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Bowie State professor pens children’s tale of advocacy

DCMILITARY.COM

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Brain Surgery patient looks forward to New Year

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

Get ready for tax season The Joint Base Andrews Tax Center will be open each Friday, 8 a.m - 4 p.m., Jan. 31 through April 2014. Due to budget cuts, the Tax Center will not provide tax preparation services. Volunteers will be available to answer questions and advise active duty service members on how to prepare their own taxes. There will be computers available onsite to use to prepare your taxes.

FTA MA maintains winning streak

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014 | VOL. 3 NO. 1

HAND DANCE

To learn m o r e, visit http://myfreetaxes.com/11 WGJoitBaseAndrewsAFB, www. militaryonesource.mil or www. irs.gov.

To prepare your taxes, you will need any W-2, 1099-R or 1098-T forms; interest, dividend or brokerage statements; dependent care statements; mortgage interest statements, rental property statements and a copy of last year’s tax return.

M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation Prince George’s seeks residents 90 years and older GREENBELT, MD – The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Department of Parks and Recreation is looking for Prince George’s County residents ages 90 and above to recognize during its annual Centenarian Celebration in May. “Prince George’s County centenarians are truly special and we’re proud to honor them each year at a one-of-a-kind centenarian celebration,” said Darilyn Marinelli, Senior Services Coordinator for M-NCPPC’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

Special recognition will be given to county residents who are

100 years and older, but first the M-NCPPC Department of Parks and Recreation is asking for help identifying the guests of honor.

If you know a Prince George’s County resident who is 90 years old or above (as of Jan. 1, 2014), please contact the Department of Parks and Recreation by Feb. 28.

- Send an email to public.affairs@pgparks.com and use the subject line “Residents 90 & Better” or - Fill out the Centenarian Form online at http://www.pgparks. com/Things_To_Do/Senior_Activities/Centenarian_Form.htm.

Service members’ financial education continues

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

In light of December’s Congressional budget deal, which trims pension cost of living adjustment rates for all but the highest-ranking military retirees below age 62, coupled with a continued economic slump and moribund employment market for civilian job seekers, financial stress continues to be a concern for both service members and their families as well as the wider civilian community.

Two recent surveys, complied by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and by Navy Federal Credit Union, looked at how a sampling of military personnel and a comparable group of civilians think, feel, decide about and use their money. At the same time, the Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains has approved

a financial education course for use on installations, as a contributor to mission readiness.

Both surveys were conducted before the recent budget deal but after sequestration. Navy Federal public relations specialist Raleigh Miller said that the timing of the Navy Federal survey, though it happened before the COLA cuts, indicates that even at a time when the nation’s economic situation seems tenuous, “it is interesting that the military service members feel optimistic, still. ‘Satisfaction’ is going to mean something different for different people, but based on sample sizes, etc., we feel it takes a good temperature.

Perhaps that optimism comes from the feeling among service members that they have steady pay and a steady path forward,

see FINANCIAL, page 7

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

Cheako Eason spins his dance partner, Sandra Perrin, around his waist.

D.C. culture spreads beyond Prince George’s

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

Fifty years ago, D.C.’s dance scene was deeply, thoroughly segregated, and you could see the evidence of that racial divide on television every day.

White teenagers danced to rock and roll music on the Milt Grant Show, which consistently drew higher ratings in the Washington area when it ran in the same time slot as then Philadelphia-based American Bandstand. Black teenagers were, at least initially, banned

from the show, until Milt Grant introduced the weekly Black Tuesday, which included only African-American teens. Television and radio station WOOK stepped in and created a show aimed at an African-American audience.

“Teenarama was like American Bandstand for African Americans. We used to go on that show, and have ‘blue light in the basement’ parties, with Chuck Brown and Rare Essence: Live entertainment,” said Karen Day, of Silver Spring.

“Hand dance is our culture.”

Hand dance, known as “fast dance” during the Teenarama days, developed in the Washington, D.C. area in the late 1940s and early 1950s, of swing and Lindy Hop dancing from the decade before.

“It was a Washington, D.C. dance, but as people moved out to the suburbs they took it with them,” said Beverly LindsayJohnson of Fort Washington, Md., who serves as president of the National Hand Dance Association, an organization which was formed in 1994 to preserve,

see DANCE, page 4

Three Kings’ visit caps Christmas season

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

Prince George’s County Council Vice-Chairman Will Campos (D), in green; El Zol 102.9 announcer Pedro Biaggi, in red and Maryland State Senator Victor R. Ramirez (D-Dist. 47), in gold pose with Zion Payne, 4, left, and Kyre Brown, 4, of Suitland, Md. after giving the children their Dia de los Reyes Magos gifts.

Each January, after many Christians have packed up their holiday decorations for another year, Mexican children are among those who still wait for the Twelfth Day of Christmas, when the wise men’s visit to the newborn Jesus is celebrated. Three Kings’ Day, or Dia de los Reyes Magos, is the final celebration of the Christmas season. For the past four years, Prince George’s County’s Department of Recreation and Parks has hosted a Dia de los Reyes Magos celebration for children, featuring music, a clown, traditional Mexican dishes, and presents distributed by the Three Kings, portrayed each year

by Prince George’s County Council Vice-Chairman Will Campos (D), El Zol 102.9 announcer Pedro Biaggi and Maryland State Senator

Victor R. Ramirez (D-Dist. 47).

This year may be the last year for Dia de los Reyes Magos to be hosted at the North Brentwood Community Center. Chosen by Recreation and Parks because of its location in a part of the county with a high population of people of Hispanic origin and culture, the community center struggled Jan. 4 to contain this year’s largerthan-ever crowd of families eager to visit the Three Kings.

“We started in Bladensburg, in the northern end of the county.

This community has a 56 percent Hispanic population. Next year, we may move it to Hyattsville, because the event has outgrown the North Brentwood Community Center,” said Recreation and Parks Community Relations and Outreach Specialist Nydia Ocasio. Her husband, Carlos Ocasio, spearheaded the idea and serves

as emcee for the program.

The Dia de los Reyes Magos celebration also serves as an outreach point for Hispanic families who might not be aware of other programs and resources in the community, whether offered by the Department of Recreation and Parks, local churches or other organizations with a focus on children and youth who might be at risk.

“A lot of the kids are dropping out, in high school. This is a way to reach them, and get them involved, early,” Ocasio said.

The event is mostly volunteerrun and the presents are gifts donated by local sponsors.

“Everybody wants in, because it is so family-oriented. This year, we were prepared to give toys to 240 children,” said Ocasio. “We don’t want to turn anyone away.

You know, we Latinos are always partying.”

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HOT TICKETS

Commentary

Inspiration helps keep resolutions

Around Town January 10 - 12

Washington Winter Show The Katzen Arts Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. Hours vary View and purchase fine antiques and learn about Southern culinary traditions. For information visit www.washingtonwintershow.com.

January 10 - 12

International Motorcycle Show Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, Washington, D.C. Hours vary See the latest in rides, parts, gear and accessories at a family-friendly event featuring a stunt show and celebrity appearances. For information visit www.motorcycleshows. com.

