03-07-2014 - Eglin Dispatch

Friday, March 7, 2014
Inside
 Airman returns from
deployment early and
surprises son at school.
See story Page 2
 Defense budget
could help Northwest
Florida.
See story Page 3
 Tabor takes
command of the Air
Warfare Center.
See story Page 5
 Community
Commons’ Hangar 3
is now open.
See story Page 9
index
Briefs.............................. Page 10
Classifieds...................... Page 12
Philpott........................... Page 8
contactus
Mon.-Fri.:............8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
News Phone:........863-1111, Ext. 1472
News Fax:...........863-7834
E-mail: [email protected]
Address: 2 Eglin Parkway NE
Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
Riding club
trains Soldiers
page 6
courtesy photo
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Page | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Friday, March 7, 2014
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315-4472
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The Eglin Dispatch is published by
the Northwest Florida Daily News, a
private firm in no way connected with
the U.S. Air Force.
This publication’s content is
not necessarily the
official
view of, or
endorsed
by, the
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Department of the Air Force or
Eglin Air Force Base. The official
news source for Eglin Air Force
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The appearance of advertising
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is edited, prepared and provided by the
Northwest Florida Daily News.
Year No. 8 Edition No. 10
March is National Nutrition Month
By Marilyn Leggett
Civilian Health Promotion Services
As a jet aircraft requires the
right fuel to operate efficiently, so
do our bodies. We need the right
balance of protein, carbohydrates,
fat, vitamins, minerals and water.
While this seems simple, healthy
eating continues to be challenging
for many of us.
A lifestyle of nutritious eating
and regular physical activity can
improve and maintain one’s health
in a multitude of ways.
In 2011, the U.S. Departments
of Agriculture and Health and Human Services developed ChooseMyPlate.gov, a website which
utilizes the principles of the My
Pyramid program. ChooseMyPlate focuses on basic tenants of a
healthy eating approach.
One recommendation is to
build a healthy plate. Nutri-
commentary
ent-dense foods like vegetables,
fruits and whole grains, low-fat
dairy products and lean protein
provide the necessary nutrients,
without too many calories. Foods
that have many calories with low
nutritional quality are considered
“calorie-dense.”
Half of your plate should
consist of colorful fruits and vegetables. A quarter of your plate
should be a healthy protein, such
as a baked, skinless chicken breast
and the remaining quarter should
be a healthy whole grain.
Use skim or one-percent milk
twice weekly. Incorporate fish or
seafood for your healthy protein
servings. Beans, which are loaded
with fiber, are also healthy protein
sources.
Another My Plate recommendation is to cut back on solid fats,
added sugar and salt. Most of us
eat more than the recommended
2,300 milligrams of sodium, about
a teaspoon, a day. Drinking water
instead of sweetened drinks and
choosing 100 percent fruit juice
instead of fruit beverages can also
cut calories.
Cut back on fats by eating fewer cakes, cookies, ice cream, pizza,
cheese and meats such as sausage
and regular cold cuts. Use monounsaturated oils for cooking such
as canola or olive oil instead of using shortening and butter.
Log on to ChooseMyPlate to
calculate your daily calorie needs
and keep that number in mind
each day as you choose your foods.
Avoid oversized portions and use
smaller plates, bowls and glasses.
Eat slowly and stop eating when
you are comfortably full. Cooking at home allows you to save
money and control how your food
is prepared.
Alcoholic beverages can contribute significant calories. Limit
alcoholic drinks to no more than
two daily for men and one for
women.
Exercise helps our bodies burn
excess calories we take in from
food. Choose activities you enjoy
and start small. As you exercise
more and consistently, the health
benefits continue to add up.
Consult with your physician
or health care provider for any
recommendations specific to you,
especially if you have not been active for a while or have diagnosed
conditions.
The Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2010 state that improving what you eat and being active
will help to reduce your risk of
chronic diseases such as diabetes,
heart disease, some cancers and
obesity. For more information visit
www.DietaryGuidelines.gov and
www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Airman returns from deployment early to surprise son
home on Friday, March 14, and had
been watching the calendar like a
Northwest Florida Daily News
hawk.
“Every Friday is pizza day at
ALPARAISO — Lewis
school, and he’s been counting down
School second-grader Char- how many pizza days before his dad
lie Olson knew something
comes home,” Lauren said.
was up when his mom
With Charlie holding his hand
walked into his classroom Friday
and Carter in his arms, Kevin
morning, Feb. 28.
walked his boys out of the school
But the 7-year-old wasn’t sure
with a smile on his face.
what was happening until he spot“It was really cool,” Charlie said
ted the man in the camouflage.
of his surprise.
It was his dad, Air Force Tech.
