Joint Base Journal · Joint Base Journal ... 24-28. sc-cs 14 is a force Protection ... Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield Exercise 2014 Underway for Naval District Washington

Joint Base Journal

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News and information for and about the premier Joint Base and its region

Vol. 5, No. 6 Febrary 14, 2014

INSIDESolid Curtain-Citadel Shield Exercise 2014 Underway for Naval District Washington

Page 2

St. Michael’s Cath-olic community

reflects and looks ahead to 2014

Page 3

Priceless Navy artwork returns

home

Page 4

By Paul Bello

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling

PuBlic affairs

WasHington – since the beginning of february, civilians on Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) have been allowed to par-ticipate in a physical fitness pro-gram while on the clock. the pilot program offers different levels of fitness for a period of three hours a week to be done strictly on the installation.

the program is the vision of JBaB commander navy capt. anthony t. calandra, who likens the process to what’s currently in place for service members. ca-landra plans on continuing the program for the rest of the month to see how many people are inter-ested or actually participate.

“i think it’s really beneficial for our civilian workforce. We’re going to see what the response is like,” calandra said. “since i came aboard as commander, we’ve lost six people to health-

related deaths. something needs to be done to prevent that from continuing.”

through the installation’s Health and Wellness center (HaWc), located in the back of fitness center i, civilians can get started on working towards a healthier lifestyle. first step is to call and make an appointment for a baseline health assessment with Janet grund, health promo-tion manager at the HaWc. an assessment is needed in order to determine any risk factors for individuals, in addition to provid-ing nutritional information for the road ahead.

“there’s a pre-participation questionnaire that needs to be completed by the individual to determine the appropriate level of participation,” grund said. “if someone is considered a high risk, they will be referred to their primary physician for written ap-

Physical fitness program extended to civilian workforce

U.S. Navy photo By paUl Bello

Since the beginning of February, civilians on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) have been allowed to partici-pate in a physical fitness program. The pilot program offers different levels of fitness for a period of three hours. See FitNeSS, Page 7

By Paul BelloJoint Base anacostia-Bolling

PuBlic affairs

WasHington – Volunteering to work an extra shift christmas Day is typical of isabel navarro-Bledsoe, a part-time recreation aide at Joint Base anacostia-Bol-ling (JBaB) fitness center i. she’s friendly and always willing to help out her co-workers and guests the best she can. it’s that kind of dedication and customer service that got her recognized recently by both air force and navy lead-ership.

the fitness center was initially scheduled to be closed christmas Day. a decision was made, howev-er, to open for four hours. Bledsoe

- the team player that she is - vol-unteered to work alone that day so her co-workers could stay home with their families. Her husband, Michael, had to work a 12-hour shift at his job, so she didn’t mind coming in and doing that for ser-vice members.

“a lot of people who come here are health junkies. it was nice to see them come in. some with their own families,” Bledsoe said. “You think christmas is all about open-ing gifts, but they came in to do something together. it was really nice to see.”

Bledsoe went about her busi-ness as normal. opening the cen-ter and turning on machines, re-stocking towels in the locker room,

cleaning up the sauna and greeting visitors. During her shift she met a very special guest, air force Vice chief of staff gen. larry spencer. He thanked Bledsoe for her work and said it was important to him that military personnel had a place to go and something to do for the holiday, especially those who couldn’t travel to see their own families.

about two weeks later, spencer and Bledsoe would meet again. this time when he came to the fit-ness center to personally present her with a challenge coin in recog-nition of her outstanding service to military members just like him.

Recreation aide receives praise for job well done


Isabel Navarro-Bledsoe was recently recognized for her outstanding cus-tomer service as a recreation aide at Fitness Center I.See RecReatioN, Page 9

2 Friday, February 14, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

Story By MaSS CoMMuniCa-tion SPeCialiSt 2nd ClaSS

Pedro a. rodrigueznDW PuBlic affairs

Preparations for force Protec-tion and anti-terrorism exercise solid curtain-citadel shield (sc/cs 14) 2014 are well underway. Personnel should expect increased security measures at navy installa-tions throughout Washington, D.c., Maryland and Virginia starting feb. 24-28.

sc-cs 14 is a force Protection exercise conducted by command-er, u.s. fleet forces command (usff) and commander, navy in-stallations command (cnic) on all navy installations in the conti-nental united states to enhance the training and readiness of navy se-curity personnel as well as establish a learning environment for security personnel to exercise functional plans and operational capabilities.

“the goal of this year’s solid curtain-citadel shield is to drive decision making at all levels of command through immediate analysis, fusion and enunciation of threat indicators and warnings,” said Joseph goldsberry, nDW lead exercise planner. “We will test and assess our pre-emptive and defense in depth measures based upon a variety of threats across the region.”

solid curtain is an exercise fo-cused on command, control, and communication (c3) between all echelons navy wide. citadel shield is an installation-level training ex-ercise to test the ability of naval se-curity forces during an emergency.

“the protection of our personnel, mission and critical infrastructure has always been our primary goal,” said goldsberry. “this year, we are also concentrating on the recovery phase of operations.”

the elevation of force Protec-tion conditions (fPcons) and increased security measures can be anticipated at all navy installa-tions for the duration of the exer-cise. While mitigations to alleviate

traffic are in place, installations, and base tenant commands are en-couraged to highlight the potential for base-access delays within their local communities to visitors, retir-ees, the workforce, sailors and their families.

During the sc-cs14 exercise, installation personnel and the sur-rounding communities may see an increase in delay at installation en-try control points.

local area residents may also see increased military activity, and pos-sible traffic/pedestrian congestion, associated with the exercise.

goldsberry said that his team will be looking for ways to utilize all security and emergency resources in a crisis faster and efficiently. “this way, we can provide resourc-es to our personnel and restore our critical missions as fast as possible,” said goldsberry.

some of the training events that will be taking place are waterfront threats, personnel trying to gain un-authorized access to installations, among others.

“nDW does an excellent job training to our mission. Yet, we are always looking for ways to improve our plans, policies and response,” said goldsberry. “as in exercises past, after this exercise we will col-lect lessons learned from our staff. the lessons learned will include things we think we did right and things we think we can improve on. We will use these lessons learned to build upon. this year is no dif-ferent, we expect to improve over last year and find things to improve upon during the next exercise.”

Personnel should register for the atHoc wide area alert network if they have not already done so in or-der to be aware of force protection conditions and other emergency, environmental, or exercise related impacts on the area. staggered entry and exit times for personnel working on installations should be considered in order to limit traffic at entry control points. Personnel should also familiarize themselves with their command or tenant com-mand anti-terrorism plan to better know what to expect during the ex-ercise.

for more news from naval Dis-trict Washington, visit www.navy.mil/local/ndw/.

for more information on events happening in nDW, visit www.face-book.com/navDistWash.

Visit or new website at www.navdistwash.org

Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield Exercise 2014 Underway for Naval District Washington

By lt. CMdr. Shaletha Moran

cHief of naVal Personnel

PuBlic affairs

as announced by naVaDMin 016/14 released Jan. 27, the navy joins our nation in celebrating the vibrant history and culture of af-rican-american and Black sailors during african-american/Black History Month throughout the month of february.

established in 1926 as negro History Week, President gerald r. ford expanded the celebration in 1976 to include the entire month of february. this year, navy com-mands are encouraged to celebrate and reflect on the theme “civil rights in america.”

african-american sailors have a legacy of honorable service that permeates our naval history through every major armed conflict since the revolutionary War. Dur-ing the civil War, african-ameri-can sailors fought on every kind of union warship, accounting for 10 to 24 percent of each ship’s crew, and included eight Medal of Honor re-cipients.

