PAGE 4 INSIDE AF BUDGET, P3 JBSA FOURTH QUARTER AWARD...

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH 66th Year • No. 7 • FEBRUARY 17, 2012

INSIDE ... AF BUDGET, P3 ... JBSA FOURTH QUARTER AWARD WINNERS, P5 ... AETC HONORS CIVILIAN, P6 ... DENTAL HEALTH, P9

A publication of the 502nd Air Base Wing – Joint Base San Antonio

PAGE 4

FEBRUARY 17, 2012PAGE 2 WINGSPREAD

By Capt. Scott Taylor30th Space Wing Legal Offi ce

As my offi ce has just completed a resil-iency stand-down day, I am struck by the increasing numbers of suicides in the Air Force every year. There are more agen-cies and programs than I can count to as-sist anyone thinking of hurting themselves, and we receive regular training on how to engage in positive behaviors. So why is this still a problem?

From my personal perspective, as long as people see asking for help as a weak-ness, positive change cannot occur. As long as there is a stigma attached to get-ting help, people will continue to shoulder their burdens alone and continue on this path. I learned this lesson the hard way.My personal experience

When I was younger, my father was very sick. He had a malignant brain tu-mor that should have killed him. Instead, he had a stroke in the exact spot where the tumor was, which saved his life, but it paralyzed him and put him in a wheel-chair for the rest of his life.

I spent all of my time at the hospital. I wallowed in self-pity and watched my father suddenly unable to take care of himself. I learned how to take care of my father at a very young age and, along with my mother, committed myself to his care. I withdrew from all of my friends at school, who frankly did not know what to talk to me about. I was depressed and withdrew from the normal aspects of growing up. The situation eventually esca-lated to my former friends making fun of my father, calling him a vegetable, which resulted in my getting into fi ghts at school.

All of the warning signs were there. My behavior changed. I was isolated. I was quick to fi ght and I simply was not myself. I thought seriously every day for a long time about ending my life. The only thing that stopped me personally was what it would do to my father, who I was extremely close to. I was very close to ending things on several occasions. Several relatives, teachers and counselors saw what was going on and tried to stop what was happening, but their efforts were futile. I chose not to act because of my father. I chose not to act because of the devastating consequences my actions would have on him. I knew if I hurt my-

self, it would kill him.Accepting help

Years later, as I refl ect back on that dark time in my life, it frightens me to know how close I was to ending my life. As I grew older, I developed a wonderful support structure in place among my net-work of friends. My father passed away 11 years after his stroke while I was in college. Two years later at the end of my fi rst year of law school, very unexpectedly, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within a month. Once again, I was forced to deal with personal trauma.

This time around, my friends refused to cast me aside or to allow me to wal-low in loneliness and depression. I credit them with getting me through law school. I tried to quit several times, and fortu-nately every attempt was thwarted by the registrar being out of the offi ce or a friend noticing and physically removing me from the building. They were true wingmen for me and I can never repay them for being there for me during some of the darkest days of my life.

While these were tough times, I never seriously considered committing suicide in law school. I struggled, but I got through and graduated law school on time. I suc-ceeded in law school because my support structure gave me the resiliency I needed to survive. It is what kept me sane. It is what kept me going. I have been an at-torney for six years now and pride myself on being the kind of lawyer to go out of my way to help people in my job. This is because others did the same for me.Pride

Examining these two diffi cult times in my life, I was seriously contemplating suicide in one, and never considered it during law school. Why did I react differ-ently in these two situations, even though both represented diffi cult times?

I believe the answer is because I knew what I was going through the second time around was too big for me to do alone. The difference was I did not believe that it made me a weak person to ask for or accept help, which is signifi cant because I have a stubborn streak a mile wide. I learned a valuable lesson from my earlier dark days: It really is OK to accept help.

As I refl ect back on the fi rst experi-ence, pride is what almost killed me more

than anything else. When my father was sick, I felt it was me against the world. I would overhear my mother talking with friends and family about what a rough time I was having in school and dealing with my father’s illness. That only stiffened my resolve that I was tough, that I could hack it alone, and that I was OK. I refused to acknowledge or admit that I needed help from anyone. To ask for help was to admit that I was too weak to deal with the problem on my own.

