Andrews 050115

COMMENTARY Heavy drinking: Highway to disaster, Page 2

DCMILITARY.COM

HEALTH

SPORTS

JBA half-marathoners go the distance, Page 3

TRICARE: Compound drug coverage revised, Page 4

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD.

Organization seeks to end homelessness for veterans

BY LESLIE C. SMITH STAFF WRITER

Established in 2011, the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP) is a nonprofit formed with the mission to increase sustainable homeownership, financial literacy, VA loan awareness and provide economic opportunity for active military and veteran communities.

“That’s our main goal; our vision is to provide programs and services to veterans. We’re always advocating for homeownership and we’re trying to do it

see VAREP, page 4

JROTC makes live contact with International Space Station

BY LESLIE C. SMITH STAFF WRITER

The Oxon Hill AF JROTC made live contact with the International Space Station (ISS) at a special event in conjunction with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. on April 24.

Special guests included William T. Fauntroy, Jr., a documented original Tuskegee Airman, who shared his reflections on the trials and the highlights of his path to becoming a pilot. Acknowledging the many

see SPACE, page 3

AIR FORCE SENDS DISASTER SUPPORT TO NEPAL

FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 17

Finding fiber, fun at Old Maryland Farm

BY BOBBY JONES

STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

Sharon Johnson and her daughter, Brianna Johnson-Simmons, 10, decided to visit the Old Maryland Farm in Watkins Regional Park as a relaxing way to spend the rest of their day after Brianna’s French horn solo during an ensemble festival on April 25.

They were pleasantly surprised to find out that the Old Maryland Farm was celebrating its annual Sheep Shearing and Fiber Day. The free educational event treated several visitors to sheep shearing, wool spinning, natural dye fiber displays and wool spinning demonstrations.

“We had no idea they were having this event. We just decided to come here instead of going directly home,” Johnson said.

“We watched the sheep being sheared, wool spin-

BOBBY JONES

Lisa Dupree dressed in 1800 period style clothing educates youngsters and the parents about the use of modern and antique looms.

ning and fabric being made. It was great. I think my daughter might want to be a weaver.”

Brianna, a fifth-grade student at Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School of Bowie, noted “I have yarn that I wanted to make hats

and a book on how to do all this stuff, but I’ve never really had the patience to finish something,” said Brianna, as she received lessons from Lisa Dupree on a Modern Rigid Heddle Weaving Loom. “Originally, I wanted to go to the

Service members load relief supplies for victims of the Nepal earthquake into a C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., at March Air Force Base, Calif., April 26. The U.S. Agency of International Development’s relief cargo included eight pallets, 59 Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel and five search and rescue dogs. See story on page 5.

see FIBER, page 4

Race forges community partnerships

BY BOBBY JONES

STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS TAYLOR QUEEN

playground, but they’re currently building a new one, but it was fun looking at all the animals here.”

The Old Maryland Farm is an educational farm facility that features exhibits and displays de-

On April 25, C. Elizabeth Rieg Regional School proudly held its first ‘Race for Rieg 5K Walk/Run’ in Mitchellville. More than 250 combined students, parents and family members participated in the race throughout the residential and business community.

Patrice Buxton, race director and a special education teacher at Rieg, highlighted the importance of the maiden race.

“Really the main goal of the race was to build c o m m u n i t y p a r t n e rships. A lot of the community doesn’t realize

BOBBY JONES

From left to right: C. Elizabeth Rieg Regional School principal Patrice Watson lauds the support of Jennifer Johnson, who is Rieg’s Parents Teachers Organization president, Kevin Alexander, who is president of Ainsley’s Angels, and Patricia Buxton, the Race for Rieg director.

that we are the largest special needs school in Prince George’s County.

We want to build part-

nerships not only with the businesses, but with our neighbors within the community and to really

set ourselves apart,” said Buxton. “It takes a village to raise a child, so by providing these community partnerships and bringing in our neighbors, I think that having events like these really helps. Plus, it just gives our students the benefits of any other regular child. Special needs children tend to be neglected sometimes. So being able to do this race really builds camaraderie and allows us to give our students a unique experience,” Buxton added. All proceeds from the race directly benefit the students.