January 11

Twelfth Night Ball Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park, Md. 7:30 p.m.

End the holiday season a little late with an elegant supper and dancing. Period dress or black tie encouraged. For information call 301-864-0420.

Through February 16

Twelfth Night Synetic Theater, 1800 South Bell Street, Crystal City, Va. Showtimes vary In a Silent Shakespeare performance set in the 1920s, fraternal twins are separated after a shipwreck. For information visit www.synetictheater.org.

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, January 10, 2014

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

We all have resolutions to keep, whether we make them once a year as the ball drops or every night as we look back at the day’s successes and failures. Resolutions are just the goals we want badly enough to tell the world, our friends, and ourselves that this time, no matter what, we’re going to do it. For real.

I resolved to give up New Year’s resolutions about a decade ago, I think, and I have to say it was the right move for me. I do better with those incremental resolutions. Today, I promise myself I’ll answer that unpleasant person’s e-mail as calmly as I can, without just caving in. Today, I will take the extra few seconds to ensure that I do not park like a jerk who thinks she deserves more than my allotted space. Sometimes, like the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book rec-

ommends, taking things one step at a time, one day at a time, is the way to create a lasting progress in life.

It may not have looked like much, a few months ago, when I started saving all the vegetable peelings and turkey carcasses instead of putting them in the trash, but my freezer is now full of homemade stock, for very little effort, really, and all my food tastes better for it, and just might be healthier for me than if I spent money on canned soups from the store.

It’s the little things we do that can add up to big changes in life.

I’ve been thinking about those sorts of resolutions. I know where I want to go. I want to be more financially secure, more creative, more informed. I want to be a healthier and stronger person, with more to offer everyone around me. I just have to figure out, day by day, what I want to do, what I can do, to make that happen.

Talking about those goals, and the little things I do each day to reach them, helps me think clearly about what I’m doing and how my actions impact my life and the lives of others. It also is an opportunity to meet like-minded people, so we can inspire each other to keep taking those small steps toward the larger victories in life.

If you’ve resolved to make changes, find a buddy with the same goals.

Find a group. Your shared enthusiasm will help everyone make it past the harder challenges, and your joint commitment may help you all pool your information and resources so you all can meet your goals.

If you’re not sure what changes you want to make, perhaps that’s your first task. Take a quiet moment and evaluate who you are, and who you want to be.

There’s no time like the present.

Happy New Year, everybody.

or gift card credit. The exchange’s standard policy allows returns within 15 to 90 days of purchase with a sales receipt. The holiday return/exchange policy extends these terms through Jan. 31 for all items purchased between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, 2013. As always, refund requests with sales receipts are processed according to the original forms of payment (cash for cash, credit for credit card). Customers returning items without sales receipts receive exchange gift cards for the refund amount. Online shopmyexchange. com orders can be returned to any Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy or Coast Guard outlet.

28. Awards are for $2,000 with at least one scholarship at each commissary with qualified applicants.

An applicant must be a dependent, unmarried child, younger than 21, (or 23 if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or university) of a service member, Reserve or Guard member, retiree or survivor of a military member who died while on active duty, or survivor of a retiree.

The applicant must attend or plan to attend an accredited college or university, full time, in the fall of 2014 or be enrolled in studies designed to transfer to a four-year program.

Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps service members and their families, administers the program. Since 2001 more than $11.3 million in scholarships has been awarded to 7,412 military dependents from more than 71,000

Retiree Corner COURTESY OF THE RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE

Andrews RAO loses staff

The Retiree Activities Office at Joint Base Andrews has lost its two most senior volunteers. Retired Lt. Col. Ron Noyes, Bowie, Md., died Nov. 9 and Master Sgt. Don Banks, Riverdale, Md., “retired” in December. The pair had staffed the RAO on Thursdays since 1993. Noyes established a “retiree” link from the base website that attracted worldwide attention from the military retiree community. Banks was cited by Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Larry Spencer at last year’s Retiree Appreciation Day.

Exchange eases holiday returns policy

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is making it easier to transform an unwanted holiday gift into a replacement item, refund

Scholarship applications due Feb. 28

Applications for the Scholarships for Military Children Program are available at commissaries or at www.militaryscholar.org. They must be turned in at a commissary by Feb.

see RETIREE, page 8

Friday, January 10, 2014

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Andrews Gazette

Bowie State professor pens children’s tale of advocacy

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

After retiring as president of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and moving to Odenton, Md. to take a position as distinguished professor of English at Bowie State University, Thelma B. Thompson began unpacking her past, along with all the household goods.

“I’m still going through boxes. I’m still unpacking my belongings and realizing that when you move, you should really give yourself time to see what you have,” Thompson said. “I started opening the boxes and I realized, it’s my life. I can’t throw away my life.”

Instead, she has started to step back from the fast-paced life of a college administrator, and returned to her first passion: Literature.

“When people heard I was writing a book, they just assumed I was writing about higher education, as I had done previously,” Thompson said. She instead wrote a short novel inspired by her background as a Jamaican immigrant to the United States. “Bay Leaves and Cinnamon Sticks: Life Is,” tells the story of a Jamaican woman who seeks a better life for herself and her family by coming to America to work in people’s homes.

Thompson has been in the United States since she came to study at Howard University in 1966. The rest of her family has also settled here, making Jamaica

more of a place to visit and remember than a home to miss.

“My father is buried here, my mother lives here, my siblings are here; we no longer have a homestead in Jamaica. We visit, we do all we can, but returning to Jamaica is no longer in the cards for us as a family. Our children are Americans here, so we have not considered returning to Jamaica.” Thompson said. “What you’re returning to, what I knew as Jamaica is no longer there.”

After seeing “Bay Leaves and Cinnamon Sticks: Life Is,” published, Thompson went back to her boxes of writings and found a children’s story she had written while working at Norfolk State University.

“The librarian challenged those who worked there to a reading week. She brought children to the library and we who wrote came and read to the children, so I wrote ‘Children’s Day,’” Thompson said.

The handwritten manuscript, written in the 1990s and tucked away, seemed especially timely after its decades in storage.

It follows a young girl as she investigates why children don’t have an official day, “like veterans and grandparents and even the groundhog.” Her efforts take her from her parents’ kitchen table to the White House.

“I was ahead of my time. It was written when there was not big talk about a female president, but it has always been a possibility in fiction,” Thompson said.

After working with an illustrator,

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Thelma B. Thompson, president emeritus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a distinguished professor of English at Bowie State University, has followed her novel about the challenges of immigration with Children’s Day, a picture book which traces the efforts of a young girl determined to see children receive official recognition.

Thompson is now promoting both her novel and “Children’s Day.” She is also working on a collection of short stories, and a sequel to “Bay Leaves and Cinnamon Sticks: Life Is,” while in discussions with several college Women’s Studies departments to use the novel in their programs. It sounds like a busy schedule, but for Thompson it is a quiet and reflective time.

