May 20, 2013

U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.: – The 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-District ® Men’s At-Large Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Air Force Academy senior Matt Kluckman, Division I first team, from the rifle team was recognized for his academic and athletic performances as an electrical engineer major and a member of the Academy’s rifle team. Kluckman, San Antonio, Texas (Roosevelt), is majoring in electrical engineering and has a 3.97 GPA and is planning on attending medical school after his graduation from the Academy.

During the 2012-13 rifle season, he shot a personal best (PB) 584 in air rifle against OSU, West Virginia and the University of Akron. He also shot a PB 576 in smallbore against UTEP and Reno and shot a 583 in air rifle during the President’s Trophy Match in November 2012. Kluckman scored an aggregate 1153 with a 578 and 575 during the two-day men’s 2012 Winter Air Gun Championships in December. Kluckman closed out his Academy athletic career at the 2013 NCAA Rifle National Championships, where he finished 32nd with 573 points in the individual smallbore and 44th in the air rifle with the same score.

First-team Academic All-District ® honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

Article source: http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/sports/c-rifle/spec-rel/052013aac.html

May 16, 2013

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Air Force track and field qualified a program-record 23 athletes to the West Preliminary of the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the national selection committee announced this afternoon (May 17). The Falcons, who earned 25 total entries, will travel to Austin, Texas, on May 23-25 for the opening round of national competition.

Air Force qualified multiple athletes in both the men’s and women’s 1500-meter run, as well as the men’s 10,000-meter run, pole vault, discus throw, hammer throw and javelin throw. In addition, seniors Matt Bell and Brian Ford qualified to the preliminary meet in multiple events.

Bell qualified in the two longest distance events, as he is ranked 41st in the 5000-meter run (14:06.41) and 48th in the 10,000-meter run (29:51.16), while Ford advanced in the hammer throw (31st, 198’2″) and discus throw (35th, 176’11″). Bell will be joined in the semigfinal of the 10,000-meter run by classmate Jeremy Drenckhahn, who is ranked 18th on the meet’s declared list with a time of 29:28.81, while Ford is one of two Falcons competing in both the discus throw (senior James Chambers, 28th, 180’1′) and hammer throw (junior Jalen Fooster, 48th, 192’6″).

Highlighted by three top-10 regional rankings, a trio of Falcons will compete in the national semifinals of the pole vault. Senior Cale Simmons, the 2013 Mountain West outdoor champion, is ranked third in the pole vault with his Academy- and conference-record clearance of 18’4¾”, while sophomore Joey Uhle, who won the conference’s indoor title this year, is listed fifth at 18’1″. Senior Rob Simmons, the runner-up at last week’s MW Championships, is ranked ninth in the region with a clearance of 18’0½”.

Air Force also qualified multiple athletes to compete in the 1500-meter run and javelin throw. Sophomore Zach Perkins, the conference champion in the 1500-meter run, is ranked 26th in the region with a championship-meet time of 3:44.38, while junior Jake Hawkins is ranked 41st behind a time of 3:46.27. Freshman Garrett Griffin, one of two Air Force freshmen to qualify for the NCAA Championships, will lead a pair of Falcons in the javelin throw, as he and junior Tim Urista are ranked 32nd (215’10″) and 38th (211’10″), respectively, in the west’s national semifinal standings.

The men will also be represented in four additional events at the West Preliminary. On the track, junior Alex Lindsay enters the first-round ranked 21st in the 800-meter run (1:49.25), while senior Uzor Udensi is listed 39th in the 200-meter dash (21.30). Freshman Grant Hamilton earned his first appearance in the national semifinals of the shot put with a No. 33 ranking (57’1½”), while sophomore Kobi Rex is ranked 44th in the high jump standings with a clearance of 6’10¾”.

On the women’s side, seniors Morgan Mosby and Melissa Fuerst qualified to the preliminary meet in the 1500-meter run, as the pair is ranked 23rd (Academy-record 4:23.28) and 41st (4:25.89), respectively, in that event. Classmate Jen Bremser earned a spot in the opening round of the 3000-meter steeplechase, as the Academy record-holder is ranked 28th in the region with a time of 10:26.31.

Junior Annette Eichenberger holds the best regional ranking for the women’s team, as she qualified to Austin with a No. 15 ranking in the 800-meter run (2:06.63).