The family was headed to HouSgt. Kevin Olson, home from his
ma, La., for a Mardi Gras vacation.
ninth deployment. Charlie flew out
Kevin said he’s looking forward
of his seat and launched himself into to simply hanging out with his kids.
his dad’s arms without a word.
“We’ll throw the football around
“Hey, let me look at you!” Kevin
and we’ll go fishing pretty soon,” he
said as Charlie clung to his neck.
said.
His youngest son, 4-year-old Carter,
Olson is stationed at Eglin.
also got in on the hug.
Kevin’s wife, Lauren, set up the
surprise when she learned he would
be home two weeks earlier than
planned.
Mark Kulaw | Daily News
“They’re very close,” she said.
Second-grader
Charlie
Olson was all
“They both miss their daddy very
smiles
Feb.
28
when
his
father,
Tech.
much. … They get to Skype but it’s
Sgt. Kevin Olson, surprised him at
not the same.”
Charlie thought his dad would be Lewis School.
By KARI C. BARLOW
V
Friday, March 7, 2014 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Page Defense budget could help Northwest Florida
Still, Congressman Jeff Miller says the DoD bears too much of the country’s spending cuts
Northwest Florida Daily News
Some major local military
operations — the F-35 program and special operations
forces, for example — appear to be largely untouched
by the Pentagon’s proposed
budget cuts, but force reduction measures and degradation of military benefits still
will have an effect on local
service members.
The Pentagon officially
unveiled its 2015 budget proposal March 4 as part of the
White House’s total budget
request. The first post-Afghanistan war budget calls
for a drawdown of Army
and Air Force personnel,
but invests additional funding in training, new weap-
ons systems and special
operations.
The budget still requires
approval of Congress, where
a heated battle is expected.
While the budget calls
for the Army to reduce its
ranks by 40,000 to 50,000 over
last year, the Air Force will
take a more modest hit at
20,400, or about 4 percent of
its airmen.
Active-duty Airmen will
bare the brunt, losing 5 percent of their force.
More than 14,000 activeduty Airmen are stationed
at Eglin Air Force Base and
Hurlburt Field.
The budget seeks a 1 percent pay increase for service members in 2015, and
calls for slowing increases
in housing allowances and
a slight reduction in medi-
cal benefits in order to trim
payroll expenses.
Congressman Jeff Miller
criticized the proposal, saying that the president was
asking the Defense Department to single-handedly shoulder the burden
of reducing the country’s
spending.
“This (defense budget) is
well below the levels that it
should be, given the world
situation,” he said Tuesday
evening, adding that he believes the defense budget
should account for 4 percent of the country’s gross
domestic product. “The
president keeps using Department of Defense as own
personal piggy bank.”
Miller did note that the
budget proposal would be a
boon to Northwest Florida.
Air Force releases final
F-35 enviromental study
the following libraries:
 Robert L.F. Sikes
Public Library, 1445 ComThe United States Air
Force, through Eglin AFB, merce Drive, Crestview
 Niceville Public Lihas released a Final Supplemental Environmental brary, 206 North Partin
Drive
Impact Statement that
 Fort Walton Beach
analyzes the environmenLibrary, 185 Miracle Strip
tal impacts associated
Parkway SE, Fort Walton
with where the F-35 Joint
Beach
Strike Fighter aircraft
 Valparaiso Commuwill beddown on the Egnity Library, 459 Valparailin Reservation and how
so Parkway
they might be operated.
 Northwest Florida
The Final SEIS contains
State College Library,
analyses of operational
alternatives and presents 100 College Boulevard,
Niceville
mitigations for the F-35
 Bay County Public
aircraft at Eglin under the
Library, 898 West 11th
February 2009 Record of
Street, Panama City
Decision.
 Springfield Library,
A copy of the Final
408 School Avenue,
SEIS can be reviewed at
Team Eglin
Panama City
 West Florida Regional Library, 200 West
Gregory Street
 Westside Branch
Library, 1580 West Cervantes Street, Pensacola
A copy of the Final
SEIS can be found on the
Eglin website at: www.eglin.af.mil/eglindocuments.
asp
Following the release
of the Final SEIS is a
30-day waiting period. A
record of decision on the
SEIS is expected later
this year.
For questions, contact
Mike Spaits with Team
Eglin Public Affairs at
(850) 882-2836 or michael.
[email protected].
“The (F-35) Joint Strike
Fighter and Special Operations Command will continue to grow and Northwest
Florida will benefit from
some of those increases,”
Miller said. “However, in the
larger picture as it relates
to the rest of the country,
defense is a big loser.”
He said he still was reviewing the proposal.