During World War ii, the gold-en thirteen were an example of african-americans breaking new ground in the navy and in ameri-can society. in february 1944, 12 prior-enlisted black servicemen were commissioned as ensigns and a 13th was made a warrant officer. they were the first group of black

servicemen to complete officer training in the navy and led the way for future african-americans. these 13 officers not only made a contribution to the navy during World War ii, but to society as well. By the end of the war, 64 african-americans had become officers in the navy.

striving for equality at home and blazing a trail for future african-

american sailors, Wesley a. Brown became the first black graduate of the united states naval academy in 1949, joining the navy’s civil engineer corps and retiring at the rank of lieutenant commander. He passed away May 22, 2012 after a distinguished career both in the navy and in the civilian workforce.

edna Young was the first black woman to enlist in the regular navy

and later the first black woman to achieve the rank of chief petty of-ficer. Young joined the navy after the passage of the Women’s armed services integration act July 7, 1948.

in December 1996, adm. J. Paul reason became the first black na-val officer to wear four stars and assumed command of the atlantic fleet, comprising nearly 200 war-ships, 1,400 aircraft, and 122,000 service men and women based at 18 major shore facilities.

Vice adm. Michelle Howard is recognized for many first accom-plishments, including the recog-nition as the first female united states naval academy graduate to be promoted to the rank of admiral, the first black female to command a combatant ship, and the first black female promoted to two-star and three-star admiral. she has also been confirmed by the senate to serve as Vice chief of naval opera-tions, the service’s no. 2 uniformed officer. she will be the first black and first woman to hold the job and the first female four-star admiral.

these outstanding examples of african-american sailors are just a handful of those marking history with firsts and distinguishing the navy as a force for freedom and equality.

african-americans continue to serve with distinction, now com-prising more than 17 percent of our active duty navy total force end-strength. sailors and their com-

mands are encouraged to use this month to celebrate and recognize the exceptional and distinctive con-tributions and the unique histories and cultures that our african-amer-ican shipmates bring to our navy.

More information on the many milestones achieved by black sail-ors and the history of the african-american navy experience can be found at the naval History and Heritage command at http://www.history.navy.mil/special%20high-lights/africanamerican/african-hist.htm. a full-color brochure on the history of african-americans in the united states navy is also avail-able for download through the na-val History and Heritage command link.

a complete educational pre-sentation, including a download-able educational poster on african american/Black History month, can be requested from the Defense equal opportunity Management institute (DeoMi) by email at [email protected].

More information on navy di-versity events, including the ob-servance of african-american/Black History Month, can be found on the navy office of Diversity and inclusion calendar at http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/support/21st_century_sailor/di-versity/Pages/default2.aspx.

for more news from chief of na-val Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.

Navy Celebrates 2014 African American/Black History Month

photo By Mc1 tiM coMeRFoRd

Vice Adm. Michelle Howard, left, is recognized for many first accomplish-ments, including the recognition as the first female United States Naval Academy graduate to be promoted to the rank of admiral, the first black female to command a combatant ship, and the first black female pro-moted to two-star and three-star admiral. She has also been confirmed by the Senate to serve as Vice Chief of Naval Operations, the service’s No. 2 uniformed officer. She will be the first black and first woman to hold the job and the first female four-star admiral.

photo By Mc2 KioNa MilleR, NdW pUBlic aFFaiRS

Naval District Washington is conducting Force Protection and Anti-Terrorism Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2014 starting Feb. 24 through Feb 28 to enhance the training and readiness of Navy security personnel. Personnel to (can) expect increased security measures at Navy Installations throughout Washington, D.C., Mary-land and Virginia.

3Friday, February 14, 2014Joint Base Journal Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

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By edward MayS

Joint Base anacostia-Bolling catHolic

Pastoral council

WasHington–in December 2013, archbishop timothy P. Broglio, the arch-bishop of the archdiocese for the Military services, usa.,visited the st. Michael the archangel catholic community at Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB) and cel-ebrated mass.

the sanctuary was filled with parishio-ners who worshiped god and celebrated the “surprise” visit by their shepherd. He discussed the present and future with fa-ther larry smith.

the archbishop’s visit was multifac-eted. the archbishop celebrated mass and had an opportunity share in fellowship with members of the catholic community. archbishop Broglio reiterated his convic-tion, “i promise to offer the best i have to the faithful who have been entrusted to my pastoral care.”

father larry smith said, we are keeping faith with JBaB commander, navy capt. anthony t. calandra’s guidance and the archbishop’s promise. the seasons of ad-vent and christmas are when military per-sonnel and their families need community the most. Here are a few things accom-plished in 2013:

“We jointly sponsored with the Protes-tant community the angel tree. the angel tree provides a source of additional christ-mas joy for military personnel in these tough economic times. in addition, the an-gel tree supports the less fortunate, many of whom are immediately outside our gates in southeast, D.c.,” smith said. “the an-

gel tree supports both Helping Hands and Missionaries of charity. additionally, our community helped with soup kitchens and many worthy causes in the area. We pro-vided resources to assist with disaster re-lief efforts at home and abroad – especially those impacted by typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.”

the catholic community also partici-pated in its annual christmas cantata, led by gee soo Hall of the Protestant commu-nity. the christmas cantata culminates with music presented to personnel resid-ing in the armed forces retirement Home, Washington, Dc. Jacqueline armstrong, catholic choir Director, led its children’s

christmas caroling and lenten tenebrae service (i.e., cantata), in preparation for the easter season.

John and Mary goodwin, government civilians in the community, also led the purchase and installation of new play-ground equipment at a local convent in southeast, Dc. the JBaB, st. Michael’s Knights of columbus, led by ltc ryan roseberry, us army, recently supported Wreaths across america (wreath laying at arlington cemetery) and the purchase and delivery of over sixty-six coats under the coats for Kids Program. support was also given to the archdiocese for the Military services (aMs) usa, co-sponsored semi-narian Program. the JBaB chapel catholic community and Knights of columbus con-tributed over $2,000 in support of semi-narians – we have a great need for priests, smith said.

in addition to these tremendous acts, tim Wolfkill, a retired u.s. navy cmdr., led support for the annual Pilgrimage for the sea services that includes personnel from the navy, Marine corps, coast guard, Merchant Marine, and the u.s. Public Health service. notable attendees were the Vice chief of naval operations, adm. Mark ferguson, and the assistant com-mandant of the Marine corps, gen. John M. Paxton, Jr.”

“the doors of faith are open. Pope francis, has said, that our meeting with Jesus takes place when we do good to oth-ers, Broglio said during fellowship. “What i have found here is good – we are support-ing our military personnel and the less for-tunate in our midst. let’s make 2014 even better.”

St. Michael’s Catholic community reflects and looks ahead to 2014

U.S. Navy photo By JohN GoodWiN

The St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Community at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) recently celebrated Mass with Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, the Archbishop of the Arch-diocese for the Military Services, USA; and participated in a variety of events to assist the needy and honor our veterans.

