Joint Base Journal

www.facebook.com/jointbase Joint Base anacostia-Bolling www.cnic.navy.mil/jbab

News and information for and about the premier Joint Base and its region

Vol. 5, No. 12 April 4, 2014

INSIDERenewable Energy and Alternative Fuel Projects

Expand Page 2

Flight for Life

Page 4

U.S. Air Force Band makes

positive impact on community youth

Page 6

By RoBeRt W. Mitchell

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling

PuBlic affairs

forty-seven high school music students from ohio visited Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) re-cently to glean decades of invalu-able music knowledge and guid-ance under the tutelage of the air force Band’s esteemed premier jazz ensemble band, airmen of note.

“our students thoroughly en-joyed visiting and observing the airmen of note in action. it was wonderful for our students to see both musicians and military pro-fessionals at work. seeing the en-semble work in rehearsal was par-ticularly interesting, as students were exposed to great music as well as the process and dedication it takes to perform music at a high level,” said greg Benson, director of bands at gallia academy High school in gallipolis, ohio.

the students sat in on the morning rehearsal with the air-men at JBaB last week. they freely sung along to the classic tunes gleefully capturing the memorable

event with their smart phones. some even camped out right on the rehearsal floor waving their il-luminated phones back and forth like concertgoers.

led by air force tech. sgt. tyler Kuebler, a native of augora Hills, calif., the airmen played stringed instruments, horns, drums, a pia-no, and sang. they performed pop favorites from chicago’s “You’re the inspiration” to otis redding’s “sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.”

the band stopped between sets to talk about musical instruments, like the saxophone, and the life of a being a musician in the armed forces.

some in the group were so in-spired by the visit that they would consider enlisting into the military to pursue a career in music, Ben-son explained.

“after our visit with the jazz ensemble, many students ap-proached me saying how much they had been inspired by the visit and would love to pursue a ca-reer as a military musician in the

Air Force Band members mentor high school music students

By RoBeRt W. Mitchell

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling

PuBlic affairs

at a town hall meeting at Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) last month, senior military and civilian leaders presented an overview of a federal workforce reduction plan that is set to impact hundreds of positions at military installations throughout the national capital region (ncr).

“this was information giving people an update on where naval District Washington (nDW) region is [in the process]. so we constant-ly update and stay engaged with the employees and show them the impact regarding what man-agement is doing, what they have done and what is still expected of

us,” nDW Human resource office Director felix Petersen said at the March 25 meeting at JBaB’s Bol-ling club.

implementation of the reduc-tion in force (rif), which had pre-viously been delayed, goes into effect aug. 23. it will eliminate 31 specific billets on that date and impact hundreds of positions throughout the ncr, according to nDW.

“three things can occur: invol-untary separation, involuntary de-motion, and reassignment result-ing from a displaced or another employee. those are the three things that can occur in a rif,” Pe-tersen said.

in calculating who goes and who stays the rif applies a reten-tion registration tool to determine

the retention status of the federal employees in the region, Petersen explained.

that tool looks at key catego-ries such as length of service and veteran’s preference to establish whether an employee will be re-tained, reassigned or separated, he said.

employees should receive no-tices May 9 about their retention status indicating whether they are in fact affected, retained, re-assigned or separated, Petersen said.

according to district comman-dant rear adm. Mark rich, the majority of the funding at com-mander, navy installations com-mand (cnic) is spent on people and labor costs. and the rif is a way to reduce those expenses by

shrinking operations in the face of one the harshest economic cli-mates he has witnessed over the past three decades.

the elimination of 31 billets does not translate into the loss of only 31 jobs, rich said. it will, rather, impact approximately 124 positions throughout the region, he said.

rich projects one in four em-ployees will be impacted by the rif. He urged all workers to be informed of their protections and rights concerning the rif in order to minimize the likelihood of an unfavorable shift in their career paths.

nDW regional executive Direc-tor tom Mcguire believes many are starting to get a clearer picture what is taking place and how they

can better position themselves for success.

“i think now people are starting to understand fully well. our main focus is [asking], are we doing ev-erything we can to help people get a good outcome,” Mcguire said.

employees affected by the rif have strong protections available to them and informational ses-sions like this one are an excellent starting point.

“it is good for us to get out and have this discussion. it is also good to get out and field questions about absolutely anything whether its rif related or something else,” Mcguire said.

the next and final town hall meeting will take place on the same rif implementation date, according to Petersen.

Naval District Washington representatives discuss reduction in force impact at town hall meeting

U.S. Navy photo By RoBeRt W. Mitchell

Master Sgt. Steven Erickson, a native of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and members of the U.S. Air Force Band’s jazz ensemble Airmen of Note rehearse before an audience of music students from Gallia Academy High School in Gallipolis, Ohio. See BaNd, Page 7

2 Friday, April 4, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

By ShaWn MilleR nDW PuBlic affaiRS

Beyond efforts in naval District Wash-ington (nDW) to reduce traditional energy consumption and become more efficient, two of the key factors to building a sustain-able future are renewable energy and alter-native fuels.

as technology advances and these utili-ties become more financially accessible, nDW and naval facilities engineering command (naVfac) plan to develop and implement various projects at installations throughout the region.

“these opportunities will produce util-ity cost savings and support energy security while integrating and diversifying utility distribution systems to include increasing smart grid and Micro grid capabilities,” the nDW/naVfac Washington energy Pro-gram states. “similar to our traditional en-ergy project portfolios, we will create renew-able energy portfolios based on approaches that identify the best locations for renew-able generation, and public and private fi-nancing options.”

navy energy leaders are evaluating a number of renewable and alternative ener-gy sources including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and alternative fuel non-tacti-cal vehicles. additionally, the navy has set a goal of making half of all installations net zero energy consumers.

net zero refers to buildings that produce as much or more energy than they consume on an annual basis. in naval support activ-ity (nsa) Washington, the Washington navy Yard Visitor center recently became certi-fied as a net zero building through the use of geothermal and micro-wind turbines, along with leD lighting and cellulose insulation.

two micro-wind turbines on the neigh-boring parking deck help provide electricity into a battery system which can be used in the event of a power failure.

Beyond the net zero project at the visi-tors’ center, nDW is also exploring alterna-tive fuel non-tactical vehicle options. sev-eral electric cars and charging stations are located on the first floor of the parking deck.

lt. cmdr. Keith Benson, nDW energy director, said nDW is in the process of col-lecting electric vehicle and alternative fuel data important to future decisions on how vehicles and fuel are used. nDW and naV-fac have set a goal to reduce petroleum us-

age and to annually increase alternative fuel usage by 10 percent.

Benson said nDW has been conduct-ing numerous studies on renewable energy capabilities in the last year to support task force energy and the 1-gigawatt task force, a Department of the navy (Don)-chartered project to oversee implementation of the navy energy strategy.

