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+ keeping it real: Air Force veteran brings sunny demeanor to Food Network

M aga z i n e o f T H E U n i t e d S tat es A i r F o rce

www.airmanonline.af.mil January- February 2011

Airman’s

best
friend
Military working dogs
look for a little “rrespect”
design by Corey Parrish

CELEBRATE
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
JANUARY 17, 2011
CONTENTS
January-February 2011

Features
10 Pre K-9

10 20
Ironman
A litter of Belgian Malinois puppies prepares
for military working dog training.

16 White House Fellow


Pre K-9 “I want to make everyone proud in the Air A lieutenant colonel reflects on his year as a
“You’re raising a little Soldier, and it’s your Force by wearing the colors. That is the White House fellow in Washington, D.C.
way to support the military.” meaningful element to this race.” 20 Ironman
Airmen compete for top honors at the 2010
Ford Ironman World Championship.

22 Operating room of the future


A new state-of-the-art cardiovascular operat-
ing room is revitalizing the Air Force cardiac
surgery program.

22
Operating room
26 26 Presenting the Force
Serving as the face of the Air Force, the Honor
Guard strives for perfection on all occasions.
Presenting the Force
of the future “Every time we do our job we have to 30 Sunny Anderson
“Everything that we have done or imple- make sure we’re representing the Air Food Network star Sunny Anderson attri-
mented is for the benefit of the patient.” Force positively.” butes her success to an early career as an Air
Force broadcaster.

34 Aerospace Archaeologist
Thomas Penders preserves history and
plans for the future at Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station.

38 Baby Genghis the Conqueror


When cancer struck Genghis Webb, the

30
little boy and his family fought back.

42 Mississippi Homecoming

34
Residents move into a rebuilt armed forces
Sunny Anderson retirement home five years after losing the
“Every day I wake up and say thank you. I first to Hurricane Katrina.
still can’t believe where I am and how lucky
I’ve been.” Saving the past
from the future
“This site is one of the most historic to
Departments
our nation.” 2 Airmail
4 around the Air Force
19 Know B4 you go
46 Heritage
48 notebook
n bring
s sun
ny dem
eAnor
to Foo
d net
work
On the Cover
erA orce
ce vet
Rruuk is one of eight puppies
f
l: Air For aT e S air
g it rea
+keepin niT ed ST
THe U
e of
azin
M ag

1
born June 2 at the Department
ry 201
rua

of Defense Military Working Dog


y- Feb
uar
Jan

www
.airma
nonli
ne.af
.mil
Breeding Program at Lackland Air
Force Base, Texas. The puppies

38 42
are preparing for military
working dog training.

photo support by
Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III
Baby Genghis the Mississippi Homecoming illustration and design by
Conqueror “I feel like I’m back in my element. I AirmAn’s
Luke Borland

“We knew Genghis had already think everybody feels the same way: best
developed cancer.” we’re just glad to be home.” friend rking dogs
Military wotle “rrespec t”
lit
look for a

J January-February 2011 1
AIRMAIL

COMMENTS
COmments
Got something to say about Airman? Write us at
airman@dma.mil or visit www.AIRMANonline.af.mil,
to share views with fellow readers.

Feathered Aces Portrait Praise


Tech. Sgt. Davis,
As a sometimes-avid photographer, I just wanted to commend you on
your portrait of Gen. Chuck Yeager on page 45 of Airman magazine [Heri-
tage, November-December] — an absolutely phenomenal photograph of
one of our true Air Force legends. It captures the essence of his larger than
life persona. What an honor and experience it must have been for you to
have had this opportunity.
Chief McG

Several weeks ago, I read the article “Feathered Aces” [September-


October 2010]. In it, the author, Randy Roughton, made a reference to
a Colonel Rhymer. However, unless I missed it, the article never tells us
Colonel Rhymer’s first name or who he or she is.
So, who is Colonel Rhymer? Also, can you add an erratum note on
this in an upcoming issue?
Keep up the great work.
Lt. Col. Ed Sienkiewicz
USAF Retired
Bonaire, Ga.

Editor’s reply: We regret the error. Colonel Rhymer was fully identi-
fied in Mr. Roughton’s original draft, but unfortunately that information
was missing from the final publication. He is Lt. Col. Donald Rhymer,
Falconry Club officer in charge. Thank you for bringing this omission
to our attention.

Photographer’s reply: Thank you so much for the compliment; it was a


true pleasure spending the day with General Yeager. We heard going into
the story that General Yeager can be a hard interview due to his straight-
shooting personality; he doesn’t hold back. But I can tell you from the
moment we met him to the hug goodbye it was truly an experience I won’t
forget. For me it was like spending the day with your grandfather, if your
grandfather happened to be an aviation legend. Our whole team really
felt honored to sit down and “shoot the breeze” with him.
Gen. Yeager’s portrait has been selected as part of the “Pioneers in
Blue” photo series that will be displayed in the Library of Congress and
is on display now at the Pentagon.
Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III
Airman magazine photojournalist

2 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
MiG-15 Kudos Official magazine of the U.S. Air Force
January-February 2011, Volume LV, Number 1
The first American to fly a MiG-15 was Air Force Capt. H. I recently picked up a copy of Air-
E. “Tom” Collins, not [retired Brig. Gen.] Chuck Yeager man while visiting the museum at
Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley
as reported in your [Heritage], November-December Wright Patterson Air Force Base, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz
2010 edition. Ohio. First time I’ve seen the Director of Air Force Public Affairs Col. Les Kodlick
A published correction would be both appropriate magazine since retiring nearly 20 Director, Air Force Production Douglas Smith
Deputy Director, Air Force Production Jeffrey L. Whitted
and appreciated. years ago. Outstanding! Had it not
Chief, Print and Web Dick Hodgson
Maj. Gen. H. E. “Tom” Collins been for the title, I’d never have
USAF Retired recognized it as the publication I Airman Staff
San Antonio, Texas read during my active-duty days. Senior Editor Dick Hodgson
Circumstances have provided little Editor Meredith March
Managing Editor Collen McGee
Editor’s Note: We stand corrected and apologize for contact with the Air Force since I
Associate Editor Randy Roughton
the error. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. retired so I don’t know if it is still Associate Editor Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates
permissible to give out attaboys
Design Staff
or not. Regardless of its accept-
Returning Home ability, I’ll award you one, as well Design Director G. Patrick Harris
Deputy Design Director Luke Borland
Thank you for the “Returning Home” article [Septem- as an attagirl. Designer Jonathan Vargas
ber-October 2010] regarding the repatriation of Col. Chief Master Sgt. Frank Kolb Production Manager Andrew Yacenda
William Mason. The article reminded me of a similar USAF Retired
Contributors
one in August 1988, when Airman magazine covered
Copy Editor Steve Richards
the repatriation of my father, [Air Force] Col. Mark Editor’s reply: Thank you for your
Copy Editor Janie Santos
Stephensen. Colonel Stephensen was listed MIA on feedback. We’re happy you enjoyed
Photojournalism
April 29, 1967. His remains were identified July 1988. the magazine and appreciate your
The men and women of JPAC do a heroic and selfless message. Chief, Photo Master Sgt. Jack Braden
Photojournalist Lance Cheung
job in often dangerous and tedious circumstances
Photojournalist Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III
and we owe them a debt of gratitude. To those of Photojournalist Staff Sgt. Desiree N. Palacios
us with missing loved ones, there is a great deal of
comfort knowing that the Air Force will never break About Airman
Airman is published bimonthly by the Defense Media
faith with our POW/MIAs. To Mrs. Mason, thank you Activity for the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public
for your service to this nation as well as your husband. Affairs. As the official magazine of the U.S. Air Force,
Mark L. Stephensen II it is a medium of information for Air Force personnel.
Readers may submit articles, photographs and artwork.
National League of POW/MIA Families chairman Suggestions and criticisms are welcome. All pictures are
U.S. Air Force photos unless otherwise identified.
The opinions of contributors are not necessarily
those of the Air Force.

Editorial Office
Airman, DMA-DO/AF, 203 Norton St.,
San Antonio, TX 78226-1848
Airman Availability Telephone 210-925-7757; DSN 945-7757,
fax 210-925-7219; DSN 945-7219
Why is it that I’m at an Air Force E-mail: airman@dma.mil
base and I can’t find or purchase
this magazine? I asked a lady and Look us up
www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
got a deer in the headlights look.
For more news see the Air Force’s official
Are you kidding me? Absurd that all World Wide Web home page at www.af.mil
we carry is Air Force Times. What
local stores might have it? Call- For a Unit Subscription
ing around – can’t believe I can’t Administrative support offices can send
the unit’s mailing address and the total number
get it here. of military and civilian Air Force people assigned
Michelle via e-mail to distro.airman@dma.mil
via Facebook to start receiving copies on a regular basis.

Distribution
Editor’s reply: Airman magazine
One copy for every three Airmen and civilian workers.
is free. If you are on an Air Force
base, your best bet is to stop by For a Personal Subscription
the Public Affairs office. They usu- Call toll free 1-866-512-1800; or fax 202-512-2250
for subscription cost. Pay-by-phone orders are
ally receive them and distribute the
processed from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern time.
magazine to the units. You can get For information, write:
an electronic copy of the latest is- Superintendent of Documents,
P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
sue at www.AIRMANonline.af.mil.
We are also adding our archives to
the website as time allows.

January-February 2011 3
photo by Staff Sgt. Jonathan Snyder

Staff Sgt. Alfonte Thomas


patrols while attending the Combat
Leadership Course at Camp Bullis,
Texas. Airmen attending the CLC
gain leadership experience from
classroom and field training in land
navigation, convoy operations,
mounted and dismounted patrols
and urban warfare.

4 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
January-February 2011 5
photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook

photo by Senior Airman Gustavo Gonzalez


1 2
photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael O’Halloran

photo by Tech. Sgt. Chad Chisholm


1. A B-1B Lancer F-101 turbofan
engine is tested at Ellsworth Air Force
Base, S.D. The B-1 has four F-101
engines, each is capable of providing
more than 30,000 pounds of thrust
with afterburner.

2. A 109th Aircraft Maintenance


Squadron crew chief from Stratton Air
National Guard Base, N.Y., does his
routine pre-flight inspections on an
LC-130 Hercules at Joint Base Pearl
Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The LC-130 is
on its way to Antarctica for Operation
Deep Freeze. Its unique skis allow the
aircraft to perform operations in snow
conditions.

3. A contractor washes a C-5M,


“Super Galaxy” during the initial
phase of a reconditioning program
at the New York Air National Guard’s
105th Aiflift Wing at Stewart Air
National Guard Base.

4. Senior Airman Sebero Quintero


cleans an air filter with compressed
air at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. 4
Routine maintenance and servicing
vehicles, such as cleaning air filters,
photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli

could decrease fuel consumption.


Airman Quintero, from Los Angeles,
is a vehicle maintenance journeyman
with the 451st Expeditionary Logistics
Squadron.

5. Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Messimer,


28th Civil Engineer Squadron structural
craftsman, uses a hand-held saw to
cut out pieces for a drop arm gate
at Camp Lancer during a Phase II
Operational Readiness Inspection at
Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.

3 5

6 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
photo by 1st. Lt. Joe Simms
1. A mini C-17 Globemaster III
replica passes St. Patrick’s
Cathedral in New York City during
the Veterans Day Parade Nov.
12, 2010. The C-17 replica is a
community relations tool built and
maintained by reservists from the
315th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air
Force Base, S.C.

2. U.S. Air Force members from


the Air Force Special Operations
Command’s 23rd Special Tactics
Squadron at Hurlburt Field, Fla.,
jump out of the back of a C-130
Hercules. The Airmen are practicing
combat operations in the Santa
Rosa Sound near Pensacola, Fla.

1
photo by Master Sgt. Russell E Cooley IV

January-February 2011 7
photo by Lance Cheung

photo by Senior Airman Corey Hook


1. The rotating service struc-
ture swings away from the space
shuttle, revealing the orbiter
Discovery at the Kennedy Space
Complex, Fla.

2. Tech. Sgt. Tywone Weston


checks a B-1B Lancer F-101 turbo-
fan engine for leaks at Ellsworth Air
Force Base, S.D. Sergeant Weston
is an aerospace propulsion test
cell assistant noncommissioned
officer in charge with the 28th
Maintenance Squadron.

3. Staff Sgt. T.J. Grover (left)


and Airman 1st Class Rachael
Orazine prepare to strap airdrop
bundles in a C-130J Super Hercules 1
at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
Sergeant Grover and Airman
photo by Tech. Sgt. Chad Chisholm

Orazine are loadmasters assigned


to the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift
Squadron.

4. Capt. James Spindler secures


the perimeter as equipment is
loaded into a C-17 Globemaster III
at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.
Captain Spindler is the mobile
operation unit director of operations
for the 4th Space Operations
Squadron.

