain threats
Welsh said he agrees with Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that transnational, multi-domain threats will be the hallmark of conflict in the future.

“Compared to any other service, the Air Force is already operating transnationally and across domains today,” he said. “We cross a lot of boundaries.”

Aircraft, by their nature, are a transnational asset, he said, noting that aircraft launching from the U.S. can cross a number of combatant commands. The Air Force also does multi-domain operations every day, he added.

The Navy is another service with this expertise in its DNA, Welsh said. He noted the Navy is launching sorties from the Mediterranean Sea to the Middle East, crossing the boundary from U.S. European Command into U.S. Central Command’s area of operations.

“But what we need to do as a joint force is how do we bring all that together,” he said. “The other services do the same thing — we just do it on a broader scale day to day.”

The American military is used to dealing with transnational and multi-domain conflict, the general said, but military leaders need to make sure the command and control systems and sensor networks are capable of connecting across all lines.

Prioritization of planning, resources
The Joint Chiefs are worried about prioritization of planning and prioritization of resource assignment as they look at problems that straddle geographic lines, Welsh told the writers.

“If you take Russia as an example, if someone asks, ‘What’s the issue with Russia, and what’s our plan for action if the next Russian action should occur?’ It’s not just U.S. European Command, which is where everybody tends to look,” he said. “European Command is worried about any engagement with Russia, but so is Central Command, so is Pacific Command, so is Strategic Command, Northern Command — everybody is worried about it.”

The question then becomes how the military balances the priority for planning and resources across all those lines. “The chairman really has to be the one, along with the Joint Staff, to do that direction and prioritization,” Welsh said. “That’s what Gen. Dunford is talking about.”

Joint force is healthy
The joint force is really healthy, the general said — able to execute the strategy well and amazingly capable. “If you look at the results of joint operations over time, they are pretty darn good,” he said. “There is no one on Earth that’s as capable as the American military.”

The joint force has the same problem the Air Force has, the general said. “We’re short on people in many areas,” he explained. “We need to modernize. We just have got to realize that for the tasks we’ve been given, there needs to be a certain level of resources assigned to it, or change the tasking.”

The last is not something military leaders decide, Welsh said.

“If we decide that the United States is not going to be as engaged and use its military as it has for the last 50 or 60 years, OK,” he said. “Then we will tell you what the military needs to look like to do whatever the nation wants us to be able to do. But you can’t expect to keep using us the way we’ve been used over the last 50 years and cut the size of the force and limit our ability to modernize it. That combination doesn’t work.”

Security clearance investigations to include social media activity

By
Aerotech News
-
0
Courtesy photograph
Courtesy photograph Courtesy photograph

People who use social media are constantly reminded to be careful when posting and sharing information. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently enacted a new policy under which federal agencies may consider publicly available social media information in connection with an application for a security clearance.

People who use social media are constantly reminded to be careful when posting and sharing information because it’s almost impossible to know who might be monitoring their activity.

For people who want to get or maintain a security clearance, there is now one more reason to exercise online discipline. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently enacted a new policy under which federal agencies may consider publicly available social media information in connection with an application for a security clearance. Security Executive Agent Directive Five was signed May 12, codifying federal background investigative authority to incorporate publicly available social media information in the security clearance process.

According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the new policy allows investigators to scan an applicant’s history on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other similar sites.

The guidelines make clear that agencies can target publicly available social media posts, if they deem it necessary, but cannot force individuals to hand over their passwords for private accounts, or provide pseudonyms for any profiles.

“Social media has become an integral–and very public–part of the fabric of most American’s daily lives,” said Bill Evanina, Director of ODNI’s National Counterintelligence and Security Center. “We cannot afford to ignore this important open source in our effort to safeguard our secrets–and our nation’s security.”

Additionally, the policy states that social media information gathered as part of a background check will not be retained unless it is considered “relevant” to the security status of the person in question.