How do you want to get your news and information? naval District Washington is asking for your input about how you prefer to get news and information about work related topics.

the online survey takes about 10 minutes

to complete and is found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QgWQQ3Q

it is also available at www.facebook.com/navDistWash and www.navdistwash.org. for more information, please contact: [email protected] or [email protected].

Survey needs your input

Store hours during President’s Day weekend:feb. 15 - saturday: 8 a.m - 10 p.m.feb. 16 - sunday: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.feb 17 - President’s Day- 10:00 a.m. - 6 p.m.

JBAB AAFES Express

By JoSePh P. Cirone


PuBlic affairs

WasHington – Volunteer tax prepa-ration is now available at naval District Washington’s region legal service office (rlso) - legal assistance office at Joint Base anacostia-Bolling (JBaB).

the rlso announced that the trained volunteers will help eligible personnel file

their 2013 tax return from a self-service terminal located in JBaB’s Headquarters Building, P-20.

from the terminal, tax returns may be filed, without cost, directly to the internal revenue service’s e-file system.

the number of computer terminals is limited, thus reservations are required. appointments are available on tuesdays, Wednesdays and fridays until april 15, by calling 202-767-7588.

Tax preparation assistance and E-File now available at Joint Base


By MaSS CoMMuniCationS SPeCialiSt 1St ClaSS

tiM CoMerfordnaVal HistorY anD Heritage

coMManD coMMunication anD

outreacH DiVision

WasHington (nns) -- the feb. 7 release of “the Monuments Men,” a movie telling the story of a multi-national WWii military unit that was charged with recovering priceless artwork that nazis sys-tematically took or destroyed from countries they occupied during the war, portrays the value the military placed on irreplaceable art and ar-tifacts. it’s a value that holds true today.

though the nazi Party of ger-many may have been the most notorious of art thieves, they were neither the first nor the last to rec-ognize the value of art. though the Monuments Men story may be ‘Hollywood-ized’ - the illegal acquisition of art continues today, said gale Munro, head curator of the naval History and Heritage command’s (nHHc) navy art col-lection. in fact, it has happened with artworks in the navy’s col-lection, but -- through a little luck, but mostly through determination -- she and her team have been suc-cessful in the recovery of missing original pieces.

“it’s a topic that really gets me on my soapbox and i’m not too likely to pull any punches when talking about some of the expe-riences we’ve had with chasing down misappropriated art and ir-responsible borrowers,” Munro said. “We might wish to call it ‘sto-len art,’ but we make allowances for the possibility of a misunder-standing.”

unlike the soldiers in the mov-ie, Munro isn’t limited to arcane records and maps or stolen intel-ligence to try and find the artwork that has been lost; she uses more modern tools.

“the internet and online auc-tions are useful things for muse-ums looking for misappropriated art,” Munro said. “a lot of auction houses are putting their catalogs online these days, so it has ex-panded my surfing area. i have several search criteria that make the task efficient. Having worked with navy art for more than 20 years, i’m pretty good at spotting them.”

Her first experience in finding a lost piece was when she saw an oil painting from 1943 called ‘Wind-ward Hill’ by albert Murray being sold on the eBay website, more than 11 years ago.

“the painting of camouflaged anti-aircraft batteries at guanta-namo Bay was the first missing painting that i found on eBay in 2001,” Munro explained. “our ear-liest record of it being missing was dated 1970, but it was likely gone long before then. it was easy to prove it was ours, because the first thing the combat art section did when artists turned in paintings was to number them right on the front, usually next to the signature. often the second thing they did was take a picture of it. Most art-ists wrote descriptive captions that they sent in with the pictures. for this painting, the number on the front of the painting corresponded to the caption that described the scene.”

once artwork is found, the navy art collection division then prompts law enforcement agen-

cies to help retrieve the object and determine rightful ownership.

“the auction houses don’t want to talk to curators,” Munro said. “they want to hear from law en-forcement. for the recovery of that first painting, which somehow had made it all the way to new Jersey, a very nice united states attorney did the honors. a naval criminal investigative service (ncis) agent went with him to make it official.”

once a work of art is at auc-tion, the recovery process has to be quick in order to retrieve the artwork in time. it can be stressful for a person like Munro who lives and breathes the collection she is in charge of.

“recoveries are a bit nerve-wracking because the fact that they’re in an auction puts things on a deadline,” Munro said. “re-covery can get a lot messier if the painting changes hands again. to decrease the pain to all involved, you want to get it before it sells. if it changes hands again, you know you are going to ruin someone’s day over this. it truly is a case of ‘buyer beware’ on the art market.”

“after the first recovery, i would have been just as happy if another had never appeared,” she admit-ted.

Munro’s second recovery of an auctioned painting belonging to the navy was helped by a stroke of luck.

“By chance, i saw the auction the same day i was hanging pic-tures in a high-level Pentagon of-fice,” she said. “the appreciative incumbent said, ‘if there’s any-thing i can ever do for you...’ so i asked for help getting the auc-tion stopped. By the end of the day ncis was on red alert. the

field agent who handled it in the end told me that the bosses were planning a sting operation until a field agent said ‘let’s just go knock on the seller’s door and see what happens.’ the seller was very un-derstanding, she said that she’d bought it in a yard sale and gave it up immediately.”

the painting, “castelmarre, Bay of naples,” a watercolor by albert Murray, had been listed as missing prior to 1969.

since then, she has reacquired three more pieces of art. one of them was retrieved from a govern-ment employee who claimed to have “no idea” that the gift they were given was taken from a mili-tary collection.

“He said that his staff had given it to him as a going-away present,” Munro explained. “Which brings us to another point about misap-propriated property -- you can’t pass a bad title. if you don’t own something, no matter how many times it changes hands, owner-ship of the item doesn’t magically become legal at some point, even if you have a credible tale to cover you.”

sometimes she has been sur-prised, when artworks are found in offices, for example.

“all of a sudden we will get a call from an office and they’ll say, ‘We have this painting and it has your name on it on the back.’ We then ask for a description or a snapshot of it. they send it and, sure enough, it’s one that has been gone awhile. it doesn’t happen of-ten but it does happen,” Munro said.

it helps that there is no set time limit on finding the property.

“there is no statute of limi-tations on stealing government property,” Munro added. “no mat-ter when it was taken, it will always be government property..”

today, the navy art collection has taken more stringent steps to improve the security of their loans.

“nowadays we keep a closer eye on our borrowers,” Munro said. “We have strict rules about borrowing paintings, borrowers sign an annual loan agreement, and we do office inspections.”

to preserve the priceless hold-ings, Munro recommends sailors take a close look around their spaces. there are often display cases with artifacts or artwork hanging on the walls that are ei-ther a part of the u.s. navy col-lection, or if it was donated di-rectly to the command. register-ing those artifacts and artwork with nHHc will ensure the navy has a full accounting of its prop-erty, that it is identified clearly as such, and that the command has a proper loan agreement with nHHc. ultimately it is about safeguarding the navy’s past.

What should someone do if you spot an artifact or work of art that you believe has been misap-propriated? Visit the navy art col-lection’s web site for contact in-formation at http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/nhcorg6.htm

recovering lost or misappro-priated navy art... now that’s a Hollywood ending.

