Andrews 050115

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY 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

Servicemembers load relief supplies for victims of

theNepal earthquake into aC-17Globemaster III

from Joint BaseCharleston, S.C., atMarchAir Force

Base, Calif., April 26. TheU.S. Agency of International

Developments relief cargo included eight pallets, 59

LosAngelesCounty Fire Department personnel and

ve 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-

annas French horn solo

during an ensemble festi-

val on April 25.

They were pleasantly

surprised to nd 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 fth-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 Ive nev-

er really had the patience

to nish 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 theyre

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 ber, fun at

OldMaryland 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 doesnt realize

that we are the largest

special needs school in

Prince Georges 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. ElizabethRiegRegional School

principal PatriceWatson lauds the support of Jennifer

Johnson,who isRiegsParents TeachersOrganization

president, KevinAlexander,who is president of Ainsleys

Angels, andPatriciaBuxton, theRace forRiegdirector.

see RACE, page 5

BY LESLIE C. SMITH

STAFF WRITER

Established in 2011, the Veterans Association of

Real Estate Professionals (VAREP) is a nonprot

formed with the mission to increase sustainable

homeownership, nancial literacy,VA loan awareness

and provide economic opportunity for active military

and veteran communities.

Thats our main goal; our vision is to provide pro-

grams and services to veterans. Were always advo-

cating for homeownership and were 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 includedWilliamT. Fauntroy, Jr., a

documented original Tuskegee Airman, who shared

his reections on the trials and the highlights of his

path to becoming a pilot. Acknowledging the many

JROTCmakes live contactwith

International Space Station

see SPACE, page 3

Andrews Gazette

2

Friday, May 1, 2015

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint Military

Publications, 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 endorsement

by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or

the products and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for

purchase, 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, president

mminar@dcmilitary.com

John Rives, publisher

jrives@dcmilitary.com

Tiffany Arnold, page design

tarnold@gazette.net

Leslie Smith, editor

lsmith@dcmilitary.com

Bobby Jones, photographer

bjones@dcmilitary.com

around town

May 2-3

National Harbor Wine and Food Festival

National Harbor, 137 National Plaza, National

Harbor

National Harbor brings together world-renowned

chefs, artisanal craftsmen, and culinary pioneers

with thousands of Metro DCs foodies. For tickets

and more information visit www.wineandfoodnh.

com or www.nationalharbor.com.($)

May 2

16th Annual Harlem Renaissance Festival

10 a.m.-7 p.m.

The Columbia Park/Kentland Community Cen-

ter, 2411 Pinebrook Ave., Landover

The grounds will be lled with music, art, dis-

cussions, poetry, health screenings, vendors and

childrens activities and much more. Free. Call 301-

918-8418 or visit www.pghrf.org/festival.

May 2

Open House on the Waterfront

9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis

Rd., Bladensburg

Kick off the spring season and enjoy a fun day

in the park with free canoeing, kayaking, cycling,

shing rod, and boat rentals. All necessary rental

equipment and materials provided. ID required for

rentals. Rentals available while supplies last. Rent-

al age restrictions still apply. Last free rental will

be at 1 p.m. Free. Call 301-779-0371 or visit www.

pgparks.com.

May 2

4th Annual Bostwick Heritage Festival

10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Bostwick, 3300 48th St., Bladensburg

Take a step back in time to the eve of the early

days of the Port Town Communities and the War

of 1812. Annually, this program includes farm ani-

mals, 1800s style childrens games & activities,

demonstrations of a variety of historic trades and

more. Free admission. Call 301-887-0777 or visit

www.anacostiatrails.org.

May 3

Six Flags America Cinco De Mayo Celebration

Six Flags America, 13710 Central Ave., Bowie

A esta with games, special offers, giveaways

and more, including an Exclusive Ride Time Event!