The policy does not require security investigations consider social media information. Instead, it permits the collection of publicly available social media information if an agency head determines it is an appropriate investigative tool.

Social media can be a place where people show their true character, says U.S. Army Garrison Italy Command Security Office Alfred Bullard. So now those who need to have a background check give investigators the green light to check into their online activity.

“All personnel who have a security clearance or complete a Personnel Security Background Investigation for a security clearance are giving authorization to be subject to scrutiny of their social media to look for character, trustworthiness, reliability issues and foreign contacts,” said Bullard.

While the policy does focus on looking at online activity, it places important restrictions that limit the federal government’s reach into the private lives of clearance applicants and holders. Absent a national security concern, or criminal reporting requirement, information pertaining to individuals other than the individual being investigated — even information collected inadvertently — will not be pursued. In addition, investigators may not request or require individuals to provide social media passwords, log into a private account or take any action that would disclose non-publicly available social media information.

Security clearance holders undergo intense scrutiny before obtaining–and while maintaining–a clearance. This includes reporting interactions with foreign nationals, obtaining permission to travel abroad, and undergoing extensive background investigations and re-investigations.

This is as it should be, Evanina said. These requirements, along with considering an applicant’s public social media presence, “are a small price to pay to protect our nation’s secrets and ensure the trust the American people have placed in us.”

Bullard said that being mindful when using social media is the best way to avoid any additional scrutiny during the investigative process. “Disparaging pictures or comments could raise character or behavior issues,” he said. “Character or behavior issues could be a deciding factor in the suspension or revocation of a security clearance.”

AF uniform office designs for entire force; new modifications underway

By
Aerotech News
-
0
Air Force photograph by Amy Rollins
Air Force photograph by Amy Rollins Air Force photograph by Amy Rollins

Reviewing a prototype women’s service dress uniform overblouse, left to right, at the Air Force Uniform Office, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are Tracy Roan, the clothing designer; 2nd Lt. Adam Samlowski, the program manager; Yvonne Wilson, the section chief, clothing and textiles; and Maggie Tanner, the pattern designer.

When an airman gets dressed for his or her job, he or she dons apparel and equipment that were developed, produced, deployed, sustained, and modified by a group of fewer than 20 people working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The Air Force Uniform Office, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, has been at Wright-Patterson AFB since its inception in 1947.

It receives program requirements and direction from the Air Force’s chief of staff; Manpower, Personnel and Services; Logistics, Engineering and Force Protection; and combatant commanders. Through the years the office has designed men’s and women’s service dress uniforms, utility uniforms, mess dress uniforms, maternity uniforms, sweaters, and physical training uniforms.

The uniform items and equipment are designed to enhance Airmen’s appearance, performance and combat readiness.

All new designs as well as continuous product improvements are developed with user input and involvement in fit and wear tests. When a technical data package is complete, it is provided to the Defense Logistics Agency or Army and Air Force Exchange Service for procurement. The AFUO has technical responsibility for clothing items until they are retired from the system. Through the Continuous Product Improvement program the AFUO is able to identify, track and resolve issues on sustained uniform products.

The office manages 500 items used on a more regular basis but the total number of items for which it is responsible is in the thousands. The AFUO products are worn by the newest Airmen entering the service through senior leadership. The office’s clothing designers, textile technologists, pattern designers, fabricator, engineer and program manager juggle multiple projects to meet user requirements.

“I find it amazing that such a small building and such a small group of 19 talented people can perform a task that will outfit the entire Air Force,” said 2nd Lt. Adam Samlowski, the program manager. “I find it very inspiring.”

Uniform updates
Several years ago, the AFUO intensified its focus on continuous product improvement, said Tracy Roan, the clothing designer and manager of processes that certify optional items procured through AAFES.

Among the prioritized CPI programs was the service dress uniform, which has been placed on hold while the team addressed user needs on the Airman battle uniform and associated organizational individual equipment.