Three women qualified to the NCAA Championships (West Preliminary) from the field events. Junior Kassie Gurnell is ranked 30th in the region’s triple jump standings with a distance of 41’2¼”, while senior Bizzy Mellado is ranked 39th in the pole vault with a career-best matching clearance of 12’11½”. Sophomore Nikki Freeman rounds out the list of qualifiers to the NCAA meet, as she is ranked 41st in the javelin throw with a distance of 147’2″.

Action for the three-day NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships (West Preliminary) will be held at Michael A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas. The meet will run simultaneously with the East Preliminary in Greensboro, N.C. The top 12 athletes in each event from each preliminary site will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, which will be held June 5-8 in Eugene, Ore.

Article source: http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/sports/c-track/spec-rel/051613aaa.html

Posted 5/10/2013
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by Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

5/10/2013 - STUTTGART (AFNS) – Gen. Philip M. Breedlove took command of U.S. European Command here today during a ceremony at the command’s headquarters with Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter presiding.

Breedlove succeeds Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the first sailor to hold the command. Stavridis is retiring following a 37-year career and has been named dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford, Mass.

Stavridis also will relinquish his NATO position as Supreme Allied Commander Europe to Breedlove in a ceremony scheduled for later this week.

Throughout his career, Stavridis has been one of the “most influential, creative, and forward-thinking leaders of his generation,” Carter said at today’s change of command ceremony.

Carter joked that Stavridis has always been quick to adopt new technology.

“When Jim was born, his first words to the world were, ‘You can friend me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube,’” the deputy defense secretary said.

Carter harkened back to the first Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, noting Eisenhower once said, ‘The peace we seek and need means much more than mere absence of war. It means the acceptance of law and the fostering of justice in all the world.’”

Stavridis’ leadership has brought the world closer to the peace that Eisenhower spoke of, Carter said.

“You have left an indelible mark on the Navy, NATO, and the United States of America,” Carter told Stavridis at the ceremony.

The deputy defense secretary said he’s confident that Breedlove “will represent the Air Force, EUCOM, and soon, NATO, with honor, distinction, and the highest standards of professionalism.”

Carter added, “Phil’s no stranger to Europe, and I know that our NATO allies and partners are looking forward to working with him again in his new role.”

Europe and the NATO alliance are “absolutely” important to the United States, Stavridis said. NATO, he said, is “the bedrock of security for Europe.”

Noting the extensive commercial and strategic ties between the U.S. and Europe, Stavridis said European values constituted the most important cargo that made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

“(They) came from the Enlightenment — democracy, liberty, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of education — those are the values we share with this incredible pool of partners,” the admiral said. “For all of those reasons … we will always be joined with Europe.”

Breedlove was most recently commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, U.S. Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command and director of the Joint Air Power Competence Center. He was responsible for Air Force activities, conducted through 3rd Air Force, in an area of operations that included 105 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East covering more than 19 million square miles.

During his first assignment to Germany, Breedlove said, he learned how joint operations could be a force multiplier. Integrated, joint teams have proven to be the path to success many times throughout his career, he said.

In Europe, joint war fighting is now the rule, rather than the exception, Breedlove said.

“A well-trained, equipped and synchronized force is far better than the sum of its parts,” he said. “The U.S.-Eucom team demonstrates that by working together … we achieve huge success on behalf of our alliance and our respective nations and their citizens.”

Eucom was established in 1952 and is responsible for military operations and international military and interagency partnering to enhance transatlantic security and defend the United States forward.

It does this by establishing an agile security organization able to conduct full spectrum activities as part of whole-of-government solutions to secure enduring stability in Europe and Eurasia.

Article source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123348047

Posted 5/10/2013
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by Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

5/10/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) – During a Senate hearing yesterday on President Barack Obama’s $9.5 billion military construction budget request for fiscal 2014, Defense Department Comptroller Robert F. Hale said the severe and abrupt budget cuts imposed by sequestration are devastating the U.S. armed forces.

Hale and John Conger, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, testified on military construction and family housing before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on military construction, veterans affairs and related agencies.

The officials described for the panel the impact of sequestration on military construction, facilities sustainment and restoration, and on the services in the current year.

“While sequestration and related problems do not affect most military construction projects, they are devastating military readiness,” Hale told the senators, adding, “I just can’t believe what we’re doing to the military right now.”

Summarizing the defense budget as a whole, Hale said, “We’re requesting $526.6 billion in discretionary budget authority. It’s about the same as our 2013 request but about 8 percent higher than we’re executing right now in 2013 under sequestration.”

Beyond 2014, he said, “If we’re able to carry out the president’s plan, we anticipate increases of about 2 percent a year, roughly enough to keep up with inflation.”

