446th Airlift WingMay 2020 UTA Newsletter

Inside:

- A message from the commander- Latest travel restrictions- Aircrew adjust to new normal- Reservist uses particular skill to fight COVID-19- Citizen Airmen tap into spiritual fitness

Mission: Provide Ready Airmen to Support Global Operations

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ON THE COVER: Senior Master Sgt. Robert Bertsch, an Air Force Reserve loadmaster assigned to the 728th Airlift Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., flips cargo rail rollers on a C-17 Globemaster III to prepare the aircraft for a cargo upload during a local sortie mission here on April 27, 2020. (Air Force photo by Maj Candice Allen).

COMMANDER’S MESSAGETeam 446th,The Secretary of Defense extended the DoD Response to COVID-19 2019 Travel Restrictions through June 30th. This may affect our June UTA. As your leadership team has done with April and May UTAs, we are currently evaluating factors and options associated with the June UTA. We are looking into all options to ensure we balance the risks with keeping you healthy and keeping you combat-ready. We will not likely make a decision re-garding the June UTA within the next few weeks, as this situation will continue to evolve. I do not take this decision lightly. We keep you and your families foremost in our minds, which is why we are method-ically looking into all options for the June UTA. We know some rely on continued and predictable UTA participation, while others are maybe a bit more flexible. We are working to create options that address the full spectrum of risk to force and risk to mission.That said, thank you. Thank you to all the personnel who are working tirelessly in the 446th Airlift Wing. Thank you to our 446 ASTS personnel who deployed to New York City to support COVID-19 relief efforts with less than 48-hours’ notice. Thank you to the many people who worked through the weekend to help them. And thank you. Thank you for staying resilient and flexible with us during this pandemic.

I ask for your continued flexibility as this may last 12 to 24 months, as you are al-ready seeing in the media. We do not know what the future holds. But we will get through this together. Please continue to connect with your chain of command if you need any resources, from financial information available from 446th Airman and Family Readiness, to resiliency support from our Chaplains and Director of Psychological Health. Please stay connected, stay healthy, and stay ready. We are in this together. Best regards,

PAUL M. SKIPWORTH, Colonel, USAFCommander, 446th Airlift WingJBLM-McChord Field, WA

446th AW Fiscal Year 2020 Unit Training Assembly Schedule

Month Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept(Primary) 5-6 2-3 7-8 11-12 8-9 7-8 July TBD 6-7 11-14 1-2 11-13

Team 446th AW,

The 446 FSS Career Development Office is diligently pro-cessing DD214s with the highest priority being those mem-bers that need them to file for unemployment.

If you previously submitted, “All” your required documents for a DD214, those DD214s that were requested by member as “Priority” are still being worked on a first in, first out ba-sis.

To expedite the process in completing your DD214s, mem-bers must provide “All” required documents listed on the attached, “DD214s Required Documents”.

We cannot process incomplete packages.

Please contact SMSgt Mark Marinov at email: mark.marin-ov.1@us.af.mil or call 253-982-9075 to schedule an appoint-ment with your required documents and to fill out a DD214 worksheet.

446th Reserve aircrew maintain readiness, adjust to new normal

Out of the flight suit: A 446th AW Reservist uses a particular skill to fight COVID-19By Maj. Candice Allen, 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- A C-17 Globemaster III loadmaster, as-signed to the 728th Airlift Squadron, fights COVID-19 not on an aircraft, but with fire.Air Force Reservist Senior Master Sgt. Scott Hesse is a firefighter in Tacoma, Washing-ton, in his civilian capacity. As a firefighter during the pandemic declared on March 11, Hesse, don in personal protective equip-ment, treats patients with symptoms and those who tested positive for the coronavi-rus and transports them to local hospitals and facilities to receive better treatment.But, there is one skill in particular he’s learned in his 31-year military career that has proved helpful during this pandemic – staying calm.“The military has taught me to stay calm, sort things out and handle the situation,” Hesse said. “When we have an in-flight emergency, you can’t just pull over and wait for help. You have to work together as a crew, run checklist and keep what might be a small problem from becoming a large problem.”Hesse applies this skill to his civilian job as well.“Staying calm during this pandemic is defi-nitely a must,” he said. “People call us (the fire department) because they are sick or have tested positive and they need help. They have seen the news and are generally scared. But as a firefighter, you have to be calm so the patient and family know and feel that you are there to help and solve

