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‘Star Warriors’ change airframe, join fleet at Whidbey Island

DCMILITARY.COM

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JBA’s Police Week demos educate and entertain

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

County ‘Heroes’ aiding tornado relief effort

Get your ruck on

FRIDAY, MAY 24, 2013 | VOL. 2 NO. 19

FORT WASHINGTON HOSTS FESTIVAL OF NATIONS

Supply trailer in Upper Marlboro as donation drop-off site

BY DANIEL J. GROSS

PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE

As initial death tolls rose following destruction from a vicious tornado in Oklahoma City on Monday, Chris Johnson, 38, of Bowie knew the area would be in need of food, supplies and helping hands.

“My first thought was, ‘We have to go,’” said Johnson. “It’s terrifying. That’s a storm that can happen anywhere. These guys need help.”

Johnson, the founder and president of Heroes for the Homeland and a Prince George’s police officer, is leading local relief efforts by collecting donations from area residents and heading to the devastated site in Oklahoma with a team of volunteers — all of whom are Prince George’s, Anne Arundel and Southern Maryland firefighters and police officers.

A tornado touched down in Oklahoma City on Monday, killing dozens and leveling buildings including two elementary schools and a hospital, according to national media reports.

By Tuesday, Heroes for the Homeland began soliciting donations to fill its two 44-foot trailers, several pick-up trucks and camper that they will drive across the

country, Johnson said. He expects more than 5,000 pounds of food and supplies to be collected before heading to the devastation June 1 or June 2.

Heroes for the Homeland was formed in 2012 after Johnson and other founding members desired to create a disaster relief nonprofit of public safety officials that could respond to disasters in the U.S. and provide aid to the first responders dealing with a tragedy in whatever way they are needed.

“Law enforcement officers are going to be working nonstop.

They need support. We’re there for them primarily and once their needs are met, we’ll turn to the community,” Johnson said.

Dean Jones, the vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89 in Prince George’s, applauded Johnson’s efforts given that he is using saved up personal leave to travel to ground zero.

“He’s put together a program to help others. They carry donations directly to the people,” said Jones. “He gets nothing in return other then the satisfaction of helping others.”

Jones said he sent emails out to all county police officers asking

see TORNADO, page 7

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

A fire blower dazzles a captivated audience. More photos on page 4.

Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic breaks ground

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic and Surgery Center officially broke ground on a new, 344,548 square foot building at a formal ceremony held May 22 on the grounds of the current facility, which will be demolished when construction on the new building is complete.

Invited guests included Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Thomas W. Travis, Surgeon General of the Air Force; Lt. Gen. Gerard Caron, 79th Medical Wing commander; Maj. Gen. Sharon Dunbar, Air Force District of Washington commander; Capt. Kenneth Branch, Naval Facility Command commanding officer’ Col. William M. Knight, 11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews commander and executives from

Manhattan Hunt Joint Venture, a Tulsa, Okla.-based firm which will work with NAVFAC Washington to construct the new Malcolm Grow, at a cost of $266 million.

Construction will begin in MGMCSC’s main parking lot.

Parking areas and temporary trailers for medical offices will shift around the campus during construction, which is estimated to be completed by the first quarter of FY2017. As various medical offices move to temporary facilities and again into the new building, those changes will be announced in the Andrews Gazette and online at www.79mdw.af.mil.

The original building, constructed in 1958, operated as the PHOTO/BOBBY JONES 250-bed USAF Hospital Andrews.

The official guests from the Air Force Medical leadership and Naval Engineering Facility hold symbolic Expansion projects and renovashovels of dirt during a ground breaking ceremony for the future Malcolm Grow Medical and Surgery Censee MALCOLM GROW, page 4 ter at Joint Base Andrews May 22.

Someone has been sleeping in my hickory leaf....

BY MELINA MESHAKO

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION MASTER GARDENER PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY

This oak leaf has developed a swollen “gall” around an egg laid by a cynapid wasp.

Have you ever walked into your garden and felt like one of the three bears? “Someone has been eating my azalea leaves” Or “Someone has been eating my hostas.” Or maybe “Someone is eating my romanesco cabbage ... and there they are!”

It’s annoying.

Discovering your garden’s Goldilocks won’t make it run away and they probably won’t stay away. Nature’s creatures are naturally attracted to your garden. You can get rid of pests with research done in a few steps.

Take a photo of the plant, the damage and - if you’re lucky - the pest. Bring it when you describe the problem to your garden guru or compare it to photos of possible suspects. You can also put it in your garden journal or on a site like Pinterest to remind you what to do if you encounter this pest again.

If you don’t recognize your pest host or pest, people, books and the Internet will help. If your neighbors and your local nursery don’t know, ask the trained horticulturalists at the Home and Garden Center: 1-800-342-2507 or https://extension.umd.edu/hgic. You can even upload photos onto the HGIC website with your description of the problem.