As someone who has made a career of helping clients in need, I can testify there are a lot of people out there with huge hearts who want nothing more than to help those around them. For me personally, when I help someone out of a hopeless situation, I repay a little bit of the kindness that has been shown to me. It is something I will gladly do for the rest of my life. There are people in all of our lives who will bend over backward for us if only we will let them know we need help and be willing to accept it.Accepting help does not make you weak

One thing I have learned through my experiences is that no two people go through trauma the same way. There is no correct way to feel after experiencing grief, separation, anxiety, trouble at work, stress from a deployment or whatever problem you are going through.

Needing help to get through law school after I lost my parents did not make me a weak person; needing help made me a normal person. One of the reasons pride stopped me from accepting help when I was younger is that I would see patients in worse shape than my father at the hos-pital. I would see kids my age seemingly deal with it in stride. I would hear about kids in worse situations than me overcom-ing adversity and rising above it all. My pride wouldn’t let me ask for help if they could do it with no problems.

What I have learned is that the people who seem to be in the same or worse situation than me are in just as much pain, but they are just hiding it. However, it all comes out eventually. My advice to anyone thinking of hurting themselves is to swallow your pride, and don’t try to shoulder that burden alone. Whatever you are going through, someone else has gone through before and needed help as well.

You are not alone.

COMMENTARY

Airman overcomes pride to seek help

This newspaper is published by Prime Time Military News-papers, a private fi rm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. This commercial enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Wingspread are not necessarily the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, or the Department of the Air Force.

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Joint Base San Antonio-RandolphEditorial Staff

Brig. Gen. Theresa CarterCommander

Marilyn HollidayChief of Public Affairs

Senior Airman Precious YettEditor

Airman 1st Class Alexis SiekertRobert Goetz, Alex Salinas

Staff WritersMaggie ArmstrongGraphic Designer

ON THE COVERFrom left: Staff Sgt. Natca Moye, Air Force Personnel Operations Agency Test Team and Requirements NCO in charge, Tiffa-ny Evans, 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron environmental engineer and exercise eval-uation team member, Capt. Landon Phil-lips, 12th Operations Group chief of in-struction, Randy Simeon, 902nd CES fi re services fi refi ghter, Airman 1st Class Julia Frensley, 359th Dental Squadron den-tal assistant, and Senior Airman Daniel Kline, 902nd Security Forces Squadron, represent JBSA-Randolph as the location completes its compliance inspection. See page 4 for the inspection results.Photo by Rich McFadden

WINGSPREAD PAGE 3FEBRUARY 17, 2012

NEWS

By Robert GoetzJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

In a memorandum announcing Military Saves Week, Acting Under Secretary of Defense Jo Ann Rooney called the annual observance “an opportunity for the en-tire military community to come together with federal, state and local resources, in-cluding military banks and credit unions, to focus on the financial readiness of mili-tary members and families.”

At Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, the Airman and Family Readiness Cen-ter is heeding Rooney’s words, partnering with the base’s two financial institutions to help active-duty members and their families “reduce debt and save their hard-earned money.”

Wendy Warner, 902nd Force Support Squadron community readiness consul-tant at the A&FRC, said Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union and Broadway Bank are offering activities and prizes during Military Saves Week, which offi-cially begins Sunday and ends Feb. 26. A partnership of the Department of Defense and the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, MSW is part of the DoD Fi-

nancial Readiness and national America Saves campaigns

“This year’s theme is ‘Set a Goal, Make a Plan, Save Automatically,’” Warner said. “We want to make people aware of what their goal should be – to save automatically.”

Randolph-Brooks FCU will observe Military Saves Week with a drawing each day from Tuesday to Friday. Credit union customers will submit their names for the chance of winning a $25 credit to their savings account; the winning entry will be drawn each evening. Saturday, participants in the daily drawings will be in the running for a grand prize, a $100 credit to their account. The credit union will provide literature showcasing different savings options during the week.

In addition, the credit union will of-fer refreshments 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues-day-Saturday.

Throughout the week, Broadway Bank will provide a certificate worth $50 for people who want to open a savings ac-count, as well as a $100 Visa gift card for those who open a checking account and opt for direct deposit of their paychecks.