any problem (or problems) they might have.”“A lot of people feel better after we get there, because we remain calm and help reassure them.”Whether responding to emergencies in the air or on the ground, it is the skill of staying calm that Hesse applies.“I get great personal satisfaction,” he said, “at the end of every mission and at the end of every shift.”

Air Force Reservist Senior Master Sgt. Scott Hesse is a firefighter in Tacoma, Washington, in his civilian capacity. As a firefighter during the pandemic declared on March 11, Hesse, don in personal protective equipment, treats patients with symptoms and those who tested positive for the coronavirus and transports them to local hospitals and facilities to receive better treat-ment. (Courtesy photo)

By Maj. Candice Allen, 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --The ability to respond to threats remain on the forefront of the 446th Airlift Wing airmen’s minds. But, in light of COVID-19, new practices, procedures allow aircrews to be innovative and adjust to a new nor-mal while staying combat-ready.“Our mis-sion hasn’t stopped,” said Lt. Col. Carl Mc-B u r n e t t , 728th Air-lift Squad-ron C-17 pilot and a i r c r a f t command-er of a lo-cal sor-tie flown here April 27. “Re-s e r v i s t s around the nation are flying. (Though) changes occur on a daily basis, we are doing it. The mission is still happening.”With virtual training and local sorties, McChord Field Reserve aircrew are find-ing different ways to train to be ready to answer the nation’s call. Before the local sortie began, McBurnett briefed a few additional measures for the aircrew to

employ like wearing cloth face covering, carrying sufficient hand sanitizer in kits, as well as exercising necessary distances and precautions in the cockpit.McBurnett, who has been flying for 22 years, emphasizes his top priority to his crew, “Flight safety is our No. 1 priority.”The local sortie included a combat off-

load and addi-tional training to keep the pilots and loadmasters combat ready.“Overall, we are trying to smartly accomplish our training, while taking appropri-ate risk mitiga-tion measures,” said Lt. Col. Mark Boyd, 446th Op-erations Group commander.With anything, one must con-

tinue to refine the processes to defeat the threat while accomplishing the mis-sion.“We plan to take the lessons learned from each mission, apply them, and make them better for future missions,” Boyd said. “Which means adjusting to a new normal.”

Lt. Col. Jason Wilbur, an Air Force Reserve pilot assigned to the 728th Airlift Squadron, reviews pre-flight checklists before takeoff during a local C-17 Globemaster III mission on April 27, 2020 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The local sortie included a com-bat offload and additional training to keep pilots and loadmasters combat ready. (U.S. Air Force by Maj. Candice Allen)

Reserve Citizen Airmen tap into spiritual fitness446th medical professionals mobilize to support COVID-19 response effortsBy 446th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Several medical pro-fessionals assigned to the Air Force Reserve’s 446th Aero-space Staging Squadron here depart April 5, 2020 to support COVID-19 response efforts.The Rainier Wing medical pro-fessionals will join more than 120 medics mobilized from across the Air Force Reserve who will assist medical teams and first responders in New York City.“I’m proud of my Airmen who mobilized on such short notice to execute the Air Force Reserve Command’s ultimate mission: caring for Americans,” said Col. Kristina Forbes, commander of the 446 ASTS.The command mobilized the medical professionals within 48 hours of notification to help the fight against COVID-19. “From our IMAs to our Reserve

medics, I couldn’t be prouder of this incredible Reserve team who stepped up quickly to an-swer our nation’s call,” said Lt. Gen. Richard Scobee, Air Force Reserve Command command-er and Chief of the Air Force Reserve.Air Force Reserve Command units mobilized over 40 doc-tors, over 70 nurses and ap-proximately 13 respiratory technicians today. The medics departed today for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakenhurst in New Jersey for further in-pro-cessing with the U.S. Northern Commander’s Joint Forces Land Component Command, based out of New Jersey. The medi-cal personnel are slated for fol-low on movement to New York City’s Javits Center. WW

