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Show help humanitarian efforts Airman deploys By Airman 1st Class Cindy Huston Editor, Fighter Country member of the 388th Fighter Wing departed Friday to sup Lport New Horizons Bolivia series of military exercises to pro'99, a vide civic assistance, build military partnerships and improve the quality of life A for the people in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Senior Airman Sara Banda, 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, said she is very excited about this latest assignment in her career and is ready to work hard for the 45 days she is to be in Bolivia. "My duties will include writing stories to keep the Air Force people informed on the project's accomplishments as well as working on a daily newsletter and escorting both local and international media along with doing some community relations events," said Airman Banda. "I have some big shoes to fill since my functional manager told me that usually officers fill positions like this," she added. "One advantage on my side is I'm fluent in Spanish." project, a joint effort with Army, Navy, Marines and Bolivian military and government officials, includes tasks ranging The Adit to " f,' "3 nw.. df-- i.,-- ' , y ,i f '' l . . I is '&: fff t & 9 .j. ' 1 ; J I x- -U . " ' ;- - i, : . ' Banda. "I love helping people," said Airman Banda. "The living conditions in Bolivia and the surrounding countries are less than ideal (by U.S. standards) and I believe that any effort made on our part to help these people will be greatly appreciated for a long time. "I think this deployment is the huge event I've been unconsciously preparing for during the three years I've been in the Air Force," she added. The people in Bolivia are not the only ones who will come out winners during this joint effort, said Airman Banda. Everyone helping out should feel great pride in what is being accomplished, she said. task force started conThe Bolivian-U.struction in June and is scheduled to end in August. Through the efforts of New Horizons Bolivia '99, thousands of people have already been helped. ' V ( S. . 4 .jv. ' s ' .. - - -- - ..y..,.., i. Photo by Airman 1st Class Cindy Huston Senior Airman Sara Banda, 388th Fighter Wing public affairs, is going to Bolivia to help in the major on going humanitarian effort there. Force tu irons to prior seinfoce membeirs Enelp TM croticai career sko slhoirtages Master Sgt. Linda Brandon is impacting the mission is one of the biggest benefits of the Headquarters United States Air Force program." As the number of prior service recruits the Air Force would like to bring back increases, so does the number of Air Force specialties in which prior service recruits are needed. hisEarlier this year, for the first time in its tory, the Air Force began buying television advertising. Through September 2000, the service will spend $54 million on television commercials as it competes to attract qualified recruits in a strong economy with numerous job By ' ii from drilling fresh water wells and building schoolrooms to providing general medical and dental services. "We're down here to practice what it takes to rapidly deploy our combat engineering folks," said Lt. Col. Sean Saltzman, commander of Combined Task Force Chaco. "We're not only honing our construction skills, but also doing some good things for our Bolivian neighbors." "ITelping the communities in Bo- n iivia 15 wiitii niaivca una ut- .ployment so special to Airman Washington - In light of sliding retention and the first projected recruiting shortfall in 20 years, the Air Force is turning to prior service members interested in rejoining the service to help fill critical manning needs. While not a new concept, the Enlisted Prior Service Program isn't something the Air Force has used extensively since the manning draw-dow- n of the early 1990s. Before that, it 1 was not uncommon for ,000 to 3,000 prior service recruits to participate in the program, according to Chief Master Sgt. Danny Roby, chief of enlisted accession policy for the Air Force. This year, for the first time in more than a decade, the Air Force doubled its target of prior service recruits from 300 to 600. So far in Fiscal Year 1 999, 424 prior service recruits have returned to active duty, up from the 196 who came back last year. "The program was originally created to help meet overall recruiting needs and fill experience shortfalls within certain career fields," said Chief Roby. "For the Air Force, the ability to put a trained, experienced person in a vacancy that is 52-ye- ar opportunities. Senior Airman Nathan Meyer, with the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., left the service after his first enlistment because he was unhappy with where he was and felt he could make more money on the . . outside. y He was out for 16 months and had just joined the Reserves where he heard through grapevine that the Air Force was recruiting prior service members to come back into security. " Back on active duty just three months now, he said he'd really missed the responsibility, good treatment and quality of people he'd once known in the Air Force. And apparently, he's not alone. Staff Sgt. Robert Former, an aerospace ground equipment technician with the 1 st Equipment Maintenance Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Va., left the Air Force just shy of 10 years' service. mark was the point for me to decide to "The stay in and retire, or get out while I was still young enough to find a job that had advancement opportunities," he said. He was working in the civilian aircraft industry doing basically the same type of work he had done in the Air Force, when he got a letter from the service offering him an opportunity to come back in. He decided to take them up on it. , His main reason was benefits. Sergeant Former believes the Air Force offers "a better deal on benefits than the outside world, especially when it comes to medical and dental. "I think it's prior service recruiting a good thing," he said, "as long as they bring quality people in that will help the mission." Prior service recruits interested in coming back on active duty in the Air Force should contact their local recruiter. (Courtesy of Air Force News Service) 10-ye- ar published for people like ... First place, small V ''; Name: Crystal Wright Rank: GS-- 7 Job: Database Manager Unit: 388th Operations Group Family: Ray, husband; Cody, son; Kelly, daughter Hometown: Ogden, Utah Time in Service: 10 years 6 months Most recent accomplishment: finishing yard at new home What would I change at Hill AFB: "I would make it easier for people to move around in their jobs, giving them a better chance to improve themselves." e newspaper Combat Command Media Contest commercial-enterpris- 1997 and 1998 Air Editorial Staff Col. Mike Hostage 1st Lt. Erin Shuler.... Staff Sgt. Sonja Whittington Airman 1st Class Cindy Huston Commander Chief, Public Affairs NCOIC, Public Affairs Editor Fighter Country is a supplement to the Hilltop Times, published by MorMedia, Inc., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the Ogden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of Fighter Country are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are U.S. Air Force photos. is Fighter Country edited, prepared and provided by the 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office 5887 D. Ave., Suite 113, Hill AFB UT, 84056-501- Story submissions for Fighter Country can be brought by the office, to the editor Deadline for submissions to Fighter Country is no later than cindy.huston.hill.af.mil or fax to Monday, noon, two weeks prior to publication. For more information, call the public affairs office at |