Troll summer library book sales and bookstore sales for photographic garden encylopedia. Don’t be overwhelmed by books organized by scientific names; there is usually a common name index in the back. I look through a book page by page and put sticky notes on anything that looks like something in my yard. If I find something that looks like my pest host, I put the flag on the top of the page; other flags go on the side for plants I recognize in my yard. After a few research projects, you may find yourself adding “I want those in my yard” flags. iPads may help with this, too.

Google is my research assis-

see NATURE, page 5

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Andrews Gazette

HOT TICKETS

Commentary

I’ve tried nothing, and I’m all out of ideas

Around Town May 24 USAF Max Impact 7 p.m.

10440 O’Donnell Place, St. Charles, Md. See the Air Force’s band play classic and modern rock and country hits live along the lake and shop from a local farmers’ market. For information visit www.stcharlesmd.com.

May 25 Kenny Chesney: No Shoes Nation Tour 5 p.m.

FedEx Field, 1600 FedEx Way, Landover, Md. Hear Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Eli Young Band, Kacey Musgraves. For information and tickets visit http:// www.redskins.com/fedexfield/.

May 25 On the Attraction of the Sun Opening reception 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Institute of Contemporary Art Baltimore, 1428 West 37th Street, Baltimore, Md. Rodolphe Delaunay incorporates science, popular traditions, sculpture and film. For information visit www.icabaltimore.org.

May 27 Memorial Day Patriotic Series Game: Washington Nationals vs. Baltimore Orioles 1:05 p.m.

Nationals Park, 1500 South Capitol St., S.E., Washington, D.C. Active duty, Reserve and retirees of the military and their dependents can enjoy discounted tickets with military ID. For information or tickets visit www.nationals. com/patriotic.

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

Chris Basham, editor cbasham@dcmilitary.com Deirdre Parry, page design dparry@gazette.net Bobby Jones, photographer bjones@dcmilitary.com

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Friday, May 24, 2013

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

So, my friend’s college-age daughter needs a job. Or at least my friend thinks so. The daughter, well...I hate to break it to her parents but she seems pretty happy with that oneday-a-week position that puts gas in her car but doesn’t cramp her social style.

One of my son’s friends from back in high school is living on an allowance from his parents. He applied for a couple of jobs (as my father would remind me, “a couple” means

“two,”) and when he didn’t get them he stopped looking. He’s pretty comfortable with that allowance, somehow, and has mostly stopped asking his group of friends for additional cash—after all, they’re all working for a living, and not really thrilled to give him money just because he has his hand out.

Another of their friends is determined to change the world. He wants us all eating organic, locally sourced food and sticking it to the corporate “machine” he believes is destroying society. People would take him a lot more seriously if he didn’t want to

discuss all this over regular dinners at a national restaurant chain known for its unhealthy food.

My son has a saying for people like this—people who say they’re looking for work, wanting to start the next great grassroots movement or hoping for a better romantic relationship, but who don’t seem to be doing anything to make those changes in their lives.

“I’ve tried nothing, and I’m all out of ideas!”

Coming from my son, that’s a pretty

fraud or abuse regarding the TRICARE pharmacy program, contact Express Scripts, Inc. at fraudtip(at) express-scripts.com.

counting Service requires users of its myPay system to change their passwords every 60 days, using stronger, 15-to-30-character passwords. myPay is the online pay management system for payroll customers. More stringent password requirements safeguard your money, your identity and your well being, a DFAS spokesman said. Users are required to establish new passwords when they attempt to access their accounts. Once a password has been created, users have to update it every 60 days. Customers logging into myPay using DoD computer access cards or a similarly encrypted federal ID card do not need to enter a password to log in to myPay. More information on password requirements is available on the DFAS website at www.dfas.mil/dfas/mypayinfo.

see COMMENTARY, page 10

Retiree Corner COURTESY OF THE RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE

You pay for health care fraud

Health care fraud and abuse cost American taxpayers billions of dollars each year. Fraud is intentional deception or misrepresentation that enables someone to obtain an unauthorized benefit or payment. Abuse occurs when providers supply services or products that are medically unnecessary or that do not meet professional standards. TRICARE users are an important partner in the ongoing fight against fraud and abuse.

Always review the Explanation of Benefits you receive after health care services. It should list the services and supplies you received. If you find differences between the services reflected on your EOB and the services you received, call the toll-free number listed on the EOB. Differences do not always indicate fraud, but they can indicate mistakes that may result in improper claims reimbursement from TRICARE or cause your medical record to be incorrect. If you have concerns about your medical record, follow up with your health care provider to ensure the services you received are reflected properly. To learn more about fraud and abuse, visit tricare.mil/fraud. To report

Equity for same-sex partners still on hold

Calling it “a matter of fundamental equity,” the Defense Department has a new policy extending benefits to same-sex partners of service members. It reads, in part: “Taking care of our service members and honoring the sacrifices of all military families are two core values of this nation.

Extending these benefits is an appropriate next step under current law to ensure that all service members receive equal support for what they do to protect this nation...One of the legal limitations to providing all benefits at this time is the Defense of Marriage Act. There are certain benefits that can only be provided to spouses as defined by that law, which is now being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court...Until then, the department will continue to comply with current law...The implementation of additional benefits will require substantial policy revisions and training...”