The overall budget request represents the amount the president and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel believe is needed to support national security interests in a time of very complex challenges, Hale said.

“Our request does not take into account a possible $52 billion reduction if sequester becomes an annual event,” the comptroller said. “But the president has submitted a budget with a balanced deficit reduction plan of $1.8 trillion over 10 years — more than enough to meet the targets of the Budget Control Act.”

Hale added, “We strongly hope that Congress will pass this plan or another plan that the president will sign, and then repeal sequestration.”

For fiscal 2014 the department is seeking $9.5 billion for military construction, an amount that’s roughly equal to the president’s request of $9.6 billion in fiscal 2013, and $11 billion for family housing, he said.

On the military construction side, DOD is seeking $3.3 billion for operational training facilities, as well as $0.9 billion for modernizing medical facilities, 17 dependent school projects and many others; and $1.5 billion for the family-housing program to provide quality, affordable housing for military families.

In terms of sequestration’s effects on military construction, the comptroller said, most accounts won’t experience sequester-related cuts in 2013 because of special crediting provisions in the current law that apply when Congress enacts major cuts in an appropriation.

“The law says, ‘Cuts are big enough, there’s no further sequestration,’” Hale said.

But facilities sustainment and restoration and modernization projects already have been cut severely in fiscal 2013, Hale said, adding, “We’re essentially down to pretty much safety-of-life and -property projects for the rest of the year.”

In his remarks to the panel, Conger underscored the negative effects of sequestration on facilities’ sustainment and restoration accounts.

Because operation and maintenance dollars are more discretionary and thus more flexible, he said, facilities’ sustainment was cut more deeply to make up the difference.

“In FY 13 we are deferring all but the most critical repairs,” the deputy undersecretary added. “We’re deferring routine maintenance. We’re holding off on major purchases and accepting risk by looking for building equipment to hold out longer.”

Frankly, he said, “we can accommodate this for a short period of time but facilities will break if we short-change these accounts for multiple years. Building systems will begin to fail. The cost to repair broken systems is much higher than that to maintain them, just like changing the oil in your car” prevents expensive auto repairs or system failures.

Keep in mind, he added, “that this ‘car’ is actually a real-property portfolio of more than 500,000 facilities and a plant-replacement value of more than $800 billion. If we don’t invest in keeping it up, it will deteriorate and we will end up with a steady increase in failing or unusable facilities.”

Hale said the department is still researching specific impacts of sequestration on military construction, but for those that so far are affected, “mainly Navy and defense-wide, we believe we can absorb most of the sequestration reductions with available … savings. We don’t intend to reduce the scope of any construction projects. At least (right) now we don’t believe that will be necessary.”

The department also plans to minimize the number of projects deferred or cancelled as a result of sequestration, Hale told the panel, but “we will have to do a larger-than-normal number of reprogrammings, which will add to our work load and also to yours.”

The proposed DOD base budget was built on several guiding principles, Hale said, in particular the need to continue to serve as good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

In that effort, he added, proposed initiatives range from health care and energy efficiency to weapon terminations, and include a new round of base realignment and closure, called BRAC.

“To cut long-term costs we need to consolidate infrastructure and reduce it,” the comptroller said. “The only effective way to do that is for Congress to authorize a new round of base realignment and closure, so we asked for a round in 2015.

“BRAC does save money … We’re saving $12 billion a year from the past BRAC rounds,” he said, adding, “I hate to think what I’d be doing right now as comptroller of the Department of Defense if, especially in this environment, I had to find another $12 billion of savings in the fiscal 14 budget.”

The department needs congressional support, Hale said, “so we can make further cuts in infrastructure in 2015 and hold down the dollars the American taxpayers have to give us to meet their national security needs.”

In addition to being good stewards of public funds, he added, “We … are seeking to strengthen our alignment to the president’s defense strategy that was announced last year. We also seek a ready force and try to put emphasis on people. But frankly, sequestration is seriously undermining both of those goals.”