As the race proceeded

see RACE, page 5

Andrews Gazette

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Hot tickets around town May 2-3

National Harbor Wine and Food Festival National Harbor, 137 National Plaza, National Harbor National Harbor brings together world-renowned chefs, artisanal craftsmen, and culinary pioneers with thousands of Metro DC’s foodies. For tickets and more information visit www.wineandfoodnh. com or www.nationalharbor.com.($)

May 2

16th Annual Harlem Renaissance Festival 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

The Columbia Park/Kentland Community Center, 2411 Pinebrook Ave., Landover The grounds will be filled with music, art, discussions, poetry, health screenings, vendors and children’s activities and much more. Free. Call 301918-8418 or visit www.pghrf.org/festival.

May 2

Open House on the Waterfront 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg Kick off the spring season and enjoy a fun day in the park with free canoeing, kayaking, cycling, fishing rod, and boat rentals. All necessary rental equipment and materials provided. ID required for rentals. Rentals available while supplies last. Rental age restrictions still apply. Last free rental will be at 1 p.m. Free. Call 301-779-0371 or visit www. pgparks.com.

May 2

4th Annual Bostwick Heritage Festival 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Bostwick, 3300 48th St., Bladensburg Take a step back in time to the eve of the early days of the Port Town Communities and the War of 1812. Annually, this program includes farm animals, 1800s style children’s games & activities, demonstrations of a variety of historic trades and more. Free admission. Call 301-887-0777 or visit www.anacostiatrails.org.

May 3

Six Flags America Cinco De Mayo Celebration Six Flags America, 13710 Central Ave., Bowie A fiesta with games, special offers, giveaways and more, including an Exclusive Ride Time Event!

The celebration continues with the sounds, flavors and fun of Mexico courtesy of Univision! Live music, festive cultural performances, delicious specialty foods and cool merchandise, plus celebrity appearances and so much more. ($) Call 301-249-1500 or visit www.sixflags.com/america.

COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint Military Publications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force or any branch of the United States military.

The appearance of advertising in these publications, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the products and 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, martial status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non merit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

Maxine Minar, president mminar@dcmilitary.com John Rives, publisher

jrives@dcmilitary.com

Tiffany Arnold, page design tarnold@gazette.net Leslie Smith, editor lsmith@dcmilitary.com Bobby Jones, photographer bjones@dcmilitary.com

Friday, May 1, 2015

Commentary

Heavy drinking: Highway to disaster decided to have a party one Sunday afternoon at his 81ST MEDICAL OPERATIONS house. He invited some of his SQUADRON buddies over to join him -the more the merrier. Some Alcohol and Drug Abuse of his buddies invited a few Prevention and Treatment of their friends to the gathProgram ering, which quickly turned Heavy drinking is de- into a party. The Airman fined as consuming five or coordinated what everyone more standard drinks in one would bring, including a keg sitting. It is also considered of beer, beer pong to play, and “high risk” drinking due to music to enjoy. the health concerns associBy 5 p.m., guests arrived ated with drinking excessive and the designated keg opamounts of alcohol. Many erator was letting the beer stories about heavy drinking pour freely for everyone who are glamorized, not publi- wanted it without verifying cized, or forgotten altogether, the ages of the guests. Other so behaviors don’t change. attendees brought hard liHere’s a story that illus- quor and many were taking trates the many problems shots between drinks and and risks associated with playing beer pong. The host heavy drinking. Can you was tired and had gotten pick them out? Have you a little too much sun, so he been on the “Highway to Di- went into the house to take saster?” a short nap. Several guests It was a perfect day on were hungry so one the the Mississippi coast to take guests drove to get pizzas a swim in the pool, so a Kee- from a nearby restaurant. sler Air Force Base Airman The impaired driver had

BY PAUL AHLBERG AND CAPT. SHEONTEE FRANK

a friend who had not been drinking as much ride along with him.The driver had done this before and had never been arrested for impaired driving.

A young female who had been playing beer pong was noticeably intoxicated near the pool. One of the guests asked her if she was OK, but she did not respond, so he yelled for someone to call 911. Some of the guests left in a hurry. Meanwhile, a neighbor called local law enforcement due to the loud music and noise.

There were many mistakes made throughout the course of the afternoon and the consequences were great.

This scenario identified issues of underage drinking, contributing alcohol to minors, public intoxication, and driving under the influence.

Most importantly this scenario illustrates the lack of wingmanship.

Here are tips for respon-

sible party planning: z Plan ahead. z Have a non-drinking designated driver. z Limit drinking. z Check identification to prevent underage drinking. z Be a responsible host. z Provide food, activity and oversight. z Offer water and nonalcoholic beverages. z Leave your vehicle at home. z Know your guests. z Ensure guests have a safe way home. z Remember 0-0-1-3.