Update to a stronger password

The Defense Finance and Ac-

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 us at 301 981-2726.

Our e-mail address is rao@andrews. af.mil. Call the office before your visit to ensure a volunteer is on duty. The RAO has a website at www.andrews. af.mil, click on “Retirees” for a wealth of information on retiree subjects, including past copies of “Retiree Activities Corner.”

Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 24, 2013

‘Star Warriors’ change airframe, join fleet at Whidbey Island

BY BOBBY JONES

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

After nearly a quarter of a century based at Andrews, Electronic Attack Squadron 209’s “Star Warriors” are heading to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.

Cmdr. Casey Casad, VAQ-209 squadron commander, flew his Fini flight in an EA-6B Prowler alongside fellow squadron pilots from Joint Base Andrews May 17.

The Chief of Naval Operations directed VAQ-209 to transition to the EA18G Growler, the replacement aircraft to the EA-6B Prowler and change homeports to NAS Whidbey Island, in an announcement made Nov. 27, 2012. The EA-18G Growler is a specialized version of the twoseat F/A-18F Super Hornet.

Commander Casad, who has flown the Prowler for 17 years, is proud of the aircraft’s combat-rich legacy and the squadron’s history as the sole Navy Reserve electronic attack squadron in an active duty fleet. The remaining 13 other active duty VAQ squadrons in the fleet are already assigned to Whidbey Island.

“We are simply relocating to the Navy’s home of Airborne Electronic Attack, to where the rest of the fleet is located,” said Cmdr.

Casad.

Casad said that VAQ209 was originally scheduled to be decommissioned in fiscal year 2012, but due to world events and President Obama’s evolving vision for the Department of Defense, specifically the Navy’s shift in focus to the Pacific area of responsibility, the Navy changed the

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The last two EA-6B Prowlers are launched at Joint Base Andrews.

homeports of a number of ships, submarines and aviation squadrons.

The Navy has worked toward replacing the EA6B with the EA-18G for the last seven years. With the active duty Airborne community about threequarters of the way through that transition, VAQ-209 will transition to the EA18G starting July. The transition is expected to be complete and fully operational

by May 2014.

“The first thing in order to transition to a new platform is you got to get rid of your old platforms. So for the last six months we have been transferring our Prowlers into various capacities,” said Casad. “Two of those airplanes were at the end of their service limit, so they were flown down to the Depot in Jacksonville, Fla., where the planes were decommissioned. One of those aircraft is going to become a static display here on the Navy side of Joint Base Andrews. Another one our airplanes is being flown out to Whid-

bey Island, where it’s being transferred to another squadron, so that squadron can take that airplane on its final deployment in an EA-6B squadron, before it transitions to the EA-18G.” Casad further noted that the Navy had to manage the down-sizing of the EA6B and pooling of all the available serviceable aircraft to continue to support carrier air wing operations and expeditionary operations in recent years, saying, “and even though VAQ209 is a Reserve squadron we are part and parcel to that overall management plan.”

VAQ-209 was commissioned in 1977; the squadron aircraft flown was the EA-6A until 1989, when the squadron transitioned to the EA-6B, and transferred from Naval Air Station Norfolk to then Andrews Air Force Base. Now the squadron is transferring to NAS Whidbey Island, while transitioning to the EA18G.

see WARRIORS, page 8

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Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 24, 2013

MALCOLM GROW, from page 1

FORT WASHINGTON HOSTS FESTIVAL OF NATIONS Fort Washington residents celebrated cultures from all around the world during the annual Festival of Nations held May 19 near the Tucker Road Community Center. The event featured programs and activities for everyone in the family featuring different cultures through music, dance, food, crafts and games.

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Students from the Tai Yam Kung Fu School, Kensington, Md., perform a traditional Dragon dance.

Keur Khaleyi African Dance Company dancers perform a traditional West African dance. Keur Khaleyi means “house of the children” in Wolof, a language native to Senegal, West Africa.

A youngster takes a rest at the bow of a wooden ship at Castaway Island Playground.

Drummers from the Keur Khaleyi African Dance Company accompany a dance troupe.

tions over the past 53 years have kept the facility in use, but “the mission has changed,” said Col. Rudolph Cachuela, Commander, 779th Medical Group. “We are definitely proud of our current facility, but it’s time to replace it.”

Those changes, dictated in part by evolving standards of patient care, were encapsulated in the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 and led to the closure of Malcolm Grow’s inpatient hospital in 2011. Since then, MGMCSC has focused on outpatient services, in partnership with facilities at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, Va.; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, Md.; Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center at Fort Meade, Md.; Community Based Outpatient Clinics throughout the National Capital Region and, since 2010, a partnership with MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center which provides labor and delivery facilities, cardiac care and a backup for Malcolm Grow’s emergent care services.

“We’ll still have a full complement of specialized clinics, and be set up to provide quality care to our beneficiaries,” said Maj. Gen. Gerard Caron, Commander, 79th Medical Wing, a wing which was stood up as part of the 2005 BRAC to provide what Caron called, “a single voice for Air Force Medicine in the NCR, similar to the 59th Medical Wing in San Antonio.”