Two special events are planned at Broadway Bank – a workshop focusing on the military’s Thrift Savings Plan, fea-turing one of the bank’s investment spe-cialists, 11-11:45 a.m. Wednesday and a barbecue 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Feb. 24.

Warner said she will hand out copies of the Military Saves Campaign’s Saver Pledge during the barbecue. Active-duty members and their dependents, retirees, DoD civilians and contractors will have an opportunity to sign a document pledg-ing to help themselves “by saving money, reducing debt and building wealth over time,” as well as their family and coun-try “by encouraging other Americans to build wealth, not debt.”

Warner said she will register those who sign the pledge on the campaign’s website, www.militarysaves.org. Peo-ple may also go to the website and register themselves.

Members of the base community can work with their banking institutions and the financial specialists at the A&FRC to “have a good foundation,” Warner said. That foundation begins with a spending plan, or budget.

“If people don’t have a spending plan,

give us a call,” she said. “We can sit down, set up a budget and see how much they can set aside. The money they set aside should be an automatic transfer.”

Warner said people who haven’t been saving money can start small, but “10 percent of their income is the ultimate goal.

“An emergency fund should be able to cover six to nine months’ worth of ex-penses,” she said. “Especially in the midst of a drawdown, just being prepared can reduce financial stress.”

Military Saves Week is only the be-ginning of the year-long Military Saves Campaign. Warner said the year-long campaign has quarterly themes – “Save and Invest” for January-March, “Military Youth Saves” for April-June, “Debt Re-duction” for July-September and “Save for Retirement” for October-December.

Special events are planned throughout the year along with the A&FRC’s everyday functions of one-on-one financial counsel-ing, classes and resources such as the Air Force Aid Society.

For more information, call The Air-man and Family Readiness Center at 652-5321.

Base activities highlight Military Saves Week

By Tech. Sgt. Richard WilliamsAir Force Public Affairs Agency

The Air Force released its fiscal 2013 budget Feb. 13 and stressed the need for difficult budgetary cuts to meet the new defense strategy while maintaining the service’s agility, flexibility and readiness.

The Air Force is requesting $154.3 billion in the presi-dent’s 2013 budget, a reduction of five percent from the $162.5 billion the service received in fiscal 2012.

“The Air Force made some very difficult choices,” Maj. Gen. Edward L. Bolton Jr., the deputy assistant secretary for budget, said. “But it was our priority to tightly align with the new strategy and also stay within the fiscal environment as a result of the realities we are facing economically.”

The Air Force Strategic Choices and Budget Priori-ties paper, released by Secretary of the Air Force Mi-chael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz on Jan. 27, calls for streamlining of the force, making it smaller and more efficient with care to not create a hollow force.

Under the Budget Control Act, the Department of Defense is required to reduce expenditures by $487 billion over the next 10 years with a reduction of

$259 billion over the next five.“It is worth noting that our budget has reduced

by 12 percent in real terms since FY09,” Bolton said. “So we have seen a consistent trend of reduc-tions in the budget.

“The Air Force budget portion of the Budget Control Act reductions over the next five years is

$54 billion,” Bolton said. The Air Force’s portion is not a result of simply di-

viding responsibility between the services. Instead, the budget amount is strategy driven, while maintaining a properly equipped force with the ability to deter, deny and defeat an opportunistic aggressor in a combined campaign any time, anywhere, he added.

“The strategy requires a different force structure and different tools; the Air Force is realigning the total force to address the future,” Bolton said.

The service has drawn down many times in the past, but never as a nation still at war. Previous size reductions focused more on maintaining force structure, which left

AF 2013 budget: Cuts keep agile, flexible, ready force

See BUDGET P4

“The strategy requires a different force structure and different tools; the Air Force is realigning

the total force to address the future.”

Maj. Gen. Edward L. Bolton Jr.Deputy assistant secretary for budget


After months of preparation for the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Compliance Inspection, held Feb. 6-Monday, the results are in.

The goals for the inspection – to have no critical or repeat write-ups and to not receive a marginal or unsatisfactory rating in any units or areas – were achieved.