5. Air Force Academy senior


Christen Monreal returns the
ball in a doubles match against 2
the University of North Carolina-
Greensboro during the USAFA
photo by Senior Airman Erica Picariello

Invitational Oct. 3, 2010, at the


Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

6. Falcons sophomore Kevin


Durr (right) fights for control of the
ball with Pioneer Matt Kirby during
the game against the University of
Denver Oct. 2, 2010, at the U.S. Air
Force Academy’s Soccer Stadium in
Colorado Springs, Colo.
3
photo by J. Rachel Spencer

4
photo by J. Rachel Spencer

5 6

8 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
photo by Staff Sgt. Larry E. Reid Jr., Released

1. The U.S. Air Force


Thunderbirds Air Demonstration
Squadron fly the Delta formation
over Cinderella Castle at Disney
World in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 26,
2010. Air Force Week 2010 was
held in Cocoa Beach, Fla.

2. Airmen check over a techni-


cal order while working on a B-1B
Lancer during a Phase II Operational
Readiness Inspection at Ellsworth
Air Force Base, S.D. Maintenance
Airmen use the TO to ensure safety
and accuracy. Airmen are assigned
to the 28th Aircraft Maintenance
Squadron.

3. An A-10C Thunderbolt II
“Warthog” from the Arkansas Air
National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing
fires its AN/GAU-8 30mm Avenger
seven-barrel Gatling gun at a target
on the ground during the 2010
Hawgsmoke competition in Boise,
Idaho.

4. More than 60 spouses of


military members were given the
opportunity to take a orientation
1 flight to learn what their spouse’s
job entails during a routine training
mission onboard a Charleston
photo by Airman 1st Class Anthony Sanchelli

C-17. The orientation flight is a way


to familiarize spouses with their
Airman’s job and showcase the
unit’s mission.

2
photo by Tech. Sgt. John Orrell

photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer Hudson

3 4

January-February 2011 9
K9
PRE
A litter prepares for military
working dog training Story By Randy Roughton
Photos by tech. sgt. bennie j. davis iii

T
his Belgian Malinois going to be happy to sit at the One of the foster parents’ most
puppy isn’t content to computer all day. These dogs are important responsibilities is help-
be a household pet. the smart children, and they want to ing their dogs become accustomed
She wants to work. You explore every corner of everything. to the sights and sounds they’re
can take her for a long You can see her future in her.” likely to experience as military
walk, but don’t put away the leash. working dogs. Rrespect became
She’s ready to go again. She creates
problems to solve by putting her
These dogs are the accustomed to the sounds of other
animals, people talking and other
toy in a corner, but don’t try to get smart children, and sounds as she accompanied Mrs.
it for her. This dog wants to solve
the problem herself. Rrespect, the they want to explore Dietrich to work every day at a
local pet store.
military working puppy in training, every corner of Two weeks before the puppies’
even drinks water with the toy in birth, 341st Training Squadron dog
her bowl, not taking her eye off it everything trainer Bernie Green had to euthanize
— Sarah Dietrich
for more than a few seconds. The her retired Maryland State Police
toy is her prey. Lackland is known as the dog dog, Rruuk, because of cancer. She
Rrespect was one of eight pup- mecca for all service branches, said fostered one of the “R” litter puppies,
pies born June 2 at the Department Tracy Shaw, the breeding program and he was named after Rruuk. He
of Defense Military Working Dog contract manager when the “R” accompanied Ms. Green daily on the
Breeding Program at Lackland Air litter was born. DOD’s breeding training trailer with the adult dogs,
Force Base, Texas. Names of puppies colony’s ultimate goal is to provide so he visited detection training labs,
like Rrespect and her siblings in the one-third of all dogs procured for aircraft and vehicle training lots and
“R” litter begin with repeated letters military working dog training and is office buildings, and walked up and
to indicate they were bred through tasked to produce at least 100 pup- down stairways before he began his
the program at Lackland. pies each fiscal year. Each litter can own training.
“I like to think of her like a smart range from two to 15 puppies. Eight Staff Sgt. Samuel Durbin often took
child,” said Sarah Dietrich, Rrespect’s of the 12 puppies in Rrespect’s litter Rrigatoni to his job at the security
foster parent. “A smart child’s not survived a cesarean-section birth. forces armory at Lackland.

10 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
Rruuk, at 3 months
old. Rruuk is
pre-training to be a
military working dog
with the Department
of Defense Military
Working Dog
Breeding Program at
Lackland Air Force
Base, Texas.

January-February 2011 11
“When she is at work with me, introduce the stress, and the body come to you or not. We generally like
Rrisky, a Belgian we walk or ride everywhere, and recognizes it as conditioning.” a puppy that’s willing to come to you
Malinois puppy,
greets visitors at the she goes into any building on base,” The handlers give Rrespect and readily with its tail up.”
breeding program Sergeant Durbin said. “She has a her siblings five exercises that last Rrespect marches to puppy consul-
kennels. following at most places we go and from three to five seconds each. tant David Concepcion-Garcia, who
demands a crowd everywhere. I’m First, the handler gently tickles the then places her on her back to see if
(opposite, top to
bottom) Rrespect very thorough on taking her into puppy between the toes with a cotton she’s willing to be under a handler’s
follows a trail every kind of environment. She will swab. Next, the handler holds the control. She fidgets a bit, not too
of kibble into a go into any building, jump on any- puppy with both hands so its head comfortable with being held on her
darkened box as part
of a test that Lynnette thing she can reach, and has very few is directly above its tail, then holds it back. Next, Mr. Garcia backs away
Butler, a foster fears. If I go somewhere, she doesn’t firmly with both hands so its head is to see if she’s willing to come to him
consultant, evaluates want to be left behind.” pointed toward the floor. The puppy again after he held her down to test
from a distance. This
From Rrespect’s and the other pup- is then resting in both hands with its her social dominance.
test determines how
willing the puppy is pies’ third through 16th day of life, muzzle facing the ceiling before the
to follow the scent
into the dark interior
breeding program puppy development
specialists evaluated their reflexes
thermal stimulation when it is placed
feet-first on a damp, cool towel.
We’re looking
of the box and eat
the food inside. and responses with early neurologi- The eight puppies live in the whelp- to find out what
Rrespect earned top
dog status, with high
cal stimulation exercises. The Army
developed biosensor exercises to
ing barn until they reach 8 weeks
and puppy consultants administer stresses the puppies
scores in nearly all of
her tests. improve its dog performances in what the puppy aptitude test. The military and evaluate their
became known as the “Super Dog developed the test from similar civil-
Rrespect’s paw Program.” Biosensor exercises affect ian tests that evaluate dogs for social responses. You
prints mark the floor
of her kennel after
the neurological system by kick- attraction; social and elevation domi-
nance; retrieval; and sight, sound and
introduce the
ing it into action earlier than would
she was caught
playing in her water normally be expected and is believed touch sensitivity. stress, and the body
bowl. to cause improved cardiovascular
performance, stronger heartbeats and
“It’s a personality test in prepara-
tion to place these puppies with their
recognizes it as
a greater resistance to disease and foster homes,” said Lynnette Butler, conditioning
stress. a puppy consultant with the breed- — Tracy Shaw

“We’re looking to find out what ing program. “The first thing we do When she does, Mr. Garcia picks
stresses the puppies and evaluate at this stage is social attraction. We up Rrespect and holds her for 30 sec-
their responses,” Ms. Shaw said. “You test whether the puppy is willing to onds to test her elevation dominance.

12 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
photo by Lance Cheung
He then tosses a wad of paper,
followed by a tennis ball, to test her
retrieving skills. The evaluations con-
clude with tests of the puppy’s touch,
sound and sight sensitivities, and her
hunt drive. The consultant places
about a dozen kibble in a cardboard
box and watches how Rrespect uses
her scent to find the treat.
At 12 weeks, foster consultants
use information from the aptitude
tests to place the puppies. Foster
parents must live within two hours
of Lackland because they must bring
the puppies in for monthly medi-
cal evaluations and go on monthly
hiking trips with other fosters in their
dog’s litter. Fosters also must have a
fenced-in backyard and cannot have
any children under the age of 4 or
more than three personal dogs.
The program provides a carrier,
food, toys, bowls, collars, leashes,
veterinary care and guidance, which
includes helping to set realistic expec-
tations for the type of dog they will
have in their homes.
“You’re not getting a Lab,” Mr.
Garcia said. “The drive is 100 times
greater. We like to set expectations
and give our fosters every tool we
can.”
Months before Rrespect began
her pre-training, she showed signs
of her future in her foster parent’s
home. She was Mrs. Dietrich’s third
foster military working puppy. Mrs.
Dietrich’s second puppy, Oopey, is
now in military working dog training.
Still, when Rrespect first entered the
house, Mrs. Dietrich was surprised
by her intelligence, problem-solving
skills and focus on a toy, a sign that
breeding program consultants associ-
ate with her prey drive. All are char-
acteristics of the Belgian Malinois
breed, which make them perfect
military working dogs, handlers say.
“The first time I put a toy on the
floor, I was amazed at the energy she
went at this toy with,” Mrs. Dietrich
said. “Twenty minutes later, she
looked up at me. For 20 minutes, all
she could think about was that toy.
She parades around the house all the
time with her toys. It’s called practic-
ing possession.
“I’m either laughing my head off or
having a headache every minute with
her. There is no in-between.”
Names for military working pup-
pies come from lists supplied by
the DOD Military Working Dog
Veterinary Service Hospital at
Lackland, which generates a list from

January-February 2011 13
photo by Lance Cheung
Sarah Dietrich, a
professional dog
trainer and volunteer
foster provider in San
Antonio, observes
Rrespect’s drive to
keep all of her toys in
close proximity.

Energy, intelligence,
agility and tenacity
are all strong
characteristics of
the Belgian Malinois
breed. This puppy
from the “R” litter
holds one ball in its
mouth, while using
its paws to stop a
second ball from
getting away.
photo by Lance Cheung

suggestions made by the general pub- The puppy named after Colonel
lic at http://dogvet.amedd.army.mil. Romano is showing similar
Names of fallen military working dog signs that he also will succeed
handlers or previous foster parents as a working dog, said his fos-
are given priority, however. ter, Kevin Cody. Mr. Cody works
One dog in the “R” litter, Rromano, with the Transportation Security
was named after a former foster par- Administration at the San Antonio
ent, Col. Joseph Romano. Colonel International Airport.
Romano and his wife Karen fostered After having their dogs for six months,
a military working dog while he was Mrs. Dietrich and her husband, Navy
commander of the 37th Training Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Dietrich,
Group at Lackland. He now monitors and the other foster parents said good-
security coordination and special bye to Rrespect and the other puppies
programs for the Secretary of the Air in December when the dogs returned
Force at the Pentagon. Their dog, to Lackland for adolescent training or
Vviper, is now a working dog for the pre-training, a sort of high school for the
802nd Security Forces Squadron and military working dog.
was a breeder for three litters in 2010. This is often a time of mixed emo-
Colonel Romano said his wife treated tions: pride of sending the dog to
Vviper like a child. learn an important job mixed with
the sadness of sending them away.

Sometimes it’s like “Sometimes it’s like sending off


a hyper child to day camp,” Mrs.
sending off a hyper Dietrich said. “Other times, it’s

child to day camp. really heartbreaking. But you know


they’re going to be doing what they
Other times, it’s love. You know they’re going off to
do something they’re going to really
really heartbreaking enjoy. You want them to succeed,
— Sarah Dietrich
and you’re excited to see what
“His sense of smell was phenom- they’re going to do with their lives.
enal,” he said. “Couple this with You’re raising a little soldier, and it’s
his bite and quickness, it was clear your way to support the military.
Vviper would be one hell of a mili- “Look at that dog,” she said as
tary working dog, as long as Karen Rrespect sniffed in the grass. “That dog
didn’t turn him into a domesticated wants to be doing that. She doesn’t
pet.” want to be sleeping on the couch.”

14 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
Rrespect at three
months old during a
foster parent training
day, where the
puppies are brought
together for tempera-
ment and physical
evaluations.

