THE ROBINS REVUP

Days without a DUI: 19Last DUI- 116th AMXS – courtesy78th SFS Reports and Analysis Section

SATURDAY70/44

SUNDAY74/54

WEATHER FORECASTTHINK SAFETY

To request a ride, call222-0013, 335-5218, 335-5238 or 335-5236.Total rides given this year: 573

FRIDAY69/38

THETWO-MINUTEREV

VDATS goesglobalRobins workers createcommon-core tester forAir Force, DOD, 3A

ROBINS IMPACT

Academy getsbowl bidFalcons invited to play inArmed Forces Bowl onNew Year’s Eve, 3B

SPORTS

Military workingdogsPhoto essay pays tributeto the four-legged Airmenwho serve, 1A

INSIGHT

Global Logistics Support Center to provide better support to warfighter, 2A

—— VViissiitt uuss oonnlliinnee aatt wwwwww..rroobbiinnss..aaff..mmiill//lliibbrraarryy//rreevv..aasspp ——

November 30, 2007 Vol. 52 No. 48 R o b i n s A i r F o r c e B a s e, G a.

PROUDLY SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1954

78th CEG conversion of Richard Ray Blvd.The 78th Civil Engineer Group will begin con-

verting Richard Ray Boulevard into a two-laneroadway with on-street parking on the weekendsDec. 1-15. Please consider an alternate route dur-ing this time.

Holiday happeningsRobins offers numerous holiday events through-

out the month of December, including a tree deco-rating contest, canned food drives, Santa Clausvisits and several New Year’s Eve celebrations.See page B-2 for more information.

Robins remembers military working dog’s ultimate sacrifice BY HOLLY L. BIRCHFIELD

holly.birchfield@robins.af.mil

An empty kennel, upside downwater and food bowls, and a shadowbox holding an American flag, a brassplaque, a charred choke chain, leash,and photo of Military Working DogArras set the stage for the memorial ofthe K-9 many in the 78th SecurityForces Squadron said they’ll never for-get.

MWD Arras, a 5-year-old Dutchsheppard explosives detector and patroldog in the 78th SFS, was assigned to the447th Expeditionary Security ForcesSquadron and Joint Operations, SatherAir Base, Iraq, when he was killed as hetouched a location that was electrifiedby power cables during a search forweapons and explosives in a buildingon Sept. 25.

Just one day before Thanksgiving,78th SFS members, Robins Air ForceBase community members, and mem-bers of the Warner Robins PoliceDepartment gathered at the Base

Theater to reflecton the ultimatesacrifice Arrasmade whiledefending free-dom.

Beny, a mili-tary working dogin the 78th SFS,remained on stagewith Staff Sgt.Josh Kiffer, a mil-itary working dog handler in thesquadron, throughout the ceremony as areminder of the service Arras provided.

Capt. Eric Horst, 78th SFS com-mander, said the memorial is a testa-ment to military working dogs’ service.

“Most folks, as we’ve gone throughthe Global War on Terrorism, have seenthe different generations of the differentservices doing their memorial servicesfor individual personnel or troops,” hesaid. “It hasn’t been very often thatwe’ve had K-9 troops, as we like torefer to them, that we’ve done memori-al ceremonies for, but it’s important to

let people knowthat K-9s are play-ing an importantrole in the missionthat we’re doingover there.”

Staff Sgt.Marcus Reaves, amilitary workingdog handler in the78th SFS MilitaryWorking Dog

Section, who was deployed with Arraswhen he died, knows the value of hismilitary working dog partner all toowell.

The military working dog handlercredits Arras with saving his life –something every military working dogdoes every day on the job, SergeantReaves said.

In Sergeant Reaves’ case, however,that was an even more special gift, as heand his wife, Tonya, are expecting theirthird child in the very near future.

see ARRAS, 2A

Getting in the spirit

U. S. Air Force photo by SUE SAPPThe Robins Elementary School chorus sings "Joy To The World" after the Robins Air Force Base Christmas Tree is lit at atree lighting service Nov. 28. Col. Warren Berry, 78th Air Base Wing vice commander, with help from all the children inattendance, threw the switch to light the tree. Santa also arrived on a fire truck and handed out candy canes to the children.

BY AMANDA CREELamanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil

Many Team Robins members whorecently transferred to the DefenseLogistics Agency, are much more atease about their future after a town hallmeeting Nov. 28.

The town hall meeting was held atthe Vistascope Theater at the Museumof Aviation and gave members of theDLA workforce here at Robins theopportunity to hear from the agency’ssenior leader about his plans for DLAafter the workers officially joined theagency Oct. 14.

“I think your presence in our organ-ization is going to make us a betterstronger DLA,” said Army Lt. Gen.Robert Dail, DLA director.

General Dail said he was lookingforward to members of the Robinsworkforce helping to transform theculture of DLA in order to help it pro-vide better support to the warfighter.

He said he wanted the Robins’workers bringing their drive to changeprocesses in an effort to be more suc-cessful with them as they integrate intothe agency.

He encouraged the workers to con-tinue doing what they do best meetingthe needs of the warfighter.

“Don’t change your focus justbecause you turned your badge over,”General Dail said.

Those who attended the meetingwere privileged to hear from three gen-erals – General Dail, Brig. Gen. AndyBusch, commander of Defense SupplyCenter, Richmond, and Lt. Gen. TerryGabreski, vice commander of AirForce Materiel Command.

“I was real impressed with the stuffthat was said. It makes you feel goodto hear from the (top leadership),” saidGail Ponder, supportability specialist,adding that the prospect of transferring

Generals allay fears, concernsof Robins DLA employees

see DLA, 7A

U. S. Air Force photo by CLAUDE LAZZARAStaff Sgt. Marcus Reaves, handler for military working dog Arras, pays final tributeto his fallen partner. Arras, an explosives detector in the 78th Security ForcesSquadron, was killed in the line of duty while deployed to Iraq.

“My eyes are your eyes to watchand protect you and yours. Myears are your ears to hear anddetect evil minds in the dark. Mynose is your nose to scent theinvader of your domain so youmay live. My life is also yours.”

K-9 CREED

U.S. Air Force photo by CLAUDE LAZZARAArmy Lt. Gen. Robert Dail, Defense Logistics Agency director, spoke with DLAemployees at Robins at a town hall meeting Nov. 28. The general said he is look-ing forward to members of the Robins workforce helping to transform the cultureof DLA to help it provide better support to the warfighter.

2A The Robins Rev-Up November 30, 2007

“On my way back, I landedin Germany and (I was talkingto this guy),” he said. “I told himthat my wife’s pregnant and hementioned it to me that I shouldget home to see my child born,and it hit me that I do. I thankArras whole-heartedly for that.”

The memorial was very emo-tional for Sergeant Reaves.

“It brought the day (that hedied) back a little bit,” he said.“It’s gone through my head amillion times. Was there any-thing I could have done differ-ent? But, the only thing I couldhave done different was to notgo in the room at all and that’snot what the job (called for), sowe had to go in the room.”

Staff Sergeant EdwardCanell, a military working dogtrainer in the 78th SFS’ MilitaryWorking Dog Section, said thememorial gives the communitythe opportunity to learn thevalue of the dogs.

“I think this will help thebase populace kind of see whatthe dogs mean to us and howmuch the dogs work not just forus, but for the base populace atthe gates and different areas likethat. Robins has lost a great andreliable asset.”

Captain Horst agreed.“Too many times, we look at

these dogs as just dogs,” he said.“People will say, ‘Oh, you had adog that died.’We try to tell peo-ple to imagine it’s their pet, butit’s even more than that. In theseguys’ cases, this is their partner.This is the ‘person’ that goeswith them in everything they do.

“The dogs don’t ask much ofus. They look up to their han-dlers (as if to say), ‘I’m willingto do whatever you tell me todo,’ and they’ll go into harmsway because they don’t knowany better. In cases like this, it

costs them their lives.”Tech. Sgt. David Barber,

kennel master in the 78th SFS’Military Working Dog Section,said the squadron has lost a fam-ily member.

“The memorial is a time toremember Arras,” he said. “Hewas as much one of us as he wasa dog. He was a partner and weworked as closely with him aswe would with any person. Hewas there for us and in the end,he gave his life to protect us.”

Col. Warren Berry, 78th AirBase Wing vice commander,presented Captain Horst withArras’ shadow box, which willremain on display at the 78thSFS’ headquarters.

A smaller shadow box com-memorating Arras’ service willbe displayed in the 78th ABWCommand Section in Bldg. 905.

Sergeant Barber said the

squadron recently began a proj-ect to remodel the MilitaryWorking Dog kennel, adding amemorial for military workingdogs that have died. The memo-rial will include a brass plaquedisplaying dogs’ names, amongother memorabilia from thedogs’ careers.

Sergeant Reaves has a pic-ture of Arras on his cell phonedisplay and his K-9 partner’sface decorates his work area’scomputer screen. It was Arras’love for water that made hisfinal resting place at Luna Lakean obvious choice.