The 2012 JBSA-Randolph Compliance Inspection results are:• 902nd Mission Support Group Excellent • 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron Excellent • 902nd Security Forces Squadron Satisfactory • 902nd Contracting Squadron Excellent • 902nd Force Support Squadron Excellent • 902nd Communications Squadron Excellent • 902nd Trainer Development Excellent • 902nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Excellent • 359th Medical Group To be announced

• 12th Flying Training Wing Excellent• 12th Operations Group Excellent• 12th Maintenance Directorate Satisfactory• 479th Flying Training Group Satisfactory

Feb. 26 at 3 p.m.Chapel 1

Food will be served immediately following the event at the JBSA-Randolph

Airman and Family Readiness Center.For more information, call Staff Sgt. Natca Moye

at 565-3930 or email her [email protected].

JBSA-Randolph completes inspection

the Air Force with a hollow force, he said. “It is really about balancing risk among the themes of

force structure, readiness, modernization and taking care of our people,” Bolton said. “We have sized the force to the strategy within the fiscal constraints we are facing.”

The Air Force is looking at a nearly $3 billion reduc-tion in procurement cost because the service divested and is purchasing less hardware. Also, there is a reduc-tion of about $500 million in research, development, testing and evaluation, but the Air Force continued its focus on modernizing key components that will maintain the service’s technological edge, Bolton said.

“Funding for intelligence, surveillance and reconnais-sance and space remain a priority,” he added. “We will continue to develop programs in ISR ensuring we are supplying this skill set to the joint warfighter and coali-tion partners.”

According to Bolton, funding also remains in place for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter – the cen-terpiece for future modernization to be able to prevail

in contested environments. “Ensuring fiscal goals are met and fleet modernization

continues are only half of the goal in the new strategy,” Bolton said. “Taking care of Airmen and their families is a key component and cannot get lost in talking of mere numbers.

“We are reducing the force by 9,900 Airmen, which will reduce the end strength of active duty, Guard and Reserve to around a 501,000 total force,” he said. “This allows us to appropriately size the force structure to the strategy and hardware we are going to have in the inventory.”

The Air Force is proposing a 1.7 percent military pay raise in fiscal 2013 and a 4.2 percent raise in basic allowance for housing and 3.4 percent raise in the ba-sic allowance for subsistence as a continuing growth of compensation for service.

“We are budgeting more than $700 million for family programs including child and youth programs and child development centers,” Bolton said. “We will continue to take care of our folks; we just need to ensure it is being done efficiently under tighter fiscal constraints.”

Housing is a key ingredient to taking care of Airmen and the Air Force is close to reaching its goal of 53,000 privatized housing units force-wide with over 40,000 units in place and the remaining units to be ready in fiscal 2013.

“We’ve increased our family housing budget by $93 million and this will allow us to meet our goal,” Bolton said. “Completing this transition is important because we have found through privatization we are able to in-crease the quality of housing for our Airmen and their families.”

Looking back to the 2011 requirements – military action and support in Iraq and Afghanistan, support-ing NATO missions in Libya, along with humanitarian support to Japan following a major earthquake – Bolton reinforced the reach and responsibility placed on today’s Airmen and emphasized the importance of providing them the tools required for a versatile force.

“We will continue to do everything we can to pro-vide them with the tools they need to continue to be the best Air Force in the world for decades to come,” Bolton said.

BUDGET from P3

The Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Blood Donor Center will be at the JBSA-Randolph Kendrick Club

today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a blood drive.For details, call Tracy Parmer at 292-8145.


Joint Base San Antonio officials recently an-nounced the Fourth Quarter award winners. The winners are:• Junior Enlisted Member CategorySenior Airman Benjamin Minard802nd Operations Support SquadronJBSA-Lackland• Non-Commissioned Officer CategoryTech. Sgt. Mariah Armga91st Network Warfare SquadronJBSA-Lackland• Senior Enlisted Member CategoryMaster Sgt. Vanessa Young359th Medical GroupJBSA-Randolph• Company Grade Officer Category1st Lt. Gordon Bloom

Air Education and Training CommandJBSA-Randolph• Honor Guard Airman CategorySenior Airman Anthony Snyder59th Medical Logistics and Readiness SquadronJBSA-Lackland• Honor Guard NCO CategoryStaff Sgt. Tanisha Chaney37th Training Support SquadronJBSA-Lackland• Civilian Wage Grade CategoryVanessa Lazare902nd Mission Support GroupJBSA-Randolph• Civilian Supervisory Category IDarryl Sharkey359th Medical Support Squadron

