san antonio express-newsextras.mysanantonio.com/.../2016/05-13-2016-wingspread.pdf ·...

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH No. 19 • MAY 13, 2016

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

PAGE 4

JBSA-Lackland runway reopens, page 6 Mental Health Awareness Month, page 9JBSA Aerobathon, page 8

Photo by Airman 1st Class Lauren Ely

Courtesy photo

Terry Roberts, 12th Operations Support Squadron weather operations technician, surveys a Kestrel to check wind speeds on the east fl ightline May 4 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. A Kestrel is a manual way to gather wind information when there is an outage to the primary weather data sensors.

MAY 13, 2016PAGE 2 WINGSPREAD

COMMENTARY

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph

Editorial Staff

Brig. Gen. Bob LaBrutta

502nd Air Base Wing/JBSA Commander

Todd G. White

502nd ABW/JBSA Public Affairs Director

Karla L. Gonzalez

JBSA-Randolph Public Affairs Chief

Senior Airman Stormy Archer

Photojournalist Journeyman

Airman 1st Class Lauren Ely

Photojournalist Journeyman

Robert Goetz, David DeKunder

Staff Writers

Maggie Armstrong

Graphic Designer

This newspaper is published by EN Communities, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclu-sive 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 servic-es. Contents of the Wingspread are not necessarily the official 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, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or EN Communities, 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 affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron.

Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Public Affairs Office 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 Office

1150 5th Street East

JBSA-Randolph, Texas 78150

Phone: 210-652-4410

Wingspread email

[email protected]

Wingspread Advertisement Office

EN Communities

P.O. Box 2171

San Antonio, Texas 78297

210-250-2052

By Lt. Col. Shaio Zerba 306th Intelligence Squadron Beale Air Force Base, Calif.

On April 16, 2007, I got a call no expectant mother would dream of receiving. "We got the results from your biopsy and it came back malignant."

Did the doctor just say I had cancer?I first discovered the lump during

Christmas break. It was so small that it was barely distinguishable. In March, I performed another breast exam and detected the lump again, but this time it was noticeably larger. I decided to get the lump checked out.

Several days before my doctor's ap-pointment, I discovered I was pregnant. Because of the pregnancy, the doctor performed an ultrasound rather than a mammogram. Since the ultrasound was inconclusive, the doctor recommended performing a biopsy that day for defini-tive results.

The following Monday, I received the results – it was cancer. Within days of my diagnosis, I had surgery to remove the tumor. The final pathology report found the cancer to be stage 1, but high grade and extremely aggressive. Unfor-tunately, cancers diagnosed in younger patients – I was 32 at the time – are generally faster growing, contributing to lower survival rates.

Given the rate of survival for my type of cancer, my doctors believed I had to receive chemotherapy and radiation treatments immediately. Their plan was to start chemotherapy during the second trimester of the pregnancy consisting of six rounds of chemo with three week in-tervals, a total of 18 weeks. Then, after I delivered the baby, resume another 12 weeks of chemo, followed by six weeks of radiation therapy.

While medical studies had proven this treatment regimen safe during pregnan-cy, I was still uneasy. After a lot of sleep-less nights, my husband and I decided to

trust the doctors.My first chemotherapy session was

one of the most difficult days of my life. During the pre-brief the nurse relayed

a few of the side effects of chemo such as hair loss, nausea and a reddish tint to my urine, tears and sweat. As briefed, my urine looked like red Kool-Aid poured into the toilet bowl and days later my hair began to fall out. I thought to myself, if chemo made my urine red and my head bald, what else was it do-ing to my body and the baby? Each time I went in for another chemo installment, I felt tormented.

It was a long, arduous 14 months from diagnosis to completion of treat-ment involving cancer diagnosis, morn-ing sickness, pregnancy discomfort, surgery, chemo, baldness, bed rest, labor, more chemo and radiation.

Despite all we went through, we became proud parents of a healthy boy. Our son arrived five weeks early with all his fingers and toes.

The first year after treatment was a difficult transition to normalcy. Returning to the everyday humdrum of daily life felt like returning from a yearlong deployment. Everything felt trivial, trite or mundane. With time I began to feel more like myself, however it would take several years to finally process the trauma and verbalize my story to others.

It's been more than seven years since my diagnosis and I have been cancer free. My son is a healthy, happy first grader who loves to ride his bike and learn about the American presidents. My marriage is stronger than ever since my husband and I share the same battle scars. I am now a squadron commander with the ability to help Airmen.

I am grateful for all the good things in my life. I share my story because I believe resiliency, the ability to bounce back, not only comes from practice but also knowing that the human experience is not faced singularly.

