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True Story: An interview with satirist Mark Russell
DCMILITARY.COM
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WFC sponsors Premiere Extreme Strongman Competition
AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD.
Temporary flame transferred to permanent Eternal Flame at John F. Kennedy’s gravesite
“I have a disease. You’re the one that’s broken;”
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013 | VOL. 2 NO.42
FITNESS AND YOUTH CENTERS SPONSOR “ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE” FUN RUN AND YOUTH WALK
PHOTO/SGT. LAURA BUCHTA, U.S. ARMY
Secretary of the Army John McHugh transfers the Eternal Flame from its temporary location at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy at Arlington National Cemetery. The temporary flame was in place while upgrades and testing took place for the Eternal Flame. COURTESY OF ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ARLINGTON, Va. - The temporary flame that has operated at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy and his family since this spring was transferred to the permanent Eternal Flame in a ceremony Oct. 29. The temporary flame was in place while upgrades and testing took place for the Eternal Flame. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District and its contracting partners replaced the burner assembly and the supporting infrastructure including gas, electric, and compressed air lines for the flame as well as installed new drainage lines below the flame. They also relocated gas pressure regulators from inside to outside the chamber to provide easier maintenance and access. This is only the second time that a temporary flame has been used at the site. The first time was when Jacqueline Kennedy lit a temporary flame during her hus-
band’s interment service on Nov. 25, 1963. That flame was then transferred to the permanent Eternal Flame in March 1967. “As we approach the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy’s death, it is fitting that we once again transfer the flame from a temporary one, to the permanent Eternal Flame, a flame that is more modern and efficient, ensuring the light continues to remain a beacon of hope and remembrance for all who see it, a reminder of the president’s legacy to our nation,” said Patrick K. Hallinan, executive director, Army National Military Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery. A number of remembrance events are planned at Arlington National Cemetery to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s death and burial. Starting Nov. 15, a special pictorial exhibit honoring President Kennedy’s legacy will be on display in the basement of the Memorial Amphitheater. This exhibit
see GRAVE, page 7
Officials announce deadlines for holiday mail delivery Military Postal Service Agency officials recommend that parcel post packages for service members overseas be mailed by Nov. 12 for delivery by the holidays. Officials at MPSA, an extension of the U.S. Postal Service, have published a chart at http:// hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/xmas. htm that shows deadlines for various mailing options, broken down by the APO/FPO/DPO numbers of various destinations.
USPS is offering a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate box at $14.85. The price includes a $2 per box discount for military mail being sent to APO/FPO/DPO destinations worldwide, officials said. Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available for free at local post offices, or can be ordered from USPS online. Postage, labels and customs forms also are available online.
PHOTO/BOBBY JONES
A group of Super Heroes start at on their two mile run around the track during a Zombie Apocalypse Fun Run/Walk Oct. 30. Story on page 6.
State: Purple Line plan would save taxpayer dollars BY AGNES BLUM
THE PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE
Partnering with private companies to build and operate the Purple Line will save taxpayers about 20 percent of the cost of the whole project, a state transportation official told a County Council committee Monday. “They’re going to get the work done with fewer people,” said Henry Kay of future contractors, known as concessionaires. Kay was one of several representatives from the Maryland Transit Authority and the Department of Transportation who spoke at the county Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment committee meeting, detailing the process
behind the public/private partnership also known as P3. The $2.2 billion Purple Line is proposed to run 16.2 miles east-west across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Construction is slated to begin in 2015 and the state says it will be operational in 2020. The project has generated controversy for the many properties that will be demolished or affected along the way, and the clear-cutting of 3 miles of the Capital Crescent Trail to make room for the tracks. Unlike other public/private ventures, such as Beltway HOT lanes in Virginia, the concessionaire constructing and running the Purple Line would not have any control over fares nor would it make a profit from
them. Instead, a 30-year contract would outline exactly what the concessionaire would be paid in exchange for specific services rendered. These payouts are called “availability payments” because they depend on the availability of the services outlined in the contract. Any problems or issues with the Purple Line would be handled by the MTA and not the private company, Kay said. Glenn Orlin, deputy staff director for the County Council, asked what recourse the state would have if the company stopped running trains as often as it had agreed to run them. Kay said withholding pay-
see PURPLE, page 7
Air Force Bands, Thunderbirds resume outreach operations in 2014 BY MASTER SGT. KRISTINA
NEWTON, AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS CIVIC OUTREACH DIVISION
The Air Force is implementing a coordinated plan to resume public outreach and community engagements at a reduced capacity as a result of a multi-service working group. The plan, approved by the Secretary of Defense, promotes a formalized, joint approach to national engagement and represents a new normal for outreach operations across the services, said Wendy Varhegyi, the Air Force public affairs engagement division chief. Two popular, high-visibility programs, the Thunderbirds and Wings of Blue aerial demonstration teams, will return with full seasons. However, the Air Force
will not resume a public flyover program across the country, nor will there be Air Force static display aircraft at civilian air shows. “The decision was made after months of coordination between the services and is, we believe, the fiscally responsible way to reconnect with the American public,” Varhegyi said. “We may, however, see some slight modifications to the plan as the year progresses.” Funeral flyovers are not affected by this plan and will continue to be coordinated through normal procedures. For the Thunderbirds, a full season will consist of 34 shows divided between civilian and military events, while the Wings of Blue Jump Team will partici-
pate in up to 33 shows, including Air Force Academy football games. Schedules are expected to be confirmed in December. The Air Force 2014 outreach plan cuts overall spending by approximately 54 percent from the 2012 levels but still allows the Air Force an opportunity to engage with the American public. “Community and public outreach is a crucial activity for the Air Force because we must connect with the people we serve and highlight the capabilities of the Air Force,” said Brig. Gen. Les Kodlick, the Air Force public affairs director. “Historically the Air Force participates in thousands of local and national events every year, including ap-
see BAND, page 3
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/STAFF SGT. J.G. BUZANOWSKI
Airmen from the Air Force Band march in front of the National Archives during the National Memorial Day Parade May 28 in Washington, D.C. The parade highlighted the Air Force’s 60th anniversary as a separate service.
