Joint Base Charleston, S.C.
Vol. 5, No. 26
Patriot Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!
Friday, July 18, 2014
CRS 10 maintains maritime security
U.S. Air Force photo / Senior Airman George Goslin
Members of Coastal Riverine Squadron 10 Bravo Company, a U.S. Navy Reserve unit home-based at Joint Base Charleston, prepare for the day’s operations as they tow their boats to a ramp for launching, July 12, 2014, at JB Charleston, S.C. CRS 10 is part of the Coastal Riverine Force which is comprised of three active-duty squadrons and four Reserve Squadrons. The units operate in harbors, rivers, bays, across the littorals and ashore. Their primary mission is to conduct maritime security operations across all phases of military operations by defending high value assets, critical maritime infrastructure, ports and harbors both inland and on coastal waterways against enemies, and when commanded, conduct offensive combat operations. See more photos, Page 4.
Air Force announces changes to headquarters organization
From Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON – Air Force leaders announced changes to headquarters staff manning and organization today. The Air Force will create efficiencies by deactivating and realigning organizations at Headquarters Air Force, Major Commands, Numbered Air Forces and Field Operating Agencies, resulting in savings of $1.6 billion across the Air Force in the next five years. "I will work to ensure the world's best Air Force is the most capable at the lowest possible cost to the taxpayer,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “Everyone knows our economy is still not where it should be; we have a responsibility to ensure that every dollar adds value to the taxpayers and our national defense." The changes are a result of a comprehensive effort to reduce overhead costs, increase efficiencies, eliminate redundant activities and improve effectiveness and business processes (also known as Air Force Management Headquarters Review). The efficiencies created through the reorganization will also help meet the Department of
Defense’s directive to reduce costs and staff levels by at least 20 percent, eliminating 3,459 positions at headquarters across the Air Force, both in country and at overseas locations. As part of ongoing cost savings initiatives, the Air Force will also continue to reduce contract spending, operating budgets and travel expenditures. To minimize the effect on civilian personnel, the Air Force will initiate Voluntary Early Retirement Authority programs and Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay to foster voluntary reductions before pursuing involuntary measures. As part of ongoing efforts to responsibly shape the force, military members were offered a variety of voluntary incentive programs. "We are aggressively pursuing reductions within the first year, rather than spread them out over five years as allowed by DoD," said James. "It's better for Airmen because it provides them predictability and allows us to re-stabilize our workforce sooner. It also allows us to harvest the savings earlier so that we can plow it back into readiness and some of our key modernization programs.” The Air Force’s goal is to go beyond the 20 percent reduction mandated by the DoD so any additional savings can be
achieved from staff functions above the wing level, and set to provide additional combat capability to the combatant commanders. “The Air Force has been making incremental changes in our business practices for the last several years, but we must change the way we are doing business if we are to meet the Air Force’s goal to reduce staffing functions by more than 20 percent,” explained Bill Booth, Air Force’s Acting Deputy Chief Management Officer. “Reducing higher headquarters’ staffs means we can save money that can be re-invested in getting ready for combat missions at the wing level.” The largest initiative will include centralizing policy and oversight of installation and mission support activities within a newly created Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, which will report to Air Force Materiel Command. Execution will remain at the local level. “The current and projected fiscal climate make it essential to centralize management and streamline support to the maximum extent possible in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness, as well as deliver more standardized levels of See Air Force Headquarters, Page 5
The ongoing battle of the bite By Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilson Araujo Naval Health Clinic Charleston
INSIDE
You may have seen the Air Force Reserve C-130 Hercules spraying for mosquitos last month. But what you probably don't know is Naval Health Clinic Charleston preventive medicine technicians are helping our Air Force teammates take the bite out of the Joint Base Charleston mosquito population. "NHCC Preventive Medicine is in charge of surveillance; the Air force is in charge of doing testing and aerial sprays when needed," said Lt. Jessica Newman, NHCC Preventive Medicine department head. Due to surrounding vegetation and swamp lands, the Weapons Station is susceptible to higher populations of mosquitos, according to Newman. NHCC preventative medicine technicians provide surveillance for five areas throughout the Weapons Station, setting up CDC light traps that lure and capture mosquitos so they can be counted, deciphered according to species and sex, and sent to labs to be tested. During summer months, the preventive medicine technicians set and retrieve traps twice a week. They set the traps an hour prior to sunset when mosquitos are most active. A combination of carbon dioxide and light draws mosquitos from up to 35 meters away to the traps, where an impellor fan suctions the mosquitos into a net. The preventive medicine technicians
SSgt SPOFFORD Family, friends honor fallen Airman
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collect the traps the following morning and place the mosquitos in a freezer overnight. The next day, the mosquitos are counted to establish a population baseline which helps determine what type of preventive measures are needed. "Traditionally, at the beginning of summer, mosquito counts will be low," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Darius Davis, NHCC preventive technician. "As the climate gets warmer we tend to see a steady climb. Depending on the month of trapping, one trap can collect from 100 to 1,000 thousand mosquitos per single trap." After the mosquitos are counted, the preventive medicine technicians determine the sex of the U.S. Navy photo / Kris Patterson mosquitos. Males are easier to identify because Petty Officer 2nd Class Wilson Araujo, Naval Health Clinic Charleston preventhey have hairy antennas, or mustaches, but tive medicine technician, sets a mosquito surveillance trap at a heavily popufemale mosquitos are the sex to fear, added Davis. lated mosquito area recently on Joint Base Charleston, S.C. NHCC preventa"Only female mosquitos bite; they use the blood tive medicine technicians provide surveillance for five areas throughout the Weapons Station, setting up Center for Disease Control light traps that lure to nourish their eggs," said Davis. "The prevalence and capture mosquitos so they can be counted, deciphered according to of female mosquitos could mean the population is species and sex, and sent to labs to be tested. going to multiply at a substantial rate." The mosquitos are then placed in petri dishes, sealed in an prevalence of mosquito diseases in an area. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and envelope and mailed to an Air Force Entomologist at WrightPatterson Air Force Base, who identifies the mosquitos' Environmental Control website, there are at least 61 different See Battle of the Bite, Page 5 species in terms of disease risk which helps determine the
ALL HANDS DCRN visits NOSC
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AFRC
Command Chief visits 315th AW
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WEEKEND WEATHER UPDATE for Joint Base Charleston, SC Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
Friday, July 18
(10% precip)
High 89º Low 71º
Saturday, July 19
(10% precip)
High 89º Low 72º
See Joint Base Charleston on Facebook! - Follow Discussions, Connect With Your Base! CYAN-AOOO
MAGENTA-OAOO
YELLOW-OOAO
BLACK 01/29/08
Scattered T-Storms Sunday, July 20
(60% precip)
High 86º Low 73º