Article source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123348049

Master Sgt. Shawn Schwantes stretches out before running laps at the Academy indoor track during the Wounded Warrior Games training camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 18, 2013. Schwantes is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N.Palacios)

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Master Sgt. Shawn Schwantes, left, and Capt. Mitchell Kieffer bike ride at the Academy during the Wounded Warrior Games training camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 15, 2013. Schwantes is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N. Palacios)

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Master Sgt. Shawn Schwantes gears up for a bike ride at the Academy during the Wounded Warrior Games training camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 15, 2013. Schwantes is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N. Palacios)

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Master Sgt. Shawn Schwantes stretches out before running laps at the Academy indoor track during the Wounded Warrior Games training camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 18, 2013. Schwantes is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N.Palacios)

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Warrior Games 2013: Competing ‘medicine’ for AF wounded warrior

Posted 5/12/2013
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by Randy Roughton
Air Force News Service

5/12/2013 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) – Master Sgt. Shawn Schwantes may have been a pleasant surprise for his Air Force Warrior Games coaches during the team’s training camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy. But Schwantes fully expected to flourish on the track and with his teammates because he considers sports his most effective medicine.

Representing the Air Force Warrior Games team in men’s open 30-kilometer cycling and 1900-meter open track and field is a natural fit because of a strong running background that includes ultra marathons with distances of 26-plus miles.

“It’s medication for me,” Schwantes said. “I’m completely off my pain meds, primarily because nothing works. I’ve made the life choice to not stay at home and have self-pity and kind of wither away on a couch, because that’s not me. I live with chronic pain every day. But I’ve chosen to get up, get out, be active and I’m seeing positive results from it.”

In January 2012, Schwantes was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, chronic pain that usually develops in an arm or leg after an injury, surgery, stroke or heart attack. The pain is usually considerably more severe than the original injury.

“Because it’s very rare, and doctors still don’t fully understand it, your mind kind of just goes blank when you hear you’ve been diagnosed with CRPS,” Schwantes said. “You get very worried about what the future’s going to be like.”

Schwantes began his career in security police and combat arms in 1995 and cross-trained into tactical air control party 15 years later. By the time he showed up for his first TACP duty station at Fort Campbell, Ky., after technical training three years ago, he had a severe stress fracture in his heel and a torn rotator cuff.

“I had a bunionectomy and osteotomy in my right foot in January 2010, and a month after the procedure, I started noticing things didn’t look or feel normal,” he said. Schwantes, who was recovering from surgery in San Antonio, sent photos of his foot to his physician. His podiatrist at Fort Campbell immediately determined he had CRPS, although they needed a specialist to make the official diagnosis.

At the time of the training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., Schwantes was waiting to hear the results from his appeal of his Medical Evaluation Board’s disability rating.

Running, especially at a competition level such as the Warrior Games, gives Schwantes an outlet for coping with stress from his almost 20-year career being in jeopardy to his CRPS.

“I was told you’ll never run as fast as you did or as far as you did,” he said. “‘You’ll never upright cycle again.’ That was a huge part of my life, and I hate being told you can’t do something.”

Schwantes’ Warrior Games track coaches certainly don’t share the opinion that he lost his ability to run at a high level. Capt. Ben Payne, coach for the running events, was not only impressed by Schwantes’ running, but also by how he motivated his teammates.

“Shawn was a very talented runner from the very beginning,” Payne said. “He pushed himself in any workout I’ve given him. The altitude has a big effect on long-distance runners, but he’s overcome that. I’m excited to see what he does on his own for (the three weeks between the training camp and the Games), and when he shows up for the Warrior Games being fit and ready to compete with the top guys and maybe get a medal for the Air Force.”

As much as placing in the Games would mean for Schwantes, it is not what his mind is focused on as he’s training for the competition. Instead, he is relishing the relationships he’s building with his teammates and the impact it’s having on him during this pivotal time in his personal and professional life. Just being around fellow wounded warriors has been inspiring him, even as he awaits the decision on his MED appeal.

“It ignites a fire,” Schwantes said. “It is a competition. I get that. I’m here to compete, but that’s not my priority. My priority is to be with my teammates who have made the same choice I have. Whatever condition or problem they have, they have similary stories I have of being told they’re never going to be able to do these types of things again. Yet, here they are, world-class athletes performing at a high level, and some of them performing bretter than able-bodied athletes. Just to hang out with them, with the drive and passion they have, is another form of medicine for me.”