The celebration continues with the sounds, avors

and fun of Mexico courtesy of Univision! Live music,

festive cultural performances, delicious specialty

foods and cool merchandise, plus celebrity appear-

ances and so much more. ($) Call 301-249-1500 or

visit www.sixags.com/america.

Hot tickets

Dental Screenings

Military retirees and

eligible dependents in the

National Capital Area are

invited to participate in

a dental screening pro-

gram. The 79th Medical

Wings Advanced Educa-

tion in General Dentistry

program at Joint Base

Andrews and Joint Base

Anacostia-Bolling is offer-

ing dental examinations. If

interested, call the Bolling

Retiree Activities Ofce at

202-767-5244, starting at 9

a.m., June 5. Dental techni-

cianswill review the callers

dental history. Selected re-

tirees will be scheduled for

examinations at the Bol-

ling dental clinic, June 12

and at the Andrews clinic,

June 24. Col. Jeffrey Den-

ton, director of residency

training, said they plan to

offer examinations to as

many as 96 people, or 48 at

each location. Those with

conditions determined to

meet the educational needs

of our residents will be con-

sidered for appointments,

probably starting in Octo-

ber and running through

next summer. You can ex-

pect some busy signal,

Denton said. If your call

is picked up by a recorder,

leave your number and the

call will be returned. Tech-

nicians will remain until

all appointments have been

scheduled.

Fraud Protection

Medicare encourages its

members to help themselves

by reporting fraud. Identity

theft happens when some-

one uses your personal in-

formation to commit fraud

or other crimes. Medicare

fraud takes money from the

program, resulting in high-

er health care costs. Report

fraud abuse at 1-800-269-

0271.

No Council

Meeting

The Air Force Retiree

Council, scheduled to meet

this month at Randolph

AFB, Texas, was canceled.

Budget considerations,

responsible for canceling

meetings in 2011 and 2013,

were again believed to be

a contributing factor. The

council was established in

1972 to serve as the Chief

of Staff s liaison with the

retiree community. It is

comprised of co-chairs, 15

members representing geo-

graphical regions and two

at-large positions.Members

oversee retiree activities in

100 base ofces. The RAOs

serve 700,000 Air Force

retirees, their family mem-

bers and 103,000 spouses

enrolled in the Survivor

Benet Plan.

The Retiree Activities

Ofce is open 10 a.m. to 3

p.m., Monday through Fri-

day.Visit the ofce in Build-

ing 1604 at California and

Colorado Avenues or call

301-981-2726. Call before

your visit to ensure a volun-

teer is on duty.The RAOhas

a website at www.andrews.

af.mil.

Retiree Corner

The Prince Georges

County Commission for

Veterans has developed

an online survey for veter-

ans and their families. The

purpose of the survey is to

gather information about

the needs of veterans in

Prince Georges County

and how the county, com-

munity-based organiza-

tions and citizens can help

them.

The Department of

Family Services, which

houses the Commission for

Veterans, is collecting the

information via Google sur-

vey. All surveys are anony-

mous and confidential,

and can be accessed on the

Department of Family Ser-

vices website, www.prince

georgescountymd.gov/sites/

Family/Pages/default.aspx.

Hard copies of the sur-

vey are available at the

Department of Family

Services Ofce, 6420 Allen-

town Road, Camp Springs.

The satellite ofce for the

Maryland Department of

Veterans Affairs, which is

located in the same build-

ing, also has access to hard

copies and electronic ver-

sions.

According the Depart-

ment of Veteran Affairs,

more than 61,000 veter-

ans live in Prince Georges

County - the largest con-

centration in the state.

County Executive Rushern

L. Baker III is looking to

develop an Ofce on Veter-

ans Affairs to assist these

residents.

The Commission for

Veterans meets on the rst

Monday of the month at 6

p.m. The meetings are free

and are open to the pub-

lic. For more information,

please contact Carol-Lynn

Snowden at 301-265-8404.

