andrews 032715

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 | VOL. 4 NO. 12

AIR FORCE NEWSThree Airman musicians recognized in

media contest, Page 4

BASE NEWSCMSAF spends day withJBA Airmen, Page 6

COMMENTARYMarch marks Brain Injury

Awareness Month, Page 2

BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASSJ.D. MAIDENS

11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

From sampling thebase’s water to makingsure the environmentsJoint Base Andrews per-sonnel work in are safeto testing the quality ofthe air, bioenvironmen-tal technicians are criti-cal to mission success.

“We provide health-risk assessments tomake sure the com-mander has all the in-formation when makingcritical decisions,” saidSenior Airman ThomasHollingsworth, 779thAerospace MedicineSquadron bioenviron-mental technician. “Wealso optimize combatperformance and mini-mize casualties in thecase of chemical, bio-logical, radiological andnuclear incidents.”

The career field pro-vides a number of ser-vices to JBA and the AirForce at-large: the JBAtechnicians accomplishapproximately 1400 gas

mask fittings and 144water tests per year.

“We do gas mask fit-tings, shop assessmentsand water samplingamong other things,”Hollingsworth said. “Wecan test from occupa-tional hazards from ra-diation to noise levels.”

Technicians also keepthe youngest JBA mem-

bers safe.“We assess work en-

vironments relative toindividual pregnancies,”Hollingsworth said.“There are many occupa-tional hazards that couldharm the mother or putthe pregnancy in danger.For example, chemicalsused by the Civil Engi-neer Squadron can pose

significant health risks.”The same technicians

testing water samplesand checking air qualitydon HazMat suits in caseof emergencies.

“CBRN response isan important part of thejob,” Hollingsworth said.“We gather as much in-formation regardingthe incident as possible.We then suit up and re-spond to and minimizerisks posed by extremelyhazardous materials,dealing with visual haz-ards and testing the air,water and anything elsethat could put the publicat risk.”

With the danger andsubject matter so griev-ous, the job can still berewarding.

“I love my job,” saidAirman 1st Class Ash-ton McLaughlin, 779thAMDS bioenvironmen-tal technician. “We getto interact with a lot ofdifferent people on base.It feels good to keep thepopulation safe and se-cure.”

Keeping JBA clean

The 11th Civil Engi-neer Squadron will initi-ate an installation-wide“No Heat/No Cool” periodto assist us in switchingheating, ventilation andair conditioning (HVAC)units from heating tocooling modes. The startdate for this period willbe April 15 with an an-ticipated completion dateof May 16.

During this “No Heat/No Cool” period, HVACtechnicians will completeall equipment servicingand startup prepara-tions; additionally, basedon last year’s data, TeamAndrews will be able to

No Heat/NoCool – HVACChangeover

Senior Airman Thomas Hollingsworth, 779th Aero-space Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental techni-cian, demonstrates putting on a gas mask with thehelp of Airman 1st Class Ashton McLaughlin, 779thAMS bioenvironmental technician. The flight con-ducts approximately 1,400 gas mask fit tests andtests more than 140 water samples per year.

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS/SENIOR AIRMAN MARIAH HADDENHAM

Senior Airman Thomas Hollingsworth, 779th Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental techni-cian, checks the condition of a Level A hazardous material suit, with the help of Airman 1st Class AshtonMcLaughlin, 779th AMS bioenvironmental technician, March 16 on Joint Base Andrews.

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

Sharp Decisions looksto tackle the unemploy-ment problem in the U.S.by investing in veter-ans through a platformmodel entitled Vocations,Education and Train-ing for Service Members(V.E.T.S.) Program itlaunched more two yearsago.

According to KarenRoss, Sharp DecisionsCEO, her company isthe only company usingthe V.E.T.S. Program’splatform to train andemploy Post 911 veter-ans as software qualityassurance analysts. Con-cerned about the mili-tary unemployment rate,she wanted to invest inthe already well-trained,tech savvy veterans.