Article source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123348014

Graphic by Sylvia Saab (Air Force photo/ Katie Gar Ward)

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Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis, plays with her son Jake during a family trip to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, Va., May 5, 2013. Seeger relies on a strong support system to help keep her family of six children close while her husband is deployed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Gar Ward/Released)

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Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis, gives her son Jake a piggy-back ride during a trip to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, Va., May 5, 2013. As a mother of six children, two with special needs, Seeger devotes every effort to creating lasting memories which keep her family strong during her husband’s deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Gar Ward/Released)

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Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis, plays with her son Jake and daughter Angel during a family trip to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, Va., May 5, 2013. As a mother of six children, two with special needs, Seeger devotes every effort to creating lasting memories which keep her family strong during her husband’s deployment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Gar Ward/Released)

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Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis, walks with her daughter Angel during a family trip to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, Va., May 5, 2013. Angel said while her father is deployed, she tries to help her mother take care of her younger siblings. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Gar Ward/Released)

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(From left) Jake, Angel, Kevin, Haely, Nick and Gregory Seeger pose for a photo in Williamsburg, Va., in November 2012. Their mother, Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis, relies on a strong support system to help keep her family of six children close while her husband is deployed. (Courtesy photo/Released)

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Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger, 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis, watches four of her six her children play during a family trip to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, Va., May 5, 2013. Pictured from left, Jake, Kevin, Angel and Nick all try to help their mother while their father is deployed. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Katie Gar Ward/Released)

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Air Force mom juggles 6 kids, deployed husband, own career

Posted 5/10/2013
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by Staff Sgt. Katie Gar Ward
Joint Base Langley-Eustis Public Affairs

5/10/2013 - JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. (AFNS) – She looked up to the ceiling and took a deep breath as tears began to glisten from behind her dark, square-framed glasses – a stark contrast to the precise composure displayed just moments before.

“My mom was…” she stopped, blinking rapidly and clearing her throat. “When my sister and I were little, my mom and dad separated for a while. We were really poor when I was a kid, and I remember we wouldn’t get whatever we may have wanted, but we always had everything we needed.”

Staff Sgt. Heather Seeger paused a moment to wipe her eyes.

“I remember times waking up in the middle of the night and coming out in the living room, seeing the lights on at 2 o’clock in the morning,” she continued with a faint crackle in her voice. “I would see my mom sitting at the table studying. She was going to school trying to get a better job for us, and I had no idea how she did that. How she did school and took care of my sister and me by herself. For that, she is the strongest person I know.”

For Heather, that memory holds significance now more than ever. As a mother of six children, two with special needs, she devotes every effort to creating lasting memories which keep her family strong during her husband’s deployment.

However, being a full-time mom and noncommissioned officer in charge of production analysis for the 1st Maintenance Operations Squadron would be an impossible task if not for a strong support system of family, friends, co-workers and even her own children.

Shortly after first learning of her husband’s deployment tasking, the Seeger family sat down to discuss how this would impact 12-year-old Gregory, 10-year-old Haely, 9-year-old Angel, 7-year-old Kevin, 5-year-old Nick and 3-year-old Jake.

“We had a talk with the kids, letting them know they’d have to be more responsible and help me out more since their dad was going to be gone,” said Heather, as she glanced toward a framed picture of her children. “I didn’t even tell them to do this, but they each wrote me a letter of how they were going to help me.

“Angel wrote, ‘If you ever need help, just let me know. I’ll watch Kevin and make sure he doesn’t get in trouble and I’ll make sure Nick does his homework.’ The fact they took on the responsibility themselves, that they were not going only going to help me out but also help each other, spoke volumes,” Heather continued, blinking back tears. “I was so proud they stepped up without me having to say anything.”

For Angel, watching her younger brothers is her way of taking the load off her mother.

“It’s been a little hard because Dad isn’t here to help out with the boys,” said Angel. “I’ve been trying to help watch Jake and take care of the others for Mom.”

While her children have started helping her in little ways, Seeger said one of the hardest things to cope with during her husband’s absence is having to bear the load of their tiring schedules alone.

“When I get off work, I’ll go pick up the kids from daycare and school, and one has a tutor so we take her there and we all sit in the car and wait for her to get done,” she said. “Most of the time I don’t get home until 6:30 or 7 p.m. As soon as we get in the door, it’s dinner, homework, baths, bed, and I’m not even out of my ABUs until 9 p.m., sometimes.”

Her ability to juggle all aspects of being a mother and Airman is a testament to the type of person she is, said Heather’s husband, Tech Sgt. Doug Seeger, assigned to the 1st MOS maintenance operations center, and currently deployed to Japan.

“She’s nonstop on the go from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to bed. I don’t know how she does it,” he said. “The fact she’s been able to handle all of that and still make sure the kids have everything they need, and still manage being in the military herself, amazes me every day.”

According to Heather, the flexibility found within her work center plays a huge role in ensuring the family’s daily operations run smoothly during her husband’s absence.