By Mary Andom, 446th AW Public Affairs

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Before Lt. Col. Hanna Yang, 446th Airlift Wing staff judge advocate, deployed to Iraq, she packed few personal belongings in her 72-hour military surplus bag. Her Bible was one item she didn’t leave behind. For 180 days, Yang relied on her Christian faith to get her through the trying moments of mortar at-tacks, leaving behind a husband and three children, and providing her leadership with sound legal advice. Before her 6 a.m. work-out she exercised her spir-itual fitness by reading the Bible, praying, and reflect-ing on the day to come. In the evenings, she wrote in a “no filter” journal where she unpacked her emotions. In another “thankfulness” journal she jotted down at least one thing she was grateful for that day. “This quiet time filled me, gave me perspective, and renewed my confidence to tackle that day’s challenges,” Yang said. “It helped me to unload, fight negative thoughts, and see God’s grace in dark moments.” The Air Force defines spiritual fitness as “the abil-ity to adhere to beliefs, principles, or values need-ed to persevere and prevail in accomplishing mis-sions,” according to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 90-5001. Spiritual fitness is one of the four pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, which focuses on building a thriving Air Force comprised of comprehensively balanced individuals who strive to be mentally, physically, socially and spiritually fit. Yang still desired to plug into the social aspect of her faith. She joined the base chapel’s praise and fellow-ship team, where she sang and played the keyboard. “My spiritual fitness is staying connected to my life source, which is God and my faith community,” she said. “Being part of this com-munity, worshipping God, and serving challenged me to think big-ger and beyond myself and my problems during the deployment.” Military-related stressors such as frequent deployments, fear of death, and separation from family may result in depres-sion, anxiety and in some cases suicide, according to a 2013 RAND Corporation study, commissioned by the Air Force. The key findings of the study determined spiritual fitness “can af-fect an individual’s resilience and readiness to perform military du-ties” and “influence resilience and well-being by buffering stress.”

Yang credits her spiritual fitness for keep-ing her grounded during difficult moments. “Deployments are intense, stressful environments that can test your limits,” Yang said. “You are dealing with heavy things. Staying connected with God and my faith community helped me with the mental and emotional stress. It kept me alive.” After her six-month deployment, Yang came back with a renewed commitment to her faith.

“Some Airmen work on their physical fitness during a de-ployment and return in the best shape of their life,” she said. “For me, I had the oppor-tunity to exercise my spiritual fitness, and when I returned home I felt spiritually strong.” The spiritual pillar can be devel-oped by all Airmen, regardless of whether they prescribe to organized religion or not, said Chaplain (Maj.) Matthew Wil-son, 446th Airlift Wing chaplain. “The military is not pushing a particular faith or belief, but asking individual Airmen to focus on the deep questions

of belief, principles and values that drive us,” Wilson said. “In working on the spiritual pillar all Airmen whether Mus-lim, Jewish, Christian, Pagan, Atheist, or Agnostic are look-ing for our “why” so we are resilient to the how and what.” At its most basic level, spirituality refers to a person’s deepest beliefs, ways of relating to others, and a con-struct of making sense of the world, Col. Randy A. Mar-shall, Air Force Reserve Command chaplain, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, wrote in a recent memorandum. Staff Sgt. Thomas Schiller, an 86th Aerial Port Squadron air transportation specialist, practices his physical and spiritu-al fitness by hitting the trails. Schiller recently hiked through the moss-covered trails and wildflower-dotted alpine basins of the Olympia peninsula. He ended his eight-hour, 16-mile hike with a dip in the milky-blue glacier waters of Royal Lake. “I consider nature my church,” Schiller said. “Being able to just breathe the fresh mountain air, this helps me to really clear my head.” For Reserve Citizen Airmen who have questions about spir-itual fitness, 446th Airlift Wing chaplains and religious af-fairs personnel are trained and available to provide guid-ance and care to service members and their families. The 446th Airlift Wing Chaplain office is located in building 1207, 253-982-6955.

