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Show June 12th AF Commander visits 388th ACC to evaluate 17. 2004 base sexual assault programs Senior Airman Madelyn Waychoff By 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs ?v 1 .i , I V. - V it : : "V -1 Pfroro 6y Senior Airman Madetyn Waychott Lt Gen. Mark Schmidt, 12th Air Force commander, talks with Airman Lisa Jefferson from the 388th Maintenance Operations Squadron about her dorm room and life in the dorms during his recent visit to the 388th Fighter Wing June 9 and 10. During his visit General Schmidt was taken to the 388th FW Airmen's dormitories and the Junior Enlisted Center for a tour and to get an idea of the facilities available for junior Airmen. Thrift Savings Plan "Open Season" will end June 30 By Capt. Tracy Watkins 388th Fighter Wing finance officer up to 9 percent of their base pay and 100 percent of special pays every month directly from their paycheck. e Those serving in combat zones are allowed up to $40,000 in annual contributions. Immediate benefits of making contributions to TSP are: TSP contributions are taken out of paychecks before taxes are computed, so members pay fewer taxes now, and taxes on contributions earnings are deferred until the money is tax-fre- Both civilian and military employees can still sign up for, or make changes to, their Thrift contribution Savings Plan amounts until June 30. TSP is an effective way to start a long-terretirement plan which could ultimately supplem ment uniformed services or retirement civilian pay. Members can choose to invest In addition to contributions, TSP offers five different investment options to choose from, for a more diversified portfolio. However, before any investment decisions are made members should read the Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan for the Uniformed Services which outlines each investment fund and the advantages, risks and performance. For more information call the TSP automated thriftline at or visit the TSP website at http:www.tsp.gov. "As we travel around the world, we are convinced that our Air Force is one of the safest environments in which to live and work, and that is why we find the issue of sexual assault to be most troubling. While the vast majority or our Airmen act with great respect, care and honor toward each other, sexual assaults are a societal problem, and, as such, are reflected in our Air Force. That is not an excuse, but it adds importance to solving the problem since our nation properly holds us to a higher standard," said Gen. John Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff, and Dr. James Roche, Secretary of the Air Force, in a memo to all Air Force units. The issue of sexual assault has become prominent since it came up at the Air Force Academy last year. Each base has now been tasked by the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff to assess their programs and make improvements to programs already in place. Some improvements may include victim support programs and the use of victim support liaisons to establish first contact with the victim, discuss the services and options available to the victim and follow up with the victim. "The role of the victim support liaison is to focus solely on the alleged victim of sexual assault and to support him or her throughout the process," stated General Jumper and Dr. Roche. "Victim support must continue as long as the victim's needs exist, regardless of whether a case is prosecuted." Victim support liaisons should also have access to the victims whenever needed, keep the chain of command informed of the process and the victim's well being and can be appointed from many organizations across the installation, the memo also stated. Hill, and the 388th Fighter Wing, have implemented a Team Hill sexual assault program centered on prevention and response, according to Maj. Gen. Kevin Sullivan, Ogden Air Logistics Center commander. The program will provide prevention education, and a Sexual Assault Response Team will be activated when incidents occur. Victims of sexual assault have had any sexual activity they do not want, or agree to, forced on them, according to the National Women's Health Information Center. Sexual assault can range from inappropriate touching, to penetration or intercourse. It can also be verbal, visual, audio or any other form which forces a person to participate in unwanted sexual contact or attention, including rape, attempted rape, child molestation, voyeurism (obtaining sexual gratification from seeing sex organs and sexual acts), exhibitionism, incest and sexual harassment. Sexual assault can happen in different situations by many different people, including date rape, tic of intimate partner violence or by a stranger, according to NWHIC. Since each case is different, it is important to recognize that the 388th Fighter Wing is not immune to this phenomenon, said Col. Charlie Lyon, 388th FW commander. It is not only a problem in the Air Force, but society at large, continued Colonel on-goi- Lyon. Ninety one percent of rape victims are female, and 99 percent of the reported offenders are male with 683,000 rapes a year, according to the National Victim Center. But, sexual assaults can happen to women, children and men of all ages, races and cultural and economic backgrounds. In most of the cases involving our wing, alcohol has been a contributing factor, said Colonel Lyon. Under the influence of alcohol, people have impaired judgment, which leads them to do or say something inappropriate. "This type of behavior will not be tolerated. As Airmen, we are held to the highest standards of professionalismthese standards and apply to both y settings. We (the 388th FW) are taking steps to prevent sexual assaults through education at all levels and our emphasis is on ensuring we have a safe environment for all Airmen to live, work and play in at Hill AFB." To