Top Banner
AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD. DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 17 SPORTS JBA half-marathoners go the distance, Page 3 HEALTH TRICARE: Compound drug coverage revised, Page 4 COMMENTARY Heavy drinking: Highway to disaster, Page 2 AIR FORCE SENDS DISASTER SUPPORT TO NEPAL U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS TAYLOR QUEEN Service members load relief supplies for victims of the Nepal earthquake into a C-17 Globemaster III from Joint Base Charleston, S.C., at March Air Force Base, Calif., April 26. The U.S. Agency of International Development’s relief cargo included eight pallets, 59 Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel and five search and rescue dogs. See story on page 5. BY BOBBY JONES STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST Sharon Johnson and her daughter, Brianna Johnson-Simmons, 10, decided to visit the Old Maryland Farm in Wat- kins Regional Park as a relaxing way to spend the rest of their day after Bri- anna’s French horn solo during an ensemble festi- val on April 25. They were pleasantly surprised to find out that the Old Maryland Farm was celebrating its annual Sheep Shearing and Fiber Day. The free educational event treated several visi- tors to sheep shearing, wool spinning, natural dye fiber displays and wool spinning demonstrations. “We had no idea they were having this event. We just decided to come here instead of going directly home,” Johnson said. “We watched the sheep being sheared, wool spin- ning and fabric being made. It was great. I think my daughter might want to be a weaver.” Brianna, a fifth-grade student at Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School of Bowie, noted “I have yarn that I wanted to make hats and a book on how to do all this stuff, but I’ve nev- er really had the patience to finish something,” said Brianna, as she received lessons from Lisa Dupree on a Modern Rigid Heddle Weaving Loom. “Origi- nally, I wanted to go to the playground, but they’re currently building a new one, but it was fun looking at all the animals here.” The Old Maryland Farm is an educational farm facility that features exhibits and displays de- Finding fiber, fun at Old Maryland Farm BOBBY JONES Lisa Dupree dressed in 1800 period style clothing educates youngsters and the parents about the use of modern and antique looms. see FIBER, page 4 BY BOBBY JONES STAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST On April 25, C. Eliz- abeth Rieg Regional School proudly held its first ‘Race for Rieg 5K Walk/Run’ in Mitch- ellville. More than 250 combined students, par- ents and family members participated in the race throughout the residen- tial and business com- munity. Patrice Buxton, race director and a special ed- ucation teacher at Rieg, highlighted the impor- tance of the maiden race. “Really the main goal of the race was to build community partner- ships. A lot of the com- munity doesn’t realize that we are the largest special needs school in Prince George’s County. We want to build part- nerships not only with the businesses, but with our neighbors within the community and to really set ourselves apart,” said Buxton. “It takes a vil- lage to raise a child, so by providing these com- munity partnerships and bringing in our neigh- bors, I think that having events like these really helps. Plus, it just gives our students the ben- efits of any other regular child. Special needs chil- dren tend to be neglected sometimes. So being able to do this race really builds camaraderie and allows us to give our stu- dents a unique experi- ence,” Buxton added. All proceeds from the race directly benefit the stu- dents. As the race proceeded Race forges community partnerships BOBBY JONES From left to right: C. Elizabeth Rieg Regional School principal Patrice Watson lauds the support of Jennifer Johnson, who is Rieg’s Parents Teachers Organization president, Kevin Alexander, who is president of Ainsley’s Angels, and Patricia Buxton, the Race for Rieg director. see RACE, page 5 BY LESLIE C. SMITH STAFF WRITER Established in 2011, the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP) is a nonprofit formed with the mission to increase sustainable homeownership, financial literacy,VA loan awareness and provide economic opportunity for active military and veteran communities. “That’s our main goal; our vision is to provide pro- grams and services to veterans. We’re always advo- cating for homeownership and we’re trying to do it Organization seeks to end homelessness for veterans see VAREP, page 4 BY LESLIE C. SMITH STAFF WRITER The Oxon Hill AF JROTC made live contact with the International Space Station (ISS) at a special event in conjunction with Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) and the East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. on April 24. Special guests included William T. Fauntroy, Jr., a documented original Tuskegee Airman, who shared his reflections on the trials and the highlights of his path to becoming a pilot. Acknowledging the many JROTC makes live contact with International Space Station see SPACE, page 3
8