January-February 2011 15
WHITE HOUSE
FELLOW Story By Randy Roughton
Photos by staff sgt. desiree n. palacios

T
he past year in a secretary 10 steps from my office,” he Edward A. Rice Jr., and Global Strike
Lt. Col. Rob Lyman lieutenant colonel’s life said. “The running joke is there are Command’s Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz.
was commander of
a communications featured presidential a lot of important people who work Former fellows like Colonel Lyman
squadron at Eglin meetings and a NASA in Washington and you’re not one of and Lt. Col. Bobbi Doorenbos talk
Air Force Base, Fla., shuttle crew’s traditional them. But as a fellow, sometimes you fondly of the network that develops
before beginning post-launch beans-and-cornbread get spoiled. You have to stay humble through their experience. Colonel
his tour as a White
House fellow. Colonel meal. But Lt. Col. Rob Lyman only and remember your role as a public Doorenbos served her fellows tour in
Lyman worked for needed five words to sum up each servant.” 2007 in the Department of Agriculture
the Department of memorable experience as a White President Lyndon B. Johnson cre- as a special assistant to the secre-
Transportation in
Washington, D.C., House Fellow: ated the fellows program in 1964 to tary. She landed her current position
during his year-long “Who gets to do that?” foster leadership and public service by as special adviser in the Office of
fellowship program. “Through the course of my year, providing individuals with mentoring the Vice President for Defense and
that’s what I keep coming back to: from senior government leaders and Intelligence, Exclusive Secretariat,
who gets to do that?” asked Colonel offering first-hand experience working when one of her classmates left the
Lyman, now with the strategy divi- with the federal government and par- job.
sion in the Office of the Deputy Chief ticipating in national affairs. Fellows can always call on alumni
Management Officer in Washington Fellows spend a year working full- for advice or guidance. But Colonel
after completing his year in the White time with senior White House staff, Lyman benefitted from a former
House Fellows program, where he cabinet secretaries and other top-rank- fellow’s mentorship before he was
worked in the U.S. Department of ing government officials. They also selected. While he was still com-
Transportation. participate in roundtable discussions manding the 96th Communications
During his tour of duty as a fellow, in a speakers program that brings in Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base,
Colonel Lyman worked with Deputy both civic and political leaders. Fla., Col. Bruce McClintock, the 96th
Secretary of Transportation John Fellows’ responsibilities vary, Air Base Wing commander at Eglin,
D. Porcari on a department-wide depending on their assignments, arranged mock interviews with local
cybersecurity strategic plan and the but can involve leading interagency civic leaders to prepare Colonel Lyman
Next-Generation Air Traffic Control meetings and drafting speeches for for the selection board.
System. The colonel was part of a cabinet secretaries. The director of This preparation was particu-
delegation that negotiated an open- the President’s Commission on White larly helpful as Colonel Lyman and
skies agreement with Japan. He House Fellowships makes assignment his wife, Nancy, were concurrently
also sat in on cabinet-level meet- decisions, based on input from agency experiencing a major lifestyle change.
ings with Mr. Porcari and Secretary officials after interviews during place- Their daughter Ava was born two
of Transportation Ray LaHood and ment week. After their tenure, fellows weeks before the selection week in
heard speakers ranging from Fortune are expected to be more experienced Washington.
500 CEOs and national-level journal- in public policy and decision-making “I came into fellows weekend
ists to U.S. congressmen and Supreme and apply what they learned to con- feeling a little frazzled with my atten-
Court justices. tribute to their own communities and tion divided, not feeling I was 100
While Colonel Lyman was com- professions and become the nation’s percent prepared, but still kind of on
fortable dealing with senior military future leaders. this high from Ava being born,” he
leaders, he soon realized he was in a Alumni of the program’s 45-year said. “Then, selection weekend was
different world in the transportation history include former Secretary a whirlwind, I think because it was
department. of State Colin Powell, retired Army kind of the mindset I had coming in,
“It was kind of invigorating because Gen. Wesley Clark and three current but also it’s just a whirlwind on its
you’re suddenly thrust into this world commanders of major Air Force com- own. It’s designed to be that way,
where you’re surrounded by very mands: Air Mobility Command’s Gen. where you have all of these great
senior people, with a cabinet secre- Raymond E. Johns Jr., Air Education people with the crazy questions and
tary right down the hall and a deputy and Training Command’s Gen. great interviews.”

16 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
Two members of the President’s Fortunately, the colonel had learned
Commission on White House enough in his undergraduate work in
Fellowships asked questions that engineering to answer the question.
completely surprised Colonel Lyman, “Some people just said, ‘I don’t
who had expected certain types of know,’” Colonel Lyman said. “Some
questions from a famous news anchor people knew a little bit, so they had
and a retired four-star general. a conversation about it, and maybe
The colonel’s new baby played a some just faked their way through it.
starring role in his interview with one I was probably a combination of the
of America’s most recognizable news last two. I looked it up on Wikipedia
voices. afterward to see if I was right, and I
“With Tom Brokaw, he’s the one was pretty close. I went up to General
you really expect some pointed ques- Clark the night of our last dinner
tions from — a professional journal- and asked him, ‘Really, quantum
ist,” Colonel Lyman said. “Our whole tunneling?’”
time, we ended up talking about what Fifteen years ago, retired Brig.
it was like to have daughters. We Gen. Bob Edmonds had similar
talked about what it was like to have experiences during his White House
to figure out how to be a dad. Again, Fellows tour. Then a lieutenant
who gets to do that?” colonel and an F-15 Eagle pilot from
Another famous name on the selec- the 95th Fighter Squadron at Tyndall
tion board surprised Colonel Lyman Air Force Base, Fla., he met with a
with his question. The colonel had pre- panel that included actress Mary
pared to discuss Afghanistan and Iraq, Steenburgen, astronaut Sally Ride
U.S.-Iran relations, national security and Olympian Edwin Moses and
or some other important current issue was selected as a special assistant
with General Clark. However, the former to Phil Lader, head of the Small
Supreme Allied Commander Europe Business Administration under
asked him about quantum tunneling. President Bill Clinton. He was part of
The general wanted to see how the first White House delegation to
applicants would react to an unex- visit post-normalized Vietnam and
pected question, but he also believed worked on the administration’s 100
everyone should know something enterprise and empowerment zones
about science, Colonel Lyman said. for small businesses.

January-February 2011 17
“I think the program provides a think have already had extraordinary an overnight trip on the USS Truman
Colonel Lyman window into Washington for fellows experiences in their professional lives aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean.
navigates the metro
in Washington, D.C. to see how it operates,” General they can bring to the table to spend a But he learned the most from
Edmonds said. “It opened to me a year doing this and go out from here watching leaders like the transporta-
Colonel Lyman broader perspective of how the execu- to really be energized with the experi- tion secretary and deputy secretary
stands outside the tive and legislative branches work ence to provide service to their com- while they discussed policy and made
White House, where
he met with the together to run the country. You find munities, the nation and mankind.” decisions. His experience as a fellow
president and vice out as a White House Fellow on this Military fellows like Colonel Lyman prepared Colonel Lyman not only for
president as a White side of the Potomac how people view benefit from the expertise of their his current position, but also to move
House fellow.
issues and solve problems in different classmates in fields such as business, forward to the next level of leadership
ways in a coordinated Washington education, law and medicine. Colonel in his career.
environment.” Lyman and an Army officer in last “I think leadership in the Air Force
Providing this type of access to the year’s class also shared their military gave me the confidence to deal with
nation’s decision-making process is expertise in what he called “Military very senior people in a professional
the core of the White House Fellows 101,” especially on events like an over- manner,” he said. “This was a unique
program, said retired Gen. Lloyd night trip on the USS Truman. opportunity to serve at the junction
“Fig” Newton, another member of the “I think military officers bring a where policy and politics meet, which
President’s Commission on White great perspective to share with the as a military officer, you don’t get to
House Fellowships, which selects the program that’s very unique, especially see often. We work so many policy
fellows each year. General Newton is considering the rest of our class didn’t issues without seeing the politics of
a retired four-star general, an F-4D have military experience,” Colonel implementing them, so it was inter-
Phantom pilot with 269 combat Lyman said. “We felt a responsibility esting to work at this level and see
missions, and was the first African- to share that with them. I certainly that. Doing this has given me a better
American member of the U.S. Air encourage Airmen to apply because I vision of what’s possible and how to
Force Thunderbirds air demonstration think we bring a great perspective and move policy issues forward toward
team. But one experience missing from experience, both as military officers implementation and the challenges
his career was the one provided for and as Airmen.” of leadership at the highest national
Colonel Lyman. Other highlights during Colonel level. The challenge for me will be
“Some of the folks on our commis- Lyman’s tour were a trip with to apply those lessons in leadership
sion have been fellows in years past,” Secretary LaHood to Creech Air Force scenarios presented to me through
General Newton said. “Unfortunately, Base, Nev., for a remotely-powered air- my Air Force service. Hopefully, I’ll
I am not one and wish I had this craft operations tour that featured the be able to apply those lessons to be a
experience. What we’re looking for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. The more effective leader.”
are those citizens from across U.S. fellows learned about the space launch During the year between Colonel
society who have had some unique mission at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., Lyman’s squadron command and his
achievements and experiences at and enjoyed the traditional beans current assignment as a group com-
this early point of their careers. and cornbread with NASA members mander, the fellows program put him
We’re looking for what you and I after a successful shuttle launch. The in a position to meet with and observe
have heard in the military as a whole fellows class also had meetings with policy-makers in action. As a White
person. We want those people we the president and vice president and House Fellow, he got to do that.

18 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
KNOW B4 YOU GO

DOUBLE duty:
story By Randy Roughton

AF family counts the days During


parents’ dual deployment

D
isney Princess She hopes the blog will help fel- them to hear that stuff.” Sergeant Gamez returns. The
and “Toy Story” low Airmen make difficult deci- As the day to leave drew near, family went to Disney World in
characters serve sions before and during their Sergeant Gamez found herself Orlando, Fla., before the deploy-
an important deployments. “Double Duty” is alternating between the joy of ments and plans a return trip
purpose for available at http://doubleduty. watching her children’s soccer soon after reuniting next year.
the Gamez family. The familiar dodlive.mil. games and the melancholy of “I get sad because I wish I
Disney faces on 5-year-old Because of their ages, knowing she would soon have didn’t have to go, but I know
Tomas’ and 3-year-old Eva’s Sergeant Gamez tried to keep to leave them for the uncertainty so many things are going to
calendars remind them how her children from hearing about of deployment. But like her be easier,” Sergeant Gamez
many days remain before Mama the tragedy and violence where children, she drew comfort in said. “I know all of the benefits
and Daddy return from their their parents would be spending what the calendars have in store we’re going to have when we
deployments in Afghanistan. the next year. The TV usu- for her family when she and her get back. For our first time
Eva and Tomas mark off each ally was on a Disney video or husband are home again. in the military, we’re going to
day as they look forward to educational program and not A special date the Disney have almost a whole year when
reaching the week marked with the news, and she asked her characters are helping the we will probably be together.
a sticker and the words, “Daddy mother to follow her lead while Gamez children keep in mind We’re just living in the moment
should be home this week.” the children are with her. will be about two months after right now.”
The calendars went to Ohio But sometimes
photo by Tech. Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III

with the children when their it was unavoidable,


mother, Tech. Sgt. Christina as when she was Master Sgt.
Rudy Gamez
Gamez, took them to their with her children at embraces his
maternal grandmother’s home Wilford Hall Medical wife, Tech. Sgt.
before the holidays. Sergeant Center at Lackland Christina Gamez,
Gamez will begin combat skills for a medical before boarding
a flight at the
training at Camp Bullis near San appointment before San Antonio
Antonio in early January before she departed. International
deploying to Afghanistan. Her “The TV was Airport. The two
will be separated
husband, Master Sgt. Rodolfo on CNN and for nearly a
Gamez, left in September. He they were talk- year while they
is a member of the Air Force ing about bombs both serve
in Afghanistan, deployments.
Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance Agency at so my kids asked
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. me, “Mama, why
“Every night, I make it a point are they talking
to [tell the kids how many days about bombs and
there are] until Daddy starts Afghanistan?” she
home,” Sergeant Gamez said said. “I told them
two months before she reported they were talking
to Camp Bullis. “They know that about a different
means it’s about [45 days after part of Afghanistan,
that] before Mama gets home.” but that’s why
Sergeant Gamez is a financial mamas and daddies
analyst who was assigned to the have to go over
802nd Comptroller Squadron there and keep the
at Lackland before her deploy- bad guys locked
ment. She’s also writing a up. I don’t typically
blog, “Double Duty,” during the watch the news. I
couple’s deployments to help watch something
prepare other Air Force couples that makes me
for the concerns they will face happy or want to
if they deploy at the same time. laugh. I don’t want

J January-February 2011 19
Airmen tackle
endurance race
in Hawaii’s lava fields
story by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares J Photos by Tech Sgt. Cohen A. Young

A
team of Airmen officer without a female teammate Thunderbird pilot currently serv-
pushed the enve- competed in the men’s division. ing at the U.S. Air Force Academy,
Capt. Jaime Turner,
an Air Force Reserve lope of mental and The military division winner is and Captain Turner, an Air Force
C-17 Globemaster physical toughness based on the combined lowest time Reserve C-17 Globemaster III pilot
III pilot, and Maj. to claim the military of the male and female representa- from Joint Base Charleston, S.C.,
William “Kidd”
Poteet, a U.S. Air division of a grueling, 140.6-mile tives of their service. There is also an the race was not about personal
Force Academy triathlon in the 2010 Ford Ironman overall male and an overall female accomplishments.
instructor, repre- World Championship, held in Kailua- winner. The trophy is handed down
sented the Air Force
in the military
Kona, Hawaii. The event’s theme from year to year with names of top Aiming High
competition at the was, “ke alahele o ke koa,” meaning competitors and the winning service While Captain Turner had com-
2010 Ford Ironman “the way of the warrior” in Hawaiian. engraved on the side. peted in a previous Ironman com-
Triathlon World The Air Force team was one of The two Airmen swam, biked and petition, being sponsored by the
Championship. The
two Airmen were four officially-sponsored male-female ran among nearly 1,800 other endur- Air Force added dimension to the
among more than teams competing as representatives ance athletes representing more Kona race.
1,800 competitors. of their service branch. Maj. Scott than 45 countries and almost all 50
Poteet and Capt. Jaime Turner faced states. For Major Poteet, a former
teams representing the U.S. Army,
Navy and Coast Guard. A Marine

(clockwise, from bottom left) More than


1,800 competitors took part in the Ironman
competition, which began with a 2.4 mile
swim in Kailua Bay, Hawaii.