That means 0 underage drinking, 0 drinking and driving, 1 drink per hour, no more than 3 drinks per sitting. z Call a taxi or Airman Against Drunk Driving at your installation for a safe ride home.

Retiree Corner Dental Screenings

Military retirees and eligible dependents in the National Capital Area are invited to participate in a dental screening program. The 79th Medical Wing’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at Joint Base Andrews and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling is offering dental examinations. If interested, call the Bolling Retiree Activities Office at 202-767-5244, starting at 9 a.m., June 5. Dental technicians will review the caller’s dental history. Selected retirees will be scheduled for examinations at the Bolling dental clinic, June 12 and at the Andrews clinic, June 24. Col. Jeffrey Den-

ton, director of residency training, said they plan to offer examinations to as many as 96 people, or 48 at each location. “Those with conditions determined to meet the educational needs of our residents will be considered for appointments, probably starting in October and running through next summer. You can expect some busy signal,” Denton said. “If your call is picked up by a recorder, leave your number and the call will be returned. Technicians will remain until all appointments have been scheduled.”

Fraud Protection

Medicare encourages its members to help themselves by reporting fraud. Identity

theft happens when someone uses your personal information to commit fraud or other crimes. Medicare fraud takes money from the program, resulting in higher health care costs. Report fraud abuse at 1-800-2690271.

No Council Meeting

The Air Force Retiree Council, scheduled to meet this month at Randolph AFB, Texas, was canceled.

Budget considerations, responsible for canceling meetings in 2011 and 2013, were again believed to be a contributing factor. The council was established in 1972 to serve as the Chief of Staff’s liaison with the

retiree community. It is comprised of co-chairs, 15 members representing geographical regions and two at-large positions. Members oversee retiree activities in 100 base offices. The RAOs serve 700,000 Air Force retirees, their family members and 103,000 spouses enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan.

The Retiree Activities Office is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Visit the office in Building 1604 at California and Colorado Avenues or call 301-981-2726. Call before your visit to ensure a volunteer is on duty. The RAO has a website at www.andrews. af.mil.

County: Commission for Veterans survey available online The Prince George’s County Commission for Veterans has developed an online survey for veterans and their families. The purpose of the survey is to gather information about the needs of veterans in Prince George’s County and how the county, community-based organizations and citizens can help them.

The Department of Family Services, which

houses the Commission for Veterans, is collecting the information via Google survey. All surveys are anonymous and confidential, and can be accessed on the Department of Family Services website, www.prince georgescountymd.gov/sites/ Family/Pages/default.aspx.

Hard copies of the survey are available at the Department of Family Services Office, 6420 Allentown Road, Camp Springs.

The satellite office for the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, which is located in the same building, also has access to hard copies and electronic versions.

According the Department of Veteran Affairs, more than 61,000 veterans live in Prince George’s County - the largest concentration in the state.

County Executive Rushern L. Baker III is looking to

develop an Office on Veterans Affairs to assist these residents.

The Commission for Veterans meets on the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. The meetings are free and are open to the public. For more information, please contact Carol-Lynn Snowden at 301-265-8404.

– Prince George’s County Department of Family Services

Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 1, 2015

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Joint Base Andrews goes the distance

BY SENIOR AIRMAN MARIAH HADDENHAM

11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Approximately 150 runners participated in the third annual Joint Base Andrews Half-Marathon on April 18.

The race ended with an awards ceremony hosted

by Col. Hoagland, who also participated in the race Seasoned runners and firsttimers competed.

“This was my first time running this particular race,” said Airman 1st Class Joshua Islas, 11th Wing Staff Agency administration technician. “I just love running. I have run two full marathons and a few other small marathons, but I will definitely be running this half-marathon next year.”

The event coincided with the Amazing Base Family Festival, which included family entertainment and food. “We came to support my husband who is running the half marathon, but we also got to enjoy the activities and spend family time with him after he crossed the finish line,” said Adriana Odusanya, an Air Force spouse.

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/SENIOR AIRMAN MARIAH HADDENHAM

Runners begin the Joint Base Andrews Half-Marathon, April 18, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. This was the third annual half-marathon held at JBA and the race had approximately 150 participants. First place runners in the men and women’s category were Philip Blong, with a time of 1:22:41, and Mary Kay Robinson, with a time of 1:39:32.

