Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Patriot Joint Base Charleston: ‘Launch Point For The Nation's Resolve’
Vol. 8, No. 9
May 5, 2017
Siblings Take Flight
1st Lt. Kristina Whiteman, 14th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing, liaison officer and her brother Capt. Gary Whiteman, 14th AS C-Flight assistant flight commander, are C-17 Globemaster III pilots at Joint Base Charleston. The Whitemans are from Scottsdale, Arizona and are graduates of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
INSIDE
BUILD IT
628th CONS, CPTS conduct exercise See page 3
SCHOLARS $36K available, deadline May 12 See page 7
EATING RIGHT NHCC dietician encourages nutrition See page 7
Next Issue of the Patriot: May 19, 2017
Weekend Weather Update for Joint Base Charleston, SC Friday, May 5 Partly Cloudy
(20% precip)
High 75º / Low 52º
Saturday, May 6 Sunny
(0% precip)
High 75º / Low 55º
Story, photo and illustration by Airman Joshua R. Maund Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
Editors Note: This piece is one of several stories being shared in 2017 by the Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs Office in honor of the 70th Anniversary of the Air Force and those who selflessly have and continue to serve our nation.
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. – Two pilots assigned to the 14th Airlift Squadron, 437th Airlift Wing, here, share more than a workplace, they share blood. Capt. Gary Whiteman, 14th AS C-Flight assistant flight commander, and his sister 1st Lt. Kristina Whiteman, 14th AS liaison officer, are both U.S. Air Force Academy graduates and C-17 Globemaster III pilots. “Being a Whiteman sibling comes with an expectation of being a hard worker and doing an excellent job,” said Kristina Whiteman. “It’s an expectation I often try to exceed.” Gary, Kristina and their middle brother, Brent Whiteman, a former U.S. Air Force contracting officer, grew up close as children in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their family was active in the community. With no military veteran in their immediate family, the Whiteman siblings hadn’t always aspired to military service. “My siblings and I grew up as the best of friends,” said Gary Whiteman. “We had a lot of the same friends growing up who we still keep in contact with today.” While at the Air Force academy, Gary Whiteman
high with her brother’s excellent reputation throughout his pilot training. She had no intentions of turning their similar career paths into a sibling rivalry. She would rather uphold the legacy that comes with the Whiteman name. “Gary has built a great reputation for our family,” said Kristina Whiteman. “I want to do better and make him proud I’m his sister." Many factors aligned to create Gary and Kristina Whiteman’s situation. Very few people have the opportunity to work side-by-side with their sibling as a pilot in the Air Force. “We get to represent both family and country every day we put on the uniform and head into work for the greatest Air Force the world has ever seen,” said Kristina.
Marine family’s sacrifice recognized during Operation Finally Home ceremony Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
SUMMERVILLE, S.C. – Operation Finally Home, a national non-profit organization, worked with various partners to begin construction of a custom-built, mortgage-free home tailored to meet the needs of U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeremy Brooking, a wounded warrior. Brooking and his family, service members and coordinators celebrated the event during a ceremony here, April 22, 2017.
Sunday, May 7
Brooking is a wounded warrior who was injured during a deployment to Iraq in 2007. Only two months into his tour he was shot in the chest by a sniper and had to have a piece of his lung removed during treatment, leaving him with permanent nerve damage. Airmen and Sailors assigned to Joint Base Charleston gathered at the Carnes Crossroads community in support of the Marine and his family. “We’re all military so we have a duty to support
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JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. – The following are more questions raised during the March 628th Air Base Wing Commander's Call. Below are the answers provided:
High 76º / Low 52º
Extended Forecast
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jeremy Brooking, left, and his family are recognized for their sacrifices during a ground breaking ceremony facilitated by Operation Finally Home at Carnes Crossroads community, April 22, 2017, in Summerville, S.C.
each other and this is just one avenue in which we can do that,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Christopher Hughes, Joint Base Charleston Airman Leadership School commandant. “I think it’s important to recognize we could very well be in the same position he is in. It’s very important we come out and support families like this because there may be a time when we need the same support.” See Operation Finally Home, Page 3
More answers to commander's call questions From 628 Air Base Wing
Sunny
Mon. - May 8 77°/55° - Sunny (0%) Tue. - May 9 76°/61° - Sunny (0%) Wed. - May 10 83°/64° - Mostly Sunny (0%) Thur. - May 11 86°/65° - Mostly Sunny (20%) Fri. - May 12 84°/67° - Partly Cloudy (20%)
played baseball with his brother, and Kristina Whiteman played soccer. However, once they committed to their careers as pilots, flying became a priority over athletics. “Once I joined the glider program at the Academy, I fell in love with flying,” said Gary Whiteman. “Although baseball was my passion, flying started to take over.” During pilot training, Gary and Kristina Whiteman decided cargo aircraft, rather than fighter aircraft, was the most appropriate fit for them because they liked the idea of a crew flying with them. “I am a huge fan of the crew concept,” said Kristina Whiteman. “You aren’t flying solo. You have your own family wherever you go.” For Kristina Whiteman, the bar had been set
Capt. Gary Whiteman, 14th Airlift Squadron CFlight assistant flight commander, 437th Airlift Wing, and his sister 1st Lt. Kristina Whiteman, 14th AS liaison officer, pose for a portrait at Joint Base Charleston, S.C. April 10, 2017. The Whiteman siblings are both U.S. Air Force Academy graduates and C-17 Globemaster III pilots here.
Any word on renovating the men’s locker room at the fitness center? Answer: A renovation project for the Air Base Fitness Center men’s locker rooms is currently on the books for execution in Fiscal Year
2021. This project calls for replacing/upgrading all shower fixtures and shower heads, building five feet high dividing walls between the shower heads to provide privacy, re-grouting and resealing the shower room tiles and replacing lighting fixtures within the locker room. This project is currently prioritized as #109 on the installation's Integrated Priority List. The 628th CES is posturing to accelerate execution of this project as early as October 2017 as part of quality of life project inputs. See Commander’s Call, Page 5
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