The new facility will be a “green” building, certified for environmentally friendly energy usage, and provide a home for an ambulatory care and outpatient surgery center, physical and occupational therapy, family health facilities, specialty clinics and a 26,612 square foot dental clinic. Malcolm Grow will continue its role as aeromedical staging facility for wounded, ill and injured service members returning Stateside from Europe and the Middle East, as well.

“It’s exactly as we envisioned it in 2005 and 2006,” said Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Travis, Surgeon General of the Air Force, who emphasized the importance of Malcolm Grow’s aeromedical staging facility in his remarks.

“Over 92,000 patients have been air evacuated in this war. Last year there were 500 missions in this aeromedical staging facility. That practice opportunity is how we ensure success in the next war,” said Travis. “We’re doing that throughout the country, but nowhere more than here.”

Operatories and other patient care offices throughout the new MGMCSC are designed to be very similar to their counterparts at Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed, to make physicians and surgeons comfortable and efficient no matter where they may be performing their duties on any given day.

“It’s for the convenience of the surgeons and staff, and for the safety of patients, to have ‘carbon copies’ at all three locations. We can optimize all three facilities. Malcolm Grow will be an integrated part of a military health care system without walls,” Caron said. “The Army and the Navy have already made great progress in integrating policy at Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed. The process of fully integrating the market starts now.”

Caron expressed hope that integration efforts will eventually include common electronic health records for the entire Department of Defense.

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Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 24, 2013

JBA’S POLICE WEEK DEMOS EDUCATE AND ENTERTAIN The 11th Security Forces Squadron held a Tactical Equipment Exposition demonstration May 16 that included weapons and vehicle displays, crime prevention information, K-9 demonstrations and an Emergency Services Team area. The weapons display included an M500 shotgun, M9 pistol, M4 carbine, M203 grenade launcher, M249 automatic rifle and M240 machine gun.

Demonstrations included Security Force combative exercises, oleoresin capsicum (pepper) spray and use of the Taser and ASP baton. The vehicle display included an armored HMMWV with a mounted M240, Dodge Charger, Jeep Cherokee, bike patrol and ATV’s. The crime prevention booth included the opportunity to try “drunk goggles,” which simulate the vision and reaction time changes that alcohol can cause; identify-a-kid applications; pamphlets on crime prevention and an appearance by Scruff and McGruff the Crime Dogs.

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Arianna Howell, 2, and mother, Shalamar Bilal, get an up-close look inside a Maryland State Police N9-4MD helicopter on display as State Trooper John Preston, flight paramedic observes.

Senior Airman Kyle Barnes, 11th Security Forces Squadron Response Force Leader voluntarily receives a jolt during a Taser demonstration.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Juhnke, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal journeyman, allows Jonathon Ashby, 6, to calculate the weight of an EOD helmet at Tactical Weapons display. Jonathon is the son of Tech. Sgt. Jeff Ashby, 1st Airlift Squadron Communications Systems Operator.

Senior Airman Brian Mink, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal journeyman, gives a demonstration of an EOD bomb robot.

NATURE, from page 1 tant. Although my recent search for “tiny white bugs with huge headdresses” didn’t yield anything for the Dr. Suessian creatures infesting my tree, it did yield a prompt for “tiny white fluffy bugs” which I followed.

The photos matched: I have “boogie-woogie aphids,” aka beech blight aphids (Grylloprociphilus imbricator). They don’t usually kill trees they visit, so I’ll just let them boogie on.

Like Goldilocks, animals and insects only infest plants they think are “just right.” Witch hazel gall aphids only affect witch hazel bushes and birch trees.

Deer eat hostas yet leave azaleas and daffodils alone. and a cynapid wasp will only lay eggs inside a budding oak leaf. Once you find the name of your plant, you may find the pest and a pest management solution in the same book.

Fairly common garden pests including deer, racoons, groundhogs, moles, woodpeckers, ants, aphids and whiteflies are covered in UMD Extension Fact Sheets and on other websites.

Remember that each pest and solution is different.

The “blue truck daffodil thief ” is regrettably not covered in any gardening websites I’ve visited.

Google was not helpful; I had to do my own research to figure out that particular garden pest. Ignoring the bear trap suggestion from a friend, I waited until I heard the truck again in front of our house and I went outside to see this pest myself. Once I knew his identity, my solution was to offer my yard pest a vase to go with the flowers he stole along with a tour of our yard. I’ve now met a neighbor and he now knows me.. Maybe he will even help us divide my daffodil bulbs

Eastern tent caterpillars make an ugly “tent” on the branches of trees they infest.

Ants crawl on a camellia bud.

in the fall.

If you haven’t seen the pest, look at the damage to determine the identity of your pest. Some-

times what seems like a disease could be a reaction to an insect.

