inside af prosecutes sexual assault, p2 short sale …extras.mysanantonio.com/randolph/082412...

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH 66th Year • No. 34 • AUGUST 24, 2012

INSIDE ... AF PROSECUTES SEXUAL ASSAULT, P2 ... SHORT SALE HELP, P3 ... GET READY FOR RAMBLER 120, P11

A publication of the 502nd Air Base Wing – Joint Base San Antonio

PAGE 8-9

AUGUST 24, 2012PAGE 2 WINGSPREAD

COMMENTARY

By Col. Don ChristensenGovernment Trial and Appellate Counsel chief

Here’s a simple truth: Sexual offenders reject our core values of integrity, ser-vice and excellence, in favor of following their own base, undisciplined criminal desires.

Most sexual assaults committed by Airmen are “blue on blue,” or Airmen victimizing other Airmen. So in addition to rejecting our core values, these undisciplined Airmen reject the wingman concept that we prize in the Air Force.

They represent a direct threat to unit morale, good order and disci-pline. They degrade combat readi-ness, but with the combined efforts of command, law enforcement and our team of prosecutors, they will be held accountable. Together, as a team, we will protect other Airmen and protect our strength and combat readiness as the world’s greatest Air Force.

Detecting and prosecuting sexual as-sault is our priority. Recently, we posted signifi cant Air Force sexual assault prosecutions on the Internet. The post-ing may be found at www.afjag.af.mil/sexualassaultprosecution/index.asp.

As you can tell from a quick review of this information, we will prosecute sexual offenders anywhere they are found. From reviewing these cases, you can see sexual assault in the Air Force carries substantial penalties.

Our partners in the Air Force Of-fi ce of Special Investigations thor-oughly investigate each allegation to provide commanders with timely, accurate and prosecutable evidence. They pass the ball to commanders, who call upon my team to prosecute the offender to the maximum extent allowed under law.

Our team of prosecutors is better than any you will see in the civilian community or on television. I have 17 highly skilled senior trial prosecu-tors who are selected from among hundreds of judge advocates for their top-notch trial skills.

They have the very best trial skills in the Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps. They prosecute the Air Force’s most serious courts-martial. Seven of my senior trial prosecutors have been identifi ed as “special victim unit” prosecutors, due to their training and experience in combating sexual assault. They

are dedicated to bringing justice to victims of sexual assault and ensur-ing commanders are able to appro-priately hold offenders accountable.

In the typical case we prosecute, the accused Airman exploits the vic-tim’s intoxicated state to commit the sexual assault. We are very effective in prosecuting these offenders, and the law encourages us to prosecute Airmen who use alcohol to facilitate the sexual assault of substantially incapacitated victims. Prosecuting this kind of case is one of our core specialties.

The Air Force has done a great job training Airmen about respecting oth-er Airmen and not sexually abusing their fellow Airmen. Training reaches many Airmen who might be tempted to commit this crime. For others, who cannot be persuaded by training, my team, the Senior Trial Prosecutors/Special Victims Unit, stands at the ready to vindicate the victims.

INTEGRITY FIRST

AF prosecutes sexual assaultAlvin Hill, 12th Operations Support Squadron weather fl ight operations fl ight chief, checks for bat signatures on the weather radar on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Aug. 20. For the complete story on local bat activity, see pages 8-9.Photo by Rich McFadden

ON THE COVER

This newspaper is published by Prime Time Military News-papers, a private fi rm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Wingspread are not necessarily the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force.

The appearance of advertising in this publication, includ-ing inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Prime Time Military Newspapers, of the products or services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affi liation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Public Affairs Offi ce of JBSA-Randolph. All photos, unless otherwise indicated, are U.S. Air Force photos.

The deadline for submissions is noon Wednesday the week prior to publication. All submissions can be emailed to [email protected].

Wingspread Offi ce1150 5th Street East

Randolph AFB, Texas 78150Phone: (210) 652-4410

Wingspread [email protected]

Wingspread Advertisement Offi cePrime Time Military Newspapers

Avenue E at Third StreetSan Antonio, Texas 78205

(210) 250-2519 • Fax 250-2570

Joint Base San Antonio-RandolphEditorial Staff

Brig. Gen. Theresa CarterCommander

Marilyn HollidayChief of Public Affairs

Senior Airman Precious YettEditor

Airman 1st Class Lincoln KorverRobert GoetzAlex SalinasStaff Writers

Maggie ArmstrongGraphic Designer

"We are very effective in prosecuting these offenders and the law encourages us to pros-ecute Airmen who use alcohol to facilitate the sexual assault of substantially incapacitated

victims. Prosecuting this kind of case is one of our core specialties."

Graphic by Rich McFadden

WINGSPREADAUGUST 24, 2012 PAGE 3

NEWS

By Robert GoetzJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

One of the hardships military members face when they have orders for a permanent change of sta-tion is selling their home.

That burden becomes even great-er when their home is worth less than the balance of their mortgage, which is often the case in a difficult housing market.

Changes to short sale policies an-nounced by the Federal Housing Fi-nance Agency will soon assist military members with loans guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, making it easier for them to meet their financial commitments to their lending institu-tions when they are required to move to another duty station.

