FEATURE
AFAF 2020 kicks off at Ramstein, Page 5
FEATURE
435th CRS helps sharpen civil engineer squadrons, Page 8
HEALTH
Occupational therapist restores critical skills, Page 12
March 20, 2020 | Volume 44, Number 11
Ramstein virtual town hall updates KMC, focuses on responsive measures
Team Ramstein leadership hosted a virtual town hall March 16 to provide updates on COVID-19 within the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Leaders and subject matter experts from Public Health, base schools, the Base Exchange and commissary addressed challenges associated with combating the pandemic and how to correctly practice social distancing. Graphic by Staff Sgt. Kirsten Brandes
by Tech. Sgt. Jocelyn A. Ford 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs In an effort to address growing concerns associated with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19, Team Ramstein is taking measures to safeguard our workforce and their families as well as preserving combat capability as joint warfighters. Team Ramstein leadership hosted a virtual town hall March 16 to provide updates on COVID-19 within the Kaiserslautern Military Community. Leaders and subject matter experts from Public Health, base schools, the Base Exchange and commissary addressed challenges associated with combating the pandemic and how to correctly practice social distancing. This article contains select questions and answers from the virtual town hall. For a full list of FAQs, including ones that were not
addressed live, visit the COVID-19 page at https://www.ramstein.af.mil/ COVID-19/ For those on leave outside of Germany, can you discuss how/ when we will get those people back? Will waivers be approved? There are multiple forces at play We have U.S. policy, Secretary of Defense and Air Force policy, as well as international and host nation policy. The Secretary of Defense issued a Stop Movement, setting a fairly high bar to allow people to move around. Waivers have been approved based on hardship, humanitarian or mission essential needs. Please reach out to your First Sergeants and Squadron Command Teams to understand the process and let them know if you have a unique circumstance. See COVID-19, Page 2
LIFESTYLES
Decluttering your home, Page 14
FEATURE
Maj. Baldwin: C-130J Super Hercules pilot portrait, Page 16
Read the KA online at KaiserslauternAmerican.com
Precision, patience pay off
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Joel-Ira Willis, 97th Civil Engineer Squadron pavements and construction equipment operator, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, operates a truck-mounted crane during a two-week crane course at Ramstein Air Base, March 11. The 435th Construction Training Squadron hosted the course. Willis was tested on his ability to maneuver a 600-lb barrel through a series of cones.
Story & photos by Staff Sgt. Devin Boyer 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Instructors from the 435th Construction Training Squadron conducted a two-week course on truck-mounted crane operations March 2-13. The crane course gave civil engineer Airmen the opportunity to receive a competency card, allowing them to operate the equipment at their home units. “It’s crucial for each shop to have a couple of crane operators, especially for deployments,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Tyler Preston, 435th CTS contingency training instructor. “If you’re deployed, you’re going to perform a lot more crane jobs than at home station.” Cranes can be used for large construction projects, such as the build-up of a new base in deployed locations. In more unfortunate cases, they can also
be used for aircraft mishaps. “If an aircraft goes down in the field, you need to be able to get it out of there,” Preston added. “A crane is the perfect equipment for the job.” Having a trained professional at each unit who can operate these machines improves Air Force readiness worldwide. For Ramstein, the 435th CTS is ready for any contingency operation thrown their way. “One of the other things we deal with here is contingency training,” Preston said. “A lot of the resources we need arrive in (intermodal containers), which we can use our crane to move those materials around.” The instructors set up a course designed to test the Airmen’s precision and patience. “I learned this is a piece of equipment that’s about precision and patience,” said Senior Airman Joel-Ira Willis, 97th Civil Engineer Squadron pavements
and construction equipment operator, Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. “It’s not like a dozer or loader, where you just ram it into a pile, scoop it up and dump it somewhere. This is really calculated. You have to really think about what you’re doing, and you have to feel the controls and be familiar with the equipment.” Airmen spent many hours practicing hands-on crane operations, which required the ability to multitask and maintain concentration. In the first stage, Airmen were required to lower the crane hook into a metal barrel without knocking it over. Next, they had to hook the crane to a 600-lb concrete-filled barrel, lift it and maneuver the barrel around a ring of cones without touching any of them. “When you’re inside that circle, you’re doing three things at See PRECISION, Page 2