SPACE, from page 1 events he had seen in his lifetime and the numerous opportunities that lie ahead for the youth involved in the program, he concluded, “You don’t know how proud I am of what you’re about to do.”

“We’re just so enthused that the young people not only have the opportunity but take advantage of the opportunity to prepare themselves for the future in aviation. It’s one of those things that God has blessed me to be here to talk to young people; and what we say will impress them to the point that whatever dream they have they can succeed,” Fauntroy said.

Major Anderson, shared, “I was really impressed by what I saw today. I consider myself and Faunteroy as pioneers of past history, but what I saw today were the pioneers of future history.

These cadets made me think these could be our future astronauts; and I’m just glad to be here today to witness that and to be a

LESLIE C. SMITH

The East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, one of the sponsors of the day’s event, were on hand to experience the live contact between the International Space Station and students from Oxon Hill AF JROTC Aviation Program.

part of it.

“Being 90 years of age I consider it a great blessing to let the children know they can be anything they want to be these days; they don’t have the same barriers to overcome; the field is wide open now,” Anderson concluded.

As students from the Oxon Hill High School sat in the audience, 12 cadets from AFJROTC had the opportunity to ask questions of Italian European Space Agency Astronaut Samanatha Cristoforetti –

the the first Italian woman in space. The students had 10 minutes in which to ask their questions as the station passed over Greenbelt. She answered their questions ranging from her journey to becoming an astronaut to daily life on the ISS, to technical and scientific questions regarding the ISS. The participants are part of the JROTC Aviation Program, in conjunction with the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. One of the

students who soloed piloted an airplane in the program, Cadet/2Lt. Monika Talastas, shared her thoughts about the day’s event, “I think it was a really good experience. I think it was really important.”

“Technology and space is something that is always advancing. I think it was really cool,” said Talastas, who is headed to school for mechanical engineering with an aerospace concentration.

“I’m just blessed,” Ca-

det/CMSgt Hannah Anbreal Monroe expressed.

“I am beyond happy. It was overwhelming; it was so enjoyable.”

“I think it’s a very good experience, not many schools get to do it. I think it’s great that we – Oxon Hill – got a chance to do it.

It was great for exposing the students to the STEM fields. We have a lot of STEM programs here; but we get to see it in action.

They get to see what they might want to be a part of as they explore what they want to do with their career,” said Cadet Col. Terrence Christian.

“I was already interested in the engineering field; now I think I want to change to something aerospace related,” Christian added.

“I never heard of this happening, once they came to our school we all jumped on board and we were very interested. I think the school got something out it; all the cadets were very eager to come and watch us make contact with the International Space Station,” said Christian.

“This experience means

a lot because when I was little I always thought about space and getting to talk to someone in space. It was really incredible,” said Cadet Lt. Col Aric Catimbang “If you work hard you get to do special things like this.

Col. Marc Branche, Senior Aerospace Instructor AF JRTOC, shared, “I think they did a great job.

I thought today went very well. I think, it was a good example to the students, the parents and everybody who came, as well as, those that tapped into the live stream, the technology that can be used to talk to people so far away going so fast. The fact that you can talk to an astronaut live in space is actually fantastic; and that is the same type of technology that can be used when they go further – perhaps even Mars.”

The event was sponsored by NASA, Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT-NA) American Radio Relay League and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Andrews Gazette

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TRICARE: Compound drug coverage revised

BY LT. COL. GLENN L. LAIRD

PHARMACY FLIGHT COMMANDER

Starting today, Express Scripts, the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, will screen all ingredients in compound drug claims to ensure they are safe and effective, and covered by TRICARE. This screening process is similar to the current TRICARE process for other prescription drugs, but it now applies to the ingredients in compound drugs, as well.

Compound drugs are a combination of drug ingredients prepared by a pharmacist for a patient’s individual needs. TRICARE beneficiaries taking a compound drug will soon receive a letter explaining the new process for screening compound drugs, and what steps they should follow.

The Defense Health Agency’s highest priority is to provide our benefi-

BOBBY JONES

A 779th Medical Support Squadron pharmacy technician counts pills at the Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center Pharmacy. The pharmacy administers more than 350,000 medications annually.

ciaries safe and effective care while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. Many compound drugs will still be covered because they include ingredients proven to be safe, and most beneficia-

ries will experience no delay in getting their prescriptions.