“Any time that we had timeto burn, I’d take him over to thelake and he had a little squeakyball,” he said. “I’d throw it inthere and he’d swim for days.”

Arras was cremated in theInternational Zone of Bagdad,Iraq. His ashes were scattered atthe lake in a private ceremony.

ARRASContinued from 1A

U.S. Air Force photo by SUE SAPPA shadowbox containing the badge, choker chain, medals and flagfor Arras, Robins military working dog, will be displayed in theSecurity Forces building.

BY AMANDA CREELamanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil

The Global LogisticsSupport Center will provide asingle face to the warfighter forsupply chain managementissues, where the warfighterwill always know whereto turn with any supplychain needs.

The GLSC will focuson approaching supplychain managementthrough an enterpriseview rather than havingmultiple competingagencies within the AirForce managing supplychain management.

“We will go from hav-ing six two-star generalsresponsible for thistoday, to one one-star responsi-ble for this tomorrow,” saidDenise Rogers, purchasing andsupply chain management inte-gration flight chief and the pri-mary point of contact forRobins with the GLSC at theworking level.

By coming under oneleader, the GLSC will be ableto streamline the supply changemanagement process across theboard, creating a more efficientway of doing business.

Robins’ role in the GLSCwill be as one of the groupsresponsible for Supply ChainManagement planning andexecuting. Though the GLSCwill be physically located atRobins, it will no longer be apart of the Warner Robins AirLogistics Center once it stands-up in January.

And though the GLSC willbe separate and distinct formthe Air Logistics Center, theGLSC will still be dependenton their resources, said Sammy

Traylor, supply chain manage-ment specialist.

About 1,000 Robins’ work-ers will be realigned to theGLSC, said Patty Martin,director of the 762nd AircraftSustainment Group and seniorleader for the implementaton of

the GLSC. “The chain of command at

some level will change, butthey will remain physically atRobins. However, their desksmay move,” Ms. Martin said.

Ms. Martin added there isno manpower cut quotas thathave to be met as part of thetransfer of responsibilities tothe GLSC.

“We are not going into thiswanting to cut a certain amountof people,” Ms. Martin said.

However, over time thetransfer is expected to decreasethe workforce through attritionshe said.

One of the benefits of hav-ing a central command for sup-ply chain management will bethe GLSC has control over themovement of parts and sup-plies rather than individualmajor commands.

“Tomorrow the people whowill be moving that inventorywill all work for one guy,” Ms.Martin said.

One of the problems of thepresent system involves themovement of parts or suppliesbecause sometimes the AirForce will have the needed sup-ply in the inventory, but it willbe in the wrong place.

“Tomorrow we will be ableto control the movementof all supplies or parts,”Ms. Martin said.

This ability will helpreduce costs overruns,she added.

The GLSC wasdesigned to help supportthe ExpeditionaryLogistics for the 21stCentury goals, which areto increase weapon sys-tem availability by 20percent and reduce costsby 10 percent.

Phase I of the GLSC standup has already been completedwith the establishment of a pro-visional office and the publish-ing of a Concept of Operations,Charter, Governance Structure,Integrated Master Scheduleand Communication Plan.

Phase II is expected to beginin January, pending theapproval of Gen. BruceCarlson, commander of the AirForce Materiel Command, andheadquarters Air Force.

The second phase willinclude establishing the GLSCas the Air Force Supply ChainManagement process ownerfor all depot level reparableitems, select engines and pods.The supply chain managementfunctions transferring to theGLSC during the second phasewill be Supply Chain Planningand Execution, Supply ChainOperations and Supply ChainStrategy and Integration.

GLSC to provide better warfighter support for supply chain management issues

“”

Sammy TraylorSupply change management specialist586th Combat Sustainment Squadron

(Change) is necessarybecause the Air Force is get-ting smaller and weapons sys-tems are getting more expen-sive. It will allow us to savemoney and use resourcesmore efficiently and effectively.

see GLSC, 7A

November 30, 2007 The Robins Rev-Up 3A

VDATS becomes family tester for Air Force, DODBY AMANDA CREEL

amanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil

When Team Robins membersbegan working to create a com-mon-core tester as a solution fortesting problems here at theWarner Robins Air LogisticsCenter, few members of the teamwould have guessed the testerwould become a member of boththe Air Force and Department ofDefense family of testers.

The Air Force has never had atester named to the DOD familyof testers before, said DempseyVentress, engineer support ele-ment chief with the 402ndElectronics MaintenanceSupport Squadron.

“It is huge. All DOD compo-nents can use VDATS,” said JeffMiller, director of theElectronics MaintenanceSquadron.

In 2000, Mr. Ventress came upwith the original concept for thecommon-core tester. He solicitedother members of the electronicsand software community to helphis concept reach fruition. In2005 the concept received $57million in funding from Air ForceMateriel Command as part oftransformation funds.

Then in 2006 the common-core tester became officiallyknown as Versatile DepotAutomatic Test Station as part ofthe Automatic Test EquipmentTransformation project.

Before VDATS became areality, the variety of testers atRobins needed to accomplish therepair mission was enormousmaking the maintenance of thetesters a daunting task.

“All the testers were different,so it was a nightmare to main-tain,” Mr. Miller said.

Before VDATS, Robinsrequired 268 legacy testers totest the different weapons sys-tems and aircraft components atthe Center.

The legacy testers were diffi-cult and expensive to maintain,repair parts for the testers wereunavailable and workers withknowledge of the legacy testers

was diminishing.The hardware and software

design and construction of theVDATS was all completed atRobins through a partnershipbetween hardware and softwareengineers from the 402ndElectronics Maintenance Groupand the 402nd SoftwareMaintenance Group.

By building and maintainingthem with Robins’ resourcesinstead of commercial resources,the cost savings for the first yearwas about $12 million.

However, members from bothsides of the partnership acknowl-edged the tester would have notbeen named to the Air Force orDOD family of testers withoutthe assistance of the 542ndCombat Sustainment Wing.

It was Col. David French,commander of the 742ndCombat Sustainment Group,who sits as the senior Air Forcerepresentative on the AutomaticTest System management board,who pitched VDATS to join theDOD family of testers.

Colonel French said his goalfor VDATS is to bring a com-mon-core tester to the Air Forceto enable the Air Force toachieve its mission in the bestway possible.

One of the advantages ofhaving the tester named to theAir Force family of testers is therequirement for new weaponsystems to examine VDATSfirst as a test system said JimVolz, 565th Combat Sustain-ment Squadron depot repaircapability flight chief. This alsomeans the other depots will beconsidering VDATS.

“If something pulled Bldg.640 and 645 offline, we could beup and running at one of theother two centers in a matter ofdays or a week,” Mr. Volz added.

Now that the system hasbeen named to both the AirForce and the DOD family oftesters, Mr. Volz expects theworkload to explode. He saidthey already have commercialvendors approaching them aboutpossible partnerships relating to

the tester.Mr. Volz said the thing that

really sets this tester apart fromother testers is the transportabili-ty of the workload.

Not only does the VDATShelp reduce the amount of testersrequired to accomplish the mis-sion, the tester also provides theversatility to help achieve the mis-sion even when the tester itself isnot functioning properly by dis-connecting the hard drive and theInterface Test Adaptor and plug-ging them into another tester.

This scenario is a vastimprovement considering manyof the legacy testers VDATS isreplacing are the only testers inthat configuration that exist.

“We will not suffer the down-time and have to put an aircrafton the ground because of anancient tester,” said Jeff White,flight director for the manufac-turing flight in the 569th EMXS.

Presently Robins possesseseight digital analog testers andtwo radio frequency testers.Together that combination of thetwo types of testers in theVDATS system will test about95 percent of the systems here atthe Warner Robins Air LogisticsCenter, Mr. Ventress said.

“We are stealing the brains offthe old ones and putting them onthe new ones,” Mr. Miller said.

“Not only are we standardiz-ing the hardware, we are stan-dardizing the software,” said

Jamie Hulett, director of the581st Software MaintenanceSquadron. “The hardware is nogood without the software.”

The tester also allows a uni-form software language to beused, the American NationalStandards Institute for standard“C” programming.

“Instead of using 50 differentlanguages, we are going to haveone language,” said BobPennington, lead engineer withthe 402nd SoftwareMaintenance Group.

This makes it possible fornewly hired software engineersto make significant contributionsimmediately because recentgraduates are trained in this stan-dard language.

This also solves the issue ofhaving to find technicians who areable to operate legacy testers oronly having one person who canoperate a tester on staff, Mr. Millersaid. Another benefit is the abilityto train technicians on one tester,rather than numerous testers.

In fiscal 2008, the building ofthe testers will be turned over tothe manufacturing side of thehouse. The group will build 10more DA and eight more RFtesters to be used here to contin-ue to lean the testing process. Infiscal 2009 another 15 DA testersand five RF testers will be pro-duced to help Robins continue tostreamline the testing process byreplacing legacy testers.