“We have partnered with the national renewable energy lab (nrel) to expand our renewable energy capabilities and de-termine the sites that we want to invest in,” Benson explained. “We specifically fo-cused on photovoltaic and found that we have more than 40 megawatts of capabil-

ity within nDW that need further analysis and development.”

With the Washington, D.c. solar renewable energy certificate (srec) market offering incentive credits for solar projects, Benson said Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) was identified as a good location to explore photovol-taic options.

“JBaB presents the best opportunity and has a current capability of 10 mega-watts over two sites, Bolling and anacos-tia,” Benson said.

expanding use of renewable energy and alternative fuels represents one of the five energy “pillars” identified to achieve goals

laid out in the 2013 nDW energy Policy statement, working in conjunction with en-ergy efficiency, security, information, and building a positive energy culture.

in 2009, secretary of the navy (secnaV) ray Mabus set five energy goals for Don: increase alternative energy use navywide, increase alternative energy ashore, reduce non-tactical petroleum use, sail the “great green fleet,” and acquire energy efficiency, according to a 2012 Don strategy for re-newable energy report.

for more news and information from around the region, visit www.facebook.com/navDistWash or follow @navalDist-Wash on twitter.

Renewable Energy and Alternative Fuel Projects Expand

U.S. Navy photo By ShaWN MilleR

As part of the Naval District Washington (NDW) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington (NAVFAC) Energy Program, alterna-tive fuels and renewable energy options are being explored to help reduce consumption and become more efficient. Electric car charging stations were installed in a parking garage at the Washington Navy Yard as part of the program’s efforts to expand energy options.

By DaWn SykullaJoint Base anacostia-Bolling

Morale, Welfare

& recreation MarKeting

registration has officially opened for the third annual navy-air force Half Marathon and 11th annual navy 5-Miler. the race has been named one of the year’s best half mar-athons by runner’s World Magazine.

the navy-air force Half Marathon team will welcome thousands of participants to run in our nation’s capital on sunday, sep-tember 14, 2014. online registration is now open for two races, the navy-air force Half Marathon (13.1 miles) and the navy 5 Miler (5 miles) at www.navyairforcehalfmara-thon.com.

runners, both military affiliated and ci-vilian, of all experience levels will start and finish the race in the shadow of the Wash-

ington Monument. the usatf-certified course travels by all of the iconic Washing-ton, D.c. memorials and stretches to in-clude the east and West Potomac Parks and the scenic rock creek Parkway.

all Half Marathon finishers will receive a medal as they cross the finish line. navy 5 Miler finishers will receive a military coin as a tribute to our military tradition of ac-knowledging special achievements. an awards ceremony will take place immedi-ately following the race at the Washington Monument. awards include the top three male and female, master male and master female, as well as wounded warrior male and female finishers in both races. team categories will also be awarded to the top three teams in the Military challenge, cor-porate challenge and open challenge for both distances.

register now at www.navyairforcehalf-marathon.com for the lowest rates and use the promo code “14eBird” for an additional $5 off the registration fee (expires april 12, 2014). Be sure to share the promo code with family and friends.

for the half-marathon, individual entry fees begin at $80 for military and $90 for civilians through May 31. from June 1-July 31, the fee is $90 for military and $100 for civilians. from august 1 until online regis-tration closes, the military fee is $100 and $110 for civilians.

the 5 Miler individual entry fees begin at $45 for military and $50 for civilians through May 31, increasing to $50 for military and $55 for civilians from June 1-July 31. from august 1 until online registration closes, the fee is $55 for military and $60 for civilians.

teams may also register online for the

Half Marathon or 5 Miler at no additional charge. there is a timed and scored team competition and a most participant’s team challenge. the timed and scored team com-petition requires a minimum of four mem-bers to score, one being female, with a maxi-mum of eight members per team. the most participant’s team challenge is a fun, infor-mal challenge to encourage esprit de corps among different groups.

additional amenities to race weekend will include a Packet Pick-up and eXPo on saturday, september 13. the eXPo will feature various vendors offering great deals on clothing, shoes, accessories and other hot items!

register today for the best deal and get ready to Prepare, execute and achieve! for more race information please visit www.na-vyairforcehalfmarathon.com.

Navy-Air Force Half Marathon/Five Miler Registration Now Open

3Friday, April 4, 2014Joint Base Journal Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

this commercial enterprise navy newspaper is an au-thorized publication for members of the u.s. military ser-vices, retirees, DoD civilians and their family members. contents of Joint Base Journal do not necessarily reflect the official views of the u.s. government, Department of De-fense, u.s. navy or u.s. air force and does not imply en-dorsement thereof. the appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the navy, air force, Joint Base anacostia-Bolling or comprint Military Publications of the products or services advertised.

Published by comprint Military Publications, a divi-sion of Post-newsweek Media, inc., 9030 comprint court, gaithersburg, MD, 20877, a private firm in no way con-nected with DoD, the u.s. navy or the u.s. air force, under exclusive contract with naval District Washington.

the editorial content of Joint Base Journal is edited and approved by the Joint Base anacostia-Bolling Public affairs office. tenant commands and others are encour-aged to submit news, high-quality photos and informa-tional items for publication. all submitted content must be received by noon on the friday prior to publication. e-mail submissions to Joseph.Cirone@navy.mil.

to place display advertising, call 240-473-7538.to place classified advertising, call 301-670-2505. ev-

erything advertised in this publication shall be made avail-able for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, gender, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

JOINt BASE ANACOStIA-BOLLING WASHINGtON, D.C.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE: PHONE: 202-767-4781EMAIL: JOSEPH.CIRONE@NAVY.MIL

Joint Base Journal Capt. Frank Mays, USN Commander

Col. Michael E. Saunders, USAF Vice Commander Joseph P. Cirone Public Affairs Officer 202-404-7206

Chief Master Sgt. Richard J. Simonsen Jr., USAFSenior Enlisted Leader

Lt. Cmdr. Jim Remington, USNPublic Affairs Projects

JOINt BASE JOURNAL Robert W. MitchellPhoto Journalist

COMPRINt MILItARY PUBLICAtIONS

Maxine Minar President John Rives Publisher Deirdre Parry Copy/Layout Editor

By anDReW ReveloS

the 2014 navy Birthday Ball is many months away, but the naval support ac-tivity south Potomac navy Ball commit-tee is working hard to raise funds that will enhance the event and help make it more affordable for junior service members. the first fundraising efforts are donut sales held every other thursday at sites across naval support facility Dahlgren. the next donut sales will be held april 10 and 24.

this year’s ball is being organized by members of the Joint Warfare analysis cen-ter, who want attendees to be as diverse as the members of their organization. service members from all branches assigned to na-val support facilities Dahlgren and indian Head, as well as civilian employees assigned to nsasP-hosted commands and activities, are encouraged to attend. the ball celebrat-ing the navy’s 239th birthday will be held at the fredericksburg Hospitality House and conference center on oct. 10, 2014.