The current service dress shirts had not been updated since 1986.

“This CPI was an excellent opportunity to improve the shirt fit, appearance and care and utilize technical advances in fabric,” Roan said.

To gather research for the program, a survey issued through the office’s portal page drew 2,600 responses and “a lot of really great feedback on what the users wanted to see be changed and identify problematic areas of the shirt,” she said.

The office compiled the information and undertook a fit evaluation of the current shirt two years ago to see it on users. After reviewing anthropometric data and survey responses, prototypes were developed and test assets were procured. The women’s overblouse and tuck-in shirt will be tested first, then the men’s shirt in mid-June at Wright-Patterson AFB.

Because service dress is seldom worn at Wright-Patterson AFB, a test has been arranged at the Pentagon from mid-July to mid-August, Roan said. The Pentagon offers the greatest opportunity for wearers who wear service dress at least four days per week. All technical data will be given to the DLA at the end of September.

The AFUO is looking forward to seeing the service dress shirts “in action.”

“Building an aircraft takes a number of years, but we’re able to see our initial prototype the first year and the final product is generally on the shelf in about three years,” said Yvonne Wilson, the section chief, clothing and textiles. “It’s pretty exciting. What makes us unique is that we have one design that has to fit all body types which is unlike industry.

“We have one design that we have to make work for everyone,” she added. “The challenge is to make sure we fit the user and can accommodate their needs and job function.”

Another challenge to the new service shirt design was the office’s intent to reduce the number of alterations, Samlowski said. Many people have been choosing to have alterations made to create a neater and sharper appearance.

The new shirt will reflect a combination of regular and athletic sizing systems, Wilson said, and will reduce the need for as many alterations, thereby being more cost-effective.

About 50 percent of online respondents said they have had their shirts altered to the tune of $10 to $30 apiece out of their pocket plus the cost of the garment.

“While it gives you that flexibility to fit more people if you expect they will have the shirt altered, it puts the burden on our user,” Roan said. “We’ve really worked hard to adapt our patterns to the ever-changing physiques of what we expect our Air Force users to be. They are fit people.”

The updated men’s service dress shirt will offer a more tapered fit, much like the old athletic fit, she added, rather than the previous classic fit.

Yet another focus has been on lengthening the service dress shirt to address user concerns. That development needed to be done in advance of improvements to the men’s trousers and women’s slacks and skirts, which could have a waistband redesign to reflect a more modern, professional cut.

One challenge the AFUO faces is the U.S.’s diminishing number of textile suppliers; all its products must be U.S.-sourced as required by the Berry Amendment.

Roan’s past career involved working in industry; she noted how different designing for military service members is.

“It’s still textiles, it’s still apparel but it has new challenges that you don’t have in industry. For the most part, it’s being restricted to U.S. fibers and textiles that limit our choices, so we have to make that work for everybody,” she said. “It’s so fulfilling when you are able to accomplish that. I think our users are super-appreciative when we are able to accomplish that.”

Focus groups, surveys and questionnaires will be utilized to obtain feedback following fit testing.

“A lot interaction occurs with the participants,” Wilson said. “We don’t look at comments as complaints, but rather as concerns. If we aren’t designing that garment suitable for its use, then we have failed in our mission.

“Every airman has to have our product,” she said. “We are the only office in the entire Air Force that can say that.”

Welsh releases 2016 reading list

By
Aerotech News
-
0

The Air Force chief of staff published his 2016 professional reading list May 13.

“This year’s reading list addresses every Airman on our total force team,” said Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. “The profession of arms, Air Force heritage, and developing Airmen are topics that apply to all of us.”

This year’s list contains books, TED Talks, a film, work from Air Force photojournalists, journals, and, for the first time, military-themed blogs.
One of this year’s books recommended by Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody, “At All Costs,” was written by Air Force reservist CMSgt. Matt Proietti.

