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Show Hilltop 2 COMMENTARY TIMES Oct. 24, 2013 ES Weekly Since 1948 Hilltop Times Editorial Staff: Charles Horton Standard-Examiner publisher Mary Lou Gorny Hilltop Times Editor Krista Starker Hilltop Times Correspondent Hilltop Times Sarah Stoll 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 hilltoptimes@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 Corp., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under, and in compliance with, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hill Air Force Base. The content of the Hilltop Times does not necessarily represent the views of, nor is it endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Hill Air Force Base (collectively, the Government). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or 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 801-6254388 for Retail Advertising. HAWC Nest Fitnen Tip from the Health and Wailers: Center Up to 12 weeks of FREE tobacco cessation medication is available to federal employees and up to 6 months is available for active duty, dependents and retirees when attending the tobacco cessation series. Call the Health and Wellness Center at 801-777-1215 for further information. THINK SAFETY Hill's Total 2013 DUIs: 23 Suicide prevention amongst Wingmen BY CAPT. TIFFANY BRAKEFIELD 4th Medical Operations Squadron S EYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. — Some battle scars are not easily observed. Physical injuries are obvious but those associated with emotional pain and suffering can often stay hidden to the casual observer until it's too late. Risk factors associated with suicide include increased alcohol and substance use, a recent loss (relationship, job, death of a loved one), access to weapons, feeling hopeless, and feeling isolated or like a burden to others. Protective factors include seeking help, a sense of family, and community connectedness. This last protective factor is one we can easily foster within our wingman culture. September was Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, here at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and throughout the Department of Defense. We must demonstrate our collective determination to prevent suicide and encourage those in need to seek support. No Airman should ever feel they don't have anywhere to turn. Our most valuable resource is our Airmen. Open communication with each other about our emotional well-being is essential to reducing our suicide rates. Despite any discomfort it may create, asking someone directly about suicide is an important responsibility for all Wingmen, especially if you are concerned about someone's well-being. Asking someone directly about suicide does not increase their risk for killing themselves or speed up the process — the Suicide Prevention Awareness idea that talking about suicide openly will give someone the idea of hurting themselves is a myth. In order to help wingmen who are unsure how to handle someone who may be at risk for self-directed violence, the Air Force has created a program called "ACE." ACE stands for: • Ask directly, "Are you thinking of killing yourself?" • Care, intervene or control the situation. Use active listening and remove any weapons for self-harm • Escort them to a primary care provider, chaplain or mental health professional. Never leave a suicidal friend alone, stay with them for support, even if that means sitting next to them while they wait for professional help. Efforts to promote suicide prevention include pamphlet distributions promoting awareness of suicidal risk. Resources for mental health are available both on and off base. The easiest resource for active duty service members is calling (the Hill Air Force Base) mental health clinic at (801) 777-7909. Another viable option is the Military Crisis Line at (800) 273-8255, option one. The Military Crisis Line services are confidential and available to all service members and their families 24 hours a day. Seeking behavioral health care is a choice that embodies the core values of the Air Force. These values are at the foundation of what we stand for and what we defend. When one of us faces a challenge, we all must stand together, as Airmen. By fighting as a team and a community, we can help prevent suicide. Many helping resources are available, including the following: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), Press 1 for veterans and active duty. Real Warriors: www.realwarriors.net Mental Health Clinic: 777-7909 Chaplain: 777-2106 Airmen & Family Readiness Center: 7774681 Military OneSource: 1-800-342-9647 Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC): 586-8582 Wingman Advocates: 777-CALL (2255) Employee Assistance Program: 1-800222-0364 Occupational Medicine Services: 7771155/1163 (Hill AFB points of reference contributed by Hilltop Times.) Energy dependence and saving money: It's our time! on the roof, and on the car ports. In addition, there was an electric Chevy Volt in the parking lot, numerous Toyota Prius hybrids and solar water heating tubes on the side of the building. When I entered the front door, there was a television screen monitoring the building's energy output, as well as the energy created and stored at the facility by the wind turbines, solar panels, geothermal units, biomass and huge array of batteries. Natural sunlight was integral to the building's architecture. All the lights were Smart lights which only come on when a person enters the room, unless it deems the sunlight coming in as sufficient. If so, then the light stays off. If the light does come on, it turns off soon after one leaves the room. The carpet floor is made of small squares so if just one area is damaged the entire carpet doesn't need replacing. In the men's bathroom the urinals are waterless. Yes, they use no water and the toilets have dual flush capacity. It is estimated these