JBSA-Randolph• Civilian Supervisory Category IIPaul HughesAETCJBSA-Randolph• Civilian Non-Supervisory Category IJennifer DeasonAir Force Personnel CenterJBSA-Randolph• Civilian Non-Supervisory Category IIPamela LongAir Force Personnel Operations AgencyJBSA-Randolph• Civilian Non-Supervisory Category IIIJavier FloresAF Intelligence Reconnaissance and Surveillance AgencyJBSA-Lackland

Joint Base San Antonio announces fourth quarter winners

Gates close for Presidents Day The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph gate hours Monday are as follows: The main gate will be operating under normal hours, the west and south gates will be open 6 a.m.-6 p.m. and the east gate will be closed.For more information, contact the 902nd Security Forces Squadron customer service desk at 652-5700.

Reading program seeks volunteers Joint Base San Antonio School Liaison Offices will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday and Read Across America Day, March 2, 8:30-10 a.m., at Paschall Elementary.Volunteers are needed and must RSVP no later than Wednesday. To sign up, contact Wanda Coo-per at [email protected] or call 652-5321.

Program offers mentorship The “Me to You” program was established to mentor at-risk school students on the importance of making good choices early in their lives. Military members who participate share their real-life experiences, before and after joining the military, to educate students on the opportunities and benefits offered by the military. For more information, contact Staff Sgt. Edward Grant at [email protected].

Thrift Shop closes for Presidents Day The Thrift Shop is closed Monday for Presi-

dents Day and reopens for regular business Wednesday. Chapel staff relocates The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph chapel staff will be relocated from the Chapel An-nex, Bldg. 103, to the basement of Bldg. 100, through March 1. During this time, there will be no facility reservation, usage and equipment check-out. All phone numbers will remain the same. For ques-tions or concerns, call 652-6121.

LRS promotes recovery programMembers who use base supply items identi-

fied as containing precious metals must turn the items back in to supply when no longer needed.

For details, call Tina Schul, 902nd Logistics Readiness Squadron precious metals recovery program manager, at 652-2194 or Kay Herrera at 652-3958.

American Red Cross seeks volunteersThe American Red Cross seeks volunteers to serve at

the Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph Medical Clinic. For more information, call the Red Cross desk at 652-6372 or stop by the resource management office at the clinic (Bldg. 1040, Room 1C301) next to the records section.

Airfield access requires training Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph’s airfield is a controlled area, which means anyone who needs access to the airfield is required to complete training, as well as be listed on an entry autho-rization list, unless escorted by someone who already has access. To schedule training and to determine who keeps the access listing for your organization, call Geren Fawver at 652-8166.

JBSA-Randolph Chapel• CATHOLIC

Daily Mass - Monday-Friday11:30 a.m. - Chapel 1

Saturday Mass5:30 p.m. - Chapel 1

Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. - Chapel 111:30 a.m. - Chapel 1Confession - Saturday4:30 p.m. - Chapel 1

Sunday Religious Education9:45-11 a.m.

Bldg. 208

• PROTESTANTTraditional Sunday Service8:15 a.m. - Base theater

Contemporary Sunday Service

11 a.m. - Base theaterSunday Religious Education

9:30-11:30 a.m.Bldg. 103

For more information,call the Chapel Center at

652-6121

NOW SHOWINGat JBSA-Randolph Theater

"War Horse" (PG-13)Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson

Today at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m.

"Joyful Noise" (PG-13)Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton

Sunday at 3 p.m.

$4.50 for adults – $2.25 for children 11 and younger

Base BRIEFS


FEATURE

By Robert GoetzJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

More than 60 years ago, an 11-year-old boy liv-ing on the near west side of San Antonio decided to enroll in a night school two blocks from his home so he could learn more about repairing radios and a relatively new invention called the television.

While keeping up with his regular school work, the precocious youth attended night class five times a week for more than two years and re-paired radios and TVs during high school, later parlaying his experience and his knowledge of electronics into a long, successful civil service career, first at Kelly Air Force Base and later at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

Next week, Air Education and Training Com-mand will pay tribute to Alfred Machts, the former electronics prodigy who now serves as the AETC command engine manager, on the 50th anniversa-ry of his first day of civil service during a ceremo-ny at the Parr Club.