“I have been a person who throws herself into whatever I’m doing, so the nine years I was college president, that was my very busy and full life. I did not have time to relax enough to create, when I had the last two jobs that I had, as vice president at Norfolk State and president at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. The pressure and demands of those jobs are night and day, weekends as well as public holidays. You do not have time to create and think creatively; you are busy solving real problems,” Thompson said. “When I came home I realized I could again write poetry.

That’s why I prefer to stay in that vein right now, rather than go back to work as an administrator..I’m comfortable in my skin.”

Watch your step in winter footwear

BY CHRIS BASHAM, WITH DR. DEREK OCHIAI Dr. Derek Ochiai practices orthopedic surgery and sports medicine in Arlington, Va. He offers the following advice for walkers, runners, athletes and anyone who has to contend with the icy, slippery conditions of winter in the Washington, D.C. area: In Arlington, we get cold and icy weather, so no matter what we put on our feet we are at an increased risk of slips, sprains and ankle fractures because of icy conditions. Beyond the everyday, winter sports including skiing and snowboarding are very popular around here. That can increase your risk of above the ankle and knee injuries and tibial shaft fractures.

Part of that is due to the nature of the footwear for those sports. With skis, your ankle is locked into the boot, so it’s rare that you break your ankle. If you fall, the boot protects your ankle, so the force will be transmitted to where the boot ends, farther up the leg. The same type of twisting falls can cause hip injuries, cartilage tears, strains and hip fracture.

Ice skates don’t protect your ankle quite as much as ski boots, so ankle sprains are a lot more likely when you fall. The sprain is not from skating, it’s from falling. Skaters can also experience hamstring pulls or even ruptured hamstrings, as well as knee and hip soft tissue injuries. Those injuries can be more seasonal since we live in an area that has seasons. As the seasons change, people change the activities in which they participate, which makes exercise more interesting but can lead to problems caused by overconfidence in a sport that has been set aside for a year or more.

The first thing to do is to make sure that if it’s been a while since you’ve done those activities, don’t just pick up where you might have left off two or three years ago.

If you’re going skiing after a break from the sport, take it a little easy, take a lesson or two. Make sure you get back into your regular form, because sometimes you lose it. You think you can turn and take an edge and you can’t, because you’re out of practice. Give it a couple of runs.

As we get older it takes a little bit longer to warm up as well. You might want to do some stretching: Hamstring and quad stretching to get loose before you go on the slopes.

Make sure your equipment is still cor-

rect for the activities you’re doing, especially with skiing. If you are not at the same level as a few years ago and have the same skis in the closet, have the bindings loosened a little bit so there’s less of a torque, to protect from serious injuries when you fall.

Women should try to avoid high heels in the winter time. When it’s icy, you have very little balance due to the ice. When you change your normal foot contours to just two points at the front and back of your foot, you are more likely to cause injury. If you need to wear high heels for work or a social event, at least while walking outside wear something with the whole foot touching the ground and more traction. Switch to ‘better’ shoes once you go inside.

Weather is unpredictable. You can’t know you’re going to run into black ice, so have appropriate shoes and when the temperature is below freezing, don’t run to make the crosswalk. Just wait for the next one; if you fall and break your ankle, you’ll wait a lot longer.

Men and women nowadays, their activity levels are really the same. They can both be addicted to running and want to run in 20 degree weather, instead of wanting to do something inside. Men are usually a little bit heavier, so if they do have a fall or twist they put more stress on that injured area initially from the fall because of the greater body weight.

As a parent, anything that you can think of to put a helmet on kids, put the helmet on them. Head injuries including concussions happen on young children, too. Fortunately the younger they are, the closer they are to the ground, so the risk of serious injury from a simple fall is a lot less than for an adult.

Talk to children about safety while sledding: They’re not invincible. Encourage them to try to sled in a place that is as open as possible. Serious injuries while sledding are only avoidable or preventable if you’re sledding in an area that is clear and does not have any trees around, to decrease the risk of head injury.

As far as skating and skiing, in children the best defense is lessons and learning to be competent on the slopes. That will take care of a lot of injuries until they get ready to push the envelope, but hopefully you can talk to them along the way to give them safety tips along with proper technique.

Arthritis: Two conditions, many treatments

BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER

Maj. Derric Whiteside of the Internal Medicine flight at Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic and Surgery Center diagnoses and treats patients with arthritis, but it’s not just a condition which impacts his patients.

“I am an ex-runner. I ran 100 miles a week for four years, in college,” Whiteside said. “Now, it hurts.”

“It” is inflammation in the joints causing pain and difficulty in using those joints, commonly called arthritis. There are two main types of arthritis, each with its own causes and symptoms.

Osteoarthritis is generally found in the large, weight bearing joints of the knees,

hips and back. Usually it is just one joint-a knee, but not both knees. Osteoarthritis is caused by prolonged pounding on those joints, and is common among runners, football players, weight lifters and others whose activities require repetitive movements.

“A lot of people have osteoarthritis but they don’t know it,” said Whiteside. Many of those arthritic “nonpatients” may say they have stiffness or pain in the joint after sitting for a long while, but “after I move, the joint loosens up and I feel better.” This is caused when the fluids which provide cushion between bone, contained within the cartilage, “gels” from lack of motion.

see ARTHRITIS, page 5

If you suspect an injury: If you can’t put weight on it, that can mean a serious injury, but it does not mean your ankle isn’t broken if you can walk.

If it starts to swell to twice the size of what it looked like the day before the injury, that is a sign of fracture or significant ligament damage.

In either case, go to an emergent care center or an orthopedic surgeon or primary care manager sooner, rather than later.

Don’t walk on it if it hurts: If you’re limping significantly, at best you’re increasing the risk of injuring something else by falling again. At worst you may be altering the injury from something that can be treated non-operatively to something which will require the pain and extended recovery time of surgery.

Orthopedic and sports medicine has evolved. We’re doing more range of motion exercises and relying more on physical therapy. We plan on an early return to

your traditional activity level, much quicker than back several years ago when for just about everything you had put them in a cast and let it sit for two or three weeks.

Modern treatment protocols include partial bracing, walking boots, ankle restraints so the patient can walk around comfortably but have protection while they walk, and take it off to get the ankle moving to avoid stiffness. We’re moving more toward recommending early physical therapy, rather than waiting four to six weeks, to prevent dysfunction for the ankle later on.

Lastly, make sure to stretch. Warm up for the day or the season and take it slowly, initially, and build up to the level you want to be at. If you moved here from Colorado it’s a completely different kind of skiing condition. Here it’s harder to ski than on powder as a cardiovascular workout, but because of the icier conditions on the East Coast you catch an ice patch and can lose control.

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Friday, January 10, 2014

Larry McDougald and Jenny Featherstone hand dance the night away during their regular Sunday evening outing at the VFW in Morningside.

DANCE, from page 1 educate and promote the art form of hand dance.

“We’re not teachers. We’re a resource center and a clearing house for the hand dance culture.

We support and help to promote everything within that genre of dance,” Lindsay-Johnson said of the organization.