The Pentagon calls for
an $8.3-billion investment in
the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
Program, up $770 million
over 2014. Eglin is home to
the country’s largest training center for pilots and
maintainers.
The budget also calls for
an increase in special operations forces. The Air Force
Special Operations Command is located at Hurlburt
Field along with several active-duty special ops units.
The Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) also is
located on Eglin property.
The Air Force has more
than 3,750 civilian employees at Eglin and Hurlburt.
Only about 1 percent of civilian positions across the
country would be cut under
the proposed budget.
The proposal does call for
eliminating the A-10 Warthogs, two of which are at
Eglin. It also asks that 51
F-15C/D models be taken
out of active inventory. Eglin
has six C models and two D
models.
Eglin did not have a response to the budget proposal Tuesday. A spokeswoman
said the base likely will wait
until congressional brief-
ings are complete early next
week.
The 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
Office released a statement
that Hurlburt will continue
its mission regardless of the
budget situation.
“We have programs put
in place to encourage innovative thinking to make
every dollar count and to
maximize work time,” the
office reported. “We are confident that our Airmen and
personnel will overcome any
financial challenges now or
in the future.”
While the Pentagon’s
baseline budget request is
$400 million less than 2014,
it also asks for an additional
$26.4 billion in a separate initiative designed to offset the
affects of sequestration.
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Page | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Friday, March 7, 2014
Silver Star recipient remembers comrades
By LAUREN SAGE REINLIE
Northwest Florida Daily News
DEVON RAVINe | Daily News
Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Fuentes was awarded the Silver
Star during a ceremony March 4 for his bravery in battle
in Afghanistan in October 2011.
was reduced.”
In early October 2011,
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tack from insurgent forces
while trying to establish a
permanent base in Kunar
Province.
For days, the enemy
pummeled Fuentes’ unit
of Afghan and American
forces with rocket-propelled
grenades and small arms
fire.
They were undermanned and lightly armed,
but were able to stave off
the enemy until the sixth
day, when they suffered at
least nine casualties.
Fuentes coordinated
their evacuation and continued the fight.
Three days later, he led
a patrol into an enemy cave
system. They were able to
destroy it along with a large
weapons cache.
After a grueling nine
days of fighting, Fuentes
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Anthony Fuentes received
the Silver Star, he told the
crowd he wanted to speak
for those who couldn’t do so
for themselves.
At the ceremony on
Tuesday, March 4, the 29year-old Ranger dive team
instructor spoke about his
brothers-in-arms who did
not make it home from that
harrowing week in Afghanistan during the fall of 2011.
“I had been pulled into
a family I never knew existed, a family bound by life
experiences only found in
the presence of death and
sacrifice,” he said. “On that
day in October, my family
DEVON RAVINe | Daily News
Above and below, the Silver Star is the third-highest military combat decoration that
can be awarded to an American service member.
volunteered to stay an additional 24 hours to oversee
the arrival of a new platoon
of reinforcements.
Major Gen. H.R. McMaster, the commanding
general at Fort Benning,
Ga., which oversees the
Army Ranger training program, pinned the medal on
Fuentes.
“You’re an inspiration to
all of us,” McMaster said.
“Thank you.”
He also read some comments from Fuentes’ former battalion commander,
retired Lt. Col. Dan Wilson. during his deployment,
Despite being the junior Fuentes was looked up to.
“Because of his tactical
ranking platoon sergeant
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other attempts across the
country had.
Fuentes, who now serves
as an instructor at the 6th
Ranger Training Battalion, attributed his ability
to perform the way he did
to excellent training and
trusting the men he served
alongside.
He said the brothers they
lost were not forgotten.
“You are why I am here,”
he said. “You are why I continue to motivate. You are
my direction, my permanent leaders.”
His combat experience
gave him an appreciation of
another fallen service member, his grandfather who
was killed before he could
meet his brave grandson.
Fuentes ended the ceremony with an emotional
plea that his fallen brothers
seek out his grandfather in
Heaven.
“I ask you to say two simple words, words I truly understand now, words I now
feel worthy enough to say to
him: Thank You.”
Friday, March 7, 2014 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Page Tabor takes command
of Air Warfare Center
By LAUREN SAGE REINLIE
Northwest Florida Daily News
Mark Kulaw | Daily News
Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel (center) hands the Air Warfare Center’s colors to Col. David H. Tabor during the assumption
of command ceremony at Duke Field Feb. 27. Chief Master Sgt. Michael Klausutis is at left.
been relegated to an adHe most recently served
ministrative position pend- as commander of the Aviaing its results.
tion Tactics Evaluation
After the ceremony, Group at Fort Bragg, N.C.