cmdr. Pete corrao, assigned to JWac, is the chairman of the nsasP navy Ball committee this year. “naval support activ-ity south Potomac encompasses more than just navy people,” he said. “We’ve got our sailors, but JWac is joint, so we’ll have ser-vice members from all branches. Many of our volunteers and coworkers are civilians, so we want them to come as well. We also want all the civilians who support activities at south Potomac there, along with our re-tirees. it’s a birthday party at the end of the day and we want to invite everybody.”

the tentative theme of this year’s ball is the Battle of leyte gulf, which pitted the imperial Japanese navy against the u.s. and australian navies oct. 23-26, 1944. it is widely considered by historians to be the largest naval battle in history and included

all aspects of naval combat-aircraft, surface ships and submarines. this year will mark the 70th anniversary of the battle. “there is a lot of history there,” said corrao. “it is a major milestone.”

all of the nations that participated in the Battle of leyte gulf are longtime allies today; members of both the australian royal navy and Japan Maritime self Defense force are hosted at nsf Dahlgren. “the onetime ad-versaries in [the Pacific]-the Japanese, the u.s., the australians and the Philippines are all working together now to keep the Pacific safe,” said corrao, who is currently search-ing for a guest speaker with knowledge of both naval history in the Pacific and current events to address the theme.

corrao hopes that members of those na-tions’ armed services based at nsasP will at-tend. “i’d like them to come to the ball,” he said. “i think the theme is very relevant.”

of course, any successful navy Birthday Ball requires much organization and fund raising. “We’re always in the market for volunteers,” said corrao. “We want to offset the cost of the ball to make it more afford-able, particularly to the junior sailors. a lot of junior sailors and a lot of senior sailors never make it to a ball. it’s one of the semi-nal events we do in the navy. it’s a reflection of a great naval tradition. We want people to get excited about the history and heritage of the navy.”

the nsasP navy Ball committee meets at 10 a.m. every other friday at cannon-ball lanes, with the next meeting sched-uled for april 4. readers who wish to vol-unteer or support the nsasP navy Ball are encouraged to attend. for more infor-mation, visit www.navyball.org or email pcorrao@jwac.mil.

Navy Ball Committee kicks off fundraising

U.S. Navy photo By aNdReW ReveloS

tech. Sgt. Veronica Babauta, right, and Lt. Col. Jason Palmer, center, Airmen assigned to the Joint Warfare Analysis Center and members of the Naval Support Activity South Potomac Navy Ball Committee, sells a box of fresh donuts to Jill Morrissett, a JWAC employee, on March 13. the NSASP Navy Ball Committee is selling donuts every other thursday to raise funds for this year’s ball and make it more affordable for attendees; the next donut sales are scheduled for April 10 and 24.

4 Friday, April 4, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

coMMentaRy By aiRMan 1St claSS aaRon Stout

11tH Wing PuBlic affairs

last november, i was offered a chance to support a mission to afghanistan. i jumped before i even knew the full details. My mission had me rendezvous with embed-ded Washington Post reporters in afghanistan and escort them back to the u.s. i also documented an aeromedical evacuation and the life-saving measures implemented to save our wounded warriors.

as military members, sometimes we are asked to sacri-fice life and limb to protect the values we hold dear. un-fortunately, many of us may never really come to realize this until our first trip down range.

My epiphany came when a Marine, severely wounded by an improvised explosive device, was loaded onto the back of the c-17 globemaster iii and secured in place directly across from where i sat. i vividly remember the thought i had: “Does he have arms or legs?” the tubes and wires that were keeping him alive were too numerous to count, almost as though he was buried thoroughly under vines in a vineyard; it was surreal.

from the moment he was on board, people swarmed him, pushing buttons, checking gauges and writing stuff down. a whirlwind of medics and doctors all focused on keeping him alive and giving him the best in urgent care.

thankfully, the military has learned a great deal from this and prior conflicts. it has taken those lessons learned to set in place myriad precautionary measures to ensure first, the saving of our lives, and then our limbs - and it seems to be working.

Maj. Matthew Weber, a medical service corps officer at the 86th contingency aeromedical staging facility at ramstein air Base, germany, said, “we are seeing the low-est numbers of injured troops being evacuated out of the-ater since the beginning of the war.”

Due to this particular Marine’s critical condition, the doctor in afghanistan deemed the best care possible for him would be available at Walter reed national Military Medical center, Bethesda Md., so he was evacuated out.

i noticed something once we were on our way to ramstein: there was a divide between the people caring for him and those caring for the other injured on the air-

craft; all of his care was done by the same three people.it was explained to me during the flight by Maj. shane

runyon, a nurse 10th expeditionary aeromedical evacua-tion flight, attending to the Marine, that the three of them were not members of the ae team but were their own team, a critical care air transport team. they are a more specialized team for critically wounded patients who need to maintain a certain level of care during transport.

the ae team took care of the other, less severe, but no less important, patients on the aircraft.

When speaking to Maj. Juan sanchez, a flight nurse with the ae team, he told me, “the ultimate goal of the ae mission is to have critically injured patients out of theater and back stateside within 72 - 96 hours.”

During the flight, i saw his foot twitch and thought, “oh my gosh! He’s waking up!” With urgency, i went to tell the team taking care of him. runyon explained that he was being kept in a semiconscious state that allowed him to respond to the team with simple head nods but he would never remember the flight.

We eventually landed in germany and all the patients were unloaded by classification of their illness or injury and then transported to landstuhl regional Medical cen-ter, landstuhl, germany, where military personnel from afghanistan, Kuwait, africa and parts of europe are treat-ed and evaluated for return to their duty station, or home for more extensive care.

While at landstuhl, lt. col. David Zonies, the chief of trauma and critical care, explained how today, approxi-mately 99 percent of troops that make it into the system survive. the challenge comes from getting an injured troop the immediate, lifesaving medical treatment they need on site and getting them to the nearest medical facility.

We talked about the measures the air force takes with its doctors to ensure they stay proficient as they are pull-ing them out of the theater with the draw-down.

the doctors are being embedded into universities, includ-

Flight for life

U.S. aiR FoRce photo/aiRMaN 1St claSS aaRoN StoUt

Lt. Col. Richard Lorraine cares for an intensive care patient during a flight back to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Dec. 19, 2013. Lorraine, a member of a Critical Care Air transport team belongs to the 111th Medical Group.

See FliGht, Page 9

5Friday, April 4, 2014Joint Base Journal Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

ShaWn MilleR

nDW PuBlic affairs

Despite winter stubbornly re-fusing to release its icy grip around naval District Washington (nDW), spring is officially here with respite on the way for those people wish-ing for warmer weather.

With spring comes an increase in outdoor activity and a renewed call for safe transportation and recreation by military and civilian personnel dusting off their mo-torcycles and bicycles, as well as runners and walkers abandoning treadmills for better scenery.