FINDING COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD

Pregnant with cancer: A story of survival, resilience

Lt. Col. Shaio Zerba

Check us out: • Facebook: Joint Base San Antonio, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Lackland JBSA and JBSA-Randolph • Twitter: @JBSA_Official; @JBSAFSH; @JBSALackland and @JBSARandolph• YouTube: Joint Base San Antonio • Flickr: Joint Base San Antonio Public Affairs

“I am grateful for all the good things in my life. I share my story

because I believe resiliency, the

ability to bounce back, not only comes from practice but also

knowing that the human experience is not faced singularly.”

WINGSPREADMAY 13, 2016 PAGE 3

By TRICARE.mil staff

To increase access to care, the Depart-ment of Defense is launching an Urgent Care Pilot Program for TRICARE Prime benefi ciaries. This program allows Prime enrollees two visits to a network or TRICARE authorized provider without a referral or prior authorization.

The Urgent Care Pilot Program, sched-uled to begin May 23, is for:

• Active duty service members – includ-ing National Guard or Reserve members activated for more than 30 consecutive days – in TRICARE Prime Remote or ordered to active duty service for more than 30 days in a row in TRICARE Prime Remote

• Non-ADSMs in TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Prime Remote or TRICARE Young Adult Prime

• TRICARE Overseas Program benefi -ciaries traveling in the U.S. (not limited to two visits)

Active duty service members enrolled in TRICARE Prime are not eligible for this program as their care is managed by their service. This program excludes Uniformed Services Family Health Plan enrollees. TRICARE Overseas Program

enrollees can receive an unlimited number of urgent care visits, but only when they are traveling stateside and seeking care.

There are no point-of-service de-ductibles or cost shares for these two urgent care visits, but network co-pay-ments still apply.

Once you receive urgent care, you must notify your Primary Care Manager about that care within 24 hours or the fi rst business day after the urgent care visit. Authorization requirements have not changed for follow-up care, specialty care or inpatient care.

When you are not sure of the type of care you need or require care outside of stan-dard business hours, call the Nurse Advice Line at 1-800-874-2273. If the NAL recom-mends an urgent care visit and a referral is submitted, that visit will not count against the two pre-authorized visits allowed un-der the Urgent Care Pilot. However, if you call the NAL and get a referral to a military hospital or clinic and you go elsewhere for care, that visit will count against your two preauthorized visits.

For more details, visit http://www.tricare.mil/Plans/SpecialPrograms/UrgentCarePilot.aspx.

New Urgent Care Pilot Program for Prime benefi ciaries


By Airman 1st Class Lauren Ely Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Cirrus, altostratus and cumulonimbus.While most people may assume these terms are

spells out of a Harry Potter scene, Alvin Hill, 12th Operations Support Squadron weather operations fl ight chief, and his coworkers, know the terms refer to various types of cloud formations that help predict weather.

“For a weather person, all these clouds have some signifi cance in terms of what’s expected for the day,” Hill said.

The 12th OSS/OSW, which includes nine civilian forecasters, is charged with issuing weather products for Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph with its primary focus on providing support to the 12th Flying Training Wing’s fl ying operations as well as resource protection for the entire base, Hill said.

Every morning a weather brief is prepared and presented to the supervisor of fl ying, who controls the launch and recovery of aircraft during training mis-sions. However, forecasters are continuously on the phone to relay updated weather information that may affect operations.

“We try to optimize or maximize windows when pi-lots can fl y,” Hill said. “For instance, at the beginning of the day we knew going in there were going to be thunderstorms. Our job is to focus in on those windows when they can actually fl y and not be interrupted by those thunderstorms.”

With the unpredictable nature of weather, Hill said the mission weather forecaster will make calls to the supervisor of fl ying before a weather warning is even issued through the command post to the entire base.

“If we get thunderstorms within a 30-mile radius of the airfi eld, we know that may be a decision for them to recover aircraft or divert,” Hill said. “So we’re get-ting them that advanced notice so they can make those key decisions.”

The process in working with the 12th OSS/OSW is transparent and heavily relied upon, said Maj. Aric F. Wagner, 12th Operations Group T-6A branch chief.

“When we come in before our morning sorties, the work they have already accomplished allows us to plan for our sorties, allowing maximum mission accomplish-ment,” Wagner said. “If the weather does not support what we have been scheduled for, their product al-lows us the ability to fl ex to a mission the weather will support.”

Not only does the 12th OSS/OSW provide services to the 12th FTW, it also provides information for civil en-gineering and maintenance and it will spend weeks or even months in advance forecasting weather for base events during San Antonio's Fiesta and air shows.