Staff Sgt. Thomas Schiller, an 86th Aerial Port Squadron air transportation specialist, practices his physical and spiritual fitness by hiking the Olympia peninsula June 25, 2015. Schiller said being able to just breathe the fresh mountain air helps to clear his head. Spiritual fitness is one of the four pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness, which focuses on building a thriving Air Force comprised of comprehensively balanced individuals who strive to be mentally, physically, socially and spiritually fit. (Courtesy photo)

Airman and Family Readiness CornerBy Jill Marconi, Director

To help alleviate the academic stress being ex-perienced by the Department of Defense (DoD)affiliated personnel and their families due to COVID-19 disruptions, the DoD Military Com-munity and Family Policy (MC&FP) has tempo-rarily expanded eligibility for the Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families program (Tutor.com/mil-itary).

The program provides on-demand academic support 24/7 online in more than 100 subjects for grades kindergarten through college students. With the temporary program expansion, on-line tutoring and homework help via Tutor.com/military is now available at no cost to any adult or child in a DoD civilian or Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve or Wound-ed Warrior military family who is trying to continue learning while managing unex-pected changes to their routines, including: - service members, civilian personnel, spouses and college-age children who are enrolled in a college or professional development course

- grades K-12 children who are now navigat-ing at-home learning with less access to their teachers

- ROTC, NROTC, and DoD Service Academy Ca-dets who are wrapping up an academic year. Grades K-12 children in Active Duty mili-tary families are still eligible to use Tutor.com/military as usual. Program access also continues unchanged for Coast Guard mili-tary and civilian family members, who are funded by Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. Those who are newly eligible under the expansion should create a new account at Tutor.com/mili-tary, and those with continued eligibility should use their existing Tutor.com/military accounts.

This program expansion for DoD-affiliated personnel and their families comes at a time when learners of all ages may need extra sup-port; having access to a patient and expert tutor on-demand via Tutor.com/military can help to lessen the impact of school closures and other interruptions to daily routines. Tu-tor.com tutors, who are available on-demand 24/7, can alleviate stress and build confidence by communicating anonymously with stu-dents in real-time, helping them understand and complete self-study assignments, online classes, homework, writing projects and more. To ensure everyone knows about the added access to this valuable resource, please share the program expansion news with your points of contact via as many communication channels as possible. During this unpredictable time, many are turn-ing to social media for news and resources. Please also follow--and encourage others to follow - and share posts on your social media accounts from the Tutor.com for U.S. Military Families page on Facebook : Caution-http://www.facebook.com/TutorDotComForMilitary. Please download the program expansion an-nouncement, eligibility details, expanded list of tutored subjects, and more, and email and post the information to colleagues and the military families in your community. Those materials are available at Caution-http://www.tutor.com/clientcaremil/outreach. Full program eligibility details are posted at Cau-tion-http://www.tutor.com/military/eligibility. Personnel and family members can email ques-tions to militarysupport@tutor.com.

For the past few months, our world made drastic changes in how we interact with each other. Social distancing upended our routines, and our stress was fueled by uncertainty and fear.

While these concerns remain present, people have rallied together to overcome the challenges brought on by COVID-19. We remain resilient when we stay on T.R.A.C.K.

Talk: When stressed we benefit from talking about it. From social media to standing on rooftops, balconies or porches; people are reaching out to one other in creative ways.

Routines: Doing familiar things helps reduce anxiety. We don’t know when things will return to “normal”. There is no need to wait. Create and maintain your new normal.