Tabor said the center was
looking forward and not focused on Weeks’ removal.
“All that is in the past.
We are pressing on,” he
said. “We have a great
bunch of Airmen here who
have really just focused on
how to get their mission
done, and I want to help
them to do that.”
Tabor said his goals
for the coming years are
to firm up the foundation
of the center’s mission,
ensure the force stays
relevant and tighten the
center’s relationship with
the reserve component at
Duke.
3034604
DUKE FIELD — Col.
David Tabor took over
as commander of the Air
Force Special Operations
Air Warfare Center on
Thursday, Feb. 27, earlier
than planned after his predecessor was fired.
The center, which has
about 1,000 employees, is
charged with training and
equipping all special operations Airmen.
“We’re going to provide the Air Force and this
country the most capable
and the most relevant forces able to deploy anywhere
throughout the world,”
Tabor said during the assumption of command
ceremony.
In a chilly airplane hangar at Duke Field, Gen.
Eric Fiel, commander of
all Air Force special operations, handed over the
Warfare Center’s guidon.
With a handshake and a
grin, Tabor took the reins.
The center is headquartered at Hurlburt Field, but
has units at Duke, Cannon
Air Force Base, N.M., and
Robins Air Force Base, Ga.
Representatives from all
those units gathered for
the ceremony.
“I’m responsible and
accountable to Gen. Fiel,
but make no mistake about
it, I work for you,” Tabor
told visitors. “Together
we are going to do great
things in the next months
and years.”
Air Force Brig. Gen.
Jon Weeks, the previous
commander, was fired last
month amid allegations
that he had an inappropriate personal relationship.
The investigation is still
ongoing, and Weeks has
Page | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Friday, March 7, 2014
Riding club helps train Soldiers
take over the reins without
hesitation if the need ever
Team Eglin Public Affairs
arose while deployed.”
The Soldiers were noticehe Sand and Spur Ridably cautious and apprehening Club hosted a horse sive at the beginning of the
familiarization course
training, but the instructors
for Army explosive
detected a building confiordnance disposal officers in
dence as the morning went
late 2013.
on.
Approximately six Sol“The volunteers took on
diers from the U.S. Army
more of an observing role
EOD Training Detachment
watching the students exparticipated in the course
ecute the commands they had
where they learned grooming, just learned,” said Lukenbill.
saddling, mounting, riding,
“It was amazing the transforpacking and knot tying. The
mation from the start of the
goal was to provide them with morning to the end.”
a foundation of knowledge
At first, the club didn’t
about horses and to feel com- have anyone on hand to teach
fortable around the animals,
a horse packing class. They
according to Wendy Coon, the reached out to friends and
Sand and Spur president.
Charlie Brown, a former AirThe idea for the training
man from Wyoming who’d
came from Maj. Matthew
learned the “art” of packing
Hurley. The Soldiers’ apgear onto horseback, came
proach was to proactively be
down and taught a crash
familiar with riding and pack- course in packing supplies.
ing a horse in case they were
“Riding and packing
required to do so during a
horses in the mountains is no
deployment.
small task, especially if you
“We wanted to get our
don’t have very much experiofficers familiar with horses
ence,” said Brown. “Once
and horseback riding. It’s im- you’ve been in the military
portant to get training on situ- you always carry some camaations we could find ourselves raderie for those who’ve taken
in, we wanted to be prepared
your place. I was pleased and
for that,” said Maj. Nicholas
honored to have been able
Drury, who participated in the to help no matter how small
training.
a contribution it may have
Riding club members
been.”
volunteered their time and
The four-hour course endhorses for the training. Each
ed up benefitting the Soldiers
Soldier was paired off with a
and the trainers.
member to learn the basics.
“Not only did the training
“Throwing your leg up
help build confidence in the
and getting on a horse is not
saddle and on the ground for
the easiest of tasks and can
these officers, it also showed
be quite daunting if you’ve
the commanders and platoon
never had the opportunity to
leaders how to get out of their
spend time around such large comfort zone and conduct non
animals,” said Capt. Michelle typical Army training,” said
Lukenbill, an officer at HurlHurley.
burt Field and member of
For more information on
the riding club. “Horses are
the Sand and Spur Riding
still viable modes of transClub, visit the 96th Force Supportation in many parts of
port Squadron website or milithe world and we wanted to
tarystables.com. The club will
ensure our military members host their annual open house
could safely and confidently
April 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
By Samuel King Jr.
T
Above, Stephanie Nix instructs
a Soldier how to
move on horseback during a
training session in
late 2013 at Eglin
Air Force Base.
At left, Charlie
Brown instructs
explosive ordnance disposal
officers on how to
pack equipment
onto a horse during a training session in late 2013
at Eglin Air Force
Base.
