JBA Children‘Deploy’ inOperationKID Mode

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AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014 | VOL. 3 NO. 26

Cousins LaunchClean WaterCampaign

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BY MELANIE MOORE79TH MEDICAL WINGPUBLIC AFFAIRS

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) RooseveltAllen became the new com-mander of the 79th MedicalWing during a ceremonyJune 30, 2014.The 79th MDW consists

of approximately 1,550health care professionalswho organize, train, equip,and provide medical forcesfor deployments, homelanddefense operations, andsupports joint operationswithin the National CapitalRegion.“I look forward to this

great opportunity,” Allensaid. “I am dedicated toensuring that our medicalforces sustain the excel-lent health care to whichour beneficiaries are accus-tomed.We like to say we area part of an integrated mili-tary medical center with-out walls. You will find AirForce medics everywhereyou go in the NCR. Theyhave devoted their lives totheir roles as medical pro-fessionals, and I am privi-leged to serve with them.In my role as commander, Iwill ensure a ready medicalforce capable of delivering

quality medical care to allof our beneficiaries.”Prior to this assignment,

General Allen, a board-cer-tified comprehensive den-tist, served as the deputycommand surgeon of AirEducation and TrainingCommand at Joint BaseSan Antonio-Randolph,Texas.

79thMedicalWing welcomesnew commander

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) RooseveltAllen became the newcommander of the 79thMedical Wing during a cer-emony June 30, 2014. Priorto this assignment, Gen-eral Allen, a board-certifiedcomprehensive dentist,served as the deputy com-mand surgeon of Air Edu-cation and Training Com-mand at Joint Base SanAntonio-Randolph, Texas.

BY STAFF SGT.ROBERT CLOYS

11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Col. William Knight,11th Wing/Joint Base An-drews commander, alongwith military and communi-ty leaders met with PrinceGeorge’s County ExecutiveRushern L. Baker III hereJune 5 to sign the foundingdocumentation for a “WayAhead” initiative.The Air Force initiative

was created to leveragemilitary installation and lo-cal community capabilitiesand resources with a goal ofreducing operating costs insupport of the Air Force mis-sion. By identifying mutu-ally beneficial partnershipsJBA and Prince George’scounty found they we ableto increase efficiency, retainor enhance quality, reduceoperating and service costs,and reduce risk.According to the execu-

tive summary, in Maryland,as in the rest of the Nation,budgetary constraints areencouraging installationsand the communities, gov-

ernments, and organiza-tions that support themto re-evaluate their opera-tions.The members of the Air

Force Community Partner-ship Initiative LeadershipCommittee believe thatpartnerships are a key partof meeting that challenge.Such partnerships enablecollaboration between mul-tiple stakeholders, supportan integrated planningplatform through whichmilitary and civilian com-munities can connect theircommon objectives and cre-ate opportunities for effi-ciently and effectively man-aging limited resources.“I think we’ve just

scratched the surface ofthe potential for us to con-tinue to work together as abase and as a community,”said Kyle Massey, Air ForceCommunity Partnershiplead facilitator.The first item signed was

a founding document creat-ed to establish a bi-annualprocess and keep a record ofpartnerships in order to en-sure they are working prop-

erly, generating the valueintended and to considerfuture partnership ideas.The document is also de-

signed to help educate lead-ers in the future in order to

maintain proficient conti-nuity.“This is not about set-

ting up a program wherewe partner and are done,”said Massey. “This is really

about changing the waythat we view the problemsthat we face.”The second document

signed by the county execu-tive and JBA commander

outlined a Recycling Memo-randum of Agreement thatwould allow JBA to use amore efficient waste andrecycling system run bythe county and increase thecurrent recycling rate from34 percent to 54 percent.The partnership also hascost avoidance advantagesand produces less waste go-ing to the county landfill.“In the 25 years that I’ve

been involved in politics inPrince George’s County therelationship has not beenany better than it is hereand it’s the best that it’sever been,” said Baker.Pending partnership

proposals include a char-ter high school, domesticviolence training and a foodbank.“The opportunities that

we have in partnershipwith Prince George’s coun-ty are infinite,” said Knight.“We’ve created an initiativethat will continue to growand change even after mytime here is done. I’m ex-cited to see what the futureholds for this base and thelocal area.”

JBA, PG County take big steps towardWay Ahead

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/STAFF SGT. ROBERT CLOYS

Col. William Knight, 11th Wing/Joint Base Andrews commander, along with PrinceGeorge’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, sign the founding documentation fora ‘Way Ahead’ initiative here, June 5, 2014. The Air Force initiative was created to lever-age military installation and local community capabilities and resources with a goal ofreducing operating costs in support of the Air Force mission.