Upon completion ofthe training, the vet-erans are deployed insquadrons of four mem-bers and are integratedwith their client com-pany. While participat-ing in the four- to six-week program, veteransare fully salaried andtrained in quality assur-ance, software testing,business analysis, andprogram managementwithout having to usetheir GI Bill.

On Mar. 18, Sharp De-cisions deployed a squad-ron of V.E.T.S graduatesand integrated them intothe workforce of their an-chor-client, Freddie Macin McLean, Va.

“This program cameacross my desk abouttwo years ago,” said TimSnyder, Freddie Mac VP,Software Quality, whooversees V.E.T.S. pro-gram for Freddie Mac.

Innovativeprogramplacesveterans inworkforce

see JOBS, page 7see HVAC, page 2

BY BOBBY JONESSTAFF PHOTOJOURNALIST

The Prince George’sCounty National Allianceon Mental Illness (NAMI)is offering its first free,six-session class at theUniversity of MarylandCollege Park’s 1101 Me-morial Chapel ConferenceRoom, Tuesdays 6 to 8:30pm, starting March 31.

“This is the first time aHomefront class has beenoffered in Prince George’sCounty,” said ColletteHarris, President NAMIPrince George‘s CountyAffiliate.

“This class is target-ed to caregivers, familymembers or friends of in-dividuals who are eitheractive duty military orveterans with mentalhealth conditions, suchas PTSD, depression orvarious other mental ill-nesses,” said Harris.

“The class is designed

NAMI to holdfirst freeHomefrontCourse

see NAMI, page 7

Andrews Gazette2 Friday, March 27, 2015

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint MilitaryPublications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg,Md., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force or any branch of the United States military.The appearance of advertising in these publications,

including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsementby the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force orthe products and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available forpurchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion,sex, national origin, age,martial status, physical handicap, political af-filiation or any other nonmerit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS

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conserve an estimated 900,000KWH in electrical usage result-ing in a savings of $72,000 and2,000 Dekatherm in natural gasusage resulting in a savings of

$12,000 for a combined electricand natural gas total savings of$84,000 which could potentiallybe re-invested into base opera-tions.

During the downtime, onlyMission Critical Facilities, ChildDevelopment Centers, Critical

Server Rooms and Base Housingwill be exempt. Patience and un-derstanding from base residentswhile this is being accomplishedwill be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions,please contact 11 CES CustomerService at 301-981-5151.

HVAC, from page 1

March 27-28Evangel Cathedral Easter Production: King of

KingsEvangel Cathedral, 13901 Central Ave., Upper

MarlboroEvangel Multi Media and Arts Center presents,

King of Kings! Featuring Stellar & Grammy Awardwinning artists including, Marvin Winans, KarenClark Sheard, Richard Smallwood and more. Willfeature, live animals, a light show and a cast of 100.Call 301-249-9400 or visit www.evangeleasterpro-duction.com.

March 28World Dance Showcase8 p.m.Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road,

CheverlyThis popular annual event showcases wide-rang-

ing dance traditions performed with a swirl of vividcostumes. Call 301-277-1710 or visit www.arts.pg-parks.com.

March 28The Marcels8 p.m.Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livings-

ton Road, Fort WashingtonThe Marcels were an American doo-wop group

known for turning popular music songs into rockand roll. The Marcels are as advertised, the guyswho put the “Bomp” in the “Bomp-A-Bomp” backin 1961 when their first recording, “Blue Moon”sold over two and a half million copies. Call 301-203-6070 or visit www.arts.pgparks.com.

March 28Maryland Spring Festival Horse Show8 a.m.The Show Place Arena, 14900 Pennsylvania Ave.,

Upper MarlboroFREE for spectators. Call 301-952-7900 or visit

www.showplacearena.com.