Active: While we are not able to go out to gyms, we must stay active. In many neighborhoods, people are out taking walks, riding bikes, jogging, etc. If you are limited by your environment, yoga helps with strengthening, flexibility and relaxation. Whatever you do, just keep moving.

Connect: Some of the greatest stories are the ways people are helping others. From picking up groceries for neighbors to various teleconferencing apps we are taking care of one another. The human connection is what counts.

Knowledge: Fear is fueled by the unknown and fear is a powerful emotion. Use reliable resources for information, recommendations and supportive links. Contact medical professionals if you have concerns about your health. Follow recommendations.

By staying on T.R.A.C.K we maintain physical, mental, social and spiritual wellness. The foundations for resilience and new growth. Sure ways to overcome life’s hurdles.

For more information and/or support, contact the following 446 AW resources:

RESILIENT AND READY MAY 2020

“In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection . . . ” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German Poet

Additional Resources Wingman Online: www.wingmanonline.org/Home Military One Source: www.militaryonesource.mil/ Military Crisis Line: (800) 273-8255 and press 1, Text 838255

COVID-19 Information Site https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

ON TRACK WITH MENTAL FITNESS WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING

Airman and Family Readiness 253-982-5530

Chaplains 253-982-0330

Psychological Health Program 253-982-5496

Kristi McCann, Director of Psychological Health

Mental Health Month in the United States was started by the

Mental Health America Association in 1949.

Outreach efforts continue to address removing the stigma and barriers to care.

Mental and physical health are connected.

If you or someone you know needs help,

consult your medical provider or contact the 446 AW Psychological

Health Program.

LeadershipCol. Paul SkipworthWing Commander

VacantWing Vice Commander

Rainier WingNewsletter

MissionProvide ready Airmen to

support global operations.

VisionAirmen first... A Cohesive,

Ready Team

446 Public Affairs446aw.pa@us.af.mil

253-982-3330StaffMaj. Candice AllenMr. Ed ButacTech. Sgt. Bryan HullTech. Sgt. Heather CozadStaff Sgt. Nicole ErbStaff Sgt. Mary AndomSenior Airman Ann ButlerSenior Airman Chris Sommers

CHAPLAIN’S CORNERBy Chaplain (Maj.) Matthew Wilson

“The Most Important Briefing You Will Ever Give”

It is amazing how much has changed for all of us in a very short amount of time. All of this change seems to come with an overwhelming amount of in-formation. I am amazed at how many different emails come each day with briefings concerning COVID-19. Every time I turn on the news there is another official giv-ing a new briefing. Whether it is in our civilian or military jobs we are constantly receiving or giving briefings because people need accurate information. It is through acquiring facts that we shape our response to the events around us. This gathering of factually accu-rate information is especially im-portant when things are not go-ing according to plan.

Many of us are feeling the reality right now that life is not going ac-cording to plan and there are many things that just don’t make sense. This isn’t new to our day and time. In the book of Psalms, King Da-vid admits to having those same feelings when his life didn’t go ac-cording to plan. In several of the Psalms David says he can’t sleep because of what’s happening in his life. He says things like, “this isn’t fair” and he even talks about feeling like his body is broken be-cause of the amount of stress he is facing. But his story doesn’t end there. In the middle of his doubts he starts to gather facts so that he

can prepare to give his most im-portant briefing. The audience for that briefing would not be gener-als or politicians. The audience for his most important briefing was himself. Because life was not go-ing according to plan and didn’t make sense he needed to remind himself of truth that was found in his faith in God.

One of these briefings to himself is found in Psalm 73 when after admitting his doubts David said “I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God re-mains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.”

In this time of uncertainty, fear, and things not going accord-ing to plan remember your most important briefing is the daily briefing you will give to yourself. For this briefing, gather accurate facts, truth that is the foundation of your faith. Remind yourself of these truths every day so that with the songwriter we can say,

“Whatever may pass, And whatever lies before meLet me be singingWhen the evening comesBless the Lord oh my soul.”

7 // March 2018 Rainier Wing Newsletter