“Now that he’s deployed, his supervisor is asking me all the time if I need anything,” she said. “My shop has also been really awesome, if I need to take my kids to appointments, or if anything else comes up. Support from our shops has honestly been the best.”

In addition to the support given by her co-workers, Heather has also relied on friends to help relieve some stress, and ensure she has those critical moments of “me time.”

“Even if I go to the grocery store by myself, it’s almost my alone time. I can crank my radio in the car and I can be by myself for 20 minutes,” she said. “I have to take the breaks when they come and grab the minutes when I can. Even now, coming to work is like a break for me. This is where I can talk to grown-ups and have normal conversations, because I have to switch into kid mode as soon as I get off work.”

While this is the first time the family has had to endure a long separation, Heather’s ability to keep her family together stems from lessons learned along her journey of motherhood.

She picked up the framed photo of her children, pointing to her first child, Gregory, whom she had when she was 18. Heather held the photo, expressing how having to adapt to caring for a child with special needs at such a young age helped her face the many other challenges that have resulted in her family, such as her son Nick’s recent diagnosis of a learning disorder.

“[Gregory] is autistic and has Tourette syndrome, so especially with those challenges, it made me grow up a lot quicker,” she said. “I was obviously scared being so young, I didn’t know it wasn’t my fault, and in a way it made me feel inadequate. But after much research and doctors’ advice, I realized it wasn’t my fault. It has made other challenges that have come along a lot easier to deal with now than when I was 18.”

While for some, hurdles that naturally arise with a special needs child may be discouraging, Heather said it only brings her more joy.

“Even though we had our challenges with Gregory, he is still one of the sweetest, most loving and considerate kids I’ve ever met,” she said. “He’s the type of kid that would tell me I looked pretty, or snuggle with me on the couch – how could I not want more children after that?”

As she set the picture frame back on the table, Heather admitted that while her husband’s absence takes its toll on her at times, she finds strength in her children’s happiness.

“I’ve had my crying moments, my moments where I’ve gone into the bathroom, closed the door, sat on the edge of the tub and cried,” she said. “But you don’t have a choice; you have to do what you have to do. As long as they’re happy and they’re having fun, that’s all I really care about.”

Doug said the strength and devotion his wife has displayed during his deployment is unparalleled.

“It’s been really hard knowing all the challenges she has faced while I have been gone, knowing there is very little I can do from so far away, but she is also one of the toughest people out there,” he said. “She has been able to handle everything that’s been tossed her way while I’ve been gone, without even blinking. She is an absolutely amazing person and mother, by far the most kind and caring person I have ever met.”

Heather said she wants to show the love and care she has for her children through her actions; something she learned from her mother.

“I don’t necessarily think buying kids things shows them how much you love them,” she said. “I can’t remember one thing my mom bought me as a kid, but I remember her taking me places, like going to get ice cream and going to parks.”

Angel remembers those very moments – a reflection of her mother’s efforts.

“I love that Mom takes us to fun places,” said Angel. “She’s nice, caring, loving, fun and awesome.”

Creating lasting memories with her children is important to Heather, but sometimes finding the time to do so can be challenging. Whether through friends, utilizing resources provided by the Airman and Family Readiness Center or telephone calls to her own mother for advice, Heather said one of the most important lessons she has learned over time is asking for help when she needs it.

“As much as you may feel that you have to do everything yourself, you don’t. I know a lot of times I would feel guilty letting people watch my kids or letting people help me because I thought it was my job to do everything,” she said. “You don’t have to be ‘Super Mom’ – it’s ok to let someone else help you and take the reins for a while.”

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Doug regrets he won’t be able to take the reins for Heather, or share the day with his wife and children.

“I wish I was home this year for it to give her the break she so greatly deserves,” he said. “Mother’s Day is very important to me – it’s great to have a day to honor her and to simply say ‘thank you’ for all the things she does, all the things we take for granted, all the sacrifices she has made to make sure everyone else is taken care of and all the happiness she brings to our lives every day.”

Although bearing the weight of her family’s challenges may be stressful, Heather said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“No matter how bad my day can get, the kids can still light up the room,” she said. “They humble me. With kids, you slow down and learn to appreciate what’s important; you try to enjoy the little things because they aren’t going to be little forever. They’re always excited to see you, and they love you unconditionally and wholly. I can’t imagine how boring my life would be without them.”

Through the trials of her husband’s deployment, Heather feels her journey as a mother has come full circle.