“More and more military members are finding themselves upside down on their mortgage, so this is a great deal for them and their families,” Lt. Col. Stephen Blake, Air Education and Training Command Asset Management Branch chief, said. “This new policy will enable members with upside down mortgages to avoid the financial strain of selling at a loss or maintaining a second home upon PCS.”

Because of the policy changes, PCS orders will be considered a hardship, qualifying military members for a short sale. A short sale enables homeowners to sell their house and settle their mortgage debt even if the house is worth less than the balance of the mortgage.

In addition, service members will be exempt from deficiency judgments from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when receiving permission for a short sale and relieved of any request or requirement for a cash contribu-tion or promissory note so long as the property was bought on or before June 30, 2012.

Blake said the program is important to service members because they do not have the ability to stay in their homes until the housing market sta-bilizes. If they were unable to sell their homes prior to this FHFA-sponsored program, they were obligated to con-tinue making payments after relocat-ing to a new duty station.

“The balance due is typically sig-nificant because the housing mar-ket has tumbled in recent years,” he said. “Civilian homeowners can stay in their homes and ride it out. For military members, that is not the case. They don’t have the option to ride out the market. With these

policy changes, their credit is not af-fected and they are not responsible for making up the difference.”

Blake said the program will become effective Nov. 1.

For more information, service members

can call 1-800-7FANNIE or 1-800-FRED-DIE, or visit the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac websites, www.fanniemae.com and www.freddiemac.com.

Blake said base housing offices can also provide assistance.

Members now qualify for short sale assistance

By Joel FortnerAir Force Public Affairs Agency

A redesigned program will help ease every Airman’s transition to civilian life and help them better apply their military experience, Air Force officials said.

The program is the first major overhaul of the transition assistance program for military members in nearly 20 years. The effort began in response to a call from President Barack Obama in August 2011 to ensure all service members are “career ready” when they leave the military.

Slated to begin service-wide in November, the cur-rent three-day, optional program will be expanded to five days. It has also been redesigned into a com-prehensive, mandatory program that includes pre-separation counseling, a military-to-civilian skills review, a Veterans Affairs benefits briefing, finan-

cial planning support, job-search skills building and individual transition plan preparation.

A pilot program was held July 9-13 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, which allowed Departments of De-fense, Labor and Veterans Affairs to test the initiative.

According to Secretary of the Air Force Michael Don-ley, the redesigned program bolsters and standardizes the transition services that service members receive, prior to retiring or separating from the military, to make them employment ready.

“America’s Airmen have extraordinary technical expertise and world-class leadership skills that are in high demand,” Donley said. “Our goal is to provide Airmen leaving the service with a comprehensive transition assistance program that prepares them for life after the military.”

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy said the program is as good for the civilian sector as it

is for Airmen.“Employers are looking for educated, trained and ex-

perienced people like those who are separating from the Air Force,” he said. “This program will help smooth the transition to civilian life for our Airmen.”

Under the old program, separating Guardsmen and Reservists were often left to their own devices. Roy said another benefit of this new program is the inclusion of the Total Force.

“We want to take care of all our Airmen, and this program does that,” he said. “No component of our Total Force deserves more help transitioning than another.”

By October 2013, three two-day optional sessions on pursuing a technical certification, starting a busi-ness or pursuing a higher educational degree will also be offered to Airmen.

For more information, contact the Airman and Family Readiness Center or email [email protected].

Veterans use revamped program to ease into civilian life


By Tech. Sgt. Shawn JonesAir Force Public Affairs Agency

When referencing fundamental standards, Airmen now have a single source: Air Force Instruction 1-1, Air Force Standards.

As one of the capstone acts of his 39-year career, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, put his signature on the brand new instruction, which com-municates in one document the required standards of conduct, performance and discipline expected of every uniformed Airman.

The instruction – the fi rst and only to be signed and certifi ed by the chief of staff – was preceded by Air Force Policy Directive 1, Air Force Culture, in which the secre-tary of the Air Force directed the chief of staff to develop and execute policy related to standards.

The new instruction is noteworthy not because it of-fers many new standards, but because it consolidates many of the standards that had been spread among many separate instructions, offi cials said. In a single document, the instruction conveniently summarizes the expected standards of conduct for uniformed Airmen.

The intention for the instruction is to serve as a compass, providing a convenient overview of standards while directing Airmen to other instructions where more detailed information may be found, offi cials said.

Having a one-stop shop for standards-related guide-lines has long been absent in the Air Force. In fact,

the vast majority of the new instruction’s initial content and structure were borrowed from the now outdated Air Force Regulation 30-1, Air Force Standards, which was not replaced until the early 1990s when Air Force instructions replaced Air Force regulations.

In December 2011, Schwartz directed the Air Staff to develop the new instruction. Much of the heavy lifting related to coordinating and drafting the instruction was performed by Scott Martin, a legal adviser on Schwartz’s senior air staff counsel.

“We needed to capture and consolidate the existing Air Force standards,” Martin, a 23-year veteran who retired as a colonel in 2010, said.