Andrews 050115

Jul 21, 2016

Download

Documents

DCMilitary.Com

 
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Page 1: Andrews 050115

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 17

SPORTSJBA half-marathonersgo the distance, Page 3

HEALTHTRICARE: Compound drug coverage

revised, Page 4

COMMENTARYHeavy drinking: Highway

to disaster, Page 2

AIR FORCE SENDS DISASTERSUPPORT TO NEPAL

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS TAYLOR QUEEN

Servicemembers load relief supplies for victims oftheNepal earthquake into aC-17Globemaster IIIfrom Joint BaseCharleston, S.C., atMarchAir ForceBase, Calif., April 26. TheU.S. Agency of InternationalDevelopment’s relief cargo included eight pallets, 59LosAngelesCounty Fire Department personnel andfive search and rescue dogs. See story on page 5.

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

Sharon Johnson andher daughter, BriannaJohnson-Simmons, 10,decided to visit the OldMaryland Farm in Wat-kins Regional Park as arelaxing way to spend therest of their day after Bri-anna’s French horn soloduring an ensemble festi-val on April 25.

They were pleasantlysurprised to find out thatthe Old Maryland Farmwas celebrating its annualSheep Shearing and FiberDay. The free educationalevent treated several visi-tors to sheep shearing,wool spinning, natural dyefiber displays and woolspinning demonstrations.

“We had no idea theywere having this event.Wejust decided to come hereinstead of going directlyhome,” Johnson said.

“We watched the sheepbeing sheared, wool spin-

ning and fabric beingmade. It was great. I thinkmy daughter might wantto be a weaver.”

Brianna, a fifth-gradestudent at Holy TrinityEpiscopal Day School ofBowie, noted “I have yarnthat I wanted to make hats

and a book on how to doall this stuff, but I’ve nev-er really had the patienceto finish something,” saidBrianna, as she receivedlessons from Lisa Dupreeon a Modern Rigid HeddleWeaving Loom. “Origi-nally, I wanted to go to the

playground, but they’recurrently building a newone, but it was fun lookingat all the animals here.”

The Old MarylandFarm is an educationalfarm facility that featuresexhibits and displays de-

Finding fiber, fun atOld Maryland Farm

BOBBY JONES

Lisa Dupree dressed in 1800 period style clothing educates youngsters and theparents about the use of modern and antique looms.

see FIBER, page 4

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

On April 25, C. Eliz-abeth Rieg RegionalSchool proudly held itsfirst ‘Race for Rieg 5KWalk/Run’ in Mitch-ellville. More than 250combined students, par-ents and family membersparticipated in the racethroughout the residen-tial and business com-munity.

Patrice Buxton, racedirector and a special ed-ucation teacher at Rieg,highlighted the impor-tance of the maiden race.

“Really the main goalof the race was to buildcommunity partner-ships. A lot of the com-munity doesn’t realize

that we are the largestspecial needs school inPrince George’s County.We want to build part-

nerships not only withthe businesses, but withour neighbors within thecommunity and to really

set ourselves apart,” saidBuxton. “It takes a vil-lage to raise a child, soby providing these com-munity partnerships andbringing in our neigh-bors, I think that havingevents like these reallyhelps. Plus, it just givesour students the ben-efits of any other regularchild. Special needs chil-dren tend to be neglectedsometimes. So being ableto do this race reallybuilds camaraderie andallows us to give our stu-dents a unique experi-ence,” Buxton added. Allproceeds from the racedirectly benefit the stu-dents.

As the race proceeded

Race forges community partnerships

BOBBY JONES

From left to right: C. ElizabethRiegRegional Schoolprincipal PatriceWatson lauds the support of JenniferJohnson,who isRieg’sParents TeachersOrganizationpresident, KevinAlexander,who is president of Ainsley’sAngels, andPatriciaBuxton, theRace forRiegdirector.

see RACE, page 5

BY LESLIE C. SMITHSTAFF WRITER

Established in 2011, the Veterans Association ofReal Estate Professionals (VAREP) is a nonprofitformed with the mission to increase sustainablehomeownership, financial literacy,VA loan awarenessand provide economic opportunity for active militaryand veteran communities.

“That’s our main goal; our vision is to provide pro-grams and services to veterans. We’re always advo-cating for homeownership and we’re trying to do it

Organization seeks to endhomelessness for veterans

see VAREP, page 4

BY LESLIE C. SMITH

STAFF WRITER

The Oxon Hill AF JROTC made live contact withthe International Space Station (ISS) at a specialevent in conjunction with Amateur Radio on theInternational Space Station (ARISS) and the EastCoast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen Inc. on April24.