“I hope they see me the same way I see my mom,” she said. “I hope they see that maybe they don’t get every single toy that they ask for, but they get what they need from us emotionally, and we love them – we make sure that they’re loved. I hope they remember that love.”

And with that, she took the picture of her children in her hands and smiled, the faint glisten of tears returning to her eyes. She expressed pride in her family and its ability to endure during such a delicate time, never once crediting that success to herself – speaking with a humility displayed only by someone who possesses a keen sense of what it truly means to be “Mom.”

Article source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123347831

(U.S. Air Force graphic/Corey Parrish)

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SecAF, CSAF share confidence in nuclear enterprise

Posted 5/10/2013
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by Staff Sgt. David Salanitri
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

5/10/2013 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) – Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to testify about the service’s fiscal 2014 budget request, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III also addressed Congressional concerns over media reports about the findings of a recent missile wing inspection.

The 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., received an overall, passing “Satisfactory” rating during a Consolidated Unit Inspection by Air Force Global Strike Command, March 4 to13.

Twenty-two areas were inspected during the CUI, with the missile wing earning an “Outstanding” rating in one area, “Excellent” ratings in 14 areas, and “Satisfactory” ratings in six areas. One area was rated “Marginal.”

Donley said the ICBM force, which maintains a high state of readiness as part of its mission, remains a safe, secure and reliable element of the nation’s nuclear triad, and what was found represents the stronger inspection process the Air Force adopted as it reinvigorated the nuclear enterprise.

“We have made substantial progress in restoring the confidence, I think, of our entire [Department of Defense] and Congressional leadership in the Air Force’s management of this important responsibility,” Donley said. “It is a number one responsibility for our Air Force that we take very, very seriously.”

As a result of the inspection and further review, unit leaders identified proficiency shortfalls compounded by an attitude of complacency among a small number of officers.
They sent a call-for-action email to missile crew members to re-emphasize the high standards expected in the nuclear mission area. It identified areas for improvement, outlined expectations, and reinforced pride and importance of the mission.

“I believe this is the kind of commander intervention that prevents the incidents that occurred in 2007,” Welsh said. “They took very aggressive action early to make sure that there was no question in the minds of their crew force that marginal behavior or satisfactory-just-above-the-line was not acceptable.”

The inspection also allowed the unit commanders to assess performance of the crew members to identify individuals that require more training. The 91st Operations Group identified 17 crew members who required more training–approximately five to six from each of the three missile squadrons.

Currently, the 17 officers identified are going through what Welsh described as a retraining program that should last roughly 60 days.

Welsh made it clear that he feels the marginal findings do not present a risk to the Air Force’s nuclear mission, but are a result of identifying a potential problem before it has the ability to snowball — the exact reason the Air Force has inspections. The service uses assessments and inspections as tools for commanders to assess people, processes and performance.

“I don’t believe we have a nuclear surety risk at Minot Air Force Base,” Welsh said. “I believe we have commanders who are taking very aggressive action to ensure that never occurs. And in that respect, this is a good thing.”

Talking about the Airmen who perform the nuclear deterrence mission, Welsh reaffirmed his confidence in them.

“Their performance is really exceptional day-to-day … it has to be. There is no other option,” he said. “And I think our commitment is that we make sure we keep that motivation as they move up through the ranks, and make sure they understand that the Air Force recognizes it.”

Article source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123348149

Staff Sgt. Lara Ishikawa runs laps at the Academy indoor track during the Wounded Warrior Games Training Camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 18, 2013. Ishikawa is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N. Palacios)

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Staff Sgt. Lara Ishikawa listens to her coach speak before running laps at the Academy indoor track during the Wounded Warrior Games Training Camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 17, 2013. Ishikawa is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N. Palacios)

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Staff Sgt. Lara Ishikawa and Senior Airman Gene Gatzert run laps at the Academy indoor track during the Wounded Warrior Games Training Camp held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 18, 2013. Ishikawa is stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. (U.S. Air Force photo/Desiree N. Palacios)

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Warrior Games 2013: Cancer survivor tackles new challenge

Posted 5/11/2013
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by Randy Roughton
Air Force News Service

5/11/2013 - COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) – Staff Sgt. Lara Ishikawa found herself among a trio of female Air Force Warrior Games athletes with a special bond. Ishikawa, Tech. Sgt. Monica Figueroa and Master Sgt. Sherry Nel are all cancer survivors and relied on each other for support and conversation during the team’s selection camp at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Before the holidays in 2009, Ishikawa, then a diagnostic imaging technologist at Aviano Air Base, Italy, never imagined she would be running track and field events, not to mention in competition for wounded warrior athletes. She first felt a lump in her breast in December 2009, but her invasive mammary carcinoma wasn’t diagnosed until the following April.

