OCR Text |
Show AIR FORCE NEWS Hilltop Times July 28, 2005 Resident brings athlete's perspective to medicine Tower of power LACKLAND AFB, Texas (AFPN) — With the grueling hours that most medical residents work, many are content to spend their precious "free" hours catching up on sleep. Capt. (Dr.) James Bales, an orthopedics resident with the 859th Surgical Operations Squadron here at Wilford Hall Medical Center, is no exception. But he is just as likely to spend his rare moments of free time running, swimming or cycling. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2001, Dr. Bales headed to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., for medical school. When his courses began, he found that the school charged $6 a day for parking. To save money, Dr. Bales decided to run or bike the 10-mile commute to and from school each day. The decision saved him money. It was also the beginning of his career as a triathlete. During Dr. Bales' time as a cadet at the academy, he was part of the swim team. A breaststroke specialist, he made the Olympic Trial cuts in 2000. Dr. Bales' unique combination of training and commuting to medical school led him to become the top-ranked triathlete in the Air Force for the past three years. He has competed in Ironman triathlons in Hawaii and Wisconsin and qualified for the Olympic Trials in the triathlon for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. His accomplishments also include four regional championships. Even as a medical student, Dr. Bales was able to participate in. about 25 races per season. ' >, M My philosophy on racing, especially as an orthopedic surgeon, is that we see patients who don't have the ability to run or even walk. You really feel blessed. It's truly a gift to be out there competing and racing," he said. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Scott Wagers Future Total Force Airman arrives for duty BAGHDAD, Iraq — Staff Sgts. Charles Aguilar (right) and Dale Drake partner with Iraqi air traffic controllers to keep the sky over Baghdad International Airport safe. In June, the 447th Air Expeditionary Group's airfield operations flight Airmen successfully coordinated the safe arrival and departure of more than 9,600 military flights. Airmen handle air traffic, train Iraqi forces to take over BY TECH. SGT. JASON TUDOR Air Force Print News BAGHDAD, Iraq — Being 180 feet taller than almost any other vantage point in the city, Baghdad International Airport's confxoL.tower^has certain, advantages. The control tqwer is a training point, target and transient beacon to dozens of civilian and military pilots each day. To ensure safe travel, Airmen here are training Iraqi air traffic controllers to take over these duties one day. The airport is the military entry point for almost all cargo and people going somewhere in Iraq. The six Airmen and 12 Iraqis in the tower see up to 35 airplanes coming or going each day. More than 9,600 air traffic control "operations" happened in June — 13 landings, launches or contacts every hour for 30 days, officials said. "It's a life experience, to out conditions or the primi- we're here. They are afraid be sure," said Staff Sgt. Dale tive equipment — is strange we'll leave too soon." Drake, a controller with the to Lt. Col. Ray Schindler's For the Iraqi workers, 447th Expeditionary Airlift crew. His unit, the 259th working here could mean a Group. "I get to see a lot of Air Traffic Control Squaddeath sentence. An Iraqi air ron, does this for a living. things most people my age traffic controller's son was The Louisiana Air National killed last year when somehave not seen." Yy Iraqi,.,, .civilians;.., Rrjmaff- Guarf),,squadron.iwas .also ir- one/ discovered he worked > ily control air traffic during responsible foF initial setup for the Americans, Colonel the day, while Airmen tajce of air( jxaffic control towers Schindler said. The Iraqi over at night, with lights out at other military locations in workers who have other inside the massive control jobs to supplement their inIraq, the colonel said. tower "cab." There are no come keep their American The key to the success of headsets or whirling radars employment secret. tower operations is the rein the cab. Most of the com- lationship between AmeriMeanwhile, Airmen wear munication with pilots is flak vests, Kevlar helmets cans and Iraqis. Airmen done on handsets, and much here are training their host- and come to work armed. of the data needed to land nation counterparts to even- Mortars and rockets have airplanes is pulled from lap- tually take over tower work, landed less than five football top computers, binoculars fields away from them. Seen said Colonel Schindler, the and night-vision goggles. through the glass, they are airfield operations flight "This is really roughing easy targets for snipers, commander. For now, it," said Senior Master Sgt. Americans and Iraqis are though the area is patrolled Ronald DuPaty, one of the by both military and civilian working through natural tower supervisors. "Trysecurity patrols. barriers — language and ing to work aircraft in total culture primarily — to get "Every day, it's less and darkness with 35-year-old less common for us to be the job done. equipment is a different "This is a real success sto- involved with air operations challenge." ry," said Colonel Schindler over Baghdad, and that's None of this activity — a good thing," the colonel about the relationship. landing airplanes in blacksaid. "They are very grateful Civilian director accepted to Harvard BY MASTER SGT. MICHAEL A. WARD Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency TYNDALLAFB, Fla. (AFPN) — Most people cannot wait to get out of school. Brian Lally cannot wait to start. Of course, it helps if the school is Harvard University. It also helps if all expenses are paid. Mr. Lally, executive director for the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency here, was recently selected to attend Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government through an Air Force development program for senior civilian managers. He will participate in a yearlong Master of Public Administration program beginning in the fall. "I just went over the half-century mark. What better way to start the second half of my life than to go back to school, at