Whether running, riding or driv-ing a vehicle, safety managers re-mind everyone to stay alert as more people share roadways and paths, both on installations and off.

Before jumping onto a mo-torcycle or bicycle, however, rid-ers should conduct a thorough pre-ride maintenance check to ensure everything is still in order after a long winter, said george revoir Jr., naval support activity (nsa) Washington safety instal-lation program director. for new or novice riders, this includes fa-miliarizing oneself and becoming comfortable with all the controls, he added.

“a few seconds spent in con-fusion with controls can spell the difference in mishap survivabil-ity,” revoir said. “attend a motor-cycle rider safety training course. in-depth training on motorcycle safe operation has been shown to reduce mishaps and injuries to motorcycle operators.”

for new riders looking into buying a motorcycle, revoir said to resist the urge to start out with a 1000cc sport bike, and instead start with a smaller, more manage-able bike to practice with.

“once skills and experience have grown to enable mastery of the larger, more powerful ma-chine, you can advance up to the larger machine with the knowl-edge level and skill set to make you a safe, capable rider,” he said.

for both motorcycle and bi-cycle riders, helmets are the most basic and necessary safety equip-ment. all active-duty personnel are required to wear helmets at all times both on and off installations, for motorcycles as well as bicycles.

Motorcycle riders are also re-quired to wear eye protection, sturdy over-the-ankle footwear, and protective clothing to include full-finger gloves, full-length trou-sers and long sleeve shirts. abra-sion resistant jackets made of leather, Kevlar, or cordura con-taining impact padding and high visibility materials are highly rec-ommended, according to the navy traffic safety Program guidelines.

cyclists are expected to wear brightly colored clothing and ride with traffic in single file, obeying the same rules as motorists. When riding at night or in times of low visibility, cyclists are required to have a white light on the front of their bike visible from 500 feet, and a red light on the back visible from 600 feet. Beyond wearing a hel-met, other recommended safety gear includes protective clothing

such as gloves and safety clips to prevent clothing from becoming tangled in the chain.

for patrons using the Washing-ton navy Yard riverwalk, revoir said cyclists are not permitted on the trail due to the narrow path-way that can lead to injury of both cyclists and pedestrians.

runners and other pedestri-ans should use sidewalks and pathways wherever possible, and walk against traffic when along roadways. Brightly colored cloth-ing should be worn at night or in low visibility.

“the biggest thing is being vis-ible,” said Jim ganz, nsa Bethes-da safety manager. “You’re not running in a bubble. there are so many other things around you.”

Just as distracted driving is dangerous to motorists, ganz said headphones and other devices used by runners and cyclists are prohibited while on installations to ensure safety.

“My advice for anybody, wheth-er you’re civilian or military,” ganz added, “is if the navy traffic safety instructions say you shouldn’t do this on an installation because it’s

not safe, you probably shouldn’t do it off base.”

sharing the road means motor-ists need to follow some rules as well.

“respect a motorcycle as a full-size vehicle with the same rights and privileges as any vehicle on the roadway,” said revoir.

Motorists should be aware that motorcycles are often harder to see, revoir said, and should al-ways allow extra following room between themselves and the rider. Vehicle drivers should check blind spots and always signal their in-tentions before changing lanes.

When passing bicycles, allow at least four feet of space between the vehicle and the cyclist and pass at a safe, prudent speed, revoir said. When necessary and safe, drivers may legally cross a yellow center line to pass a bicycle.

ganz said whether bound by regulations or not, person-nel should use common sense as they get outdoors during spring to maintain safety because while someone may be legally correct during an accident, runners, cy-clists and motorcyclists will still be on the wrong side of the laws of physics when dealing with traffic.

“We want to make sure that people have fun,” ganz said. “We also want to make sure that people come back to work the next day.”

for more information on mo-torcycle requirements and safety courses, see your local command’s motorcycle safety representative.

for navy regulations and safety information, visit safetycenter.navy.mil.

Spring Safety Means Sharing the Road

U.S. Navy photo By MaSS coMMUNicatioNS SpecialiSt 2Nd claSS KioNa MilleR

the Washington Navy Yard Riverwalk, which opened in 2011, offers pe-destrians a scenic avenue for walking and running along the Anacostia River. Due to narrow sections and heavy foot traffic, bicycles, roller-blades, scooters and skateboards are prohibited. to stay up to date with information and closures affecting the Riverwalk, visit www.twitter.com/WNYRiverwalk.

By Donna ciPolloni

tester staff Writer

if you’re a kid who gets excited about science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics (steM), the only thing cooler than attend-ing a steM event would be hover-ing 5 inches above it.

thanks to a team of naval air systems command (naVair) en-gineers and their hand-built hover-craft, that’s exactly what some of the young attendees were able to do at steM Day on March 15 at the college of southern Maryland.

students in grades 5-8 who par-ticipated in the event experienced six hands-on, fun and engaging demon-strations as well as participate in the steM carnival, which consisted of 10 different activities — including the hovercraft.

“Hands-on activities like the hovercraft let kids see the sci-ence they learn about [such as air currents and friction] in action,” explained chris McDaniel, crash-worthy systems engineer with na-Vair’s Human systems Depart-ment (air 4.6.6.4).

naVair leadership identified the university of Maryland Me-chanical engineer co-op Partner-ship and its graduates working at naval air station Patuxent river as

a resource to build the hovercraft; and McDaniel, along with corey golladay and Daniel Bonnet an-swered the call. todd Jackson, a university of arizona aerospace engineer, joined shortly thereafter to round out the team.

Beginning with a kit containing not much more than an engine, a propeller and some screws, the team set about redesigning and modifying the hovercraft to meet their specific needs.

“since we knew kids would be riding it, we wanted it to be very safe,” said golladay, with na-Vair’s range Department, air Vehicle Modification and instru-mentation (air 5.2) “We added a pressure plate to the back of the seat that would shut off the engine if someone leaned forward and we attached a kill switch to the back of the craft with cable so if there was an emergency, we could pull on it and the hovercraft would shutoff, deflate and lower to the ground.”

although the craft traveled 100 feet along a designated track, the team elaborated on the steering sys-tem by adding an old helicopter joy stick that allowed the student pilots to manipulate the vehicle slightly and experience the sensation of steering.

“they felt like they were control-ling it,” golladay said, “but we were

really in full control at all times.”Working before and after their

normal office hours, most of the team’s members volunteered 20-30 hours each during the project; while golladay racked up nearly 60.

one of the most time consuming tasks was applying fiberglass to the hovercraft, which served as an out-side layer covering the inner plywood construction.

“fiberglass makes it rigid and provides structure and finished coat-ing all in one,” golladay said, “but it must harden for eight hours before you can do anything else, and it’s very labor intensive.”

as their steM Day deadline drew nearer, an additional eight engineers stepped in to assist with various last minute tasks, and the team learned a valuable lesson.