Machts’ supervisor, Chief Master Sgt. Jose Lopez, Headquarters AETC Command Propul-sion chief, called him “the perfect example of the importance our civilian workforce plays in an organization’s success.

“He provides the thread of continuity needed for our organization’s success,” he said. “Military members PCS, retire and move on, but the mission continues because of him and others like him.”

Lopez listed a strong work ethic, job dedication and loyalty as some of Machts’ many strengths.

“But the one that stands out is his wide breadth of experience and knowledge he has gained over the years of service,” he said. “Because of his, he is not only looked upon by many of his co-workers for advice and guidance, he is also sought out by others from outside organizations.”

Machts, whose father’s profession was refrig-eration and major appliance repair, said his keen interest in science and electronics led him to night school, where he recalled being the only child in his class.

“All my classmates were on the Veterans Ad-ministration bill,” he said. “They thought I was real intelligent, but I had no worries. They all had families to support. I caught on real quick; I soaked the information up like a sponge.”

After graduating from Edison High School, Machts worked as a radio and TV repairman for a few years before landing a job at Kelly AFB repairing radar equipment.

“My experience got me hired at the journeyman level,” he said. “There was a big buildup at the time, so there was a lot of work to do.”

Machts continued to build on his experience, repairing electronic countermeasure systems for B-52s and B-58s and automatic test equipment used for radar, radios and other communications devices in support of B-52, B-58 and C-5 avionics systems.

“We had about 500 personnel in two divisions,” he said. “Kelly was the depot for all electronics.”

Machts soon helped Kelly meet a need for more skilled labor when he became an instructor in a

“crash program” for apprentices in 1966, an as-signment he said was one of the most satisfying in his career.

“They ran out of skilled techs to hire, so they set up three programs,” he said.

Machts developed a class syllabus and taught three classes that spanned about six years. Forty-eight of the students reached journeyman level while 24 achieved a lower level.

“The second class started from scratch as far as learning about electronics,” he said. “It took more to teach them. It wasn’t that they weren’t intel-ligent; they just didn’t have the background. But they all came through and did well.”

After completing his teaching duties, Machts returned to the shop as an electronics technician, where he and a co-worker designed and built a tester for digital logic cards. A series of reduction-in-force actions during the 1970s shuttled him to various other positions at Kelly that expanded his

AETC plans ceremony for 50-year civilianEngine manager parlays interest in electronics into long-term career

Courtesy photoAlfred Machts, Air Education and Training Command engine manager, takes a call at his desk in Bldg. 581. He will be honored Thursday for 50 years of civil service.

See CIVILIAN P7


skills set, including flightline supervisor for the B-52 bomb navigation and C-5 avionics systems, special weapons directorate and the ATE shop, equipment specialist for the O-2 and OV-10 aircraft avionics sys-tems, avionics equipment specialist for the T-38 and F-5 and ATE production management specialist for a variety of support equipment.

Machts’ career took a turn in another direction in 1981 when he moved across town to Randolph, where he was promoted to the Civilian Career Enhancement Program in the Office of Civilian Personnel Operations.

“I was able to get the job because of the diver-sity of my background,” he said. “We developed promotion evaluation packages and lists of candi-dates for competitive promotion.”

A few years after returning to Kelly in 1982, Machts entered an arena that was a hot-button issue at the time – parts overpricing. He joined the competi-tion advocacy office at Kelly that examined thousands of items and determined what they “should cost.”

“It was like a police force set up Air Force-wide for pricing,” he said. “We found a lot of items that were overpriced and were able to get money back or get prices reduced.”

Not all items that seemed overpriced were out of line, Machts, who worked mainly with engine parts, said.

“Some items were higher than they ought to be because they were unique and manufactured in small quantities,” he said. “You had to figure in engineering costs, which were a greater percent-age of the price if an item wasn’t mass-produced.”

Machts left San Antonio – and the United States – in 1995 when he was transferred to Depot Pur-chased Equipment Maintenance manager at U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The DPEM function involves the depot overhaul of all equipment items to sup-port the engine and aircraft maintenance mission.