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HOT TICKETS
Commentary Fall back
Around Town November 2 - February 23
Mia Feuer: An Unkindness Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art and Design, 500 17th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. Wednesdays 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Thursdays through Sundays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Washington-based Feuer’s art explores the intersection of nature, humanity, fuel consumption and ecological challenge. For information visit www.corcoran.org.
November 3
Mark Russell Ernst Community Center, Annandale Campus, Northern Virginia Community College 6 p.m. Political humorist Russell performs to benefit nonprofit TEACH, which provides educational opportunities for Mayan children in Guatemala. For information visit www. teacham.org.
Through November 22
Peter and the Wolf Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, Md. Thursdays and Fridays 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Children ages two and up can see a puppet production of the classic Prokofiev story while getting to know the instruments that make up a classical orchestra. For information visit www.thepuppetco.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
Chris Basham, editor cbasham@dcmilitary.com
mminar@dcmilitary.com
Deirdre Parry, page design dparry@gazette.net
John Rives, publisher
jrives@dcmilitary.com
Bobby Jones, photographer bjones@dcmilitary.com
01041102B
Friday, November 1, 2013
BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER
It’s almost time to “fall back,” and if you ask me it’s not a minute too soon. Lately, it seems like the morning sun is as hesitant to get out of bed as the rest of us. Throw in a rainstorm or two and it’s just far too dark. Throws me off my game. Makes me want to stay in bed with a mug of cocoa. I’ve never been a big fan of Daylight Saving Time. Can’t the clocks just keep going in the same direction all the time, without shifting an hour from evening to morning and back again? It feels like the govern-
ment, in partnership with the people who sell sporting goods, is trying to tell even the sun what to do. By the time I wake up in bed wishing for that steaming mug, I’m practically ready to rise up and demand we all go back to the sundial. Fortunately, by the time I make it to the kitchen I’m awake, and less likely to call for a revamp of our entire timekeeping system. I think there is a natural rhythm to our days, and our bodies would know it, and honor it, if we let them. But modern society has made that almost impossible. There is no “night,” where people can light the sky brighter than the stars themselves. There is no down-time, if the Inter-
net is always available. The only time we really experience the world as our ancestors knew it is when there’s a power outage. And I’m certainly not wishing to go back to our days before electricity, running water and the rest. I’m just sitting here in the half-light, hands wrapped around a hot mug of tea, feeling a little cranky because autumn is here and winter’s not far behind. Don’t mind me. Just soak up that sunlight whenever you get the chance, wherever it falls in the day. Remember to set your clocks back one hour in time for 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3. It’s a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors, too.
tance and to prepare for standardized tests. Some patrons use programs to increase their vocational aptitude scores so they can change career fields. Others use them to prepare for college boards, read a mystery novel or listen to music by borrowing a CD. Air Force Col. Thomas Joyce, services director at the Air Force Personnel Center, at Randolph AFB, Tex., said “Libraries are like hidden gems that don’t get talked about much, but that are a huge contributor to lifelong learning and overall resilience.”
to Veterans’ Group Life Insurance, all from one log-on account. Retirees and family members are able to access information 24/7. Go to www. myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/dsaccess. Fort Belvoir’s dining facility is a bargain for retirees Retirees and their dependents are invited to use the Fort Belvoir Dining Facility for lunch seven days a week. The facility, located on Abbot Road, offers full-course meals including selfserve salad, omelets, frozen yogurt and a deli bar. Current cost is $4.60. Thanksgiving and Christmas meals are priced at $7.60. Cash is required. No credit cards.
Retiree Corner COURTESY OF THE RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE
Libraries are “hidden gems”
During World War I, the American Library Association delivered books and magazines to the troops. The association raised $5 million, distributed more than 7 million books and magazines and built 36 camp libraries. It laid the foundation for the Defense Department’s longest-running morale, welfare and recreation program. The Navy established the first military library program in 1919. The Army followed in 1920 and the Air Force opened its library program when it was established as a separate service in 1947. The Air Force maintains seven learning resource centers across the U.S. Central Command. Libraries offer cassette tapes, phonograph records, compact discs and DVDs. Audiobooks were introduced in 2005 and e-books in 2007. Last year the services spent $12 million for digital library materials. Military members and their families tap libraries for transitional assis-
Log on for benefits information
Air Force retirees interested in accessing benefits web pages should establish a Department of Defense self-service log-on identification account. The common log-on, developed by DoD and Veterans Affairs, allows beneficiaries to access various benefit websites with a username and password. Users can access personal information, health care eligibility and personnel records and can review Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance elections or convert SGLI
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; Under “Helpful Links” click on “Retirees Activity Office” for information on retiree subjects, including past copies of “Retiree Corner.”
Friday, November 1, 2013
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MEDICAL CLINIC CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS PERIMETER ROAD
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO
Traffic will be limited to one lane on West Perimeter Road between Menoher Drive and Building 1075 near Vandenberg Drive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., starting Nov. 4. MILCON construction in this area is expected to last until Dec. 1, contingent upon weather. Flagmen will be working in the area and directing traffic; however, drivers should expected delays.
BAND, from page 1 proximately 1,000 flyovers. Under the new plan, those small scale flyovers will cease. Instead, the Thunderbirds will fly over a limited number of national-level events.” The Department of Defense has struggled to conduct outreach operations since sequestration hit March 1. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently wrote in a memorandum to service chiefs that this has resulted in a lapse of communication with nearly half a billion people worldwide. While Hagel wrote that returning to pre-sequester outreach spending is not viable, he believes the current plan “is proactive, comprehensive, fiscally responsible and strategically sound. It matches our limited outreach assets against departmental priorities and provides us the best opportunity to gain the highest returns on our investment.” Other Air Force assets expected to continue limited activity include Air Force bands. Because travel restrictions have been lifted, the regional bands will resume public performances across their area of responsibility and The Air Force Band will go on tour as planned, though travel budgets are capped at 50 percent of 2012 expenditures. The Air Force will also continue to engage with local communities on a grassroots level through installation open houses, participation during sporting events and community and civic activities. Sequestration is ongoing and the department will continue to be subject to financial constraints, however, outreach activities serve to educate and reinforce public trust and confidence in the Air Force, and are essential. “We understand not everyone will be happy with the plan DOD has put forth,” Kodlick said. “But it is vital the American people know about America’s Air Force -who we are and what we do. These engagements, although limited, enable us to do that.” Editor’s note: Despite the DOD-level decision to restore many sequestrationlimited activities by the Thunderbirds and other outreach assets, Capt. Malinda Singleton of the Joint Base Andrews Public Affairs Office said, in an email, that the Joint Services Open House, which had traditionally been scheduled for evennumbered years, is still not on the 2014 calendar at press time.