probably the best school in the world," Mr. Lally said. Mr. Lally is a New England native who grew up just 20 miles from Cambridge, Mass., where Harvard is located. "It was always a dream (of mine) to go there," he said. He first applied to the college after graduating from high school. "I did really well on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. I scored in the 1300s," he said. "But, they were looking for 1500s.M Instead, he earned a bachelor of hat better way to start the second half of my life than to go back to school" "W — Brian Lally science degree in civil engineering from Lowell Technological Institute in Massachusetts. Thirty-two years after missing out on Harvard, Mr. Lally learned of the Air Force program. His application went through four Air Force review levels including a review by a general officers' board and a senior executives' board. A year later, he-was chosen as the No. 1 candidate for the program. While that was great news, he was still a long way from becoming a Harvard man. He still had to apply and be accepted by the university. "I had to write an application package and five 800-word essays, provide references, resume's and transcripts — all in all about 30 pages of information," he said. Following graduation from Harvard in the summer of 2006, Mr. Lally will compete for one of several top leadership positions in the Air Force. "There is no end game for me after graduation," he said. "I don't have a job lined up, and I don't know what's going to happen career-wise. For now, my focus is on learning the most I can and doing my best in school." Mr. Lally also holds a master's degree in business administration from the Florida Institute of Technology. He is a registered professional civil engineer licensed in Virginia. He has been affiliated with the Air Force since 1975, and is a colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He has more than 29 years experience working for the Air Force, Army Corps of Engineers and Navy Public Works Directorates as an engineer, commander, senior program manager, wartime planner, disaster response planner and contracting officer. SAN ANTONIO (AFPN)—Airman 1st Class Kirshell LaCroix had not even graduated from technical school when she decided to jump into the Future Total Force. She landed in South Burlington, Vt, about a month ago, and the 20-year-old electrical and environmental aircraft maintenance apprentice said it looks like she made the right move. As part of a Future Total Force initiative, Airman LaCroix is among a small group of active-duty maintainers from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., being trained by Airmen of the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th1 Fighter Wing. The idea is to provide a setting where young maintainers can glean from the vast reservoir of knowledge provided by veteran guardsmen. "I wanted the experience and I figured it would be something different," said Airman LaCroix, who raised her hand for the new program when the call went out for volunteers while attending technical school !at Sheppard AFB, Texas. I Although Airman LaCroix has beenin-this innovative form of on-the-job training for only a few weeksTthlTNew Orleans^ native said she is impressed at the skill of her guard counterparts and how they can draw upon years of corporate knowledge when confronted by a tricky F-16 Fighting Falcon maintenance problem. "I'll be more experienced than Airmen who went straight to an active-duty base," Airman LaCroix said. And as a result, the career-minded first termer said she, in turn, would have more maintenance know-how to pass along when she returns to the active-duty world in two to three years. ; There are currently four active-duty maintainers in the program at South Burlington. By the end of August, 12 Airmen will be on station. Seven will arrive from technical school, and the remaining five will arrive from their first duty station with a few years of experience already under their belt. Duo walk to raise money for cancer cure EDWARDS AFB, Calif. (AFPN) —A broken arm is serious but will heal completely. The flu can leave one bedridden, but disappear in a week or so. But the effect of a chronic illness like cancer is there to stay — it changes lives forever. This is how Michele Chebahtah, the 412th Aircraft Maintfc-* nance Squadron training manager here, diagnosed with the1 disease at age 39, describes the life-changing effects of cancer. To help fight for a cure, she and a friend participated in a walk to support breast cancer research earlier this month. But her journey began in 2003 when Ms. Chebahtah attended the annual early detection screening offered to both military and civilian employees by a 95th Medical Group-sponsored mobile mammography unit. She left with a clean bill of health. When the unit returned the following year, she tested again. This time the results showed abnormalities. Her husband and co-workers rallied around her in support^ said Tech. Sgt. Chonthicha Lane, the noncommissioned offiJ cer in charge of the 412th Maintenance Operations Squadron1 and a maintenance training scheduler. : "She has always been a strong person, even before her diag-: nosis," Sergeant Lane said. "If you worked with her, you would have never thought she went through something as difficult as cancer. She has held her family together, fought.off cancer and continued to be an inspiration to other people." When Ms. Chebahtah and Sergeant Lane heard about the walk to support breast cancer research, they knew it was a cause they wanted to embrace. Although Sergeant Lane had not had a personal encounter with cancer, witnessing how Ms. Chebahtah defied her disease, neither giving up hope nor ever waiting her life away, inspired her, she said. "I look up to her," Sergeant Lane said. "She is an incredible, awesome person. My life has been touched through her experience^and I want to do whatever I can to help anyone going through such ^difficult time." "At first we were a little nervous about the $1,800 each of us had to raise for the walk," Ms. Chebahtah said. "But our worries soon vanished — each time we held a fundraising event, so many people came to us relating their story, wanting to get involved." Overall, they raised more than $4,500 to help find a cure for breast cancer. |