From cover to cover, the instruction counts 27 pages, broken into three chapters.

The fi rst chapter, the Air Force environment, focuses on topics such as core values, customs and courtesies,

force structure and diversity. According to the chapter overview, the Air Force environment “encompasses the actions, values and standards we live by every day.”

The second chapter focuses on standards of conduct, including sections on profession-al relationships, ethics, drug and alcohol abuse, and government neutrality regarding religion. The instruction’s fi nal chapter addresses standards re-lated to dress and appearance, fi tness and housing.

Martin said that while he borrowed a lot from the old regulation, it was incomplete for today’s Air Force since so much had changed in the past two decades.

“We updated it and brought it up to the 21st century to address contemporary challenges that Airmen face,” he said.

Some of those updates include standards related to relationships on social media, the wingman concept, re-siliency, sexual assault prevention and response, tattoos and body piercing, and the Joint Ethics Regulation.

Martin said he expected the instruction to become a valuable resource for educating today’s Airmen.

“If you have a young Airman who’s not quite getting it, this will be a great tool for a mentoring session,” he said. “Every Airman should periodically review these standards of conduct to assure he is living up to what the Air Force expects of him every day.”

(Editor’s note: AFI 1-1, Air Force Standards, and AFPD 1, Air Force Culture, can be found on www.e-publishing.af.mil.)

Airmen receive new instruction on standards, culture

NOW SHOWINGat the

Randolph Theater

"Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter" (PG-13)Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper

Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth WinsteadToday at 7 p.m.

$5 for adults, $2.50 for children 11 and under

• CATHOLICMonday-Friday

11:30 a.m. - Bldg. 102Saturday

5:30 p.m. - Bldg. 102Sunday

8:30 a.m. - Bldg. 10211:30 a.m. - Bldg. 102

ConfessionSaturday

4:30 p.m. - Bldg. 102

• PROTESTANTTraditional

Sunday Service8:15 a.m. - Base theater

ContemporarySunday Service

11 a.m. - Base theater

Randolph Chapel

Schedule

"Katy Perry: Part of Me" (PG-13)Katy Perry

Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

JBSA-Randolph operators no longer assist with conference calls

To book a conference call and set up a Meet-Me number, go to https://www.my.af.mil/gcssaf/USAF/ep/globalTab.do?channelPageId=s6925EC13560E0FB5E044080020E329A9>.

“Air Education and Training Command Conference Call Scheduling and Fre-quently Called Numbers” is located directly under the “Unique To Us” block. Alternate locations will need to select the “AETC MAJCOM” portal page fi rst. All previous bookings scheduled through Sept. 30 will remain and do not need to be rebooked. If you require an immediate booking, call 671-1110 and ask to speak to a supervisor. For more information, contact 925-6848.

Munitions staff conduct inventoryThe 902nd Logistics Readiness Squadron

munitions offi ces and the munitions stor-age area will be closed to normal busi-ness Sept. 4-7 to conduct its semiannual 100 percent inventory of ammunition and explosives. For more information, contact 652-3361/6780.

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph holds Retiree Appreciation Day The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Retiree Appreciation Day will be held at 8 a.m. Sept. 22 at the Kendrick Club. There will be a full slate of exhibitors who will provide information of interest to retirees. For more information, contact 652-6880 or the Retiree Activities Offi ce website http://www.jbsa.af.mil/library/jbsaretireeactivitie-soffi ce.asp.

Committee holds Air Force Birthday Ball The Air Force Birthday Ball takes place at 6 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Omni Hotel, 9821 Colonnade Blvd., San Antonio, Texas. For tickets, an e-invite link will be sent to your respective command chief’s offi ce. Each respective organization has an allotted number of tickets.

Red Cross seeks volunteers The American Red Cross seeks volunteers to serve the base community at the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Medical Clinic. Contact the Red Cross desk at 652-6372 for details.


By Airman 1st Class Lincoln KorverJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

The lives of many staff and technical sergeants are filled with the responsibili-ties of maintaining a healthy life, taking care of a family and bringing young Airmen underneath their wing. But taking advantage of volunteer opportunities is also im-portant, such as dedicating a year of hard – and some-times unnoticed – work to the Rising 5/6.

The Rising 5/6 is a group of E-5s and E-6s who are committed to being a voice for NCOs stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

“The executive council took advantage of the di-versity in our careers and accomplished great things throughout the Rising 5/6,” Staff Sgt. Natca Moye, Air Force Personnel Operations Agency Test Team Requirements NCO in charge and Rising 5/6 presi-dent, said. “We mentored one another, pushed one another and encouraged one another’s vision for the organization and together we accomplished every-thing we set out to do.”

This year’s council members did things that had never been done before, to include hosting Ran-dolph’s first-ever speed mentoring event and served at the Single Airman’s Dinner.

“Our goal was to bridge the gap between the Team Randolph Airman’s Council, the Rising 5/6 and the

Top 3,” she said. Although the goal

of the Rising 5/6 may seem simple, ensuring suc-cess is something that does not come without a lot of hard work.