Priceless Navy artwork returns home

The oil painting “Windward Hill,” by Albert Murray, painted in 1943, was found in 2001 in an auction on the Ebay website. It was the first misappropriated painting recovered by Navy Art Collection head curator gale Munro. Munro has since recovered other misappropriated works of art.

U.S. Navy photoS coURteSy oF Naval hiStoRy aNd heRitaGe coMMaNd

The oil painting “Old Salt of the Sixth Fleet,” by Frank Zuccarelli, is part of the U.S. Navy Art Collection that was missing and recovered by Navy Art Collection head curator gale Munro. Munro has since recovered other misappropriated works of art.


By Jennifer CaSSidysecretarY of tHe air force

WasHington (afns) -- the national commission which was created to examine how to modify the air force’s structure to best fill current and future mission require-ments, presented its recommenda-tions during two public meetings on capitol Hill Jan. 30.

the national commission on the structure of the air force was established by congress in 2013 to comprehensively study the air force and its three components.

the commission’s report, which was due to the president and con-gress feb. 1, included findings and conclusions, as well as recom-mendations for administrative ac-tions and legislation that may be required.

“going forward, there’s no doubt in my mind that our air force is go-ing to rely more, not less, on our na-tional guard and reserve forces,” said secretary of the air force Deb-orah lee James. “this makes sense from not only from a mission stand-point, but from an economic stand-point. i think there will be a great deal of symmetry between many of the recommendations from the commission and what the air force proposes for its way ahead. our thanks go to the commissioners for their report, which will help inform us in the future.”

the air force conducted its own total force review, led by three ma-jor generals from the active-duty, air national guard and air force reserve components of the service, deemed the total force task force, or tf2. to continue tf2’s work and make it part of the permanent staff, air force chief of staff gen. Mark a. Welsh directed the stand up of a transitional organization, the total force continuum, or tf-c, in oc-tober. the tf-c analysis will help guide the service’s proposed fiscal 2016 budget.

While considering recent lessons

learned and existing fiscal realities, air force officials are already taking steps to increase integration while preserving capability and capacity across all three components, James said.

“current plans call for more col-laboration and cooperation among the components in the years to come; working on these relation-ships and seeing real improvements so that these cross-component ef-forts become second nature and not the exception,” James said.

first, the air force will work on a continuum of service initiatives, to include improving personnel systems and processes to better serve airmen and leaders. this also includes efforts to keep the best airmen in our service by recruiting them for the guard and reserve, James said.

second, the air force is pursuing ways to improve collaboration be-tween component commands. this will include staff integration efforts to ensure appropriate representa-tion and to improve understanding of each component’s strengths and core identities.

“We must also identify ways for headquarters elements to integrate efficiently and creatively,” James said.

third, the service will continue to examine total force associations, which make the service more effi-cient by sharing resources and re-ducing duplication of effort. they also increase capability, while at the same time preserving a corporate body of knowledge, she explained.

“Highly experienced air force reserve and air national guard members allow us to retain valu-able experience in the force and capitalize on the talents of part-time citizen airmen, and help sea-son junior, regular air force mem-bers,” she said. “associations have been a great success story for the air force overall. so it’s important to capture lessons learned from our

experience at the 120 current air force total force associations and apply them to future associations with the f-35 lightning ii and Kc-46 tanker.”

James also emphasized that developing the fiscal 2015 budget proposal was a collaborative effort between active-duty, reserve and guard leaders, with an aim to pre-serve combat capability and stabil-ity for the total force.

“the upcoming budget submis-sion will rely heavily on the guard and reserve -- more than what we do today,” James said. this ap-proach looks at how to use the guard and reserve components more effectively.

“i’m a true believer in the to-tal force air force that former air force senior leaders created,” said lt. gen. stanley clarke, the air na-tional guard director. “We will con-tinue to adapt as one air force that provides the best value for america. the air national guard is commit-ted to continuing to work closely with the regular air force and the air force reserve to review requests and direction from congress, when received. We all share the common goal of ensuring we have the best air force now and into the future.”

although no component is to-tally sheltered from reductions, the reserve components will be relied upon more in the future for the suc-cess of the overall mission, with particular emphasis in the areas of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and cyber, James said.

“today’s debate should be cen-tered on how to best capitalize on our strengths and core competen-cies to improve the total force team,” said lt. gen. James Jackson, the chief of air force reserve and air force reserve command com-mander. “We’re optimistic about the future, and we’re working hard to shape the air force for the future fight in 2023.”

Great deal of symmetry between Air Force, national commission recommendations

By JoSePh P. Cirone


PuBlic affairs

WasHington - applications are still being accepted for poten-tial charter school students enter-ing pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.

Most, but not all, D.c. charter schools (DcPcs) are participating in the common lottery system.the application period opened on Dec. 16, 2013 and ends on March 3, 2014.

there is no advantage for a stu-dent who applied earlier for either being matched with a school or placement on waitlists.students may apply to as few as one or as many as 12 total schools, according to school officials.

Military and civilian families moving into the area, but have not yet established residency, may still apply. if the student is matched with a school through the lottery process, the parents must accept

the match before May 1.. addition-ally, the parents must submit the re-quired enrollment forms and prove residency in D.c. by that date.

charter schools set their own or-der of preferences for new students. for all DcPcs schools except dual-language schools, the order is:

1. in-boundary with a sibling al-ready enrolled at the school (Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 only).

2. in-boundary with a sibling who is applying at the same time and is matched to the school (Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 only).

3. in-boundary (Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 only)

4. out-of-boundary with a sib-ling already enrolled at the school

5. out-of-boundary with a sib-ling who is applying at the same time and is matched to the school

6. out-of-boundary within prox-imity of the school (Pre-K3?8 only)

7. no preferencefor DcPs dual-language schools

only, the order changes for PK3 and PK4 applicants. for these applicants, all sibling preferences (including out-of-boundary with sibling en-rolled and sibling matched) come before the in-boundary preference, according to school authorities.

the lottery results will be avail-able in the applicant-created ac-count at www.myschooldc.org, be-ginning Match 31 and via an email from DcPs. additionally, DcPcs will mail a letter to each applicantin april; and, the school accepting the student will contact the student?s family.

to apply, visit http://www.myschooldc.org. for more infor-mation, contact the My school Dc hotline at 202-888-6336.

the Joint Base anacostia-Bol-ling (JBaB) school liaison officer is available to support all families with the lottery process. He may be reached at 202-433-2566 or 202-200-8654.

District of Columbia (D.C.) Public Charter School lottery still accepting applications

By teCh. Sgt. leSley waterS

air force PuBlic affairs agencY

WasHington (afns) -- the air force released its eighth vol-ume of Portraits in courage, high-lighting three teams and thirteen airmen for their honor, valor, de-votion and selfless sacrifice in the face of extreme danger to them-selves and others.

“our airmen are faced with situations like this each and ev-ery day around the globe,” wrote air force chief of staff Mark a. Welsh iii and chief Master sgt. of the air force James a. cody in the volume’s preface. “and each of them has their own story. in fact, it would take many volumes to highlight them all. they believe in integrity, in service, in excellence and are ready and willing to go in harm’s way.”

cody recognized five of the 22 Portraits in courage recipients during the Portraits in courage 8 Honorees luncheon at the Wom-en’s Memorial, feb. 5 in arling-ton, Va.

the 22 recipients represent all major commands and multiple career fields including medical, pararescue, air force office of special investigation, explosive ordnance disposal and others. to date, the air force has recognized 175 airmen through this project.