For more information about TRICARE coverage of compound drugs, visit www.tricare.mil/Com poundDrugs.

FIBER, from page 1 signed to familiarize the public with the farming experience.

Patrice Gribble-Fetter, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission Park Naturalist, noted the Shearing Day event is held every year on the third Saturday in April.

“We have to shear our animals by the end of April because they start getting hot with the summer coming. We get all the heavy wool off that kept them warm during the winter and make sure they’re nice and cool for the summer,” said Fetter.

“It’s also a great way of bringing people out to the farm in the springtime and show them traditional farming methods, like growing vegetables and fruits for the animals and just having a good time,” said Fetter.

The farm also boasts a bee and butterfly gardens for programs and produce and herb gardens. “We used to grow tobacco, but we still grow cotton, which can be seen in some of our displays. We’re hoping to get more people to come out next year.”

Fetter who has a bachelor’s degree in animal science from the Univer-

VAREP, from page 1

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one veteran at a time,” said Christine Olfus, VAREP government Affairs.

At the VAREP Annual conference, with chapters from across the country in attendance, participants travel to Capitol Hill to meet with their congressman and senators.

“We would like to be the voice that is missing; we want them to see how veterans are existing – many of whom don’t know their benefits or aren’t using their benefits for various reason. During their transition into civilian life they are aware of certain things but really not the home buying process,” Olfus said.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done to end homelessness. Our mission is to increase sustainable homeownership.

We advocate nationally for programs to reduce barriers.”

“We encourage financial institutions to make the process easier for the veteran community. We want

Friday, May 1, 2015

sity of Maryland, associate degrees in biology and teaching, noted she always wanted to teach kids and work with animals.

“Those degrees work together and enable me to do both,” said Fetter, who once worked in the Australian exhibit at the National Aquarium in Baltimore as a biological technician. “But I really enjoy coming to work here more. I’ve been here since 2001.”

Fetter stressed while the facility is free and open to the public, it is an educational facility, not a petting zoo or a production farm.

“We don’t send our animals out to market. For the most part our animals stay here until they’re old and gray. To that advantage we do a lot of school programs, special needs programs and we have a lot of visitors who come in and interact with the animals, which we monitor for the safety of the animals and the visitors,” Fetter said.

“Each of us has different backgrounds. One of our staff members has certification in therapeutic riding, working with the disabled,” Fetter added.

Therapeutic riding uses equine-assisted activities for the purpose of contrib-

uting positively to cognitive, physical, emotional and social well-being of people with disabilities.

“Jess Hardy, our sheep shearer, has a degree from Delaware Valley University in agriculture and a life-time of sheep experience. We have a small staff of professionals,” Fetter said.

Originally the Old Maryland facility was used by the Maryland Park Police Mounted units who had their horses in the stables located on the grounds in the early 1970s.

Today, the facility serves as an educational facility, with approximately 70 different animals, including goats, sheep, chickens, rabbits, peafowl, turkeys, hogs, ponies, donkey, calf, steer and Appaloosa ponies, and a llama.

Visitors can assist in feeding the animals Tuesday through Sunday at noon. It’s free and open to the public, Tuesday through Friday, 10 am2:30 p.m. Sat-Sun 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The farm also offers birthday parties, pony rides, hay rides, and farm demonstrations.

For more information about Old Maryland Farm events, call 301-218-6770.

professional membership – real estate professionals and financial – to be empowered and understand how to work with veterans, all about the VA loan. And we also collaborate with organizations for job creation as well,” Olfus said.

The organization conducts numerous community outreach programs. One of the larger programs is the Housing Summit they hold twice a year. At the summit financial education sessions are conducted with attorneys on site to answer questions and several banks on hand to run credit checks and qualify on the spot for mortgages.

VAREP is hosting a Stars and Stripes Veteran Charity Golf Tournament on May 19 to raise funds to support their community outreach programs such as the housing summit.

Golfers can still sign up for golf tournament. The entry fee includes green fees, a cart fee, driving ball, lunch and tickets to the awards banquet dinner. If you don’t want to golf, but would like to network, you can attend the dinner. A car will be given away for

a hole-in-one.

Registration starts at 11:30.

In encouraging people to participate, Olfus added, “You will be contributing to worthy cause. [Homelessness] is in our face all the time; we see homeless people all the time in this area and often they are military.

