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Show HILLTOP TIMES S Nov. 29, 2012 EOD pauses for safety and takes a look at resiliency factors BY MARY Lou GORNY Hilltop Times editor EXPLOSIVE ORDN17c( F I)IsK.M1 A n anticipated change in deployment tempo for EOD Airmen was announced in a video as part of the fifth annual EOD Safety Day for the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight of the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron at Hill AFB. The change would lengthen the amount of time members would spend at their home station as opposed to deployment time and is part of a long term view of what might be needed in the Afghanistan Area of Operation. Maj. Gen. Timothy Byers, the Air Force Civil Engineer, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C., made the announcement and noted future mission focus would shift accordingly to some of the more traditionally peacetime duty areas EOD members take on when not in active conflict. These engineers are a vital component to the ongoing effort in Afghanistan and other areas of conflict, and the Safety Day is meant to give them all a chance for a tactical pause for safety. This day is just one of the many ways in which the Air Force assists EOD technicians and other critical "outside-the-wire" fields in resiliency and safety. Col. Sarah Zabel, 75th Air Base Wing commander, opened the day with a call to the Airmen to make sure that they were doing what they needed to be healthy and safe over the long term. She emphasized the pride that Team Hill has in the flight and squadron. Col. Bryan Radliff, 419th Fighter Wing commander, also urged the members to seek help if they needed it and to take care of things that are preventable. "We check each other out before we go outside the wire. We check each other on days like this," he said as he addressed the tight-knit group. "Let's take care of business and take care of people." Briefings were presented by members of the 75th Medical Group, Airman and Family Readiness Center, and the chaplains on issues of health and on aspects of resiliency. Capt. Emily Bullock, 75th MDG psychologist, illustrated some of the aspects of Iwo. MARY LOU GORNY/Hilltop Times Col. Sarah Zabel, 75th Air Base Wing commander, talks to the 775th Civil Engineer Squadron, as EOD Safety Day begins and the members get a chance to take a tactical pause to evaluate safety and learn resiliency. resiliency through a discussion of the book, "Unbroken," an account of Louis Zamperini. The young man grew up during the Depression Era with a bent for trouble, as a juvenile delinquent who was finally taken aside by his brother who channeled his energy into running. In order to do that Pete, his brother, had to approach a principal and get him to make an exception in order for Louis to participate. Louis had been in so much trouble he had been banned from sports. The amazing thing was that Louis became the fastest runner in the school and in the state. He participated in the Olympics in Berlin in 1936, but did not win. Louis had been bullied and his family faced several hardships during his youth, Bullock pointed out during her presentation. He had his family's support and there were those who encouraged him. Bullock said she wondered what would have happened to him if these others had not intervened and supported him — his brother and the school principal. "Sometimes we just write these people off," said Bullock. Louis eventually entered pilot training school, flunked a course and was kicked out. But then he was drafted and became a bombardier in a B-24. He and two others survived a crash during a search and rescue effort and floated at sea for 2,000 miles over 27 days. Bullock noted the differences between his reaction to the ordeal and another gunner who died a week before the Japanese picked them up and put them in a POW camp. It was the respective capacities for resiliency that allowed Louis, the gunner and the other military member to survive in the raft for as long as they did. In the POW camp Louis was beaten and singled out because of his celebrity status as an Olympic participant. He had several traumatic brain injuries — TBIs — and was unconscious for about 30 minutes on some of those occasions, and at least dazed and confused after multiple others. Bullock paused at this point in her account and noted what should be done after a concussion or "getting your world rocked." She noted the need to get some rest or if medically indicated to stay awake for a period of time, but that rest and recovery are needed for optimal cognitive reactions out in the field. The avoidance of alcohol during that recovery time and following medical directions on what drugs are taken are also important. Louis was liberated from the camps after the atomic bombs were dropped. He came home and seemed fine, giving talks about his experiences. He met someone and they got married pretty quickly. They had a child. But the aftereffects of the long-term trauma he experienced starting showing up in terrible nightmares. His drinking and other effects of his experiences led to a separation with his family. An experience at a religious revival helped him to stop drinking and turn his life around. Bullock noted that was what it took for Louis to turn his life around and start talking about his experiences. During the discussion of the effects of Post Combat Trauma the