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Show Hilltop 8 TIMES T October 9, 2014 Friend Cyber and making sure he was able to keep Azza after his injury was one of his largest requests. "She understands what I've been through," he said. "I talk to her every day - she doesn't talk back - but just having that provides a huge mental pickup." As a K-9 handler, Anderson recognizes the need for service dogs in the wounded veteran community. "The service dogs are huge, especially when it comes to wounded vets," he said. "In the end, it's not just about what they do for you physically — it's your partner — it's your new soul mate in life to carry that disability with you, and to help you get over everything involved with the disability, whether it's mental or physical." It isn't just the service member who benefits from having a service dog around. Retired Tech. Sgt. Keith Sekora said his dog, Pintler, helps calm everyone in the house. "It's not just me, he really helps the whole family," he said. "He spreads the love." Sekora's wife, Andrea, said she trusts Pintler to take care of Sekora in any situation. "He knows where he is; he watches him," she said. "Whenever he sees him getting a little wobbly or off balance he's right there to catch him and help him back up. I have a lot more confidence in Keith doing things on his own because I know Pintler's there to help him up." Pintler helps Sekora with balance, as well as picking up objects, turning lights on and coping with PTSD. "He can sense I'm even being triggered before it happens and he's right there," Sekora said. The service dogs at the 2014 Warrior Games are present for every event, and constantly near their owners. While they can't be seen on the court or in the pool, the service dogs are as close to the edge as they can get, usually cheering along with everyone else. From 7 I got hurt in 2009, Moe started to pick up things that I didn't realize he was doing purposely. Anytime we'd be out, he'd always face the opposite direction as me when my back wasn't against a wall, which really helped with hypervigilance. I would know he would alert me that someone was behind me." Burnett's dog, Moe, also helps her find things she's lost, and comforts her during nightmares. "He would lay on top of me until I would calm down and then he would get off," she said. "It's kind of like swaddling a baby — you have tactile points in your chest. It's a physical calming down." Burnett's other service dog, Charlie, and Moe are what she calls "obediently disobedient" by stepping in to help her when she isn't able to help herself. "When I dissociate, (Moe) will come up and start nudging against me," she said. "Charlie kept me from sleepwalking out of my room by sitting in the doorway and just shuffling around until I woke up." Burnett said the dogs have also made it easier for her to talk to people again, because most people begin a conversation with questions about the dogs. "They've given me my life back in that way," she said. Service dogs giving athletes their lives back is a common thread among all of them but one has his service dog to thank for saving his life. "She was with me when the explosion happened," said Tech. Sgt. Leonard Anderson about Azza, his former military working dog and current service dog. "She was with me through all the combat - through everything - she was around for all of it." Azza now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the explosion that caused Anderson's injury. "I like to tell people that I'm more her service dog because she has such severe PTSD issues with large crowds and loud noises," Anderson said. "So, believe it or not, I'm more her crutch." He wouldn't have it any other way, though, From 7 exercises, such as Black Demon and Cyber Flag, Homsy said Red Flag is considered the capstone event. Due to the scope of the exercise, they are able to participate with a wider range of cyber applications to support other Air Force components, such as air and space. "Red Flag has always been primarily focused on the flying community," Homsy said. "It is designed to give the new pilots their first operational missions. Cyber has only really come into its own in the last few years. We had to show that we could accomplish our training objectives without impacting the flying training objectives. We had to show that we can add value to the overall exercise by being a part of the exercise, and we were able to do just that." In February 2012, cyber Airmen were given a chance to actively play their part in the exercise through the help of a new training network. With the new setup, they were able to give a tangible example of their capabilities while defending the combined air operations center at Nellis AFB. "In Red Flag 11-3, we brought the Joint JO Range," Crissman said. "It is a closed network that we're allowed to play on and bring ... our tools and our weapon systems." The Joint JO Range is a cyber-range that is used during the exercise as a training ground for cyber assets, Crissman said. It is modeled after the Air Force's network, but is completely separated; therefore it doesn't affect any other active networks. It gives Airmen the distinct advantage of trying new systems, defenses and attacks prior to deploying them in a real-world environment. "One of the things that we've been working on in the past year is gtmzftgratzia3gb Most Insurance Plans Accepted. Payment Plans, Credit Cards, Military Dental Plans. Flag in February and through that experience developed a new understanding by working in conjunction with Airmen in other career fields. "Dealing with the (air and space) community for the first time in my career was interesting," he said. "They seemed to not understand what we did, just as much as we didn't understand what they did. Our integration together allowed us to see how we helped each other. They became able to rely on us to defend their assets, while we were able to help fulfil their missions." Airmen with the 24th AF weren't the only one's seeing a new big picture as other Air Force communities were introduced to the many facets of cyberspace warfare. "We grow up in our own worlds," said Lt. Col. Christopher Jarvis, the 505th Test Squadron chief of combat operations. "I'm an electronic warfare officer by trade, so I grew up understanding electronic attacks, jamming other assets, (and information), surveillance and reconnaissance ... Through Red Flag, years ago, I learned the tactical executing side, the bomb dropping, the missile shooting. It's only been recently that I've even gotten the opportunity to learn how space and cyber works." Bringing together the diverse combat compo- nents help to dissuade the narrow thinking that there is only one way to affect a target. For example, Jarvis said, if the objective of the mission was to take out an opponent's headquarters building, there are multiple ways to get that done. "We can drop a bomb; we can blow it up, or we can take cyber capabilities and use a sort of non-kinetic denial capability," he said. "If I can shut down the building's ability to communicate then I've achieved that same effect at the cost of probably less money and then obviously less lives." If the Internet is destined to become the new battlefield of the 21st Century, it will be the Air Force, and more specifically the 24th Air Force, who will have the advantage with exercises such as Red Flag. In future warfare, it will be cyber Airmen challenging online adversaries, in addition to the traditional mission of bombers, fighters and RPAs, who will fight and win on the digital battlefield. "Basically, they are looking at what went wrong and then do a recon analysis on it," he said. "What went wrong? Why did it go wrong? What can we do to fix it next time? Then they go back and integrate that into the next stage of planning, so they don't make the same mistake again." INDOOR DART TAG ARENA Family Fun for all ages 5 to 99 Come join us for some fast dart blasting action in our new 3000 sq. ft. arena 606 N.Marshall Way Suite 101 " Layton UT, 84041 385-888-9987 " www.dartsideutah.net We LOVE New Patients! 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"They break down what happened during the course of the (debrief) period to see what actions were taken — what defensive actions; were they successful or not?" Homsy said. "And that's when the real learning begins, because you're now deconstructing the actual actions." Participants in Red Flag are also encouraged to learn about different aspects of the total force in order to work together more effectively and cohesively. "Red Flag is integral in showing operators how we affect the air picture and how we can actually integrate with the flying community," said Tech. Sgt. Scott Karter, the 92nd Information Operations Squadron NCO in charge of operations training. "It allows us to see how we have an impact on the overall mission." Karter attended Red Mon. - Fri. 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Open Saturdays '7"aifitdental 5trgrcal Center I TTLLTOP TIMES 00 ••••••••••••••••• $ 1 4M5 00 Implant, Abutment " and Zirconia Crown Some exclusions may apply, See office for details We offer FREE consultations! 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