“Having that advanced notice to let them know when there may be periods of rain greatly enhances their ability to schedule different projects,” Hill said. “A lot of those things need to be organized or looked at well in advance to see if it’s at least a viable option to do it.”

Although the most junior person in the 12th OSS/OSW has 18 years of experience under their belt, Hill said weather is an inexact science and there’s always a level of uncertainty that can bring challenges.

“The fact that Texas is such a big area and even though we may have a weather system that may be coming in, by virtue of the different types of terrain or terrain features, you could have differ-ent types of weather going on throughout the entire state,” he said.

One of the key learning tools is archiving past situ-ations, and although nothing ever occurs identically, it provides insight for what may potentially happen dur-ing certain times of the year, Hill said.

With April being one of the heaviest months of the year for rain and with hurricane season approaching in June, the 12th OSS/OSW knows its forecasting will also increase. Although the 12th OSS/OSW is a piece in a large puzzle that is JBSA-Randolph’s fl ying mission, it plays an essential role in it.

“Without the 12th OSS/OSW, it would be very dif-fi cult to accomplish our mission,” Wagner said. “Our Air Force Instructions have a priority order to which we must obtain weather information. Without a local weather shop, we would then rely on a Regional Outdoor Warning System not familiar with our weather patterns, which could potentially degrade our mission accomplishment.”

By Airman 1st Class Lauren Ely

12th OSS/OSW plays vital role in JBSA-Randolph fl ying mission

Photo by Airman 1st Class Lauren ElyAlvin Hill, 12th Operations Support Squadron weather operations fl ight chief, forecasts weather in support of Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph's fl ying mission, as well as resource protection for the base. Hill is a part of a nine-person team of weather technicians and has worked in weather for 32 years, including 27 years in the Air Force.


From Military Health System Communications Offi ce Defense Health Agency

The new system to transform military health records has an offi cial name.

Military Health System offi cials say the new electronic health record will be called MHS GENESIS and will launch at the end of calendar year 2016.

To keep pace with medical advanc-es and innovations in technology, the Department of Defense has purchased a new state of the art EHR that will support us in our mission to continue to provide high quality healthcare to our benefi ciaries, as well as an agile, responsive system for our healthcare professionals.

The confi guration and deployment of MHS GENESIS constitutes a multi-year effort to provide a state-of-the-market system of sharing health re-cords electronically and documenting the continuum of care.

The new EHR will begin implementa-tion in the Pacifi c Northwest at the end of this year, followed by a pre-planned, programmed installation expected to be completed over a several-year period.

MHS GENESIS will be available

throughout all DOD facilities, and acces-sible to all members of the DOD’s health-care team.

While on the surface it appears just a system for health records, Dr. William M. Roberts, a retired Navy rear admiral who serves as the MHS functional champion, said it really refl ects a whole new way of doing business for the MHS.

“We’ve looked at this process as fi nd-ing what is best for the MHS as a whole, not just in individual areas,” Roberts said. “We see this as the latest step in making sure patients are able to be fully engaged in their own health.”

“We want people to know MHS GENESIS is a safe, secure and accessible record for patients and health care profession-als that is easily transferred to exter-nal providers, including major medical systems and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics,” Roberts said. “When our benefi ciaries see this logo, they’ll know their records will be seamlessly shared with their chosen care provider.”

For more information, download the MHS Genesis Brand Style Guide at http://www.airforcemedicine.af.mil/Portals/1/DoD%20MHS%20Genesis.pdf.

MHS GENESIS name for new electronic health record


By 1st. Lt. Reeves I. Kanakaole 502nd Operational Support Squadron Airfield Operations

At approximately 11:15 a.m. May 5, the fi rst jet touched down on the newly refurbished and re-cently reopened 11,550-foot runway at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s Kelly Field, following a two-month airfi eld closure.

Coordination surrounding the closure of Air Education and Training Command’s only around-the-clock joint use airfi eld has been ongoing for about two years, culminating with the return of the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing.

The temporary closure allowed three separate con-struction projects uninterrupted time to work on the runway. This is no easy feat as six Air Force wings across three major commands, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, were involved in this undertaking.

Additionally, coordination with the City of San Antonio and the Federal Aviation Administration was abundant leading up to and during the closure. Coordination even went so far as to include a foreign government.

The two-month closure allowed for signifi cant prog-ress on a $3.5 million project to replace various areas of pavement throughout the airfi eld. The 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron and 502nd Contracting Squadron teams were able to re-engage this contract numer-ous times in order to get the most out of the U.S. taxpayers money.