Capt. Jamie Turner poses for a photo


while training for the Ironman triathlon’s
bike event.

Capt. Jamie Turner waves the Air Force


flag as she crosses the finish line at the
2010 Ford Ironman World Championship.
Captain Turner finished first in the military
female division.

Maj. William Poteet crosses the Ironman


finish line. His time, combined with Capt.
Jaime Turner’s, put the Airmen in first place
in the military competition. The Air Force
team’s time was more than an hour faster
than that of the second-place Army team.

20 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
“Everything I do during that race rep- In a little more than an hour, With only two miles to go in the
resents the Air Force,” Captain Turner both Airmen climbed from the run, Major Poteet hit his second
said. “I’m not going to have people water to begin the 112-mile bike and biggest wall of fatigue. But he
yelling my name; they will be yelling ride along the Kona and Kohala found his motivation upon hearing
‘Go, Air Force.’ I have a whole different coastlines. the news of Captain Turner’s siz-
reason to race besides myself.” Major Poteet hit a wall mentally able lead for the women’s group.
Major Poteet has finished 10 races between the 90 and 100-mile marks “The objective is to stay strong
around the world and represented the on the ride, making the remainder and find a way to fight through that
Air Force at Kona for the second time. of that stage difficult to complete. wall,” the major said. “Every single
“I want to make everyone proud Captain Turner hit the wall much race I have competed in at the
in the Air Force by wearing the sooner, at around the 20-mile mark, Ironman level, I’ve had struggles.
colors,” Major Poteet said. “That is and her discomfort lasted until the I’ve hit walls. Some I’ve overcome
the meaningful element to this race. end of the ride. and some I haven’t.”
There are so many people along the “It was very frustrating for me
course; 140.6 miles is a long way. because the bike is usually my Finishing First
There are a lot of people out there strong point,” she said. “If someone Spectators, vacationers, athletes
cheering you on. To be able to wear passes me, I make sure I keep up and family members lined the street
an Air Force uniform, that’s what with them, or I’m always the one along the path cheering for the
they see first and that’s what they passing people.” competitors as they wound their
respond to.” She was not doing much passing way along the final stretch.
this time, as intensifying pain radi-
The Journey ated up and down her right leg and
The morning of the race, the com-
petitors stood on the beach nearly

“There’s nothing in the world [that


compares to] the atmosphere at the
upper thigh. Sheer winds on the Ironman world championships,”
volcanic mountain nearly blew her Major Poteet said. “Ali’i Drive is the
100 yards from the starting line off her bike several times. To make most famous road I know. It is just
and focused on the journey laid matters worse, stomach cramps lined three or four deep with fans
out before them: a 2.4 mile swim in kicked in, forcing her to lean over cheering as loud as can be.
Kailua Bay’s choppy salt water, a and vomit as she pedaled. “Zigzagging along the sea wall,
112-mile bike ride across encrusted The captain stayed motivated by you turn a corner and see the fin-
lava fields and a full marathon- thinking about some of the other ish line. Mike Reilly, the voice of
length run of 26.2 miles. competitors. This Ironman cham- Ironman, is cheering you on and
“This is a very unforgiving envi- pionship witnessed its first triple announces your name. As soon
ronment, especially once you get amputee finisher in its more than as you cross that line, it’s ‘Scott
out on the highway,” Major Poteet 30-year history. Poteet, you are an Ironman.’”
said. “There’s no hiding from the “I started thinking about the Captain Turner crossed the finish
elements. Two of the biggest chal- amputees or the guys that don’t line carrying a blue Air Force flag
lenges are the sun and unforgiving have legs doing this race,” she said. her boyfriend handed her along the
heat radiating off the lava fields.” “I thought, ‘Well, if they can finish final turn.
The event began with the swim- this race with zero legs or one leg, Major Poteet and Captain
ming portion of the competition. then I can easily finish this with a Turner posted a combined time of
“The swim is more of a survival small little pain down my leg.’” 20:27:36, a full hour faster than the
than I thought it would be,” Captain Her worries about pain dur- second-place Army team.
Turner said. “Elbows getting thrown ing the bike stage dissolved after “[This win] means more than
and people kicking you are only transitioning to the run. As she any age group win or individual
part of it. You take a deep breath, stepped off the bike she experi- win,” said Major Poteet. “The fact
because you don’t know when your enced a burst of energy, knowing that we worked together as a team
next one will be, in the beginning. that she was running toward the element in an otherwise individual
You just keep moving forward.” finish line. sport is incredible.”

January-February 2011 21
Story By Staff Sgt. vanessa young ✪ Photos by tech. sgt. bennie j. davis iii

The operating room


of
the
22
Future
www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
A
new state-of-the-art as minimally invasive procedures
operating room at without moving the patient. Vascular surgeons
perform an
Travis Air Force Base, “[The CVOR] saves the patient time abdominal aortic
Calif., is changing the going from one room to the next, and it aneurysm repair
way doctors perform can also save them a second surgery,” procedure in the
surgery and reviving the Air Force she said. “If they did find something hybrid Cardiovascular
Operating Room,
cardiac surgery program. wrong in the past they would have to located at the David
The cardiovascular operating bring the patient back to the OR. Now, Grant USAF Medical
room, or CVOR, at the David Grant they do it right after the surgeon is fin- Center on Travis Air
Force Base, Calif.
USAF Medical Center is like four ished and if something is wrong, they
rooms in one. It’s double the size can fix it right away.”
of a typical operating room and Hybrid operating rooms aren’t a
designed specifically for cardiac and new concept in the civilian medical
vascular surgeries. It is also, because field, but through a joint Department
of the state-of-the-art equipment in of Defense, Department of Veterans
place, a radiology lab and a cardiac Affairs and University of California at
catheterization lab. Davis venture, it is the only cardiovas-
This means doctors and technicians cular operating room in the Air Force.

[The CVOR] saves


the patient time
going from one
room to the
next, and it can
also save them a
second surgery
— Lt. Col. Brenda Waters

with different specialties, including Until the Travis facility opened, the
cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, last cardiovascular surgery performed
interventional radiologists and cardi- at an Air Force facility was in 2006.
ologists, who would typically work on In 2008, Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Charles
their patients in four separate units, Green, the Air Force surgeon general,
can all work in the same room. decided to bring a cardiac surgery
“In the past, when the surgeons program to DGMC. As the consultant
performed an open heart case at to the Air Force surgeon general for
another facility, once the procedure cardiothoracic surgery, Col. (Dr.) Jerry
was complete the patient would Pratt, also the chief of cardiothoracic
be taken to the [intensive care surgery at DGMC, and his team,
unit] and the surgeon wouldn’t including Colonel Waters, looked at
know if the procedure was done where technology was headed.
correctly until the patient showed At the time, hybrid ORs existed,
signs of something going wrong or and there was interest in integrating
when they took the patient to the a hybrid OR into cardiac surgery, but
catheterization lab,” said Lt. Col. the technology was still evolving,
Brenda Waters, the operating room Dr. Pratt said. In 2009, Federal Drug
flight commander. “But now, they Administration officials approved the
can actually do it inside the room. Artis zeego.
As soon as the surgery is over, they The Artis zeego is a medical
can call in the cardiologist and imaging system with a multi-axis
right there they can do everything C-shaped robotic arm that allows
that they did in the catheterization doctors to get detailed 3-D images of
lab before, inside the OR.” the body, similar to a CT scan, in the
Specialists at DGMC can col- operating room. This piece of equip-
laborate to perform complex open ment can only be found in four other
heart and vascular surgeries as well hospitals in the nation.

January-February 2011 23
“A lot of other places have some- the heart. If a surgeon sews a graft room, but a lot of the specialty equip-
A surgeon stitches thing similar to this in their [endo- onto an artery to improve blood flow, ment is mobile. Prior to a surgery,
up a patient after
completing a vascular surgery] suites. But in those the surgeon can use the zeego to see nurses and technicians will roll in the
procedure in the suites, the C-arm is actually right next if the graft is sewn on correctly and if equipment needed, and post-surgery,
Cardiovascular to the bed, so it would get in anesthe- blood is flowing as intended. roll that equipment out to prepare for
Operating Room sia’s way, it would get in the way of “Traditionally we look at a cardiac the next surgery.
at Travis Air Force
Base, Calif. The our table, and it would be a problem catheterization before the operation, The cardiovascular operating room
new operating room if we ever had to convert to [open- but there’s nothing in the operating is fully equipped with the equipment
provides patients heart surgery],” said Senior Airman room that shows us where we need to needed to perform procedures, so
with advanced and
integrated monitoring Brandon Bloomer, an operating room be on the artery,” Dr. Pratt said. “It’s no equipment needs to be moved,
technologies for technician. “This one is awesome all based on what we’ve seen in the which, according to Colonel Waters,
cardiovascular care. because it’s seated far away, and it cardiac catheterization lab. So there is decreases turnover time between
uses robotics to maneuver its way a chance that we could put the bypass surgeries from 25 to 35 minutes to 10
into the bed. It’s really maneuverable, before the blockage. With this technol- to 15 minutes.
and it gives us the option of where we ogy we’ll see if we are before the block- With the CVOR and zeego in
can go with our tables, and it gives age. If we are, we can move the graft, or place, the Air Force’s cardiac pro-
anesthesiologists the option to get we can do something to that blockage gram can evolve toward less invasive
closer to the patient.” now, with the help of the interventional heart surgery.
By integrating this piece of radiol- cardiologist, so we don’t have to move “In the not too distant future,
ogy equipment, doctors can perform the patient, and we can give the patient we can change the way we perform
a completion angiography, a process the best possible bypass.” aortic valve replacements,” Dr.
usually done in a separate lab, where The surgical team at DGMC can Pratt said. “Instead of doing the
doctors inject a dye into the patient perform 12 different specialty surger- standard incision down the middle
and use X-ray technology to check ies here. In a typical operating room, of the chest, stopping the heart,
the veins, arteries and chambers of there are standard machines in each taking out the valve and sewing in

24 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
a new valve, we will be able to do it care of patients; they provide us with “Doing a heart or vascular surgery
either through a small incision on personnel to do what we need to do.” is the closest thing to trauma at (clockwise from
left) Dr. Robert Noll,
the chest, where we can slide the Increasing the capacity to see more DGMC,” Dr. Pratt said. “We deal a vascular surgeon
valve in and inflate the valve within patients is an issue that not only affects with blood, and we have big inci- with DGMC, performs
the heart or we can go up through those in the cardiovascular program, sions. In trauma surgery, most of that an abdominal aortic
the groin and come around. This but everyone who works in the hospital. is vascular injury that we have to deal aneurysm repair
procedure in the
technology is perfect for that in this According to Dr. Pratt, the biggest with, so having teams that can deal CVOR.
setting. If there’s a problem, we can impact of more patients is better with it in a controlled, calm environ-
go and do it the standard way right training. ment and sending them over into Vascular surgeons
at the David Grant
here in this room. It is the operating “More patients means better train- that environment is a great asset to USAF Medical Center
room of the future.” ing for the surgeons, for the nurses the patients and a great capability to watch imagery pro-
The operating room of the future and for the [technicians] in the bring over to the AOR.” duced by the C-arm
In the end, the opportunities for col- of the Artis zeego
thrives on the collaboration between operating room; better training for
during a procedure.
different specialties, but according to the nurses, techs in the ICUs and the laboration, the new technology and the
Colonel Pratt, relies on support given wards; better training for the physical faster turnover times are benefits, but The third success-
by the VA. DGMC is a unique facility therapist, dieticians and nutritionist; the biggest benefit is for the patients. ful surgery is
completed at the new
where VA and Air Force officials part- better training for the blood bank and “Everything we are doing here CVOR at the DGMC.
ner to provide care for both DOD and the lab,” he said. “Having a cardio- is high technology and is good for The CVOR allows
VA patients in the area. vascular program impacts an entire the staff, but the bottom line is doctors and techni-
cians from different
“We are dependent on the VA for hospital even to the smallest level.” the patient,” Colonel Waters said. specialties to work on
patients and personnel,” Dr. Pratt The cardiovascular program greatly “Everything that we have done or patients in the same
said. “They are allowing us to hire affects the quality of care given to DOD implemented is for the benefit for the room, rather than in
operating room nurses, ICU nurses and VA patients in California, and also patient. If it’s less time in the OR, separate units.
and clinic staff to help increase our benefits the quality of care for wounded fewer surgeries or just patient safety,
capacity to see more patients. We take servicemembers downrange. everything we do is for them.”

