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Show AIR FORCE NEWS Civil engineers deploy to help Washoe Nation TIMES June 1,2006 BY RUBY ZARZYCZNY 939th Air Refueling Wing WASHOE INDIAN RESERVATION, Nev. (AFPN) - "We will help each other to protect and preserve the land, water and air for our generations to come" is a Washoe American-Indian Tribal creed. Through the Civil-Military Innovative Readiness Training program several Air Force Reserve Command civil engineer units are keeping this Washoe creed alive by deploying to the Washoe Indian Reservation near Carson City, Nev., from March 29 through June 24 to conduct military readiness training -- an initiative that is literally rebuilding the communities there. Reservists are able to help thanks to program. For 12 weeks civil engineer units from Maryland, Oregon and Ohio will deploy about 150 reservists to the reservation to help finish building a 5,100 square-foot Head Start building, renovate a 2,100 square-foot convenience store into a tribal wellness center, pave a parking lot, and build a home for an elderly-handicapped tribal member. This project, which began March 29, is just one of three such projects going on throughout the country. In May, the 939th Civil Engineer Squadron from Portland, Ore. deployed 30 reservists who are engineering assistants, electricians, plumbers, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, structures, and heavy equipment operators to the reservation to train. They started their training by working on the Head Start program building and peacetime mission skills," said Senior Master Sgt. Steve Watson, squadron utilities superintendent. "We have a wartime mission too where we deploy to an area and set up bare base camps. We setup little cities in the contingency areas, and then we maintain the bases. Everything we're doing here helps us learn and improve the skills we'll need to do both missions." "It also gives us a chance to work as a team and get to know the people you're working with," Sergeant Watson said. "We get a lot of work done working 10- to 12-hour days in hot sweaty conditions during these exercises. It allows us to see how people are going to react to hard work, and what skills each person has and where they need to learn." While the reservists get great training, the tribe gets to save money. For the tribe the project isn't just a luxury, but instead a matter of life or death. The Washoe Health Center originally U.S. Air Force Photo/Ruby Zarzyczny had a contractor setup to Staff Sgt. Arnold Renken, technician Cliff Prejean and Master Sgt. Jon Conway work together to build forms for concrete to make sidewalks renovate the store, but it at the tribal head start building on the Washoe Indian Reservation near Carson City, Nev. May 16, 2006. They are with the 939th Civil Engineer was too expensive for their Squadron. already strained health cen"Right now, the Head Start ter's budget. tioning) guys were very "(We) poured concrete for the wellness center. "We have patients here knowledgeable. They found program is being run out sidewalks, ran some addi"The Head Start building with some major medical of the tribal community mistakes from the original tional wiring, installed airwas started and then set conditions who need to be center," Chief Woody said. contractors and corrected conditioning systems and for six years unfinished," taken care of, so we try to the new building is "When them right away." said Chief Kenneth Woody, finished the playground." save every penny we can for completed, the Head Start Chief Woody said the crews "So far, the 939th has been project manager. "When we them," said Mrs. Maryjane program will increase their one of the best team I've started the project it was to- from the 939th are real goBean, Washoe Heath Cento 65 children, enrollment worked with," Chief Woody tal chaos. We had to make getters. They jumped right ter administrative assistant. and the tribe will once again said. "And when you get into the projects and got the corrections to the building "Having the Air Force Rebe able to use their commuteams like that, it makes my job done. and redo doorways, kitchen serve help us with the wellnity center." job [project manager] a lot "They had forms set up plumbing and some wiring." While the communities near ness center has sped up the "We hung about 300 pieces (for the walls in the build- easier." Carson City appreciate the re- building time and saved us Chief Woody said tribal of sheet rock in the building ing) and the sidewalk built members and people in the servists' service, they are get- $20,000. That is a substanin the first three days they to make four classrooms, a tial amount of money that ting excellent training. community really appreciwere here," he said. "The kitchen, administrative of"This program provides us we desperately need to use ate what the Air Force Refices and two full-size chil- electricians and (heating, for our patients." the training to practice our serve is doing here. ventilation and air condidren's bathrooms," he said. Air Force reconsiders 192 lieutenants BY RUBY ZARZYCZNY ___^__ 939th Air Refueling Wing WASHINGTON (AFPN) -The Air Force recently notified 844 lieutenants that they would not be retained as a result of the April 2006 Force Shaping