“We covered all the bases in Europe,” he said. “We determined financial requirements for depot repair of equipment and handled engine management.”

Machts, who loved living in Germany and the travelling opportunities it gave him, said he en-joyed his job, though it was “very demanding.”

Machts returned to Randolph in 2000, set-tling into the position that has been the longest-running of his civil service career. He said his job involves determining what spare engines are needed to support AETC’s flying mission, as well as keeping track of the command’s nearly 3,400 engines, parts replacement, and repair and overhaul requirements.

Machts, who has four children, six grandchil-dren and two great-grandchildren, is looking for-ward to retirement and “not working for once in my life.” He said he has plenty of interests to keep him busy – from reading and traveling to taking college courses.

He said he has especially enjoyed working at Randolph and USAFE.

“I like the military environment, where it’s like a family helping each other,” Machts said. “The personal relationships are much broader. I’ve en-joyed the camaraderie we have here.”

By Ashley Murphy902nd Force Support Squadron marketing publicist

More than 550 Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers attended a free street party Feb. 10 at SeaWorld San Antonio as a part of the Single Airman pro-gram. There was a gaming station, two roller-coaster rides, DJ, penguin expedition, food and beverages. The evening culminated with a Shamu show dedicated to the military.

“The experience at SeaWorld was positive because I met new people and learned more about my fellow Airmen around me,” Airman 1st Class Willie Muhammad, Total Force Service Center technician, said. “I was able to get to know them from a per-sonal standpoint, instead of just work and I was able to have fun with them and enjoy their company.”

The idea for the event originated from the JBSA-Randolph Single Air-man program when they were asked what kind of event they would like to see provided by the Air Force. It was then expanded to include single service members from Ft. Sam Houston and Lackland Air Force Base.

“It was an excellent exercise in joie de vivre, albeit well-deserving of those who tirelessly defend our nation,” Joe Horton, dorm manager, said.

The involvement the dorm coun-cil put forth in publicizing the event as well as the strong turnout of the

Airmen shows the character of the future of the Air Force.

“It was great they were afforded this opportunity,” Horton said. “It shows

promise for participation in future activities. It is dire we have the involve-ment of young Airmen, for they soon will hold the reins. “

The idea was carried into fruition by the JBSA-Randolph Dorm Council and more than half of the enlisted dorm residents, 44 service members, participated.

With the event, the JBSA-Randolph residents realized that although they are from different parts of the country, they have a lot in common.

“I realized the dorm Airmen have more similarities to each other than we realized,” Airman 1st Class Alissa Holub, Total Force Service Center technician, said. “We wanted to branch out of the dorms and do fun things together, and this gave us an opportunity to do so. I treasure the memories and fun time and hope that in the future, something like this will come up for the junior enlisted Airmen of JBSA.

“They (SeaWorld) have catered events for the military communities be-fore, but this was a bit different with all three JBSA bases participating,” Bonnie Runge, 902nd Force Support Squadron Community Services Flight director, said. “We had the park to ourselves and the service members were made to feel like stars.”

“It was a really fun event,” Air-man 1st Class Stasha Brown, Total Force Service Center technician, said. “I rarely have a chance to come to SeaWorld, and to be able to do so at a discounted rate was phenomenal and greatly appreciated.”

JBSA service members attend special event

CIVILIAN from P6

Photo by Rich McFaddenService members from Joint Base San Antonio watch the Shamu performance at SeaWorld of San Antonio Feb. 10. The venue shut down their day-to-day operations and opened their doors just for the service members.


Feb. 21, 4-5 p.m.Witte Museum

3801 BroadwaySan Antonio, Texas

Feb. 22, 6-8 p.m.Wimberley Community Center

14068 Ranch Road 12Wimberley, Texas

Feb. 23, 6-7 p.m.Parman Library at Stone Oak

20735 Wilderness OakSan Antonio, Texas

Feb. 25, 2-3 p.m.Mission Branch Library3132 Roosevelt Ave.San Antonio, Texas

For more information, visit www.bandofthewest.af.milJoin us on Facebook at www.facebook/bandofthewest.com

Follow us on Twitter@AFBandofthewest


By Airman 1st Class Alexis SiekertJoint Base San Antonio-Randolph Public Affairs

Making good choices as a child can make all the differ-ence in having a beautiful smile for the rest of your life.