“From the outside looking in, I thought, ‘this is easy, I can do this,’” Moye said. “But when we began to write our goals for the organization to reach the next level, I then thought to myself ‘Lord, what did I get myself into?’ But with a great executive council, faith and commitment, I would never change my decision. I’ve really been blessed to be in this position and to have such a great council. We really pulled together and made things happen.”

The Rising 5/6 meets every third Friday of the month at the Parr Club.

“The meetings are amazing and always edu-

cational, whether it’s from our peers or a guest speaker,” she said.

Some might think they are too busy for the Rising 5/6, but Tech. Sgt. Brian Hornberger, 359th Medical Operation Squadron Mental

Health flight chief, thinks that shouldn’t stop people from being an ac-

tive member in the group.“Get out of your comfort

zone,” he said. “Don’t wait for free time, make it. Baby steps are fine as long as you are still moving forward.”

There are many posi-tive things one can gath-er when placed in a po-sition of leadership, such

as strong Enlisted Per-formance Report bullets and

countless volunteer hours, but the intangibles Moye is walking away with

from the Rising 5/6 are the things she is truly the most thankful for.

“The skills that I gained being the presi-dent such as leadership, followership, networking, mentorship, courage, public

speaking and organization are irreplace-able and priceless,” she said.

Rising 5/6 president expresses benefits of being a member

Airman 1st Class Corey Lindner

The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Top Three Professional Performers Award program recognizes enlisted members for their outstanding professionalism in the performance of primary and additional duties, and leadership within the base and community.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH

Staff Sgt. Joleen English

Airman 1st Class Corey Lindner902nd Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter

Airman Lindner is the August Junior En-listed Professional Performer of the Month. Lindner possesses professionalism and a diverse attitude that allows him to charge into any task and produce results well beyond what’s expected. Although Lindner has only been in the military for 14 months, he is technically proficient, exceptional in dress and appearance, spiritually grounded, physically fit and has stellar military bear-ing. He is a highly motivated hard charger who gets the job done.

Staff Sgt. Joleen English902nd Force Support Squadron Career Development NCO in charge

Sergeant English is the August NCO Professional Performer of the Month. English provided technical expertise to the new Air Force Personnel Center driven assignment process test. She processed 35 new assign-ments and out-processed 74 members and their families, while also processing 79 reenlistment/extensions. She has been a staunch physical training leader, completing Zumba Instructor Certification, leading six physical training sessions and ensuring five out of six members received “excellent” ratings in their fitness assessments. English has completed three college classes and all the requirements for her Community College of the Air Force degree in human resources. As the 902nd FSS Booster Club president, she raised $261 for the Booster Club to support the squadron’s annual picnic and holiday party.

Photos by Rich McFadden

Scan with Smartphone app to access the Joint Base San Antonio website at www.jbsa.af.mil.

Scan with Smartphone app to access the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph

Facebook page at Facebook.com./RandolphAirForceBase


Duty titleOperations Research AnalystHometownCentennial, Colo.HobbiesRunning, reading a good book, enjoying time with my friends and familyGreatest AccomplishmentGraduating from college and being commissioned in the U.S. Air ForceGoalsWatch out for my people, and work hard day in and day out with a smile on my facePersonal InspirationMy parents and my husband, who have supported me with everything I have ever wanted to do, and who I look up to for their strength and kindness

Pet PeevePeople who chew food loudly with an open mouth Personal Motto“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.” – Ronald ReaganCommander’s Comments “Second Lt. Arnsberg has that mix of enthusiasm, determination and initiative leaders love to see in ju-nior offi cers. She takes on tough projects and manages with ease a number of responsibilities, which seem to pull her in different directions. What she doesn’t have in time in service she more than makes up for with an earnest willingness to learn. She’s a shining star whose future seems as bright as the successes she fosters.”

Lt. Col. Maurice AzarAETC Studies and Analysis Squadron commander

2nd Lt. Emily ArnsbergAir Education and Training Command

Studies and Analysis Squadron

Photo by Rich McFadden

Active shooter briefi ngs will be held in the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph theater 10-11 a.m. Tuesday and Sept. 4, and 1-2 p.m. Sept. 12. For more information, contact Tech. Sgt. Keith Hartman or Joseph del Farte at 652-2744.

On Sept. 17-18, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph will hold an active shooter exercise. The Active Shooter Trifold, which has information on what to do in the case of an active shooter, can be found on the homepage of the JBSA website on the

left side under “Security.” Here is the direct link: http://www.jbsa.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-120821-024.pdf.

Printed copies can also be picked up at the Public Affairs customer service help desk.

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph plans active shooter briefi ngs

By 2nd Lt. Keenan Kunst12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

The men and women of the 12th Op-erations Group received 21 fl ight evalua-tions during a no-notice inspection by a team of Air Education and Training Com-mand inspectors from August 13-16.

The inspection team assessed per-formance and adherence to published standards, rating each pilot “Q-1,” the highest aircrew rating. The team also noted 19 commendable areas during the evaluation.

“We are truly Airpower’s Blacksmith,

and these results are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our fantastic operations team,” Colonel Morrissey, 12th OG commander said of the group.

