Joint Base Charleston
Patriot
Vol. 3, No. 43
Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!
Friday, October 26, 2012
U.S. Air Force illustration / Airman 1st Class Chacarra Walker
Senior Airman Latisha Chong, 628th Force Support Squadron, Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C., was diagnosed with breast cancer Jan. 19, 2012. Chong went through chemotherapy for five months and was told she was cancer free June 19, 2012.
Survivor: Airman battles breast cancer
INSIDE
By Airman 1st Class Chacarra Walker Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
CE AWARDS 628th CES recognized
See page 3
PLEASE DONATE
Still time to contribute to 2012 CFC See page 8
RECOGNIZED
By Staff Sgt. Rasheen Douglas Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
See page 10
Weekend Weather Update JB CHS, SC
Friday, October 26
(20% precip)
Cloudy
High 78º Low 64º
Possible Tropical Conditions
Rain & Wind
(70% precip)
High 67º Low 56º
Sunday, October 28
Partly Cloudy/Wind (20% precip)
High 71º Low 48º
apy followed by radiation to stop the growth of the tumors in her breasts. Hodgkin's disease is a type of lymphoma, a cancer that starts in cells called lymphocytes which are part of the body's immune system. On top of it all, Chong would still have to take care of her two-year-old son, Malachi. "Since my immune system was weak, anytime Malachi showed even the slightest signs of a cold or any other illness I would have to stay away from him," said Chong. "The thing that kept me grounded the most was praying. You have to believe in something; that's how I stayed positive." Fortunately, Chong had the support of the 628th FSS team, which ensured Malachi was enrolled in the base Child Development Center. This gave Chong a bit of time for herself and time to focus on defeating her two cancers that were still spreading throughout her body. See Survivor, Page 7
Excellence in estimating: 437th MXS PMEL shop strives for perfection
JB Charleston’s own receives honorary black belt
Saturday, October 27
"I was 21 years old and didn't think I was strong enough to beat two cancers - I thought my life was over," said Senior Airman Latisha Chong. Chong, a Flight Kitchen specialist from the 628th Force Support Squadron at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base, S.C., was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer Jan. 19, 2012. Two weeks later, the same doctor who discovered her breast cancer told her she also had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. "I was all jacked up," said Chong. Chong had just returned from a six-month deployment to Southwest Asia when she noticed two lumps in her breasts and immediately knew something was wrong. Her doctors diagnosed the two lumps as cancerous tumors. "I immediately called my mom." said Chong. "Even though it was her birthday, she needed to
know the bad news." Chong's mom, Darlene Vincent, originally from Trinidad, was living in Brooklyn, N.Y., when she learned the earth shattering news. "It was heartbreaking," said Vincent. "I knew Latisha needed my support, so I packed up and moved to Charleston." The next person Chong called was her supervisor, Tech. Sgt. Christian Farin, 628th FSS Flight Kitchen noncommissioned officer in charge. Chong felt Farin was someone who was always available to listen and help with her problems. "This was the first time I've ever experienced an Airman coming to me with this type of news," said Farin. "I didn't know what to say, I really couldn't believe it." Farin tried to put Chong's mind at ease by letting her know she not only had his support, but the support of the entire squadron. Chong was facing five months of chemother-
From calibrating torque wrenches to bomb diagnostic equipment, one shop lives up to its name as the "back shop of all back shops." The 437th MXS Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory on Joint Base Charleston - Air Base makes sure Airmen can accurately and precisely take care of their equipment to perform their jobs. This shop consists of 20 Airmen with a mission that never stops. PMEL supports all the units at JB Charleston. However, PMEL's support extends far beyond the borders of the base. They provide regional support for Air Mobility Command as well as multiple Coast Guard vessels. PMEL calibrates and repairs test measurement and diagnostic equipment. Their job requires expert knowledge of many mathematical formulas. "The slightest measurement, even a microinch off, can mean the difference between life and death," said Tech. Sgt. Patrick Howells, TMDE assistant flight chief. "An error in cali-
brating even the smallest piece of equipment could lead to catastrophic consequences down the line. “PMEL is responsible for calibrating nearly 5,000 pieces of equipment at any given time,” said Howells. According to Howells, fifty-five percent of the workload comes from JB Charleston, 15 percent is their own equipment used to help the shop maintain standards, and 30 percent supports off-base customers ... one of U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Ashlee Galloway which is Boeing, testing the test cell used to access their engines. PMEL Staff Sgt. Christopher Hutchison, 437th Maintenance helps certify the test cell is accurately Squadron Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory calibrating vibration, oil pressures and section supervisor for the K-3 microwave measurement section, looks at a circuit card at the Electrostatic the engine's thrust of power. discharge/Sautering station Oct. 16, 2012, at Joint Base “Across the Air Force, PMEL Charleston - Air Base, S.C. The ESD/Sautering troubleshoots houses their own Quality Assurance down to the component level on a circuit card. team, and JB Charleston is no exception. Highly-trained members are selected from include lighting, cleanliness, positive airflow, within the lab and are responsible for ensuring the humidity and temperature,” said Howells. The PMEL shop must also maintain a 73items certified by PMEL technicians are safe, accurate, reliable and traceable. The PMEL QA degree temperature. It is imperative the See PMEL, Page 3 team also monitors the laboratory environment to
Military Retiree Appreciation Day:
Join us in celebrating military retirees and spouses at an Information Fair and Appreciation Day Oct. 27 at the Charleston Club at Joint Base Charleston - Air Base. The event is from 9 a.m. until noon and flu shots will be available.
Trick or Treat on base:
Joint Base Charleston has established the following hours for on base "trick-or-treating" for the Air Base and Weapons Station base housing: Oct. 31, 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
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