Prince Georges County

Department of Family

Services

County: Commission for Veterans survey available online

BYPAULAHLBERGAND

CAPT. SHEONTEE FRANK

81STMEDICALOPERATIONS

SQUADRON

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Prevention and Treatment

Program

Heavy drinking is de-

ned as consuming ve or

more standard drinks in one

sitting. It is also considered

high risk drinking due to

the health concerns associ-

atedwith drinking excessive

amounts of alcohol. Many

stories aboutheavydrinking

are glamorized, not publi-

cized,or forgottenaltogether,

so behaviors dont change.

Heres a story that illus-

trates the many problems

and risks associated with

heavy drinking. Can you

pick them out? Have you

been on the Highway to Di-

saster?

It was a perfect day on

theMississippi coast to take

a swim in the pool, so a Kee-

sler Air Force Base Airman

decided to have a party one

Sunday afternoon at his

house.He invited someofhis

buddies over to join him --

the more the merrier. Some

of his buddies invited a few

of their friends to the gath-

ering, which quickly turned

into a party. The Airman

coordinated what everyone

would bring, including a keg

of beer,beerpong toplay,and

music to enjoy.

By 5 p.m., guests arrived

and the designated keg op-

erator was letting the beer

pour freely for everyonewho

wanted it without verifying

the ages of the guests.Other

attendees brought hard li-

quor and many were taking

shots between drinks and

playing beer pong. The host

was tired and had gotten

a little too much sun, so he

went into the house to take

a short nap. Several guests

were hungry so one the

guests drove to get pizzas

from a nearby restaurant.

The impaired driver had

a friend who had not been

drinking as much ride along

with him.The driver had do-

ne this before and had never

been arrested for impaired

driving.

A young female who had

been playing beer pong was

noticeably intoxicated near

the pool. One of the guests

asked her if she was OK,

but she did not respond,

so he yelled for someone to

call 911. Some of the guests

left in a hurry. Meanwhile,

a neighbor called local law

enforcement due to the loud

music and noise.

There were many mis-

takes made throughout the

course of the afternoon and

theconsequencesweregreat.

This scenario identied is-

sues of underage drinking,

contributing alcohol to mi-

nors,public intoxication,and

driving under the inuence.

Most importantly this sce-

nario illustrates the lack of

wingmanship.

Here are tips for respon-

sible party planning:

zPlan ahead.

z Have a non-drinking

designated driver.

zLimit drinking.

z Check identication to

prevent underage drinking.

zBe a responsible host.

z Provide food, activity

and oversight.

z Offer water and non-

alcoholic beverages.

z Leave your vehicle at

home.

zKnow your guests.

z Ensure guests have a

safe way home.

z Remember 0-0-1-3.

That means 0 underage

drinking, 0 drinking and

driving, 1 drink per hour, no

more than 3 drinks per sit-

ting.

z Call a taxi or Airman

Against Drunk Driving at

your installation for a safe

ride home.

Commentary

Heavy drinking: Highway to disaster

Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 1, 2015

3

BY SENIOR AIRMAN

MARIAH HADDENHAM

11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Approximately 150 run-

ners participated in the

third annual Joint Base

Andrews Half-Marathon on

April 18.

The race ended with an

awards ceremony hosted

by Col. Hoagland, who also

participated in the race

Seasoned runners and rst-

timers competed.

This was my rst time

running this particular

race, said Airman 1st Class

Joshua Islas, 11th Wing

Staff Agency administra-

tion technician. I just love

running. I have run two full

marathons and a few other

small marathons, but I will

denitely be running this

half-marathon next year.

The event coincided with

the Amazing Base Fam-

ily Festival, which included

family entertainment and

food. We came to support

my husband who is running

the half marathon, but we

also got to enjoy the activi-

ties and spend family time

with him after he crossed

the nish line, said Adri-

ana Odusanya, an Air Force

spouse.