“I’m delighted the book was included in the reading list because it means more people will hear about Chief (Master Sgt. Richard) Etchberger’s life,” Proietti said. “He was a remarkable GI, one worthy of emulation well before he performed heroic actions at the end of his life.”

A TED Talk on this year’s list, given by cultural innovator Vern? Myers, is a compelling presentation about unconscious bias.

“With thoughtful leadership, General Welsh has put together a powerful list of diverse content that will challenge each Airman to expand her or his worldview,” Myers said. “With this valuable information, Airmen will be equipped to break down stereotypes, to understand the life experience of people different from themselves, and to foster a more inclusive, fair and high-performing Air Force. I’m honored to be part of this important list.”

Print selections of the books will be arriving in base libraries in the coming weeks, but airmen can find many of the works available electronically through Air Force Libraries’ OverDrive system.

The complete 2016 reading list can be found by visiting http://static.dma.mil/usaf/csafreadinglist/index.html.

Air Force changes utility allowance for privatized housing residents

By
Aerotech News
-
0

The Air Force revised its utility allowance policy May 18, 2016, to ensure quality on-base housing for military families and continue to cover utility costs for the average energy consumer.

For new tenants, the revised policy for the majority of residents will now be calculated using monthly meter readings instead of a five-year average with a 10-percent buffer the previous policy used. Current occupants will remain grandfathered in the old system for one year.

Under the former policy, military privatized housing projects spent hundreds of thousands of dollars annually on rebates that went to residents whose actual energy consumption rates were above average, said Jennifer Miller, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations.
This meant, Air Force-wide, privatized housing income went toward above-average rebates each year diverting funds from key program features, like maintenance support, housing modernization and community amenities.

Under the new policy, the utility allowance will still be determined by the average consumption rates of homes assembled in “like-type” groups at every installation, and will still be carved out of basic allowance for housing (BAH). The new policy still supports the rebate system. However, the rebates will only go to those users who fall below the average user rate and a bill will be generated for users who exceed the average user rate.
The Air Force estimates 75 percent of residents will be within $8 of the allowance.

“The new policy empowers residents in privatized housing to manage their energy consumption, much like their off-base counterparts, and rewards those who are more energy conscious,” Miller said. “The intent has always been to promote energy conservation by rewarding residents with less-than-average energy consumption through rebates. The new policy allows the Air Force to better meet that intent.”

Live billing is when a resident has an identified utility allowance and pays for their utilities to either the project owner or directly to a third-party utility company, depending on the project. Mock billing is when the resident has a proposed utility allowance and has a set period of time to acclimate to the new process of paying directly for the utilities, but does not yet actually pay for their utilities until live billing starts.

Implementation of the new policy will occur in stages with bases already in live-billing status starting first. Bases not yet in live billing will first enter into a mock-billing cycle, allowing residents the opportunity to assess their energy consumption, understand the billing system, and alter routines if they choose.

The housing privatization program uses private sector financing and expertise to provide necessary housing faster and more efficiently than traditional military construction processes. With more than $8 billion invested by both the private sector and government contributions, project owners rely solely on BAH income to support all construction, renovation, and maintenance and operation costs for the duration of each 50-year development agreement.

“Everything we do has a ripple effect,” said Robert Moriarty, the director of Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Installations Directorate. “The old policy rewarded higher-than-average utility use and that wasn’t sustainable because it diverted funds from long-term maintenance and repair or replacement of the homes.”

The multi-decade housing deals must remain financially stable for the Air Force to continue providing quality housing for present and future generations of Airmen, Moriarty said.

News Briefs 04/29/2016

By
Aerotech News
-
0

BEACON CHANGES PUBLISHERS

The Beacon staff would like to thank Aerotech News and Review for their many years of publishing. This is the last issue they will produce. Look for a few changes in format for our next Beacon, which will be published by Golding Publications.