U.S. Air Force photo by SUE SAPPSam Sheppard, 402nd SMXG software engineer, tests a network ana-lyzer on a module of the radio frequency part of the VDATS system.

4A The Robins Rev-Up November 30, 2007

AIR FORCE RESERVE BANDHOLIDAY CONCERT

The Band of the U.S. AirForce Reserve will perform afree holiday concert at theMuseum of Aviation Dec. 13 at7 p.m.

This annual event featuressongs from the band’s “HappyHolidays” series, including amixture of classic holiday car-ols, novelty segments and sing-alongs.

The concert is free, open tothe public and will be held inthe museum's Century of FlightHangar. Doors open at 6 p.m.,and seating is limited.

“Throughout this past year,the band has literally beenaround the world entertainingour deployed troops on fivecontinents,” said Maj. ChadSteffey, music director andband commander. “We’rethrilled to be back home for theholidays and share this gift ofmusic with our friends andfamily of Middle Georgia.”

TAX CENTERVOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Robins is looking for vol-unteers to serve as tax advisorsat the base tax center. No priortax preparation experience isnecessary.

The IRS will provide certi-fication training here Jan. 7-11. Each volunteer must becertified in order to preparetaxes. Volunteers should beactive-duty military, retireesand their dependents.Volunteers should commit toworking at least two days aweek if possible and not beslated for a TDY during the taxfiling season which runs Jan.21 through April 16. All inter-ested volunteers contactMaster Sgt. April Farmer at327-4581 or via e-mail atapril.farmer@ robins.af.mil.

1-2-3 MAGICParents looking for a new

and more effective way to dis-cipline are invited to learnabout 1-2-3 Magic, a program

IN BRIEF designed to effectively disci-pline children ages 2 to 12.

The seminar is being provid-ed free to all interested parties.For more information visitwww.parentmagic.com. Thetwo-day seminar will be heldDec. 1 and Dec. 8 from 9 a.m.until noon at the Warner RobinsRecreation Department'sMcIntyre Room. You can regis-ter by contacting Sharon Lowe,Family Advocacy Program

assistant, at 327-8430.

5TH CCG CHILDREN'SHOLIDAY PARTY

The 5th CombatCommunications Group willhost a children’s holiday partyfor children of group membersDec. 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. in Bldg.963, the Mobility Warehouse.The party will include crafts,pizza and a special visit fromSanta Claus. For more informa-

tion, call Lori Grannon at 988-7914.

CHANGES TO DEFENSETRAVEL SYSTEMEffective Dec. 1, DTS will havea Centrally Billed Account,which is a credit accountassigned to the TrafficManagement Office for travel-ers who do not have an individ-ually billed account orGovernment Travel Card.

These travelers will now be ableto book reservations in DTS byusing the CBA account numberdesignated for Robins AFBTMO. These travelers will needto send a copy of their orders toTMO by e-mail at78lrs.lgrt.pax@ robins.af.mil orfax to 926-9384 before the tick-et can be issued. Use of theIBA/GTC is mandatory for allofficial travel and use of theCBA will be on a case-by-case

basis. Contact Master Sgt.Charles Irvin at 222-0115 orHope Johnson at 222-0110 withany questions.

QUARTERLY AWARDSBrig. Gen. Thomas Moore,

116th Air Control Wing com-mander, will host the TeamRobins third quarter awards cer-emony today at 2 p.m. in theMuseum of Aviation Century ofFlight Hangar.

November 30, 2007 The Robins Rev-Up 5A

Airmen Relief Fund assistsmilitary members in need

BY HOLLY L. BIRCHFIELDholly.birchfield@robins.af.mil

Airman Dennis Drake never wanted to turnto the government for financial help.

But, when his paycheck was unexpectedlycut short in September he had no other choice.

Airman Drake, an aerospace propulsion engi-neer in the 116th MaintenanceSquadron, turned to theAirmen Relief Fund for assis-tance.

“I was actually short onmoney because finance didn’tpay me the full amount that Ineeded, so I was kind of shorton money for food for me andmy wife,” he said. “My flightchief talked to the first ser-geant and the first sergeantrequested for me to get to usethe (Airman Relief Fund).”

Airman Drake said peopleshouldn’t let pride get in theway of getting help.

“It’s there to help peopleout,” he said. “It’s there for alast resort. Maybe something isgoing on that month...and youdon’t have money. When it’sout of your control, that’swhen they have emergencyfunds to help out Airmen.”

The program was started atthe base to help enlisted Airmenavoid turning to loan agencieswhen unexpected, temporaryfinancial crisis strikes.

Master Sgt. KeithMatthews, ARF vice presidentand a first sergeant in the 51st CombatCommunications Squadron, said the generalfund is there when Airmen need a little tempo-rary help making ends meet.

“Personally, I’ve had a few of our folks herewho have gotten into just a little uncontrollablepredicaments, no fault of their own, and neededmoney right away,” he said. “For example, (one)

had a flat tire. Payday was two days away andhe didn’t quite have the funds to get a new tire,so ARF helped.”

The holidays can sometimes put stress onalready strained financial resources for someAirmen.

Master Sgt. Gary Hunkins, a first sergeant inthe 52nd Combat Communications Squadron

and ARF treasurer, said ARFhelps Airmen feed their familiesduring the holidays by givingcommissary vouchers to Airmendeemed to be in need by theirfirst sergeants.

“We’ll give them a voucherto go to the commissary to buyturkey and all the fixings,” hesaid.

Sergeant Hunkins said ARFwill be working with otherorganizations such as Toys forTots, to help Airmen who needa little help with providing hol-iday cheer for their families.

Sergeant Matthews said theamount of help received isdetermined on a case-by-casebasis and repayment of funds isdetermined individually by thecouncil.

“We try to look at each needand screen it carefully,” he said.“We vote among the executivemembers on the Airman ReliefFund Council. If it’s somethinga little bigger than what we nor-mally do, we take that to theFirst Sergeant Council as awhole and we’ll table that andmajority rule vote on that to

meet a need.”The first sergeant said Airmen should seek

assistance from other on-base helping agenciesfirst. But, if all else fails, ARF is there.

The help received is confidential and Airmencan rest assured knowing they can get help with-out suffering consequences, Sergeant Matthewssaid.

WHAT TO KNOWPeople who want to

donate to the Airmen ReliefFund may make checkspayable to the Airmen ReliefFund, 740 Beacon St. PCSBox 2162, Robins Air ForceBase, Ga. 31098. For moreinformation on the ARF or tofind out how to donate to theorganization, contact MasterSgt. Jeff Hotchkiss, ARF pres-ident, at 926-2663.

DISHING IT OUT

U.S. Air Force photo by GARY CUTRELL

Col. Warren Berry, 78th Air Base Wing vice commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Carol Dockery, 78th ABWcommand chief, serve Thanksgiving dinner to Airmen at Wynn Dining facility on Thanksgiving day. It’sa Robins tradition for base leadership to serve the dinner each Thanksgiving.

AIR FORCE NEWS

The Department of Defense POW/MissingPersonnel Office announced Nov. 27 that theremains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in actionfrom the Vietnam War, have been identified andwill be returned to his family for burial with fullmilitary honors.

He is Capt. Stephen A. Rusch of Lambertville,N.J. He will be buried on Nov. 30 at ArlingtonNational Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On March 7, 1972, Captain Rusch was theweapons systems officer in an F-4E Phantom IIaircraft attacking enemy targets in SalavanProvince, Laos. The plane was the number twoaircraft in a flight of two. When Captain Rusch'saircraft was cleared to begin its second run overenemy targets, the flight leader of the numberone aircraft lost sight of Captain Rusch's planeand observed enemy ground fire followed by alarge explosion. An immediate search wasbegun, but all attempts to establish radio contactand later search efforts were unsuccessful.

In 1995, a joint U.S./Lao People's DemocraticRepublic team, led by Joint POW/MIA

Accounting Command representatives, investi-gated the incident and interviewed severalLaotian citizens. The team surveyed the crash siteidentified by one of the citizens and found aircraftwreckage.

In 2001, a U.S. citizen, acting as an intermedi-ary for a Laotian citizen, turned over to U.S. offi-cials a bone fragment and a photocopy of CaptainRusch's military identification tag. The bone frag-ment proved not to be from the captain.

In 2002 and 2003, joint teams conducted twoexcavations of the crash site. The teams recov-ered human remains and non-biological evi-dence including U.S. coins and life supportequipment.

Along with other forensic identification toolsand circumstantial evidence, scientists fromJPAC and the Armed Forces DNA IdentificationLaboratory also used mitochondrial DNA anddental comparisons in the identification of theremains.

For additional information on the DefenseDepartment's mission to account for missingAmericans, visit the DPMO Web site or call(703) 699-1169.

“

”Airman Dennis DrakeAerospace propulsion engineer116th Maintenance Squadron

It’s there to helppeople out. It’s therefor a last resort.Whenit’s out of your control,that’s when they haveemergency funds tohelp out Airmen.