Special guests includedWilliamT. Fauntroy, Jr., adocumented original Tuskegee Airman, who sharedhis reflections on the trials and the highlights of hispath to becoming a pilot. Acknowledging the many

JROTC makes live contact withInternational Space Station

see SPACE, page 3

Page 2: Andrews 050115

Andrews Gazette2 Friday, May 1, 2015

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint MilitaryPublications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg,Md., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force or any branch of the United States military.The appearance of advertising in these publications,

including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsementby the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force orthe products and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion,sex, national origin, age,martial status, physical handicap, political af-filiation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS

Maxine Minar, [email protected]

John Rives, [email protected]

Tiffany Arnold, page [email protected]

Leslie Smith, [email protected]

Bobby Jones, [email protected]

around townMay 2-3

National Harbor Wine and Food FestivalNational Harbor, 137 National Plaza, National

HarborNational Harbor brings together world-renowned

chefs, artisanal craftsmen, and culinary pioneerswith thousands of Metro DC’s foodies. For ticketsand more information visit www.wineandfoodnh.com or www.nationalharbor.com.($)

May 216th Annual Harlem Renaissance Festival10 a.m.-7 p.m.The Columbia Park/Kentland Community Cen-

ter, 2411 Pinebrook Ave., LandoverThe grounds will be filled with music, art, dis-

cussions, poetry, health screenings, vendors andchildren’s activities and much more. Free. Call 301-918-8418 or visit www.pghrf.org/festival.

May 2Open House on the Waterfront9 a.m.-1 p.m.Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis

Rd., BladensburgKick off the spring season and enjoy a fun day

in the park with free canoeing, kayaking, cycling,fishing rod, and boat rentals. All necessary rentalequipment and materials provided. ID required forrentals. Rentals available while supplies last. Rent-al age restrictions still apply. Last free rental willbe at 1 p.m. Free. Call 301-779-0371 or visit www.pgparks.com.

May 24th Annual Bostwick Heritage Festival10 a.m.-4 p.m.Bostwick, 3300 48th St., BladensburgTake a step back in time to the eve of the early

days of the Port Town Communities and the Warof 1812. Annually, this program includes farm ani-mals, 1800s style children’s games & activities,demonstrations of a variety of historic trades andmore. Free admission. Call 301-887-0777 or visitwww.anacostiatrails.org.

May 3Six Flags America Cinco De Mayo CelebrationSix Flags America, 13710 Central Ave., BowieA fiesta with games, special offers, giveaways

and more, including an Exclusive Ride Time Event!The celebration continues with the sounds, flavorsand fun of Mexico courtesy of Univision! Live music,festive cultural performances, delicious specialtyfoods and cool merchandise, plus celebrity appear-ances and so much more. ($) Call 301-249-1500 orvisit www.sixflags.com/america.

Hot tickets

Dental ScreeningsMilitary retirees and

eligible dependents in theNational Capital Area areinvited to participate ina dental screening pro-gram. The 79th MedicalWing’s Advanced Educa-tion in General Dentistryprogram at Joint BaseAndrews and Joint BaseAnacostia-Bolling is offer-ing dental examinations. Ifinterested, call the BollingRetiree Activities Office at202-767-5244, starting at 9a.m., June 5. Dental techni-cianswill review the caller’sdental history. Selected re-tirees will be scheduled forexaminations at the Bol-ling dental clinic, June 12and at the Andrews clinic,June 24. Col. Jeffrey Den-

ton, director of residencytraining, said they plan tooffer examinations to asmany as 96 people, or 48 ateach location. “Those withconditions determined tomeet the educational needsof our residents will be con-sidered for appointments,probably starting in Octo-ber and running throughnext summer. You can ex-pect some busy signal,”Denton said. “If your callis picked up by a recorder,leave your number and thecall will be returned. Tech-nicians will remain untilall appointments have beenscheduled.”

Fraud ProtectionMedicare encourages its

members to help themselvesby reporting fraud. Identity

theft happens when some-one uses your personal in-formation to commit fraudor other crimes. Medicarefraud takes money from theprogram, resulting in high-er health care costs. Reportfraud abuse at 1-800-269-0271.