Board. An anomaly with some records during the board process means 192 of the lieutenants not selected for retention will have their records reconsidered by a special board scheduled to convene June 26. "Some of the records were missing a required training report from initial skills training," said Maj. Gen. Glenn Spears, director of force management policy, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. The lieutenants have until June 19 to decide if they want to be reconsidered for retention by the special board or accept the results of the April board. The Air Force will personally notify each of the 192 lieutenants who will meet the special board. No officers retained by the April 2006 Force Shaping Board will be affected by the June special board. The special board results are scheduled to be announced July 19. Until then, separation processing will continue. Leave authorized for adoptions RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) - Airmen adopting children now may be authorized up to 21 days of nonchargeable leave per calendar year. A qualifying adoption is defined as the member being eligible for adoption reimbursement of qualified adoption expenses such as adoption, placement, legal and medical fees under Section 1052, Title 10, United States Code. Adoption leave may be authorized in conjunction with ordinary leave. However, if two service members are married to each other and choose to adopt children, only one service member will be granted an adoption leave of absence. Airmen will submit their leave requests on an Air Fo; ce Form 988 indicating permissive temporary duty PA using the statement "Adoption Leave per HQ AF?C/DPS Memorandum dated May 19, 2006" until the reused Air Force Instruction is published. \ Those Airmen who already used ordinary leave fo~ adoption purposes on or after Jan. 1, 2006, should work with their commander's support staff to correct their leave. Airmen should contact their commander's support staff or call the Air Force Contact Center at (800) 616-3775, option 1, 1, 2 or DSN 665-5000 for more information. Courtesy Air Force Personnel Center News Service Security forces begin transfer of mission to Iraqis BYSTAFF SGT. KRISHNA BARRETT 506th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN)-The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron has begun the transfer of its mission to the Iraqi government. Following the transfer of authority to the Iraqi Army by the U.S. Army in April, security forces Airmen here are now shifting their combat patrol mission of the base defense zone to the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and security infrastructure battalion. "The security forces mission here is evolving," said 1st Lt. Justin Banez, flight leader. "Ultimately we want to ensure Iraq's independence lies in the hands of the Iraqis. "We have moved from the Air Force and Army controlling movement around the base to performing an 'overwatch* role in their operations, providing direction and guidance for their forward defensive measures," he said. In performing this role, Iraq's government will be able to completely take over its own operations with the help of the United States. Airmen in the 506th ESFS have taken an active role in the transfer of authority for the area of operations. "We conduct joint and combined patrols with members of the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and the 101st Airborne Bat- U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Krlstlna Barrett First Lt. Justin Banez (right) checks in with an Iraqi lieutenant through Ayob Hajibadri, an Interpreter, at a traffic checkpoint near the city of Klrkuk, Iraq, on Monday, May 22, 2006. Airmen of the 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron conduct patrols in the base defense zone of Ktrkuk. Lieutenant Banez Is deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. talion," said Capt. Michael Borders, security forces operations officer. "Eventually, they will be conducting patrols themselves, which allows Iraqi citizens to put their faith in their government. This paves the way for full independence in Iraq." Until the transfer is complete, the 506th ESFS still patrols the base defense zone, maintaining a presence in this Kurdish-dominated region. "We ... provide a reassuring presence and interact with the locals," Lieutenant Banez said. "We get to know the people and talk with them about what's happening in the area and take into account their sentiments." Showing a presence denies freedom of movement for insurgent activity, Capt. Borders said. "Insurgent activity cannot be addressed with air strikes," he said. "It must be done by developing a relationship with the town and denying insurgents the passive support they need to conducts attacks on the airfield." The relationship they have built with the townspeople will now extend to the Iraqi government, which will allow the citizens to rely on their infrastructure. "This transfer of operations allows Iraqis to take care of Iraqis, which paves the way for the eventual U.S. withdrawal from the area," Lt. Banez said. "We will see an independent Iraq, and the Airmen of the 506th ESFS will have a part in that." DO YOUR PART! Contact the recycling center at 777-9007 for more information. |