“Our Airmen have a real commit-ment to the mission and a standard of excellence. I’m proud of them and the way they accomplish the mission every day, forging combat power for tomorrow’s Air Force. We’re focused on building the most effective and ef-fi cient aviation training organization in the world!” focused on building the most effective and effi cient aviation training organization in the world.”

12th OG excels during no-notice inspection


Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Professional OrganizationsAirmans Council Rising 5/6 Top 3

General membership meetings take place at 3 p.m. the last Friday of each month at the Kendrick Club.

General member-ship meetings take place at 3 p.m. every third Friday of each month at the Parr Club Auger Inn.

General member-ship meetings take place at 3 p.m. every third Friday of each month at the Kendrick Club.

For more information, visit our SharePoint site at https://randolph.eis.aetc.af.mil/SAG/AC/default.aspx or email [email protected].

For more information, visit our SharePoint site at https://randolph.eis.aetc.af.mil/SAG/R56/default.aspx or email [email protected].

By Alex SalinasJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Feds Feed Families, a national effort urging federal employees to donate non-perishable food to food banks, began operating in San Antonio in 2011.

Thirty local federal agencies collected 30,429 pounds of food for the San Antonio Food Bank, earning the Alamo Federal Executive Board the top-earner award among 27 other federal executive boards across the nation, Bruce Bebow, AFEB administrative support technician, said.

This year, 18 agencies from San Antonio, including some from Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, have par-ticipated, and Ellen Nelson, AFEB executive director, said the collection numbers have a chance of surpass-ing last year’s total.

Collections have been taken from base since May and will wrap up the end of this month.

The donations are collected by the AFEB at sched-uled times once a month, where they are then delivered to the San Antonio Food Bank.

Specifi cally, Nelson and Bebow have been responsible for making stops to local agencies one at a time during the sultry summer months to pick up the rations.

“Bruce and I distribute 30 red barrels across San Antonio and do three big pickups (one per month for three months),” Nelson said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s a great picture to see the barrels full of food on our truck.”

Agencies within the Air Force that have made strong donations at Randolph include Air Education and Train-ing Command, Air Force Manpower Agency and Air Force Personnel Center.

The total volume of food collected for June and July are 1,765 pounds for AETC, 715 pounds for

AFPC and 337 pounds for AFMA. On Aug. 15, AFPC, Bldg. 499, held a morning collec-

tion drive to spark interest for Feds Feed Families. “AFPC is our support agency for AFEB,” Bebow said.

“We knew about their mini-drive because we’re on the mailing list, but I haven’t been invited to anything like that at other federal agencies in San Antonio.”

Desirable nonperishable foods Feds Feed Families looks for are listed in their “12 most wanted” list, which includes peanut butter; cereal; tuna; beans; rice; maca-roni and cheese; chili; canned stew; soups; canned lun-cheon meats; boxed or canned full meals; and pop-top food items, Bebow said.

With a final collection date on Aug. 28, Master Sgt. Shaun Abell, Feds Feed Families coordina-tor on Randolph from the 558th Flying Training Squadron, hopes to see a lot of charity from base members.

“We are rapidly approaching the end of the Feds Feed Families campaign, but there is still plenty of time to donate to this outstanding cause,” he said. “With a late push, I believe we can close this campaign out on a positive note.”

Abell said people can fi nd a red barrel in various locations across base to drop off food. The donations will be distributed by the San Antonio Food Bank to assist local families in need.

Collections for Aug. 28 will be gathered starting at 8:30 a.m.

“It’s about feeding communities in San Antonio,” Nel-son said. “It’s the best part of our job.”

JBSA-Randolph supports local Feds Feed Families program

Photo by Rich McFaddenMaj. Gen. Alfred Stewart (second from left) , Air Force Personnel Center commander, joins Jacob Love, AFPC entitlements branch, Chief Master Sgt. Rubin Gonzales, AFPC command chief and Todd Fore, AFPC executive director, at a Feds Feeds Families food bank donation barrel during a collection event held at AFPC on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas Aug. 15.

Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive.Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive.Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive.Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive.Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive.Arrive alive. Don't drink and drive.

AUGUST 24, 2012PAGE 8 WINGSPREAD WINGSPREADAUGUST 24, 2012 PAGE 9

ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE

The Local Bat Population

• During the early part of summer, an estimated 100 million Mexican free-tailed bats migrate from Central America to the central Texas area. Of these, approximate-ly 20 million move into Bracken Cave.• Bracken Cave is located approximately 11 miles northwest of the major runway approaches at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.• Weighing about 15 grams each, Bracken Cave's bat colony – mostly females with babies – can eat about 10 tons of insects in one night.• The bats can fl y as high as 10,000 feet to reach their primary food source; cotton bollworm moths, army cut-worm moths and other fl ying agricultural pests.• Because the prevailing wind is out of the south, most of the time, base aircraft will fl y over the cave on their fi nal ap-proach to the Base.• The bats fl y in a south-easterly direction into the wind because bugs are being pushed by the winds out of the south-west. Therefore, the bats need minimal effort to capture insects. • The bats re-enter the cave in the early morning hours.