Airman missing in action from Vietnam War identified

“It is absurd to believe that soldiers who cannot be made to wear the proper uniform can be inducedto move forward in battle. Officers who fail to perform their duty by correcting small violations and inenforcing proper conduct are incapable of leading.”

– General George S. Patton Jr, April 1943

Col. Theresa Carter78th Air Base Wing

commander

HOW TO CONTACT USRobins Office of Public Affairs620 Ninth Street., Bldg. 905Robins AFB, GA 31098(478) 926-2137 DSN 468-2137Fax (478) 926-9597

EDITORIAL STAFFCOMMANDERCol. Theresa Carter

PA DIRECTORLt. Col. John Bryan

CHIEF OF INTERNALINFORMATION 1st Lt. Sequoiya Lawsonsequoiya.lawson@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0802

EDITORKendahl Johnsonkendahl.johnson@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0804

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lanorris Askewlanorris.askew@robins.af.mil (478) 222-0806

STAFF WRITERSAmanda Creelamanda.creel.ctr@robins.af.mil(478) 222-0807

Holly L. Birchfieldholly.birchfield@robins.af.mil (478) 222-0810

PHOTOGRAPHERSue Sappsue.sapp@robins.af.mil (478) 222-0805

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Editorial content is edited, pre-pared and provided by the Office ofPublic Affairs at Robins Air ForceBase, Ga. All photographs are AirForce photographs unless otherwiseindicated. Stories and briefs must besubmitted as a Word document.They may not exceed two pages,double spaced. They must be typedusing the Times New Roman font,12-point type, with 1-inch margins.All submissions will be edited to con-form to Associated Press style.Submission does not guaranteepublication.

Submissions must be receivedby 4 p.m. the Monday prior to therequested Friday publication. Theyshould be e-mailed tolanorris.askew@robins.af.mil.Submissions should be of broadinterest to the base populace. Ifthere are further questions, callKendahl Johnson at (478) 222-0804.

DELIVERYThe Robins Rev-Up is published

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ONLINE To read articles online, visit

www.robins.af.mil/library/rev.asp

The Robins Rev-Up is published byThe Telegraph, a private firm in noway connected with the U.S. AirForce, under exclusive written con-tract with Robins Air Force Base, Ga.,of the Air Force Materiel Command. This commercial enterprise Air Forcenewspaper is an authorized publica-tion for members of the U.S. militaryservices. Contents of the RobinsRev-Up are not necessarily the offi-cial views of or endorsed by, the U.S.government, Department of Defense,or Department of the Air Force. Theappearance of advertising in this pub-lication, including inserts or supple-ments, does not constitute endorse-ment by the Department of Defense,Department of the Air Force, or TheTelegraph, of the products or servicesadvertised. Everything advertised inthis publication shall be made avail-able for purchase, use, or patronagewithout regard to race, color, religion,sex, national origin, age, marital sta-tus, physical or mental handicap,political affiliation, or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user,or patron.

commentary64A The Robins Rev-Up November 30, 2007

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Chain gang

Relax, it’s the holiday season

U.S. Air Force photo by PHILLIP BUTTERFIELDA group of commanders work together to cut a chain for the grand opening of the new convoy support center Nov. 24 in Southwest Asia.The new eight-tent center consolidates all of the Air Force convoy support functions into one area.

Let’s face it: our job is inher-ently stressful. Whether it’s atime-sensitive target or a time-sensitive performance report,stress is an inevitable part of themilitary career.

Stress has a personal cost,both to your health and yourpocketbook. In the DecemberMoney magazine, Patricia Grayreports, “Chronic stress, thekind you experience when thedemands of life exceed yourability to cope, boosts the risk ofdeveloping ailments rangingfrom the common cold and gumdisease to obesity and heart dis-ease.” Her article goes on to puta price tag on the physical man-ifestations of stress...more than$6,000 per year!

Thankfully, there are ways toreduce the effects of stress onyour life. While I can’t promiseto suddenly make your job eas-ier, I can promise if you followthis simple piece of advice, thefeelings of stress in your lifewill diminish.

Simply put: spend somequality time with your lovedones over the holidays. Take a

walk or take in an afternoonmatinee. Tell those who havesupported you throughout theyear how much their sacrificeand commitment to our nationhas meant to you and your mis-sion. Without them, your lifewould be immensely morestressful and your health wouldsurely suffer. A warm embraceor kind word is the valve thatreduces stress almost instanta-neously and reminds us whyour service is so vital to ournation’s and our family’s wellbeing.

Family members also areone of the key checks in opera-tional risk management.Everyone can remember a timewhen his or her spouse said to“slow down” (figuratively andliterally) or “buckle up” — it’sthese people in our life who actas living angels to ensure ourplans don’t “over-G” our limits.

Thankfully, our team hasbeen committed to safety —this year will mark the secondconsecutive year of extremelylow on- and off-duty incidents.It’s my sincerest holiday wish to

reduce these numbers to zero;each and every one of you is avalued member of our team andan important individual in ourmilitary family.

During this holiday season,take a moment to preflight yourplans with a trusted friend orspouse. Look out for your wing-man — the most important giftyou might give this year couldsimply be a ride home after aChristmas party or a moment topatiently listen to a coworkerduring a Hanukkah celebration.

Friends and family are thevital agents that will ensureyour holidays are stress-reduc-ing, safe and enjoyable. Everyyear, approximately 5,800 peo-ple are injured in fall-relatedincidents as a result of holidayactivities, according to a reportfrom the National Center forInjury Prevention and Control.Had a spouse been consultedprior to hanging lights or posi-tioning a ladder, I’ll bet thesenumbers would be significantlyreduced.

This season is intended foryou to reflect on the many

blessings you’ve receivedthroughout the year and withproper planning, will serve torevitalize your personal out-look. Our mission is stressfulenough; I urge you to take thisopportunity to reconnect withyour family, reignite yourromance and reinvigorate yourspirit. Your health, your wallet,your friends and family willthank you!

I would also like to thankeveryone in our military familyfor another outstanding year. Tothose serving on the home front,we would like to extend ourdeepest thanks for your contin-ued support and sacrifice. Andto the brave men and womenserving around the world, havea safe and happy holiday. Ournation is truly blessed to havethe dedicated leaders foundinside every Airman, Soldier,Sailor and Marine serving in herdefense.

– This commentary waswritten by Lt. Gen. NormanSeip, 12th Air ForceCommander.

Action Line is an open door pro-gram for Robins Air Force Basepersonnel to ask questions, makesuggestions or give kudos to makeRobins a better place to work andlive.

Remember that the most effi-cient and effective way to resolve aproblem or complaint is to directlycontact the organization responsi-ble:

Security Forces 327-2113;78th Support Group service

desk 926-373378th Mission Support

Group commander 327-7331Comptroller 926-4462Communications Squadron

help desk 926-4357Civilian Personnel 222-

0667Household Goods222-0114SARC 327-7272Vehicle Dispatch 926-3493Services Division 926-

5491EEO Office 926-2131; MEO 926-6608 Employee Relations 926-

5802Military Pay 926-3777; Civil engineering 926-

5657Safety Office 926-6271 Housing Office 926-3776

This gives the organization achance to help you, as well as achance to improve their processes.

To contact the Action Line, call926-2886 or for the quickestresponse, e-mail one of the follow-ing addresses: If sending from amilitary e-mail system select,Robins Commanders Action Linefrom the Global Address List.

If sending from a commercial e-mail account, use action.line@robins.af.mil.

Readers can also visithttps://wwwmil.robins.af.mil/actionline.htm. Please include your name and away of reaching you so we canprovide a direct response. Action Line items of general inter-est to the Robins community will beprinted in the Robins Rev-Up.Anonymous action lines will not beprocessed.

Selling goods for profitAre employees on base

allowed to sell goods for profit? Acontractor in Bldg. 110 has beenselling coffee for three years forhundreds of dollars per monthprofit.

Colonel Carter's Response:Sales on Robins Air Force Base

are only permitted when they areby a non-appropriated fundinstrumentality, such as the BaseRestaurant or AAFES, or by aprivate organization under AFI34-223.

Our investigation revealed thatcoffee pots in Bldg. 110 had beenrun on a pay-by-the-week honorsystem. However, to ensure nounauthorized fund-raising is per-ceived, the coffee pots in ques-tion have been removed.

They did not put pen topaper to sign their lives over toa military career.

They are Dutch sheppardand Belgian Malinois pups borninto a profession that ultimatelycould cost them their lives, andthey step up to the commitmentwithout hesitation, without fear.

K-9 warriors walk ahead oftheir handlers to detect danger,never knowing if such a snarewill snatch their future in its eviltrap. The path of service before

self is so powerfully treaded bythese dogs, and all for the loveof their master.