New SARC + SAPR upgrades = Zero tolerance BY AMBER RUSSELL
11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS
In the face of any unwanted sexual advance, assertively saying “no,” is an inalienable human right. When someone’s ability to give consent is impaired by intoxication, sleep or handicap; or someone is coerced, bribed or forced into a sexual situation, their power gets taken away. When a Team Andrews member reports such an atrocity, Andrea Verdino, Andrews new Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, can step in to protect and empower victims. Verdino has been fighting against sexual assault since graduating from Montgomery County, Md. Police Academy in 2000. She is steeped in experience working with the family crimes unit, child abuse, pedophile and domestic violence cases. In 2009, she was the SARC and victim advocate program manager at Fort Myer, Md., and also worked with the Navy at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Md. Her experience in investigations extends beyond the first SAPR policy issued in Oct. 2005. The latest changes in Department of Defense instruction 6495.02 increase victim advocacy training and make SAPR more accessible to members of the Reserve and Guard, as well as dependents. Victim advocates are required to complete an initial 40 hours of training and become credentialed. The upgraded standards ensure first responders are qualified and prepared to handle individual sensitive circumstances. “The credentialing process includes a background investigation,” Verdino said. “I must interview each prospective victim advocate. Then, I obtain letters of recommendation signed by myself and their commander and send their information to the National Organization for Victims Assistance to run a background and sex offender registry check. NOVA has a board that meets quarterly to determine whether or not the applicant is able to become credentialed.”
U.S. AIR FORCE GRAPHIC/COREY PARRISH
Victim advocates are also required to complete 32 hours of refresher training every two years. “I currently offer two hours a month of training,” Verdino said. Since becoming JBA’s SARC, Verdino said she has trained victim advocates on the new changes in the DoD-I and how to fill out new forms. She also plans to hold self-care classes. “We plan to set up a self-care class like Zumba or CrossFit,” Verdino said. “We would also like members from the Office of Special Investigations, Legal and Security Forces to have a dodgeball competition to bring us together.” Verdino’s self-care class falls in line with the new DoD SAPR self-care smartphone app that allows anyone to assess their overall health and create an individualized, anonymous self-care plan, Verdino said. The app connects users with the Safe Helpline by phone or chat and gives local resources and more. Organizations involved with SAPR reporting lead trainings as well, Verdino said. The Equal Employment Opportunity office, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Prince George’s Hospital and the newly mandated Special Victims Counsel will participate in upcoming training sessions. “The Air Force now has a Special Victims’ Counsel, which is a huge benefit,” Verdino said. “The SVC provides an attorney for the victim. Whether reports are restricted [confidential] or unrestricted,
victims have been taking this option to have their own personal attorney go with them to the Office of Special Investigations. The SVC can walk them through the legal process and answer any legal questions regarding collateral misconduct, such as underage drinking and fraternization.” Another change which can help empower victims by keeping them informed on the status of their case is the new case management group. “Here, the group is chaired by Col. Daniel Waters [11th Wing/JBA vice commander], the victim’s commander and myself,” she said. “We are required to hold monthly case management meetings. Those who file unrestricted reports will be able to meet with their commander one-on-one, 72 hours after the meeting is held, for a status update.” Air Force-wide, the SAPR program is now much more inclusive. “Dependents of military members are now able to file restricted reports,” Verdino said. “We have also been able to provide restricted reporting service to Reservists and National Guard members in off-duty status.” Previously, if Guardsmen and Reservists were not active at the time of the assault, their only option was to file an unrestricted report, which automatically triggers an investigation. Now these members can be put in a line-of-duty status, enabling them to receive medical exams and counseling with anonymity, she said. Being empowered to say “no” is everyone’s right. If that right is wrongfully taken, service members can rely on the evolving SAPR program and JBA’s new SARC to keep them informed, protected and empowered. In the event of an emergency, members can call the 24-hour hotline at 301981-7272. For non-emergencies, the JBA SARC can be reached at 301-981-1443. For further information on the latest changes to the SAPR program, visit http://www.sapr.mil/.