Aphids on a witch hazel bush can cause the leaves to appear

as if they have a bad case of acne or measles. Notched leaves on azalea bushes are signs that a caterpillar was there. Bite marks on your hostas indicate that deer have sampled your thoughtful and convenient salad bar. Curled hickory leaves may reveal an orbweaver spider. And a benign cynapid wasp can cause an interesting apple oak gall to form.

Determine whether your pest is indeed a pest. You may want ants to control your aphids. Your pest may be a pollinator for a flower you love, or the destroyer of your favorite chartruese vegetable that you had spent the entire summer watering. The key here is to know your pest: What damage and what benefit do they bring to your garden?

Some damage is temporary.

Caterpillar-notched azalea

leaves will grow back next year and their butterflies are welcomed pollinators. Other pests could destroy your trees totally if left unchecked. Eastern tent caterpillars can strip a tree of all of its foliage; the tree may or may not recover. After seeing a few trees defoliated in my yard, I now use a direct approach for tent caterpillars; I either cut out the entire nest or I put on gloves and hand pick off the tent worms and nest, putting it all in a garbage bag ASAP; I definitely don’t want these caterpillars to spread to my neighbors’ yards or make next year’s infestation in my yard worse. For a less-handson-yet-environmentally-friendly approach to tent caterpillars, a pan of soapy water left at the base of the tree could eventually take care of a tent caterpillar problem. Other gardeners use a chemical spray to eradicate them. Just do NOT use a blow torch on tent caterpillars! In addition to being a fire hazard, that method is more harmful to your tree than leaving the tent caterpillars right where they are.

Whatever your garden pest problem, with a bit of research you will find a pest management solution that will best suit your circumstances and preferences.

And the gardener in you will live happily every after.

Resources:

Bugs: h t t p : / / w w w. b u goftheweek.umd.edu Pe s t M a n a g e m e n t Fa c t Sheets: https://extension.umd. edu/hgic.

Pest Management Tips of the Month: http://www.usna.usda. gov/Gardens/pestmgmt.html Integrated Pest Management app: http://ipmproapp.com “Good Bug/Bad Bug” by Jessica Walliser

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Andrews Gazette

Get your ruck on

Friday, May 24, 2013

Talking baseball It’s time to vote

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS NESHA HUMES

Participants in the 11th Security Forces Group National Police Week Ruck March carry a giant tire around Perimeter Road on May 15 at Joint Base Andrews, Md. Military service members and local police took part in the approximately 9-mile event.

Team Andrews members run with Prince George’s Police during the 11th Security Forces Group National Police Week Ruck March.

BY LT. COL. W. LANCE RODGERS It’s time to vote for your favorite players for this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game scheduled for July 16 at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.

For true baseball fans, this is your opportunity to help your favorite player make the team.

Voting can be done entirely online at http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/ events/all_star/y2013/ballot.jsp or at the team’s official MLB website. Fans can vote up to 25 times between now and midnight on July 4 plus an extra 10 times for connecting your MLB. com account to your ballot registration. The site allows you to vote by position and offers a link to the current stats of each player for fans who like to analyze things before making a decision.

The mid-summer classic is no longer just a friendly game.

Since 2003, the league that wins has received home field advantage for the World Series. Fans vote for starting position players, managers vote for pitchers, and players and managers vote for reserve players. This is serious business.

Taking a look at our two local teams, the Nationals star left fielder, Bryce Harper, is undoubtedly bound for his second All-Star Game in a row. Through Sun, May 19, he leads the team in batting average (.297), homeruns (11), walks (21), slugging percentage (.598), and is tied for the lead with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman in RBIs with 22. Zimmerman is also second in batting average, hitting .280. Shortstop Ian Desmond leads the team in hits with 44 and is second in slugging percentage (.473). Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmerman is off to the

Lt. Col. W. Lance Rodgers

best start in his career with 7 wins and 2 losses, a 1.62 ERA, and 45 strikeouts, while closer Rafael Soriano has a 1.89 ERA in 19 appearances, and leads the team with 12 saves.

For the Orioles, first baseman,Chris Davis has continued with his hot bat and is looking to make his first AllStar Game. He is hitting .318 with 13 homeruns and 41 RBIs. Third baseman Manny Machado is hitting .319 with 5 homers and 26 RBIs. He also leads the team with 61 base hits through 44 games. Center fielder Adam Jones is right behind him in hits with 59, and has 6 homers and 30 RBIs. Jones is also batting .319. Right fielder Nick Markakis has 54 hits, and is batting .293. He has 3 homeruns and 22 RBIs. The Orioles have two pitchers with ERAs under 2.0.

Tommy Hunter, with an ERA of 1.54, has 3 wins and 1 loss. Submarine pitcher Darren O’Day has a 1.74 ERA with 2 wins and no losses.

This is an exciting time for baseball fans. Whether you’re a fan of one of the local teams or not, you still have six weeks remaining to cast your ballots for your favorite players, so log in now and start voting.

Budget issues ‘no sweat’ for Andrews Fitness Center Master Sgt. John Franke, 11th Security Forces Group NCOIC resource adviser, weighs back packs for the 11th SFG National Police Week Ruck March.