Courtesy photos
Friday, March 7, 2014 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Page WSEP 2014:
A-10
Airmen
Samuel King Jr. | USAF photos
A 355th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron maintainer takes a break after launching his aircraft for a morning Weapon
System Evaluation Program sortie at Eglin Air Force Base Feb. 19.
The A-10s from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,
Ariz., participated in the week-long mission known
as Combat Hammer, in which they released air-toground munitions. The Combat Hammer WSEP
program is managed by the 86th Fighter Weapons
Squadron, part of the 53rd Wing.
Airman 1st Class Andrew McCamish, a maintainer with the 355th Aircraft Maintenance
An A-10 Thunderbolt II passes behind Airman Kevin Teto, of the 355th Aircraft MainteSquadron, checks out a weapon attached to an A-10 Thunderbolt II prior to a morning sortie. nance Squadron, as he prepares to launch his own aircraft for a sortie.
As fog rolls in, a 355th Fighter Wing pilot waits to
taxi out his A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Tech. Sgt. Jerrime Williams performs a supervisory weapons
inspection prior to a sortie.
Airman 1st Class Ryan Drake communicates with his
A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot prior to a morning sortie.
Page | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Friday, March 7, 2014
DOD: Squeeze TRICARE, slash grocery savings, cap BAH
lawmakers
already are
complaining that pay
and benefit reforms
should be
reviewed by
the blue ribbon Military
Compensation and
Retirement Modernization
Commission, which will report its findings in February
2015.
Here, however, is how
Defense Secretary Chuck
Hagel and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of
the Joint Chiefs, hope to
save $11 billion in compensation costs over the next five
years:
PAY CAPS — The January 2015 military raise would
be capped at 1 percent, identical to this year’s increase. Tom
Philpott
Flag and general officers
would not get a raise in 2015. More pay caps would follow
but no one’s pay would be
cut, officials emphasize.
HEALTH INSURANCE
— The triple-option TRICARE program of Prime,
Extra and Standard would
be merged into some sort of
fee-for-service insurance option, like Standard, for beneficiaries under age 65.
While active duty members still would have access
to free health care, dependents and working-age retirees would face higher costs
to include a share of medical
expenses and perhaps a new
annual enrollment fee, set
initially at $285 for individuals and $569 for families.
Patient costs would be
lower if they can access
military treatment facilities
or use “preferred” providers
who offer military discounts. New co-pays would be set
for retiree visits to military
treatment facilities. Co-pays
also would be set for military
families and retirees who
use emergency rooms inappropriately for routine care.
“We’re merging our TRICARE health insurance programs into a single health
plan that’s restructured to
encourage members to use
the most affordable means of
care, like military treatment
facilities, preferred providers
and generic prescriptions,”
said a Defense official.
TRICARE Prime, the
managed care option that
allows beneficiaries to enroll
in an approved network of
providers for a small annual fee plus modest co-payments for care, presumably
would end. Defense health
officials argue Congress
hasn’t allowed fees to be
raised enough to keep Prime
affordable. While managed
care in the private sector
still serves to dampen health
costs, Prime is seen as too
costly to operate for the
military.
Health care changes will
focus more closely on integrating military direct care
with private sector health
services. Civilian support
contracts will be reshaped
“in ways that can improve
integration with military
medical facilities, reduce
unnecessary overhead and
achieve greater simplicity
for the beneficiary and the
government,” senior health
officials testified Feb. 26.
Beneficiaries 65 and older
would continue to have access to TRICARE for Life, the
robust insurance supplement
to their Medicare coverage. But they would face a small
enrollment fee. It might be
set at 1 percent of military
retired pay but capped so as
not to exceed $300 a year. Exact details will be available
March 4 when the budget is
formally rolled-out.
COMMISSARY CUTS
— The prized commissary
system, which offers deep
discounts on groceries,
would see taxpayer support
slashed from $1.4 billion annually to $400 million. This
would occur over three
years and lower average
shopper discounts from 30
percent down to 10 percent
compared to commercial
grocers. The military would
continue to subsidize commissaries overseas and at
remote U.S. bases.
The intent, said Hagel,
is not to close any stores. But resale industry experts
say closings are inevitable
once stateside stores can’t
See tricare page 9
1126661
One of the two biggest
changes to military compensation proposed in the
president’s 2015 defense
budget request would roll
back, after 20 years, an offering of multiple health insurance options to millions of
beneficiaries.
The other would end
deep discounts on groceries,
a benefit that is decades old
and long had been viewed as
critical to a volunteer force.
