COMMUNITY
Let’s talk about: Teen dating violence, Page 5
NEWS
LRMC upholds Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval, Page 10
FEATURE
86 MXS helps wing fly, Pages 12 & 13
February 21, 2020 | Volume 44, Number 7
LIFESTYLES
Fasching celebrations around corner, Page 14
Read the KA online at KaiserslauternAmerican.com
86 FSS commander: True leaders serve by Airman 1st Class John R. Wright 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs She climbs the four flights of metal stairs, traversing her way to the top floor of the Force Support Squadron. Reaching the top, she turns and looks out over the Enlisted Club parking lot, recalling memories of the festivals that are held there throughout the year. “You see all those people out there in the parking lot, and you think about your team, the two to three months of work that went into planning, and the partnerships that had to be built to make them work,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Natosha Reed, 86th FSS commander. “Just to see the families out there with their smiles is amazing. It’s amazing to see what our team is able to accomplish and bring to the community.” As she opens the door, she steps out of a cool wind and into a still hallway. The long corridor is lined with offices on both
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Leo Gray, third from left, poses for a photo with then Maj. Natosha Reed, Air Command and Staff College student, third from right, and other military members during the ACSC’s 2016 Gathering of Eagles event, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, May 31, 2016. Gray, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, gave a speech during the event. Courtesy photo
sides, each emitting the faint sound of fingers tapping on keyboards. She removes her military cover to reveal neatly-kept, short black hair. A smile moves across her face, and she begins to greet the occupants of each office and engage in conversations as she passes by.
“From the hourly and salary employees to the military members, she truly cares to know them,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Erica McCaghren, 86th FSS first sergeant. “She will stop and have a conversation with you, even if that means she’s going to be here
until 6:30 or 7:00 at night answering emails. She will spend the 15 minutes in the hallway to talk to you because you have something on your mind.” The commander continues to speak with her Airmen in the workplace. The smile on her face is contagious, and others begin to join in. The connection she makes with each person she encounters is unmistakable in her intent, admiring gaze. For Reed, connectedness and service are what drive her and have made her an effective leader. She goes out of her way to positively influence the people around her, and does whatever she can to boost morale and set others up for success. “Stepping into this role as a commander, especially here at Ramstein, has really been a blessing,” Reed said. “Just realizing that as a leader at this level you can be
The allowance designed to offset overseas prices will increase or remain steady for service members stationed in Germany beginning March 1. The overseas Cost of Living Allowance, or COLA, is the nontaxable supplemental pay allowance designed to offset overseas prices of non-housing goods and services. The new COLA will affect the roughly 32,000 U.S. service members stationed in Germany. Any changes will be reflected in a service member’s leave and earnings statement at the end of February.
residing in Ansbach, Frankfurt, Garmisch, Geilenkirchen and Hohenfels.
The allowance designed to offset overseas prices will increase or remain steady for service members stationed in Germany beginning March 1. Graphic by Thomas Hamilton III
COLA will increase for service members residing in Kalkar, Pfullendorf, Kaiserslautern, Spangdahlem, Stuttgart, VilseckGrafenwöhr and Wiesbaden. COLA remains constant for those
• Ansbach: No change (index: 110) • Frankfurt: No change (index: 122) • Garmisch: No change (index: 116) • Geilenkirchen: No change (index: 130) • Hohenfels: No change (index: 112) • Kalkar: +10 index points (index: 128) • Pfullendorf: +6 index points (index: 126) • Ramstein (Kaiserslautern): +2 index points (index: 122)
A meal prepared at the Jawbone Flight Kitchen is ready and waiting for customers at Ramstein Air Base, Feb. 6. Hot meals are now served four times a day, and all pricing is done a la carte.
Story & photos by Tech. Sgt. Jocelyn A. Ford 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Two sets of data determine adjustments to the 2020 COLA: The COLA Living Pattern Survey conducted October-November 2018 and the annual Retail Price Schedule conducted in November 2019. A service member’s COLA payment is based on a COLA index. The
The Jawbone Flight Kitchen is now serving hot meals four times a day, Monday through Friday. As of Feb. 4, following Ramstein’s dining facility closure, the flight kitchen began serving hot breakfast, lunch and dinner, in addition to their midnight meal and box meal options. There are still meal card holders who work on Ramstein and the 786th Force Support Squadron is ensuring those individuals have hot meals available to them. “The Jawbone is open to all customers, but our main focus is meal card members,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Kyle Todd, 786th Force Support Squadron Jawbone Flight Kitchen noncommissioned officer in charge. “Cash paying customers are never turned away.” The flight kitchen accepts meal card and U.S. dollars only. Hot meal items are sold a la carte, but a full meal with chicken, a vegetable and
See COLA, Page2
See MEALS, Page2
See LEADERS, Page 2
COLA to increase, remain same for service members in Germany by U.S. Army Europe
Jawbone Flight Kitchen provides hot meals to Ramstein Air Base
• Spangdahlem: +8 index points (index: 118) • Stuttgart: +2 index points (index: 120) • Vilseck-Grafenwoehr: +6 index points (index: 112) • Wiesbaden: +6 index points (index: 114)