January-February 2011 25
photo by Airman 1st Class Katherine Windish

Story By Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates

B
ody rigid, eyes locked knows the team has to do better. And This doesn’t bother the Airmen
straight ahead, Airman it will, even if that means practicing assigned to this elite unit, though.
1st Class Gerry Irra all day. Their mission, after all, is to represent
stands motionless, This time wasn’t for real, but the the Air Force to the American public
waiting for the next next time could be. Even though it’s and the world.
command. Beside him, in a row, six just a practice, there is no room for The unit’s main job is to render
other Airmen imitate his stance. mediocrity, no passes for excuses military honors for Air Force personnel
“Ready!” and nothing less than perfection is and their family members during funeral
At this command the seven Airmen accepted. services at Arlington National Cemetery.
reach up, depress the operating rod Because this is the United States Additionally, the Honor Guard rep-
handle of their M1 carbine rifles Air Force Honor Guard, and here, resents all Air Force members, past
and squeeze the trigger in one fluid excellence isn’t just a flashy catch- and present, at ceremonial functions
motion. word or a cheesy slogan. Here, it is in Washington, D.C. These func-
Bang, bang, bang. expected. tions include arrival and departure
Airman Irra winces. There ceremonies for national and foreign
should’ve only been one bang. More Guarding tradition visiting dignitaries at the Pentagon,
than one signifies the team didn’t Whether wowing audiences with the White House and Andrews Air
have a “boomer,” meaning all seven their precision drill movements, Force Base, Md. Honor Guard mem-
rifles weren’t fired so close together rendering honors to fallen comrades bers also participate in wreath-laying
they sounded like just one shot. or presenting the colors with pride, ceremonies in Arlington National
“Not good enough,” shouts a non- the Air Force Honor Guard makes Cemetery and at change-of-command
commissioned officer watching the a living out of being in the public and retirement ceremonies.
Airmen. “Not good enough at all. Do spotlight. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s fulfill-
it again. Do it better.” There are autographs to sign, peo- ing work,” said Staff Sgt. Eric Allen,
Airman Irra doesn’t grumble. He ple to talk to and others to inspire. Honor Guard media librarian.

26 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
A color guard element
trains on the Air Force
Honor Guard ceremonial
lawn at Bolling Air Force
Base, Washington D.C.

The Honor Guard consists of three


ceremonial flights, made up of color
We are in the “If we put in the effort when we
practice, then that makes us better,”
bearers, pall bearers and firing party public spotlight day Airman Barnhart said. “And the bet-
personnel. The unit also operates the
drill team.
in and day out, so ter we are here [at Bolling Air Force
Base, Washington D.C.], the better
Together, these ceremonial flights every time we do our we look out there.”
perform an average of 10 ceremonies
per day, and nearly 3,000 per year.
job we have to make And out there, a lot of people are
watching.
“We are in the public spotlight day sure we are It may be family members at a
in and day out, so every time we do
our job we have to make sure we are
representing the Air fallen Airman’s funeral, kids at a
local middle school or millions of
representing the Air Force positively,” Force positively people watching a former presi-
Sergeant Allen said. — Staff Sgt. Eric Allen dent’s burial.
To do this, the 240 Airmen assigned No matter the event or number of
to the unit spend their days practicing These practices aren’t just busy people there, the Honor Guard’s goal
drill and other ceremonies that are work, either. Every movement of is always the same: Perform with
part of the Honor Guard’s responsi- every routine the Honor Guard excellence and represent the service
bilities. These range from rendering performs has to be perfect, each with pride.
honors at funerals to marching in hand moving at the same time, each
parades to performing advanced drill finger pulling a trigger simultane- Honor bound
movements at public events. ously and each drill movement Perfection doesn’t come easy. It means
“If we’re here and not performing, synchronized expertly. standing for hours without moving a
we’re practicing,” said Airman 1st Practice makes perfect. And the muscle or twitching an eyebrow, exe-
Class Robert Barnhart, a trainer with better the practice, the better each cuting commands with precision and
the Honor Guard’s firing party. performance. wearing a uniform that is immaculate.

January-February 2011 27
photo by Master Sgt. Stan Parker

Tech. Sgt. Joseph


It means getting rained on, snowed
on and sunburned. It can also mean
In some cases, we Seeking commitment
There are two ways to join the Air
Matulewicz, U.S. Air
Force Honor Guard, standing in over 100 degree heat or in are the last image a Force Honor Guard. Airmen can
renders a salute
during the funeral for
below zero temperatures.
“In some cases, we are the last
family may have of sign up while in Basic Training and
head to Bolling Air Force Base right
Tech. Sgt. Phillip A.
Myers at Arlington
image a family may have of the the military. We after graduation, or Airmen already
National Cemetery.
Sergeant Myers, from
military,” Airman Barnhart said.
“We want to make sure that image
want to make sure in the Air Force can simply go to
the unit’s website, www.honor-
Hopewell, Va., was
killed in Afghanistan
is a good one, professional and that image is a good guard.af.mil, fill out a package and
April 4, 2010, by an
improvised explosive
dignified.”
The Honor Guard started in
one, professional wait to see if they are selected.
Upon selection, Airmen go to
device. His family
was the first to allow
May 1948 when Headquarters and dignified Bolling Air Force Base for an eight-
Command USAF was instructed to — Airman 1st Class Robert Barnhartt week technical training course.
media coverage of the
dignified transfer of develop plans for an elite ceremo- The Honor Guard is always look-
remains at Dover Air nial unit comparable to those of the 1971. Then, in January of 1972, the ing for eligible candidates, too.
Force Base, Del., since other armed services. As a result, Honor Guard came into its own as a “The job definitely isn’t for
Defense Secretary
Robert Gates lifted the a ceremonial unit was activated separate unit. everyone,” Sergeant Allen said. “It
1991 ban. within the Air Police Squadron in Today’s Honor Guard is com- takes a person with lots of heart,
September 1948 with an authorized prised of volunteers who are commitment and desire. But if you
(opposite) Sixteen
members of the strength of 98 enlisted and two carefully screened for their ability have these traits and want to know
U.S. Air Force Honor officers. However, due to transfers and physical dexterity. Only those the feeling of pride that comes with
Guard Drill Team per- and personnel attrition, the ceremo- persons who are highly motivated doing something great, then the
form at Holloman Air nial detachment was disbanded by and maintain an exceptionally high Honor Guard may be for you.”
Force Base, N.M. The
drill team shows off the end of the year. It wasn’t until standard of appearance, conduct, It’s a job rich in tradition, forged
Air Force precision, March 1949 that sufficient person- and aptitude for ceremonial duty are in honor and accepting of nothing
discipline, teamwork nel were assigned to enable the unit considered. less than excellence.
and professionalism.
to function. “It’s the most fulfilling job I’ve ever “It’s been one of the best experi-
The ceremonial detachment had,” Sergeant Allen said. “And the ences of my life,” Airman Barnhart
continued to be assigned to the Air things we do aren’t for us, but for the said. “If I could do it all over again, I
Police Squadron until December Airmen and families we represent.” would.”

28 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
photo by Airman 1st Class Joshua Turner

January-February 2011
29
30 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
Air Force veteran brings sunny
demeanor to Food Network
Story By Staff Sgt. Matthew Bates ✪ Photos by Tech. Sgt. bennie j. davis iii

T
o call Sunny Anderson
a “foodie” would be an
understatement. She
loves everything about
food: Eating it, cooking
it, trying new dishes and rehashing
old ones.
And this love affair with food has
been a good one.
She hosts two shows on the Food
Network, “Cooking for Real” and
“How’d That Get on My Plate?;”
makes regular appearances on the
“Today Show,” “Good Morning
America” and local news broadcasts;
and is making a living doing some-
thing she loves: cooking.
“Every day I wake up and say
thank you,” she said. “I still can’t
believe where I am and how lucky
I’ve been.”
Sunny doesn’t just cook for real,
she keeps it real and is the first to say
she owes much of her current success
to her background as an Army brat and television broadcaster. The expe- home, she gets a little emotional.
and an Air Force broadcaster. rience was new and exciting and she “I see those videos and I say, Sunny Anderson
shares a laugh on set
“You know, you learn a lot of intan- loved every minute. ‘Wow, I was part of that and it’s still with the production
gibles in the military, things like duty, “I had a great time in the military,” doing its thing,’” she said. “Now I see staff while filming
honor, integrity and confidence,” she said. “I got to meet new people, how important those videos are for “I Have an App for
she said. “I’ve taken these with travel the world and do a cool job.” so many people. It seems like such a That,” a Season 8
episode of her show,
me throughout my life and they’ve That job eventually led her to San small thing, but to a lot of people it “Cooking for Real.”
helped me get where I am today.” Antonio, where she was assigned to means a whole lot.”
Where she is today is exactly the Joint Hometown News Service. At Sunny’s tour in the Air Force came (opposite) Sunny
holds a freshly-made
where she wants to be and her jour- this assignment, she remembers trot- to a close in 1997, but the skills she batch of her pizza
ney has been as eclectic and interest- ting the globe to film holiday greet- learned while serving her country still bites during the
ing as the dishes she prepares on her ings for servicemembers stationed serve her. filming of “Cooking
for Real,” at the Food
television shows. overseas.
Network studios in
“You know, it’s those things you Finding her way New York City.
A family affair see on TV where military people say Sunny’s first stop after leaving the Air
In Sunny’s family, joining the military hi to their families and wish them Force was New Orleans, a city she
was just the thing to do. happy holidays,” she said. “I hated had visited only a few times before.
“It’s like the family business,” she doing those back then. It was a lot Being a foodie, it didn’t take long
joked. “My dad was in the Army, of work and I didn’t understand how before she fell in love with the local
but I wasn’t sold on being a Soldier important it was.” cuisine, even with seafood, of which
myself.” Now, though, she sees the big she wasn’t a big fan.
Instead, she joined the Air Force picture and every time she watches “Before I lived there, I had a real
right out of high school, where she a military person on the TV smiling disdain for all seafood except for
worked as an award-winning radio and waving to his or her family back raw oysters. Go figure,” she said.

January-February 2011 31
courtesy photo

On her show,

Whether you do
“Cooking for Real,”
Sunny Anderson
serves up solutions

four years or
for easy-to-prepare,
fantastic tasting
meals that are
designed as real food
for real life. 20, the military
Airman Sunny
Anderson (U.S. Air can be that
Force photo)
foundation you
build the rest
of your life on. — SUNNY ANDERSON

“I visited New Orleans and This journey of discovery would of the nation’s top hip-hop stations,
decided, after trying one amazing take her from New Orleans to HOT 97. Vibe magazine rated her
shrimp etouffee there, that a city Montgomery, Ala., and then to show as one of the top nine to listen to
that could make me open my palate Detroit. At each stop she indulged nationwide and crowned her “Ruler of
to seafood was the city for me.” her love of music and food by work- the Airwaves.” Her radio success also
The Crescent City didn’t just ing at radio stations and sampling landed her appearances on MTV, and
open her eyes to new and exciting the local cuisine. She also started voice-over gigs on television and radio
tastes, it also paved the way for her cooking for coworkers, bringing ads for Destiny’s Child, LL Cool J and
continued love affair with radio and delicious dishes to potlucks and John Legend.
music. company functions. Through it all, though, Sunny
“The city gave me my first job out But Sunny’s goal was to work in kept cooking for her friends and
of the military as a radio DJ,” she a major radio market and she knew coworkers.
said. “So I worked there, ate good this meant eventually moving to “When I first got to New York,
food and just started trying to figure either New York or Los Angeles. people kept asking me, ‘What’s
out who I was and what I wanted She chose New York and within a next? What’s next?’ and I didn’t
to do.” year, Sunny was a featured DJ on one have an answer for them,” she said.