But military leaders, worried about post-war budget
cuts, see gaps in readiness,
risks to key weapons programs and deeper force
cuts if Congress continues
to block these types of compensation reforms. So they
propose bold moves sure
to anger service members,
retirees and families.
Odds are slim Congress
will approve most of them in
2014, an election year. Some
Friday, March 7, 2014 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Page By Kevin Gaddie
Team Eglin Public Affairs
Hangar 3, a digital library, opened at Community Commons, Bldg. 825,
here Feb. 26. It is co-located
with Legends, a casual dining facility.
E g l i n’ s C o m m u n i t y
Commons combines access to 96th Force Support
Squadron programs and information into one convenient location, according to
Maj. Robert Roeckers, the
96th FSS commander.
“We designed this facility with the younger crowd
in mind,” said Roeckers.
The central lounge area was created with input
from Eglin’s Airman Council to help promote relaxation and casual social
interaction.
“Hangar 3 provides a
customer-friendly environment with educational activities and a wide variety
Chief Master Sgt. Nyron
Alexander, 96th FSS.
Hangar 3 is a digital library with a full-time librarian. It offers 18 computer
work stations; 40 e-readers;
commercial grade Wi-fi; a
2,000 DVD collection, 250
physical volume books for
research, degree programs,
foreign language/cultural
materials and testing resources; two study rooms
and five collaboration areas. It also has several big
screen televisions, two pool
Kevin Gaddie | USAF tables, an air hockey table
and comfortable seating
An Airman plays pool at
Hangar 3, Eglin’s new digi- areas.
“Hangar 3 will be the
tal library. It is part of Com- cornerstone of Eglin’s qualmunity Commons, which
ity of life,” Alexander said.
combines access to 96th
Eglin’s Community ComForce Support Squadron
mons is located near dormitories, the fitness center
programs and informaand the Breeze Dining Fation into one convenient
cility. Hangar 3 is open from
location.
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and is open
to active duty, retirees, DoD
of entertainment for the en- civilians, contractors and
tire base community,” said their family members.
tricare From page 8
offer enough savings to keep
patrons from using commercial discounters off base.
“We are not closing commissaries,” agreed one Defense official. “They will be
forced to close on their own.”
Exchanges, or base
department stores, are selfsustaining. But they also
could be jeopardized if they
lose patrons because their
top priority for shopping on
base is discounted groceries. If exchanges profits fall, so
too will funds for base morale, welfare and recreation
programs, critics contend.
Populations hardest hit
would be young military
families and older retirees
and survivors who prize
store discounts as deferred
compensation for years of
service when pay and allow-
ances were relatively low.
Defense Secretary
Hagel should understand
that the benefit of commissaries stateside is not
just to have stores on base,
said Joyce Wessel Raezer,
executive director of the
National Military Family
Association.
“The 30 percent savings
is the benefit. If savings go
down to 10 percent, that benefit is gone,” Raezer said.
HOUSING ALLOWANCES — Service members
living off base stateside
would see Basic Allowance
for Housing (BAH) level off
for a few years. The plan is
not to cut payments but to
cap yearly adjustments until
members must pay 5 percent of monthly rent and utility costs using other income.
In the late 1990s, BAH
rates covered only 82 percent of average rental costs
off base. When war broke
out, Congress gradually
closed that allowance gap. Today BAH fully covers
average rent, utilities and
renter’s insurance. Defense
officials now call that coverage “unsustainable.”
Hagel and military chiefs
want to cap the allowance
until average BAH covers 95
percent of rent and utilities. BAH also no longer would be
set to cover renter’s insurance, saving perhaps $200 a
year per recipient.
Send comments to Military
Update, P.O. Box 231111,
Centreville, VA, 20120, email
[email protected] or twitter:
Tom Philpott @Military_Update
THE EDUCATION YOU WANT.
THE SUPPORT YOU DESERVE.
You’ll find University of Maryland University College (UMUC)
online and on-site right here at Eglin AFB, along with our
National Testing Center. We stand ready to help you pursue
your degree and advance your career in cybersecurity,
business and management, public safety and other
in-demand fields.
In person or online, UMUC's dedicated military advisors
can help you
• Make the most of your military benefits.
• Identify which credits can be transferred from other
colleges and military service schools and applied
toward your degree.
• Map out your path to degree completion.
• Apply for admission and register.