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-marathon

held at JBA and the race had approximately 150 participants. First place runners in the men and womens category were Philip Blong, with

a time of 1:22:41, and Mary Kay Robinson, with a time of 1:39:32.

events he had seen in his

lifetime and the numer-

ous opportunities that lie

ahead for the youth in-

volved in the program, he

concluded, You dont know

how proud I am of what

youre about to do.

Were just so enthused

that the young people not

only have the opportunity

but take advantage of the

opportunity to prepare

themselves for the future

in aviation. Its one of

those things that God has

blessed me to be here to

talk to young people; and

what we say will impress

them to the point that

whatever dream they have

they can succeed, Faun-

troy said.

Major Anderson,

shared, I was really im-

pressed by what I saw

today. I consider myself

and Faunteroy as pio-

neers of past history, but

what I saw today were the

pioneers of future history.

These cadets made me

think these could be our

future astronauts; and Im

just glad to be here today

to witness that and to be a

part of it.

Being 90 years of age I

consider it a great blessing

to let the children know

they can be anything they

want to be these days; they

dont have the same barri-

ers to overcome; the eld is

wide open now, Anderson

concluded.

As students from the

Oxon Hill High School sat

in the audience, 12 cadets

from AFJROTC had the

opportunity to ask ques-

tions of Italian European

Space Agency Astronaut

Samanatha Cristoforetti

the the rst Italian wom-

an in space. The students

had 10minutes in which to

ask their questions as the

station passed over Green-

belt. She answered their

questions ranging from

her journey to becoming

an astronaut to daily life

on the ISS, to technical

and scientic questions re-

garding the ISS.

The participants are

part of the JROTC Avia-

tion Program, in conjunc-

tion with the East Coast

Chapter of the Tuskegee

Airmen Inc. One of the

students who soloed pi-

loted an airplane in the

program, Cadet/2Lt. Mon-

ika Talastas, shared her

thoughts about the days

event, I think it was a

really good experience. I

think it was really impor-

tant.

Technology and space

is something that is al-

ways advancing. I think

it was really cool, said

Talastas, who is headed to

school for mechanical engi-

neering with an aerospace

concentration.

Im just blessed, Ca-

det/CMSgt Hannah An-

breal Monroe expressed.

I am beyond happy. It was

overwhelming; it was so

enjoyable.

I think its a very good

experience, not many

schools get to do it. I think

its great that we Oxon

Hill got a chance to do it.

It was great for exposing

the students to the STEM

elds. We have a lot of

STEM programs here; but

we get to see it in action.

They get to see what they

might want to be a part of

as they explore what they

want to do with their ca-

reer, said Cadet Col. Ter-

rence Christian.

I was already inter-

ested in the engineering

eld; now I think I want to

change to something aero-

space related, Christian

added.

I never heard of this

happening, once they came

to our school we all jumped

on board and we were very

interested. I think the

school got something out

it; all the cadets were very

eager to come and watch

us make contact with the

International Space Sta-

tion, said Christian.

This experience means

a lot because when I was

little I always thought

about space and getting to

talk to someone in space. It

was really incredible, said

Cadet Lt. Col Aric Catim-

bang If you work hard you

get to do special things like

this.

Col. Marc Branche, Se-

nior Aerospace Instruc-

tor AF JRTOC, shared, I

think they did a great job.

I thought today went very

well. I think, it was a good

example to the students,

the parents and every-

body who came, as well as,

those that tapped into the

live stream, the technology

that can be used to talk to

people so far away going so

fast. The fact that you can

talk to an astronaut live in

space is actually fantastic;

and that is the same type

of technology that can be

used when they go further

perhaps even Mars.

The event was spon-

sored by NASA, Radio

Amateur Satellite Corpo-

ration (AMSAT-NA) Amer-

ican Radio Relay League

and Prince Georges Coun-

ty Public Schools.