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Friday, November 1, 2013
True Story: An interview with satirist Mark Russell BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER
Mark Russell reported for his draft physical and because he’d recently had minor surgery, Army physicians told him to return in six months. He went back to his Alexandria, Va. home and continued with his life, working at the family gas station on Route 1, and taking in the occasional movie. “It sounds implausible, but there was a movie playing in downtown Washington, “What Price Glory,” with James Cagney and Dan Dailey. They were Marines in World War I, and in the movie they spent a lot of their time drinking wine and chasing French women,” said Russell. “I saw it and thought, ‘That’s for me!’” Russell went to the Marine recruiting desk in the lobby of the theater and signed up. “The next day, I was on my way to boot camp. True story,” Russell said, where the first thing he learned was that Hollywood’s portrayal of military life was almost entirely inaccurate. “In boot camp, they’d show us the right way, and the wrong way, to do everything. They’d say, ‘Don’t do it like John Wayne.’ He was not the icon he became later, in the Vietnam War. He was well known, but not the way he was in the 60s. The combat veterans who were teaching us noted that John Wayne, in his movies, he did everything wrong,” Russell said. The Korean War ended shortly after Russell entered the Marine Corps. “I spent most of my time as a peacetime Marine, so I learned to shine my shoes, polish my belt buckle and press my uniform,” Russell said of his time in Japan, Hawaii and at other duty stations between 1953 and 1956. Though he did not experience the adventures he’d seen on the movie screen, the conversations he had with fellow Marines came together to form Russell’s future. “We would gripe about things; we’d bitch about things, and that was common. We were just privates and PFCs, and the stock answer was, ‘You’re not supposed to know the big picture.’ And that stuck with me. As a political satirist, I’ve been trying to find the big picture. I haven’t gotten there yet, but I’m still looking,” Russell said. After his time in service, Russell returned to Washington. “I was a piano player—not a very good one. I worked in real dives: subterranean saloons. I like to say I started at the bottom and worked my way down,” Russell said. “Then I got a job in a bar across from the Senate Office Building, and that gave me a focus. I was at the piano telling old jokes and corny jokes and talking to people like a lounge lizard would do, and one of the Senators said, ‘If you want us to pay attention, talk about what we do.’” Russell had to learn about the work his audience did, across the street from the Carroll Arms Hotel. “They had hearings, and I knew nothing about that. I would go to the Senate and watch the hearings, and the participants would come across the street after the hearings and I’d try to work what I’d heard into my act,” Russell said. “Then the owner of the Shoreham came in and caught the act and he hired me at the Shoreham, which was at the time the fanciest hotel in town, and I played the lounge there three times a night, six nights a week for 20 years, from 1961 to 1981.” Approached by a public television station in his native Buffalo, N.Y., Russell then took the act he’d developed at the Shoreham and turned it into a 30-year television career. Though his act always includes some
SUBMITTED PHOTO
material that will be funny no matter what is happening in the news, Russell has always maintained the freshness and up-to-the-minute humor he learned while entertaining Senators with observations of their daily efforts. “I do all the topical stuff and then I have more stable material, generic material. I talk about social issues, about Supreme Court cases. The court is divided, four liberal, four conservatives, with a swing vote from Justice Anthony Kennedy,” Russell explains, “But just like the rest of us, Justice Kennedy doesn’t swing like he used to.” Russell’s performances include some autobiographical material, including discussion of his time as a Marine. “A performer’s not supposed to be predictable, but when you do political satire you should be predictable. I was in Jacksonville, Florida Friday night and right out of the box I said, ‘My topic tonight is the website healthcare.gov, also known as The Glitch that Stole Christmas. What we know about health is that a dysfunctioning government is a pre-existing condition.’ I like to start with the most topical,” Russell said. “If I start with the shutdown, that’s already old, and it was just last week.” Modern audiences, Russell said, are better than in the past, “because of the 24/7 news media. They can’t avoid knowing things, even if they don’t care about it, even if they say ‘The news depresses me.’ It’s pouring out onto them. The performer doesn’t have to do a lot of setting up.” Well, that’s true for Russell, but he’s not entirely sure it’s the same for other performers. “Jay Leno will come out, ‘Do you know about Kathleen Sebelius?’ but you don’t have to say, ‘Do you know.’ Maybe in Leno’s case. That seems like a pretty dumb studio audience. Maybe they don’t know. But you don’t
have to do a lot of setting up,” Russell said, for today’s audiences. Though that works to his advantage, not everyone benefits from a more aware populace. “Kathleen Sebelius--this is probably the last thing she thought would happen to her, to be so well known for all the wrong reasons,” Russell said. Military audiences have been among some of his more memorable appearances, over the decades. “I was at the Air Force Academy years ago, during the Nicaragua crisis, where we were arming the Contras against the Sandinistas. That was a big deal, and that was part of Iran/Contra. This was faculty, about half military, half civilian,” Russell said. “I took a poll, and the majority of them were on the ‘wrong’ side. The military were for the Contras, the civilians were for the Sandinistas. Those hands went up, and little squabbles broke out.” When politics and military service mix, the atmosphere can be a little tense, even at an event meant to entertain. In a 2002 performance for West Point cadets, “One of the cadets asked, ‘He’s going to joke about the President of the United States?’ And the instructor said, ‘This is America, and we allow this.’ This was in 2002; we didn’t go into Iraq until the following March. A full colonel said, ‘I don’t mind going to Iraq, but I’ll be damned if I’ll be the Mayor of Baghdad.’ Pretty prescient. He sort of saw that we were getting into this hornets’ nest,” Russell remembered. Once in a while, Russell’s performance touches an unexpected nerve. At a 1980s performance at an Air Force Base in Virginia, Russell said he was “really going over, when a four-star general threw his shoe at me. He wasn’t angry or anything, but he threw his shoe. All those years in the Marine Corps, and nothing was as hazardous as that night.” Sometimes, it’s not the audience so much as the venue that matters. “I only do theaters, now: Theaters that are open to the public. I used to do a lot of corporate events and chambers of commerce and so forth, and the audience, sometimes—and it’s often my own fault—but very often you follow an hour of speeches, and they just suck all the oxygen out of the room. They read the financial report and say, ‘And here’s Mark Russell!’ I don’t have to subject myself to that anymore,” Russell said. After a short attempt at retirement, “the presidential campaign of 2012 was getting pretty funny, so I decided to come back,” Russell said. His work still hits its mark, night after night, because at 81 he’s just as determined as he was as a young man at a piano at the Carroll Arms Hotel. Some things, however, have changed in the intervening half century. “I figured out a few years ago that the income taxes I was paying would pay the annual salary for several generals,” Russell said. “I want those generals to know that the check is in the mail.” Russell will perform at 6 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Ernst Community Center, Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College. This event will benefit TEACH, a local nonprofit organization which provides educational opportunities to Mayan children in Guatemala. Tickets are $75 and include complimentary hors d’oeuvres at 5 p.m. For tickets or more information, go to www.teacham.org.
Military and Family Readiness Center hosts Heart Link Orientation
PHOTO/BOBBY JONES
Tech. Sgt. Amanda Mocanu, Military and Family Support Center NCO, speaks to military spouses about family readiness while a spouse is deployed. BY BOBBY JONES
STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST 001040078B
Approximately 16 spouses attended a Heart Link Orientation Oct. 19 at the Military and Family Readiness Center on Joint Base Andrews. Sponsored by the Air Force Aid Society, the Heart Link program gave training on suicide prevention and a special presentation on “Everyday Fashion & Career Focus,” by Rita Gworeck, Image Consultant. The objective of the Heart Link Program is to enhance mission readiness by strengthening military families through increasing spouse awareness of the Air Force mission, customs, traditions, protocols, and available resources and services.