February is National Chil-dren’s Dental Health Month.

“This is an annual event recog-nized on base, but this year we’re doing some different things,” Staff Sgt. Michael Kennison, 359th Dental Squadron NCO in charge of preventative dentistry, said.

Normally, a doctor would visit the elementary school and speak on tooth anatomy and what causes decay and cavi-ties, but this year the dental squadron intends to get more interactive and base wide.

“For parents who are waiting for appointments in the fam-ily health clinic, we are using the awareness wall to display posters giving them informa-tion on how to help them keep their children’s teeth clean and gums healthy,” he said.

Poor dental hygiene prac-tices are sometimes developed at a young age and often by mimicking parent’s practices, he said.

“The main thing we want to get across to our patients is gum and tooth problems are not genetic,” Kennison said. “We’d like to inform them that a lot of it comes down to proper bushing techniques and products to heal your gums and teeth. Teach them proper brushing and flossing.”

When brushing, use a soft or extra soft toothbrush because the softer the brush the gentler it is on the gums. The softer brushes extend the longevity of your gum and tooth health. The bristles bend well and they get deeper into the crevices and gums.

Hard brushes cause more problems than they fix as they

are usually used for dentures, Kennison said.

He recommends everyone brush at least twice a day on all sides of their teeth, angling the tootbrush brush 45 degrees toward the gum line and rotat-ing it in slow small circles.

“Your teeth are rounded, so the circular motion allows you to get plaque out from those hard-to-reach places,” he said.

It’s important for parents to encourage their children to floss as well. While flossing, use a piece of floss that is at least 18 inches long and use a clean piece every time at least once a day.

“Without flossing, you’re

only cleaning 70 percent of your mouth,” Kennison said, “So think of not flossing as tak-ing a shower and never clean-ing your hair.”

For gum care, there are good mouth rinses available, he said, but for kids, use child-friendly rinses.

Diet also has a large impact on dental hygiene.

“Stay away from energy drinks, foods with a lot of sugar, and chips, because they get stuck in your teeth and gums,” Kennison said. “If your children are at school and having sugary snacks, tell them to go to the water foun-tain and wash their mouths out with water. It may dilute

the sugar build up on teeth until they can brush.”

Thursday, representatives from the dental squadron will visit the schools to educate the students, play games and give prizes.

“For older kids, three vol-unteers will act as teeth as part of the play," he said. "We will also have cut outs of germs and other volun-teers as an over-sized brush, a jump rope for floss and a Dudley the Dinosaur video produced by the American Dental Association.

“We just want everyone to have bright healthy smiles for the rest of their lives,” he said.

SPORTS - HEALTH - FITNESS

SportsBRIEFS

Youth sports registrationRegistration for the follow-

ing youth sports runs Wednes-day through Feb. 29. All youth must have a current physical, immunizations and a sports registration form on file. The cost is $45 per child.

• T-Ball (co-ed) for youth 5-6 years old (must be 5 years old by March 15)

• Coach Pitch (co-ed) for youth ages 7-8

• Boys' baseball or girls' softball for youth ages 9-18

Li'l Renegades basketball Li'l Renegades is a parent/child program that helps 3- and 4-year-old children build confidence while learning basic basketball skills. Regis-ter at Youth Programs, Bldg. 585, Wednesday through Feb. 29. The cost is $40 per child, and the program runs for six weeks beginning in March.

New Year, New You The Rambler Fitness Center offers a self-monitored program, “New Year, New You,” during normal operating hours. “New Year, New You” cards are available from the staff. The year-long program involves running/walking 70 miles, attending 24 group aerobic classes and biking 36 miles.

Attention bikers The fitness center offers bike rides every Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. A road bike or cyclo-cross bike in good working condition is needed. Appropri-ate cycling attire and gear are required. These rides are led by a member of USA Cycling.

Wise choices keep children's teeth healthy

“Without flossing, you’re only cleaning70 percent of your mouth.”

Staff Sgt. Michael Kennison359th Dental Squadron NCO in charge of preventative dentistry

The Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph

Rambler Fitness Center is open 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday in honor of Presidents Day.

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