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Friday, May 9, 2014 Vol. 49, No. 18 Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, S.C.
Hotel and Oscar Company Graduates
See Page 15
“The noise you hear is the sound of freedom.”
n Entertainment n News Briefs n Weather n In The Community n Around The Corps
2 3 3 5 10
Mental health service adjustments Page 5
Marines volunteer at Relay for Life Page 6
DoD releases 2012 suicide data Page 7
Thunderbolt earns Bronze Star
Cpl. Brendan Roethel Staff Writer
As enemy fire pinned him down in a shallow ditch, Capt. William Paxton, a forward air controller serving with 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, II Marine Expeditionary Force, spent five hours calling in air strikes while deployed to Afghanistan last year. Paxton’s actions were well-deserving of the Bronze Star with a combat distinguishing device, the nation’s fourth-highest award for combat heroism, awarded to him at a ceremony aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, May 5. On Aug. 22, 2013, Paxton was part of a small command element inserted into enemy territory. Paxton was pinned down by enemy fire, and began directing accurate air strikes onto the enemy. After a Marine fell wounded, Paxton continued to call in air strikes allowing the Marine to be evacuated while neutralizing the enemy. “We inserted there early in the morning, and we extracted just before dusk that evening,” said Paxton, now serving as an F/A-18 Hornet pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251, Marine Aircraft Group 31 aboard Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. “Once [the enemy] saw where we were, they started to move around. Before we knew it, we were pinned down in a fire fight. We hid behind anything we could and fired back for several long hours.” During the conflict, Paxton continued directing air strikes, allowing his team to move to a safe area. “I only played a small part in that. I was just doing my job, just doing what I was trained to do,” said Paxton, a native of Meyersdale, Pa. “Even when the bullets were flying we took cover and kept pushing. I just kept my thoughts on the here and now. I couldn’t let myself think about anything else. I had to stay focused.” see
Paxton, Page 12
Depot to host AAPI Heritage Month celebration Cpl. Brendan Roethel Staff Writer
New online employment center links veterans to jobs Cpl. Brendan Roethel Staff Writer
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden announced the launch of a new integrated employment tool, the Veterans Employment Center, to connect veterans and service members with employers, Apr. 23. The Veterans Employment Center is an online tool that connects veterans, transitioning service members and their spouses with both public and private sector employers. The center is the result of an effort to
improve, simplify and consolidate the current array of employment resources for veterans. Additionally, this will provide one comprehensive database of resumes for employers who are seeking to leverage the skills and talents of veterans, service members, and their spouses. “Our service members haven’t always had the time or information they needed to prepare their resumes, to plot their career goals, to meet with employers and get the jobs they deserve. And that’s simply not acceptable,” said Michelle Obama
during a press conference. “As my husband has said, when you’ve fought for this country around the world, you shouldn’t have to fight for a job when you return home. Starting today, every single service member, every veteran, and every military family will have access to a new online tool that will revolutionize how you find jobs in both the public and private sectors. All you have to do is log on to ebenefits.va.gov.” The Veterans Employment Center see Jobs, Page
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President Jimmy Carter designated the annual celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Week, in October 1978. Twelve years later, President George H. W. Bush signed an extension designating May 1990 as the first AAPI Heritage Month, May 7, 1990, changing the observance from a week to a month. The AAPI Heritage Month is observed throughout the month of May and will be culminated with an observation at the Lyceum on Parris Island, May 30 at 6 p.m. The event will consist of a fashion show displaying different garments worn in different cultures, dancing, music, a speaker, and several other performances all while authentic Asian food is served. “The theme for this
year’s AAPI Heritage Month is ‘I am beyond’,” said Gunnery Sgt. Tamara McMillan, the equal opportunity representative for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. “The phrase captures the aspirations of the American spirit, and celebrates Americans of Asian Pacific Islander descent who sought to excel beyond challenges and adversity. AAPI Heritage Month is an opportunity for our nation to recognize the contributions and accomplishments that Asian Americans have made in our diverse culture.” The volunteers are of all races and they are committed to making this a great event, said McMillan, a native of Bellwood, Ill. The celebration is open to all service membevrs and their families within the Tri-Command and civilians from the see
Celebration, Page 13