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Friday, November 1, 2013
WFC sponsors Premiere Extreme Strongman Competition
Marine Staff Sgt. Brandon Miller, Naval Criminal Investigative Service military police, totes 270 lbs around the Tactical Fitness Center track during a Farmer’s Walk competition. BY BOBBY JONES
STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST
A Premiere Strongman Competition sponsored by West Fitness Center staff Oct. 24 attracted athletes determined to compete and win. Men competed by divisions: Light, 200 lbs and less; and Heavy, more than 200 lbs in body weight. Women competed in either the Light, 130 lbs and below, or Middle division, weighing more than 130 lbs. Participants competed in the Farmer’s Walk, walking a total distance without dropping the weight. Women’s Lightweight carried 115 lbs, Middleweight 135 lbs. Men’s lightweight carried 225 lbs, and Heavyweight 270 lbs. Competitors also competed in the Tire Flip. All weight classes participated in the two-minute
event, flipping a 100-lb tire as many times as possible. The Deadlift was judged on performing as many repetitions as possible, with no time limit. Women’s Lightweight lifted 135 lbs, Middleweight, 155lbs. Men’s Lightweight lifted 300 lbs, Heavyweight, 315lbs. For the Standing Press, Women’s Lightweight lifted 85 lbs, Middle 95 lbs, while Men’s Lightweight lifted 155 lbs, and Heavy, 175 lbs, for as many repetitions as possible, with no time limit. Staff Sgt. Lynn Handle, 1st Airlift Squadron, took First Place in the Women’s Lightweight division. Airman 1st Class James Whitehead, 779th Medical Group., took First Place in the Men’s Lightweight division. Airman 1st Class Phillip O’Dell, 779th Medical Group, took 1st Place in the Men’s Heavyweight division.
Prince George’s listening session yields earful of development concerns BY SOPHIE PETIT
THE PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE
Belinda Queen of Capitol Heights took the opportunity Monday night to tell elected leaders that quality development is needed, saying to Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D): “Enough is enough.” “We need a better shopping center, better restaurants and better stores. Stop bringing lowincome stores with poor service in here,” Queen said. Queen and other residents shared their concerns with Baker, state Sen. Doug Peters (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie, Del. Jolene Ivy (DDist. 47) of Cheverly, and about 115 county residents and officials who gathered at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover for Baker’s first “listening session” of the year. Listening sessions are public forums where residents share concerns and ideas with elected officials seeking input to help form legislation before the Maryland General Assembly gears up in Annapolis in January, said Baker spokesperson Scott Peterson. Monday’s forum was one of three sessions scheduled this year, said Baker spokesman Barry Hudson, who mediated the forum. Common threads among speakers, however, were concerns over the derelict former Landover Mall and education. “I don’t know how this happened. Most people wanted the [hospital] in Landover,” said Sherry Strothers of Landover, referring to the former mall site that has stood vacant for more than a decade and was bypassed this
year as the site for a new, $645 million hospital. Erica McKinney of Landover, a former county public schools teacher, spoke about students graduating high school with less than 2.0 grade point averages, urging officials to focus on raising graduates’ scores, not just graduation rates. “Graduating from what to what? Where’re [they] going to go with that?” she said. Baker, Peters and Ivy, a candidate for lieutenant governor, remained silent during most of the session, which allows time for residents to speak, not officials. However, they drew some residents aside afterward to privately address issues they had raised. Ivy reminded residents that last year’s sessions directly resulted in the county’s school governance bill that gave Baker power to appoint the school superintendent and three school board members. “It was very powerful to see you come and hear you think that the county executive should have more power [within the schools],” Ivy said. “So we passed a bill that would give him more of that power.” The next two listening sessions will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 6 at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 13 at Potomac High School in Oxon Hill, Peterson said. “If anyone can’t make a listening session, we encourage residents to email us or contact the county executive’s office,” he said. This story originally appeared in the Oct. 29 edition of The Prince George’s Gazette.
PHOTOS/BOBBY JONES
Maj. Amanda Rockers, Air Force Review Board Agency legal advisor, puts her ‘game on’ face during the Tire Flip competition. Rockers flipped the 300-pound tire 20 times during a two-minute time period.
Airman 1st Class Christopher Gray, 779th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician, emergency medical technician, makes it look easy to tote 270 lbs around the Tactical Fitness Center track during a Farmer’s Walk competition.
Army Pvt. 2 Denzel Garland struggles as he pushes for his eighth repetition of 155 lbs, during the Dead lift competition.
Prince George’s casino selection expected by end of year BY CHASE COOK
THE PRINCE GEORGE’S GAZETTE
Three companies vying to build Prince George’s County’s first casino have made their presentations and now await selection of the winner, which is expected by the end of the year, by the Maryland Video Lottery Facility Location Commission. The presentations wrapped up with MGM Resorts International holding the final meeting Friday at Friendly High School in Fort Washington. Rosecroft Raceway owner Penn National Gaming held its meeting Oct. 21 and Pennsylvania Parx Casino operator Greenwood Racing presented Oct. 23. Each meeting featured a visit to the company’s proposed site, a public unveiling of casino plans and an opportunity for the public to provide testimony regarding the placement of the casinos. Donald C. Fry, commission chairman, said the meetings were an opportunity for the commission to get specific information from the casinos in a public setting and to gather feedback from the public right after the presentations. The commission’s role is to be an unbiased, transparent entity that will make the best decision for the county based on the casino license’s statutes, Fry said. Even though the presentations are over, the commission will be able to contact casino staff if they have followup questions.