March 28Argentina-El Salvador4 p.m.Fed Ex Field, Fed Ex Way, LandoverFedExField will host an international soccer

match between 2014 World Cup finalist Argentinaand local favorite El Salvador. Call 202-397-7328 orvisit www.ticketmaster.com.

Hot ticketsaround town

BY KAREN S. GUICE, M.D., M.P.P.PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANTSECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR

HEALTH AFFAIRS

Often called one of the “invisiblewounds of war,” traumatic braininjury (TBI) is the result of a blowor jolt to the head that disrupts thenormal function of the brain.Anyonecan suffer a TBI, it can happen onthe sports field, in your home, or onthe job.

During March, the MilitaryHealth System (MHS) is focusingits talent and efforts on the issue ofTBI. We will provide tools and re-sources to educate service members,their families, retirees and DefenseDepartment civilians about the pre-vention and treatment of TBI, whilehighlighting ongoing MHS researchand breakthroughs.

According to the Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention, eachyear 1.7 million people are diag-nosed with a brain injury. The mostcommon form of TBI, even for themilitary, is mild TBI (also referredto as a concussion) and the vast ma-jority occur at home. The Defenseand Veterans Brain Injury Centerreported that from 2000-2014 morethan 313,000 service members werediagnosed with TBI, and most ofthese were mild.

MHS research has produced sev-eral breakthroughs that improvethe lives of our patients, beneficia-ries, and all Americans who sustainTBIs. Our work is even taking usback to college to examine the im-pact of TBIs on athletes. The NCAAand the DOD are currently sponsor-ing the “Mind Matters Challenge,”a landmark initiative to enhancethe safety of student-athletes andservice members. The partnershipis the most comprehensive study ofconcussion and head impact expo-sure ever conducted.

For TBI patients, TRICARE cov-ers rehabilitative services providedby physicians, psychologists, physi-cal therapists, occupational thera-

pists, and speech-language patholo-gists. The DOD offers a variety ofproducts such as clinical recommen-dations, tool kits, and mobile appli-cations to assist health care provid-ers in the diagnosis, evaluation, andtreatment of patients with mild TBI.

One of the most important stepsin TBI treatment is rest, which al-lows the brain to physically andmentally recover, and removes therisk of suffering another concussionwhile the brain is healing. Early di-agnosis of TBI, as well as evaluation,and treatment can shorten return-to-duty time and lead to the bestpossible outcome for those entrustedto our care.

CommentaryMarch marks Brain Injury Awareness Month

New VA PharmacyFeature

Veterans can track the statusof most of their prescriptions fromVA online. The 24/7 service allowsonline tracking for most prescrip-tions mailed from the VA Mail Or-der Pharmacy. More than 57,000veterans use the service throughMy HealtheVet, an online featurethat allows veterans to partnerwith their health care team. Thenumber is expected to grow as VAstarts to educate veterans aboutthe new feature. The tracking fea-ture includes images of the medi-cation dispensed. Still in the plan-ning stage is a secure messagingalert when a medication was placedin the mail.

New CommemorativeStamp

The U.S. Postal Service will hon-or Vietnam War Medal of Honorrecipients by dedicating the Lim-ited Edition Vietnam War Medal

of Honor Prestige Folio Foreverstamps on Memorial Day, May 25.The ceremony, hosted by the Viet-nam Veterans Memorial Fund andthe National Park Service, will takeplace at the Vietnam Veterans Me-morial on the National Mall. By theend of the Vietnam War on April30, 1975, nearly 3 million servicemen and women had fought in theconflict that would take the livesof more than 58,000 Americans.During the Vietnam War, 258 wereawarded the Medal of Honor. ThePrestige Folio stamp sheet, whichlists the names of all recipients,will be modeled after theWorldWarII and Korean War Medal of HonorPrestige Folio stamp sheets issuedin 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Warrior Games MoveThe Defense Department’s War-

rior Games will be held June 19-28at Marine Corps Base Quantico,Va. The annual sporting competi-tion brings together wounded, illand injured service members. In

previous years, the games were runby the U. S. Olympic Committee inColorado Springs, Colo. The gamesfeature eight sporting events withabout 200 athletes representingteams from each military service.Each service hosts trials to formu-late their teams. DoD created theMilitary Adaptive Sports Programin 2011 to enhance warrior recov-ery by engaging wounded, ill andinjured service members in ongo-ing, daily adaptive activities, basedon their interest and ability. Sinceits inception, the program has as-sisted more than 158,000 wounded,injured service members at 325structured camps and clinics.

