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Show J ¥-• O --"" `.--, r ' r ,-, ,- ,-, AWARD SUPPLEMENT TO THE HILLTOP TIMES THURSDAY, May 5, 2011 9 Team Hill showcases its talent BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS MELISSA DEARSTONE 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs M embers of Team Hill showed off their vocal talents at this year's Hill Idol at Club Hill on April 29. The top ten contestants belted out their best slow and fast songs for a chance to win the grand prize of $200 and become this year's Hill Idol. "We took the top three performers from each round, for three weeks and that is how the contestants for the final round were chosen," said C.J. Unguren, 75th ABW/ SC contracting lead. Like American Idol, Hill Idol had three judges that critiqued them in five different categories. See IDOL I page 10 TODD CROMAR/U.S. Air Force A performer sings for the judges and the audience at the Hill Idol event at Club Hill on April 29. Judges watched from the background and evaluated the performances based on vocal quality, style, stage presence, originality and audience appeal. Promotions U.S. Air Force 368th Recruiting Squadron: Tech. Sgt. Fred D. Frazier III 2nd Combat Camera Squadron: Senior Airman Destinie Edel, Senior Airman Robert Madisonda Harnden III 388th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron: Master Sgt. Gerhard Pieper, Staff Sgt. Thomas George Gillan Jr., Staff Sgt. Carlo Patalinghug, Staff Sgt. Ryan Pavlik, Senior Airman William Gibbs, Senior Airman Allen Henderson, Senior Airman Austin Kain, Senior Airman Le- andrew Lloyd III, Senior Airman Charles Joseph Meissner Jr., Senior Airman Sean Millay, Senior Airman Darrel Williams Sgt. Danny Robert Mingura Jr., Staff Sgt. Christopher Vanoeveren, Senior Airman Jeffrey Gaskins Vega, Senior Airman Jared Rice, Senior Airman Michael Windsor 388th Component Maintenance Squadron: 388th Fighter Wing: Senior Master Sgt. Michael Boscosky, Tech. Sgt. William Sanders, Senior Airman Marisol Mackenzie, Senior Airman Bradley Sheppard, Senior Airman Demarrin Taylor Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist 388th Maintenance Group: Squadron: Staff Sgt. Christopher Deyo 416th Supply Chain Management Squadron: 419th Medical Squadron: Staff Sgt. Amber Padilla 581st Missile Maintenance Squadron: Maj. Michael Power Capt. Forrest Taylor 419th Civil Engineer Squadron: Senior Airman Andrew Adkins, Senior Airman Chadwin Park Staff Sgt. Sean Gatton 649th Munitions Squadron: Tech. Sgt. Cody Boyce, Staff Sgt. Shane Robinson, Senior Airman Rayna Batiste, Senior Airman Thomas Allen Williams Jr. 419th Fighter Wing: 388th Operations Group: 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron: Tech. Sgt. Carl Yutrzenka, Staff Sgt. Dante Dews, Staff Sgt. Marcus Flores, Staff Sgt. David Lowe, Staff Capt. Corban Smith, 1st Lt. Genelle Martinez, Staff Sgt. Steven Sees, Senior Airman Thomas Murchio Master Sgt. Stacy Pierce, Tech. Sgt. Richard Gonzales 419th Force Support Squadron: Airman Bo Taylor 388th Operations Support 67th Aerial Port Squadron: Senior Airman Raquel Perea See PROMOTIONS I page 12 Long journey into the service of others BY BILL ORNDORFF 309th Maintenance Wing F ive years ago, Dale Covington overdosed on prescription pain medicine and nearly died. And five years ago, he became motivated to not only do something about his addiction, he vowed to help others with theirs. It's been an emotional journey for this 40-year-old instrument mechanic with the 309th Electronics Maintenance Group's Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory — one that nearly cost him his job, his family and his life. He has since appeared in a video to motivate co-workers, spoken about his addiction in numerous meetings and group sessions, and helped start recovery groups on base. And on April 20, his efforts were rewarded with the American Red Cross of Northern Utah Hero Award in the education category. Beginnings Dale Covington grew up in West Valley City, Utah, and started using drugs and drinking alcohol as a teenager. Married in 1989 at age 18 to his high-school sweetheart, he eventually stopped using as he and his wife, Amy, had children. His problems began in 1998 when, while returning to work from lunch, his truck was hit from behind by a large, dually wheeled pickup truck that was towing a 16-foot trailer. The force of the impact bent the frame of his truck. "I had a couple discs in my neck that were messed up," Covington recalled. "I went to the emergency room the day of the accident, and the doctor did X-rays and gave See JOURNEY I page 13 BILL ORNDORFF/U.S. Air Force Dale Covington, instrument mechanic, tests equipment in the 309th Electronics Maintenance Group Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory. |