“there’s a reason i don’t worry about the future of the air force,” Welsh said. “it has nothing to do with technology. it has nothing to do with talent. it has to do with

heart. i’ll never worry, not while these guys are on our side. this is your air force.”

all of this year’s Portraits in courage stories and profiles from previous volumes are featured on the air force Portraits in courage website: http://www.af.mil/spe-cials/courage/index.html.

This volume features:cadet 1st lts. Quianna samu-

els, alison nordlander, and ash-lyn Mcneely (Baylor university air force rotc nursing students, Waco, texas) just finished their

air force rotc leadership labo-ratory requirements on the Bay-lor university campus. as they walked from their car, a deaf-ening blast shook the air and a mushroom cloud climbed into the evening sky, the result of a massive explosion at a fertilizer plant one mile away. for more than four hours, these future air force officers treated dozens of injured people as fires continued to burn through the night and heavy smoke blanketed the site. (since publication 2nd lts. nord-lander and samuels received their commissions in May 2013. samu-

els is stationed at Joint Base lang-ley-eustis, Va. and nordlander is stationed at eglin afB, fla).

staff sgt. Mark Hajduk (354th civil engineer squadron eoD technician, eielson air force Base, alaska) and senior airman garrett amorose (48th civil engi-neer squadron eoD technician, royal air force lakenheath, eng-land) and their eoD team were tasked with clearing a region of improvised explosive devices during the second day of an air assault. after the team cleared their eighth ieD, a massive explo-sion detonated 40 meters away. the team responded immediate-ly and found a scene of confusion with several startled but unin-jured soldiers lying on the ground near the blast site, except for one located in a 15-foot deep well.

Maj. Matthew Komatsu, Mas-ter sgt. Paul Barendregt, tech. sgt. Kyle Minshew and tech. sgt. Dan Warren (212th rescue squadron combat rescue officer and pararescuemen, Joint Base elmendorf-richardson, alaska) received a call for help following an insurgent attack on Bastion airfield in afghanistan. the num-ber of casualties was unknown. Despite a lack of reliable intel-ligence, the team headed across the airfield. amidst a blazing fuel farm and attack helicopters hov-ering overhead, they encountered a firefight between a British quick response force and several insur-gents.

Master sgt. andrew adrian (673rd civil engineer squad-ron eoD technician, Joint Base elmendorf-richardson, alaska) partnered with British special op-eration forces and afghan com-mandos on a mission to sweep and clear enemy compounds. His quick and fearless actions during the mission prevented the death of the two commandos and pro-tected the remainder of the unit from grave injury.

staff sgt. Michael Blout (23rd special tactics squadron com-

bat controller, Hurlburt field, fla.) averted catastrophe dur-ing high-risk combat operations when his team entered chak Val-ley, a known hotbed of insurgent activity in afghanistan’s War-dak Province. the team split into two elements to patrol through dense, jungle-like undergrowth where one of the elements was ambushed and immediately took casualties.

tech. sgt. ronnie Brickey (air force special operations school eoD technician, Hurlburt field, fla.) visually identified a victim-operated, pressure plate impro-vised explosive device, which saved the life of another eoD technician. after rendering the ieD safe, Brickey’s team imme-diately received fire from three separate locations.

special agent Willie cooper (afosi Detachment 111th spe-cial agent, edwards afB, calif.) was finishing reports in his de-ployed office at camp simba, Kenya, when he was notified of a plane crash just outside of the Kenyan naval Base airstrip, an area known for its population of leopards, poisonous snakes and lions. Within ten minutes of the incident notification, cooper or-ganized a response team, direct-ed personnel to gather medical supplies and rapidly departed to respond to the crash site.

Master sgt. tracy Debbs (56th rescue squadron pararescue-men, royal air force lakenheath, england) rallied his team, sprint-ing to their helicopters at Bagram airfield, afghanistan. a coalition soldier from new Zealand had sustained injuries in a firefight and required immediate evacua-tion.

Master sgt. christopher Doggett (17th training Wing military training leader, good-fellow afB, texas) accompanied by his wife Brook, was one of 26 wounded-warrior veterans who were honorary guests and mem-bers of the procession in the 2012 Midland/odessa, texas, “Hunt for Heroes” Veterans Day Pa-rade. the wounded warriors and their spouses were divided into two groups of 25 and seated on two decorated, flatbed tractor-trailers, each driven by individual trucks. on one section of the pa-rade route, the trucks, with trail-ers in tow, had to cross a set of railroad tracks.

staff sgt. Kyle fulton (23rd special tactics squadron com-bat controller, Hurlburt field) and his comrades were alerted to a nearby fire caused by a large explosion. en route, fulton es-tablished communications with aircraft approaching the scene, identified friendly positions, and coordinated aircraft attacks on insurgents maneuvering north of the base’s perimeter wall.

tech. sgt. Jarrod Mills (315th

Air Force introduces Volume 8 of Portraits in Courage6 Friday, February 14, 2014 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

U.S. aiR FoRce GRaphic By JUaN FeMath

The latest Portraits in Courage, Volume 8.

Chief of Navy Chaplains visits Coast Guard chaplain conference

U.S. Navy photo By lt. cMdR. JiM ReMiNGtoN

Chief of Navy Chaplains rear Adm. Mark l. Tidd fields a question from a Navy chaplain assigned to the Coast guard at a chaplain readiness training event held at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Feb. 11. More than 35 chaplains are attending the three-day domain-specific training which focuses on moral courage related to sexual assault prevention, suicide prevention, the command climate and leadership advisement within the Coast guard.

See coURaGe, Page 9


By air forCe teCh. Sgt. david eiChaker

national guarD Bureau

arlington, Va., - for army sgt. Matthew Mortensen, a mem-ber of the new York army na-tional guard’s 1156th engineer company, years of training have finally paid off: he will be com-peting in the 2014 Winter olym-pics in sochi, russia.

Mortensen, 28, who enlisted in 2010, secured his spot on the u.s. olympic luge team when he and fellow army athlete sgt. Pres-ton griffall earned a ninth-place finish in the doubles event at the luge World cup Dec. 13, 2013, at utah olympic Park in Park city, utah.

for Mortensen, the journey to the olympics has taken more than half of his life.

“i have been actively trying to make this olympic team for 16 years now,” he said.

Mortensen became attracted to luge at a relatively young age.

When he was about 11 years old, his father worked for a com-pany that sponsored the u.s. luge team. He would visit his father at work and see posters for the team in the office. it was then that Mortensen said he knew what he

wanted to do and after hearing ra-dio commercials about tryouts for a luge team, his dad asked him if he wanted to go.

“it seemed like something fun to do on a saturday,” Mortensen said, “so we went and gave it a try.”

More than 16 years later, Mortensen said he has a sense of relief and fulfillment after quali-fying for his first olympic appear-ance.

“i could not believe that i was actually going to go.”

Mortensen credits his military training with helping him reach his goal of becoming an olym-pian.

Being competitive at this level of sport takes commitment, moti-vation, and hard work, Mortensen said. and he was up to that chal-lenge.