The Retiree Activities Office isopen 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Mondaythrough Friday. Visit the office inBuilding 1604 at California andColorado Avenues or call 301 981-2726. Call before your visit to ensurea volunteer is on duty. The RAO hasa website at www.andrews.af.mil

Retiree Corner

GRAPHIC: U.S. AIR FORCE GRAPHIC/ROBIN MEREDITH

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Andrews GazetteFriday, March 27, 2015 3

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JBA RETIRES HQ U.S. FLAGCol. BradHoagland,11th Wing/Joint BaseAndrewscommander,salutes a U.S.Flag duringa retreat cer-emony. It washeld to retirethe flag after itwas no longerdeemed a fit-ting emblemfor display.

The Joint Base Andrews Honor Guard lowers a U.S. Flag duringa retreat ceremony in front of the Jones Building. The flag wasretired because its condition was no longer deemed a fittingemblem for display.

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS RYAN J. SONNIER

Team Andrews members prepare to retireone of the installation flags located infront of the Jones Building March 23 onJoint Base Andrews. According to the U.S.Flag code, “the flag, when it is in such con-dition that it is no longer a fitting emblemfor display, should be destroyed in a digni-fied way, preferably by burning.”

BY CHIEF MASTER SGT.JENN PAGNARD

Three Airman musi-cians from The U.S. AirForce Band won awardsin the 2013 Air ForcePublic Affairs Media con-test. Four was the magicnumber for the 2014contest with four of theBand’s Airman musicianstaking home “prizes.”

The Air Force MediaContest is an annualcompetition between pub-lic affairs products, in-cluding journalism, socialmedia, graphic art, videoproduction, music, andothers. The contest fea-tures 50 categories in all.It is designed to inspireand reward excellenceand professionalism inAir Force Public Affairscommunity. Awards aregiven to both civiliansand military members.

Now retired SeniorMaster Sgt. Robert Thur-ston and Master Sgt. Em-ily Wellington were onceagain awarded first placedistinctions. This year,Master Sgt. Joshua Kow-alsky and Technical Sgt.Hannah Rigg joined the

circle of winners as well.Senior Master Sgt.

Robert Thurston wonfirst place in “Category46: Outstanding LargeInstrumental Composi-

tion/Arrangement” forhis original composition“Departures.” This is thetitle track for the Con-cert Band’s most recentrecording.

Master Sgt. JoshuaKowalsky was awardedthird place in “Category47: Outstanding SmallInstrumental Composi-tion/Arrangement” for

his arrangement of Ben-jamin Britten’s AlpineSuite for flute, clarinetand cello. This composi-tion was originally writ-ten for three recorders.

About this award,Kowalsky said, “I’m par-ticularly proud of thisaccomplishment, sinceI don’t have any formaltraining in musical ar-rangement!”

Last year, then Tech-nical Sgt. Matthew Geistwon first prize in “Cat-egory 48: OutstandingPopular Song.” However,this year’s honors wentto Master Sgt. Emily Wel-lington for “Black Cat.”Wellington wrote thissong for Celtic Aire, whichis comprised of five Air-man musicians from theSinging Sergeants.

Using multiple instru-ments and lush vocalharmonies, Celtic Aireperforms a large reper-toire of Celtic folk songs,Irish reels and jigs, pubsongs, and their owntake on select pop hits,and now original works.And last, but certainlynot least, coming in first

place in “Category 49:Outstanding New PublicAffairs Musician” wasTechnical Sgt. HannahRigg, a soprano vocalistin the Singing Sergeants.