No CouncilMeeting

The Air Force RetireeCouncil, scheduled to meetthis month at RandolphAFB, Texas, was canceled.Budget considerations,responsible for cancelingmeetings in 2011 and 2013,were again believed to bea contributing factor. Thecouncil was established in1972 to serve as the Chiefof Staff ’s liaison with the

retiree community. It iscomprised of co-chairs, 15members representing geo-graphical regions and twoat-large positions.Membersoversee retiree activities in100 base offices. The RAOsserve 700,000 Air Forceretirees, their family mem-bers and 103,000 spousesenrolled in the SurvivorBenefit Plan.

The Retiree ActivitiesOffice is open 10 a.m. to 3p.m., Monday through Fri-day.Visit the office in Build-ing 1604 at California andColorado Avenues or call301-981-2726. Call beforeyour visit to ensure a volun-teer is on duty.The RAOhasa website at www.andrews.af.mil.

Retiree Corner

The Prince George’sCounty Commission forVeterans has developedan online survey for veter-ans and their families. Thepurpose of the survey is togather information aboutthe needs of veterans inPrince George’s Countyand how the county, com-munity-based organiza-tions and citizens can helpthem.

The Department ofFamily Services, which

houses the Commission forVeterans, is collecting theinformation via Google sur-vey. All surveys are anony-mous and confidential,and can be accessed on theDepartment of Family Ser-vices website, www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/sites/Family/Pages/default.aspx.

Hard copies of the sur-vey are available at theDepartment of FamilyServices Office, 6420 Allen-town Road, Camp Springs.

The satellite office for theMaryland Department ofVeterans Affairs, which islocated in the same build-ing, also has access to hardcopies and electronic ver-sions.

According the Depart-ment of Veteran Affairs,more than 61,000 veter-ans live in Prince George’sCounty - the largest con-centration in the state.County Executive RushernL. Baker III is looking to

develop an Office on Veter-ans Affairs to assist theseresidents.

The Commission forVeterans meets on the firstMonday of the month at 6p.m. The meetings are freeand are open to the pub-lic. For more information,please contact Carol-LynnSnowden at 301-265-8404.

– Prince George’s CountyDepartment of Family

Services

County: Commission for Veterans survey available online

BY PAUL AHLBERG ANDCAPT. SHEONTEE FRANK81ST MEDICAL OPERATIONS

SQUADRON

Alcohol and Drug AbusePrevention and TreatmentProgram

Heavy drinking is de-fined as consuming five ormore standard drinks in onesitting. It is also considered“high risk” drinking due tothe health concerns associ-atedwith drinking excessiveamounts of alcohol. Manystories aboutheavydrinkingare glamorized, not publi-cized,or forgottenaltogether,so behaviors don’t change.

Here’s a story that illus-trates the many problemsand risks associated withheavy drinking. Can youpick them out? Have youbeen on the “Highway to Di-saster?”

It was a perfect day ontheMississippi coast to takea swim in the pool, so a Kee-sler Air Force Base Airman

decided to have a party oneSunday afternoon at hishouse.He invited someofhisbuddies over to join him --the more the merrier. Someof his buddies invited a fewof their friends to the gath-ering, which quickly turnedinto a party. The Airmancoordinated what everyonewould bring, including a kegof beer,beerpong toplay,andmusic to enjoy.

By 5 p.m., guests arrivedand the designated keg op-erator was letting the beerpour freely for everyonewhowanted it without verifyingthe ages of the guests.Otherattendees brought hard li-quor and many were takingshots between drinks andplaying beer pong. The hostwas tired and had gottena little too much sun, so hewent into the house to takea short nap. Several guestswere hungry so one theguests drove to get pizzasfrom a nearby restaurant.The impaired driver had

a friend who had not beendrinking as much ride alongwith him.The driver had do-ne this before and had neverbeen arrested for impaireddriving.

A young female who hadbeen playing beer pong wasnoticeably intoxicated nearthe pool. One of the guestsasked her if she was OK,but she did not respond,so he yelled for someone tocall 911. Some of the guestsleft in a hurry. Meanwhile,a neighbor called local lawenforcement due to the loudmusic and noise.

There were many mis-takes made throughout thecourse of the afternoon andtheconsequencesweregreat.This scenario identified is-sues of underage drinking,contributing alcohol to mi-nors,public intoxication,anddriving under the influence.Most importantly this sce-nario illustrates the lack ofwingmanship.

