Kaiserslautern American, April 25, 2014

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April 25, 2014

Volume 38, number 16

Speak up, speak out against sexual assault by Senior Airman Hailey Haux 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs “I am not a victim of sexual assault. I am a survivor.” One word can mean the difference between making the decision to get help, or allowing someone else’s decision to dictate your well-being. April is Sexual Assault Prevention Awareness Month, and to bring the issue to people’s attention the Ramstein Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team invited Claire Russo to tell her story and answer questions in a small-group forum.

“I heard Claire Russo speak at an Army event last year, and her message was powerful,” said Carmen Schott, Ramstein sexual assault response coordinator. “We felt that it would be beneficial for our community to hear her story in a small-group format. It ensured a comfortable atmosphere for individuals to ask questions, which helped foster open communication and small-group discussion about the topic.” Russo spoke at three small-group sessions and was able to answer a number of questions for those who attended.

“I am not a victim of sexual assault. I am a survivor.” “The definition of resilience means the ability of something to return to its original shape after it has been pulled, stretched, pressed or bent,” Russo said. “Resiliency is not a trait. It’s a process that someone goes through during a traumatic situation.” Since age 11, Russo was fixated on joining the Marine Corps, because she wanted to be held to the highest stan-

dards. When she went to college, she joined the training there. “My first assignment was in California,” she said. “I had barely been there a month when the Marine Corps’ birthday ball came up. I attended with my cousin, also an officer in the Marines, and he introduced me to several of his friends who were all pilots.” As the night went on, Russo could only remember bits and pieces of what had happened to her. “I remember the painful things,” See SEXUAL ASSAULT, Page 3

435th CRG trains with Kosovo Security Force

It is getting warmer outside every week. When spending time outside, remember to stay hydrated.

Beloved AFN DJ departs Demarrio Spence, who’s hosted AFN Kaiserslautern’s ‘The Eagle Morning Show’ since 2005, recently passed the reigns of the popular morning show to Senior Airman Eli Smith. Spence, a longtime radio personality in the KMC, has supported hundreds of local events over the past nine years.

WWII crew members returns to crash site, Page 3

SPORTS

Tip of the Week

See SECURITY, Page 6

Photo by Rick Scavetta

LIFESTYLES

The 435th Air Ground Operations Wing hosted three members of the Kosovo Security Force for a firefighting fundamentals course conducted April 7 to 11 on Ramstein. Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group’s Air Adviser Branch coordinated the event while the course was run by instructors from the 435th Construction and Training Squadron’s U.S. Air Forces in Europe Fire Academy. Tech. Sgt. James Hickman, 435th CTS fire and rescue contingency training NCOIC, commended the experience the KSF soldiers brought to the course.

“I was impressed with the level of technical rescue training they already had,” he said. “We took advantage of the opportunity to exchange techniques, and I feel that we directly impacted their abilities to enhance their growing rescue response programs and capabilities.” The event included instruction for incident management control, crash rescue tactics and strategies, rope rescue and patient packaging techniques, and confined space familiarization. The KSF soldiers also toured KMC Fire Station 1, aircraft and structural fire simulators and a C-130J Super Hercules. All elements of the course were designed to familiarize KSF first

FEATURES

by Tech. Sgt. Brandon Williams 435th Contingency Response Group

Eggcellent Easter Eggstravaganza, Page 16

Airmen compete, AFAF wins, Page 22


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