CHIEF INDUCTION CEREMONY

The March Field Chiefs Group cordially invites all March to attend the Chief Induction Ceremony Saturday May 21, 2016 at 5:30 pm in the Hap Arnold Club Ballroom. Attire for the event is Mess dress for military and business attire for civilians. R.S.V.P. by May 6, 2016. Call 951-655-3520.

COMMISSARY CASE LOT SALE MAY 5-8

Your March ARB commissary will have their May 2016 Case lot sale May 5-8. They will have savings of up to 60% on cases of your favorite products. Come out and take advantage of your benefit and save big with great prices on paper products, detergents, cereal, pet food and cases of can goods. They will also be offering great savings again this case lot on Johnsonville

sausage while supplies last. Don’t forget to check out the great prices offered in their meat and produce departments. There will be refreshments provided courtesy of their commissary vendors. The commissary is located east of March ARB at the crossing of 6th Street and Meyer Drive. Your March Commissary, It’s Worth the Trip!

VOLUNTEER VICTIM ADVOCATES NEEDED

The SAPR Program March ARB is looking for a select group of individuals to act as volunteer victim advocates with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, March ARB. Basic requirements include: Formal application, approval from the volunteers’ commander and 40 hours of Victim Advocate training from an Air Force approved course. Applicants will then be required to apply for certification with the National Organization of Victim Advocates (NOVA). There will be a 40-hour course offered at March ARB on May 2. Applicants to the program must have clean background check, possess excellent communication skills, be of outstanding character and judgment and willing to respond to incidents of a very personal nature with great discretion while adhering to Air Force protocol in respect to the SAPR program. Please contact the SAPR office March ARB at 951-655-4551 or email at frank.pavone@us.af.mil

EDUCATION & TRAINING OFFICE TO PROVIDE MASS BRIEFINGS

The March Education and Training will hold mass briefings on Sundays during each Unit Training Assembly for any Tuition Assistance, GI Bill and Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) inquiries. Their schedule is as follows:

Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) 8 – 8:30 a.m.

Tuition Assistance/GI Bill 8:30 – 9 a.m.

There is no need to sign up for the briefings. For more information, contact the March Education and Training office at 951-655-6739.

FY16 UTA RESCHEDULE GUIDELINES

Brig. Gen. Muncy has determined that the following FY 16 Unit Training Assemblies may only be rescheduled if the reschedule date is for the alternate UTA during the same month of the A and B UTAs for the months of May and August 2016. The wing commander will authorize reschedules outside of the same month, if absolutely necessary, on a case-by-case basis.

REGISTER FOR YELLOW RIBBON EVENTS

Upcoming dates for Yellow Ribbon events are May 20-22, Jun 17-19. For more formation, contact 1st Lt. Shelley Lawrence, your 452nd Air Mobility Wing Yellow Ribbon representative, for details at 951-655-4615.

BACK STREET GRILL HOURS

Hours of operation for the newly renovated Back Street Grill are Monday – Friday for breakfast from 6:30 to 10 a.m., for lunch from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; UTA weekends for breakfast (Sat & Sun) from 5:30 to 9 a.m., for lunch (Sat & Sun) from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., for dinner (Sat only) from 4 to 8 p.m. Additionally, the Back Street Grill proudly serves Starbucks Monday – Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and UTAs (Sat & Sun) from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

GRILL NIGHT AT SALLY’S ALLEY

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

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 WellBeats Fitness Schedule is:

Mondays: 10:30 a.m. – REV (spin); 12:15 p.m. – Yoga

Tuesdays: 12:15 p.m. – Fit for Duty; 4:00 p.m. – REV

Wednesdays: 6 a.m. – Yoga/Pilates; 11 a.m. – V.I.B.E./Toning; 12:15 p.m. – REV

Thursdays: 11 a.m. – REV; 12:45 p.m. – Fit for Duty

Fridays: 11 a.m. – Core; 11:15 a.m. Pilates

Wellbeats offers many more classes available at the members’ request.

FIP (Fitness Improvement classes) available through our Wellbeats Kiosk.

