Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Vol. 8, No. 10
Patriot Joint Base Charleston: ‘Launch Point For The Nation's Resolve’
May 19, 2017
A tribute to our military spouses
U.S. Air Force photo / Airman Joshua R. Maund
Army Sgt. Maj. Nathaniel Harvey III, 841st Transportation Battalion sergeant major sits with his wife, Tracie Harvey, and their daughter on a bench at Azalea Park in Summerville, S.C., May 10, 2017. Tracie Harvey worked as a civilian physical therapy assistant at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. In 1999, Congress designated the Friday before Mother’s Day as Military Spouse Appreciation Day to show appreciation for the sacrifices of military spouses. See more photos at www.jbcharleston.jb.mil.
INSIDE
LOGOTHETIS The Kindness Diaries author visits JB CHS See page 2
$244,000+
NMCRS completes fund drive See page 4
4th CTCS
Unit activates as part of 315th AW See page 5
Next Issue of the Patriot: June 2, 2017
Weekend Weather Update for Joint Base Charleston, SC Friday, May 19
Aircrew training device saves AMC time, money Story and photos by Staff Sgt. William A. O’Brien Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. – Members of Joint Base Charleston celebrated the standup of the Total Force Aerospace and Operational Physiology Team along with the unveiling of the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device and Hypoxia Familiarization Trainer during a ceremony here May 2. The ROBD is used to provide 437th and 315th Airlift Wing aircrews with Aerospace Physiology refresher training. Hypoxia is a lack of oxygen rich blood supply at the tissue level. “While an altitude chamber induces hypoxia by decreasing the total pressure surrounding an individual, the ROBD functions by delivering a breathing mixture with reduced oxygen,” said Lt. Col. Erin Meinders, 437th Operations Group vice commander. “This method removes all risks to conditions associated with exposure to low barometric pressure such as the bends or ear and sinus blocks.” By using the device, Airmen receive their five-year required physiology training in a realistic simulation, locally and without the risks associated with the hypobaric chamber. "This is a more accurate representation of what would be happening if I were to experience hypoxia," said Staff Sgt. Katherine Stanton, 15th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. "In the aircraft, I would be wearing this mask during High Altitude Low Opening operations and performing airdrop tasks, which are not simulated in the hyperbaric chamber, so this gives me a realistic situation to test my reaction to hypoxia." Having the ROBD here will save nearly $225,000 and 240 days of manpower annually because aircrews requiring the training will no longer need to travel to the nearest available altitude chamber. The hypoxia demonstration in the ROBD takes 30 minutes compared to almost two hours in the altitude chamber. “This device epitomizes Airmen seeking innovation,” said Meinders. “There was no plan for any of this even a few years ago and then a few squadron commanders identified an inefficiency and took action to correct it. These are the results of those actions.” The ROBD provides Airmen with one-on-one hypoxia training. Airmen fly a C-17 flight task simulation as the ROBD precisely mixes nitrogen and
Partly Cloudy
(10% precip)
High 87º / Low 68º
Saturday, May 20
Maj. Kasie Gaona, Air Force Reservist, prepares a student for Aerospace Physiology refresher training using the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device and Hypoxia Familiarization Trainer May 3.
reduced oxygen to equivalent oxygen concentrations at higher altitudes. This allows Airmen to see how hypoxia affects their motor skills and to experience their symptoms in a low risk environment. “Everyone’s symptoms are different,” said Maj. Kasie Gaona, Air Force Reservist. “This training allows each student to experience their own unique symptoms in a task specific environment.” The second portion of the hypoxia training demonstrates the effects of low oxygen on night vision. During the training, oxygen levels are slowly decreased while Airmen, in the dark, are looking at a color wheel. After a few minutes, 100 percent oxygen is administered and Airman typically see a great improvement in their vision. About 1,200 members of Joint Base Charleston will receive training using the ROBD each year. In its first day of operation, five Airmen received training on the device. "I would like to thank everybody from across the installation and the Air Mobility Command who contributed to making this happen," said Meinders. "I look forward to the decrease in training time and cost that will be provided by the ROBD and the positive impact it will have on our mission."
Atlantic Hurricane Season Begins
Mostly Sunny
(10% precip)
High 88º / Low 69º
Sunday, May 21 Partly Cloudy
(20% precip)
High 85º / Low 71º
Extended Forecast Mon. - May 22 84°/66° - Thunderstorms (90%) Tue. - May 23 84°/68° - Showers (60%) Wed. - May 24 86°/67° - Scattered T-storms (40%) Thur. - May 25 84°/66° - Mostly Sunny (0%) Fri. - May 26 84°/67° - Sunny (0%)
U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Hudson, Joint Base Charleston deputy commander, cuts the ribbon to mark the beginning of the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device operations May 2, 2017. Because the device is available locally, 1,200 Airmen can receive onset hypoxia training annually without the added requirement of traveling to an installation with an altitude chamber. ROBD training allows aviators and aircrew to experience hypoxia without the threat of decompression sickness associated with the altitude chamber.
As the new month is about to begin, so too does the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. For the third consecutive year, activity began early, with the formation of Tropical Storm Arlene on April 19, nearly a month and half before the official start of the season. According to the NOAA website (www.noaa.gov/media-advisory/), NOAA will announce its initial outlook for the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season during a news conference scheduled for May 25, 2017. NOAA’s National Hurricane Center will provide information about how the public can prepare for the upcoming hurricane season, which begins June 1. For a tracking chart and more information on hurricanes, see Pages 7-9.
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