AT YOUR SERVICE SINCE 1947

Recognized as a 2014 Military Friendly School™

by G.I. Jobs and Military Advanced Education
Stop by or call
502 “W” D Avenue, Ste 100, Eglin AFB
850-882-1321 • military.umuc.edu/eglinonsite
1126664
Community Commons’
Hangar 3 now open
Page 10 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Friday, March 7, 2014
eglin Briefs
The 96th Test Wing
Munitions Flight will be
performing a semi-annual
wall-to-wall inventory of the
base stock munitions account from March 3-14. During this period no munitions
issues, turn-ins or shipments
will be scheduled unless an
emergency situation exists. Any requests during
this time must be submitted in writing and approved
by the organizations group
commander or equivalent
IAW AFI 21-201 paragraph
7.11.8.5.2. This minimizes
transactions against the account during the inventory.
All munitions users are requested to pre-plan their munitions requirements prior to
the start of the inventory.
Contemporary
Insurgent Warfare
The USAF Special Operations School invites all
base personnel to attend the
Contemporary Insurgency
Warfare Course (CIWC)
from March 31 – April 4. To
There is a new require- enroll in the course contact
ment for lost/stolen/confis- the student registrar, Linda
cated/destroyed CACs and Urda, at 884-4757 or call Maj.
Lost, stolen CAC
requirement
Steve Masternak at 884-8224.
For additional course content
information visit, http://www.
afsoc.af.mil/usafsos/ciwc.asp.
7th ACS, 7th SOS
reunion in May
7th Air Commando
Squadron/7th Special Operations Squadron (7ACS/7SOS)
and all combat talon units reunion will be held May 15-18
at the Ramada Plaza Beach
Resort in Fort Walton Beach.
Contact: Max Friedauer, 7th
Air Commando Society, (850)
243-1343, [email protected]
http://www.7thsos.org/inside/
aynnyd/uploaded/pdfs/7sos_
2014_ct_reunion_flyer.pdf
Eglin Spouses’ Club
wants you
Are you a military spouse
who is looking for a way to
give back to the military community through volunteer
work and an opportunity to
make new friends while enjoying fun social activities? If
so, Eglin Spouses’ Club (ESC)
wants you. ESC is open to
spouses (men and women)
of all ranks and branches
and welcomes potential, new
members year round. The
ESC is a social club that also
offers a variety of sub-groups,
so there is something for all
types of personalities. Join
the ESC at their upcoming
social, Tuesday, March 18.
ESC is also, currently,
looking for volunteers to fill
their open executive and
general board positions for
the upcoming, 2014-15 board
year.
If you are interested in volunteering for any of the following ESC board positions,
contact Dave Zeh at [email protected].
For more information
about the Eglin Spouses’
Club, sub-groups, and how
you can become a member,
visit www.eglinsc.com or on
Facebook or Twitter under,
Eglin Spouses’ Club.
Chapel Lenten
schedule
Protestant Lenten Devotionals/Lunches will be
March 12, 19, 26 and April
2, 9, 16 at 11:30 a.m. at the
Chapel Center Annex.
Magnolia Grill
2102603
magnoliagrillfwb.com
Catholic Stations of the [email protected].
Cross/Lenten Meals will be
March 12, 19, 26 and April 2
at 5 p.m. at the West Gate
Chapel.
Register today for the
For information, call the March term. Classes begin
chapel at 882-2111.
March 24 and end May 25.
Embry-Riddle offers Associate, Bachelor and master
degrees in aeronautics and
management in-residence
and online. POC: Ms. AdOperation Kid Fit is a new ams/Mrs. Hitt, ERAU Eglin
program starting in April at Campus, 678-3137.
Eglin for parents of children
struggling with weight. The
free program will help parents learn how to provide
healthy food choices, inA Boating Safety Class
crease their child’s physical
activity level and use incen- is set for March 22 at the
tives to help their child make Coast Guard Station Desbetter health related choic- tin, 2000 Miracle Strip Pkwy,
es. For more information or Destin. Registration begins
to sign up for a class, call at 8:15 a.m. Class runs from
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. PreKim Harris at 883-8021.
registration is required by
March 17. Cost is $35, which
includes the course, book,
exam, FWC Safe Boating ID
Card, lunch, tour of the staEglin Base Contracting tion and safety whistle.
is seeking potential sources
To register, contact Shecapable of performing sports resa Waller, Public Educaofficiating duties for soccer tion Officer, at 720-427-9058
in support of the Eglin Air or [email protected].
Force Base sports program.