“We had to fabricate just about everything but the propeller,” Mc-Daniel said. “We could’ve spent more time in the beginning figuring out what we had to do and how many people we needed to do it. the more you can frontload a project in terms of engineering; the better off you are.”

the team worked the saturday steM event for four hours and assisted the steady stream of students anxious to take their turn aboard the hovercraft.

“after the event, another 10 adult volunteers also rode it,” golladay said.

the hovercraft will be put into storage and brought out again for fu-ture demonstrations, and there is talk that next year’s steM Day build might involve a co2-powered go Kart.

triton Mission systems airspace integration iPt lead Johann soto, who acted as the team’s project man-ager, praised them for their willingness to support naVair’s steM outreach.

“through their interest [to inspire students], they are ensuring that na-

Vair will continue to have talented and driven steM professionals ready to successfully execute our future en-deavors,” he said. “given the way this team of esDPs [engineer and scien-tist Development Program] rallied around the project to meet technical and schedule goals, i would love to see them rotate throughout our pro-grams to expand their own abilities and become empowered to evolve the capabilities of the organization.”

Visual Learning: Participants see science in action with hands-on activities

coURteSy photoA student is about to pilot a hovercraft during a StEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Day event March 15 at the College of South-ern Maryland. Built by volunteer Naval Air Systems Command engineers, the hovercraft was a popular demonstration with the 5th- to 8th-grade event participants.

6 Friday, April 4, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

By JiM GooDWin

PentagraM eDitor

Marine commanders have a new tool to help ensure service-members who struggle with sui-cide receive needed follow-on treatment and access to resources.

the Marine intercept Program is intended to complement exist-ing Marine corps prevention and treatment programs by providing an added layer of counseling and coordination for those identified with suicide ideations or who have attempted suicide, according to Marine and family Programs Di-vision officials.

announced in february via Marine administrative message 073-14, the program is meant to help “close any potential gaps” in care for those identified via a seri-ous incident or personnel casualty report as having attempted suicide or having suicide ideation. once a sailor or Marine is identified by a formal command report as having a suicidal ideation or following an actual suicide attempt, a Marine corps community counseling and Prevention Program (ccP) counselor makes contact with the identified person. that begins an “evidence-based safety plan and assessment of suicide risk,” ac-cording to lt.. cm dr. sam J. ste-phens of the community counsel-ing and Prevention Program..

from there, those identified by a command generated report are connected with professional counselors - graduate-level edu-cated, state-licensed providers -

who provide continuous “caring contacts” and coordination of care services, according to stephens.

“the ccP counselor does not duplicate or replace - but rather augments - other behav-ioral health services by provid-ing care coordination whenever needed,” said stephens, who is also a u.s. navy psychologist, via email. “they are equally capable and skilled in counseling as any behavioral health provider you would find outside of the installa-tion gates world-wide.”

Local-level carealthough new, the program’s

principle of urgent, continuous communication to foster long-term care stems from a similar approach taken by the corps’ Wounded Warrior regiment, which began the practice of of-fering regular contact to Marines who experienced suicide ideation or previous suicide attempts.. Ma-rine and family Programs Divi-sion at Headquarters u.s. Marine corps transferred that continual contact and care concept to the lo-cal level, implementing the ccP at major Marine corps installations.

in other words, the counselor working with an individual Ma-rine or sailor is more than just a friendly voice at the other end of a 1-800 hotline.

“the individual accepting ser-vices receives regular contact from a caring voice,” said stephens. “they are reminded that they are important, they are reminded

that there is hope, and they have a partner in developing a strategy to stay safe.”

locally, the program is man-aged by the Marine and fam-ily services Program office on the Henderson Hall portion of the joint base. the local program has two ccP counselors to support those assigned to Henderson Hall and Headquarters and service Battalion, Headquarters u.s. Ma-rine corps. the Marine and fam-ily Programs office here can be reached at 703-614-7204.

While the program is not in-tended to replace the corps’ cur-rent suicide prevention programs, it is meant to compliment the guidance and direction provided in Marine corps order 1720.2, the Marine corps suicide Prevention Program.

“We would like those with suicidal thoughts to know: there is hope, getting help works, life changes, do not give up,” he said.

Communication, collabora-tion keys to success

the program provides a sys-tematic, collaborative approach to intervention and prevention, as detailed in the Marine admin-istrative message. specific roles and responsibilities are listed in the message, which charges Head-quarters u.s. Marine corps for contacting the appropriate local-level ccP and unit commander within 24 hours following receipt of a serious incident or person-nel casualty report. Battalion and

squadron commanders are direct-ed to provide assistance in ensur-ing the assigned ccP counselor makes contact with the identified servicemember.

Moreover, ccP counselors recommend courses of action to support at-risk Marines and sail-ors, including collaboration with outside agencies, such as military units and behavioral health ser-vice providers.

in fact, communication is the key ingredient to ensuring success of the program, according to ste-phens. counselors are in contact with the identified servicemember a minimum of six times, according to the Marine administrative message.

“communication...has been purposefully built in to all aspects of MiP,” said stephens. “Main-taining communication with the command is necessary to keep Marines where they are valued.”

to that end, stephens encour-ages commanders and other unit leaders to improve the chances of successful intervention by com-pleting serious incident and per-sonnel casualty reports in a timely manner. in turn, such timely re-porting can help decrease stigmas about suicide, encourage help-seeking and foster a “highly col-laborative approach” to the pro-gram, he said.

New program aids suicide prevention, intervention

photo By SaRah cheRRy

the Marine Corps announced the Marine Intercept Program Feb. 21. the program goes hand-in-hand with the Suicide Prevention Program, provid-ing follow-up care and counseling for Marines who have attempted sui-cide or had suicidal ideations.

By lt. cMDR. JiM ReMinGton

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling

PuBlic affairs

the u.s. air force Band’s Max impact rock band made a posi-tive impact on students at charles Hart Middle school March 26 with grooves as solid as the messages being delivered.

the student body, which in-cludes more than 100 residents

of Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB), responded enthusiastical-ly to the energy and positive vibes the band was giving off through covers of Michael Jackson, Jour-ney, and stevie Wonder among others. there were lots of smiles, cheers, and plenty of students and faculty alike who could not help themselves but to dance at their seats or in the aisles.

in between songs, Master sgt. ryan carson, a native of rapid

city, s.D. and a vocalist for the group took the opportunity to share some life wisdom about team work and looking out for one another.

“in the air force we have a say-ing ‘no action, talk only.’ Don’t do that with your friends. When they need a hand, what you need to do

is help them. You need to encour-age them. You need to give them help. Don’t just say, ‘Hey man i’m thinking about you.’ Help them along that path. Help them to do the right thing. that’s what team work is all about.”

continuing along the theme carson said that the air force

could not complete its everyday mission without team work.