Staff Sergeants Kyle Martin and Jason Leavens, 811th Security Forces Squadron executive aircraft security members, run with gas masks during the 11th Security Forces Group National Police Week Ruck March.

Fitness Tip

Hit the pavement, people! (or the trail, or the track)

BY SABINE LOPEZ

FITNESS AND OPERATIONS SPECIALIST WEST FITNESS CENTER

As the temperature creeps up this spring, it’s not only the cicadas that will be getting their groove on in the great outdoors.

Many people find the warmer weather a great incentive to get off the machines (or the couch) and start running outside again.

Millions of people run for exercise and pleasure. Since running has been around for as long as people have had things to run away from, you’d think we would know how to do it without injury. Unfortunately, quite a few people will injure themselves as they jump back into the outdoor habit. No one likes a strong dose of runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis, or shin splints, and they are all preventable. For those of you who plan to run in the springtime sun, do your body a favor and run aware!

The most common causes of injury, especially as people move outdoors in the spring, are overtraining, incorrect form, and failure to warm up or cool down.

We’ve talked about these things before, but they’re worth a review here.

“Overtraining” is really a case of “too much, too soon.” There’s a limit to how quickly your body

can increase either mileage or speed, and you will do well to pay attention to how your body deals with increased physical stress. In general, though, in the spring it’s a good idea to increase your distance by no more than 10 percent per week. If you run 10 miles total in a week, next week run no more than 11 miles. It may seem like a slow rate of increase, but compare that to a month of doing NOTHING because you suffered a bad case of runner’s knee, and you’ll see that you’re still coming out ahead.

To safely increase speed, pay attention to your heart rate.

If you measure your pulse and you’re in a danger zone, back off NOW, and make a note of how much exertion your body can tolerate. Next time go for an increase, but not as much. Then measure again, and see what your pulse is telling you.

Form, especially for distance runners, is a critical and oftenoverlooked issue. Consider this: do you look the same when you’ve been running for a long time, as compared to when you just start your run? The answer should be yes; otherwise, you’re probably drifting into an incorrect form, especially as you get tired.

Correct form takes advantage of your body’s natural systems.

For example, if you run with

your shoulders and your head up, you’ll open your airway and allow your lungs to be as effective as possible. If you run with your arms relaxed (not up close to your chest like Tyrannosaurus Rex), you’ll save energy and keep your upper body more relaxed as well.

In physical terms, running involves a pattern of storing and releasing elastic energy. This energy is stored and translated in your tendons and other soft tissues of your legs. From a form perspective, focus on the natural running technique of striking with the balls of your feet rather than your heels. You’ll save a tremendous amount of wear and tear on your joints, and you’ll be taking more advantage of that natural pattern of elastic energy.

Even though it’s warmer outside, don’t ignore your body’s need to warm up and cool down.

Warm-ups may be as simple as jumping jacks or slow jogging before you get into your training rhythm. Cool-downs should focus on stretches and keeping your muscles loose and supple. This is why yoga can be an excellent partner for runners and other aerobic athletes.

Get outside and enjoy the late spring weather! Be sure to dodge those cicadas, and dodge injuries while you’re at it, so you can have an awesome summer season!

BY STAFF SGT. TOREY GRIFFITH 11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

While they may not be repairing fighter jets with shoestrings and chewing gum, Airmen across the globe are making a totalforce effort to find ways to accomplish their missions with limited resources. These uniformed and civilian MacGyvers-of-sorts have their work cut out for them, as the Air Force must trim about $11 billion in the last half of this fiscal year while maintaining air superiority at home and abroad.

Innovation is alive at the Andrews West Fitness Center as the Airmen there roll out a new program that saves money while continuing to offer top-notch service to their patrons.

“We have a new service from Fitness on Request known as the ‘Kiosk,’” said 2nd Lt. David Smith, 11th Force Support Squadron http://www.andrewsfss.com officer in charge of sustainment services. “The Kiosk is located in our West Fitness Center aerobics room and is programmed to automatically play fitness classes on a projector screen at different times during the day for authorized patrons.”

The Air Force used to spend more than $1.5M on contracts with instructors to lead classes like Zumba, Pilates, yoga and cardio kick boxing - money now needed to for operational purposes. Rather than cancel these services or make a quick-fix out of duct tape and paperclips, officials at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, replaced them with the Kiosks, which are predicted to save more than $7M over the next six years.

“The Kiosks are being implemented at more than 60 bases, allowing fitness centers an al-

ternative to offering group exercise classes and relieve pressure from budgetary constraints,” said Smith. “We will update the classes offered every quarter to give patrons a wide range of cardio opportunities.”

The Kiosk classes are open to walk-in gym-goers and units may also reserve times to conduct group PT, according to Smith. Schedules are posted on the fitness center’s Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ JBAFitness page under the “about” section.

Air Force leaders are searching for ideas like the kiosk program in order to combat the funding challenges. The Every Dollar Counts Campaign is every Airman’s opportunity to employ their creativity to lessen the symptoms.