For the runway to reopen, their teams were able to replace a total of 45 concrete slabs on the runway, which is an increase of 55 percent over the original amount to be completed at no cost.

The closure also allowed contractors for an $8.4 million lighting replacement contract ample time to complete three out of the proposed fi ve phases of that project.

The work being done on this project will bring Kelly Field into both Air Force and FAA standards in terms of runway width and lighting, which has been a long time coming. Additional light replacements around the airfi eld will increase the longevity of the equipment and

decrease the airfi elds’ energy footprint thanks to the installation of the new LED light fi xtures.

To round out the construction, a $4.4 million air-fi eld maintenance contract was wrapped up after new runway markings were applied to the entire 11,550-foot runway. These markings, along with the new runway lighting, create a standardized “view-from-the-top” for the many aircrews that utilize Kelly Field. The runway will now appear no differ-ent from any other runway.

The teamwork that went into these projects positions the 502nd Air Base Wing to facilitate any mission related to the defense of the nation for many years to come.

MAY 13, 2016

By 1st. Lt. Reeves I. Kanakaole

JBSA-Lackland’s Kelly Field Annex reopens after two-month closure

Courtesy photoAn F-16 Fighting Falcon from the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing lands at the newly refurbished and recently reopened 11,550-foot runway at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s Kelly Field Annex.


JBSA Annual Military Golf Classic Joint Base San Antonio members are invited to participate in the JBSA Annual Military Golf Classic May 28-30, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. The JBSA-Fort Sam Houston Golf Course hosts round one, a scramble, May 28. The JBSA-Lackland Gateway Hills Golf Course hosts round two, a modifi ed alternate shot, May 29. The JBSA-Randolph Oaks Golf Course hosts round three, best ball, May 30. The cost is $130 for Air Force or Army advanced fee payers, $170 for non-advanced fee payers and Department of Defense ID cardholders and $185 for civilian players. Payment may be made by phone, in person or by mail to any JBSA golf course. Registration ends May 25 and refunds are not redeemable within 48 hours prior to the tournament.


By David DeKunder Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Fitness enthusiasts can participate in free workout sessions, learn the best ways for staying active and fi t and have a chance at winning prizes at the Joint Base San Antonio Aerobathon 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 21 at the JBSA-Randolph Rambler Fitness Center.

Aerobathon is open to active-duty service members, dependents, retirees and Department of Defense card-holders. Participants can sign up for several 45-minute workout classes led by fi tness instructors from all JBSA locations the day of Aerobathon, including kick boxing, Zumba, cycling, circuit training, yoga and other aerobic sessions. Tony Horton, a personal trainer and creator of the P90X exercise program, will also conduct two workout sessions of his new fi tness program.

Abbie Pollard, 502nd Force Support Squadron JBSA Community Programs and Partnership specialist, said Aerobathon is being put on in recognition of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month in May and to bring awareness of the activities that are available at all JBSA fi tness centers.

“We want to showcase what JBSA fi tness does,” Pollard said. “We are a huge organization and not ev-eryone from JBSA-Randolph knows what kind of fi tness classes are happening at JBSA-Lackland or JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. There are some pretty amazing fi tness classes out there. This is a way for our fi tness instructors to showcase what they do at each JBSA location.”

The workout sessions will be geared towards begin-ner and experienced participants, Pollard said.

In between workout sessions, participants will get to visit several vendors displaying products and informa-tion that promote proper nutrition and living a healthier and stress-free lifestyle.

Pollard said she hopes Aerobathon can serve as a way for JBSA members who are into fi tness to connect with each other.

“We want this Aerobathon to introduce you to the classes and help you fi nd your new fi tness fam-ily,” Pollard said.

Bobbie Heyward, a fi tness instructor at the JBSA-Randolph Rambler Fitness Center, said she will conduct cardio kickboxing sessions at the Aerobathon that will combine elements of boxing, martial arts and aerobics.

“I am participating in the JBSA Aerobathon because I love group exercise programs,” Heyward said. “This

venue not only gives our regular clients a chance to enjoy many of their favorite classes all in the same day, it also gives new customers a peek at what our fi tness centers provide on a daily basis. My goal for the event is to encourage and motivate attendees to add some of our fi tness classes to their fi tness routine.”

Horton, whose father was an Army tank commander, has conducted workout sessions at 50 military installa-tions around the world. He said his workout sessions will include a challenging exercise routine that will focus on speed, balance, range, motion, muscle recruitment and endurance.

Horton said he is looking forward to conducting work-out sessions for JBSA members at the Aerobathon.