“It’s heart-wrenching,” Ishikawa said. “Nobody expects to get cancer, and I had no family history of it. I’ve always been very healthy and active, and I tried to take care of myself. It was a shock, still a shock, but you learn to cope and move on.”

While Ishikawa, whose cancer is now in remission after multiple surgeries, a double mastectomy and reconstruction, didn’t want to compete because she didn’t have a combat-related injury, conversations with Figueroa and Nel, along with other wounded warriors, changed her mind. She was already particularly close with Nel, who she befriended near the end of her recovery from chemotherapy and radiation in the 59th Medical Wing’s Patient Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

“Lara and I are pretty much parallel with the complications we’ve had,” Nel said. “We’ve both had just about everything you can throw at us. We’d been doing it individually, thinking that we were both alone. It felt so good to find out that we were not alone. Lara really inspired me with her tenacity. She’s a little bear claw because she just grabs on to something and takes care of it. Her spirit really had me hooked.”

While the multiple surgeries sapped her energy in the past few years, she appears more than ready for the training and competition in the 100 and 200-meter and long jump track and field events.

“I feel more energetic today than I have in the past three years,” she said. “But in the past two and a half years, I had no energy because I had the surgeries, having to deal with the career, and the medications they put you on that make you tired. Last spring, I had a pretty serious surgery. After that, I could hardly walk, hardly make it up my stairs. I found it a challenge to go for a walk around the block, even though I knew it was good for me. I don’t like to sit around doing nothing, so I made myself take a walk and realized I could do that. The next thing I knew, two months later, I was running.

“With the Warrior Games, I’ve been pushed to my max. I’m really sore, but I’m working muscles I haven’t worked in 15 to 20 years, and emotionally, I’ve met some incredible people.”
After the Games, Ishikawa hopes she can continue on with her 10-year Air Force career, but if she’s not able to remain on duty, she will adjust to a new course.

“I’ve enjoyed the Air Force,” she said. “The Air Force has been wonderful to me in every way. I don’t have one complaint. On the other hand, if I get out, I can start a new life, maybe go to school. But the main goal is to stay healthy. If I’m healthy, I’m happy.”

Article source: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123347949

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KUSA – A cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy went above and beyond to help save the lives of a mother dog and her six puppies.

The dogs were in a shelter in Plano, Texas and were scheduled to be euthanized Sunday if they were not picked up. The Colorado Aussie Rescue group, based in Boulder, wouldn’t let that happen. They arranged for homes for the animals but needed a way to get them to Colorado.

“I’m a member of the Aspen Flying Club,” Cadet Second Class Adam McMurray said. “An email was sent out by the club’s owner to all the different pilots requesting for a volunteer to take charge on it, and I raised my hand on it.”

Sunday afternoon McMurray flew 1,200 miles round trip to pick up the dogs from Texas. He made the flight at his expense, a cost of about $1,000.

“I’ve always had an urge, or a calling to help as much as I can. This is kind of like an ode to my former dog. I had my dog from kindergarten to my senior year in high school, and haven’t had a dog since. I saw it and I just felt I really needed to take the charge on it,” McMurray said.

The Colorado Aussie Rescue met McMurray at the airport Sunday night and will transport the mother and puppies to their new homes.

“You know, it’s great having these little guys here. They were great on the plane, all six of them and the mother. [I] hardly heard a peep out of them. It’s just really good to know that my dad and I were able to get out there and help make a difference for these fellas,” McMurray said.

(KUSA-TV © 2013 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)

Article source: http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/335712/346/Air-Force-Academy-Cadet-saves-puppies

SPOKANE, Wash.–The U.S. Air Force Academy released the cadet photos of two Fairchild airmen killed on Friday in near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan.

Capt. Mark T. Voss and Capt. Victoria Pinckney died when their KC-135 crashed along with Tech Sgt. Herman Mackey III. The airmen were assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron.

Both Voss and Pickney graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2008. Military leaders said Voss majored in Aeronautical engineering. He received his wings in March 2010 after graduating from pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas.

Pickney majored in Systems Engineers Space Systems. She earned Master’s Degree in Psychology.

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Article source: http://www.krem.com/news/Air-Force-Academy-releases-KC-135-pilots-cadet-photos-206496151.html