32 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
photo by Lance Cheung

Sunny said. “A week It was just the kick Sunny needed.


after that, I started From that moment, she was hooked Airman 1st Class
Alina Richard pre-
getting booked [for and knew her next move was to work pares a microphone
catering] by all the on food television. At first, no one for Sunny Anderson,
station’s executives. was buying in, though, and it took who was an Air
I didn’t even know I several years and a lot of persistence Force broadcaster in
the 1990s. (U.S. Air
was in the running; before the Food Network agreed to Force photo by Lance
I thought I was just give her a chance. Cheung)
cooking for friends. “I started at the Food Network in
“Sunny’s Fake
I didn’t set out to do 2007,” she said. “And I’ve been here Crepes,” a recipe
it, which is prob- ever since.” featured on “Cooking
ably why, when it for Real,” includes
whole wheat
got a little too big for Cooking for real tortillas, chocolate
me, I had to stop. I Sunny now has several seasons under hazelnut spread and
couldn’t wrap my her belt and she’s just as comfortable marshmallows.
brain around doing in her “pretend” kitchen at the Food
it full force while still Network studios as she is in her real
doing radio.” one at home.
Being a foodie Her show, she says, is all about
and a dabbler in the cooking real food for real people.
“But I was still cooking for people.” kitchen, Sunny couldn’t cut cooking So, it’s no surprise the show is
And the people loved it. out of her life completely. Her love called “Cooking for Real.”
Everywhere she went, they asked for it even drove her to talk about her “I think they wanted to play on the
her to make this or that dish and cooking on her radio show. A coordi- fact that I’m a real person, not a fancy
raved about her food. nator for the Food Network’s “Emeril chef in some large restaurant,” she said.
“At first it was like, ‘It’s friendly. Live” heard her and invited Sunny to And part of being a “real” person is
I’m bringing food. Let’s eat and be a guest on the show, something knowing where you come from, being
hang out.’ Someone brings a bottle she still ranks as one of the best thankful for what you have and sharing
of wine; I bring a dish,” she said. moments of her life. what you can with others, she added.
Then, all at once, it started get- “Oh, I was so nervous I threw “I know that I owe a lot to my
ting too big, too out of control. up,” she laughed. “It was such family and the values I learned
“One summer, my boss and all a good feeling [doing the show] in the military,” she said. “It just
these executives went to a house out though, doing something you love shows that whether you do four
in the Hamptons that the radio station and sharing. That’s all radio was years or 20, the military can be
had and I brought my mac and cheese, for me: living life and sharing my that foundation you build the rest
my chicken, a lot of standout dishes,” experiences on the air.” of your life on.”

January-February 2011 33
34 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
story by staff sgt. patrick brown ✪ photos by Tech. sgt. bennie J. Davis III

A
t first glance, Thomas 50-year-old launch complex buried by nature of a newly discovered historic
Penders’ job with the vegetation. site, Mr. Penders has to coordinate
45th Space Once sites such as those are found, preservation or restoration with the
Wing may studied and documented, developers appropriate agency. If a site contains
seem like are free to plan and build new launch Native American human remains, he
walking a tightrope. complexes and support buildings. will contact a local federally-recog-
As an aerospace Mr. Penders said before he nized Native American tribal leader,
archaeologist and cul- leaves the 45th SW, he wants to as directed by the Native American
tural resource manager at have every historical site identi- Grave Protection and Repatriation
Cape Canaveral Air Force fied and classified so the person Act, to discuss the best course of
Station, Fla., he ensures action. He recently
the 45th SW can continue
to be America’s premier
I want all The cultural had to do this when
he and a team of
gateway to space through resources accounted for volunteers found
— Thomas Pender
unhindered develop- human remains that
ment on the Cape. On dated back to around
the other hand, he has a who replaces him will 1,000 A.D. at a site not far from
responsibility to protect have nothing to do but Launch Complex 17. Those remains
the Cape’s 5,000 years manage. were reburied and work at the site
of history from that very “I want all the cultural continued.
development. resources accounted The excavation at that site
The two missions, for,” he said. “I’m out uncovered a unique type of pottery
however, go hand-in here looking at the that is causing scientists in the
hand. future plan and get- archaeological arena to consider
Mr. Penders has ting the stuff done moving the ending date for what
one goal in mind: to way ahead.” they call the Malibar Period from
help ensure the 45th SW Finding and 750 to 1,000 AD.
and the Air Force are documenting “We’re keeping the DOD, the Air
stewards of the past those sites, while Force and the 45th SW in compli-
while continuing their preparing for the ance [with the National Historic
space mission. He future, is also Preservation Act], but it also makes me
must survey each of the what enables feel good about the fact I’m contribut-
Cape’s 16,000 acres him to look ing something to science,” he said.
before a construction toward the past Mr. Penders has considerable
project must be stopped and preserve it, experience encountering sites dat-
because excavators have another Air Force ing back to the Europeans’ arrival
found a pre-historic migra- responsibility. at the Cape about the same time
tory camp, a 150-year-old Depending as Ponce de Leon’s 1513 discovery
unmarked grave or part of a on the age and of Florida.

January-February 2011 35
Much of Mr. Pender’s recent focus The settlement era lasted until Brazilian pepper trees were
Thomas Penders is on the Cape’s settlement period, 1946 when a committee formed by growing like weeds from the cracks
sifts through dirt in
search of artifacts starting in 1843 with the construc- DOD officials chose Cape Canaveral in the concrete in LC 18 where
at the Little Midden tion of the still-working lighthouse for a missile test center. Mr. Penders space engineers launched Viking,
site, found in 2006, and the arrival of the Cape’s first offered his archaeological services to Vanguard, Thor and Scout rockets
at Cape Canaveral Air permanent European settlers. the 45th SW because he was drawn vital to the development of today’s
Force Station, Fla.,
while working with The descendants of those settlers visit to the Cape’s space program. “I grew cruise missiles. The building, which
a team of volunteers the Cape annually to visit their ances- up with the Apollo and Mercury had been designed to withstand a
from the Indian River tors’ gravesites, which date back almost programs, so when this job opened nearby rocket explosion, was falling
Anthropological
Society. Artifacts 200 years, presenting a challenge for Mr. up, I knew it would be a win-win,” apart. Mr. Penders said it feels like
at the Little Midden Penders. he said. he’s fighting an uphill battle when
site date back more “The fences that were put around His arrival at the 45th SW five it comes to saving our space history
than 1,000 years. from one of the most destructive
the cemeteries here were a best guess,” years ago marked a win, especially
Mr. Penders is the
cultural resource he said. “The fences were put up in for the preservation of the historic plants in the U.S. “They’re like a
manager for the the ‘50s and ‘60s when the cemeteries space program that drew him there. cancer,” he said.
U.S. Air Force 45th were 100 years old. Many wood head- Mr. Penders is fighting one of the He’s fighting that cancer one step
Space Wing Civil
Engineering Squadron stones would have rotted. Are these most corrosive salt-laden environ- at a time with technology and a little
at Cape Canaveral. fences marking the actual boundaries ments in the country, along with the help from his friends.
of the cemetery? It’s good to know invasive and perpetually spreading Removing the trees, which were
now instead of clearing land later for a Brazilian pepper tree, to save what brought to the Cape from the
development project and finding new remains of the birth of the American Brazilian rain forest and planted
graves, which would stop the project.” space program. as ornamentals, stops much of the
Mr. Penders plans to partner with Before Mr. Penders began his degradation,” he said. The process
students at the University of Central program, the metal structures of requires no special technology: the
Florida to use ground-penetrating Launch Complex 14, where John plants are removed painstakingly,
radar to define the boundaries of the Glenn launched and became the first one-at-a-time, by hand.
gravesites that dot the Cape. Getting American to orbit the earth, were crum- “The next step is to design stabi-
these volunteers, he said, isn’t easy. bling from the salt air. Mr. Penders has lization projects for the complexes,
“I go to a lot of conferences and do had steel supports installed and has or components of the complexes,”
a lot of networking,” he laughed. “I ordered corrosion-control measures to he said. To help in planning that
do a lot of begging.” preserve what remains. stabilization, Mr. Penders has

36 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
1

“You have Complex 19, used for the Titan, Titan


3 1. Thomas Penders
to make hard II and Gemini programs; Complex 26,
searches for
decisions on Launch site of Explorer 1, the first suc- artifacts at the Little
turned to 3-D laser scanning provided which buildings cessful U.S. satellite; and Complex 34, Midden site at Cape
by the University of South Florida. you’re going to restore and stabilize.” the site of the Apollo 1 fire that killed Canaveral Air Station,
The blockhouses for launch com- LC 14 is one of the complexes all three of its crew members: Virgil Fla.
plexes 31 and 32, used to hold equip- designated to be saved. In addition “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and 2. Mr. Penders
ment and engineers during launches, to being the launch pad for America’s Roger Chaffee. holds the root of a
are the only of their kind in the world. first orbital mission, all four Project Though not in the historic district, Brazilian pepper tree
that was removed
They were built as concrete domes, Mercury manned orbital flights were the Cape’s Hangar C is also on Mr. during a launch
then surrounded by concrete-filled launched from LC 14. At the close Pender’s and the National Historic complex restoration.
burlap sacks, giving them their “bee- of Mercury in 1963, it was used to Preservation’s list to maintain and Overgrowth is an
restore. Hangar C was the first per- issue at the site.
hive” appearance. The Minuteman I, launch all of the unmanned Gemini
II and III ICBMs were tested there. target vehicles, which the astro- manent structure on the Cape and 3. Grave sites of
After the vegetation was removed nauts used to practice rendezvous held Dr. Wernher von Braun’s office. Cape Canaveral’s first
from the seemingly endless crevasses and docking techniques during the Dr. von Braun was a German-born residents remain on
military grounds in
in the structures, a volunteer team Gemini program between 1964 and rocket scientist and is considered cemeteries around
from USF traveled to the Cape and 1966. It was deactivated in 1967 and by many to be the father of the base. Mr. Penders
used the laser scanner to find under- abandoned in place in 1973. American space program. is responsible for
the upkeep and
lying damage. The scanner can chart “We have the double whammy Mr. Penders said he’s exploring protection of these
structures to a sub-centimeter level. here [with LC 14],” Mr. Penders said. methods to reveal schematics Dr. von areas and historic
“They picked up a lot of damage that ”Not only is this on the National Braun reportedly scribbled on his launch complexes
couldn’t have been seen by the naked Register of Historic Places, it’s also office walls, which are now hidden by and launch-related
buildings.
eye or through photographs.” a National Historic Landmark. That glued-on wall covering.
Not all the structures on the Cape, means this site is one of the most Whether or not Mr. Penders is able 4. A seahorse-
however, can be saved. Mr. Penders important historic sites to our nation.” to reveal the covered schematics, shaped pendant and
a limestone arrow
is hoping to use the 3-D scanner Complex 14 is part of Cape he has gone a long way to recover, sit on top of a piece
to record the buildings in a more Canaveral’s national historic district. maintain and reveal America’s rich of stamp-checked
detailed fashion than photos can The district also includes complexes space history. pottery at the Little
Midden site.
provide before the environment con- 5 and 6, used during the Redstone, “This is the gateway to space,” he
sumes them. Mercury and Jupiter missions; said. “This is where it all started.”

January-February 2011 37
G
Genghis Webb, 2,
survived the battle
of his life after being
diagnosed with tyro-
sinemia, a potentially
fatal liver disease that
can lead to cirrhosis
and cancer of the
liver.

38 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
Genghis
the Conqueror
Wins the battle of his life
Story and photos By Staff Sgt. Mareshah Haynes

A
t 18 months, most than 1,000 miles to New Haven, The tyrosinemia had caused the
toddlers are just Conn., to see a hematologist at the cirrhosis and the development of
beginning to explore Yale-New Haven Medical Center cancerous cells in Genghis’ liver.
the world for them- there. “By the time we saw Genghis,
selves. They start The Webb family spent a week his blood test marker that looks at
to show hints of their personalities, in New Haven, while little Genghis whether a patient has liver cancer or
throw temper tantrums, begin potty underwent tests. Three days after not, was sky high, so we knew that
training, want to be independent and they returned home to Florida, they Genghis had already developed can-
recognize themselves in the mirror. got a call saying Genghis had cir- cer,” said Dr. Sukru Emre, the chief
Like the average toddler, Genghis rhosis of the liver and would need a of the transplantation and immu-
Webb did all of those things. His transplant right away. nology section at Yale University
parents assumed he was an average “That threw me for a loop School of Medicine’s Department of
toddler until they took him to the because as far as I knew, that was Surgery, and the surgeon who per-
doctor for his 18-month appoint- a drinking man’s disease, and I’m formed the surgery. “[Tyrosinemia]
ment. At that check up, however, pretty sure he’s not an alcoholic,” is a very serious disease. Mostly we
Lt. Col. (Dr.) James VanDecar from said Senior Airman Mario Webb, see this in small kids, newborns and
the 1st Special Operations Medical Genghis’ father. maybe just after age five. Usually
Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Genghis was diagnosed with tyro- they either undergo a transplant or
Field, Fla., said Genghis was only sinemia, a genetic liver disease that they expire. It’s very serious.”
in the 30th percentile for height could cause cancer and even death “As much as you’re worried, as
and weight for his age group. With if left untreated. much as you’re thinking, ‘he’s sick,’
healthy, average-sized parents, this “I should have known some- there wasn’t any time to sit there
was an indicator that something thing before it got this bad,” said and cry about it,” said Julie Webb,
was wrong. Airman Webb. “He went through Genghis’ mother. “It was just do
Potty training and temper this spell for two or three days this, do that. It was every single
tantrums became the least of the where he would go to daycare day for that entire week, he’s get-
Webbs’ worries. and sleep almost all day and then ting his blood drawn, he’s got an
Genghis was referred to a gas- come home and sleep a lot also. MRI, and you feel horrible, but it’s
trointestinal specialist at a civilian He had gotten to a point where he for him to get better.”
hospital in Pensacola, Fla., more wouldn’t eat meat, and one of the Genghis was added to the national
than an hour from his family home effects of tyrosinemia is it turns donor list to receive a liver, but with
in Fort Walton Beach. The doctors the proteins we get from meat thousands of patients already on
there narrowed the problem down toxic and makes him feel bad. I the list it could have taken years
to being in his liver, but couldn’t just think I should have put two for his name to come up. With their
pinpoint the problem. That’s when and two together and maybe they sick baby boy’s life on the line, the
the Webb family traveled more could’ve found it earlier.” Webbs leaped into action.