Airmen, both uniformed and civilian, can visit the Airmen Powered by Innovation http:// everydollar.dodlive.mil/ website to submit their ideas until June 1. This month-long surge isn’t the end of the program, as the Air Force changes its culture of spending.

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer is leading this charge and says Airmen at the front end of our business are in the best position to find creative and better ways to do the mission.

“When things get tough, Airmen figure out a way to get it done,” Spencer said. “We have some of the most innovative folks in the world, so I know there are ideas about how we can do things better.”

Many money-saving ideas like the Kiosk program which streamline processes and refocus spending toward more ur-

see BUDGET, page 8

CHILDREN LEARN TO FISH WITH BIG BUBBA

TORNADO, from page 1 for donations from them as well.

Johnson said he has been speaking with a captain in the Oklahoma County Sheriff ’s Office to determine what services are needed.

Heroes for the Homeland is seeking nonperishable food items, baby products, bug spray, yard tools, chain saws, wheel barrels, shovels and a slew of other items that can benefit aid efforts in Oklahoma.

A full list of items needed, along with how to send monetary donations, can be found on the organization’s website at www.heroesforthehomeland.org.

He said they plan to go nearly two weeks after the initial incident for two reasons — so enough supplies can be collected and so that the initial responders who are local to Oklahoma can complete their work and make way for Heroes of the Homeland to come in to be available for the “second wave” of support.

“There’s a two to three week period where everything phases off and everyone forgets,” he said.

This will be the group’s second deployment since forming in 2012. Their first operation was to deliver supplies to the

From left, Junior Guzman, 11, Ely Adams, 14, brother, Luke 9, show off their catch of the day.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Department of Parks and Recreation hosted Big Bubba’s Fishing Rodeo May 18, giving local children and their parents the opportunity to fish at School House Pond in Upper Marlboro, Md. Approximately 82 children and their parents learned how to bait and catch fish including catfish, sunfish, black crappie, yellow perch, large mouth bass and rainbow trout.

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This story originally appeared in the May 21, 2013 edition of the Prince George’s Gazette.

Send your silly captions for this week’s photo to cbasham@dcmilitary.com. The funniest ones will be used in a future edition of the Andrews Gazette.

Luke Adams, 9, left, helps Junior Guzman, 11, reel in a rainbow trout pier side.

22013 0 1 3 CChrysler h r y s l e r TTown o w n & CCountry o u n t r y TTouring ouring

East Coast after Hurricane Sandy hit late-October.

Johnson called the first outing a “turn and burn,” simply delivering supplies then turning around, while this second effort will involve multiple days of handing out supplies and physically offering a helping hand in any way needed whether it be remove downed trees from streets clearing debris from yards.

Supply donations can be dropped off at the Heroes for the Homeland trailer parked at the FOP lodge at 2905 Old Largo Road in Upper Marlboro.

Bowie Mayor G. Frederick Robinson said Johnson and the organization’s efforts are commendable, especially considering they are working and communicating with local law enforcement on-site to ensure they are helping wherever needed.

“Clearly, those folks [in Oklahoma] are going to need a lot of help. There’s incredible devastation,” Robinson said. “I’m sure everyone will be appreciative and it’s an incredibly commendable thing for someone to take on that responsibility.”

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FREEDOM HALL HOSTS ENLISTED MEMBERS QUARTERLY BIRTHDAY MEAL Tommy D. Henderson, Food Service Officer, 11th Force Support Squadron promotes a raffle during a Second Quarter Birthday Meal May 21 at the Freedom Hall Dining Facility.

Approximately 52 Joint Base Andrews active duty and Reserve members were treated to a lobster and steak meal with a birthday cake to commemorate April, May and June birthdays.

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

Colonel Greg Minihen, 89th Airlift Wing commander, leads a Happy Birthday song for celebrants during a Second Quarter Birthday Meal May 21 at the Freedom Hall Dining Facility. Approximately 52 Joint Base Andrews active duty and Reserve members were treated to a lobster and steak meal with a birthday cake to commemorate April, May and June birthdays.

WARRIORS, from page 3 Approximately 238 Sailors assigned to VAQ-209 have begun a year’s training on the new airframe. “We’re number nine or ten in the transition with about three more active duty squadrons behind us,” said Casad. “And that’s really the good news story that the active duty values VAQ209 to such an extent. Because of our deployment history we are being afforded the opportunity to transition to the Navy’s newest technology, actually in front of some of the fleet squadrons. And that’s a first in Naval Reserve history, and it’s indicative of the integration and partnership that has been forged over the last ten to 15 years.”

Casad described a seamless continuity between the active duty and reserve airborne communities. “What we like to say is when you come over here to VAQ-209 you wouldn’t have any idea that you were at a Reserve squadron. We look like any active duty squadron out there. But our 238 Sailors are a band of exactly fifty percent citizen-Sailors.”

Casad expressed mixed feelings about the move to the West Coast.

“The transition is a wonderful opportunity. However, the move is a little bitter-sweet, because we’ve been here for the last 24 years and for VAQ-209 Andrews is home.