Today’s hand dancers can learn contemporary moves by taking lessons, which can incorporate a wider range of dance forms. At its roots, though, hand dance has always been something learned at home, among friends.

“Seven sisters, and they all needed someone to dance with. I didn’t want to. I wanted to play basketball. But they told me if I got good they’d take me to parties,” said Baltimore-based Lewis “Butter” Neal, who began dancing competitively at age 15 and now is nationally ranked as a professional dancer. After decades on the floor, he still seeks out inspiration from beyond the hand dance world. “I learn about dance from everybody, and I put everything into it.”

When he’s not performing or competing, Neal teaches hand dance and other dance genres out of his Baltimore studio. But when he just wants to have a good time, he comes to VFW Post 9619 on Suitland Road in Morningside, Md. The Morningside VFW hosts hand dancing every Sunday and Thursday evening. Manager Pat Sebrell said that Sunday nights often draw a crowd of 300 dancers, while Thursdays might attract only half that number, making space on the dance floor for lessons and line dancing as well.

“This VFW is one of the only places where old school and new school hand dancers come together--usually they don’t--under the same roof, and have a good evening,” said Lindsay-Johnson.

“Old school” hand dance, of the sort learned by that first generation of Teenarama-inspired dancers who practiced at home, sometimes using their bedroom doorknob as a stopgap dance partner, “includes kicks, leg lifts, skipping, hopping and a little bit of wiggle,” said Day. “The music predicts the step. New style is very controlled.

You can almost predict the next step.”

Day insists that “old school” hand dance can’t really be taught.

“It’s a culture. It’s unspoken.

It’s a style of a music with a beat.

You can’t hand dance to just anything,” Day said. “There are people who are being taught, but some things you can’t teach, like all that smooth stuff.”

“That smooth stuff ” makes hand dancing a romantic, sexy and intimate way of dancing, whether the music is from the

WOOK days or straight off of today’s playlists.

“All the signals are done through the hand. When a man asks me to dance, if he grabs my hand wrong I won’t dance with him. The man controls the dance and gives the signals to the lady, through the hands,” said Day. “When a man turns and his back is to his partner, and she slides her hand down his back and he catches it--that’s old school.”

Leo Frazier of Gaithersburg, Md. has been old-school hand dancing since he was 10 or 11 years old, thanks to his nine female cousins.

“One of them always would say, ‘Come on, let’s dance,” said Frazier. Last year, he took a year off from the dance floor after losing both of his lower legs to diabetesrelated complications.

“I lost my legs, one in September and the other in December. I had to learn to walk again, and then to dance again,” Frazier said. “First, I danced like I was new to it, and then like an old man. I’m finally dancing like myself, again.”

The atmosphere at the VFW on hand dancing nights seems far from the stereotypical VFW full of heavy drinkers sitting at the bar. It’s more like prom, with a crowded dance floor and people eager to dance.

“People come here to get a workout, catch up with friends.

People bring their wives, or come to meet girls. It’s a very positive place. The people here are very open to anybody.” said Neal. “We have all kinds of people here, but it’s mostly an over-40 crowd. People know how to act.”

Want to try your hand? Tonight, 8 p.m. - midnight, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Department of Parks and Recreation - Prince George’s County, in association with the National Hand Dance Association, will host “Winter White Out” at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. Clubs across Prince George’s County and into Washington, D.C. have hand dancing nights, sometimes with lessons. Hand dancers are a dedicated bunch, with many out dancing just about any night of the week. The National Hand Dancing Association web site lists the following classes and clubs for potential hand dancers:

Tuesdays

es

Bernard & Bobby Dancin’ To The Oldies Knights of Columbus 3611 Stewart Road Forestville, Md. Doors Open 6 p.m.

Admission - $7.00 DJ’s Addie and Peaches BYOL - 50/50 Raffle-Door PrizLight Buffet, Free Set Ups -

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Baltimore native Louis “Butter” Neal, a National Hand Dancing champion, dances with Charlene Powers of Washington, D.C.

Ample Parking Contact: Bernard 301-9491395

Parking Casual Attire 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. Free Admission After 6 p.m. - $7.00 Contact: DJ Fats B 240-4176386

5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Hand Dance/ Line Dance) 725 Cady Drive Fort Washington, Md. DJ Mac Attack 301-248-7625

8827 Annapolis Road Lanham, Md. 6 p.m. - until Free before 7 p.m.- $3 after 7 p.m.

Music by DJs Disco Bird and Ron V Contact: Shorte 202-431-2930

The Vie de France After Hours Lounge

The “P” Club

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday

Tradewinds Restaurant and Lounge

S & S Productions Presents - Old School House Party Marygolds

Elks Lodge 7350 Temple Hill Road Temple Hills, MD 20748 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

DJ Lady D - Featuring DJ Lady JC Admission $6.00 Tuesday $8.00 Sunday

Wednesdays

Capital Gallery Building 600 Maryland Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 5 p.m - 9 p.m.

Hand Dance and Line Dance Music by Dr. Nick Free Admission

5 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

5859 Allentown Way Camp Springs, MD 20748 301-449-1234 Free Admission, DJ Bird and DJ Swami

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

The Chateau 3439 Benning Road N.E. Washington, D.C. Thursday - 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Friday - 5 p.m. - 3 a.m. (Happy Hour 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.) Saturday - 9 p.m. - 3 a.m.

Sunday - 7 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Half Note Lounge 4881 Glenn Dale Road Bowie, Md. 301-809-6683 Complimentary Buffet, Music

by Lady JC No Cover Charge Hand Dance Classes 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. every Wednesday For additional information call 301-4230963 Getting Over The Hump Wednesdays 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

DJ Ron V Oldies But Goodies, Line Dancing, Hand Dancing, Cash Bar Buffet While It Lasts The Elks Lodge 7350 Temple Hills Road Temple Hills MD, 20748 Contact: Paul 301-775-6174

Mu-Zic Mistro & Company Silver Spring Moose Lodge 658 4343 Sandy Spring Road (Rte 198) Burtonsville, Md. 7 p,m. - 12 a.m.

Music by DJ Mistro Old School, R&B and Hand Dance Open Mic 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Admission $10.00

Thursdays

Solar Eclipse

Local Celebrity Banquet Hall 8759 Landover Road (across from the former Landover Mall) Landover, Md. Music by Jas. Funk & Friends Bid Whist & Spades Card Players BYOL, Free Set Ups, Free

Fridays

2820 Bladensburg Road, N.E. Washington, D.C. 6 p.m. - until DJ Lady D Contact: 202-536-3353

Saturdays Martini’s

5 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

6290 Arlington Boulevard Falls Church, Va. Cover Charge $5.00 DJ Anthony “Bucky” Beale Contact: Jacque Ballard 202437-3145

Sundays

VFW Post 9619 6527 Suitland Road, Morningside, Md. 301-735-5290 DJ Disco Bird Admission: $6.00 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

The Elks Lodge

7350 Temple Hill Road Temple Hills Md. DJ Lady D

The Sunday Night Party

4 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Lamont’s Entertainment Complex 4400 Livingston Road Pomonkey, Md. 4 p.m.-6 p.m., DJ Dr. Nick plays Southern Soul and hand dancing music.