LESLIE C. SMITH

The East Coast Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, one of the sponsors of the days

event, were on hand to experience the live contact between the International

Space Station and students from Oxon Hill AF JROTC Aviation Program.

SPACE, from page 1

Andrews Gazette

4

Friday, May 1, 2015

signed to familiarize the

public with the farming

experience.

Patrice Gribble-Fetter,

Maryland-National Capi-

tal Park & Planning Com-

mission Park Naturalist,

noted the Shearing Day

event is held every year

on the third Saturday in

April.

We have to shear our

animals by the end of

April because they start

getting hot with the sum-

mer coming. We get all

the heavy wool off that

kept them warm during

the winter and make sure

theyre nice and cool for

the summer, said Fetter.

Its also a great way of

bringing people out to the

farm in the springtime

and show them tradition-

al farming methods, like

growing vegetables and

fruits for the animals and

just having a good time,

said Fetter.

The farm also boasts a

bee and buttery gardens

for programs and produce

and herb gardens. We

used to grow tobacco, but

we still grow cotton, which

can be seen in some of our

displays. Were hoping to

get more people to come

out next year.

Fetter who has a bach-

elors degree in animal

science from the Univer-

sity of Maryland, associ-

ate degrees in biology and

teaching, noted she al-

ways wanted to teach kids

and work with animals.

Those degrees work

together and enable me

to do both, said Fetter,

who once worked in the

Australian exhibit at the

National Aquarium in

Baltimore as a biological

technician. But I really

enjoy coming to work here

more. Ive been here since

2001.

Fetter stressed while

the facility is free and

open to the public, it is an

educational facility, not a

petting zoo or a produc-

tion farm.

We dont send our ani-

mals out to market. For

the most part our animals

stay here until theyre old

and gray. To that advan-

tage we do a lot of school

programs, special needs

programs and we have a

lot of visitors who come

in and interact with the

animals, which we moni-

tor for the safety of the

animals and the visitors,

Fetter said.

Each of us has differ-

ent backgrounds. One of

our staff members has cer-

tication in therapeutic

riding, working with the

disabled, Fetter added.

Therapeutic riding uses

equine-assisted activities

for the purpose of contrib-

uting positively to cogni-

tive, physical, emotional

and social well-being of

people with disabilities.

Jess Hardy, our sheep

shearer, has a degree from

Delaware Valley Univer-

sity in agriculture and a

life-time of sheep expe-

rience. We have a small

staff of professionals, Fet-

ter said.

Originally the Old

Maryland facility was

used by the Maryland

Park Police Mounted

units who had their hors-

es in the stables located

on the grounds in the ear-

ly 1970s.

Today, the facility

serves as an educational

facility, 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 in

feeding the animals Tues-

day through Sunday at

noon. Its free and open

to the public, Tuesday

through Friday, 10 am-

2:30 p.m. Sat-Sun 11:30

a.m.-4:30 p.m. The farm

also offers birthday par-

ties, pony rides, hay rides,

and farm demonstrations.

For more information

about Old Maryland Farm

events, call 301-218-6770.

FIBER, from page 1

one veteran at a time, said

Christine Olfus, VAREP

government Affairs.

At the VAREP Annual

conference, with chapters

from across the country in

attendance, participants

travel to Capitol Hill to

meet with their congress-

man and senators.

We would like to be

the voice that is missing;

we want them to see how

veterans are existing

many of whom dont know

their benets or arent us-

ing their benets for vari-

ous reason. During their

transition into civilian life

they are aware of certain

things but really not the

home buying process, Ol-

fus said.

There is a lot of work

that needs to be done to

end homelessness. Our

mission is to increase sus-

tainable homeownership.

We advocate nationally for

programs to reduce barri-

ers.

We encourage nancial

institutions to make the

process easier for the vet-

eran community. We want

professional membership

real estate professionals

and nancial to be em-

powered and understand

how to work with veterans,

all about the VA loan. And

we also collaborate with

organizations for job cre-

ation as well, Olfus said.