“We will have an opportunity to review what they provided,” Fry said. “We will have ample time for questions.” Each casino presented what it said would be the best decision for the county, with varying numbers of investment dollars, jobs created and potential revenue. Pe n n N a t i o n a l G a m i n g wants to revamp the Fort Washington-located Rosecroft Raceway into a new, $700 million facility, the Hollywood Casino Resort, that will have 3,000 slot machines; 100 live gaming tables; a 13-story hotel; and an event center that seats 2,500 people, and will continue the raceway’s current harness racing, according to the company’s presentation. The new facility would create about 1,600 jobs, according to the presentation. “We think this market is very strong and very deep,” said Tim Wilmott, Penn National Gaming president and chief operating officer. Greenwood unveiled plans for a $761 million casino, which would feature 4,750 slot machines; 170 table games, including 50 for poker; a 250-room hotel; and a 3,000-seat theater. The company claimed the casino would create about 5,700 permanent jobs. The Parx Casino, Hotel and Spa would be built at the intersection of Indian Head Highway and Old Fort Road in Fort Washington. “We will deliver on our promises; we will conduct ourselves in a manner that will make you
proud,” said Tony Ricci, CEO of Greenwood Racing, during the presentation. MGM Resorts International proposed a $925 million casino at National Harbor that would feature 3,600 slots, 140 live gaming tables including poker, a 300-room hotel, restaurants, retail and meeting space. Presenters said this location would create 4,000 mostly fulltime jobs. “We demand excellence in everything we do,” said Jim Murren, MGM chairman and chief executive officer. “We are about making good on our promises. We do what we say we do; we don’t over-promise and under-deliver.” Both MGM Resorts International and Greenwood Racing have requested more slots than the approved referendum allows, which sets a limit at 3,000 slots. However, a letter from the commission’s attorney counsel states wording in the referendum allows the commission to award more than 3,000 slots — up to 4,750 — if market factors and the public interest warrant that decision. The casino will be the sixth in Maryland. Anyone wanting to submit a written testimony to the commission can still do so through email at vlflc.comments@maryland.gov. This story originally appeared in the Oct. 29 edition of The Prince George’s Gazette and was corrected in the Oct. 30 edition.
For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,
visit www.dcmilitary.com.
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Andrews Gazette
Friday, November 1, 2013
“I have a disease. You’re the one that’s broken;”
Post-9/11 mystery illnesses stymie service members, health care providers working within an outdated system BY CHRIS BASHAM STAFF WRITER
Between and after two deployments to Afghanistan and a third to Iraq, West Virginia National Guard Sgt. Moses Scarberry returned to his civilian life, expecting to continue his work as a civilian within the National Guard and to enjoy a more active role in the lives of his young children. Instead, he found himself increasingly incapable of meeting the minimum requirements to remain a Guardsman. Scarberry had first deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2003, where, like many service members fighting there, he was exposed to burn pits and sulfur fires. By 2007, his health had started to deteriorate. “My run times had slown down. I felt older than I should be, at 21, 22 years old. I struggled with weight gain and shortness of breath,” Scarberry said. “I thought it must have been me.” Scarberry first thought to “push through” the physical challenges, but found that his lung capacity was greatly diminished any time he attempted exercise. Doctors were at a loss to find a physical reason for his symptoms. By the time of his 2011/2012 deployment to Afghanistan, “my respiratory system shut down upon any exertion. I could not breathe. As a 12-year Soldier, I did not know why this was happening to me,” Scarberry said. He reached out to the Sgt. Sullivan Center, a Washington, D.C.based organization which works to improve and support research into post-deployment illnesses. SSC was founded by the family of Sgt. Thomas Joseph Sullivan, who died of illnesses which began after he was exposed to toxic fumes and dust in Iraq. Those illnesses, while severe, were not understood by health care providers, whether or not they were affiliated with the military. These new illnesses are still not well understood, or
easy to diagnose. Through SSC, Scarberry found a doctor who had begun research on constrictive bronchiolitis, an as yet untreatable lung disease. “After 10 months and an openlung biopsy, I was diagnosed,” Scarberry said. Gray and black collagen was forming in the muscle cells and hardening on the alveoli in the lower sections of his lungs. He had an explanation for why he was unable to run with his unit or play with his children, but no hope for a cure, and no access to treatment, because as a Guardsman who had already returned from Afghanistan he was not considered active duty. He did not qualify for TRICARE coverage. The more than $50,000 it cost to get that diagnosis was an expense carried entirely by his family, while Scarberry struggled to maintain his job. Though he is not able to keep up with his pre-exposure self, Scarberry looks like a healthy, relatively fit Soldier, unless he’s required to exert himself. “My injuries are pushed to the side because no one can see them,” Scarberry said. Since his diagnosis, Scarberry has reached out to other service members who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan with hard to diagnose pulmonary disorders. He is working to waive his Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act rights so that he can post his health records online, for others to see. “The VA doesn’t recognize constrictive bronchiolitis. They use outdated diagnosis codes from the 60s and the 70s, and work off of pulmonary function testing, not testing done while exercising,” Scarberry said. Using traditional pulmonary function testing, Scarberry’s lungs seem only 10 percent to 20 percent diminished. “But I’ve lost 70 percent to 100 percent of life. I’m not in the Army; I’m not playing with my
children. I don’t know how you can count into that. After five minutes of playing in my living room, I need a break. None of the other dads need a break. My children don’t understand,” Scarberry said. As a National Guardsman, his health care options are fewer than they would be as an active duty Soldier. So are his career options. “I was an MP: A job I definitely can’t do now. But I could transition to an administrative position, a clerk position, so I’m not thrown completely to the wayside, so they’re not leaving me flat on my face with a family of four and nowhere to go,” Scarberry said. “Just because I’m on the Compassionate Allowances list for Social Security doesn’t mean I’m done yet.” He is still waiting to be transitioned to a Wounded Warrior unit, until the National Guard can medically retire him, in the next year or so. “The National Guard does not have a plan of action. They say, ‘Oh, sorry, we’ll try to figure it out.’ Everybody’s scratching their head, and in the meantime I’ve filed for unemployment and insurance for my children, and hoped for the best. That’s where I’m at, the last two months,” Scarberry said. “When they called in 2003, they said it was time to serve, let’s do this thing, and I did. When they called again in 2011 they said they needed me, it’s time to go. But when I got injured, instead of being treated like the rest of the Soldiers, I’m on my own.” He had received treatment for other health issues, like the posttraumatic stress disorder which has emerged since his diagnosis, thanks to a physician willing to care for him on a pro bono basis. Prescription medications? He’s paying for those out of pocket. “No one expected they would not have a way to keep you from
SGT. SULLIVAN CENTER SPOTLIGHTS ADVANCES IN POST-DEPLOYMENT
PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM
Jeanne Sullivan, co-founder and treasurer of the Sgt. Sullivan Center, speaks with Bethany Scarberry and Moses Scarberry at an Oct. 29 reception honoring physicians doing groundbreaking research into lung diseases found among post-9/11 veterans. Sgt. Moses Scarberry served two deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq as an MP with the West Virginia National Guard before mysterious health issues forced him to seek treatment. Scarberry was eventually diagnosed with constrictive bronchiolitis, an untreatable lung disease found in other Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, which is is not yet recognized or covered by Veterans Administration health care.