6 p.m., The Hardway Connection Band plays R&B. 8 p. m. - midnight, Dr. Nick plays oldies hand dance EXCLUSIVELY in the MOTOWN ROOM. Cover, $7.00

Club Reality

5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

2625 Washington Blvd, Baltimore, Md. DJs Sir Charles and Lady T Featuring Hand Dancing, Line Dancing, Chicago Steppin’, Free Style & Karaoke Cash Bar, food menu For more information call DJ Sir Charles - 410-206-3082

Security Forces Police Blotter The Security Forces Blotter is intended to keep members of the Joint Base Andrews Community informed and aware of the crimes and offenses that occur throughout the base each week. If you have any information that may help the Security Forces solve a crime or prevent a criminal act, please contact BDOC (Base Defense Operations Center) at 301-981-2001, CRIME STOP LINE at 301-9812677 (COPS), or the investigations section at 301-981-5656.

6 a.m., Dec. 14, 2013: An individual was arrested off base by Prince George’s County police for domestic assault.

11:52 a.m., Dec. 15, 2013: An individual made contact with BDOC and reported theft of personal property. This incident was turned over to the investigation section for further processing.

2:45 p.m., Dec. 14, 2013: SF responded to a theft of personal property at the BX. SF made contact with complainant, who stated that while working at the BX, they noticed their personal property was missing. After further investigation it was discovered that their property was stolen.

SF detained subject and charged accordingly.

3:22 p.m., Dec. 17, 2013: SF responded to damage of government property to a government operated vehicle at The Club on Andrews.

SF determined that the driver was not at fault and only minor damage was caused to the vehicle.

6:51 a.m., Dec. 18, 2013: SF personnel discovered drugs during a search of a privately owned vehicle driven by a contractor attempting to enter the installation at the Main Gate. The contractor was charged accordingly.

Due to the holidays, no reports are available for crimes committed during the week of Dec. 19-26.

9:20 a.m., Dec. 27, 2013: SF responded to a theft of personal property at the West Fitness Center. SF made contact with complainant who stated their property was placed in the men?s locker room and after returning to the locker room, they noticed their personal property was missing.

SF detained subject and charged accordingly.

9:05 p.m., Dec. 27, 2013: SF personnel responded to an individual suspected of loud noise complaint while operating a motor vehicle. SF made contact with the individual and noticed a strong odor of alcohol emitting from the person. The individual was detained and administered a breath alcohol test. The test results indicated a blood alcohol

content of .09. The individual was charged accordingly.

4:13 a.m., Dec. 28, 2013: A physical altercation occurred at Liberty Park housing area. Both individuals were charged accordingly.

11:42 a.m., Dec. 28, 2013: SF personnel detained an individual with an open warrant who was attempting to gain access to the installation through Virginia Gate.

The individual was released to Prince George’s County Police Department.

6:23 p.m., Dec. 28, 2013: SF responded to a major vehicle accident in base housing. Medical arrived on scene and determined both parties were stable. Both vehicles were towed from the location. SF determined that the driver was not at fault and only minor damage was caused to the vehicle.

2:54 p.m., Dec. 29, 2013: An individual was detained for a moving traffic violation. During the traffic stop the patrolman noticed a strong odor resembling marijuana. Upon further investigation a hand-rolled cigarette containing marijuana was discovered. Individual was charged accordingly.

3:09 p.m., Dec. 30, 2013: SF responded to a theft at the BX. Individual was detained by the Loss Prevention office. The individual was charged accordingly.

The value of the items stolen was $58.40.

11:41 a.m., Jan. 1, 2014: SF personnel detained an individual for trespassing. Individual was charged accordingly and transported off base.

5

Andrews Gazette

Friday, January 10, 2014

Brain Surgery patient looks forward to New Year

BY BOBBY JONES

STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

At first sight, Kenny Watson Jr. appears to wobble from side to side as he navigates his every step. His pupils quiver slightly from a nystagmus condition, as he tries to make direct eye contact. Eventually, he smiles widely as he greets you with a warm handshake.

On the outside, Watson’s physical limitations are just a part of his journey to overcoming an unexpected illness.

It all began in June 2008, for the Upper Marlboro native, 22-years-old when he was hospitalized at the George Washington University Hospital, in Washington, D.C. with an illness that baffled doctors.

“I was suffering from a loss of balance, lack of appetite, vomiting, fevers, agonizing headaches and chills,” said Watson.

“By the time the doctors got a chance to look at me, the pupil in my left eye had blown, which I began to go blind in.”

The doctor briefly explained to Watson it was “9/11 time,” expressing the urgency of his accelerated condition.

Two weeks later, his doctor performed a craniotomy on him, removing a brain tumor the size of a golf ball that was pressing on his optic nerve. The tumor showed up benign, but three years later, it grew back in January of 2011.

“I went through the procedure again, but the surgery resulted in an increase in my glands that produced cerebrospinal spinal fluid, which is extra fluid on the brain and spinal cord,” said Watson.

“So the back of my head was swollen and filled with liquid.”

Watson could vividly remember an episode passing out and having a seizure while going through his third radiation treatment after the surgery. The CSF caused him to black out while lying in the prone position on the table. His arms began flailing about.

“I couldn’t control my actions, but I wasn’t really aware of my reactions until the doctors told me afterwards. But I was easily awakened once they set me up.”

PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES

Kenny Watson Jr. has a new outlook on his future as a special education teacher.

After that incident, Watson underwent yet another brain surgery in May of 2011; a ventriculoperitoneal shunting was inserted into his skull during his surgery to treat excess CSF in the brain.

But fate was once again unkind to him as the shunt malfunctioned, but was immediately replaced.

Today, Watson has a new outlook on life and has become more health conscious. Although he was left with certain physical and mental limitations, he was also able to lose a total of 70 pounds by frequenting the gym. He has also gained a greater spiritual awareness and has written a book that is scheduled for publication in the near future.

“Since then, I have been dealing with the side-effects of my radiation treatments that shrank my tumor,” said Watson. “I lost my balance, and I have a nystagmus in both eyes; it left me with

Watson shows the scar on the back of his head left from more than one craniotomy surgery and a ventriculoperitoneal shunting insert.

slurred speech, drooling and I have incidents of uncontrollable coughing; like something is in my throat. I also have some loss of mental cognition,” Watson added.

Although he has been declared disabled, Watson spends his days writing, working out at the gym and at Prince George’s Community College taking courses to be a special education teacher.

“I want to teach to the mentally handicapped. I feel like I need to be as helpful to them as I can.”

Despite his obvious challenges, Watson, now 28, attributes his new-found peace to his spiritual connection with God. “God has helped me through all of this. My prayer is that my story hopefully reaches someone who might be going through the same illness that happened to me. I just want to encourage them to never give up, because it’s not end and there’s always another way out,” said Watson. “But beyond that they should seek God. Because he will give you so much peace if you just seek him.”