Having a service animalmyself, I already held profes-sional dogs in a high esteem.But, after learning about theheroic action of MilitaryWorking Dog Arras, a 5-year-old Dutch sheppard assigned tothe 78th Security ForcesSquadron who lost his life whenhe stepped into a building inIraq where he and his handler,

Staff Sgt. Marcus Reaves, whois in the 78th Security ForcesSquadron, were searching forweapons and explosives, Igained a renewed sense ofadmiration for these dogs.

How many of us have trulydissected those words “Servicebefore Self” and taken them toheart, knowing that truly livingthe creed could mean our lastheart beat? Not many I wouldventure to say, includingmyself, a civilian Airman.

I challenge us, military andcivilian Airmen alike, to takethe commitment of servicebefore self to heart and consid-er it a passion to pursue. Aftermeeting Military Working DogArras, a devoted K-9 memberof the 78th SFS, on the page ofthis newspaper, I certainlyhave.

– This commentary waswritten by Holly Birchfield,78th Air Base Wing PublicAffairs.

SERVICE BEFORE SELFMilitary working dogs are living example of Airmen’s creed

In 1964, when football leg-end Jim Marshall and formerdefensive linesman for theMinnesota Vikings picked up afumble and ran 66 yards forwhat he thought was a touch-down, he instinctively did onething very well upon seeing theloose football on the ground. Heperfectly executed a ball recov-ery procedure just like he'd prac-ticed hundreds of times in train-ing drills -- he picked up thepigskin and ran toward the endof the playing field.Unfortunately, it ended up as asafety and two points for theother team.

Unfortunately, Marshalloverlooked one key point whilehe was so fiercely focused onproperly executing the basicsteps he'd rehearsed throughout

numerous practice sessions.Where did he go wrong in thisgrand execution? He failedbecause his training as a defen-sive linesman didn't generallyinclude the follow-on steps ofscoring after a fumble recovery.When Marshall needed to imple-ment new steps beyond thosehe'd specifically trained for, hequickly lost his situationalawareness.

This example illustrates whyour military training programsand practice drills cannot endonce the training record is signedoff. Effective programs need todevelop core skills and theninclude a full spectrum of fol-low-on training scenarios. First,define and teach the basics inany specialty by providing suffi-cient, hands-on training opportu-

nities. Teach in a controlledenvironment when necessaryand repeat step-by-step proce-dures as often as required toinstill confidence in the trainee.

Our combat skills training,chemical defense and weaponstraining all provide just-in-timefamiliarization in preparation fordeployment, but they only skimthe surface. Individuals, first-line supervisors and leadersmust seek opportunities to con-tinually review and performthese tasks well beyond the ini-tial course.

Once a solid foundation ofknowledge is developed, thenext training phase needs to pre-pare Airmen to perform theirtasks in various conditions byemploying realistic scenarioswhere the trainees are exposed to

unique, but probable, on-the-jobchallenges. Practice performingtasks in different environmentalconditions, various light levelsand background noise, orincreased rates of speed. Includeoptions where special equipmentis worn and establish a trainingculture where completing therequired tasks becomes instinc-tive in nearly every situation,even in the heat of battle.

Whether handling weapons,providing first aid to the wound-ed on the battlefield, loading orflying aircraft, or setting up asuite of tactical communicationsequipment, Airmen who arepoorly trained and overlook onekey procedure or lose situationalawareness because of task unfa-miliarity may suffer loss of lifeor contribute to mission failure.

This football highlight showswhy we need to develop ourexpertise and know what to do ifwe recover a fumble. With ballin hand, Marshall quickly pro-ceeded to the end of the field, butin the heat of the competition --game-day distractions like theyelling he heard from the crowdand his teammates -- what likelysounded like cheers of triumphwhere in fact yells and warningsas his teammates tried to tell himto stop because he was runningthe wrong way.

Train like you fight and don’tlet your teammates run thewrong way.

– This commentary waswritten by Commentary byMaj. Curtis Juell, 386thExpeditionary Communica-tions Squadron commander.

Developing expertise: Know how to handle a fumble recovery

November 30, 2007 The Robins Rev-Up 7A

to DLA was a scary one, but thatso far the transition has been apositive experience.

Penny Roland, a programmanagement specialist, agreedthe transition to the DLA had herworried, especially because ofher previous experiences withthe agency. But she said afterhearing General Dail she is con-vinced the leadership is con-cerned about the fate of theRobins’ workers and with takingcare of them.

Cathy Broadwell agreedthat the leadership of theagency seemed to be con-cerned with the workers hereand said it eased her concernsto know that General Buschwas a part of the DLA teambecause he has lived andworked here as commander ofthe 402nd Maintenance Wingand understands the needs ofthe workforce. General Dailechoed the Robins workerssentiments that having GeneralBusch as a part of the DLAteam was an invaluable pieceof the success of the Octobertransfer here at Robins and itscontinued success.

He said he requested GeneralBusch because he not onlyunderstands the mission of theWR-ALC, he also understandsthe culture and the workers at theCenter.

It was General Busch’s fifthvisit to the base as part of thetransfer to help workers mergeinto the DLA community. Hesaid now that the workers have

made the transition, it is impor-tant for them to prepare to meetguidelines established by the2005 Base Realignment andClosure requirements.

“Now we are going to some-thing we call Day Two and DayTwo is not a date but it is whatI term fail safe support to depotmaintenance that will put inplace all of the mechanismsthat we need to get us throughthe transition so that we canmeet the objectives that theBRAC legislation told us weneed to do,” General Buschsaid. “And, again BRAC legis-lation said let’s focus on inven-tory efficiency not man powersavings.”

General Busch said there arethree objectives DLA will focuson during the Day Two phase ofthe DLA transfer.

The first would be linkingtogether the information pro-cessing systems of the depot andDLA to enable DLA to operatethe Air Force and DLA invento-ries as one.

The second objective is figur-ing out what the relationship willbe between the strategic distribu-tion platform, which will supportregional customers and the for-ward distribution platform,which will support WR-ALCdepot customers.

The final objective is gettingthe Robins personnel assigned toDLA access to the DLA tool setsin use at Richmond.

General Dail said BRAC isabout taking a wall downbetween wholesale and retailoperations.

“BRAC is about the people atthe retail level having direct

access and input at the nationallevel,” he said.

He said he is going toempower the workers at Robinsto achieve the mission becausethey are right here with the cus-tomer.

“The goal is to make sure thatthe $35 billion that we are buy-ing is actually what we needdown here. I don’t want to buythings in Richmond, or I don’twant someone in Richmond tobuy something we don’t needbecause you’ve got it in stockand you have something elsethat is not in stock,” General

Dail said. Because Robins was one of

the first of 13 industrial sites totransition its workers to DLA, theagency is working hard to makesure the transition is done in away that is beneficial to both theagency and its personnel and theirability to complete the mission ofthe agency together.

“Akey piece of that is turningweapons platforms aroundquickly, efficiently, so thatAmerica’s Airmen, the airpowerof the United States of America,can do their job,” General Dailsaid.

DLAContinued from 1A

U.S. Air Force photo by CLAUDE LAZZARABrig. Gen. Andy Busch, commander of Defense Supply Center,Richmond, made his fifth visit to Robins to help make the transitionof base employees to the Defense Logistics Agency a seamless one.

“It is necessary because theAir Force is getting smallerand weapons systems are get-ting more expensive. It willallow us to save money anduse resources more efficientlyand effectively,” Mr. Traylorsaid.

The headquarters for theGLSC will be at Scott AirForce Base, Ill.

One of the many benefitsof the GLSC will be the smallbusiness mentality, said Ms.Martin.

“I think being small busi-ness-like will give us anopportunity to focus on thewarfighter and work that willtruly benefit the warfighter,”Ms. Martin said.

One of the ways the GLSCwill enhance warfighter sup-port will be through the cre-ation of a one-stop supplychain Web site through theGLSC Portal page where

warfighters can access allneeded supply chain informa-tion.

In the past, according toMr. Traylor an item managermight have to visit 15 or 20different places to find some-thing, but under the GLSC allof the systems and tools theyneed will be on one Web site.

The GLSC will also boasta customer service phone lineas part of there Supply ChainOperations Wing where 24hours a day, seven days aweek, warfighters will be ableto call and receive timelyresponses to any warfighterssupply chain concerns.

The third phase is notexpected to begin until thebeginning of fiscal 2008, withan anticipated completion infiscal 2013. During Phase IIIthe GLSC will begin support-ing 88 Air National Guardunits, manage contracts andmost efficient organizationaccounts and synchronize AirForce and contractor support-ed weapons.

First Support Services, Inc.strives to provide their employ-ees with a safe and healthfulworkplace and now joins aselect group of about 1,550worksites nationwide that haveearned “STAR” status.

An onsite pre-approval eval-uation was conducted at the FSSRobins vehicle operations andmaintenance facility. The eval-uation was conducted to estab-lish the site’s eligibility for par-

ticipation in the OccupationalSafety and HealthAdministration’s VoluntaryProtection Program.