“it is something that has made me push myself to the absolute maximum of my capabilities ev-ery year to maximize my chances of attaining my goal of going to the games.”

training for the olympics, he said, is a year-round practice with little time off.

“a typical day of training dur-ing the season consists of three

hours at the track, video review of our runs, and two hours in a weight-lifting gym,” His off-sea-son training consists of weight lifting, sprints and use of an in-door refrigerated start facility that stays iced during the summer.

Mortensen said luge competi-tion has its pluses and minuses.

“My favorite part of the sport is the speed and the competition,” he said. “i like the feeling that my body gets before each and every run and when i compete. it is a pure adrenaline rush. there is nothing that can quite compare.”

one of the downsides is having a bad race.

“i am a perfectionist at every-thing i do. even if i go slow in a race, i can come to terms with it if i had good runs. When i have bad runs, i am hard on myself and it affects my attitude.”

seeing the world in a different light is one reward of being on the olympic luge team, he said.

“You get to see the world, observe and take part in differ-ent cultures and learn so much through the years.”

as a soldier, an athlete, and as an individual, “it is an incred-ible honor to be representing the united states in the olympics.”

Soldier prepares for Sochi luge competition

U.S. aRMy photo

Sgt. Matt Mortensen of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program will compete in luge doubles for Team USA at the 2014 Olympic Winter games in Sochi, russia.

proval. otherwise, people will be offered up to three health and fitness improvement pro-grams to choose from.”

those programs are a healthy weight program, which highlights nutrition and be-havior modification; a cardio program that discusses car-diovascular training tailored to someone’s personal goals and an advanced strength and conditioning program that pro-vides guidance on achieving pre-set goals and occupational requirements.

“no one has to do all three. they can pick whatever they feel is best for them,” said Brett loehmann, an exercise physi-ologist at the HaWc. “What we want most is for someone to walk away with the knowledge on how to improve their overall health. this is a simple, effective and efficient way of doing that.”

a class usually runs an hour and a half and includes a dis-cussion on body assessment screening. the fact that the program offers a one-on-one human assessment is a big help to people getting started, ac-cording to loehmann. in his experience, people feel intimi-dated when starting a workout regimen. He said being in a group of peers at the same level or interest as you helps ease any anxiety.

“it’s a great program that provides individuals the tools they need to manage their own fitness,” said air force lt. col. Matthew Hanson, medical oper-ations squadron commander at the 579th Medical group. “We’re excited about this process. it sets the stage for a life-long fitness plan in a comforting and reward-ing environment.”

Hanson, who has 15 years experience as a physician, is pleased to see a program like this come to JBaB. He has seen similar programs flourish under the air force on installations here and abroad.

those participating in the ci-vilian fitness program must sign in and out of the HaWc to re-ceive credit. While it’s not man-

datory, it’s highly recommend-ed that people also follow up every two weeks or at least once a month for a status update, gr-und said. additional assistance or information is also available at fitness center i.

for more information, call the Health and Wellness center at 202-404-1563 or email [email protected].

FITNESSn continued from 1


Those participating in the program must sign up through the Health and Wellness Center (HAWC). Addi-tional assistance or information is also available at Fitness Center I.


By Cheryl PellerinaMerican forces Press serVice

WasHington - in the future, when an earthquake or tsunami strikes a populated area or a terror-ist attack decimates a city, teams of disaster experts partnered with robots -- whose skills are being honed in rigorous competitions funded by the Defense advanced research Projects agency -- may be the first responders.

launched in october 2012, the DarPa robotics challenge has held two of three competitions -– a virtual event in June 2013 and a live two-day event held Dec. 20-21 at the Homestead-Miami speed-way in florida.

the first competition tested software teams’ ability to guide a simulated robot through three sample tasks in a virtual environ-ment. in December, teams had to guide their robots through as many as eight individual physical tasks that tested robot mobility, manipulation, dexterity, percep-tion and operator-control mecha-nisms.

During the finals, to be held sometime in the next 12-18 months, human-robot teams will attempt a circuit of consecutive physical tasks with degraded com-munications between the robots and their operators. the winning team will receive a $2 million prize.

“over a period of less than three years,” program manager Dr. gill Pratt wrote in the January-february edition of the Bulletin of atomic scientists, “DarPa expects the field of robotics to undergo a historic transformation that could drive innovation in robots for de-fense, health care, agriculture and industry.”

Pratt has a doctorate in elec-trical engineering and computer science from the Massachusetts institute of technology and is a professor at the franklin W. olin college of engineering in need-ham, Mass. He’s also the DarPa robotics challenge program man-ager in DarPa’s Defense sciences office.

Having people and robots work together in teams is essential to robot success in disaster response, Pratt told american forces Press service during a recent interview at DarPa headquarters in arling-ton, Va.

“for the foreseeable future, our robots are not going to have any-where near the intelligence they require to do even small parts of missions on their own,” he said. “they’re going to require a human being to figure out what the plan is, to figure out what the contin-gencies are [and] to understand the situation.”

What robots can do, Pratt ex-plained, is contribute sensing and physical effects at a distance from a human controller, operating in a dangerous environment while a human operator stays back where it’s safe and directs the action.

“together, working as a team,” he added, “they can be more effec-tive than either one of them work-ing by themselves.”

DarPa officials know this from their own experiences.

in the days after 9/11, DarPa sent to new York city robots whose development the agency had fund-ed. But those robots found no sur-vivors, Pratt recalled in an analytic piece published Dec. 3 in the Bul-letin of atomic scientists.

DarPa tried again in March 2011 in the deadly aftermath of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake cen-tered 81 miles off the coast of the city of sendai on the eastern coast of Honshu island, Japan.

a subsequent 49-foot tsunami killed more than 19,000 people, destroyed or damaged more than a million buildings and shut down power in and flooded tokyo elec-tric Power co.’s fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, melting the re-actor cores of operating units 1, 2 and 3, and damaging unit 4.

Japanese officials declared a nuclear emergency later that day and evacuated people initially within 1.2 miles of the plant and later within 12 miles.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief is a primary DoD mission, Pratt wrote in the Dec. 3 Bulletin, and as the disaster un-folded in Japan, “DarPa officials contacted researchers who had designed robots for the three Mile island and chernobyl disasters and coordinated with companies that DarPa had funded to develop other robots.”

each company already was making plans to send its robots and training personnel to Japan, he added, and others around the world sent robots as well, but it took weeks for power-plant per-sonnel to complete training they needed to operate the robots.

By then, Pratt said, “the golden hours for early intervention to mit-igate the extent of the disaster had long since passed.”

even with progress made in the

DarPa robotics challenge and elsewhere in the industry, Pratt said, “We don’t know how to make [robots] intelligent enough to do sophisticated tasks, [but] we do know how to make them do … very specific subtasks.”

these days in a laboratory, he explained, a robot can be told to open a door and the robot will use its visual sensors to locate the door, compare that image against a library of different handles it’s been programmed to recognize, turn the door handle and pull the door open.

“at the DarPa robotics chal-lenge, we were trying to be suc-cessful with that out in the field, where lighting conditions are var-ied, where the location you’re look-ing at the door from changes all the time, there are shadows, there are other things in front of the door,” Pratt said. “We were trying to make it robust to all those changes, and that’s really where the state of the art is now.”