Additional opportunities for fitness:

Tuesday, 11 a.m. and Thursday, 12:15 p.m. – Battle ropes training

Monday, 10:30 a.m. and Wednesday, 11:30 a.m. – TRX

A & B UTA Saturdays, 7 a.m. – Wellbeats Fit for Duty

A & B UTA Sundays, 7 a.m. – Wellbeats REV

A UTA Saturdays, 5 p.m. – Virtual Strength “Fit for Duty”

B UTA, 5 – 7 p.m. – Pick-up basketball

Coming in 2016: Inter-Services Golf Tournament, Team Cohesion Challenge, Armed Forces 5K Run.

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

Class descriptions:

Circuit Training – a high intensity interval training class that integrated cardio and muscular endurance exercises

Core – various classes from our WellBeats system that focus entirely on working out your core

Fit for Duty – a high-energy, extreme, conditioning workout led by service members with expertise in fitness training

Functional Fitness – A type of high-intensity interval training combining cardio and weight training into one short but intense class with mobility drills, mountain climbers, lunges, push-up, kettlebells, goblet squats duck walk, run.

Fusion – an integration of yoga and Pilates exercises with attention to breath, form, flow and body balance.

Kinetics – a total body, multi-activity class that includes sports-style cardio intervals with resistance training circuits and muscle isolation work

REV – an indoor cycling class that combines sprints, climbs, intervals, drills, terrain, and technique training

Stomp – a total body, cardio-driven step class as it was originally meant to be taught

TKO – a blend of martial arts disciplines that includes a combination of punches, kicks, and strikes

TRX – introductory class that teaches basic exercises to strengthen core and transition into more advanced techniques on the TRX suspension system

V.I.B.E. – multi-dimensional dance exercises ranging from Latin to urban, hip-hop and more

Zumba/Zumbathon – well-known dancing class featuring exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats (Zumbathon is a two-hour Zumba class in which participants can win prizes.)

 

             OUTDOOR REC UPCOMING 2016 TRIPS

The outdoor recreation division has scheduled trips for target audiences of Single Airmen (SAP), Pre/Post-Deployers (RecOn) and Deployed-affected family members (DP). There is special pricing for these members (SAP/RECON/DP column). All others (military/DOD ID card holders and their guests) are invited on a space-available basis at the higher, per-person price listed in the EOE column. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis, and can be made by contacting ODR at 951-655-2816.
DATE – TRIP SAP/RECON/DP EOE
May 13-15 – Whitewater Rafting DE – $30 $130
May 28 – Deep Sea Fishing SAP- $25 $102
Jun. 10-12 – Spelunking SAP – $40 $110
Jun. 18 – Skydiving SAP – $40 $199
Jul. 16 – Couples Ballooning RecOn/DE – $30 $148
Jul. 30 – La Jolla Kayaking RecOn/DE – $15 $70
Aug. 13 – Catalina Adventure RecOn/DE – $40 $150
Aug. 27 – Bridge to Nowhere Bungee Jumping SAP – $20 $85
Sep. 3 – Skydiving RecOn/DE – $40 $199
SEP. 3 – Zipline/segway tour SAP – $40 $200
Sep. 17 – Deep Sea Fishing RecOn/DE – $25 $102
Sep. 24 – Tandem Hang Gliding RecOn/DE – $50 $199

 

 

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.

 

MARCH TICKETS & TOURS

Amusement Park Specials

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: $140 per person (adult/child)

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.

Team March Push-up challenge brings awareness to Veteran suicides

By
Aerotech News
-
0
U.S. Air Force photo/Linda Welz

More than 75 Team March members gathered near the main gate Friday morning, April 22, with a common goal – to bring awareness to the high rate of Veteran suicides by performing some push-ups. The event was dedicated to Elias Reyes Jr., brother of Master Sgt. Mario Reyes-Jauregui, 452nd Security Forces Squadron, who led the group as they counted off.