All elements of the site’ssafety and health program metthe high quality expected ofVPP participants. The OSHAreview team recommended thatthe the FSS site be approved forparticipation in the VPP at the“STAR” level.

According to OSHA onlyfive percent of companiesreceive STAR status.

GLSCContinued from 2A

Novemeber 30, 2007 The Robins Rev-Up 1B

ABOVE: Mato, a drug detection dog, sniffs out an illegal substance andthen sits and waits for a reward. The reward is only paid after an odor isdetected.

TOP RIGHT: Military working dog Rudy takes on the obstacle course in thekennel training area. Military working dogs save lives in search and rescueof lost persons and apprehending suspects without extreme force.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Rudy "attacks" Tech. Sgt. David Barber, kennel master,during a demonstration Nov. 20. The dog’s handler is responsible for theirdog, which is considered a partner. They feed, groom, bath, wash out theirkennels and take them to the veterinarian.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Military working dogs, like Mato, receive their initial train-ing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and then their training is advancedwhen they get to Robins. According to Sergeant Barber, kennel master, thedog’s estimated value is from $20,000 to $50,000 based on their training andmedical needs.

insight

Man s best

friendMilitary working dogs

first entered the service inMarch of 1942 to serve in theArmy’s K-9 Corps. Today, the

dogs, who have an actual military service record book

assigned to them, are still play-ing an active role in searching

for explosives, security andpatrol, seizing the enemy and

search and rescue.U.S. Air Force photos by SUE SAPP

’

the listNOWPLAYING

CHAPELSERVICES

DONATE YOUR LEAVE

30 1 2 3 4 5 6FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THURS

FRIDAYTHE COMEBACKS

David Koechner, Carl WeathersThis spoof comedy follows

an out-of-luck coach, LambeauFields, who takes a rag-tagbunch of college misfits anddrives them towards the footballchampionships. In the process,this life-long loser discoversthat he is a winner after all byredeeming himself, saving hisrelationship with his family andfriends, and finding that there isindeed, no “I” in “team”. RatedPG-13

SATURDAY30 DAYS OF NIGHT

Josh Hartnett, Melissa GeorgeIn Barrow, Alaska, the north-

ernmost town in the U. S., thewinter sun sets and does notrise for 30 days and nights.From the darkness comes anevil force that strikes terror onthe town, and all hope is pinnedon a husband-and-wife copteam. Rated R

UPCOMING AMERICAN GANGSTER

Denzel Washington,Russell Crowe

Based on the life of drug-kingpin-turned-informant, FrankLucas, who made his way toHarlem where he became aheroin kingpin by shippingheroin back to the US in thecoffins of soldiers killed inVietnam. Lucas was shadowedby lawman, Richie Roberts,who finally helped bring thekingpin to justice. The two thenworked together to expose thecrooked cops and foreignnationals who made importingheroin so easy. Rated R

CatholicCatholic masses are held at

the chapel each Saturday at 5:30p.m., Sunday at 9:30 a.m., onHoly Days of Obligation at noonand 5 p.m. vigil the day before,and Monday through Friday atnoon. The Sacrament ofReconciliation is Saturday from4:30 to 5:15 p.m.

Islamic Islamic Friday Prayer

(Jumuah) is Fridays at 2 p.m. inthe chapel annex rooms 1 and 2.

JewishJewish service is Fridays at

6:15 p.m. at the Macon syna-gogue.

Orthodox ChristianSt. Innocent Orthodox Church

service is at the chapel on the sec-ond Tuesday of each month at 5p.m.

Protestant The traditional service meets

Sunday in the Chapel at 11 a.m.featuring hymns, anthems, con-gregational prayers and readings.Contemporary service meets at 6p.m. in the Chapel Sanctuary,singing the latest praise and wor-ship music. The gospel servicemeets at 8 a.m. at the Chapel,praising God with inspirationalmusic. Religious education meetsin Bldg. 905 at 9:30 a.m.

The chapel helps with spiritualneeds that arise. For further infor-mation, call the chapel at 926-2821.

Oprah’s favorite thingsAdult ticketsare $4; chil-dren 11years oldand youngertickets are$2. Moviesstart at 7p.m., unlessnoted. For moreinformation,call the basetheater at926-2919.

FRIDAYAn after work super cool party, with

complimentary snacks, food and enter-tainment will be held every Friday startingat 5 p.m. at the officers’ club. For moreinformation call the officers’ club at 926-2670.

SATURDAYA final game of Texas Hold’Em for the

year will be held Dec. 1 due to the holi-days and will resume in January. Sign-ups begin at 3:30 p.m. with games start-ing at 4 p.m. Prizes (gift cards) will begiven away for first place $120, secondplace $80, third place $60 and fourthplace $40. Cost is $10 for membersand $15 for guests. For more informa-tion call the enlisted lounge at 926-7625.

SUNDAYWatch WWE Wrestling

“Armageddon” Dec. 2 in the enlistedlounge, located in Bldg. 956. The actionbegins at 8 p.m. Cost is free for mem-bers and $5 for nonmembers. For moreinformation call the enlisted lounge at926-7625.

Every Sunday watch all the play-by-play NFL football action on the RobinsEnlisted Club’s multiple television screensand three new high definition plasma tele-visions with satellite. Doors open at 11a.m. There will be chances for club mem-bers to win trips to the following games:Carolina Panthers versus JacksonvilleJaguars; the Super Bowl in Arizona or thePro Bowl in Honolulu. Cost is free formembers and $5 for nonmembers.Sponsored in part by American Airlines.No federal endorsement of sponsorintended. For more information call theenlisted club at 926-7625 or officers’ clubat 926-2670.

MONDAYA miniature tree decorating compe-

tition will be held today by the commu-nity center and Pizza Depot. Bring yourtree to be displayed at the center andjudged on Dec. 14. Prizes will beawarded for first, second and thirdplace. All trees will be donated to theVA Soup Kitchen, Children’s Home andmore. For more information call thecommunity center at 926-2105.

The Base Library will hold story timefor preschoolers every Monday at 10 a.m.For more information, call 327-7379.

Triple S Monday with soup, salad andsandwiches is available at the officers’club from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $7.25.Enjoy made-to-order sandwiches or a fullcourse salad bar with a variety of rotatinggourmet soups. New special: soup andhalf sandwich combo only $5.25 andwings and nachos for $3.50. Lunch isopen to all ranks and grades. For moreinformation call the officers’ club at 926-2670.

TUESDAYA wreath making class will be held

Dec. 4 at 5 p.m. in the community cen-ter ballroom. Bring your own materials.Sign up at the community center or bycalling 926-2105.

WEDNESDAYEnjoy pizza Wednesdays from 5 to 7

p.m. at the Robins Officers’ Club. Formore information call the officers’ club at926-2670.

Enjoy M.U.G and Mic Night onWednesdays at the enlisted club, locat-ed in Bldg. 956. Participants may bringmusical instruments, show their talent andbring their own mugs and get refills (up to24 ounces) for only $2. The fun begins at7 p.m. Cost for entry is $2 for nonmem-bers. For more information call the enlist-ed lounge at 926-7625.

THURSDAYEvery Thursday night is Karaoke

night with DJ Rockmaster “D” from 8p.m. to closing. For more information callthe enlisted club at 926-7625.

You could win a grand prize of a 42inch HD plasma TV/monitor or othergreat prizes by joining the RobinsEnlisted or Officers’ Club and filling outan entry form at the Taste ofMembership Fair Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to1 p.m. in the ballroom of the RobinsEnlisted Club. Those who are alreadymembers need only attend the eventand fill out an entry form. Current mem-bers who bring a friend who joins thatday will have the opportunity to fill outtwo entry forms for the prize drawingsand earn $5 cash.

Those who join the club during theevent will take advantage of added signup incentives. They will have the oppor-tunity to fill out two entry forms for thedrawings, a scratch card with a guaran-teed cash prize, six months free dues,and a Coupon ValYou Pack to use atthe clubs and other participatingServices facilities.

Current and new members will beinvited to sample a variety of food andbeverages from vendors and alsoreceive the latest information on Chase

club card benefits such as Cashbackand First Plus discounts. Informationwill also be available on catering andother information. The cost is free formembers and nonmembers alike.

UPCOMINGThe annual holiday canned food

drive runs through Dec. 20. To learnhow you can help call the community cen-ter at 926-2105.

First Friday will not be held Dec. 7due to holiday parties at the club.

A Give Parents a Break and HourlyCare will be held Dec. 7 from 6:30 to10 p.m. at the Child DevelopmentCenter East and School Age Program(unless otherwise posted). Advancesign-up is required. An advance $6nonrefundable deposit is required bythe prior Monday for hourly care. Costis $3 per child per hour for children sixweeks to 12 years old. New enrolleesmust have up-to-date shot records fortheir children and required forms priorto making reservations. For more infor-mation call 926-5805.