Most of the challenge tasks were on a slope that started out easy and went to medium and then hard, he said. the challenge began with 16 robot teams and ended with eight robot teams qualifying to receive DarPa funding for the finals event.

Pratt said most differences seen in the robots’ performances were differences of software capabilities. But it wasn’t that the robot hard-ware was more capable in some cases, he said, adding that most of the robots were quite good at the tasks “and, in fact, did better than we had expected them to.” the software differentiation was most-ly in how well the teams handled the communications degradation inserted into the challenge, Pratt said.

“some teams did very well and [their] robot had enough sub-

task autonomy that it was able to do some meaningful work while communications was poor. other teams … could only really control the robot well when the commu-nications quality was higher,” he explained.

“the key to robustness is feed-back, and the key to feedback in a robot is the ability to perceive the environment well,” Pratt said.

looking toward the DarPa robot challenge finals, Pratt said, officials learned in the December trials that the robots were about 20 percent more capable mechanical-ly than expected, so they will raise the bar accordingly for the finals.

the plan is to make the tasks more difficult and more authentic than they were in the trials, he said.

“My thought right now, and this is subject to change,” Pratt added, “is [to] take the eight different tasks we had as separate events in the trials and … combine them into an integrated task where the robot has to respond to a situation,” chain-ing together capabilities it demon-strated in the trials.

finals officials will tell the teams much less than they were told be-fore the trials so the setup will be a surprise to all entrants. and Pratt said they’re planning to degrade communications more than they did during the trials.

“We’re going to have the com-ms go black and dead for signifi-cant lengths of time and … see whether the robots can continue to execute some of these subtasks on their own … because we know those kinds of dropouts are quite common in the austere environ-ments we care about,” he said.

also in the finals, the robots won’t use safety harnesses as they did in the December trials.

“if the robot falls down, it must first not be damaged so badly that

it can’t continue to work,” Pratt said. “But even more difficult, it needs to be able to get itself back up, even if it falls down on rough terrain. We think those behaviors are absolutely essential for true work in austere environments.”

DarPa officials aren’t sure yet what the finals scenario will in-clude, but it will focus more on disaster response than on trying to save injured people.

“trying to affect the properties so the disaster doesn’t get worse is part one, trying to save human be-ings who are hurt or even recover them if they were killed is part two, and part three is how to remedi-ate the disaster and make the site good again for use,” he said. “the DarPa robotics challenge is really focused on the first one.”

Pratt said DarPa expects roughly a dozen teams to partici-pate in the finals, including the top eight teams from the December trials that are in contract negotia-tions with DarPa to receive $1 mil-lion for development this year, and other teams from around the world that will fund their own software development.

after the finals, when the win-ner walks away with $2 million, the technology still won’t be quite ready for commercialization.

“the technology will be ready for commercialization if a market can be found in the commercial world for it,” Pratt said. “What many people don’t realize is that the defense market is a very small fraction of the size of the commer-cial market.”

He added, “after we show the feasibility of things, after we pro-vide the spark to start it, then we need to enter a phase where the costs get driven down. and the commercial world typically is very, very good for that.”

DARPA official: Human-robot teams key to disaster response

deFeNSe advaNced ReSeaRch pRoJectS aGeNcy photo

A bipedal robot from the Japanese company Schaft Inc. works on a task during the DArPA robotics Challenge in December 2013.


Slip Inn Grand Reopeningnew Menu itemsfebruary – april: cream of crab soup or

chili - $4.50 sausage Monday: sweet italian sausage served with chips - $6.50 fish taco friday: 3 fish tacos - $5.95

Dumbbell Bench Press Competitionfebruary 17 | fitness center itest your upper body strength in our

Dumbbell Bench Press competition! event will be based on the number of repetitions to failure. Participants will be required to lift a third of their body weight to failure. awards will be given to the 1st place male and female winners.

Adult Spelling Bee Happy Hourfebruary 19 | 6-8pm | Bolling club |

adults, age 21 and over How do you spell fun? Become the 2014

JBaB adult spelling Bee champion! Prizes awarded to top finalists along with bragging rights for all of 2014. Whether you want to compete or just watch the fun, head over to the Bolling club and hang out for a spell!

$5 per person (Must be 21 years or older); free for club Members Price includes food and happy hour priced beverages. tickets on sale now at the Bolling club and the in-formation, tickets, and travel (itt) office.

The Military.com Spouse Experiencefebruary 26 | 10am-2pm | Bolling clubMilitary.com’s spouse experience is a

one-of-a-kind interactive event presented by military spouses for military spouses. ev-ery year Military.com’s spouse experience brings together thousands of military spous-es to extend support to the women and men on the homefront. the event is an opportu-nity for all military spouses to get together, learn from each other, share the joys and challenges of military life and laugh at the inevitable and incredible “oops” moments that all milspouses have. in a fast-paced, on your feet, no power point, win a prize work-shop, the spouse Buzz experts bring their best insider tips on the top four concerns of military spouses.

for more information or to register, visit: http://spousebuzz.com/military-spouse-experience

MWR CalendarBy Sallie CautherS

Defense coMMissarY agencY

Whether it’s nutritious foods for better health, candy treats for that Valentine’s Day sweetheart or all foods in between, commissary patrons at Joint Base anacos-tia-Bolling (JBaB) will be able to find what they want with plenty of promotional sav-ings in february.

“Between Valentine’s Day and feb-ruary being ‘Heart Health Month,’ there are lots of options for our patrons to save money at their commissary,” said randy chandler, the Defense commissary agen-cy’s (Deca) director of sales.

“for those who have an eye on their budget and eating healthier, it’s always better to buy groceries and prepare meals at home,” he added. “the JBaB commis-sary has so many choices available with promotions that go much further than our regular 30 percent or more savings.”

throughout february, Deca industry partners – vendors, suppliers and brokers – are collaborating with commissaries to offer discounts beyond everyday savings.

the exclusive savings link, http://www.commissaries.com/partners.cfm, has more coupons, specials, promotions, sales and healthy recipes.

coinciding with Heart Health Month or anytime of the year, JBaB commissary patrons can also choose from a variety of “good for You” foods, which are lighter in calories and more nutritious. these

foods are infused with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds or significant amounts of important nutrients but have reduced amounts of total fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugar.

customers are asked to check at the JBaB commissary for details on dates and times for the following upcoming promo-tions:

• Olympic rewards for commissary pa-trons. coca-cola, Kellogg’s, P&g and the J.M smucker company, sponsors of team usa at the 2014 Winter olympics, are of-fering savings to commissary patrons on a number of participating brands. Patrons can look for special commissary displays and digital coupons offered through the commissary rewards card program. to join the program, simply obtain a rewards card at any commissary, register it by fol-lowing the instructions on the back of the card, clip digital coupons and save addi-tional money when you check out. rewards card users will also have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win one of eight $500 Visa gift cards by purchasing any four par-ticipating products. this promotion ends feb. 28.

“there are so many exciting events occurring in february – the 2014 Winter olympics, the chinese new Year celebra-tion, Valentine’s Day and Heart Healthy Month,” chandler said. “enjoy all of these events with your friends and family and don’t forget to stock up on all your party foods at your JBaB commissary.”