A native of Tomball,Texas, Rigg’s career inthe Air Force began inAugust 2013. She re-ceived a Bachelor of Mu-sic in vocal performancefrom East Texas BaptistUniversity in Marshall,Texas. She then receiveda Master of Music de-gree from The MeadowsSchool of the Arts atSouthern Methodist Uni-versity.

In a congratulatoryemail to the award win-ners, Col. Larry Langcommended, “This is anenormous achievement!”He continued, “Thankyou for your tremendouscontributions to our or-ganization and to our AirForce. Bravo!”

Whole-hearted con-gratulations to these fourAirmen musicians on be-ing recognized with theseAir Force wide awards.

Three Airman musicians recognized in media contest

U. S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS JOSHUA R. M. DEWBERRY

Technical Sgt. Hannah Rigg performs a solo with the Concert Band April 7, 2014 atValparaiso University’s Chapel of Resurrection in Valparaiso, Ind. Rigg joined theAir Force in August 2013 and is a member of the Singing Sergeants. She was justselected as the “Outstanding New Public Affairs Musician” for 2014.

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BY SENIOR AIRMAN PRESTON WEBB11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The 11th Force Support Squadroninitiated a program March 16, to priori-tize military members in uniform need-ing new Common Access Cards betweenthe hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day.

“We were receiving a lot of complaintsabout wait times,” said Staff Sgt. Bran-don Parker, 11th FSS customer supportsupervisor. “We figured the best way tokeep the mission flowing, especially dur-ing the hours when people are out andabout, was to establish a military prior-ity time block.”

The 11th FSS services five wings, twoheadquarters and more than 80 tenantorganizations with 40,000 military, fam-ily members and retirees.

With wait times to receive a new CACreaching up to two hours, the squadroncreated the program to dramatically re-duce those times, and increase overallefficiency and mission effectiveness.

“We should be able to get peoplethrough in 10 minutes or less depend-ing on their situations. This change willmake everything smoother, quicker andmore efficient to help get customersback to work faster,” said Airman 1stClass Jacob Pounds, 11th FSS customerservice technician.

The squadron which processed ap-proximately 1,000 ID cards per month

in 2014, should be able to get militarymembers their new CACs up to 12 timesfaster than before, so they’ll be able tofocus on the mission, instead of waitingin line.

“We’ve already seen great results ingetting our military members back tothe fight at faster speeds,” Parker said.“We’re just doing our part -- supportingthe base and its missions.”

Military members gain priority at MPF

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/SENIOR AIRMAN PRESTON WEBB

Airman 1st Class Jacob Pounds, 11thForce Support Squadron customer ser-vice technician, completes a customer’srequest for a new ID card March 16 onJoint Base Andrews. TheMilitary Per-sonnel Flight recently began prioritizingmilitarymembers needing newCom-mon Access Cards during lunch hoursMonday and Friday to greatly reduce thewait time for uniformwearers while alsoreducing overall wait time.

VA Medical Center personnel andresidents were treated to a special per-formance by the AUN J Classic Japa-nese Orchestra. Set to open this year’sCherry Blossom Parade, this interna-tionally acclaimed Japanese Orchestrauses traditional instruments such asthe wa-daiko, shamisen, koto, shakuha-chi, shinobue and narimono in a high-energy performance with musical piecesthat engage the senses and invites theaudience on an entertaining ride.

This performance was just one of thesundry of activities to mark the 50thAnniversary of the DC Veterans AffairsMedical Center.

“I’m excited that AUN J was with ustonight as we kick off our 50th year atthis location – Irving Street, Washing-ton, D.C. – to be a part of the CherryBlossom Festival is amazing for us. Ithink it speaks to what we are doingin the community – our community en-gagement,” said Brian Hawkins, Medi-cal Center Director of the Washington,D.C. VA Medical Center (DCVAMC).

