Andrews 102315 flipbook

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COMMENTARY Feedback is essential to AF integrity, Page 2

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COMMUNITY

ARTS Seventh Annual American Indian Festival, Page 4

Tips for a Safe Halloween, Page 5

an independent publication of comprint military publications at Joint Base Andrews, Md.

New class eases stress, is a yarn of a good time

Friday, October 23, 2015 | Vol. 4 No. 42

AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk raises funds for programs, provides community for survivors

By Melanie Moore

79th Medical Wing Public Affairs

Have you ever wanted a hobby that could keep you warm and relieve your stress at the same time? Warriors and their families and coworkers are being encouraged to come learn to knit or crochet every Thursday with the Joint Base Andrews Warrior Knitters group at the Joint Base Andrews Community Center anytime from 10 a.m. to noon. “Currently, we have seven individuals (three men and four women) who have started the sessions here. However, I want to emphasize that it is not just for wounded warriors. Military members, spouses and government employees are welcome to join. They don’t have to stay the whole time. They can stay as long as their time permits. We hope to draw even more into the group. Walk-ins are always welcome. The great part is that all the yarn and needles are provided by a group of knitters from Virginia,” said Wanda Przymus, coordinator for the Warrior Knitters Group. “The original Warrior Knitters started from a connection made between a deployed troop in the Southeast Asia

Leslie C. Smith

79th Medical Wing Public Affairs

Warriors and their families and coworkers are being encouraged to come learn to knit or crochet every Thursday with the Joint Base Andrews Warrior Knitters group at the Joint Base Andrews Community Center anytime from 10 a.m. to noon. Pictured is Staff Sgt. Rex Sampaga, 744th Communications Squadron/Chapel 1 Augmentee and Warrior Knitter group participant.

see Yarn, page 5

DJ Mr. E and Linda Diaz, walk co-chair, welcomed the participants to the first Prince George’s County Out of the Darkness Walk at Rosaryville State Park in Upper Marlboro on Oct. 17. By Leslie C. Smith Staff Writer

More than two hundred locals gathered at Rosaryville State Park in Upper Marlboro on Oct. 17 to for the Out of the Darkness Walk. Hosted by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the 2.2-mile walk raised more than $20,000 for educational programs, support for survivors of suicide loss, along with advocacy programs for

public policy. In addition to raising funds and awareness, the walk provided a time for participants to share with others who had walked the same journey as either a survivor of loss or may have even struggled with contemplating suicide. Walk chair Alnicia Gibson

see WALK, page 3

Information, unification, empowerment for female veterans are the mission at the Fourth Annual WVI Extravaganza By Leslie C. Smith Staff Writer

Submitted photo

Ginger Miller, Women Veterans Interactive President and CEO, started the organization to meet the needs of female veterans. The organization is hosting its 4th Annual Women Veterans and Women in the Military Extravaganza at the National Harbor Nov. 11-13.

Women Veterans Interactive (WVI) will hold its Fourth Annual Women Veterans and Women in the Military Extravaganza on Nov. 11-13 at the National Harbor in Maryland. Headed by Ginger Miller, President and CEO, WVI is a nonprofit organization developed to meet women veterans at their point of need. Miller originally started John 14:2 Inc. in 2009 after her and her husband experienced their own difficulty in transitioning from the military in the early 90s. Her husband suffered from Post Traumatic Stress disorder. They moved from North Carolina to New York for a job. However, the job fell through and Miller and her husband soon found themselves homeless.

After working three jobs and going to school, Miller was able to pull the family out of the homeless situation. Once she found stable ground, Miller sought to do more for other veterans experiencing difficulties. After living with her husband’s untreated PTSD for years, she started a nonprofit organization to help veterans that didn’t have a strong support system. Although the initial organization had success, “I still felt like there was something else I needed to do, like I wasn’t having an impact. In 2011, I started Women Veterans interactive. “It was one of those nights I couldn’t really sleep – tossing and turning. I went to the mirror and what I saw was Ginger Miller: former homeless veteran, disabled veteran, wife, mother,

caregiver. What hit me at that moment was Ginger Miller woman veteran. As a woman, you do everything for your family; you’re a natural caregiver. My PTSD and experiences in the military wasn’t as important. I started Women Veterans Interactive and it took off like wildfire,” Miller shared. The first event was at the National Harbor in 2012, with 250 women veterans attending. “That spoke volumes to me and let me know there was a real need in the women veteran’s community.” The organization offers programs that include financial literacy, workforce development, health and wellness. Their program Operation Safety Net was created as a homelessness

see WVI, page 3


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