“When I can go to an event and show them some very interesting types of exercise where they can come away thinking, 'Geez, I had no idea that was an exercise that even existed' or 'that was an exercise that helped me perform better,' those are the things I enjoy doing,” Horton said. “I’m looking forward to coming to San Antonio and showing everybody what I know and what I’ve been doing for the last 35 years.”

There will be prize drawings and the fi rst 1,000 event participants will receive a water bottle or towel with the logo of the 502nd Force Support Squadron.

For information, contact the JBSA Community Special Events Offi ce at 652-5763. JBSA members who want to participate in the Tony Horton workout sessions must register in advance by sending an email to [email protected].

Rambler Fitness Center hosts JBSA Aerobathon

By Robert Goetz Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Youth Programs offers more than a dozen specialty camps this sum-mer, starting with a soccer camp for 6- to 12-year-olds June 6-10 and ending with the Missoula Children’s Theatre Camp Aug. 15-19.

The camps, which typically enroll more than 400 children, offer participants a variety of expe-riences, said Andrea Black, JBSA-Randolph Youth Programs director.

“Every camp is a great experience for the kids,” she said. “They’re all focused activities and are more de-tailed than what we do here.”

Registration started last week and concludes when the camps fi ll up, which usually doesn’t take long, Black said. Each camp has a cap on the number of participants.

“However, there’s also a waiting list in case there are any openings,” she said.

Three camps revolve around sports.The Sideline Soccer Camp, which kicks off the sum-

mer, offers two classes – a morning session from 9 a.m. to noon and an afternoon session from 1-4 p.m. Partici-pants will learn soccer skills as well as the importance of teamwork, physical fi tness and conditioning.

Sideline Sports, offered June 13-17 for 9- to 12-year-olds, also features morning and afternoon sessions and concentrates on a different sport each day – Ultimate Frisbee on Monday, badminton on Tuesday, water polo on Wednesday, fencing on Thursday and lacrosse on Friday.

Another soccer camp, British Challenger for ages 6-16, is set for 8:30-11:30 a.m. July 11-15 and will fea-ture a team of British soccer coaches who teach soccer skills at camps throughout the United States.

Three new camps will be offered this summer, Black said. They are the Jewelry Camp for ages 9-14, 1-3 p.m. June 20-24; the Cooking Camp for ages 9-12, 1-4 p.m. July 6-8; and the Scrapbooking Camp for ages 9-18, 1-3 p.m. Aug. 1-5.

Jewelry Camp participants will learn jewelry-making techniques such as beading, wire work and copper bead stringing, while students in the Cooking Camp will learn how to cook healthy meals, including budgeting, devel-oping menus and reading recipes. Scrapbooking Camp participants will design their own scrapbooks using a variety of materials.

Youth programs will also offer the Art Camp for ages 9-12, 1-4 p.m. July 25-29; the Science, Technology, Engi-neering and Math Camp for third- through fi fth-graders, Aug. 8-12; and the Moving with Science Camp for ages 6-12, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Aug. 9-12.

Other camps planned are cheerleading for 5- to 6-year-olds and 7- to 9-year-olds, 1-3 p.m. June 13-17 and Aug. 15-19; obstacle course for 4- to 6-year-olds and 7- to 9-year-olds, 1-2:30 p.m. June 20-24 and 1-3 p.m. July 11-15; and hip-hop dance for 7- to 9-year-olds, 1-3 p.m. July 18-22 and Aug. 8-12. A minimum of six participants is required for each of these camps.

The Missoula Children’s Theatre Camp for ages 5-18 will bring the specialty camps to a conclusion Aug. 15-19. Instructors from the theater company for youth, one of the largest in the nation, will mold students into performers and guide them as they fi nish the week with a production of “Aladdin.” Auditions are planned 9 a.m. Aug. 15 at Youth Programs, building 585.

The specialty camps are open to all Department of Defense cardholders who meet the age criteria; students who are enrolled at youth programs for the summer may also attend the camps.

Most of the camps cost $20, except for the cheerlead-ing, hip-hop dance and obstacle course camps, which are $50; the British Challenger soccer camp, which is $60; and the theater camp, which is free. Black said the fees are low compared to those of other summer camps because Air Education and Training Command provides funding.

Call 652-2088 for more information.

By Robert Goetz Sideline Sports, offered June 13-17 for 9- to 12-year- Other camps planned are cheerleading for 5- to

From science to soccer, summer camps offer variety of experiences


By Robert Goetz Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

The 359th Medical Group at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph offers beneficiaries compre-hensive medical care, dental care and physical therapy in one location, but it also provides pa-tients with a service that helps them improve their mental and emotional well-being.