Research before buying a timeshare

BY JASON ALDERMAN I’ve always been somewhat skeptical of timeshares. I understand the appeal of having a guaranteed vacation home in an area you love and being able to swap your unit for a place halfway around the world, but I worry that many buyers don’t consider all associated costs and mistakenly think timeshares are sound financial investments that will appreciate in value.

In fact, sellers rarely make a profit ? some only get pennies on the dollar. Plus, the waters are filled with sharks eager to rip off people desperately trying to unload unwanted timeshares.

Before you buy a timeshare, understand how they work, challenges you may face when trying to resell and scams to avoid.

Timeshares are usually either: • “Deeded,” where you own a share of the property, usually for a particular unit for a specified time period ? typically one or two weeks a year. Depending on your contract, you either own it for life, for a speci-

fied number of years, or until you sell it.

• “Right-to-use,” where a developer owns the resort and each unit is divided into “intervals” ? either by the week or for a certain number of points. You purchase the right to use an interval for X number of years but don’t own any real property.

Many allow you to use your points to stay at an affiliated resort (swapping).

The price for buying a new timeshare can vary widely, depending on the area and amenities offered. A typical one-week share might cost $10,000 to $25,000 ? or many times that for a posh unit in Aspen or Kauai.

Plus, you’ll be responsible for various other expenses: • Annual fees for maintenance, utilities and property taxes.

• Assessments for major repairs or improvements.

• Fees to swap your share for someone else’s or to sell it.

• Travel costs to and from the property each year.

JBA Buzz

What do you resolve to do differently this year?

“I resolve to eat healthier and be more fit in the New Year!”

Staff Sgt. Yinell Covington, 779th Dental Squadron dental assistant

“I’ve been meaning to start a book club and it looks like that’s going to happen.

Tomorrow I’m sending out an email to 10 other women to get it started. We’ll meet on the second Saturday of every month, Capt. Tam Wilstarting in February lis, Air Force Le- and once a month gal Operations afterwards.”

Agency Judge Advocate Officer “I really don’t have a New Year’s resolution, because I’m pretty much doing everything now that I promised myself I would do.”

“I actually started last year to maintain intensity, intelligence and integrity.”

Cedric Love, Martial arts instructor

Retired Master Sgt. Freddie James

The Federal Trade Commission (www. consumer.ftc.gov) offers many helpful tips, including: • Compare the costs of buying and maintaining a timeshare with renting a similar property. Perhaps rent a unit first to make sure you like the complex.

• Evaluate the resort’s location and quality by visiting and talking to current owners about their experience.

• Check for complaints about the seller, developer and management company with the state Attorney General’s Office (www. naag.org) and the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org).

• Make sure all sales agent promises are contained in the contract.

• Don’t act on impulse or be swayed by high-pressure sales tactics. If possible, ask a lawyer or real estate professional to review the contract before signing.

• Like new cars, new timeshares quickly depreciate, so consider buying one used.

A few cautions when selling a timeshare:

• If you’re going through a reselling agency, don’t pay more than a nominal upfront fee for appraisal, advertising, etc.

Look for companies that take their cut after the sale.

• Before setting your price, find out what comparable properties (at similar time periods) sell for so you don’t overprice.

• Watch out for scams, such as: An agency cold calls you and claims it has buyers waiting in the wings, or someone claims you’re entitled to a settlement from an FTC lawsuit brought against a scammer.

• If you didn’t pay cash, you’ll probably have to pay off your loan before being able to sell.

• Beware of offers to accept your timeshare as a tax deduction for a fee ? often thousands of dollars. The IRS only allows you to deduct “fair market value,” which is probably significantly less than you paid for it.

ARTHRITIS, from page 3

be helpful. Though there is a possibility of side effects such as nausea or lightheadedness, the improvement can be dramatic.

“We had a patient with chronic back pain. She came in walking with a cane, and dropped it. After one needle, she immediately could bend over and pick it up,” Whiteside said.

If none of those treatments make a significant difference, patients can consult with an orthopedic surgeon, although Whiteside said that he prefers to leave invasive procedures such as knee injections or surgery as treatments of last resort. Orthopedic surgery can be performed at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, as well as at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center or Fort Meade. Most injections can be done right at Malcolm Grow.

“We try to keep everybody within the military system. The patients have faith in the military system,” Whiteside said, although there are treatment options in the civilian community as well.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder which attacks the smaller joints of the hands and feet symmetrically: If there is arthritis in one hand, it will be in both. Treatment is through a rheumatologist, available at Fort Belvoir or Walter Reed, although lab work can be done at MGMC&SC. Rheumatoid arthritis is especially common among women ages 40-60.

And a generation of dedicated gamers and smartphone users is just starting to show the first symptoms of a newly diagnosed disorder: Texting Thumb. If you can’t lay off the constant use of communications technology, participating in physical therapy or wearing a brace may provide some relief.

The pain caused by disintegrated, mashed cartilage that can no longer do its job of cushioning joints can feel like bone grinding upon bone.

Doctors can’t predict with certainty whether or when an athlete will develop symptoms of arthritis, and X-rays of the joint can only confirm a diagnosis made based on patient history and a physical exam. Once diagnosed, the treatment options depend on the desires of the patient.

“Some just want a diagnosis. They want to know why they are in pain. Others want treatment,” Whiteside said. “It’s patient specific.”

Treatment can range from using pain creams and patches, non-steroidal antiinflammatory pills like Ibuprophen, or popular holistic methods which Whiteside said have not yet been definitively proven to work.

“Over-the-counter chondroitin and glucosamine are popular. Many patients take them and feel better, but that’s not FDAapproved for treatment of arthritis, so we don’t know how it interacts with other medicine.” Whiteside said. “I’ve read several studies that say that patients may just be experiencing the placebo effect.”

Beyond medication, physical therapy can help by strengthening the muscles surrounding the joint, or helping to correct structural problems like knock knees and bow legs. Exercise can also help keep off extra weight that can aggravate damaged joints.

Battlefield acupuncture, done using tiny needles inserted into up to five specific points in the cartilage of the ear, can also

Jason Alderman directs Visa’s financial education programs.

6

Andrews Gazette

FTA MA MAINTAINS WINNING STREAK

JBA Intramural Basketball Standings Monday/Wednesday

Fleet Reserve Center Mid-Atlantic won a heated contest 45 to 40 against the 89th Communications Squadron Jan. 7, keeping their game-winning streak alive.