“everyone knows we have pret-ty awesome jets. You think it’s just that pilot who gets that airplane in the air? absolutely not. We’ve got

U.S. Air Force Band makes positive impact on community youth

U.S. Navy photo By lt. cMdR JiM ReMiNGtoN

Charles Hart Middle School students respond to Principal Billy Kearney’s energetic dance performance on stage with the U.S. Air Force Band’s rock ensemble Max Impact. “Sometimes you’ve got to let them see that you’re real,” said Kearney.

U.S. Navy photo By lt. cMdR. JiM ReMiNGtoN

Charles Hart Middle School Principal Billy Kearney shows his moves on stage with the U.S. Air Force Band’s rock ensemble Max Impact during an assembly in the school’s auditorium March 26.

See yoUth, Page 7

By Jonathan Stockair force surgeon

general PuBlic affairs

the air force has recently completed implementation of its secure health care messaging system, Micare, to all 76 of its medical treatment facilities worldwide.

as of March 1, more than 360,000 air force health care beneficiaries and 2,300 providers have signed up for this service, which allows the patient and provider to communicate on a secure network regarding non-urgent health care concerns.

the Micare network also allows beneficia-ries to view their health care record, make ap-pointments and fill prescriptions and allows providers to push important preventative care updates to the members.

overall, airmen, their families and bene-ficiaries using Micare can expect a decrease in trips to the Mtf and more personal com-munication with their health care team.

What’s happening with MiCare at the Military treatment

Facility (MtF)?“at the beginning of Micare’s deploy-

ment, Mtfs were instructed to have 25 per-cent of beneficiaries empaneled by three

months and 50 percent within a year,” said Maria faison, a nurse informatics, Micare project manager with the air force Medi-cal operations agency. “However, we have had many Mtfs surpass this goal within a couple months because the portal’s pro-cesses are now updated to allow users to e-register and be transferred more easily between Mtfs during Pcs season.”

Many Mtfs have been using creative marketing ideas to inform their beneficia-ries about Micare and the many reasons why they should be using it. clinics have been placing posters at facilities, updating their waiting room videos to include Micare information, and some are even creating vid-eos for use on social media.

although many Mtf’s Micare programs have not been up and running until recent-ly, a few bases currently leading in partici-pation are Dyess air force Base, texas, with 63 percent of patients, followed close-ly by Hurlburt field, fla.; robins afB, ga.; and Maxwell afB, ala. the Pentagon has just crossed more than 50 percent partici-pation in the program.

“these bases have had the support of leadership and are utilizing high-perfor-

Health care messaging now fully implemented

7Friday, April 4, 2014Joint Base Journal Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

See MeSSaGiNG SeRvice, Page 8

By cat DeBinDeRWrnMMc PuBlic affairs staff Writer

some people claim meditation does for the mind what working out at the gym does for the body. But, can meditation improve health or prevent problems? there are health care professionals at Walter reed na-tional Military Medical center (WrnMMc) who say it can.

“the mind and body are intimately in-terconnected,” said alexandra arbogast, program coordinator and senior therapist of the Mind-Body Medicine Program at WrnMMc. “therefore, our state of mind impacts our physical health, for better or worse,” she added. for example, she said people’s blood pressure and heart rate in-crease when stressed.

Dr. Jodi albert, a clinical psychologist at WrnMMc who meditates regularly, said

there are many forms of meditation. some forms of meditation are more active, such as “walking meditation, swimming, creative arts, looking at and listening to an ocean or listening to peaceful music,” albert explained.

“the form of meditation that most peo-ple are aware of is ‘mantra’ meditation, in which people sit quietly for 15 to 20 min-utes, typically twice a day, and repeat a word or mantra, such as ‘om’ over and over to help quiet the mind and body,” said albert.

she said research suggests a range of benefits such as reduced production of stress hormones, reduced blood pressure, improved relaxation and concentration and improvements in various stress-related con-ditions.

Mind-Body Medicine Program Offers Meditation to Patients, Staff

photo By cat deBiNdeR

Walter Reed Bethesda offers the Mind-Body Medicine class, giving participants the opportu-nity for meditation, which researches say can reduce stress and improve overall health.

See MeditatioN, Page 8

future. all around, the visit to the base and with the air force ensembles was an incredible and unique experience for our students that capped off our Washington, D.c. trip perfectly,” he said.

the March 26 visit by gallia lines up with calls by air force leaders for the band to have a greater presence in educating students in the community, according to airmen of note noncommissioned offi-cer in charge air force senior Master sgt. tim leahey, a native of altoona, Penn.

“the band last year was given guid-ance to do more outreach in the educa-tional community and we branded what we call the aiM [advancing innovation through Music] program,” he said.

the aiM program links professional air force musicians with students from local schools in the area offering personal music instruction and mentorship.

“We go into the schools, and it might just be a few of us going to talk to some elementary school kids or we might bring the whole jazz ensemble to work with an-other high school jazz ensemble. What we typically do, is we will hear them play, give them a brief overview and then we will split into sectionals so the kids can get a lot of one-on-one attention,” leahey said.

air force Master sgt. Brian MacDon-ald, a native of fort lauderdale, fla., and trumpeter in the group for the past 15 years, said reaching out to the community is all part of being in the band.

“We have school groups come in sometimes and we do many outreach clinics. We work with many D.c. metro high schools and their bands,” he said.

school visits and other community outreach activities are expected to in-crease in the coming months as the weather gets warmer urging local orga-nizations to engage in more recreational activities, explained air force Master sgt. Bryce Bunner who escorted the students to the rehearsal facility.

“in the spring time we get a lot of school groups. it is a chance for the local youth to spend the day with the air force Band,” he said.

Bunner is head of outreach coordina-tion for the band. He is also a principal violinist for the air force strings.

gallia students had previously vis-ited the national capital region, and per-formed at union station as well as george Mason university. During their perfor-mance at george Mason they had the op-portunity to work with Mark camphouse, an illinois-based composer whose work involves symphonic wind instruments, Benson said.

BANDn continued from 1

U.S. Navy photo By RoBeRt W. Mitchell

U.S. Air Force Band’s jazz ensemble Airmen of Note works through a new song for their reper-toire during a visit by music students at Gallia Academy High School, Gallipolis, Ohio.

a whole lot of people and things that go into making that thing fly. gas. People to pump that gas. Mechanics to fix that airplane so that it can go off and do its mission safely,” carson said. “and then we need security forces, which are what we call our police officers, to watch that flight line and keep it safe from people who might want to do the planes harm, and the list goes on and on.”

carson explained that the same ap-plies to their school, sports teams, or any other organization that has several individuals working for a common pur-pose. But to send the message home, carson and the band provided contrast-ing examples of teamwork, first bad and then good, to see what very different out-comes each brings.

“let me give you an example of what happens if everyone just does their own thing.” carson said as each of the musi-cians played their instruments, each in a different rhythm and key. “listen to this mess.”

teamwork, cooperation, and work-

ing toward a common purpose however yield very different results.

carson asked the drummer to lay down a beat, saying that the beat was in-teresting, made everyone ant to move it, but with nothing else it might get a little boring.