Joint Base Commissary offers sweet savings and Olympic style promotions in February

“it was beyond words. i’m incredibly grateful to gen. spencer that he took the time to recognize me,” Bledsoe said. “i’ve been working at the fitness center since september, so it really surprised me. i was just doing my job. anybody here would’ve done the same thing.”

not only did spencer show his apprecia-tion to Bledsoe, but so did JBaB command-er navy capt. anthony t. calandra, who stopped by the fitness center christmas Day to bring Bledsoe homemade cookies as

a special thank you.“it was very kind of capt. calandra to

take time away from his family to come by and thank me. it meant so much to me,” Bledsoe said. “i told my mom and she was quite taken back by everything. she has a strong work ethic. i think it made her proud that her daughter received recognition for what she does.”

to those who work with her closely, Bledsoe’s work ethic comes as no surprise. Just ask Michael Perry, fitness complex di-rector.

“isabel is a team player. she’s always willing to step up and pick up extra shifts,” Perry said. “she’s a valuable asset to our group. i wish we had more just like her.”

rECEATIONn continued from 1

civil engineer squadron eoD technician, Joint Base charleston, s.c.) deployed di-rectly into a known insurgent stronghold in the Helmand Province of afghanistan to clear a homemade explosive produc-tion site. His eoD team searched an island in the middle of the Helmand river where they found and destroyed 50 kilograms of explosives and captured one insurgent who was scouting their movements.

staff sgt. nicole (nellist) richardson (802nd civil engineer squadron eoD tech-nician, Joint Base san antonio-lackland, texas) faced her most challenging mission as a member of eoD team deployed to Helmand Province, afghanistan. the eoD team was tasked to support the Marine corps’ 1st combat engineer Battalion in support of route clearance missions, miti-gating the threat from roadside bombs and keeping supply routes open.

special agent robert Powers (afosi, Quantico, Va.) and his then fiancée, now wife, were shopping at a local grocery store in norfolk, Virginia. Powers heard someone say there was a fire in the men’s restroom and customers began fleeing the building, concerned about their own safety. Powers, however, entered the rest-room to see if anyone remained inside and found an elderly man engulfed in flames from waist down.

Master sgt. Delorean sheridan (21st special tactics squadron combat con-troller, Pope field, n.c.) was completing a routine pre-brief for a combat control mission at his deployed location in War-dak Province, afghanistan. While his team loaded gear into their vehicles, an afghan national police officer suddenly turned and opened fire with a truck-mounted machine gun merely 25 feet away. simul-taneously, 15 to 20 insurgents just outside the village engaged the base with heavy machine gunfire.

Maj. r. shaine thrower (315th Weap-ons squadron nuclear and missile opera-tor, nellis afB, nev.) was off-duty on his way to pick up his daughter from a field-trip when he first noticed the bus on fire. as he was pulling up his vehicle behind the tour bus, he saw flames emanating from the left-rear wheel well. although his professional expertise is tailored to teaching graduate-level nuclear physics and advanced intercontinental ballistic missile operation, Masters was in no way deterred from taking the actions he knew were needed at that moment.

senior airman andrew Williamson (48th rescue squadron pararescuman, Davis-Monthan afB, ariz.) responded to an urgent medical evacuation request. two soldiers were trapped inside a burn-ing georgian-armored vehicle that struck an ieD. Williamson and three team mem-bers loaded a British helicopter with 200 pounds of extraction gear and landed a quarter mile from the fiery scene.

COUrAgEn continued from 6


Immunization Clinicthe 579th Medical group immuniza-

tion clinic will be open Monday, tuesday, Wednesday and friday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on thursdays, the clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. the clinic closes at 12 p.m. for train-ing the first Wednesday of each month. for more information, call 202-404-6724.

Firth-Sterling gate operationsthe firth-sterling gate is closed on week-

ends. once the gate’s automated features become available, the gate will be accessible by any common access card (cac) holder 24/7 during normal fPcon “a” conditions.

AFOWC Thrift Shop the air force officers’ Wives’ club thrift

shop is located at 13 Brookley ave and is open tuesdays, Wednesdays and thursdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Donations are accepted during business hours only. Profits from the afoWc thrift shop go toward college schol-arships and other military charitable orga-nizations. for more information about the afoWc or its thrift shop call 202-563-6666 or email [email protected].

NAVy 311“naVY 311” is the place to go for all types

of information to help support navy military, civilian and retiree personnel and their fami-lies. access naVY 311 at 1-855-naVY-311 or (Dsn) 510- naVY-311. You can also email [email protected] or visit www.naVY311.navy.mil.

Toastmasters Club seeks membersthe Bolling toastmasters club is available

for everyone on JBaB as a place to practice your leadership skills. toastmasters clubs are where leaders are made, and leadership starts with good communication. the program is self-paced, and it works. the Bolling toast-

masters club meets Wednesdays from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at the JBaB chapel center. Visi-tors are welcome. for more information, call Jim Queen at 301-452-6931.

Navy-Marine Corps Thrift Shop hoursthe navy-Marine corps relief society

thrift shop has relocated to enterprise Hall (building 72). the store hours are tuesdays and Wednesdays 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. and the first saturday of every month from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. for more information call 202-433-3364.

Boys and girls Club volunteersthe Boys and girls club of greater

Washington needs volunteer coaches for their youth baseball league for 10-year-olds and 12-year-olds. for more information or to sign up, call 512-560-5548 from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. or email [email protected].

Post Office closed for one hourthe JBaB Post office is closed Monday

- friday for lunch from 2-3 p.m. for more information, call 202-767-4419.

JBAB Cyclists on FacebookBasically a forum for all JBaB riders to get

together. We organize group rides over lunch and during commuting hours. Visit us online at www.facebook.com/groups/jbabcyclists. for more information, email [email protected].

JBAB Cub Scoutsattention all boys grades 1st through

5th interested in scouting. Please contact the JBaB cub scouts, Pack 343, at [email protected] for more information. each den holds their own meetings each month along with one pack event. Boys will earn badges together and can work on individual achievements as well. come join us for popcorn, camping and so much more.

JNotesMiscellaneous items related to your health, your career, your life and your community

CATHOlIC SErVICESReconciliation

sunday 9 a.m. chapel center

Rosarysunday 9:10 a.m. chapel center

Masstuesday 11:30 a.m. chapel centerWednesday11:30 a.m. chapel centerthursday11:30 a.m. chapel centerfriday 7 a.m. chapel centersaturday 5 p.m. chapel centersunday 9:30 a.m. chapel center

PrOTESTANT SErVICESSunday Worship

gospel 11:30 a.m. chapel centergeneral Protestant 11 a.m. chapel 2

Sunday Schoolsept - May 9:30-10:30 a.m.any questions about these services or other religious

needs call 202-767-5900.

Chapel

CAMP SPRINGSCOMMUNITY CHURCH8040 Woodyard Rd., Clinton, MD • 301-868-3030

Dr. James Lowther, Pastor www.campspringschurch.com

Sunday: Sun. School 9:45am, Worship Services 11:00am & 6:00pm Wednesday: AWANA, Teen Clubs, Adult Prayer & Bible Study 7:00pm

An Independent Bible Centered Church • In the Baptist Tradition - Missionary mindedAffiliated with IFCA International • Nursery Available All Services

Call 301-670-7106

Worship Guide

Joint Base Journal · Joint Base Journal ... 24-28. sc-cs 14 is a force Protection ... Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield Exercise 2014 Underway for Naval District Washington

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