Alex Kimpson, left, Fleet Reserve Center Mid-Atlantic guard/forward, is fouled by Edgarbo Pizarro, 89th Communications Squadron point guard, as he drives down the perimeter for his third three-pointer.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Team

Wins

Losses

Total Games

Win %

779 MDG

5

0

5

100%

VR-53

4

2

6

67%

11 CES (a)

3

2

5

60%

11 SFG

3

2

5

60%

D SQUAD

2

3

5

40%

779 MOS

1

4

5

20%

744 COMM

0

5

5

0%

Tuesday/Thursday Team

Wins

Losses

Total Games

Win %

WSA

3

0

3

100%

FRC MA

4

0

4

100%

459th ARW

3

1

4

75%

11 LRS

2

1

3

67%

89 COMM

2

2

4

50%

11 CES (b)

1

3

4

25%

PAG

0

4

4

0%

89 APS

0

4

4

0%

Jerrett Wade, right, Fleet Reserve Center Mid-Atlantic small forward, attempts to block a layout shot against Matthew Miller, 89th Communications Squadron forward, during the ďŹ rst half on an Intramural Basketball game Jan. 7 at the West Fitness Center.

01040981B

1041295B

Friday, January 10, 2014

FINANCIAL, from page 1 compared to the general population.”

FINRA Foundation President Gerri Walsh said the survey, which revisited many questions from a previous survey conducted in 2009, focused on how service members make ends meet, plan ahead and manage financial products.

“The national financial capability study, overall, was really good news regarding how people were making ends meet. Fewer say they are stressed out about paying their monthly bills than said so in 2009. That’s good news. But only 40 percent of people felt very confident about their finances,” Walsh said.

The Navy Federal Credit Union survey, conducted by the independent ORC International in the third quarter of 2013, compared active duty service members with milennials in the general population regarding their financial habits and behaviors, said Miller. Navy Federal MidAtlantic Regional Manager Coleen Collins said that the survey’s results indicated, in part, that the military has so far done a good job providing financial literacy training to personnel who face challenges which can strain family budgets, such as long deployments away from family.

“Optimism comes from security. Even with sequestration, they got paid. They have job security, if they choose to stay in the military, which is adding to their optimism,” Collins said.

Both surveys also looked at the different ways military and civiilians use and access their money. Service members were significantly more likely than the general population to report taking advantage of mobile banking, according to the Navy Federal survey.

“They know that they are, or could be, on the go at any given moment; they want to be ready at a moment’s notice,” Collins said.

The FINRA survey also indicated that younger, enlisted service members were more likely than the population at large to use non-bank financing options, such as payday loans, car note loans and rentto-own stores.

“When people do get promoted to E7,

1041219B

Andrews Gazette E9, they start buying the fancy car, the big house, they start living a more costly lifestyle, potentially, and they may also be older so that they have expenses like college for their dependent children,” Walsh said, making higher ranking enlisted service members the second-most likely to use non-bank financing options, which can be costly.

Though the FINRA survey indicated improvements in many areas of financial literacy and behavior, “still, about half of Americans carry a credit card balanace from month to month, among those who have credit cards,” Walsh said.

The FINRA study compared active duty military between each branch of service, as well as against active duty Reserve and inactivated Reserve and Guard, as well as the general population, focusing on civilian males ages 18-35 to make the results, “as close to ‘apples to apples’ as we could,” Walsh said. “On a number of measures, the military respondents were doing a whole lot better. They were more likely to spend less than their income--to be saving. They were more likely to say it was ‘not at all difficult’ to pay their bills, from month to month. And 73 percent of military members reported having a retirement account, compared to 41 percent of civilians.”

Part of the reason military members are more likely to have a retirement account than civilians is that civilian employers do not always provide a 401(k) or pension plan, “but all military has the opportunity to contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan,” Walsh explained.

Though service members fared well in comparison with civilians by many measures, the FINRA survey indicated that service members were more likely to be “underwater” on their homes than civilians. That may be because civilians have more control over when they choose to move. While service members can’t usually delay permanent change of station orders, civilians can sometimes opt to stay in a house during times of economic downturn, waiting to sell until housing prices recover.

Service members were also more likely to report having a budget in the past year, “but it’s still only 40 percent of the mili-

tary population, so 60 percent does not have a budget. The financial education thing will continue to be important. It’s not like we’re there yet.”

Collins believes that the difference between active duty military and the general population in terms of some areas of financial literacy, “is directly related to the education on these topics The general population has to seek it out on their own; active duty are required to take these courses.”

In both populations, Collins said that establishing an emergency fund equal to several months’ salary to provide for the family in case of an economic shock such as job loss or medical problems could use improvement. Most families do not report having that rainy day fund in place. She also said that the study revealed that personal financial management, investments and insurance are topics which continue to be confusing for many. She suggests seeking out a financial counselor to explain the menu of financial investment options that are available in today’s economy.

“People think they need a lot of money to invest before they see a financial counselor, but that’s not always true,” Collins said.

The concept of “creditworthiness,” Collins said, also has “this big mystery to it.

People don’t know what they can do to improve their credit score.”

Most banks and credit unions provide financial education services to improve economic literacy and help people manage their money better. FINRA also has launched a website with information and links to personal financial management tools for military families at www.saveandinvest.org.

Military respondents to the FINRA survey were more likely to report having been exposed to and participated in financial education programs than civilians. Walsh believes that may be because service members are often required to participate in financial education programs through their job.

Retired Col. Norman Potter, vice president of Financial Peace Military and Government, a course recently approved by the Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains

7

for use in stewardship training offered through Army chaplains, said that financial education and readiness is a key factor in mission readiness.

“The basis (of the course) is obviously finances, but as the DoD has identified stressors which have led to suicide and other issues, financial stressors are at the top of the list. People need to eliminate debt, pay off credit cards, plan for the future, get along with their spouses.

Financial stress is the leading cause of all these other issues,” Potter said. “We’ve had more people killed by suicide in the last few years than we have in combat, and those two are intertwined.”

The course is an offshoot of the Dave Ramsey financial education courses taught in churches and schools and through Ramsey’s radio show. The course is facilitated by a chaplain, civilian or a group commander, using a nine-lesson DVD program.

“This really is a commander’s course.

I’m a 35-year military veteran and retired base commander. I can tell you the financial stressors is one of our biggest problems. The target group (for taking the Financial Peace Military course) is more the younger non-commissioned officers.

Those folks, you really need to get ahold of them,” Potter said.

The goal of the course is to focus on eliminating non-mortgage debt and exercising financial discipline.

“In America today, we live day to day, paycheck to paycheck. We’re always stressed out. We’re focusing on paying the next bill or pushing the bill off. All of that translates to the effectiveness of the unit.

The more debt you pay off, the easier the stresses are on you, and you perform better. You have to change your life, how you view money, how you relate to money and your spouse, your mom, your girlfriend,” Potter said. “You crash and F-15 because you are focused on the argument you and your wife had this morning over money, that’s a very costly mistake that could be averted.

8

Andrews Gazette

Friday, January 10, 2014

Ask the Lawyer

CAPTION THIS

Are Miranda rights different from Article 31 rights?

BY MATHEW B. TULLY

Q. I know law enforcement officials are supposed to inform people of their rights against self-incrimination.

Are the Miranda rights read to civilians any different than the Article 31 rights read to service members?