“This event really does help our organization to help bring people off the streets – if come to policy conference in June will see giving away two homes to veterans – one came to the housing summit in December. They get to realize an immediate return on their investment and have a great time also.”

To register for the event, visit www.VAREP. net/StarsandStripes.

The next VAREP Housing Summit is planned for later summer/fall. If you are interested in learning more, visit VAREP.net and check the local events calendar. The organization is also looking for donated space in which to hold the summit, contact them through their website as well.

Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 1, 2015

AF aircraft sends disaster-assistance support to Nepal

RACE, from page 1 through the residential areas, people emerged from their homes to cheer the students on. At the conclusion of the race, the participants gathered in front of the school for the awards ceremony.

“Every year this race will get a little better, and I hope everyone out here will be here next year. We’re so grateful for you allowing our students that could not move physically to be able to participate. For our first 5K race, you did the dag gone thing,” said Patrice F. Watson, Rieg’s principal.

Jennifer Johnson, Parents Teachers Organization president, said, “It was a wonderful opportunity to get some exposure for the school and to give specials needs students an opportunity to come out and take part in events of this nature,” Johnson said.

The following runners competed and placed in the Student Category: first place: Taylor Davis (39 min. 18 sec.), second place: Brianna Spicer (40 min. 28 sec.) and third place: Robert Howre (42 min. 41 sec.).

At the conclusion of the event, Kevin Alexander, Ainsley’s Angels president, made a surprise donation of $2,500 and two advanced mobility running strollers to support

5

Pentagon: 45 square tons of cargo, 70 people sent to help earthquake victims

BY DOD NEWS

DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JONES

Several students, parents and family participants listen to closing remarks of the race.

next year’s race. One of the strollers was actually used in the race. Ainsley’s Angels is a nonprofit organization geared toward supporting special needs schools, programs and organizations.

“We’re really excited to get the ball rolling with start-up costs for next year’s event,” said Buxton.

Patrice Watson, C. Elizabeth Rieg Regional School principal, congratulates first place winner

The U.S. has sent an Air Force aircraft to Nepal to deliver personnel and cargo in support of disaster-relief operations, according to Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren.

A 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit the country April 25, reportedly leaving almost 2,500 dead, about 6,000 injured and thousands more still missing. In addition, thousands of people are currently reported to be without food, water or shelter.

“This morning at approximately 11:18 a.m., a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster (III) departed from Dover Air Force Base bound for Nepal,” Warren said in a statement released April 26. “The air-

craft is transporting nearly 70 personnel, including a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team and several journalists, along with 45 square tons of cargo.”

The flight is expected to arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on April 27, according to Warren.

The initial estimated cost for the U.S. Defense Department’s support is approximately $700,000, and there are currently no additional requests for DOD support, officials said on background.

There are 26 DOD personnel and one U.S. C-130 Hercules in Nepal who were there to conduct a previously scheduled training exercise. All DOD personnel in Nepal are accounted for, officials said.

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Friday, May 1, 2015

JBA AIRMEN HONORED FOR AIR FORCE INSTALLATION EXCELLENCE

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER

The 2015 special recognition nominees receive certificates during a ceremony at The Courses at Andrews, Joint Base Andrews on April 22.

Prior Homefront Rising attendees participate in a communications exercise.

Military spouses on the rise to public office

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Military spouses are stepping up, from the school board to the Senate. Instead of just calling their Representatives, military spouses are asking, “Why can’t I be the Representative?” Homefront Rising encourages that mindset and prepares military spouses to take the next steps to serving in public office with a one-day seminar on May 6 at The Army Navy Club.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with registration opening at 8:30, the educational seminar will provide information and resources needed to pursue roles in local, state, and national politics.

Kathleen Shanahan, who was chief of staff to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will provide her insights and advice on how military spouses can engage in the political process. Military spouse and former Michigan Secretary of State candidate Jocelyn Benson will

share her experiences and encouragement. Attendees will also hear messages from currently serving military spouses, including U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Indiana Senator Amanda Banks.

After the training and encouragement received from the seminars in Washington, D.C.; Tampa, Florida; and San Diego, California, attendees have gone on to work on local campaigns, served on the boards of community organizations, and engaged in the political process across the country. Homefront Rising returns to D.C. for another educational event tailored specifically for military spouses looking to serve in public office.

Homefront Rising is a joint effort of In Gear Career for Military Spouses and the Military Spouse JD Network.

– Homefront Rising

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Friday, May 1, 2015