Bring your camera to have a picturetaken with Santa Claus Dec. 8 at thecommunity center from noon to 3 p.m.For more information call the communi-ty center at 926-2105.

The Base Library will hold a holidayparty for preschoolers Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. For more information, call 327-7379.

A Christmas pool tournament isslated for Dec. 13 starting at 5:30 p.m.in the community center. Prize will beawarded for first place winner. Teamsneed to register by Dec. 7. For infor-mation call the community center at926-2105.

A racquetball tournament is slatedfor Dec. 15 starting at 10 am. Formore information call the fitness centerat 926-2128.

A beautiful bag contest will be heldDec. 19. A variety of materials can beused to decorate the bags. Bring yourbags by the community center by 5p.m. Dec. 14. Judging will be conductedon Dec. 19 with certificates awarded tothe winners. Bags will then be displayedand used to make the holiday food bas-kets to be distributed to families in theRobins community.

Walk those worries away with a hol-iday stress walk Dec. 20 at 11 a.m. inthe fitness center annex. For moreinformation call the fitness center at926-2840.

Outdoor Recreation For more informa-tion on these programs and events calloutdoor recreation at 926-4001.

A Christmas shopping trip rendezvouswill be held at the North Georgia PremiumOutlets in Dawsonville, Ga. on Dec. 15.Cost is $45 per person. Meet at outdoorrecreation at 9 a.m. for departure at 9:30a.m. and return to outdoor recreation at 7p.m. A minimum of 10 people is requiredto host this trip. Register by Dec. 3.

A Fantasy in Lights at CallawayGardens trip will be held Dec. 21 in PineMountain, Ga. Cost is $40 per person,$60 for one parent and child and $70 forcouples. Meet at outdoor recreation at 2p.m. for departure at 2:15 p.m. Bus willreturn around midnight. A minimum of 10people is required for outdoor recreationto host this trip. Register by Dec. 10 atoutdoor recreation, Bldg. 914.

A New Year’s Eve gala will be heldat the enlisted club with entertainmentby “E-Minor” in the ballroom. Tickets goon sale at the officers’ club starting Dec. 3-21 for $25 for members and $30 forguests. Tickets purchased after Dec. 21are $30 for members and $35 forguests. The club will open at 8 p.m.

with entertainment beginning at 9 p.m.The evening will be made complete withheavy hors d’oeuvres, breakfast buffet,champagne and party hats and favors.For patrons’ convenience, 20 rooms willbe available at lodging. Room reserva-tions are not required, but can be madethrough the officers’ club cashier. Formore information call 926-7625.

Bring in the New Year at the offi-cers’ club. Amenities will include a buf-fet dinner, party favors, champagne atmidnight and a continental breakfast.Featured entertainment will be “AFamily Affair.” Purchase tickets beforeDec. 21 for $40 per members and $45per nonmember. Tickets purchasedafter Dec. 21 for $45 for members and$50 fot nonmember. For patrons’ con-venience, 20 rooms will be available atlodging. Reservations for these roomscan be made through the officers’ clubcashier. Tickets go on sale at thecashier office Monday. For more infor-mation call the officers’ club at 926-2670.

Everyone is invited to bring a cov-ered dish and meet new friends dur-ing the Aero Club Christmas party to beheld Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. in Bldg. 186.

Arts & Crafts Center For more informa-tion, on the following, call the Arts & CraftsCenter at 926-5282.

Encaustic Dec. 3 and 10 from 5 to 7p.m., cost $15, for all ages

Kids acrylic painting Winter Dec. 4and 11 from 4:30 to 6 p.m., cost $7kids/$10 adults

Painting with oils Dec. 5 and 12 from5 to 7 p.m., cost $30 (both days)

Watercolor painting snow scene Dec.6 and 13 to 3 p.m., cost $12

Acrylic painting snow scene Dec. 6and 13 from 10 a.m. to noon, cost $12

Drawing in ink Dec. 7 and 14 from10 – 11:30 a.m., cost $7 kids/$10 adults

Sewing Dec. 7 and 14 from noon to2 p.m., cost $15

Pastels Dec. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.,cost $30 (both days)

Scroll saw Dec. 12 and 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., cost $12

Lathe class in woodshop Dec. 5 –Jan. 2 from 6 – 8 p.m., cost $45 (four-week class)

Wood shop safety classes are heldTuesdays at 6 p.m. and auto shop safetyand orientation classes are held everyWednesday at 6 p.m. and every Saturdayat 11 a.m. free of charge. Registration isnot required.

Do-it-yourself framing is availableMonday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to5 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Do-it-yourself framing, during the eveningand Saturdays, is scheduled by appoint-ment only.

Advance registration and payment isrequired for all classes. Classes aresubject to change without notice.

All classes are open to active duty,reserve and retired military and familymembers and DOD civilians. For moreinformation, please call the Arts & CraftsCenter at 926-5282.

ONGOINGAero Club — Qualified commercial

pilots are escorting families on flights tosee area Christmas lights from the skyat the aero club throughout December.Cost is $65 per half hour or $105 perhour for up to three people.Reservations are required. In addition,you may take a discovery flight andrealize your dream of flying for $49.Flight consists one-half hour enjoyingthe sites around the local area. Formore information, call 926-4867.

The officers’ club is available forevening dining Wednesdays andThursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. andFridays and Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m.Enjoy Prime Rib on Wednesdays for$11.95, stuffed flounder on Thursdays for$10.95, Porter House Steak (16 oz.) onFridays for $14.95 and pasta Chardonnay

with salmon on Saturdays for only$10.95. Kids, 10 years and younger eatfree Wednesdays and Thursdays off thekid’s menu with the purchase of an adultentrée. For more information, call theclub at 926-2670.

The community center is holding thefollowing classes: salsa classes onTuesdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., cost$40 per person for four weeks; swingdancing on Wednesdays from 6:30 to7:30 p.m., cost $40 per person for fourweeks and piano on Thursdays starting at7 p.m., cost $65 per person for fourweeks. For more information and to signup call the community center at 926-2105.

Information, Tickets and TravelRobins Enlisted Club, Bldg. 956 has thefollowing tickets for sale. For more infor-mation on these or other events, call926-2945.

Tickets are available for the AtlantaThrashers and Atlanta Hawks homegames. Prices vary based by ticketlocation.

Daytona 500 tickets are on salenow. Great American Race Feb. 17 $95Superstretch Tower Offer-Feb. 16 and17 for $140 and Nextel Fanzone andpre-race pass-Feb. 17 $80.

All retirees get a free fountain drinkor iced tea with a $4 minimum pur-chase when they show their retiree IDcard along with coupon on page 3 ofthe November Edge in November. Formore information call Pizza Depot at926-0188.

The bowling center has the followingspecials. To learn more call 926-2112.

Have an office Christmas party atRobins Lanes. Reserve the lanes anyafternoon from 1 – 5 p.m. Bowl threefun games for $5 per bowler, includingshoe rental.

Come out to an after Christmasparty blow-out Dec. 26 and 27. Bowl allday for $1.75 a game.

Enjoy Thunder Alley glow-in-the-dark bowling Dec. 26 and Jan. 2 from 2– 4 pm. at the Robins Lanes BowlingCenter. Cost includes all the gamesparticipants can bowl in two hours andshoe rental for $6.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve bowlingfrom 9 p.m. – 1 a.m. Dec. 31. Cost is$25 for adults and $10 children (5 yearsold and older) per person and includesbowling, snacks and party favors.Children 4 years and younger bowl freewhen accompanied by a paying adult.

All retirees receive one free game ofbowling with one paid game when theyshow their retiree ID card along withcoupon on page 7 of the DecemberEdge for the month of December.

Pine Oaks Golf Course has the fol-lowing specials. To learn more, call 926-4103.

Give the gift of golf this season bypurchasing punch cards. A walkingpunch card $100, riding punch card$190, non-AGF range punch card $50and AGF range punch card $35. Thesepunch cards are good for 10 eighteen-hole rounds or 20 nine-hole rounds.

The golf pro shop Christmas salewill be held Dec. 14-23 with a chance toreceive a 10 to 50 percent savings.During this sale, select a balloon andpop it to find out what discount you willreceive on your purchase.

Every Monday through Thursday inDecember pay only $20 for green feeand cart, and only $15 after 2 p.m.

Play golf after 1 p.m. on weekends(Saturday and Sunday) in Decemberand pay only $22 for green fee andcart.

In December enjoy weekly specialsat the Fairways Grille for only $5.95(includes drink): Dec. 3-7: veggiePanini and cup of soup; Dec. 10-14:meatball hoagie and macaroni andcheese; Dec. 17 to Jan. 4: choose fromthe menu.

Courtesy photo

Oprah Winfrey gave awaythousands of dollars inprizes to audience mem-bers when the show tapedin Macon. Prizes includeda stainless steel refrigera-tor with an HDTV screen, adigital video camcorder, alarge DVD collection, a$250 gift certificate toTarget and a Kitchen Aidemixer Among the lucky recipi-ents were Air ForceReserve Command’sJuanita Dunston (secondrow, far left), budget assis-tant, and Rena Christian(second row, far right),financial specialist.