MexicanFree-Tailed Bat

(Tadarida brasiliensisa)


Located about 11 miles northwest of Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph is Bracken Cave, which nests millions of migratory Mexican free-tailed bats from March to October and is the largest bat and mammalian colony on earth. The majority of the bats in Bracken Cave are females nursing their ba-bies, so every evening during these months they emerge between 6-8 p.m. depending on factors such as rainfall and crop production, Mike Pacheco, U.S. Department of Agricul-ture wildlife biologist for Randolph, said.

The bats, fl ying southeast, are on a col-lision course with bugs like cotton boll-worm moths and army cut-worm moths being pushed from crops southwest by winds. Because of the volume of bats that emerge from the cave and its proximity to Randolph, the fl ying mission is impacted.

Last year, Randolph reported seven bat strikes occurred during fl ights, Pacheco said. Because the incidents were single-body collisions, the aircraft did not expe-rience signifi cant damage. This is partly due to Randolph’s limited scheduling of nighttime fl ights – when the bats are most prevalent.

Maj. Kevin Douglas, 12th Flying Train-ing Wing fl ight safety offi cer, said fl ying ceases on base for all aircraft at 5:30 p.m. except for the T-1 Jayhawk, which is the only aircraft with a nighttime fl ying requirement.

Under 12th FTW Instruction 13-204, a local flying regulation, bat procedures are implemented one hour prior to sun-set and 30 minutes after sunrise from April 1 to Oct. 31.

The procedures essentially help serve as a real-time warning system for air-borne pilots.

However, the bats at Bracken Cave are not the reason why Randolph does not operate a large fl ying mission during the night, but research that began more than four decades ago contributed to that reason.

In 1974, the fl ight safety offi ce deter-mined that sharing the surrounding air space with bats was best suited for the

Randolph fl ying mission, Larry Guzy, a professor at State University of New York at Oneonta who holds a doctorate in psy-chology, said.

During the early 1970s, Guzy assisted an animal behavior expert named Leon-ard Ireland, then an assistant professor at Oakland University, who helped establish a Randolph bat avoidance program in 1971.

Guzy joined Ireland at Randolph to study the bats at Bracken Cave and their effect on night mission training with T-37 Tweets and T-38 Talons.

In a manuscript provided by Guzy, published in 1973 titled “The Bat Haz-ard to U.S. Air Force Aircraft,” Ireland and his colleague, Timothy Williams, chronicled their experiments that led to the initiation of the bat avoidance program.

“It wasn’t until the safety officer at Randolph mailed an unknown sample of remains from a plane to Tim Williams at the Smithsonian that he realized it was fur belonging to a bat and not a bird,” Guzy said.

Their first observations began on Oct. 20, 1967, and research followed.

“During the summer of 1968, eve-ning pilot training flight patterns at Randolph Air Force Base were altered to avoid the immediate areas of large bat roosts,” the manuscript stated. “In August 1971, we initiated a bat avoid-ance program based on real-time radar observations.”

Observations of bat fl ights from Bracken Cave were made with the ASR-6 search radar at the San Antonio International Air-

port and with the FPS-77 weather radar at Randolph, the report confi rmed.

“When … activity was fi rst noted on the search radar, the radar operator informed both the T-38 Flying Safety Offi cer at Ran-dolph AFB and the operator of the weath-er radar of the position and size of the bat fl ight by telephone,” the document stated. “The weather radar operator determined, if possible, the maximum and minimum altitudes of the bat fl ight and reported this information to the safety offi cer.”

Each year from 1967-1971, the average number of bat strikes that occurred was 31, which were responsible for 80 percent of summer nighttime strikes.

Ultimately, the research in the report concluded that the bat avoidance program was “partially effective” – 16 bat strikes were reported at Randolph in the summer of 1972 and 19 bat strikes were reported during the summer of 1973, a statisti-cally signifi cant decrease from the average number of strikes recorded previously.

Despite radar technology, a part of the Mexican free-tailed bat’s lifestyle still baffl es experts.

“In 1974, we found, as previously identi-fi ed, that the bats’ fl ying behavior was too unpredictable to be able to identify a pattern that was safe for night training missions,” Guzy said. “One problem that we still have is not knowing how many bats in the air does it take to obtain a radar return.”

Thus, the decision to share air space was made.

The aircraft most susceptible was the T-38, which “fl ew during the day and the bats fl ew at night,” Guzy said.

Guzy also provided a copy of a Wing-spread article dated July 18, 1974.

The article, titled “‘Batman’ comes to Randolph,” reported how Ireland – dubbed “Batman” – and Guzy’s research on Bracken Cave was pertinent to the fl ying mission.

The article also explained the impor-tance of the bats’ presence to the sur-rounding area, and a reason why getting rid of them to make way for air space would be a bad idea.

The millions of bats that emerge from the cave eat several tons of insects per night, the article stated.

Based on research in 2006, this pro-duces savings of about $740,000 to cotton farmers in south central Texas, specifi cally in the Winter Garden area, whose crops would otherwise be dam-aged by the pres-ence of too many moths, Bob Locke, Bat Conservation International direc-tor of publications, said.