Here are tips for respon-

sible party planning:Plan ahead.Have a non-drinking

designated driver.Limit drinking.Check identification to

prevent underage drinking.Be a responsible host.Provide food, activity

and oversight.Offer water and non-

alcoholic beverages.Leave your vehicle at

home.Know your guests.Ensure guests have a

safe way home.Remember 0-0-1-3.

That means 0 underagedrinking, 0 drinking anddriving, 1 drink per hour, nomore than 3 drinks per sit-ting.

Call a taxi or AirmanAgainst Drunk Driving atyour installation for a saferide home.

CommentaryHeavy drinking: Highway to disaster

Page 3: Andrews 050115

Andrews GazetteFriday, May 1, 2015 3

BY SENIOR AIRMANMARIAH HADDENHAM

11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Approximately 150 run-ners participated in thethird annual Joint BaseAndrews Half-Marathon onApril 18.

The race ended with anawards ceremony hostedby Col. Hoagland, who alsoparticipated in the raceSeasoned runners and first-timers competed.

“This was my first timerunning this particularrace,” said Airman 1st ClassJoshua Islas, 11th WingStaff Agency administra-tion technician. “I just loverunning. I have run two fullmarathons and a few othersmall marathons, but I willdefinitely be running thishalf-marathon next year.”

The event coincided withthe Amazing Base Fam-ily Festival, which includedfamily entertainment andfood. “We came to supportmy husband who is runningthe half marathon, but wealso got to enjoy the activi-ties and spend family timewith him after he crossedthe finish line,” said Adri-ana Odusanya, an Air Forcespouse.

Joint Base Andrews goes the distance

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/SENIOR AIRMAN MARIAH HADDENHAM

Runners begin the Joint Base Andrews Half-Marathon, April 18, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. This was the third annual half-marathonheld at JBA and the race had approximately 150 participants. First place runners in the men and women’s category were Philip Blong, witha time of 1:22:41, and Mary Kay Robinson, with a time of 1:39:32.

events he had seen in hislifetime and the numer-ous opportunities that lieahead for the youth in-volved in the program, heconcluded, “You don’t knowhow proud I am of whatyou’re about to do.”

“We’re just so enthusedthat the young people notonly have the opportunitybut take advantage of theopportunity to preparethemselves for the futurein aviation. It’s one ofthose things that God hasblessed me to be here totalk to young people; andwhat we say will impressthem to the point thatwhatever dream they havethey can succeed,” Faun-troy said.

Major Anderson,shared, “I was really im-pressed by what I sawtoday. I consider myselfand Faunteroy as pio-neers of past history, butwhat I saw today were thepioneers of future history.These cadets made methink these could be ourfuture astronauts; and I’mjust glad to be here todayto witness that and to be a

part of it.“Being 90 years of age I

consider it a great blessingto let the children knowthey can be anything theywant to be these days; theydon’t have the same barri-ers to overcome; the field iswide open now,” Andersonconcluded.

As students from theOxon Hill High School satin the audience, 12 cadetsfrom AFJROTC had theopportunity to ask ques-tions of Italian EuropeanSpace Agency AstronautSamanatha Cristoforetti –

the the first Italian wom-an in space. The studentshad 10minutes in which toask their questions as thestation passed over Green-belt. She answered theirquestions ranging fromher journey to becomingan astronaut to daily lifeon the ISS, to technicaland scientific questions re-garding the ISS.

The participants arepart of the JROTC Avia-tion Program, in conjunc-tion with the East CoastChapter of the TuskegeeAirmen Inc. One of the

students who soloed pi-loted an airplane in theprogram, Cadet/2Lt. Mon-ika Talastas, shared herthoughts about the day’sevent, “I think it was areally good experience. Ithink it was really impor-tant.”

“Technology and spaceis something that is al-ways advancing. I thinkit was really cool,” saidTalastas, who is headed toschool for mechanical engi-neering with an aerospaceconcentration.

“I’m just blessed,” Ca-

det/CMSgt Hannah An-breal Monroe expressed.“I am beyond happy. It wasoverwhelming; it was soenjoyable.”

“I think it’s a very goodexperience, not manyschools get to do it. I thinkit’s great that we – OxonHill – got a chance to do it.It was great for exposingthe students to the STEMfields. We have a lot ofSTEM programs here; butwe get to see it in action.They get to see what theymight want to be a part ofas they explore what theywant to do with their ca-reer,” said Cadet Col. Ter-rence Christian.

“I was already inter-ested in the engineeringfield; now I think I want tochange to something aero-space related,” Christianadded.