For more information,
The contractor shall be able visit www.flotilla14.info.
to provide either single,
double or triple sport officials for soccer games. The
North American Industry
Classification System code
for this is 713940. For more
The Irish and the Irishinformation about the full at-heart can get a head
announcement, call James start on their St. Patrick’s
Pattullo at (850) 882-0363 or Day celebration on Sunday,
email [email protected]. March 16, when the Magmil or Nicole Anderson at
See briefs page 11
(850) 882-0326 or nicole.an-
ERAU
Operation Kid Fit
starts in April
Boating Safety
Class
Soccer officials
needed
St. Patrick’s event
benefit
Tom & Peggy Rice • Proprietors
850-302-0266
157 Brooks St. SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL
Steaks - Seafood - Italian
1118416
March munitions
inventory
it applies to all personnel
effective immediately. In effort to comply and meet the
DEERS/RAPIDS requirements, a Lost/Stolen Memorandum will be required by
all personnel (military/civilian/contractors regardless of
rank) requesting a new CAC
ID card due to loss, theft,
confiscation or destruction;
this does not apply to dependent ID cards. The 96 FSS
personnel will not be able to
complete the issue process
of a replacement CAC until
the mandatory documentation (Lost/Stolen memo) is
provided with proper coordination and signatures. For
any questions or concerns,
contact the DEERS/ID office at 882-2742 ext. 1.
3250356
From staff reports
Friday, March 7, 2014 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Page 11
briefs
From page 10
nolia Grill hosts an early St.
Patrick’s Day event benefitting Catholic Charities of
Northwest Florida and the
Fisher House of the Emerald Coast.
The Second Annual “Raisin’ of the Green” fund-raiser
will take place from noon
to 3 p.m., and will feature
the traditional St. Patrick’s
Day meal of corned beef,
cabbage and potatoes. The
event will also include lively Irish music and a 50/50
“Irish-American Sweepstakes” donation drawing.
The Magnolia Grill is located
at 157 Brooks Street in Fort
Walton Beach.
The cost is $8 per person
in advance, and $10 at the
door. Sweepstakes tickets
may be purchased in advance or at the event, and
you need not be present to
win. The event sold out last
year, so advance purchase
is recommended.
For information or to
purchase tickets in advance,
contact Kelly at 737-0864 or
Evelyn at Catholic Charities
at 244-2825; or Kim at Fisher
House at 259-4956.
53rd Wing commander flies B-2
Above, Col. Alexus Grynkewich, the 53rd Wing commander, lifts off in the B-2 Spirit for his orientation flight
with the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Whiteman
Air Force Base, Mo., Feb. 24. The 72nd TES is a geographically separated B-2 test squadron of the 53rd WG.
At left, Lt. Col. Michael Wittrock, 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron B-2 instructor pilot helps Col. Alexus
Grynkewich, the 53rd Wing commander, prepare for his
orientation flight in the B-2 Spirit at Whiteman Air Force
Base, Mo., Feb. 24.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas Wilson | USAF
To submit an item for the
briefs, e-mail us at news@
eglindispatch.com. Deadline for
Friday’s edition is noon Monday.
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Page 12 | THE EGLIN DISPATCH | Friday, March 7, 2014
C LA S S I F I E D S
It’ s ea sy to pl ac e an in- co lum n cl a ssi fied ad
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Call 850- 864- 0320
EG LI N DISPA TCH
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D EA DLIN E TUESD AY A TN O O NPRIO R TO PUBLIC ATIO N
Resort Tram Driver
CDL required. Weekends
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summer.
Pay based on experience. Email resume to:
[email protected]
Web ID#: 34282229
Medical/Health
Ad Ca teg or y _________________
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If no category is re quested, it w lil a ppear
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WANTED
25 w ord lim it • Please prin t cl earl y or ty pe
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and
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Room Table and 6
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Call 850-496-0418
Cl a ssi fied Ad Co py :
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Du ty Phon e
FREE CLASSIFIED A D RULES:
• Free classi fie d ads are for th e one ti m esa le of personal property by
m ilitar y m em ber s an d im m edi at e fam ily, an d m ilitar y
re tir ees .
• N o n- m ilitar y ind ivi du al s an d al l bu si ne sse s should contact th e
Eglin D ispatch’s publis her, th e N orthwest Florida D ail y N ew sby callin g
850- 864- 0320.
• Ad s m ust no t ex ceed 25 w ord s and m ust lis t a hom eor cell phone
num ber.
• D uty te lephones are used by th e D ispatch staff for veri fic atio n purposes
only. The Eglin D ispatch staff reserves th e ri ght to edit or refuse classi fie d
ads due to in appropri ate content, space consid eratio ns or for other
reasons.
• O nly on e ad m ay be su bm itted pe r w eek , unless PC Sing.
A copy of PC S orders m ust be presente d in person at:
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NO DEPOSIT
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& $199 for
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generator,
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electric cord $10, lrg
pet carrier $30, Evenflo
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Be 18 yrs or older
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The Daily News encourages applications from
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The Daily News is a drug free environment
Web ID#: 34280778
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lease, no
smoking/pets. Pls
call 850.830.9152/
850.830.9151.
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910-922-3998