captain noted that letting others in was an important component that helped Louis and others. She said the difference between talking about mission objectives, or how it was accomplished was a bit different than talking about how you felt while you were accomplishing your mission. Being able to process those memories can help lessen those effects and help you remain at a better state of functioning, she said. "It's always good to do something about it," she said. "For Louis it was the support of his family and then spirituality. For most people it's not that quick of a turnaround; some people have really got to work at it. It happens differently for every- body." A discussion of the frequency of TBIs in the question and answer period following the presentation led to Capt. Dana Hubbard's assertion that it's easier for someone like Capt. Bullock to assess cognitive functioning and effects of several TBIs happening over a span of years than a brain scan. While a brain scan can show a mass or bleeding in the brain, the difference in cognitive functioning is more readily assessed through testing done by medical personnel such as Capt. Bullock in her capacity with the medical group. Hubbard said there are as many different types of TBIs as, for example, there are types of cancer. TBIs are all individual and their severity and scope can vary so much that just the number of TBIs received during a certain period of time are not solely definitive. That is where the significance of cognitive testing such as that given by professionals like Capt. Bullock is important. Information was presented on where to go and get assistance in many areas and slides were available on specifics for areas of concern. Chief Master Sgt. Trent Topolski, 775th CES, noted the change in operations tempo might give many members of the squadron a chance to assess some of the unreported injuries they had taken in the field such as unreported TBIs and back and shoulder injuries. He also indicated that some in the career field might be hesitant to remain, as the EOD field tends to attract high energy folks. But he also noted that the nation tends to need the career field as different areas of operation seem to open up around the world as the need lessens elsewhere. Bullock and Hubbard emphasized that now was a good time to get those unrecorded TBIs and other injuries taken care of and addressed. They also said that over the long term that the sooner an injury could be addressed, it was less likely to expand and would be easier to treat. Capt. Bullock's discussion was followed by lunch and other activities through the rest of the day. Lead recruiter returns to 419th Fighter Wing BY SENIOR AIRMAN CRYSTAL CHARRIERE 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs S enior Master Sgt. Shawn Moore returned to the 419th Fighter Wing after five years at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, where he served as assistant senior recruiter and an instructor at the Air Force Reserve recruiting school. Now the wing's senior recruiter, the reservist is bringing new ideas to reach recruiting goals. "I came back because I was very successful here as a recruiter," Moore said. "Plus, I'm biased. I like Utah a lot. My whole family likes Utah, and I've worked very hard because I couldn't wait to get back here." Since returning, Moore has been busy reconnecting with his recruiters and the rest of the wing. "The first thing I did when I came back was open lines of communication with my staff and the squadrons," Moore "lit a different way of recruiting." SENIOR MASTER SGT. SHAWN MOORE said. "I'm impressed with the recruiters because they had a very good training plan before I got here." Moore said many things changed while he was away, not only in the wing but also in recruiting, including high retention rates that have affected the number of jobs available to new recruits. "It's a different way of recruiting," Moore said. "We used to have a plethora of jobs to choose from, so it was easier to find people to fill the positions. Now we need a more proactive approach. We have to narrow our focus down to find the right people for the right jobs." The recruiting area for Hill AFB has also changed signifi- cantly. "Our demographic for Hill is larger than it used to be," Moore said. "It used to be Utah, the western part of Wyoming, and the southern part of Idaho. Now we're recruiting from the Canadian border all the way to the borders of Arizona and Nevada, and that's done by only six recruiters." Even with these changes, Moore says he's excited to serve in his new position and lead his team into a new age of recruiting. "The main thing I'm excited about is giving the wing highly qualified people," he said. "We have a seven percent attrition rate, which means when the wing gets new recruits, they're training and utilizing them, and those recruits are staying here. Manning the wing with motivated people allows the 419th mission to be successful." Last fiscal year, 419th recruiters reached 110 percent of their recruiting goal. The Air Force Reserve as a whole reached 101 percent of its goal. HEATHER SKINKLE/U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Moore recently returned to the 419th Fighter Wing after spending five years at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. Now he is the wing's senior recruiter and leads his team through a new age of recruiting. |