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Show COMMENTARY TIMES May 6, 2010 Being a military brat gives 'heartfelt perspectives' Hilltop TIMES Weekly Since 1948 Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Lee Carter.,. Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Times Editor .Catherine McNally Hilltop Times Writer ; Lee Anne Hensley HilltopTimes Correspondent Deadlines: Editorial and news items are due by noon on the Friday prior to the ^Thursday print date. To submit news items £e-mail hilrtoptimes©standard.net or call (801) 625-4273. For Classified Advertising, call (801) 625-4300. For Retail Advertising, call (801) 625-4388. ! The Hilltop Times is published by Ogden Publishing Corporation, a private firm in ho way connected with the lU.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of .Understanding pvrth Hill Air Force Base. The Content of the Hilltop Times tdoes not necessarily represent jthe views of, nor is it endorsed py, the U.S. Government, the bepartment of Defense, the department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively ithe Government). The apbearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts Spr supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Government of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the Standard-Examiner, 332 Standard Way, Ogden, Utah, 84404. Additional editorial content is provided by various military and civilian wire services and Hill Air Force Base public affairs departments. Call (801) 625-4273 with story ideas or comments, or contact the editor, Mary Lou Gorny, at mgorny@standard. net. Call (801) 625-4300 for Classified Advertising or (801) 625^388 for Retail Advertis- Learn about ways to manage your ongoing health condition in a workshop at the Health and Wellness Center on Tuesday, May 4, and again on May 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn how to lessen your frustration, fight fatigue and build confidence as you deal with diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, COPD, f ibromyalgia and other chronic diseases. Call the HAWC at 777-1215 to reserve your spot THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2010 DUIs:*22 eetttccet* Hill's Last DUI: Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 any time to request a ride. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Sundays 9 p.m.-midn!ght COMMENTARY BY MORGAN BRIESMASTER Standard-Examiner TX correspondent I still feel the saddening goodbyes, the warmth from the heartfelt stories, the stains from streaming tears, the happiness from a welcoming home, the smile of a proud daughter. Thousands of others, including myself, are dependents of military fathers. Every family has a unique way of living their life, but those born to military fathers and/or mothers understand from the start what it's truly like to live the military life. It isn't unusual for most families to move every two to three years, not just house to house but from state to state. As an Air Force dependent, I have moved with my family 12 times. Thank goodness I have four sisters and three brothers to keep me company during the long drives or even while the movers packed our home. Every move has brought my family closer, through hardships woven into fellowship. I, along with all the other daughters and sons of those who serve in the U.S. military, know what it's like to be protected yet surrounded by patrolled gates of a base where we live, as if living in our own city- We all are thankful for those who protect us, whether at the gates or on the battlefield. We also acknowledge and welcome those leaving from and coming into the base. We realize the hurt of watching our dad head overseas to fight for our free- Briesmaster dom, and to see our mom teary-eyed as she comforts her children. We sense the sadness when he's not here to see his newborn baby, or when she gets orders to move her family out of the country. These acts are all forms of pa- triotism. Many families have endured these separations, a hardship that many outside the military are immune to. My mom was not only pregnant while my dad served in Iraq but moved us seven children to Utah from Kansas. My dad returned one month before my brother was born. Each military brat understands routine and structure, obedience and manners. We cherish the time between one TDY (temporary duty) and the next that our parent is assigned. As we support the surrounding families and the military itself, the military supports and respect us — the teens — by making available to us jobs, sports, game nights at the youth center, and family events. At Hill Air Force Base most agree that the gym, pool, library and splash pad are welcomed leisures at no cost. We thank those who support us but most of all those who support our parents, the ones giving their lives for our freedom. Still, many will never fully comprehend the life military children experience as we venture with our parents to new places. Despite the negatives of moving so fre- " quently, I believe it can also bring a family closer together and give a new perspective of our amazing country and how different each state can look or feel. Moving can challenge your personality. My public speaking ability is stronger due to all the transfers to new schools and making new friends. Military brats are commonly asked if' the friends we make are acquaintances or long-lasting. Many of the friends I made in second or third grade I still have. When I moved to California I made a best friend, and then did the same in Kansas, our next home. Both those girls moved to Germany when I moved to Utah — and met each other in their second class period of school! It's a small world after all. Although my father retired from the Air Force in 2009,1 feel a strong part of me still belongs to our military. Growing up with this background gives me and others a more heartfelt perspective for those serving anywhere around the world. But no matter who you are, all Americans should display a form of patriotism to all members of our military. After all, it's our America — the land of the free and the home of the brave! Morgan Briesmaster is a junior at Northridge High School She contributes columns as a TX correspondent for the • Standard-Examiner. Her article was originally published on March 28. 