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COMMENTARY JBA changes base access policy, Page 2

DCMILITARY.COM

BASE NEWS

VETERANS NEWS

Air Communications and Technology Expo to be held on JBA, Page 4

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

Local artist shares artistry with DMV communities BY BOBBY JONES

STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

Erin Elizabeth Curtis is an accomplished award winning artist who believes in sharing the beauty of art with the world. Once a native New Yorker, Curtis moved from Texas to the inner city of Washington, D.C. Now deeply rooted in the metropolitan area for the past two years, she was offered the opportunity to share her artistic talents with people transiting throughout the bustling commercial city of Alexandria. “I received this call to apply for the City of Alexandria Traffic Control Box Wraps Public Art Project and I thought it would be a really cool art piece to do,” said Curtis. “I loved the fact that they wanted to use traffic boxes, which, half the time, you don’t ever notice they’re there. But I felt through art… maybe I could help draw attention to some other beautiful aspects of public life. Or maybe for people who make that drive everyday, and maybe traffic is bad, they get to kind

On Aug. 13, RianSimone Harris was selected as the 2015 Military Youth of the Year by the Boys &Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) during a ceremony held at the Navy Memorial Naval Heritage Center in Washington, D.C. Chosen from a group of six military youth regional finalists, Harris will receive a $20,000 scholarship and serve

JBA prepares for air show

Curtis artwork is displayed on a recycling truck for all to see as it collects recyclables throughout eight different Washington, D.C. wards.

of find a nice surprise along the way,” said Curtis. Curtis was among a select group of artists and artist teams living and working in Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee invited by the City of Alexandria, Virginia, to submit their qualifications for the

see ARTIST, page 5

Ramstein Air Base teen awarded a $20,000 college scholarship BY BOBBY JONES

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 33

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Harris named BGSA 2015 Youth of the Year

STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

New doctor at Charlotte Hall VA Medical Center, Page 3

as BGCA’s official youth advocate for military teens across the country and abroad. Each of the finalists will continue to act as ambassadors for military youth within their perspective regions. Representing the Overseas Region, Harris participated in the Vogelweh Youth Programs in Vogelweh, Germany at Ramstein Air Base, where she participated in leadership

see HARRIS, page 6

U.S AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS PHILIP BRYANT

Adam Burak, 11th Wing fire department crew chief, gives the signal to take off during an emergency-readiness exercise after loading the simulated patient onto a UH-1N Huey on the flight line of Joint Base Andrews, Aug. 15. The 11th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department worked alongside the 11th Security Forces Squadron, 79th Medical Wing and the 1st Helicopter Squadron during the exercise. BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS PHILIP BRYANT 11 WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Joint Base Andrews, conducted an on-base, emergency-readiness exercise, Aug. 13, in preparation for the upcoming air show on Sept. 19. There is no expectation for an accident to occur during the 2015 Joint Base Andrews Air Show, but the exercise evaluated the response of base emergency personnel in the case of a mass casualty incident. “We are holding this exercise to validate and confirm the readiness of regional and base first responders in case of a future emergency,” said Randy Sena, 11th Wing chief of exercises and inspections. JBA is holding an air show Sept. 19, and the exercise is the installation’s way of evaluating effectiveness, communication, safety and efficiency. “Evaluating our communication and effectiveness provides us the added benefit of mitigating potential issues and concern when we have thousands of peo-

Senior Airman Christopher Springs, exercise volunteer, gets carried off the flight line on Joint Base Andrews during an emergency-readiness exercise Aug. 13

ple here for our air show,” said Col. Brad Hoagland, 11th Wing and Joint Base Andrews commander. “Practicing for various emergency scenarios allows our first responders and hospitals in the region the opportunity to train together for a myriad of contingencies.” Three regional hospitals, 61 volunteer actors, 70 evaluators and numerous first responders participated in the base-wide exercise. Adam Burak, 11th Civil En-

gineer Squadron fire department crew chief, said the more training they have communicating and working with other first responders, the more efficient the fire department gets. The exercise took approximately eight hours, and JBA’s response effectiveness will be evaluated and any corrections will be made to ensure optimal safety in the future. For more information about the Air Show visit http://1.usa. gov/1d5pbfv.


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