“I never heard of thishappening, once they cameto our school we all jumpedon board and we were veryinterested. I think theschool got something outit; all the cadets were veryeager to come and watchus make contact with theInternational Space Sta-tion,” said Christian.

“This experience means

a lot because when I waslittle I always thoughtabout space and getting totalk to someone in space. Itwas really incredible,” saidCadet Lt. Col Aric Catim-bang “If you work hard youget to do special things likethis.

Col. Marc Branche, Se-nior Aerospace Instruc-tor AF JRTOC, shared, “Ithink they did a great job.I thought today went verywell. I think, it was a goodexample to the students,the parents and every-body who came, as well as,those that tapped into thelive stream, the technologythat can be used to talk topeople so far away going sofast. The fact that you cantalk to an astronaut live inspace is actually fantastic;and that is the same typeof technology that can beused when they go further– perhaps even Mars.”

The event was spon-sored by NASA, RadioAmateur Satellite Corpo-ration (AMSAT-NA) Amer-ican Radio Relay Leagueand Prince George’s Coun-ty Public Schools.

LESLIE C. SMITH

The East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, one of the sponsors of the day’sevent, were on hand to experience the live contact between the InternationalSpace Station and students from Oxon Hill AF JROTC Aviation Program.

SPACE, from page 1

Page 4: Andrews 050115

Andrews Gazette4 Friday, May 1, 2015

signed to familiarize thepublic with the farmingexperience.

Patrice Gribble-Fetter,Maryland-National Capi-tal Park & Planning Com-mission Park Naturalist,noted the Shearing Dayevent is held every yearon the third Saturday inApril.

“We have to shear ouranimals by the end ofApril because they startgetting hot with the sum-mer coming. We get allthe heavy wool off thatkept them warm duringthe winter and make surethey’re nice and cool forthe summer,” said Fetter.

“It’s also a great way ofbringing people out to thefarm in the springtimeand show them tradition-al farming methods, likegrowing vegetables andfruits for the animals andjust having a good time,”said Fetter.

The farm also boasts abee and butterfly gardensfor programs and produceand herb gardens. “Weused to grow tobacco, butwe still grow cotton, whichcan be seen in some of ourdisplays. We’re hoping toget more people to comeout next year.”

Fetter who has a bach-elor’s degree in animalscience from the Univer-

sity of Maryland, associ-ate degrees in biology andteaching, noted she al-ways wanted to teach kidsand work with animals.

“Those degrees worktogether and enable meto do both,” said Fetter,who once worked in theAustralian exhibit at theNational Aquarium inBaltimore as a biologicaltechnician. “But I reallyenjoy coming to work heremore. I’ve been here since2001.”

Fetter stressed whilethe facility is free andopen to the public, it is aneducational facility, not apetting zoo or a produc-tion farm.

“We don’t send our ani-mals out to market. Forthe most part our animalsstay here until they’re oldand gray. To that advan-tage we do a lot of schoolprograms, special needsprograms and we have alot of visitors who comein and interact with theanimals, which we moni-tor for the safety of theanimals and the visitors,”Fetter said.

“Each of us has differ-ent backgrounds. One ofour staff members has cer-tification in therapeuticriding, working with thedisabled,” Fetter added.Therapeutic riding usesequine-assisted activitiesfor the purpose of contrib-

uting positively to cogni-tive, physical, emotionaland social well-being ofpeople with disabilities.

“Jess Hardy, our sheepshearer, has a degree fromDelaware Valley Univer-sity in agriculture and alife-time of sheep expe-rience. We have a smallstaff of professionals,” Fet-ter said.

Originally the OldMaryland facility wasused by the MarylandPark Police Mountedunits who had their hors-es in the stables locatedon the grounds in the ear-ly 1970s.

Today, the facilityserves as an educationalfacility, with approximate-ly 70 different animals,including goats, sheep,chickens, rabbits, peafowl,turkeys, hogs, ponies, don-key, calf, steer and Appa-loosa ponies, and a llama.

Visitors can assist infeeding the animals Tues-day through Sunday atnoon. It’s free and opento the public, Tuesdaythrough Friday, 10 am-2:30 p.m. Sat-Sun 11:30a.m.-4:30 p.m. The farmalso offers birthday par-ties, pony rides, hay rides,and farm demonstrations.For more informationabout Old Maryland Farmevents, call 301-218-6770.

FIBER, from page 1

one veteran at a time,” saidChristine Olfus, VAREPgovernment Affairs.