January-February 2011 39
Airman Webb was tested to see was implanted into Genghis. into the Ronald McDonald House
Senior Airman if he qualified to be a living donor. “They opened me up first to in New Haven while Genghis and
Mario Webb and son,
Genghis, play a game The test results came back confirm- make sure [my liver] looked good Airman Webb recovered. Three
of “monster chase” ing he was a match for Genghis. and they’re able to do what they months after the surgery, a subse-
in the backyard of Airman and Mrs. Webb tried to needed to do because there are quent procedure was required to
the Ronald McDonald explain to Genghis what was about certain things they can’t see on an repair one of Genghis’ bile ducts.
House in New Haven,
Conn. The Webb to happen. ultrasound,” Airman Webb said. Nearly three months later, doctors
family stayed at the “I actually went finally released

The night before


house following the online and found him to go home.
transplant surgery,
During the surgery, a kids’ cartoon Airman and
Genghis received 25
percent of Airman
with the organs
in it,” Mrs. Webb the operation I stayed Mrs. Webb’s
mothers came to

with him and I talked


Webb’s liver.
said. “I tried to help the couple
Julie and Genghis explain to him, after the surger-
Webb blow bubbles
in the backyard of
the Ronald McDonald
‘This is your liver
and Dr. Emre to him a little bit ies. Julie would
have to care for
House in New Haven. has to take it out
and Daddy’s liver
will go into you.’
and he listened
— Julie Webb
Genghis and
Airman Webb
while they recov-
He would listen, ered, in addition
but the biggest thing he knows is “Then they opened up Genghis and to caring for the couple’s six month
‘operation.’” took his liver out and [implanted old, Zyla, who was still breastfeed-
“The night before the operation I part of] my liver into him.” ing at the time.
stayed with him and I talked to him Mrs. Webb waited nervously at “With both of them in the hos-
a little bit and he listened,” Airman the hospital, while her son and pital, that was hard, because they
Webb said. “I know he didn’t husband were on the operating were on two different floors,” she
understand everything I was saying table. said. “I would wait until Genghis
but he knew, ‘Man, something is “Letting them go one at a time fell asleep and then go take care of
going on right now.’” was hard,” Mrs. Webb said. Mario. Then when he fell asleep, I’d
Three days later father and son The six-hour transplant operation go back. So I would run two floors
lay in separate operating rooms, was successful and both Webbs then back to the Ronald McDonald
prepped for the surgery that would were on the road to recovery. The House to try to breastfeed. But
save Genghis. Nearly 25 percent of Webb family, including baby sister it was good as long as they were
the left lobe of Airman Webb’s liver Zyla and big brother Ki-el, moved progressing.”

40 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
After surgery, Genghis was pre-
scribed eight medications, one of Nearly three
months after the liver
which he will have to take for the transplant surgery,
rest of his life. Airman and Genghis
“I think Genghis was putting on Webb compare
a little bit,” Airman Webb chuckled scars. Airman
Webb donated 25
while talking about his recovery. percent of his liver
“For more than a week, he wouldn’t to Genghis, who had
get out of the bed unless his mom been diagnosed with
a potentially fatal
was carrying him. My oldest son liver disease.
was able to come down one week-
end and as soon as Genghis saw
him, he’s out [of the bed], grabs his
hand, walks him to the playroom
and starts playing.
“Now it’s like he hasn’t had an
operation,” Airman Webb said. “I’ve
seen him fall down, I’ve seen him
bump where his incision is and it
doesn’t stop him.”
The family has returned home to
Fort Walton Beach and the Webbs
say they have seen a difference in
Genghis now that he has a healthy and I get to see that. I’m begin- have gotten the support from a
liver. ning to see her personality and all civilian job that I’ve gotten from
“He’s doing more stuff on his own those things, so I’m really lucky in the military,” Airman Webb said.
now,” Airman Webb said. “He’s a the sense that I’m able to be here “I have a friend who had to go
lot more independent now.” and we’re spending 24 hours a day through an operation and he had to
The Webbs see the silver lining together. I wouldn’t trade the time go back to work much sooner than
in what could have been a dismal we’re spending together now for he should have, or else they were
situation. “This is a blessing in the anything.” going to let him go. And his deduct-
sense that once I get back up and Because of the support of the Air ible and co-pays are way higher
working, it’ll probably be a long Force and Airman Webb’s unit, the than mine. Some of [Genghis’])
time before we can all spend this 23rd Special Tactics Squadron at medications are upwards of $800
much time around each other,” Hurlburt Field, the Webb family and my co-pay is a fraction, a small
Airman Webb said. “I didn’t see was able to get the treatment they fraction, of that, Airman Webb
Genghis’ [first steps] because I was needed for their son. said. “Thank God I stayed in is
in Iraq. But Zyla, she’s walking now “I seriously doubt that I would how I sum that up.”

The Webb family


appreciated the
opportunity they
had to spend time
together while Airman
Webb and Genghis
recuperated. “I
wouldn’t trade the
time we’re spending
together now for
anything,” Airman
Webb said.

January-February 2011 41
42 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
Veterans return home
five years after Katrina
Story By randy roughton ✪ Photos by tech. sgt. bennie j. davis iii

The newly
renovated Armed
Forces Retirement
Home in Gulfport,
Miss., replaces
the former
structure that
was built in 1976
and destroyed
during Hurricane
Katrina in August
1995. The new
AFRH facility
provides residents
with fully-
furnished, private,
air-conditioned
single rooms
that are nearly
four times larger
than the previous
accommodations.

M
ore than 400 to join his fellow residents, who had
veterans rode evacuated to the Armed Services
out Hurricane Retirement Home in Washington,
Katrina in the D.C., after Katrina damaged the
Armed Forces Gulfport facility.
Retirement Home in Gulfport, When a new, larger and more
Miss., in the summer of 2005, but luxurious Gulfport facility opened
Bill Williams wasn’t one of them. five years after the hurricane,
The 80-year-old Air Force vet- he only needed to be told once
eran was on his way to his Texas it was time to come home. The
property after he heard the storm morning the retirement home gate
was on a collision course with the opened for residents to return, Mr.
Mississippi coast. Williams was sitting in his camper,
Mr. Williams spent about two where he’d spent the night, to make
and a half years in Texas, then left sure he was first in line.

January-February 2011 43
“I feel like I’m back in my
U.S. Air Force element,” Mr. Williams said.
veteran Bill Williams, “I was born and raised in
picks up his room keys
and daily schedule the South, so that’s the most
while checking into comfortable thing, I think. But
the newly renovated I think everybody feels the
Armed Forces
same way: we’re just glad to
Retirement Home
in Gulfport, Miss. be home.”
Mr. Williams drove The veterans returned to
his camper from a welcome from cheering
the Washington
D.C. Armed Forces crowds, patriotic signs and
Retirement Home to flag-waving schoolchildren,
be first in line to check but one flag seemed especially
in to the new facility.
meaningful to the Katrina
Mr. Williams walks survivors on the day they
into his new room at returned. The flag that flew over the kitchenettes and showers, are con- The facility now offers an Olympic-
the AFRH for the first retirement home before the hurricane siderably larger than the 90 square- sized swimming pool, hobby shops,
time. “Unbelievable,”
he said. Each room was raised to the top of the flagpole, foot rooms in the original facility. barber and beauty shop, bowling
contains a kitch- then lowered to half-staff to honor the The new home is now a city within center, indoor bocce court, theater,
enette, individual residents who died in the years since a city, according to public affairs computer room, library and a well-
restroom and a
balcony overlooking Katrina. officer Sheila Abarr. ness center that includes basic dental
the Gulf of Mexico. The $220 million, 800,000 square- The hurricane knocked down and eye care. The buildings also are
foot rebuilt facility offers 582 rooms, several buildings at the old facility elevated 22 feet and designed to with-
and destroyed its steel-and-concrete stand a Category 5 hurricane.

I believe perimeter fence. After the residents


were evacuated, resident Henry
“It’s like living in a resort,” said
20-year Air Force veteran Bill

happiness Pike posted construction photos


and updates on a website and on
Parker. Mr. Parker was one of the
residents who spent the night of

is a choice, the walls of the retirement home in


Washington.
the hurricane in the home before
he moved into a guesthouse in

and I choose “What we tried to do as an


agency was make [the residents]
Gulfport. “It could not be any bet-
ter. We have a beautiful view of the

to be happy a part of the process, for them


to build their home,” Ms. Abarr
Gulf Coast and the landscape, and
the facility is five times bigger than

wherever I am — Bill Williams


said. “They have been involved,
from looking at blueprints to going
through mock-ups of their rooms, so
what we had before the storm.”
The homecoming was an emotional
one for many in the first wave of
they could put a hand at going back returning residents, Ms. Abarr said.
with individual balcony views of into their home. So, not only was it “You can look at pictures, but it’s
the Mississippi Sound and the Gulf a special homecoming so they could really special to walk in with residents
Coast skyline and a covered pedes- come back to the coast and be close when they walk into their rooms for
trian bridge to the beach. The 456 to their families down here, but it’s the first time, and a couple of them had
square-foot rooms, equipped with a part of them.” tears in their eyes because they were

44 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
from deer antlers, golf balls and
wood to his new room. “I chose to be Mr. Williams,
an 80-year-old Air
happy, to get out and see the town. I Force veteran, looks
feel very privileged to have been able out over the Gulf
to spend two and a half years in our of Mexico from the
balcony of his new
nation’s capital.” room.
But he was clearly happy to be
back on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Mr. Williams
beginning with being the first shows off one of his
carvings made from
through the gate the day the home elk antlers; carving
reopened and getting his first look is a hobby he picked
at the water from the eighth-floor up during retirement.
Mr. Williams creates
balcony of his new room. He expects carvings from bone,
to enjoy many sunsets with that view antlers, wood and
while he works on his next wood- golf balls. ”I look
forward to sitting
carving creation.
on my new balcony
As he took in his first view of the overlooking the ocean
home,” Ms. Abarr said. “I told them enlisted in 1950, the deduction was a balcony, he recalled a conversation and carving; it’s
it’s a very grateful nation because this dime a month. with a fellow resident before they peaceful,” said Mr.
Williams.
was an appropriation. We consider our As he waited for the Gulfport facil- returned home from Washington. Mr.
veterans our heroes, but for them to ity to be rebuilt, Mr. Williams took Williams told his friend, Ed Sullivan,
walk into their rooms for the first time advantage of his time in Washington over coffee, that they would soon all
was what was special.” by visiting sights like the Smithsonian have an ocean view, and he was told
Both Armed Forces Retirement Institute and Vietnam Wall in the the Gulf wasn’t the ocean.
Home facilities are operated exclu- winter and bluegrass festivals during “I said, ‘Man, if you’re born and
sively for enlisted and warrant officers the summer. raised in West Texas, that’s the
from all service branches. Active-duty “I believe happiness is a choice, ocean,’” he said. “I don’t care what
enlisted members support the facili- and I choose to be happy wherever you call it. Anything bigger than a
ties through a 25-cents-a-month pay- I am,” he said as an active-duty swimming pool in West Texas is an
roll deduction. When Mr. Williams Airman helped him carry his carvings ocean.”

January-February 2011 45
HERITAGE

cour tesy photo


cour tesy photo

DESERT STORM
story By Randy Roughton

20 Years
Later
Lessons from Vietnam guided
commanders as they Planned
Then-Lt. Gen. Charles A. Horner, U.S.
Central Air Force commanding general,
presents Air Vice Marshal Talib Bin Miran
Bin Zamam Al-Raeesi with a pistol in

Gulf War strategy recognition of his performance during


Operation Desert Storm.