help those who have been sexually assaulted, or to prevent sexual assaults, the NWHIC says to be alert to your surroundings; if you feel uncomfortable - leave. Never leave a social event with a brand new acquaintance; don't take drugs or alcohol; avoid walking alone; never hitchhike or pick up a hitchhiker; park" in well-l- it areas; always lock the car, and always carry a cellular phone. If a situation occurs where a person feels sexual assault is possible, the National Crime Prevention Council says surviving is the goal. To survive a bad situation, try to escape. Be rude or make rude noises to discourage the attacker from following. Also, try to talk and stall for time, See Assault page D on-du- ty off-dut- ACC and 388th FW Unit Financial Specialist programs team up to invest in Airmen, mission By Ms. Teresa Gallagher Air Combat Command Public Affairs Editor's note: Additional information was included from the 388th Fighter Wing financial office to assist Airmen in getting the information they need for this program. LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - It's not uncommon for Airmen to experience financial hardship. Careers - and the mission - usually hang in the balance. Results from an Airman Financial Hardship survey covering 5,000 respondents Air Force-wid- e confirmed that financial mismanagement has an overwhelming impact on mission readiness and personnel retention. Although Air Force Personal Financial Management Programs, or PFMP, have always offered workcounshops, seminars, and educational resources, seling successes were limited. "A large number of service members were not getting the help they needed because there were just not enough experts to handle the increasing demand," said Ms. Gayle Brinkley, a community readiness consultant at the Family Matters one-on-o- . ne Branch here. This situation led Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright, ACC vice commander, to ask the command's Integrated Delivery System team to check the feasibility of developing a volunteer program to augment PFMP. They started by looking at programs in the other services and found a comprehensive program being used by the Navy. The Navy Command ment a UFS program when they return to their base." The UFS volunteers get one week of intense training aimed at preparing them for duty as the first line of financial assistance for Airmen. placed in the right channels for assistance before the problem becomes overwhelming or the Airman is in difficulty," Ms. Brinkley said. Feedback from participants has been positive, and since the program is fairly new, . UFS looks forward to measuring its initial large number of service members were not getting the help they needed because there were just not enough experts to handle the increasing demand. " Financial Specialist Program provides proactive financial education and training to service members and leadership involvement. "The Unit Financial Specialist Program we've established is closely aligned with most aspects of the Navy's CFS program," Ms. Brinkley said. "We 'blued" their training materials for use at the base level and have been invited by the Navy to let our family support PFMP staff attend their course." Not only is the course "excellent," it has also saved the Air Force thousands of training dollars, Ms. Brinkley said. "ACC Family Matters monitors the course when we have attendees and spends time each day with Air Force attendees to ensure that they will be able to effectively imple "A Langley Air Ms. Gayle Brinkley Force Base Family Matters Branch community readiness consultant - !' train-the-train- er A survey conducted at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., during the pilot program, revealed that there were initial reservations from all parties involved. However, midway through the testing period the most skeptical commanders were requesting to have more UFS volunteers trained. "UFS volunteers can provide basic budgeting education and help to resolve minor checkbook or credit problems and can ensure Airmen with real financial difficulties are impact. "We already have people who've told us that they wished they had something like this earlier in their careers as young Airmen," said Ms. Brinkley. "In the 388th Fighter Wing, we have followed suit with the ACC-initiatUnit ed Financial Specialist Program and already have two trained vol- unteers ready to provide our Airmen with the basic principles and practices of sound money management, counseling tools and referral services, which emphasize a proactive, career lifecycle approach to personal financial responsibilities," said Capt. Tracy Watkins, 388th FW finance officer. An example is - Senior Airman John Snuffy is tired of living from paycheck to paycheck. He lives in the dorms and eats .in the dining facility, yet he doesn't understand why he is always strapped for cash at the end of the month. Airman Snuffy contacts a Unit Financial Specialist to set up an appointment. Prior to the appointment, he gathers a copy of his current pay statement, bank statements, monthly bills, ATM receipts and other pertinent financial information. At the appointment the UFS helps Airman Snuffy fill out a financial planning worksheet that identifies his net worth, monthly income, monthly savings, living expenses and indebt- edness. The FPW also lays out an action plan of proposed options to help Airman Snuffy increase his income, decrease living expenses and indebtedness. With the aid of the UFS, Airman Snuffy determines the best course of action to improve his financial well-bein- g. If additional assistance is required, the UFS refers Airman Snuffy to the services available at the Family Support Center. For those interested in more information, or who would like to set up an appointment with a UFS, contact the 388th FW Financial Management Office at 586-10- 92 or 586-109- 7., (Courtesy of ACC News service) |