AUN J Classic Orchestra holds special performance for VA Medical Center

PHOTOS/LESLIE C. SMITH

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BY MASTER SGT.TAMMIE MOORE

AIR FORCE DISTRICTOF WASHINGTONPUBLIC AFFAIRS

The 17th Chief MasterSergeant of the Air Forcemet with Airmen on JBAto thank them for theircontributions to the mis-sion and to personally an-swer questions about AirForce issues March 23.

“Everybody is workinghard; there is a lot go-ing on,” said Chief Mas-ter Sgt. of the Air ForceJames Cody. “There isnever a lack of somethingto do, but it’s importantwe take advantage ofany opportunity we haveto come together. It’s im-portant we engage in adialogue that you wantto talk about. I will listento everything you have tosay.”

During his visit, Codyheld three small breakoutquestion and answer ses-sions with Airmen, manyof whom wanted to learnmore about the new feed-back process and ratingsystem.

Senior Airman Nila

Curry, 744th Communi-cation Squadron execu-tive assistant, expressedconcern that the limitednumber of top ratingscould create a cut-throatenvironment.

“Team work is a bigpart of what we do,” Codysaid. “No one Airman willever be better than the

team. If a person doeswhat you described, theyjust helped us determinewho isn’t the top perform-er. The person who can’twork together doesn’tunderstand that whileyour individual effort isimportant, you are basedon merit and the good youdo for our Air Force. If you

do things at the cost of ev-erybody else you are notthe person we need on ourteam.”

Cody expanded onthis, stating that the newfeedback system requiresmore meaningful andpurposeful conversationswith Airmen.

“I never improved in

my entire career whensomeone said ‘SergeantCody you are great,’” hesaid. “Real improvementcomes in your life andcareer when people giveyou constructive feed-back, when you learnsomething about yourself.Once you internalize thatand make the right stepsto move forward you ac-tually do get better. Youwant (this kind of feed-back) as often as you canget it; it’s how you start toadvance.”

Cody also offered ad-vice to Airmen on careerprogression.

“Don’t complicate it,”he said. “Do your best ev-ery day. We can’t ask anymore than that. Continueto work hard and stay fo-cused on the mission.”

Cody acknowledgedthe anxiety Airmen havefelt during the last twoyears going through se-questration and forcemanagement initiatives.

“We grew up with asense of stability and thisidea that as long as we’reworking hard we’re goingto have a job and will beok,” he said. “But over the

last two years, the gov-ernment shut down andwe’ve gone through forcemanagement; we’ve hadsome significant thingsto work through. It cre-ates anxiety and stress ina way that is not healthygiven the fact that wedon’t hit the pause but-ton and work through thechallenges. From where Istand and what I see, youall are doing the best youcan possibly do given theconstrained environmentwe find ourselves in today.It’s important for you toknow we appreciate youand what you do for ourAir Force.”

As Cody visited vari-ous duty sections meet-ing with AFDW Airmen,he continued to stress hisappreciation of each per-son and the support theirfamilies provide.

“I appreciate what youdo every day and yourfamilies who supportyou,” Cody said. “Makesure you thank them.They are the ones who arethere for you no matterwhat; it’s important thatthey realize how criticalthey are.”

CMSAF spends day with JBA Airmen

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/MASTER SGT. TAMMIE MOORE

Senior Master Sgt. Marjon Robertson introduces Chief Master Sgt. of the AirForce James Cody to Airmen assigned to the Air Force District of WashingtonManpower, Personnel, and Services directorate during his visit March 23 at JointBase Andrews. Robertson is the Manpower, Personnel, and Services superinten-dent.