losing health care. I’m trying to get into a Warrior Treatment Unit,” Scarberry said. Though new to the military, constrictive bronchiolitis is not an entirely new disorder. “It’s progressive in all other forms. Most lead to a lung transplant, eventually, but there have been no studies done on people my age,” Scarberry said. “We have no idea in this case. A WTU would allow me to try asymmetrical relief, bronchodilaters and pulmonary rehab. I can’t do any of that on my own.” Scarberry does not expect his fellow wounded warriors to do it on their own, either. He is pushing for the VA and other health care providers to modernize their diagnosis procedures in cases of post-9/11 pulmonary disorders, and for equality of health care for all service members. “National Guard and Reservists should be treated like active duty. The VA has a history of not being able to help get diagnoses caught up, like with Agent Orange. This generation, with our technology, our disease research,
there’s no reason why it should take a 20-year time frame to get the diagnosis codes changed,” Scarberry said. “I want to force everybody to take the next step. As an NCO in the Army, that’s what we do. We lead people. I want to lead that charge.” His goal, Scarberry said, is to create a “road map” for other service members to follow, so they can get an accurate diagnosis of their post-deployment illnesses. He invites other post-9/11 service members with similar symptoms including unexplained shortness of breath and tightness in the chest upon exertion to contact him at moses.scarberry(at)yahoo. com, to join forces to get the referrals, testing and other services they need. Scarberry is also pushing the VA and Congress to provide care, treatment and transitional services for fellow wounded warriors. “I have a disease,” Scarberry said. “You’re the one that’s broken.”
Fitness and Youth centers sponsor “Zombie Apocalypse” Fun Run and Youth Walk
HEALTH CARE
PHOTO/BOBBY JONES
Sabine Martinez, West Fitness Center fitness and sports director, center bottom, trembles in fear as she is surrounded by the participants in character who won Best Costume gift cards. BY BOBBY JONES
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PHOTO/CHRIS BASHAM
Sgt. Sullivan Center spotlights advances in post-deployment health care Sgt. Sullivan Center co-founder and Secretary Peter Sullivan, left, presents the 2013 Excellence Award in Deployment Health Science to Dr. Richard Meehan, co-director of the Center of Excellence for Deployment-Related Lung Disease at National Jewish Health in Denver, Colo., during a reception honoring excellence in post-deployment health held Oct. 29 at the Pew Charitable Trusts Conference Center in Washington, D.C. Meehan and Dr. Cecile Rose, director of CEDRLD, received the award because of their collaborative work studying serious lung diseases found among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The theme music from the movie “Halloween” pierced the wooded area that more than 100 costumed participants ran through during a Zombie Apocalypse 2-Mile Fun Run held Oct. 30 at the Military Personnel Facility track. Hosted jointly by the West Fitness Center and the Youth Center, runners passed through the wooded portion of the track with Velcro belts around their waists; zombies and werewolves attacked them to snatch their belts for points. At the conclusion of the timed run, first place male and female winners were awarded $25 gift cards. Maj. Paul Sanford, 775th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Flight senior, took first place in the men’s division with a run time of 6.25. Rebecca Fowler took first place in the women’s division with 9:03. Participants wearing the best
costumes also received gift cards. Brandon Compton, Youth Center lead sports and fitness director, said that West Fitness Center Fitness and Operations Specialist Sabine Lopez asked for his support to involve children in the event. “The event was very successful with the help of Outdoor Recreation and Marketing. We had more children and adults sign up than expected,” said Compton. “But this event wouldn’t have been as successful without Sabine. She is very passionate about what she does. After the event, I heard several favorable comments about how well the event was put together.” “The event was great,” said Tech. Sgt. Amanda Mocanu, Military and Family Support Center NCO. “You have to take this event and build on it every year.” Children were treated to candy, hotdogs and refreshments after the run, before a final walk around the track with their parents.
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Andrews Gazette
Friday, November 1, 2013
ANDREWS PROMOTES DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER
11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Team Andrews members gathered Oct. 29 at Chapel 1, to learn more about employment options persons with disabilities have. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Adrienne H. Barnett 11th Force Support Squadron exceptional family member program coordinator, and Lt. Col. Anthony S. Gamboa, 744th Communications Squadron commander, coordinated and hosted the luncheon to raise awareness about employing persons with disabilities.
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Calvin Davis shares his experiences. Davis is a wounded warrior currently employed by Melwood as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician.
Dave Harden, left, presents Adrienne H. Barnett, center, and Lt. Col. Anthony S. Gamboa with the Melwood Partner Award at a Disability Awareness Luncheon held at Chapel 1 on Joint Base Andrews, Md., Oct. 29.
JBA Buzz
PURPLE, from page 1 ments was how the state would motivate the company to follow its contractual obligations. Whatever company ends up taking on the role, Kay said, would have incurred debts that needed repayment and therefore would be unlikely to jeopardize getting regular payments from the state. He likened the arrangement to taking out a mortgage. “You want them to have enough debt so they are motivated to take care of the asset,” Kay said. Councilwoman Nancy Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park, pressed him, and Mike Madden of MTA, about how much the county would be responsible to pay — not including the cost of the Capital Crescent Trail, which will cost the county about $16 million. Kay said Prince George’s and Montgomery counties were responsible for 10 percent of the total $2.2 billion, making each county’s share $110 million. However, Montgomery county has already made contributions — such as
What’s the scariest movie you’ve seen? “The scariest movie that I’ve ever seen is Stephen King’s ‘IT.’ The movie has some really bad things in it, like a killer clown.”
“I’m actually afraid of most scary movies, but the most recent scary movie I’ve watched is a movie called ‘Momma.’”
Senior Airman Shanee Gamliel, Defense Intelligence Agency desk side service agent
Airman 1st Class Michael Sabala, 11th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance and equipment apprentice
“‘The House of 1,000 Corpses,’ directed by Rob Zombie, is no doubt the scariest movie that I’ve ever seen.”
