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Show TTnTlT pip oiiiiirop Hill INSIDE: AFB, Utah 11 ICS www.hilltoptimes.com hilltop.pahill.at.mil Vol. 59 No. 7, February 20, 2003 84056-582- 4 Pentagon to monitor Braking news health of deployed troops pi' "' r'T'". Partnerships help deliver Page 2 AFMC v by Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA American Forces Press Service The Defense ALEXANDRIA, Va., Department has changed the way it will track and assess the health care given military personnel before, during and after deployments, a senior Pentagon health official said Kill recruiting scientists and engineers today. DoD's new strategy emphasizes health care surveillance of deployed personnel, said Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, deputy director, Deployment Health Support Directorate, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness. Officials, he said, want no repeat of 1991 Gulf War health care problems, referring to widespread instances reported of deployed personnel returning home with incomplete and poorly maintained medical records and improperly monitored illnesses. Kilpatrick said DoD is concerned with taking care of the health of its military personnel and their families. 'To do that optimally, we need to provide preventive care," he said. "And if a service member becomes ill or is injured, we need to provide treatment for them." After a deployment, he added, personnel need to know that the Department of Defense will provide them with care for any medical problem they may develop. This Force Health Protection strategy is Page 2 Commentary- - It's okay to judge a bock by its cover Page 3 designed to help the department track service members' diseases and injuries and to provide them comprehensive follow-utreatment for deployment-relatehealth said. he conditions, Kilpatrick directs the DoD effort to protect the health of deployed service members He noted there was no unique screening being done prior during the Brakes division Implements p d 'lean' Page 4 Flight speed! nt ically and psychologically prepared to deploy. The forms can be found on DoD's deploy- ment Web site ' at www.deploymentlink.osd.mil. "(The assessment is) an opportunity for them to bring up any medical conditions that occurred to them in the last several months or in the period since their last physical examination. It's a quick check to make sure they are ready to go," he said. The health assessments are done on paper and checked by a physician "to see if there are any changes in service members' health or condition that may require attention before or after they deploy," Kilpatrick said. Later, the forms are sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where they are scanned electronically and retained for analysis. The Defense Department has established three deployment health centers, one each for health surveillance, health care and health research. They focus on the prevention, treatment and understanding of deployment-related health concerns. Two centers are at Walter Reed; the third is at the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego. The department will improve deployment- B See Pentagon, page 2 -- ;?: it J 1,'in u M Jr i ' MM nlli'liiiiH i I I i i man i' in (jiii 3SBW ft 11 1 Bit I m m mm if I 1 wT I http:www.deploy-mentlink.osd.mi- l t, ty monitored. Kilpatrick said the pre- - and health assessment is a brief series of questions that look to see if troops are phys- torn of the rod. The geologic data is collected using a technique called Cone Penetrom by Charles Freeman Page 6 Ogden ALC Environmental Public Affairs Hill's environmental restoration team is pushing ahead with cleanup plans in Roy and the project is currently on a record pace. Groundwater monitoring wells are being installed as part of the base's continuing environmental investi- Congratulations Quarterly Award winners Page 8 I Hits i liPlflH il ? Photo by 2nd Lt. Caroline Wellman The speed limit on Southgate Ave. from the south gate to Hangar 1 has been reduced to 20 miles per hour effective immediately. The change is being implemented to Improve the safety of Southgate Ave. and to reduce the number and severity of vehiclepedestrian accidents along this congested area of the base. Existing speed limit signs were changed and new signs have been installed to advise drivers of the new 20 mph speed limit. Security Forces will enforce compliance with the new speed limit. to drive down Dill Pages 9 evaluating chemical and necessary systems," said Loucks. "The monitoring wells are typ- sors located along the tip and sides of the tool record pressure and fric- ically constructed in three steps," tion as it is pushed said Jesse Stew- into the ground. art, associate The tool then hydrogeologist translates the pres- for Montgomery Watson Harza sure and friction data into the geol- that site-specif- ic geology data obtained from innovative technologies," said Mark Loucks, Hill's project manager for site. The chemical data is collected using a technique known as Hydropunch