At the VAREP Annualconference, with chaptersfrom across the country inattendance, participantstravel to Capitol Hill tomeet with their congress-man and senators.

“We would like to bethe voice that is missing;we want them to see howveterans are existing –many of whom don’t knowtheir benefits or aren’t us-ing their benefits for vari-ous reason. During theirtransition into civilian lifethey are aware of certainthings but really not thehome buying process,” Ol-fus said.

“There is a lot of workthat needs to be done toend homelessness. Ourmission is to increase sus-tainable homeownership.We advocate nationally forprograms to reduce barri-ers.”

“We encourage financialinstitutions to make theprocess easier for the vet-eran community. We want

professional membership– real estate professionalsand financial – to be em-powered and understandhow to work with veterans,all about the VA loan. Andwe also collaborate withorganizations for job cre-ation as well,” Olfus said.

The organization con-ducts numerous communi-ty outreach programs. Oneof the larger programs isthe Housing Summit theyhold twice a year. At thesummit financial educa-tion sessions are conduct-ed with attorneys on site toanswer questions and sev-eral banks on hand to runcredit checks and qualifyon the spot for mortgages.

VAREP is hosting aStars and Stripes VeteranCharity Golf Tournamenton May 19 to raise fundsto support their communi-ty outreach programs suchas the housing summit.

Golfers can still sign upfor golf tournament. Theentry fee includes greenfees, a cart fee, driving ball,lunch and tickets to theawards banquet dinner. Ifyou don’t want to golf, butwould like to network, youcan attend the dinner. Acar will be given away for

a hole-in-one.Registration starts at

11:30.In encouraging people

to participate, Olfus added,“You will be contributing toworthy cause. [Homeless-ness] is in our face all thetime; we see homeless peo-ple all the time in this areaand often they aremilitary.

“This event really doeshelp our organization tohelp bring people off thestreets – if come to policyconference in June will seegiving away two homes toveterans – one came to thehousing summit in Decem-ber. They get to realize animmediate return on theirinvestment and have agreat time also.”

To register for theevent, visit www.VAREP.net/StarsandStripes.

The next VAREP Hous-ing Summit is planned forlater summer/fall. If youare interested in learn-ing more, visit VAREP.netand check the local eventscalendar. The organizationis also looking for donatedspace in which to holdthe summit, contact themthrough their website aswell.

VAREP, from page 1

BY LT. COL.GLENN L. LAIRDPHARMACY FLIGHT

COMMANDER

Starting today, ExpressScripts, the TRICAREpharmacy contractor, willscreen all ingredients incompound drug claims toensure they are safe andeffective, and covered byTRICARE. This screeningprocess is similar to thecurrent TRICARE pro-cess for other prescriptiondrugs, but it now appliesto the ingredients in com-pound drugs, as well.

Compound drugs area combination of drug in-gredients prepared by apharmacist for a patient’sindividual needs. TRI-CARE beneficiaries tak-ing a compound drug willsoon receive a letter ex-plaining the new processfor screening compounddrugs, and what stepsthey should follow.

The Defense HealthAgency’s highest priorityis to provide our benefi-

ciaries safe and effectivecare while being respon-sible stewards of taxpayerdollars. Many compounddrugs will still be coveredbecause they include in-gredients proven to besafe, and most beneficia-

ries will experience nodelay in getting their pre-scriptions.

For more informationabout TRICARE cover-age of compound drugs,visit www.tricare.mil/CompoundDrugs.

TRICARE: Compounddrug coverage revised

BOBBY JONES

A779thMedicalSupportSquadronpharmacy techni-ciancountspillsat theMalcolmGrowMedicalClinicsandSurgeryCenterPharmacy. Thepharmacyadminis-tersmore than350,000medicationsannually.

1051007B

Page 5: Andrews 050115

Andrews GazetteFriday, May 1, 2015 5

through the residential areas,people emerged from theirhomes to cheer the studentson. At the conclusion of therace, the participants gath-ered in front of the school forthe awards ceremony.

“Every year this race willget a little better, and I hopeeveryone out here will be herenext year. We’re so gratefulfor you allowing our studentsthat could not move physicallyto be able to participate. Forour first 5K race, you did thedag gone thing,” said PatriceF. Watson, Rieg’s principal.

Jennifer Johnson, ParentsTeachers Organization presi-dent, said, “It was a wonderfulopportunity to get some expo-sure for the school and to givespecials needs students anopportunity to come out andtake part in events of this na-ture,” Johnson said.