Airman 1st Class Daniel Schaan, 11th Civil Engineer Squadron structural apprentice
“‘Conjuring’ is probably one of the scariest movies out of all the movies that I’ve ever seen.”
GRAVE, from page 1 will be on display through Dec. 1. On Nov. 22, Arlington National Cemetery will conduct a wreath laying remembrance ceremony at President Kennedy’s gravesite. On Nov. 25, the Irish Defence Forces
Tech. Sgt. Sandy Zimiga, 89th Operations Group Special Missions flight attendant
rights of way — that will be taken into account when the final tallying is complete, he said, so no final number was available. The state is expecting about $900 million in federal funding and the concessionaire’s contributions could be from about $400 million to $900 million for construction. The state will know for sure about the federal funding by February, Kay said, which will be key before issuing a request for qualifications from companies. “No private partner will invest if we don’t have federal funding,” Kay said. The MTA will present the P3 idea before a state Board of Public Works meeting Nov. 6. The board consists of the Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), Comptroller Peter V.R. Franchot (D) and Treasurer Nancy Kopp. Franchot and Kopp both represented Montgomery County in the General Assembly. “We need for this to work,” Berliner said. “We’ve invested a lot of time. We’ve invested a lot of our own resources.” This story originally appeared in the Oct. 30 edition of The Prince George’s Gazette.
37th Cadet Class will conduct a remembrance ceremony at President Kennedy’s gravesite. The 37th Cadet Class flew to Washington to provide an honor guard during President Kennedy’s funeral service. All events are free and open to the public. For additional information, please go to www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/events.
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Andrews Gazette
TEAM ANDREWS CELEBRATES CLERGY APPRECIATION DAY
Friday, November 1, 2013
Ask the Lawyer What if I receive an accidental overpayment? BY MATHEW B. TULLY
Q. Is there any harm in not immediately reporting overpayments I’ve accidentally received from the government?
U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JOSHUA DEWBERRY
Team Andrews members gathered Oct. 22 at The Club at Andrews to celebrate Clergy Appreciation Day. Guest speaker 11th Wing Protestant Chaplain Capt. Anthony Wade, pictured, leads prayer. Chaplain Aaron Reynolds also spoke at the event. Attendees ate lunch, listened to guest speakers share their stories and prayed.
CAPTION THIS
A. When it comes to overpayments of military allowances or entitlements, service members need to view the excess money as a burden and not as a gift or abandoned property. It’s not as though they came across in the middle of the street a $20 bill, which they usually can pick up and pocket without having to worry about committing a crime. Sometimes service members will attempt to boost their income by lying about where they live or how many dependents they have, resulting in a higher housing allowance. But even if a service member played no role in arranging for the overpayment to be made to him or her by making false representations, he or she will engage in criminal conduct by trying to keep the overpaid amount or not taking steps to prevent future overpayments. More specifically, they will commit larceny of military property in violation of Article 121 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The elements of larceny include the wrongful taking, obtaining or withholding of property that has value and belongs to someone else, with the intent of permanently depriving or defrauding another person of the use and benefit of the property, according to the Manual for CourtsMartial. When it comes to overpayments, the excess amount paid is wrongfully paid to the service member. The money actually belongs to the government, which is deprived of its use. Just receiving an overpayment does not constitute larceny. Actual knowledge of the overpayment and the intent to steal it are key considerations for criminal conduct, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces said in U.S. Samuel T. Helms, II (1997). “[O]nce a servicemember realizes that he or she is erroneously receiving pay or allowances and forms the intent to steal that property, the servicemember has com-
mitted larceny,” the court said. Helms involved an Air Force Airman first class who was overpaid more than $11,000 over 11 months for his basic allowance for quarters and Overseas Housing Allowance. He had been receiving these BAQ and OHA while living off base in Germany, and he never filed the proper paperwork to stop his housing allowance when he moved to government housing. While at a track meet, the Airman’s wife had told a non-commissioned officer in charge of an accounting and finance office that her husband believed they were being overpaid. The NCOIC said the Airman should visit the office so they could explore any potential overpayment, but the Airman or his wife never made such a visit. The Air Force later discovered the overpayment when the Airman was preparing to separate from the service and he informed a separation and retirement technician he was living in government housing. Noticing the Airman’s housing allowances, the technician informed the Airman that he had been overpaid – news that did not surprise him. Given the Airman’s failure to follow up with the NCOIC and his lack of surprise about being told he was overpaid, the court said “a reasonable factfinder could have found beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant realized he was receiving unauthorized housing allowances.” There was also enough evidence to prove his intent to steal the funds. The court upheld his conviction of larceny of military property. Service members accused of overpayment-related larceny should immediately contact a military law attorney. Depending on the circumstances, an attorney could show service members were not aware they were overpaid or they lacked the intent to steal the excess funds. 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.
Security Forces Police Blotter
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.
For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,
visit www.dcmilitary.com.
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 981-2677 (COPS) or the investigations section at 301-981-5656. 1:38 p.m., Oct. 17: SF personnel re-
sponded to a individual suspected of smoking drugs in the dorms. The individual was detained and questioned. A search of person/property determined the individual was in possession of a green, leafy substance. The individual was charged accordingly. 3:12 p.m., Oct. 18: A individual was apprehended for shoplifting at the Base Exchange. The total value of property was $152.75.
Exchange offers $17,000 for Best Homecoming images A picture may be worth a thousand words but in the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s latest contest a picture and 50 words could be worth $10,000. From Nov. 1-Dec. 31, authorized shoppers can enter the “Homeward Bound” contest by submitting a picture or video of a military welcome home experience, along with a 50-word or less description, for a shot at the $10,000 Exchange gift card grand prize. “We’ve all been moved by video footage and pictures of military members returning to their families,” said the
Exchange’s Senior Enlisted Adviser Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson. “We are excited to see the stirring submissions competing to land the $10,000 prize.” In addition to the grand prize, the second-place winner will receive a $5,000 gift card and third place will take home a $2,000 gift card. The “Homeward Bound” contest is open to all authorized Exchange shoppers 18 years or older. Complete rules and entry instructions can be found at www.shopmyexchange.com/homewardbound.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Andrews Gazette
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01040334B
Andrews Gazette
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Friday, November 1, 2013