The cotton crop area is worth $5.5 million.

Nationwide, bats save farmers $3.8 bil-lion per year in potential crop damages and pesticides farmers do not have to use, Fran Hutchins, BCI Bracken Cave coordi-nator, said.

The only real concern regarding fl ying is the times when the bats leave and enter the cave, Pacheco said, which has been accounted for.

“The bats leave in tight-knit columns,” he said. “They vortex upwards and the whole process (of bats exiting the cave) can take up to four hours.”

From a spectator’s view, the bats, which leave in groups and not all at once, travel in lines resembling a serpentine shape.

Locke said that an old estimate of the number of bats in the Bracken Cave roost was 20 million, but that fi gure is no longer used because there are not any current reliable methods to count the bats.

Ireland remarked at the sight in 1974. “Often we see clouds 30 miles long and

20 miles wide coming out of Bracken,” he said. “Banding even 10,000 of those bats would only make a scratch on the popula-tion and fi nding those 10,000 bats again would be a fantastic feat in itself.”

Fast forward 38 years from the exploits of “Batman,” Pacheco commented on his role in the bird airstrike hazard program on base and how the program pays hom-age to separate research undertaken by Guzy on bird strikes in 1973, as well as to the original bat avoidance program.

“It’s very neat to look into the history of the base and to see continuity,” Pacheco said. “It’s a direct correlation of three or four decades and generations.”

Bats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying missionBats from local cave alter base night fl ying mission

Photo courtesy of Merlin D. TuttleMillions of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from Bracken Cave to feast upon agricultural pests every evening from March through October.

Information graphic content courtesy of Larry GuzyState University of New York at Oneonta professor

Graphic by Maggie Armstrong



A study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that nearly a third of American workers are chronically sleep-deprived by sleeping less than six hours. This CDC-dubbed “public health epidemic” spells potential health problems for the Air Force’s active-duty members as well as Department of Defense civilians who aren’t getting enough sleep.

As a preventive measure, the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Health and Wellness Center offers a Sleep Im-provement and Fatigue Countermeasures course from noon-1 p.m. the second Thursday of every month.

First Lt. Shannon Scannon, 359th Aerospace-Medicine Squadron officer in charge of administration and schedul-ing, said from a non-medical standpoint that sleeping can be the biggest contributor to one’s vitality.

“The foundation of health starts with a good night’s sleep,” she said. “It also can improve one’s psychological well-being.”

During the course, the physiology of sleep is discussed, including circadian rhythms and the signs and symptoms of fatigue.

Part of the course also addresses many negative out-comes that may arise from people who don’t get enough rest, Senior Airman Kristen Coffey, 359th AMDS Aero-space and Operational Physiology technician, said.

“Drowsy driving, which can cause automobile accidents, obesity, heart problems, diabetes and cancer are all long-term effects that can occur from lack of sleep,” she said.

Mental errors, such as numerous typos in an office setting, slurred speech, slower problem-solving skills and microsleeps – episodes of sleep lasting from a fraction of a second to 30 seconds – are daily problems one can experience with too little rest, Coffey said.

There are natural solutions that can improve sleep to help avoid debilitating outcomes.

Exercise is one such solution that can help chisel fa-tigue away. This is because exercise can help decrease the kind of stress that causes people to not get restful and revitalizing sleep.

“Stress affects sleep, so exercise can increase stress tolerance and therefore decrease one’s stress,” Scannon said.

It’s especially important that everyone gets a full night’s rest after they work out.

“Human growth hormone helps with physical repair and restoration,” Scannon said. “HGH is only released inside of our bodies during sleep, which not only repairs muscles, but also revitalizes our immune system.”

Scannon said people’s nutri-tion and environment can deliv-er additional stress, which can contribute to subsequent sleep-less nights.

“Even how crowded or messy your room or office space is can cause unperceived stress,” she said.

Nutrition can improve slum-ber and help battle fatigue, but it’s dependent on if people want to go sleep or if they want to stay

awake, especially if they are at work, Coffey said. “If you want to go to sleep, something small with com-

plex carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables or whole grain pasta will help,” she said. “Your body digests complex carbs quickly so they won’t sit in your stomach all night long. They also release serotonin, which relaxes you.”

The class also addresses the importance of not going to sleep on an empty stomach, limiting liquid intake before bed and taking multivitamins to overcome natural bodily deficiencies.

To enroll in the course, visit https://app-eis.aetc.af.mil/fas/Randolph/default.aspx and click on “Sleep Improve-ment and Fatigue Countermeasures.

For more information, contact the Aerospace and Op-erational Physiology Training Flight at 652-4931.

Medical staff offers course for sleep deprived


By Robert GoetzJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

The 902nd Force Support Squadron is gearing up for one of Joint Base San Antonio-Ran-dolph’s signature events.

Now in its seventh year, the Rambler 120 Team Challenge attracts active-duty members and their families, retirees and Department of Defense civil-ians from JBSA installations and beyond for a friendly – but often intense – com-petition that encompasses bicycling, run-ning and rafting.