But, there is a reason behind the change. The Navy has made a decision to single-site all of its airborne electronic attack force, and it is the best decision in today’s tight budgetary environment to put us all in one place so that we can capture the synergy, especially for all of the sustainment requirements of supporting a squadron,” said Casad.

“At Whidbey Island, they have simulators and school houses, and many of the other types of support functions that are specific to the EA-18G platform that would simply be far too expensive to establish for a single squadron here at Andrews. So, we’re on board with it and we’re going to execute it with the professionalism that we’ve always be known for.”

The Star Warriors are scheduled to officially change homeports July 31.

A small complement of VAQ-209 Sailors have been at Whidbey Island since Christmas, getting the squadron real estate footprint down and refurbishing an old hangar for their new squadron home and undergoing EA-18G-specific training so that when the bulk of the squadron arrives in July there will be no delay in becoming a fully functional EA-18G squadron.

“We won’t be fully manned, but we’ll have all the processes in place. The manning part takes about a full year.

When you shut a squadron down essentially, and then build one back up it doesn’t happen overnight. Its’ a ramp you have to climb. So, by the time we are called ‘Safe for Flight’ in May of 2014, we will be fully manned and fully trained. So, we are currently anticipating deploying within one year of that ‘Safe to Flight’ date.

Casad agrees that it is time for the Prowler to ease out of the active fleet.

“The EA-6B has been an absolutely wonderful plane to fly, but the Prowler first flew in combat in 1972. It’s an old airframe,” said Casad. “So, the opportunity to get to train and learn how to employ some of the newest technology in all of aviation is very exciting. It’s a great challenge and as aviators we are always looking forward to future challenges. So, this is a wonderful opportunity for our squadron to once again demonstrate its value to the American taxpayer and to the fleet.”

BUDGET, from page 6 gent areas are already making Team Andrews, and the Air Force as a whole, more efficient as fiscal concerns mount.

“Innovation is what we’re all about,” Spencer said. “This is our family and we’re going to get through this because we’ve got great Airmen to help see us through this.”

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JBA Buzz

Religious Services on base Islamic

Prayer Room in Chapel 1 Annex Daily Prayer Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Prayer Service Friday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Gospel Service 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday Family Night at Base Theater Family meal 5 p.m.

Christian Education and AWANA Kid’s Program 6 p.m.

Jewish

Roman Catholic

Kiddush/Sabbath dinner Friday, 6 p.m.

All are welcome. To RSVP and for location contact: Rabbi, Capt. Schechter at 240-671-2270 or sarah.schechter@us.af.mil.

You can find a complete listing of Yom Kippur services in the National Capital Region through www.jewishindc.com.

Protestant

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Sunday Services Chapel 2, Traditional Service 9 a.m.

Base Theater, Contemporary Service

Reconciliation by appointment, call 301-981-2111 Daily and Saturday Mass have been temporarily suspended.

Chapel 1, 1345 W. Perimeter Road.

Mass Sunday, 8:30 a.m.

Chapel 2, 3715 Fetchet Ave. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) classes Monday, 6 p.m.

For information, pastoral counseling and religious accommodation of all faith traditions call 301-981-2111 or visit the chapel office at 1345 W Perimeter Road.

If you could live in a different time period, when would it be and why?

“I would have wanted to be living during World War II, because it was the greatest generation who made sacrifices.”

Tech. Sgt. Brad Hendrix, 22nd Intelligence Squadron Fort George. Meade

Staff. Sgt. Nichelle Anderson, 11th Wing Public Affairs NCO in charge

“I would have like to have been born during the ‘Roaring Twenties,’ and grown up through the 30s and 40s because things were so much simpler then.”

“I think I’d like to be born in the future with flying cars, hover boards and time machines! I’m not one to live in the past; instead I look, hope and strive for success in the future.

We all know what the past holds so I think living in the future is fitting.”

“I wish I could have been born during the 1960s’ in Motown.

Because I liked the music and it was period that seemed to be more peaceful.”

Logistics Specialist 1st Class Hilda Ponder, Navy Aviation Supply Department

Sgt. Michael Ramirez, U.S. Army Priority Air Transport operations NCO

COMMENTARY, from page 2

been in the real world, and it’s starting to pay off. He’s up for a promotion, he’s starting a few organizations dedicated to social change and individual self-improvement and he’s moving forward in life. It would not cross his mind to expect someone else to hand him money, give him a place to stay or treat his ideas with respect before they’re earned.

He’s trying things, and they’re leading to bigger ideas. I love that I can look at my son and see wisdom, diligence and other fine qualities I’d always hoped to find in my children. I had no idea, when my boys were small, that the best part of raising my boys would be watching them turn into men.

harsh commentary. He knows what it is to work hard, to pound the pavement looking for a job until his face is burnt by the sun and his feet are covered in blisters. He knows what it is to beg a hiring manager to give him a shot, and then to go to work every day committed to giving the best in him to the job that is paying his rent.

He’s had his current job for a little over a year, and it’s working out well. While so many people his age are putting off adulthood to rely on hand-outs and fantasy, he’s

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