The Internal Behavioral Health Consultation Service, which is part of overall health care at the medical treatment facility, helps benefi ciaries when their habits, behaviors, stress or emotional concerns about their physical issues or other prob-lems interfere with their daily lives.

“We offer support services to primary care manag-ers, providing brief intervention in any area of behav-ioral health,” said Jennifer Mitchell, 359th Medical Operations Squadron behavioral health consultant. “We teach classes and offer consultation and educa-tion to patients and providers.”

Mitchell, who is a licensed psychologist, said she and the 359th MDOS’ other behavioral health consul-tant, licensed clinical social worker Marcia Blake, see patients if PCMs from the medical group’s clinics feel a consultation is necessary or would be benefi cial.

“We take referrals from all the clinics,” she said. “We support what the primary care manager is doing. We offer solution-focused intervention.”

A consultation may be seen as the fi rst step for those who are experiencing behavioral health is-sues, but it is often the only step that is necessary, Mitchell said.

“Our patients are provided up to four appointments, which last about 30 minutes each,” she said. “We can be a gateway to more services, but often this is all that is needed. If more intensive counseling is needed, we refer them to the mental health clinic, a military and family life counselor, Military OneSource, the chap-lain’s offi ce or another resource.”

Behavioral health consultants, or BHCs, help pa-tients manage chronic pain, depression, grief and anxiety and can provide brief intervention on post-traumatic stress disorder, Mitchell said. They can also assist people with sleep problems and help re-duce symptoms associated with conditions such as migraines and other headaches, diabetes, asthma, hypertension and irritable bowel syndrome and help people cope better with these conditions.

“We provide early intervention so people won’t develop more severe problems,” she said. “We help people lead productive lives and reduce the impact of their health problems.”

Mitchell said the work of BHCs complements the duties of primary care managers and other MTF team members, playing an important role in the MTF’s col-laborative approach to total health care.

“We can work as a team deciding what’s best

for the patient,” she said.Mitchell said BHCs provide support for the behav-

ioral components of anything the PCMs treat.“We teach a lot of stress management, relaxation

exercises and goal-setting,” she said. “We identify barriers to improvement, help with problem-solving and time management, teach mindfulness skills and help people identify and challenge unhealthy thinking patterns.”

BHCs can also help patients with lifestyle modifi ca-tions to address issues such as smoking, alcohol use and other unhealthy habits and behaviors.

Mitchell sees the cross-section of MTF benefi ciaries: active-duty members and their family members as well as retirees. She said children need help adjusting to illnesses such as asthma and diabetes and dealing with eating problems, anxiety, emotional stress and life’s transitions.

“I usually see one to two children a day,” she said. “It’s part of their primary care service.”

Another member of the Internal Behavioral Health Consultation Service at the 359th MDG is Christine Morgan, a nurse who serves as a behavioral health care facilitator.

“When patients start on a new medication, she follows them to see how it’s working,” Mitchell said. “She’ll stay in contact with a patient for four to six months. It’s a unique service the military offers.”

The work of BHCs differs from that of specialty mental health services in a few ways, Mitchell said.

For one thing, BHCs do not provide traditional psy-chotherapy, she said.

“We have shorter appointments and we treat a wid-er variety of problems than a specialty mental health practitioner would,” Mitchell said.

Documentation is another difference.Assessment and recommendations from the BHC

are written in the outpatient medical record; a sepa-rate mental health record is not maintained.

Mitchell, who typically sees seven to 10 patients each day, said that being part of the primary care clinic allows quick intervention.

“We can catch the problem and intervene quickly,” she said. “It’s easy access to help. It’s convenient and comfortable for the patient.”

Every day is different and exciting for BHCs, Mitchell said.

“On any given day, I may teach a class, see somebody for stress or a couple for marriage intervention, help someone with an alcohol problem or provide a post-traumatic stress disorder intervention,” she said.

BHCs want to help patients return to good quality of life, Mitchell said.

“We want to catch their problems early and give them the tools they need,” she said. “If any problem is interfering with their daily lives, we want to help.”

By Robert Goetz

Behavioral health consultants help patients in MTF settingMENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Courtesy graphic


Asian American and Pacifi c Islander Heritage Month 5K A 5K is set to take place Saturday at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph's Heritage Park in observance of Asian American and Pacifi c Islander heritage Month. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race begins at 8 a.m. No registration fee is required.

Holiday gate hours The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Memorial Day holiday gate hours for May 27 and May 30 are: Main Gate – Open 24 hours; East Gate – Closed; West Gate – Closed; South Gate – Open 6 a.m. to noon.