777-7000 action.line.pa@hill.af.mil When you call or with you in answering send an e-mail, your questions and solvcomments will be re- ing problems before corded' and staffed calling the Action through the agency Line. This will help responsible for action, me better serve your Please give your interests. Items of 1. Thank you for your great question. It's not the first time it has been asked^Re- supervisor and chain basewide interest will garding pediatric vaccinations, the U.S. Air Force follows the Centers for Disease IControl recommendations which are endorsed by the American Academy of Pedi- of command the op- be published in the atrics. Air Force Joint Instruction 48-110 mandates this across the entire service. There isportunity to work Hilltop Times. no room for interpretation at the localievel The joint instruction reads, "As a condition of Why is it that children at the Child Development Center are being required to \ get the H1N1 vaccination that hasn't been fully tested or they will not be allowed back into the CDC? What are the long term health hazards of the vaccination? If you are making it mandatory for children and military members, why are you not making it a mandatory vaccination for the civilian work force? Wouldn't that be a way to ensure that there wouldn't be a widespread outbreak on the base? As of yet, the local community school districts have not made it a mandatory vaccination for their schools. Thanks, employment or attendance at these facilities, schoolteachers, child care center workers, volunteers and children attending Department of Defense-sponsored primary and secondary schools, child care centers or similiarfacilities are administered appropriate vaccines against communicable disease unless already immune (based on documented receipt of vaccine series orphysician-diagnosedillness) or medically/administratively exempt. 2. Vaccine safety is a topic always at the forefront of the Centers for Disease Control. They work side-by-side with the Food and Drug Administration to ensure the public receives save and efficacious vaccinations. The CDC and FDA Web sites contain great information in this area and 1 urge you to visit them for additional information. 3. The civilian work force here at Hill Air Force Base is a critical part of our mission. We work closely with Davis and Weber counties to ensure vaccine is available for all civilians in the community. It's outside the scope of this office to accurately comment on the legalities surrounding mandatory civilian vaccinations. Vd like to thank you for your inquiry regarding the H1N1 vaccination program. I hope we've answered your questions. Please feel free to call us here at the 75th Medical Group Public Health Office anytime. Best regards, Maj. Robert Martin, flight commander, Public Health, (801) 777-4514 Phone numbers — I The base agencies listed can be contacted directly if you have a complaint ' or a problem with their : services: A%U£^ - * Security Fbrcfe™?.-.'...;!..1;.:. ..777-3056 24-hr. Crisis Information.,.. .777-3056 Force Support Squadron ..777-4134 ..777-2043 Base Restaurants Retirement/Compensation... ,.777-6142 . (civilian) Equal Opportunity Office.. ..777-5455 ..777-7129 Employer Relations ..777-1851 iilitary Pay......... Civilian Pay ..:.„.. Air Force Suggestion.. Program ;'.'• •*; Hill StraightTafk..:.^. IC Complaints (for appointment) IG Complaints (after noun) Report suspicious activity vigtheAFOSI EAGLE EYES 777-3056/3057/3058. Watch - Report - Prated: Force Protection is Ouur Business - Everyone is a Sensor ; 777-6246 Fraud; Waste or Abuse 777-5361 .777-6901 (recording) Loud Noise 1-877-885-9595 .777-9696 (complaints) ..777-5305 75th Medical Group...: 777-4918 Civil Engineering 777-1856 ..777-5361 Hill Pride Hotline 777-7433 Public Affairs 777-5333 Military Housing;..2?:2l.825-9392 Maintenance Safety Office 777-3333 Safety Office Hotline 586-9300 Union 777-3257 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline 177'W Family Assistance Center 777-3090 (whenactivated) ..>,...• , • ',. , Base namesake an American air pioneer BY AMY KEMP BUTLER OO-ALC History Office P loyer Peter "Pete" Hill was born on Oct. 24, 1894, in Newburyport, Mass. After earning an engineering degree from Brown University, in 1917 he joined the United States Army. He entered the Signal Corps' Aviation Section and earned his pilot wings in 1918. As one of the nation's early reserve military aviators, he was an American air pioneer From 1918 to 1935, Hill piloted nearly every aircraft in the Army's inventory, starting with the Curtiss "Jenny," a single engine wood and wire biplane. From 1920 to 1922, he served with the American Army of Occupation in Germany. In 1923, he moved to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he flew in early ground support training exercises and "aerial circus activities." He was assigned to Chanute Field, 111., where he became an instructor with the Air Service Technical School's photography department. Ployer Hill commanded the 14th Photo Squadron at Mitchell Field, N.Y., before transferring to the Philippines to lead the 6th Photo Squadron at Nichols Field. During that assignment, he toured Japan and China with his wife and son. What was to be Hill's last assignment — chief of flight test for the Air Corps Materiel Division at Wright Field, Ohio — began in 1932. He made frequent stateside flights between Wright Field and contractors' plants to acid test, evaluate and improve new aircraft. On Oct. 30,1935, while serving as the Air Corps chief of flight test and holding the tem- porary rank of major, Hill died while piloting a Boeing 299 airplane. The pre-production prototype became the B-17 "Flying Fortress" long-range heavy bomber of World War II fame. An investigation showed that Hill and his crew unknowingly tried to take off with the wind gust locks still engaged on the elevators and rudder. The locks were among many new features of the aircraft. The tragic accident caused the Air Corps to begin the convention of preflight and other checklists. Hill was praised for his military record, and officials said he died "while executing the hazardous duty of testing an experimental airplane. The sacrifice was as great as though he had been lost on the field of battle." The crash took place shortly after President Franklin Roosevelt had signed Maj. Hill the Wilcox Bill into law, which first spelled out the need for a Rocky Mountain military air depeft. In December 1939, shortly after the War Department named the field in Hill's honor, then-Maj. Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold, Chief of the Air Corps, in a letter to the Ogden City Chamber of Commerce, wrote, in part: "He was one of our best and richly deserved this honor." |