systems require 40 percent less water than a conventional building the same size. Also, many of the sinks only have cold water, leaving hot water solely for the kitchen sink and the fitness room showers. Everyone who works for this company is issued a long sleeve sweater because the heat is turned down from 72 to 68 degrees. Another innovation is that no one has a trash can at their desk. There's a central area where people bring their waste and separate it into compost, recycling material or trash. After witnessing this display of possibilities, it occurred to me, this company is not "the future," but rather it represents "the now." As I drove away, I felt I was receding into the past. Visiting this facility made me realize how much progress can be made and someday, "going green" will be the norm. BY LT. COL. KIRK ROWE 88th Medical Group W RIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — There's been an ongoing dialogue about going green since the first Earth Day in April 1970. We've made many strides in the direction of energy conservation and being more respectful of our planet. But 2013 and beyond is calling us to do more. The Air Force began this discussion in 2009, but the current mind set has done little to promote "out of the box" thinking and going green. Last year, I had the opportunity to listen to Col. Stacy Yike, 66th Air Base Group commander at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., discuss culture change in regard to energy use. She said that people at her base were starting to "get it" about energy and that it's rare that someone doesn't turn off the light when they leave the room. Though changes like this, as well as others, are happening at Hanscom AFB, the biggest shift is the attitude, or culture, about energy use. How did that happen there and can we somehow package it and deliver it here? Culture change is often considered to be difficult, but is it really? We recently hired a new employee in our clinic, and when asked if he would turn off his computer screen when he left each night, he did it. He said, "Why not save energy and money? Sounds like a good idea." The question is, how do we create that attitude of stewardship in everyone? Earlier this year, I felt as if I traveled into the "energy future" when I visited a company in southern Ohio. When I drove up to the facility, I was impressed by the wind turbine and the solar panels in the field, Having a healthy military budget in the past allowed us the luxury of energy use without much thought. However, it may have prevented us from accurate insight into the future and often only addressed the prevailing needs. Today the necessity of visionary leaders is vital. We need leaders who are able to rise above the burden of the daily requirements in order to look into the future to see where we are headed. Insightful and perceptive leadership is essential to guide us in creating a culture that reinforces energy independence and conservation. Fiscal constraints may be the perfect beginning to foster creativity about our energy future. While we may not be able to incorporate all the technologies listed above immediately, moving and thinking in that direction is an important and necessary start. Finances need to be funneled into long-term solutions such as green innovation instead of the short term fixes. Until we can obtain the technology to run our buildings, this job can be outsourced to each and every individual on our team. We need to tap into our human energy and ingenuity. Each and every day, we all need to be thinking about how we all can use less energy. limn things off when not in use and unplug electronics at night, and especially on the weekend. Recent "unplug" weekends have saved the base here over $5,000, and this will likely increase as it becomes more of a habit. Data at Wright-Patterson has also shown that if the temperature is turned down only one degree across all buildings, the base saves $16,000 per month. There's plenty of money to be saved if we all pitch in. So we've been talking about going green since the 1970s. Isn't it time to move from articulation to action? Hill's Last DUI: Oct. 45 Mr_3` Unit Involved: rrj±Lrr Report suspicious activity via the AFOSI EAGLE EYES program 729a iler eogetat ..57,0.4dittut Dial: 777-3056 / 3057/ 3058. Watch - Report - Protect Force Protection is Our Business - Everyone isa Sensor Airmen Against Drinking and Driving provide rides when designated drivers are unavailable. Call 777-1111 to request a ride anytime. Hours of operation: Fridays-Saturdays 10 p.m.- 6 a.m. Sundays 9 p.m.-midnight. Phone numbers — The base agencies listed can be contacted directly if you have a complaint or a problem with their services: Security Forces 24-hr, Crisis Information Force Support Squadron Base Restaurants Retirement/Compensation (civilian) Equal Opportunity Office Employer Relations Military Pay Civilian Pay Air Force Suggestion Program 777-9696 Hill Pride Hotline 777-7433 777-3056 Hill Straight Talk 777-5305 Public Affairs 777-5333 777-3056 IG Complaints Military Housing 825-9392 777-4134 (for appointment) 777-2043 IG Complaints 777-5361 Maintenance 777-6142 Safety Office 777-3333 (after hours) 586-9300 777-5361 Safety Office Hotline Fraud, Waste or Abuse 777 5455 Sexual Assault Response 777-1985 777 7129 (recording) Coordinator (or) 777 1964 1 877 885 9595 777 1851 Loud Noise Union 777-3257 (complaints) 777-6246 777-1852 777-4918 AFOSI Narcotics Hotline 777-6901 75th Medical Group Family Assistance Center 777-3090 Civil Engineering 777-1856 (when activated) - - - - - - - SUICIDE PREVENTION ASSISTANCE Mental Health Clinic 777 - 7909 Chaplain 777 - 2106 Military OneSource (800) 342 - 9647 National Suicide (800) 273-8255 Prevention Line TriWest Crisis Line (866) 284 - 3743 TriWest Behavioral (866) 651 - 4970 Health Contact Center EAP (800) 222 - 0364 777 - 1163 Occupational Medicine Services Wingman Advocates 777-2255 |