T
wo decades “If you aren’t part of the air human life on both sides.” deadline to leave Kuwait by
ago, the United campaign under Horner, you The U.S. military had 148 Jan. 15.
States fought a don’t fly,” General Schwarzkopf battle deaths and 145 non- Even though the death
new kind of war, said to one of his command- combat deaths during Desert toll was comparatively low
but command- ers, according to the Gulf War Storm, according to the 1991 in Desert Storm, it hit one of
ers used lessons from an old Airpower Survey. Defense Almanac. Fourteen the largest Air Force Reserve
one as inspiration. Mistakes “I think the lessons that of 20 Airmen killed during the organizations particularly
from the Vietnam War guided really came out in Desert war were battle-related. The air hard months before hostili-
commanders as they planned Storm were the ones we’d war was crucial to the ground ties began. On Aug. 28, nine
Operation Desert Storm, which been honing and altering in war that sealed the Iraqi army’s Airmen in the 433rd Military
began in January 1991. operations from the previous fate on Feb. 23 and ended 100 Airlift Wing at Kelly Air Force
Unlike several compet- wars,” said General Horner, hours later with a ceasefire on Base in San Antonio died in a
ing command authorities as who is now retired. “In World Feb. 28. Coalition aircraft flew C-5 Galaxy crash at Ramstein
there were in Vietnam, Army War I, World War II, Korea and more than 65,000 sorties and Air Base, Germany. Wing mem-
Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Vietnam, we did things wrong dropped 88,500 bombs. The bers wore black bands over
commander-in-chief of U.S. that we learned from, so in aerial bombardment “placed their unit shoulder patches
forces during Desert Storm, Desert Storm, we did a lot of Iraq in a position of a tethered when their 68th Military Airlift
assigned air operations to one things right. goat,” General Horner said Squadron was recalled to
commander. As the joint force “We learned bitter, bitter after the war. active duty the next day.
air component commander, lessons in Vietnam that really “Our loss rate overall in the Long before the Gulf crisis
retired Gen. Charles A. Horner paid off in Desert Storm. Our Gulf War was lower than nor- began, the American military
was the architect of the air shared experiences in Vietnam mal training,” he said. “We lost trained for an eventual show-
campaign that launched the [were] one of the reasons fewer airplanes in the Gulf War down with Iraq, especially after
Persian Gulf War. Schwarzkopf was so willing to than we would’ve lost flying the fall of the Soviet Union.
let airpower rule the weight of that number of [training] sor- When General Schwarzkopf
that war. He wanted to get the ties. It was amazing. One of the accepted command of U.S.
Gen. Charles A. Horner (Ret.) job done with the least cost in problems we had was we made CENTCOM in November 1989,
visits the Air Force Armament
Museum at Eglin Air Force something very difficult look he told his military leaders
eung

Base, Fla., August 9, 2010. The very easy, so people get mis- since a war with Russia wasn’t
Lance Ch

guided bombs behind him were conceptions about likely, “we have to find a new
instrumental in the air war of what it takes to enemy or go out of business,”
Operations Desert Storm and
photo by

Desert Shield. General Horner pull something like General Horner said.
retired in 1994 as the North that off.” “He said he was concerned
American Aerospace Defense A United about Iraq because they came
Command and U.S. Space
Command commander-in-chief Nations-authorized out of the Iran-Iraq War with a
and Air Force Space Command coalition force, led huge military, dead-broke and
commander at Peterson Air by the United States owing a lot of money,” General
Force Base, Colo. He com- and United Kingdom, Horner said. “He told us to think
manded U.S. and allied air
operations for Operations Desert began the first phase about that. So, I had been think-
Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi of Desert Storm on ing about it and in March, I’d
Arabia from August 1990 until Jan. 16, 1991, after gone to brief him about things
April 1991.
Iraq failed to meet a like using the MM-104 Patriot for
UN Security Council’s ballistic missile defense.

46 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
cour tesy photo

later during Operation Enduring “What mistakes am I making


Then-Lt. Gen. Charles Freedom and Operation Iraqi that may cost somebody’s
A. Horner, U.S. Central
Air Force commanding
Freedom. General Horner life? That bedeviled me every
general, presents insisted that his 9th Air Force minute of every day, so I did a
Mohammad Al-Nahyan, units work closely with Army, lot of thinking, and I listened
a United Arab Emirates Marine Corps and Navy contin- to a lot of people. I got some
air force officer, with a
pistol in recognition of gents, “who we would actually great help from Air Force and
his performance during be going to war with,” he said. aviation historian, Dr. Dick
Operation Desert Storm. In addition to learning Hallion, and he used to send
from Vietnam battle strategy, me boxes of books about wars
General Horner also sought in the Middle East. I read those
“I knew if we ever got into Iraqi sand sites in Bazra and help from the history of the books, and believe me, they
a ground war against Iraq, Baghdad. Middle East. He took advan- helped my feeling of the region
our Army would never know “The next day, they tage of learning from history, and my sense of what to do.
what they’d come up against reported shooting down 49 and it served him well during You never know where you’re
until they came up against it. enemy aircraft, and that was Desert Storm. going to get information that’s
So, what I wanted to do was exactly the number of target “The thing I used to worry going to pay off.
to make sure they’d get all drones we sent up,” General about the most was, what was “That’s why I think every
the air support they needed, Horner said. “I was amazed I not doing that I should be general ought to be a
when they needed it and — either it was blind luck or doing?” General Horner said. historian.”
where they needed it, but they they were extremely good
didn’t tie down the Air Force at collecting data. The
courtesy photo

in anticipation. Those sorties same time they were


could be out killing the enemy shooting at these target
instead of sitting on the ground drones, we had these
waiting on the Army to call. anti-radiation missiles
Schwarzkopf bought the idea raining down on both
immediately because he was Bazra and Baghdad. As a
very intelligent and easy to result, they rarely turned
work with.” on their guidance radars.
When Desert Storm began, The reason was they knew
General Horner and his staff if they turned on that guid-
planned only the first two- ance radar, they
and-a-half days of the war. He were going to
courtesy photo

sent then-Maj. Gen. Buster get a missile.


Glosson, his key air war plan- “On the
ner, to each base so he could second night,
consider the input of Airmen the Iraqi air force
fighting the war. was very reluc-
“We listened to what the tant to fly, other Gen. Charles A. Horner
captains and sergeants had to than trying to (Ret.), former commander
say because they’re the ones escape. So we of all U.S. and Allied air
who have to exercise the war, went after their assets during Operations
Desert Shield and Desert
and they know very well what’s minds, as well Storm, signs a copy of his
going on,” General Horner said. as their physical book after talking with
“I always reserved the right to capabilities, and troops at the Susitna Club at
Elmendorf Air Force Base,
override them, but nonetheless it really paid Alaska.
I wanted to hear what they had off.”
to say.” The Then-Lt. Gen. Charles A.
Horner, U.S. Central Air
The air war caught Iraq by coalition
photo

Force commanding general,


surprise, especially Saddam organized for receives a plaque from Col.
cour tesy

Hussein, who told Dan Rather both Desert Ahmed Al-Kuwari, Qatari
in a CBS interview days before Shield and base commander, during
his visit to the base in the
the war: “The United States Desert Storm aftermath of Operation
depends on the Air Force. The gave U.S. mili- Desert Storm.
Air Force has never decided a tary services
Then-Lt. Gen. Charles A.
war.” Then came the opening an opportunity Horner, U.S. Central Air
night of the war Mr. Hussein to work closely Force commanding general,
had called “the mother of all with forces from greets base commander
battles,” when Lt. Gen. Larry other nations, Brig. Gen. Rashid Mubarek
Al-Riamy during a tour
L. “Puba” Henry launched as they would of coalition forces after
unmanned target drones on all do a decade Operation Desert Storm.

January-February 2011 47
NOTEBOOK

e:
J Photo by Lance Cheung

yfu l to Pr te c
Story By Randy Roughton
o tiv
Pla ’ Po ten tial
Milita ry P upp ies

T
or under
the such as in a hard-to-reach corner
of promise the next time we saw to retri eve
he day in the whelping barn ed in their a bed, just to figur e out how
puppies, after they were plac mes
at Lackland Air Force Base, wee ks. Fost er pare nts it agai n. But all of the dram a beco
foster homes at 12 begin
Texas, when we first met
to teac h obed ienc e, as worthwhile as the foster parents
aren’t expe cted e clea rly.
the eight puppies featured . Their to see their dog’s futu re mor
an’s mili tary work - they might do with their own pets grew quic kly, just in abou ta
in Airm ly to mak e sure The dogs
me our responsibilities are main s our staff had with
ing dog series, one question beca thy and to intro duce half -doz en mee ting
the dogs remain heal g to
focus. We wanted to know how thes
e
y expe rien ces as poss ible them. They are physically beginnin
ks old them to as man will be as adu lt
Belgian Malinois pups, then 8 wee they ’re in thei r hom es. resemble the size they
sehold whil e will rang e from
and as playful as your typical hou working dogs , whe n they
The most surprising thing I learned ortant
dog, would deve lop into the military
is that 55 to 75 pounds. But the most imp
ps and about fostering one of these dogs train ing, when
working dogs that protect our troo the mos t pote ntia l are often changes will come during
world’s the ones with t amo unts to colle ge
innocent citizens at some of the t diffi cult to have in your home. As they go through wha
es. the mos ing dog. This is whe n
most dangerous and violent plac ribed it, for the mili tary work
one foster parent in our stor y desc skill s like
The serie s is desi gned to follo w one
work ing pup py is like they learn basic obedience and
fostering a military ng for
of the puppies from birth to the day
it
eme ly intel ligen t child — attacking on command and sniffi
working having an extr
becomes a fully-trained military ’s alwa ys expl orin g, testi ng and specific substanc es.
one who far
dog. The day our photojournalist,
Tech.
ng a Watching the puppies in action so
is, and I were intro duce d finding trouble. “It’s really like havi n us part of the answ er to the
Sgt. Bennie Dav se agai n,” said Bern ie has give
toddler in your hou and her
to the puppies about two months
after
Trai ning Squ adro n mili tary question we’re seeking. Rrespect
ing at our Green, a 341s t thei r prob lem- solv-
their June 2 birth, they were nipp instruc- siblings already show
r sibli ngs, with paws working dog supervisory training ties and natu ral talen ts for sniffi ng
feet, falling over thei the pup pies in ing abili
tor who fostered one of h they
landing helter-skelter on our legs
. On our
er pare nts endu re their and focus on potential prey, whic
the “R” litter. Fost ly gradu-
next visit about a month later, one
of the
pott y train ing, bitin g, will all need when they eventual
the dogs’ crat e and ing dog train ing
puppies playfully crawled all over the bark- ate from military work
rnal ist Lan ce Che ung and chewing and digging, as well as t thei r first han dler. I’ve a feeli ng
back of photojou Diet rich , another and mee
toy by ing and whining, Sarah ques tion
even tried to use his camera as a us of her work with her we’ve just begun to answer the
foster parent, told pens.
drag ging it across the floor. ing pup py, Rres pect . about how this transformation hap
found third mili tary work er shou ld come
As cute as these puppies were, I stro nger The next part of the answ
The puppies also have a much rn from foste r care
it difficult to imagine the work both A walk when the pup pies retu
motor than most personal dogs. etime
trainers and foster parents would
face to
k isn’t goin g to tire out a to Lackland for puppy training som
they around the bloc
develop them for the important work Mal inoi s pup py. It will just get this month.
, the Belgian
have in their future. But even then read y for mor e exer cise .
ise in them
puppies showed signs of their prom pies
the pira nha stag e, whe n But fosters also get to see their pup
what train ers call g thei r cons ider able
on constantly exer cisin
they try to latch on with their jaws ple, one
dista nce, such as problem-solving skills. For exam
any thing within striking favo rite hobby is putting her toy
pup py’s
our pants and shoestrings.
in a difficult place,
We also saw some of the natural vid
attributes of the breed when the nette Butler, Da
(From left) Ly ia, Randy Roughton
rc
breeding program’s puppy devel- Concepcion-Ga observe Rrespect
n
and James Dalto k evaluation.
opment specialists gave the litter ee
during her 16-w ng on a tex tured
the puppy aptitude test at the Rrespect is walki bits of food,
8-week point. This test evaluates surface to obtain ong food drive
str
the puppies for social attraction; demonstrating a llow scent. When
fo
and an abilit y to t during testing, Mr.
social and elevation dominance; they were presen Cheung maintained
r.
retrieval; and sight, sound and Roughton and M s and limited their
ion
touch sensitivity. But the three prescribed posit sure a consistent
movements to en for the dogs.
main things the specialists want test environmen
t
to see in the dogs are prey and
to
hunt drive and social attraction
a han dler. All thre e attri bute s will
be crucial to their future as military
working dogs.
But we saw even more signs

48 www.AIRMANonline.af.mil
design by Jonathan Vargas

design by Luke Borland


Feathered flyby | photo by Lance Cheung
Cadet 3rd Class Danielle Cortez and Buzz, a kestrel falcon named after “Toy Story” character Buzz Lightyear, visited stu-
dents and faculty at Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School in Melbourne, Fla. Cadet Cortez and Buzz, from the U.S. Air Force
Academy, Colo., and personnel from Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., told the audience about the art and history of falconry
and informed them about the educational and career opportunities at the U.S. Air Force Academy and in the Air Force.

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