“A couple of years ago my brother ended his pain,” Reyes-Jauregui said. “I thought he was fine, like a lot of us think people are, and he wasn’t.”

Reyes-Jauregui’s brother served as a Marine (infantry) and completed three tours of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan before leaving the service, after which he attended college at the University of California, Los Angeles, earning his bachelor’s degree.

“I thought he was good, but that was a bad assumption on my part,” Reyes-Jauregui said. “He ended the pain (at the age of 27) and that was it. Unfortunately, that’s a statistic that is rampant in our nation now,” Reyes-Jauregui said. “We need to make that statistic a zero. We need to take care of our troops and stick together. We’re all a family. We’re all in this together.”

The Mission 22 push-up challenge is currently trending on social media. Unlike the previous water bucket challenge to raise money, this trend is simply to spotlight Veteran suicides in an effort to bring the number from 22 every day to zero.

Marvin Tucker, 452nd Emergency Management director, has been doing the Mission 22 Push-up Challenge for a few weeks, and challenged Chief Master Sgt. Deborah McGuane, 336th Air Refueling Squadron, to complete 22 push-ups in 22 days and post it each day to social media to help spread the word.

“This is a time to reach out,” Tucker said. “Every day 22 of our Veterans commit suicide, and we need to get that number to zero.”

“The 22nd of every month is supposed to be Buddy-check day,” McGuane said. “It is the day you are supposed to check on your buddies. This is here to raise awareness and empower those to make sure that they know that they have a purpose.”

You don’t have to be able to do regulation push-ups to help shed light on this tragedy and help eradicate Veteran suicides. To learn more, visit www.mission22.com.

The ‘Dirty Dozen’: What it means to serve as an Air Force Reservist

By
Aerotech News
-
0

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — When I was the spouse of a Reservist (which was the better part of my five years of marriage), I didn’t get it. My husband would work his normal work week, then square away his uniform on Friday night for drill on Saturday and Sunday. Come Monday morning, he was back at work, and I had no concept of the toll it took – until I became a Reservist with a full-time job, too. They call it the “Dirty Dozen” here: 12 days in a row where you set your alarm for 5 a.m. to be at work by 6:30 or 7 a.m. Twelve days in a row where your spouse has to pack the kids up for church alone on a Sunday, or – if you’re both Reservists – you have to find a babysitter Saturday and Sunday. Twelve days in a row that your kids are in daycare or with a sitter. Twelve days in a row where date nights don’t exist because those precious hours from 6 p.m. when you get home till the time you roll into bed are spent going through mail, cleaning the house and doing laundry. For those who are geographically separated from their military unit, it also means two travel days, or working a full day Friday and then driving several hours to get to the unit’s lodging facility in time to shower and crash for a few hours. Employers who honor their Reservists’ duties are extra special. Although it’s a federal requirement to allow Reservists to leave when they are on orders and hold their job for them, some employers find ways to make it as difficult as possible; others accommodate with alternative work locations, work-from-home options, or even “stay available by phone” or “check email” and they’re good to go. During the rest of the month, part-time military service means Reservists have to stay physically fit. They abstain from activities some civilians enjoy. What they do off-duty, they know, can affect their entire military career. Prior to the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” those who were in partnerships with members of the same sex had to stay “in the closet” 28 days a month for the sake of the two they serve. This is the sacrifice we all signed up for when we raised our right hand and took the oath. When someone thanks me for my service, I say – genuinely – “it’s my pleasure.” And it is. But I didn’t get it until I experienced it. I took for granted what part-time military servicemembers do day in and day out and especially during the “Dirty Dozen.” Don’t take for granted what your Guard and Reserve friends and family do when they serve. They’re not “weekend warriors” – they’re part of a force that’s ready to activate any time active duty needs a hand. They’re some of the finest people and finest Americans I know.

1...345...64Page 4 of 64

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

©