“so what happens we have a team mate come along, say Master sgt. David foster (a native of Houston, tex.) comes in on the bass and adds to it,” said car-son, “see everyone’s head is starting to move a little bit more. We’ve got two indi-viduals doing separate things but as part of a team, making one sound together.”

the band continued building the music one instrument at a time until it roused almost everyone in the audito-rium to their feet for stevie Wonder’s hit “superstition.”

Before the performance came to an end and students returned to their regu-larly scheduled classes, carson asked for all faculty members to come forward for a dance competition. in the end he in-vited Principal Billy Kearney up on the stage to show off his moves which earned him a standing ovation.

“sometimes you’ve got to let them see that you’re real,” said Kearney.

YOUtHn continued from 6

8 Friday, April 4, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

Marianne leas, also a therapist in the Mind-Body Medi-cine Program, explained with increased insight individuals increase awareness of unconscious patterns that contrib-ute to acute and chronic disease.

“By changing habitual ways of responding to stress — physically, emotionally, or cognitively — we can learn to re-balance our nervous system and our lives in general,” leas said.

arbogast refers to meditation as a core skill that involves “bringing ones’ attention back to the present moment with an attitude of openness and curiosity.” she said that dur-ing meditation, the attention to the present moment will wander and the main task is to keep bringing it back to the present. “in this way we can train our attention to be more stable, let go of mental and emotional clutter, and achieve greater peace of mind.”

one of the most positive aspects of meditation is it does not require a great deal of time or expensive equipment, said the therapists.

“research has shown that regular meditation practice, as little as 10 minutes a day, strengthens parts of the brain associated with attention, emotion regulation, stress man-

agement and pro-social behaviors such as a sense of empa-thy for others,” arbogast added.

the senior therapist said she sometimes recommends and teaches meditation and other mind-body techniques to patients with positive results.

“in general, patients who start meditating, and espe-cially those who practice regularly, report feeling less over-whelmed, more relaxed, better able to reduce stress and manage their emotions,” arbogast explained.

susan emerson, a Walter reed Bethesda patient who takes advantage of the Mind-Body Medicine classes, said meditation practices she has learned at WrnMMc have made a “huge improvement” in her life.

“i have a history of solving other people’s problems and meeting stressful deadlines on projects. the medita-tion practices and stress resiliency classes have helped me step back and look at my inner self,” she said.

emerson said she is much less stressed and has let go of anger she wasn’t aware of.

leas said one of her patients who now meditates told her, “there is more laughter at our table during dinner.”

for more information about the Mind-Body Medicine Program, contact arbogast at (301) 319-4960 or email alexandra.s.arbogast.ctr@health.mil.

MEDItAtIONn continued from 7

mance teams from within to constantly monitor their progress and improve local practices to make Micare a more effective system,” faison said.

How does MiCare compare with others?although they use a different name for their secure

messaging system, both the army and navy have made considerable progress signing up users. the sister ser-vices have enrolled roughly 523,000 users combined, as of feb. 28. this joint venture has more than 850,000 com-bined users through all services, as well as 7,600 provid-ers and more than 17,500 primary care team members using the system.

the civilian sector is also moving toward offering more patient portals since this service will assist their beneficiaries to make smart non-urgent care decisions rather than sitting in a waiting room or going to an ur-gent care facility.

“so far, everyone is hitting the same roadblocks on try-ing to increase participation further where there is reluc-tance to trust new technology,” said col. gwendolyn John-son, the deputy for clinical and Business analysis Division and a Micare project lead. “the best tools to breaking the barrier are through education and internal marketing. if the staff can realize how Micare can empower and engage our patients, then their enthusiasm will show and increase more patient enrollment.”

a recent secure messaging satisfaction survey dem-onstrated that 97 percent of more than 13,000 survey respondents were satisfied with their secure messaging transaction and more than 86 percent agreed it helped them avoid a trip to an emergency room or an Mtf for a medical problem.

to find out more about Micare please visit www.afms.af.mil/Micare or ask your health care team during your next visit.

MESSAGING SERVICEn continued from 7

By Staff SGt. Suzanne S. lane

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling religious affairs

the Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) chapel is well known for its long standing christmas cantata. the sec-ond annual ecumenical lenten cantata follows in that same tradition of excellence.

the JBaB chapel ecumenical community brings to life through scripture and song of Joel raney’s, “the last seven Days”. the cantata depicts Jesus’ entrance into Je-

rusalem on Palm sunday and the week’s events through christ’s crucifixion and burial on friday evening.

the combination of voices and musicians expressing their common connection in the week of the Passion of christ.

start your Holy week journey by joining us at the cha-pel center on april 11th at 7 p.m.

a potluck meatless supper will be held afterwards, all are welcome to attend.

for more information please contact 202-767-5900.

Ecumenical Lenten tenebrae Cantata

9Friday, April 4, 2014Joint Base Journal Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

By JiM DReSBachPentagraM staff Writer

Heroes honored heroes March 25 at ar-lington national cemetery and the Women in Military service for america Memorial auditorium.

March 25 is annually remembered as Medal of Honor Day, and 30 MoH recipi-ents gathered to recognize three u.s. citi-zens who made life-changing, courageous decisions over the past year. the three were recognized as the 2014 recipients of the citi-zens service Before self award, which is de-signed to recognize “everyday citizens.”

Honored posthumously was sparks, nev., middle school teacher Michael lands-berry, who confronted a gunman and al-lowed his students to escape to safety. landsberry, a former Marine and member of the nevada air national guard, was fa-tally shot oct. 21, 2013. accepting the citi-zen Honors medal and commendation was landsberry’s widow, sharon.

california eagle scout connor stotts was lauded for rescuing three friends from ocean riptide currents, and former soldier troy Yocum was honored for his endeavors in assisting military families and veterans struggling with Post traumatic stress Dis-order and depression.

“these awards serve a critical purpose in our society to honor the selfless service of everyday citizens,” said keynote speaker roger Krone, Boeing Defense, space and security president. “often in today’s world, the word ‘hero’ is used too easily, and its meaning frays in time and becomes lost. gathering here at arlington national cem-etery, the final resting place for so many who faithfully served our nation, we renew

its meaning by celebrating the actions of the heroes who are all around us.”

Before the ceremony, MoH servicemem-bers joined 3rd u.s. infantry regiment (the old guard) and the u.s. army Band at the tomb of the unknowns for a wreath-laying ceremony in a late March snow storm. es-corted by Joint force Headquarters-na-tional capital region/Military District of Washington commander Maj. gen. Jeffrey s. Buchanan, MoH recipients gary Beikirch, Hershel Williams, James taylor and clinton romesha placed a wreath of remembrance at the tomb.