“I can’t screw this up; otherwise, the video of this could end up on the MTV show RIDICULOUSNESS.” --David Anspach

A. The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, “No person….shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” This constitutional prohibition forms the foundation for the anti-selfincrimination rights warnings that must be provided to civilians, in accordance to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Miranda v. Arizona, and to service members in accordance to Article 31 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Although similar, there are subtle yet significant differences between the Miranda and Article 31 warnings.

Military Rule of Evidence 305 specifies that the warnings required under Article 31 must inform an accused or suspected service member: 1. of the “nature of the investigation”; 2. of the “right to remain silent”; 3. that any statements can be used against him or her in a trial by court-martial and 4. that he or she has a right to counsel. The exact language of the Article 31 warning can be found in Department of Defense Form 3881.

Meanwhile, the language of the Miranda warning should not be unfamiliar to anyone who has watched crime-related television shows or movies. It begins, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You

have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…”

As the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals noted in U.S. v. Chance E. Redd (2008), both the Miranda and Article 31 warnings inform the accused or suspected individuals of their right to remain silent and how statements can be used against them. “They differ,” the court added, “in that Article 31 requires notice to the suspect of the nature of the offense under investigation while Miranda does not; in addition, Miranda requires notice of a right to appointed counsel without charge for indigent suspects.” On this last point, the court said, “the right to appoint military counsel for soldiers exists regardless of indigency.” There is so much overlap between these warnings that the ACCA in Redd found that a civilian detective’s notification of rights provided to a suspected service member under Miranda, “coupled with notice of the allegation against him, satisfied the notice of appellant’s rights required

by Article 31 and Military Rule of Evidence 305.”

It is always crucial for service members who are accused or suspected of a civilian or military crime to exercise their constitutional rights to remain silent and consult with counsel. Don’t dig a deeper hole by trying to explain your way out of a problem. Get a military law attorney on your side who can speak for you and defend your rights.

Mathew B. Tully is an Iraq war veteran and founding partner of the law firm Tully Rinckey PLLC. E-mail questions to askthelawyer@fedattorney.com. The information in this column is not intended as legal advice.

Military History and Veterans Discussion Group New name, expanded focus

BY ALAN LEWIS CHAIRMAN

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.

The Military History and Veterans Discussion Group, formerly known as World War II and Korean War Veterans Discussion Group, continues its activities in 2014 at the Margaret Schweinhaut Senior citizens Center at 1000 Forest Glen Road, Silver Spring with programs on the first Tuesday of the month through June. The group was founded more than 20 years ago as an informal place where veterans of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Merchant Marine, and Navy could gather for programs of military interest and to associate with former comrades-in-arms. Its new name reflects an expansion of its focus, both in programs and in its audience appeal, to veterans of more recent military service and to the general public who have an interest in the Nation’s military heritage.

Chairman Alan Lewis, a 1960s Army veteran and retired National Archives employee, replaced its long-time leader, Don McKee, a World War II veteran of the 29th Infantry Division and the Invasion of Normandy, who remains an active participant.

The meetings are generally held on the first Tuesday of each month from September through June, at 1 p.m. in the Garden Room of the Schweinhaut Center.

The group is self-supporting by voluntary contributions. Montgomery County provides the meeting site, audiovisual equipment, and promotion as a part of the Center’s many recreational, health-oriented and cultural programs.

For information about the group and its programs, contact Alan Lewis at 202-829-4664 or via e-mail to alanflewis@aol.com with “Discussion Group” in the subject line.

Hypothermia and older adults Stay safe in cold weather

BY KIM CALVIN

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING

Frigid weather can pose special risks to older adults.

The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid hypothermia?when the body gets too cold?during cold weather.

Hypothermia is generally defined as having a core body temperature of 95 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and can occur when the outside environment gets too cold or the body’s heat production decreases. Older adults are especially vulnerable to hypothermia because their bodies?

response to cold can be diminished by underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and by use of some medicines, including over-the-counter cold remedies. Hypothermia can develop in older adults after relatively short exposure to cold weather or even a small drop in temperature.

Someone may suffer from hypothermia if he or she has been exposed to cool temperatures and shows one or more of the following signs: Slowed or slurred speech; sleepiness or confusion; shivering or stiffness in the arms and legs; poor control over body movements; slow reactions or a weak pulse.

To help older people avoid hypothermia: • Make sure your home is warm enough. Set the thermostat to at least 68 to 70 degrees. Even mildly cool homes with temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees can lead to hypothermia in older people.

• To stay warm at home, wear long underwear under your clothes, along with socks and slippers. Use a blanket or afghan to keep your legs and shoulders warm and wear a hat or cap indoors.

•When going outside in the cold, it is important to wear a hat, scarf, and gloves or mittens to prevent loss of body heat through your head and hands. A hat is particularly important because a large portion of body heat can be lost through the head. Wear several layers of warm, loose clothing to help trap warm air between the layers.

• Check with your doctor to see if any prescription or over-the-counter medications you are taking may increase your risk for hypothermia.

Because heating costs can be high, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has funds to help low-income families pay heating bills through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Applicants can call the National Energy Assistance Referral project at 1-866674-6327, e-mail energy@ncat.org or go to the LIHEAP website,http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/resource/ liheap-brochures. NEAR is a free service providing information on where you can apply for help through LIHEAP. The Administration for Children and Families funds the Energy Assistance Referral hotline.

The NIA has free information about hypothermia, a fact sheet, Hypothermia: A Cold Weather Hazard, and a brochure, Stay Safe in Cold Weather. A fact sheet in Spanish, La hipotermia: un peligro del clima frío, is also available.

These and other free publications on healthy aging can be downloaded from the NIA website at http://www.nia.nih. gov/ or by calling NIA’s toll-free number: 1-800-222-2225.

The NIA leads the federal effort supporting and conducting research on aging and the medical, social and behavioral issues of older people. For more information on health, research and aging, go to www.nia.nih.gov.

RETIREE, from page 2

Monday through Friday. Visit the office in Building 1604 at California and Colorado Avenues or call us at 301981-2726. 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; Under “Helpful Links” click on “Retirees Activity Office” for information on retiree subjects, including past copies of “Retiree Corner.”

applicants. For more information, call Scholarship Managers at 856-616-9311 or e-mail militaryscholar@scholarshipmanagers.com.

1036330B

The Retiree Activities Office is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Alan H. Michaels • Sam J. Hamam • Jared W. Lamb

Clinton Location 6410 Coventry Way (301) 868-7001

1036328B

www.LevisRestaurant.com

1036329B

Delicious North Carolina BBQ & Soul Food

• Serving the Community for 35 Years!

• Affordable Whitening Systems Available • Braces for adults & children including Invisalign (invisible braces) • White Fillings • Digital X-Rays • Root Canal Treatment • Crown & Bridge • Implants & Dentures Most Major Insurances Accepted Premier

301-868-0777

9015 Woodyard Rd., Ste. #104 Clinton, MD 20735 www.clintonfamilydental.com

Friday, January 10, 2014

Andrews Gazette

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1041223B

Andrews Gazette

Friday, January 10, 2014