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“We looked at it as some-thing we would want to pur-sue with Sharp Decisions,who works with service-disabled veterans that aretransitioning out of the mili-tary,” said Snyder, a formerNavy commander and DesertStorm veteran. “They’re mak-ing an investment in theseveterans. They train themas a squad, while taking ad-vantage of their military ex-perience, camaraderie, andsmall-group dynamics anddeploy them to the firm as asquad. “ Ted Ryrie, Manag-ing Director, Sharp DecisionV.E.T.S. Program manager,noted, “This program cameabout when we looked at theplight of veterans returningfrom service trying to getthemselves established in thecivilian market place and geta career launched. There wasan initial class of 16 veteransthat went through the train-ing,” said Ryrie.

To date, approximately 75veterans have been trainedsuccessfully through V.E.T.S.during the past two years.“We’re hoping by the end ofthe year we’ll be over a 100.The ultimate goal is to buildit up to about 250 graduates,”said Ryrie.

There are about 450 com-

bined veteran and civilianconsultants with the SharpDecisions Corporation. “Wetried to build our training as-pects around some of the corevalues in the military, suchas dedication to detail, com-pleting the mission, makingsure that you’re helping yourbuddy,” said Ryrie.

Toma Smith, a V.E.T.S.graduate, mentor and 10-yearAir Force veteran is elatedwith his opportunity of work-ing at Freddie Mac as a soft-ware quality assurance ana-

lyst for the past nine months.“Every day there’s somethingto learn on the job; that’swhat makes it a rich experi-ence. The training I receivedwas really intense and verywell structured; without it, Iwouldn’t be able to performmy job,” said Smith, whoholds a Bachelor and Mas-ter’s degree in cyber securityfrom Excelsior College in Al-bany, NY.

Seth Grosser, a Marine vet-eran of eight years is lookingat the future more brightly

with a wedding engagementon the horizon and a newposition at Freddie Mac as asoftware quality assuranceanalyst. He recently finishedthe Boot Camp-style V.E.T.S.Program in four weeks. “Theyhave this unique way of train-ing its employees,” said the29-year-old Lanham native.“The program is fast-pacedbut also full of information.The great thing about theprogram is it’s an actual jobonce you start the program.”

Grosser noted what drewhim to the V.E.T.S. programwas that it was a way to sup-port his family. “As a combatveteran, we go through a lot.But it seemed like when a lotof people came home, includ-ing myself, the job opportuni-ties were scarce. I had to getexperience on my own, whichwas a hard task for me,” saidGrosser, a former Marine in-fantryman.

Grosser added, “I reallyhave to salute Mrs. KarenRoss, Sharp Decision CEO,for really taking the timeand putting her own moneyup to start this program forveterans like me. The V.E.T.S.program says if we are skilledand know enough we can re-ceive a great opportunity in agreat company with benefitsto help us reintegrate our-selves back into society.”

PHOTO/BOBBY JONES

Jared Baiman (left), Sharp Decisions communication strate-gist and business development representative, stands withSharp software quality assurance analyst contract employ-ees, Seth Grosser (center), and Toma Smith who expressedthe appreciation for the job opportunity that Sharp Decisionsand Freddie Mac have provided.

JOBS, from page 1

specifically to address theunique interest and concernsthat relate to military families,such as deployment concerns,post deployment and post ser-vice discharge transitions. Thechallenges the military popula-tion faces are unique to beingof a part of military families. “According Harris, the class willcover details related to varioustypes of mental illnesses andthe challenges that are faced ascaregivers in providing support.Participants will learn strate-gies and community resourcesoutside of what the militaryhas available. The class willalso cover the various medica-tions used for the treatment ofmembers who have these men-tal health conditions.

“This class is an opportu-nity to also develop friendshipsamong others who are facedwith similar challenges. Mostpeople come away from ourcourses saying they are life-changing,” Harris said.

The class will have two in-structors and will accommodate10 to 12 people per session andis free to all service branches,active duty and reserve, allages for military families. Toregister, call 301-429-0970. Formore information, visit www.namipgc.org.

NAMI, from page 1

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