JBSA Aerobathon The Joint Base San Antonio Aerobathon is May 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the JBSA-Randolph Rambler Fitness Center. The free event includes fi tness classes conducted by instructors from all JBSA locations, two workout sessions conducted by Tony Horton, creator of the P90X workout, giveaways, prize drawings and health and fi tness vendors. Registration is required for the Tony Horton workout sessions. For informa-tion, contact the JBSA Community Special Events

Offi ce at 652-5763. To register for the Tony Horton workout sessions, send an email to [email protected].

Marathon training seminar offered The JBSA-Randolph Rambler Fitness Center is offering a seminar on marathon training at the Health and Wellness Center inside the fi tness center May 24 at noon. During this class, tips and suggestions on training for a marathon will be discussed. For more information, call 652-7263.

Street construction planned The 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron is conduct-ing a re-pavement project on 5th Street West, including replacement of existing pavement, curbs and sidewalks from F Street West to C Street West. Demolition and construction will oc-cur in various phases and will require street and parking closures on 5th Street West for the time periods below:• Current – Friday: 5th Street West will be closed from D Street to C Street.• Repaving, May 21: 5th Street West will be closed from F Street to C Street for paving. Detour routes will be marked. Call 652-1224 for details.

1) Identity theft occurs when someone uses your Social Security number or other personal information to commit fraud.2) Identity theft can happen to anyone.3) Once identity thieves have your personal information, they can drain your bank account, run up charges on your credit cards, open new utility accounts or get medical treatment on your health insurance. An identity thief can fi le a tax

refund in your name and get your refund. In some extreme cases, a thief might even give your name to the police during an arrest.4) If your wallet, Social Security number or other personal information is lost or stolen, there are steps you can take to help protect yourself.5) If you think you are the victim of iden-tity theft, act immediately.

Visit https://www.identitytheft.gov/#what-to-do-right-away

PREVENT IDENTITY THEFT

JBSA Sexual AssaultPrevention, ResponseTo report a sexual assault, call the 24/7 Joint Base

San Antonio Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Hotline at 808-7272 or the Department of Defense

Safe Helpline at 877-995-5247.


By Prerana KorpeAir Force Surgeon General Public Affairs

Nearly one in fi ve adults, or 43 million Americans, has a diagnosable mental disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Contrary to many other brain disorders, effective treatments are available for mental disorders.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time of year to bring awareness to mental health issues and available resources.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, many factors can contribute to mental health issues. This includes biological fac-tors, life experiences as well as family history of mental health problems.

Mental health affects everyone. It infl uences thoughts, feelings and actions. The state of one’s men-tal health can determine how they make decisions, interact with others and cope with daily stressors. Mental health is a factor of overall wellbeing, much like physical health.

Air Force mental health clinics are critical to the health and readiness of benefi ciaries and family mem-bers. Services include mental health assessment, edu-cation, consultation and treatment through a variety of evidence-based therapeutic exercises. This includes both individual and group therapy.

The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics is the Defense Department mandated pre-de-ployment assessment and is administered to all service members within 12 months of deployment.

The assessment establishes a neurocognitive baseline. This is used to measure potential cognitive changes in individuals exposed to a concussive event.

In the event of a traumatic brain injury, the baseline is used to determine changes in cognitive functioning for assessment of a service member’s return to duty status.

The Air Force Family Advocacy Program imple-ments programs to prevent and treat domestic abuse, child abuse and neglect. The program pro-vides training, consultation services and program and policy development.

While nearly 50 percent of people with a treatable be-havioral health disorder do not seek care from a behav-ioral health professional, 80 percent visit their primary care manager at least once annually.

The Air Force is changing primary care teams to better address behavioral health needs. The Behavioral Health Optimization Program is a primary care behav-ioral health program.

Through BHOP, behavioral health personnel are inte-grated into primary care clinics to provide the right care. BHOP is available to all active-duty service members, retirees and their family members.

Putting mental health in focus, advancing treatment


Photo by Senior Airman Stormy ArcherAirman 1st Class David Paolo Valentin (center left), receives the May Diamond Sharp award from the JBSA-Randolph fi rst sergeants council.

Airman 1st Class David Paolo ValentinUnit: 802 FSS/FSMPS Duty title: Customer support technicianTime in service: 13 months Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.

"Airman 1st Class David Paolo Vanlentin’s short term goals include fi nishing requirements to upgrade to a 5-skill level in the person-nel career fi eld and completing his Associate in Applied Science in Human Resource Management through the Community College of the Air Force. He aspires to be a technically profi cient Airman and eventually lead the career fi eld as the enlisted manager.