The following runners com-peted and placed in the Stu-dent Category: first place: Tay-lor Davis (39 min. 18 sec.), sec-ond place: Brianna Spicer (40min. 28 sec.) and third place:Robert Howre (42 min. 41 sec.).

At the conclusion of theevent, Kevin Alexander, Ain-sley’s Angels president, madea surprise donation of $2,500and two advanced mobilityrunning strollers to support

next year’s race. One of thestrollers was actually used inthe race. Ainsley’s Angels is anonprofit organization gearedtoward supporting specialneeds schools, programs andorganizations.

“We’re really excited to getthe ball rolling with start-upcosts for next year’s event,”said Buxton.

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JONES

Several students, parents and family participants listen to closingremarks of the race.

RACE, from page 1

Patrice Watson, C. ElizabethRieg Regional School principal,congratulates first place winner

BY DOD NEWSDEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

The U.S. has sent an AirForce aircraft to Nepal todeliver personnel and cargoin support of disaster-reliefoperations, according to Pen-tagon spokesman Army Col.Steve Warren.

A 7.9-magnitude earth-quake hit the country April25, reportedly leaving almost2,500 dead, about 6,000 in-jured and thousands morestill missing. In addition,thousands of people are cur-rently reported to be withoutfood, water or shelter.

“This morning at approxi-mately 11:18 a.m., a U.S.Air Force C-17 Globemaster(III) departed from Dover AirForce Base bound for Nepal,”Warren said in a statementreleased April 26. “The air-

craft is transporting nearly 70personnel, including a USAIDDisaster Assistance ResponseTeam, the Fairfax County Ur-ban Search and Rescue teamand several journalists, alongwith 45 square tons of cargo.”

The flight is expected toarrive at Tribhuvan Interna-tional Airport in Kathmandu,Nepal, on April 27, accordingto Warren.

The initial estimated costfor the U.S. Defense Depart-ment’s support is approxi-mately $700,000, and thereare currently no additionalrequests for DOD support, of-ficials said on background.

There are 26 DOD person-nel and one U.S. C-130 Hercu-les in Nepal who were thereto conduct a previously sched-uled training exercise. AllDOD personnel in Nepal areaccounted for, officials said.

AF aircraft sendsdisaster-assistancesupport to Nepal

Pentagon: 45 square tons of cargo, 70people sent to help earthquake victims

1050779

Page 6: Andrews 050115

6 Friday, May 1, 2015

Military spouses arestepping up, from theschool board to the Sen-ate. Instead of just call-ing their Representatives,military spouses are ask-ing, “Why can’t I be theRepresentative?” Home-front Rising encouragesthat mindset and pre-pares military spousesto take the next steps toserving in public officewith a one-day seminaron May 6 at The ArmyNavy Club.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,with registration openingat 8:30, the educationalseminar will provide in-formation and resourcesneeded to pursue roles inlocal, state, and nationalpolitics.

Kathleen Shanahan,who was chief of staff toformer Florida Gov. JebBush, will provide herinsights and advice onhow military spouses canengage in the politicalprocess. Military spouseand former MichiganSecretary of State candi-date Jocelyn Benson will

share her experiencesand encouragement. At-tendees will also hearmessages from currentlyserving military spouses,including U.S. Rep. CathyMcMorris Rodgers andIndiana Senator AmandaBanks.

After the training andencouragement receivedfrom the seminars inWashington, D.C.; Tampa,Florida; and San Diego,California, attendeeshave gone on to work onlocal campaigns, servedon the boards of commu-nity organizations, andengaged in the politicalprocess across the coun-try. Homefront Rising re-turns to D.C. for anothereducational event tailoredspecifically for militaryspouses looking to servein public office.

Homefront Rising is ajoint effort of In Gear Ca-reer for Military Spousesand the Military SpouseJD Network.

– Homefront Rising

Military spouses onthe rise to public office

Prior Homefront Rising attendees participate in acommunications exercise.

JBA AIRMEN HONORED FORAIR FORCE INSTALLATION

EXCELLENCE

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER

The 2015 special recognition nominees receivecertificates during a ceremony at The Courses atAndrews, Joint Base Andrews on April 22.

1039524

Page 7: Andrews 050115

Friday, May 1, 2015 7

Page 8: Andrews 050115

8 Friday, May 1, 2015

1051004