This year’s event, which is planned for Oct. 20 at JBSA Recreation Park at Canyon Lake, features a few new wrinkles, including an ex-pansion of the pool of eligible entrants.

“This year we’ve expanded the eligibility to include any federal government agencies,” Steve Knechtel, Randolph acting Community Services Flight chief, said. “I’ve already been in contact with a Homeland Security employee who is working on fi elding a team. I’d also love to see more Navy, Marine Corps and ROTC participation.”

The one-day triathlon comprises two divi-sions, a fi ve- to eight-person relay team and an “Xtreme” team of four competitors, and three categories: all-male, all-female and coed. The

event includes a 22-mile bike race over pub-lic Hill Country roads, a six-mile run across Canyon Lake dam and a two-mile raft race from Jacobs Creek Park to Pebble Beach in the recreation park, as well as a mystery event.

Knechtel, who has been involved in the Rambler 120 since its inception, said the event promotes teamwork and esprit de corps while challenging participants men-tally and physically.

“I’ve received emails from people who’ve participated,” he said. “They say the event is well-organized. They appreciate that along with the very good food and the ca-maraderie.”

Knechtel said the event is marked by a “good mixture” of participants.

“We have different skill levels,” he said. “Some are hard-core triathletes who are re-ally driven, while other teams are out for the fun and recreation.”

Lori Souza, who has entered the event with her husband, Richard, a retired Air Force master sergeant, nearly every year since it started, participated in the fi rst Rambler 120 because it “sounded like a great time and an exciting challenge.”

“My husband and I had been running for years and it was a great way to get our friends motivated to compete with us,” she said.

Souza and her husband have competed in

both the coed relay and coed Xtreme divisions. As the “Fairly Odd Parents,” they and their other team members placed fi rst in the coed relay division in 2008; as members of the “Ag-ing Gracefully” female Xtreme team, Souza and her teammates fi nished fi rst last year.

Souza said the Rambler 120 is just the right size and provides a friendly atmosphere per-fect for families.

“We love the size of the race,” she said. “It gives it a personal feel and often we know many people competing. The food afterward is awesome. We usually bring our kids and make a day of it at Canyon Lake.”

Lt. Col. Michael Patronis, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command Surgeon General Directorate Medical Support Division chief, also competed in the fi rst Rambler 120, when he was serving as a squadron com-mander at the 12th Medical Group.

“Our wing commander was having a lot of fun with it, so our group got together and put some teams on the board,” he said. “It was a huge morale booster and a lot of fun. I person-ally love to compete in mid-level races and I think there are a lot of others out there like me who aren’t regular marathon or triathlon runners, but enjoy a good challenge.”

Patronis, who missed the event only in 2007 and 2010 when he was deployed, said he has competed on coed relay teams with names like “Bad Medicine,” “Patronis Re-jects” and “Bling Kings.”

He said his family plays a big role in the Rambler 120.

“My wife and two kids have joined our team as the pit crew every time,” Patronis said. “They drive the truck, help with snacks and keep the participants entertained. It’s great family fun.”

Souza said she and her husband are looking forward to this year’s Rambler.

“We are planning to compete this year and are working on getting one or two teams to-gether,” Souza said.

Patronis said the directorate plans to fi eld three teams this year – two relay teams and one Xtreme team.

Knechtel said the 902nd FSS is now seek-ing teams for the event, which costs $100 for Xtreme teams and $150 for relay teams. En-try forms may be downloaded at www.randol-phfss.com or picked up at Information, Ticket and Travel, Bldg. 897, or the Rambler Fitness Center, Bldg. 999.

Contact Knechtel at 267-7358 or [email protected] for more information.

Fitness center seeks varsity basketball coaches

The Rambler Fitness Center is accepting ap-plications for men’s and women’s varsity basket-ball coaches. The season runs September through March and coaches must be available for all games and practices. For more information and to apply, contact Rikk Prado at [email protected] or 652-2955.

Bowling center offers Labor Day special

Join the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Bowling Center for a special Thun-der Alley 8 p.m.-midnight Sept. 1 in celebration of the Labor Day holiday. DJ Stevie Mac will provide music and there will be several games with lots of prizes and Spare Time Grille specials. For more information, call 652-6271.

Fitness center plans two-person biathlon

The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Rambler Fitness Center is holding a two-person team biath-lon 7:30 a.m. Sept. 1 at Eberle Park. The fi rst team member must complete the 10-mile bike route in order for the second team member to start running the 5K. For more informa-tion, call 652-7263.

Golf course tees up tournament

Randolph Oaks Golf Course plans a Red, White and Blue Labor Day Tournament Sept. 3. Tee times are 7-9 a.m. For details, call 652-4570.

SPORTS - HEALTH - FITNESS

Organizers seek teams for seventh annual Rambler 120SportsSportsSportsBRIEFSBRIEFSBRIEFS

Photo by David TerryDebra Chauvin records the time of runners fi nishing last year's Rambler 120 Team Challenge event at Joint Base San Antonio Recreation Park at Canyon Lake. The event also includes cycling, rowing and a mystery challenge.

inside af prosecutes sexual assault, p2 short sale …extras.mysanantonio.com/randolph/082412...

Documents