"Valentin has shown that he is a responsible and reliable member of the military personnel section customer support team. He has garnered the respect of his peers and trust of his leadership through a consistent display of good judgement and willingness to train and help his Wingmen. He earned Force Support Squadron Dorm of the Quarter, ‘Excellent’ PT Score, 90 percent on his career development course exam, military personnel section performer of the month and he was hand selected to meet the Secretary of the Air Force. Valentin is a Diamond Sharp Airman!"

Submitted by Master Sgt. Christopher Booth, 802 FSS, First Sergeant.

Diamond SharpAward

Courtesy photoStaff Sgt. Tiffany Jones (left), 359th Medical Operations Squadron NCO in charge of immunizations, and Master Sgt. Kelli Jackson (right), 558th Flying Training Squadron military training superintendent, present Airman 1st Class Hakeem Smith with the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Top 3's Airmanship award.

Airman 1st Class Hakeem SmithUnit: 359th Medical Group Duty title: Aerospace medical technician

"Airman 1st Class Hakeem Smith deserves this recognition because of how he upholds the Air Force Core Values so early in his career.

"He came to his fi rst duty section four months ago eager to learn and become a functional technician and team member as quickly as possible. With this eagerness, he completed each volume of his fi rst set of career development courses several weeks ahead of schedule and received a 95 percent on his fi rst end-of-course test, allowing him more time for focusing on patient care and researching opportunities for further education and self-improvement.

"Smith has been coordinating with medical logistics to initiate an infant pulse oximeter recycling program for the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Pediatric Clinic. If implemented, the clinic will earn credits toward the purchase of remanufactured pulse oxi-meters. He suggested enrolling the clinic into this program because even though they are used, the devices are still valuable. This initiative should have a positive impact both fi nancially and environmentally. With this attitude, I can see this Airman submitted for and achieving below the zone in the very near future."

Submitted by Staff Sgt. Tiffany Jones359th Medical Operations Squadron NCO in charge of immunizations

JBSA-Randolph Top 3Airmanship Award


By Jeremy Gerlach Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Public Affairs

Joint Base San Antonio- Lackland's Bob Hope Theater took on a somber tone on Holocaust Remembrance Day May 4 while hosting a remembrance commemora-tion ceremony and a display meant to educate and memorialize the tragedy that took place nearly 80 years ago.

During the week, the exposition was displayed at JBSA-Lackland’s library as part of Holocaust Remembrance Week, which this year was themed “Learning from Holocaust Acts of Courage.”

Visitors were able to read testimonies of survivors and victims of the era, thumb through various artwork and even take home interactive booklets that described life for people of Jewish descent in Germany and other parts of Europe in the mid 20th century.

Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio provided the exposition, which consisted of books, journals, plac-ards and pictures of historical fi gures related to the time period. The museum, located inside the Jewish Campus of San Antonio at 12500 Northwest Military Highway, is dedicated to preserving the memory of those who lost their lives in the Holocaust, while also honoring the survivors.

"We're here to educate our community about the dan-gers of hatred and prejudice,” said Matthew Faulkner,

museum programs manager. Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom Hashoah, an-

nually corresponds with the 27th day of Nisan, the fi rst month on the Hebrew ecclesiastical calendar. The day also marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto upris-ing, a 1943 rebellion by Polish Jews and other resistance fi ghters in Warsaw, Poland against the occupying Nazi forces there.

More than 13,000 Jews lost their lives in the fi ght, after which the Nazis continued to deport more than 50,000 occupants of the Warsaw ghetto to concentration camps – which was itself essentially a death sentence, according to U.S. Department of State records.

The display was a good fi t at JBSA-Lackland, Faulkner explained, because San Antonio is home to eight holo-caust survivors.

"It's critical for people to hear the survivors' testimo-nies, hear all the pain they endured," he said. "People tend to forget history like this when it's not directly in front of them."

The display was meant to resonate especially with military members, as the U.S. military played a key role in liberating and caring for survivors of the Holocaust at the close of World War II and into the subsequent decades. Faulkner hoped that visitors to the JBSA-Lackland display would take home a renewed vigilance against modern-day hatred.

"Crimes, just like what happened in the Holocaust, can still happen today," he warned. "The world is still dealing with hatred and discrimination, and it's impor-tant to educate people - and our military – that genocide is still a threat in today's world."

MAY 13, 2016

By Jeremy Gerlach

JBSA-Lackland displays Holocaust exposition: Warning against hatred

Courtesy graphic

san antonio express-newsextras.mysanantonio.com/.../2016/05-13-2016-wingspread.pdf ·...

Documents