The organization con-

ducts numerous communi-

ty outreach programs. One

of the larger programs is

the Housing Summit they

hold twice a year. At the

summit financial educa-

tion sessions are conduct-

ed with attorneys on site to

answer questions and sev-

eral banks on hand to run

credit checks and qualify

on the spot for mortgages.

VAREP is hosting a

Stars and Stripes Veteran

Charity Golf Tournament

on May 19 to raise funds

to support their communi-

ty outreach programs such

as the housing summit.

Golfers can still sign up

for golf tournament. The

entry fee includes green

fees, a cart fee, driving ball,

lunch and tickets to the

awards banquet dinner. If

you dont want to golf, but

would like to network, you

can attend the dinner. A

car 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 to

worthy cause. [Homeless-

ness] is in our face all the

time; we see homeless peo-

ple all the time in this area

and often they aremilitary.

This event really does

help our organization to

help bring people off the

streets if come to policy

conference in June will see

giving away two homes to

veterans one came to the

housing summit in Decem-

ber. They get to realize an

immediate return on their

investment and have a

great time also.

To register for the

event, visit www.VAREP.

net/StarsandStripes.

The next VAREP Hous-

ing Summit is planned for

later summer/fall. If you

are interested in learn-

ing more, visit VAREP.net

and check the local events

calendar. The organization

is also looking for donated

space in which to hold

the summit, contact them

through their website as

well.

VAREP, from page 1

BY LT. COL.

GLENN L. LAIRD

PHARMACY FLIGHT

COMMANDER

Starting today, Express

Scripts, the TRICARE

pharmacy contractor, will

screen all ingredients in

compound drug claims to

ensure they are safe and

effective, and covered by

TRICARE. This screening

process is similar to the

current TRICARE pro-

cess for other prescription

drugs, but it now applies

to the ingredients in com-

pound drugs, as well.

Compound drugs are

a combination of drug in-

gredients prepared by a

pharmacist for a patients

individual needs. TRI-

CARE beneciaries tak-

ing a compound drug will

soon receive a letter ex-

plaining the new process

for screening compound

drugs, and what steps

they should follow.

The Defense Health

Agencys highest priority

is to provide our bene-

ciaries safe and effective

care while being respon-

sible stewards of taxpayer

dollars. Many compound

drugs will still be covered

because they include in-

gredients proven to be

safe, and most benecia-

ries will experience no

delay in getting their pre-

scriptions.

For more information

about TRICARE cover-

age of compound drugs,

visit www.tricare.mil/Com

poundDrugs.

TRICARE: Compound

drug coverage revised

BOBBY JONES

A779thMedicalSupportSquadronpharmacy techni-

ciancountspillsat theMalcolmGrowMedicalClinics

andSurgeryCenterPharmacy. Thepharmacyadminis-

tersmore than350,000medicationsannually.

1051007B

Andrews Gazette

Friday, May 1, 2015

5

through the residential areas,

people emerged from their

homes to cheer the students

on. At the conclusion of the

race, the participants gath-

ered in front of the school for

the awards ceremony.

Every year this race will

get a little better, and I hope

everyone out here will be here

next year. Were so grateful

for you allowing our students

that could not move physically

to be able to participate. For

our first 5K race, you did the

dag gone thing, said Patrice

F. Watson, Riegs principal.

Jennifer Johnson, Parents

Teachers Organization presi-

dent, said, It was a wonderful

opportunity to get some expo-

sure for the school and to give

specials needs students an

opportunity to come out and

take part in events of this na-

ture, Johnson said.

The following runners com-

peted and placed in the Stu-

dent Category: rst place: Tay-

lor Davis (39 min. 18 sec.), sec-

ond place: Brianna Spicer (40

min. 28 sec.) and third place:

Robert Howre (42 min. 41 sec.).