Testing that involves pushing hollow steel rods into the subsurface using a hydraulic ram. Then at multiple predetermined depths, groundwater is collected through a sample port that can be opened at the bot- - the contractor doing the site loca- After this preliminary testing is completed and evaluated monitoring wells are installed at the appropriate location and depth. "The monitoring wells are sampled frequently," infor- mation to design and install cleanup into the subsurface with hydraulic rams while sen- ogy of tion. con- the rate of contaminant movement and provides the CPT for short. A steel rod is pushed The TCE has moved from the disposal areas on base into the groundwater and is spreading beneath some of the surrounding cities. It is not in the drinking water. "The locations and depths of the monitoring wells are determined by rates contamination, track changes in taminant concentrations, monitor eter Testing, or gations being conducted at the northwest side of the base in Roy. The wells are used to track contamination in groundwater; consisting mainly of trichloroethene (TCE) that was used as a cleaning solvent on base during the 1950's to the 1980's. Airman working investigative work for the base. "The first step involves the drilling of the hole in which the well is to be installed," said Base environmental near Roy. Photo by Charles Freeman contractors drill a test well Stewart. "The second step involves lowering the well screen and casing into the ground through the hollow portion inside Loucks said. "The main thing about the results from the monitoring well the augers. The third step is to fill the void around the casing and screen with samples is that the data enables us to create maps showing the area of a mixture of sand at the bottom around the screen area, clay just above the sand, and cement at the top. This multi-tierelayering process allows groundwater to enter the wells while at the same time seals the wells from surface contamination and limits cross contamination within the subsurface. The casing and screen are typically made of PVC. The casing is solid; whereas, the screen is slotted to allow groundwater to enter." "The entire investigative process took about 2 12 years, knocking off approximately six or seven years it would have otherwise taken and saving tax payers over $500 thousand in the process," said Loucks. In addition to flexible contracts and innovative technologies, the base's environmental restoration staff credits timely support from its Restoration Advisory Board and Roy city officials for being ahead of schedule on this project. Any questions regarding the base's environmental cleanup program can be directed to Environmental Public Affairs at Ext. The base currently has an opening for a Hill AFB community representative on the Restoration Advisory Board. Anyone interested in applying should call the number listed for more multi-layere- d d rEagle Watch li Team Hill men's V" Environmental team continues to sample, test local water Centennial of I Gulf War. "If you were on active duty, you were generally assumed to be deployable," he said. Now, he said, the Defense Department plans to see that force health is closely monitored through a series of medical assessments before and after deployment and that health concerns are documented and closely wf v ' .varsity volleyball team looking for players Page 10 V " , . . rf. - , jit, activities. People know best what does and does not belong in housing areas, work areas and communities and become the first line of defense when they know what to look for and how to report suspicious activities," said Special Agent BernaDeane Wing. "It's more than a base program. OSI is working closely with off base area businesses as an extension of the program as well as local, state, and federal agencies." There are seven specific activities that people should report to law enforcement officials: S3 Surveillance itoring activities defensive Eagle Eyes is a new, Air Force-wid- e program run by the Air Force Office of Special Investigation in order to detect and deter terrori- sm. "The community-base- d program works because terrorist acts are preceded by observable planning t T someone recording or mon- Elicitation people or organizations attempting to gain information about military operations, capabilities or people Tests of security any attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to pen f etrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses. purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, military uniforms, decals, badges, or any other Acquiring supplies controlled items Suspicious persons out of place people who don't seem to belong in the workplace or neighborhood Dry run putting people into position and moving them around according to their plan without actually committing the terrorist act Deploying assets people and supplies ting into position to commit the act get- Report suspicious activity to the Security Forces or the AFOSI Detachment at Ext. Ijw Enforcement Desk at Ext. T T |