Yocum, a native of louisville, Ky., walked across america to help raise $1.3 million to support military families and currently is heading a community program to build a retreat in shepherdsville, Ky., for military families scarred by veteran suicides. He is inspired by all who have worn an ameri-can military uniform; and specifically, his grandfather, who suffered from PtsD.

“My grandfather was a World War ii vet-eran, and when i was one, he took his own life,” Yocum explained. “He suffered from post-traumatic stress for 40 years. now, my grandfather was always my hero, but grow-ing up, i had so many people telling me ath-letes and actors are famous and the heroes. i never felt that way. i always felt that veter-ans are real heroes.”

since the award’s inception in 2008, 24 people have received the honor. nomi-nees considered are those who have com-mitted an act of “extraordinary heroism” clearly demonstrating “a willingness to place his or her own life at risk for oth-ers,” according to the congressional MoH foundation website.

Heroism defined

photo By Rachel laRUe

troy Yocum, Sharon Landsberry and Connor Stotts pose for photographs during the Citizen Honors Ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial March 25 in Arling-ton, Va. Yocum and Stotts received Citizen Service Before Self medals. Landsberry received the medal on behalf of her late husband Michael.

ing the university of Maryland, to ensure they stay current.

usually, the wounded that are not cat-egorized as urgent or critical are prepped and transported to the 86th casf the eve-ning before they fly out.

as a result of the wounded Marine’s condition, he was not sent to the casf but was held at landstuhl until the aircraft was ready to receive him.

i met back up with the Marine on my flight back to andrews. He instantly seemed

different, better even. He was more con-scious and was no longer intubated, though he still had heaps of tubes and wires strewn across him.

Due to crew rest limitations, the ccatt who had brought him this far switched out and another team tended to his care.

upon landing at andrews, he was greeted by a fellow Marine and ushered off of the aircraft and onto a bus that took him to Walter reed.

With shrapnel in his lung, arm and vari-ous other places in his body, the Marine sur-vived because he made it into the system. as skilled as the enemy has become at injuring our troops, we have become more skilled at saving their lives.

FLIGHtn continued from 4

10 Friday, April 4, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

Immunization Clinicthe 579th Medical group immuniza-

tion clinic will be open Monday, tuesday, Wednesday and friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on thursdays, the clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. the clinic closes at 12 p.m. for train-ing the first Wednesday of each month. for more information, call 202-404-6724.

toastmasters Club seeks membersthe Bolling toastmasters club is avail-

able for everyone on JBaB as a place to practice your leadership skills. toastmas-ters clubs are where leaders are made, and leadership starts with good commu-nication. the program is self-paced, and it works. the Bolling toastmasters club meets Wednesdays from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at the JBaB chapel center. Visitors are welcome. for more information, call Jim Queen at 301-452-6931.

Boys and Girls Club volunteersthe Boys and girls club of greater

Washington needs volunteer coaches for their youth baseball league for 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds. for more informa-tion or to sign up, call 512-560-5548 from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. or email Michael.martinez@afncr.af.mil.

JBAB Cub Scoutsattention all boys grades 1st through

5th interested in scouting. Please contact the JBaB cub scouts, Pack 343, at jbabcub-scouts@yahoo.com for more information. each den holds their own meetings each month along with one pack event. Boys will earn badges together and can work on indi-vidual achievements as well. come join us for popcorn, camping and so much more.

JBAB Cyclists on FacebookBasically a forum for all JBaB riders to

get together. We organize group rides over

lunch and during commuting hours. Visit us online at www.facebook.com/groups/jbab-cyclists. for more information, email austin.pruneda@afncr.af.mil.

Navy Wives Clubs of Americathe D.c. Metro chapter of navy Wives

clubs of america, eleanor roosevelt #37, hosts meetings every second thursday of the month to discuss and plan volunteer activities in the local military and civil-ian communities. Military spouses of all branches are welcome to attend. for more information, email angeladowns@me.com or visit www.facebook.com/nWca37.

Firth-Sterling Gate operationsthe firth-sterling gate is closed on week-

ends. once the gate’s automated features become available, the gate will be accessible by any common access card (cac) holder 24/7 during normal fPcon “a” conditions.

NAVY 311“naVY 311” is the place to go for all

types of information to help support navy military, civilian and retiree personnel and their families. access naVY 311 at 1-855-naVY-311 or (Dsn) 510- naVY-311. You can also email naVY311@navy.mil or visit www.naVY311.navy.mil.

Post Office closed for one hourthe JBaB Post office is closed Monday

- friday for lunch from 2-3 p.m. for more information, call 202-767-4419.

Air Force Wives’ Club thrift Shop the air force officers’ Wives’ club thrift

shop is located at 13 Brookley ave and is open tuesdays, Wednesdays and thursdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Donations are accepted during business hours only. Profits from the afoWc thrift shop go toward college scholarships and other military charitable organizations. for more information about the afoWc or its thrift shop call 202-563-6666 or email afowcthriftshop@verizon.net.

JNotesMiscellaneous items related to your health, your career, your life and your community

CAtHOLIC SERVICES

Reconciliationsunday 9 a.m. chapel center

Rosarysunday 9:10 a.m. chapel center

Masstuesday 11:30 a.m. chapel centerWednesday 11:30 a.m. chapel centerthursday 11:30 a.m. chapel centerfriday 7 a.m. chapel center

saturday 5 p.m. chapel centersunday 9:30 a.m. chapel center

PROtEStANt SERVICES

Sunday Worshipgospel 11:30 a.m. chapel centergeneral Protestant 11 a.m. chapel 2

Sunday Schoolsept - May 9:30-10:30 a.m.

any questions about these services or other religious needs call 202-767-5900.

Chapel

By chuck lucaS

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling

retiree affairs office

Military retirees and eligible depen-dents in the national capital area are in-vited to participate in a dental screening program that could lead to potential treat-ment for selected members.

for the 20th straight year, the air force 79th Medical Wing’s advanced education in general Dentistry program at Joint Base andrews and Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) is offering dental examinations.

interested persons should call the JBaB retiree activities office (rao) at 202-767-5244 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, april 23. calls at any other time to the rao or dental clinics will not be honored.

Dental technicians will review the call-er’s dental history, looking for conditions that meet the needs for resident training.

selected retirees and dependents will be scheduled for examinations at the an-drews dental clinic, Wednesday morning, May 7, and at the JBaB clinic, Wednesday, May 14.

air force col. Jeffrey Denton, director of residency training, said they plan to of-fer examinations to as many as 96 retirees – 48 at each location. “results of the exams will be reviewed by the dental staff,” he added. “those with conditions determined to meet the educational needs of our resi-dents will be considered for appointments, probably starting in october and running through next summer.”

retired air force col. John Moser, rao director, expressed his appreciation to the dental staff for this unique opportunity for local retirees. “We continue to be indebted to the dental staff for including the retiree community to the extent possible.”

Retiree Dental Screenings Offered

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.