At the conclusion of the

event, Kevin Alexander, Ain-

sleys Angels president, made

a surprise donation of $2,500

and two advanced mobility

running strollers to support

next years race. One of the

strollers was actually used in

the race. Ainsleys Angels is a

nonprofit organization geared

toward supporting special

needs schools, programs and

organizations.

Were really excited to get

the ball rolling with start-up

costs for next years event,

said Buxton.

PHOTOS BY BOBBY JONES

Several students, parents and family participants listen to closing

remarks of the race.

RACE, from page 1

PatriceWatson,C. Elizabeth

RiegRegional School principal,

congratulates rst placewinner

BY DOD NEWS

DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

The U.S. has sent an Air

Force aircraft to Nepal to

deliver personnel and cargo

in support of disaster-relief

operations, according to Pen-

tagon spokesman Army Col.

Steve Warren.

A 7.9-magnitude earth-

quake hit the country April

25, reportedly leaving almost

2,500 dead, about 6,000 in-

jured and thousands more

still missing. In addition,

thousands of people are cur-

rently reported to be without

food, water or shelter.

This morning at approxi-

mately 11:18 a.m., a U.S.

Air Force C-17 Globemaster

(III) departed from Dover Air

Force Base bound for Nepal,

Warren said in a statement

released April 26. The air-

craft is transporting nearly 70

personnel, including a USAID

Disaster Assistance Response

Team, the Fairfax County Ur-

ban Search and Rescue team

and several journalists, along

with 45 square tons of cargo.

The flight is expected to

arrive at Tribhuvan Interna-

tional Airport in Kathmandu,

Nepal, on April 27, according

to Warren.

The initial estimated cost

for the U.S. Defense Depart-

ments support is approxi-

mately $700,000, and there

are currently no additional

requests 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 there

to conduct a previously sched-

uled training exercise. All

DOD personnel in Nepal are

accounted for, officials said.

AF aircraft sends

disaster-assistance

support to Nepal

Pentagon:45square tonsofcargo,70

peoplesent tohelpearthquakevictims

1050779

6Friday, May 1, 2015

Military spouses are

stepping up, from the

school board to the Sen-

ate. Instead of just call-

ing their Representatives,

military spouses are ask-

ing, Why cant I be the

Representative? Home-

front Rising encourages

that mindset and pre-

pares military spouses

to take the next steps to

serving in public office

with a one-day seminar

on May 6 at The Army

Navy Club.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,

with registration opening

at 8:30, the educational

seminar will provide in-

formation and resources

needed to pursue roles in

local, state, and national

politics.

Kathleen Shanahan,

who was chief of staff to

former Florida Gov. Jeb

Bush, will provide her

insights and advice on

how military spouses can

engage in the political

process. Military spouse

and former Michigan

Secretary of State candi-

date Jocelyn Benson will

share her experiences

and encouragement. At-

tendees will also hear

messages from currently

serving military spouses,

including U.S. Rep. Cathy

McMorris Rodgers and

Indiana Senator Amanda

Banks.

After the training and

encouragement received

from the seminars in

Washington, D.C.; Tampa,

Florida; and San Diego,

California, attendees

have gone on to work on

local campaigns, served

on the boards of commu-

nity organizations, and

engaged in the political

process across the coun-

try. Homefront Rising re-

turns to D.C. for another

educational event tailored

specifically for military

spouses looking to serve

in public ofce.

Homefront Rising is a

joint effort of In Gear Ca-

reer for Military Spouses

and the Military Spouse

JD Network.

Homefront Rising

Military spouses on

the rise to public ofce

Prior Homefront Rising attendees participate in a

communications exercise.

JBA AIRMEN HONORED FOR

AIR FORCE INSTALLATION

EXCELLENCE

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

The 2015 special recognition nominees receive

certicates during a ceremony at The Courses at

Andrews, Joint Base Andrews on April 22.

1039524

Friday, May 1, 2015

7

8Friday, May 1, 2015

1051004