2B The Robins Rev-Up November 30, 2007

Employee-relations specialists at 926-5307 or 926-5802 have information and instructionsconcerning requests to receive or donate annual leave.

To have an approved leave recipient printed in the Robins Rev-Up, wings should send infor-mation to Lanorris Askew at:lanorris.askew@robins.af.mil. Submissions run for two weeks.

sports November 30, 2007 The Robins Rev-Up 3BHave an idea for a sports article? Send it to

Kendahl Johnson at kendahl.johnson@robins.af.mil

Academy accepts bid to Armed Forces Bowl AIR FORCE NEWS

U.S. Air Force Academy officials haveaccepted a bid to play in the Bell HelicopterArmed Forces Bowl on New Year’s Eve atFort Worth, Texas.

The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl,an ESPN regional televisionowned-and-operated event,will be aired at 12:30 p.m.EST on ESPN, live fromAmon G. Carter Stadium.

The previous four BellHelicopter Armed ForcesBowl games have beenplayed on December 23 withthe University of Utahdefeating the University ofTulsa 25-13 last year.

“We are thrilled to havethe Air Force Academy as theMountain West Conf-erence’s representative in the2007 game,” said Tom Starr,the executive director of theBell Helicopter ArmedForces Bowl. “With our mili-tary theme, what better way isthere to honor the armed forces by having anAcademy play in our game. With nine winsand a strong finish to their season, the Falconswill bring an exciting brand of football toAmon G. Carter Stadium on New Year’s Eve.”

With three-straight wins and six victoriesin their last seven games to end the 2007 sea-son, the Falcons are the first school since theinaugural Bell Helicopter Armed ForcesBowl game in 2003 to enter the Amon G.Carter Stadium game with more than sevenregular-season wins. The Academy is current-ly 9-3 this fall after posting a 55-23 win athome Nov. 18 over San Diego State.

The 9-3 record is Air Force’s first winningseason since posting a 7-5 mark in 2003. The

Falcons’ six wins in Mountain WestConference play is their most ever andbest league record since finishing the1998 season with a 7-1 record in theWestern Athletic Conference.

The Falcons have the second-bestrushing attack in the country (298.5

yards per game) torank among the top10 in the nation forthe 21st-straight sea-son. The Falcons wonthe national rushingtitle in 2002 (307.8)when Air Forceplayed in their lastpostseason game bylosing 20-13 toVirginia Tech at the2002 Emerald Bowlin San Francisco.

Troy Calhoun alsobecomes the thirdfirst-season coach atthe Air Force to leadthe Falcons to a post-season bowl gamefollowing in the foot-

steps of Ben Martin in 1958 andFisher DeBerry in 1984. A 1989 graduate ofthe Academy, Calhoun replaced DeBerry lastDecember as only the sixth coach in the 52-season history of Air Force football.

The first Academy graduate to coach theFalcons, Calhoun was an active duty officerin the Air Force from 1989 to 1995, and wasthe school’s recruiting coordinator and thejunior varsity offensive coordinator in 1993and 1994. An assistant for one season for theNFL’s Houston Texans before taking the AirForce job, Calhoun started at quarterback forthe Academy in 1986 and was one of onlytwo freshmen to letter for the 1985 team thatfinished fifth in the final polls with a 12-1

record that included wins over national pow-ers Notre Dame and Texas.

Appearing in its first post-season gamesince 2002, the Air Force will be competing intheir 18th bowl since the start of their intercol-legiate football program in 1956.

While z-back Hall is the only player in thecountry to lead his team in rushing (1,415yards and 14 touchdowns to rank ninthnationally) and receiving (488 for 46 recep-tions and one touchdown), Air Force quarter-back Shaun Carney has become theAcademy’s all-time passing leader as a four-year starter by breaking records this seasonfor passing yardage (5,323), passing touch-downs (38) and total yardage (7,776).

U.S. Air Force photo by STAFF SGT. MONTE VOLK

Z-back Chad Hall has helped lead the Air ForceAcademy fooball team to a 9-3 record and a bid toplay in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl onNew Year’s Eve at Fort Worth, Texas.

WHAT TO KNOWTicket prices for the Bell

Helicopter Armed Forces Bowlare $40 for sideline seats and$15 for end zone tickets.Military veterans receive half offany $40 seat and active dutymembers get in free via theBell Helicopter Armed ForcesBowl corporate military ticketunderwriting program. A portionof local ticket sales will go todesignated military charities.Tickets for this year’s game canbe obtained by calling the BellHelicopter Armed Forces Bowloffice at 817-810-0012, or visitwww.ArmedForcesBowl.comfor more information.

Courtesy photo

Andrew Henke leads the Falcons with 14 points per game andhas helped his team to a 5-2 record to start the season. TheAcademy lost 72-61 against No. 9 Washington in its mostrecent outing, the team’s second straight defeat.

ACADEMY HOOPS

FLAG FOOTBALL INTRAMURALSSEMIFINALS:78th MED def. 78th SFS, 16-0 78th CES def. 19th ARG, 20-11

CHAMPIONSHIPS:78th CES def. 78th MED, 8-0

4B The Robins Rev-Up November 30, 2007

Robins is a hands-free zone Drivers on AirForce MaterielCommand baseswill be cited bysecurity forcespersonnel for talk-ing on cellphones withouthands-freedevices. Repeatedviolations couldresult in suspend-ed or revokeddriving privileges.Cell phone usewhile driving iscategorized as amoving violationin Air ForceInstruction 31-218(I).

Whether you want to send a carepackage to an Airman, donate air-line miles to help reunite returningmilitary men and women with theirfamilies, support scholarship funds

or send support to wounded servicemembers, visit

www.americasupportsyou.mil to learn how to assist our troops and

their families.

6B The Robins Rev-Up November 30, 2007

MPF changes location, improves customer service BY MAJ. DAVID BELTON

david.belton@robins.af.mil

The Military PersonnelFlight has relocated fromBuilding 905 to Building 767,the Smith Center. Literally justacross the street from its formerlocation - on the corner orNinth and Macon - the MPF’snew location is nestled betweenthe Base Chapel and theBowling Alley. But a lot moreis changing at MPF than just itslocation.

The Air Force is disbandingthe concept of the CSS(Commander Support Staff)according to Maj. DevinStatham, Commander, 78thMission Support Squadron.

With the exception of the AirForce Reserve Command, allmilitary personnel flight func-tions Air Force-wide, regardlessof MAJCOM, will be movingback into the centralized MPF,he said.

The move was directed byLt. Gen. Brady, deputy chief ofstaff, manpower and personnel.In order to sustain support aftermanpower reductions such asPBD 720, General Brady

authorized a new enterprise-level solution to “deliver superi-or service to airmen using thedwindling resources that wehave.”

Leveraging new technolo-gies and organizational struc-tures this standardized, corpo-rate approach will ensure a lean-er, more efficient service for thecustomer, he said.

“The move will consolidateour people,” Major Stathamsaid. “It will cut out the middleman; our customers will be ableto go straight to the MPF insteadof their unit CSS.”

The move will also elimi-nate the “one-deep” aspect ofthe old CSS concept. In thepast, the CSS would often bemanned by only one person.That would cause a problem ifthat person was ill or deployed.

“Ultimately, this will be thebest thing for the customer,”Major Statham said.

The biggest improvementwill be in the ability to train theirpersonnel, said MPF superinten-dent Senior Master Sgt.Kenneth Ceaser. “Nobody willbe stove-piped into one particu-lar function. We’ll be able to

eliminate the gaps and thin cov-erage in different areas of per-sonnel career field.”

He said the flight will betransformed into a new learningorganization, all while “provid-ing un-paralleled service to ourcustomers.”

Capt. Demetria Johnson,MPF commander, agreed, say-ing that the biggest impactshould be a more positive cus-tomer experience.

“This change will give us theability to provide uninterruptedcustomer service,” said Capt.Johnson. “In this new expedi-tionary environment, we’reexpected to do more with less -in order the preserve the econo-my of scale we have to consoli-date our resources to support thewarfighter.”

All personnelists withinAFMC at Robins will be relo-cated to Bldg. 767 by Dec. 17.All other unit personnelists,excluding those at HW AFRC,will be moved as soon as minorrenovations occur.

“In the meantime, MSS con-tinues to be open for business -ready to meet our customer’sneeds,” Major Statham said.

U. S. Air Force photo bySUE SAPP

Airman 1st ClassJustina Rowell,reenlistment appren-tice, talks with acustomer at the 78thMilitary PersonnelFlight which is nowlocated in Bldg. 767.Location isn’t theonly change for theMPF. The Air Forceis disbanding theconcept of theCommanderSupport Staff and allmilitary personnelflight functions AirForce-wide, regard-less of MAJCOM,will be moving backinto the centralizedMPF.