BY TECH. SGT.JEFFREY LEWIS779TH AEROSPACEMEDICINE SQUADRON

The Washington Subur-ban Sanitary Commission,the base water provider,and Terrapin Utility Ser-vice, Inc., the base’s waterinfrastructure manager,released the 2013 annualwater consumer confidencereports this month. Yourtap water met all Environ-

mental Protection Agencyand state drinking waterhealth standards.The reports detail wa-

ter quality parameters anddata collected, verifyingwater quality. Under theConsumer Confidence Re-porting Rule of the FederalSafe Drinking Water Act,community water systemsare required to report water

Consumer waterquality reports

seeWATER, page 6

BY ANDREA BLACKSTONESTAFF WRITER

At approximately 7:00a.m. on June 26, the weath-er was slightly windy andcool, before a bike ride com-menced near a parking lotnext to Kentmorr Restau-rant & Crab House, in Ste-vensville Md. Lively musicplayed in the backgroundas bike riders sprayed bugspray on their arms andlegs before pedaling upand down a nearby pavedroad. Fourteen bike ridersengaged in various activi-ties to warm up and pre-pare for the Patrick FeeksMemorial 100 Mile BikeRide, as a view of the wa-ter offered a soothing back-ground. Dedicated ridersof all ages and experiencelevels were determined tomake the ride that honoreda 28-year-old Navy SEAL asuccess.Special Warfare Opera-

tor 1st Class Patrick D.Feeks was killed in action

in Afghanistan in 2012.Feeks, the fallen NavySEAL, was posthumouslyawarded the Purple Heartand Bronze Star with Com-bat V. He was laid to rest atArlington National Ceme-tery and reportedly wantedto be a Navy SEAL most ofhis life. Individuals in hishometown of Edgewater,Md. have not forgotten theultimate sacrifice that hemade. Family and friendshonored the Navy SEAL’sservice to our country andcourage, by committing toride 100 miles from KentIsland to Dewey Beach,Del. The fun ride was away to pay tribute to Feekswhile raising money forConnected Warrior Foun-dation (CWF). The Annap-olis based non-profit orga-nization, founded in 2012,provides Android tablet de-vices to wounded Iraq andAfghanistan veterans.Feeks, also an avid cy-

clist, was once employedby Andrew Jack, the owner

of Bike Doctor in Annapo-lis and sponsor of the ride.As cyclists pulled up andunloaded their bicycles,they took them to Jack.He patiently performedsafety checks to make sureall of the bikes were prop-erly tuned up. Jack also re-mained available to changeflat tires, and provide en-ergy gels and food later inthe day.“Patrick was an employ-

ee of mine. He worked withme about five years be-fore he went to be a NavySEAL. Basically, we do thisride to honor him. It’s go-ing to get bigger and biggereach year,” Jack said.Steve Salos served in

the Navy for almost nineyears. Salos participated inthe ride for a second yearto bring awareness to war-

Patrick Feeks 100Mile BikeRide honors fallen NavySEAL and offers hope

Before riders departed to start the early morningmemorial bike ride, they were given a safety briefingand told to have fun. Wounded warriors alsoparticipated in the event.

PHOTOS BY ANDREA BLACKSTONE

The second annual Patrick Feeks 100 Mile Memorial Bike Ride was held June 26. It began in Stevensville, Md. Pat-rick Feeks was a Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan in 2012. Fourteen riders honored Feeks and completedthe route that ended in Dewey Beach, Del.

see BIKE, page 5

UFC FightersVisit TeamAndrews

5

2 Friday, July 4, 2014Andrews Gazette

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint Military Publica-tions, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md., a private firm inno way connected with the U.S. Air Force or any branch of theUnited States military. The appearance of advertising in thesepublications, including inserts or supplements, does not consti-

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COMPRINT MILITARY PUBLICATIONS

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HOT TICKETSAround TownJuly 4National Independence Day ParadeThe parade route begins at Constitution Ave., N.W. and

7th St.,Washington, D.C.11:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.This national event will be held in celebration of Ameri-

ca’s birthday.Enjoy invited bands,fife and drum corps,floats,military and specialty units, giant balloons,drill teams, celeb-rity participants andmore.Formore details, visit http://www.july4thparade.com.

Fireworks on the National Mall2 Lincoln Memorial Circle N.W.,Washington, D.C.9:10 p.m.Fireworks will be launched from the Lincoln Memorial

Reflecting Pool. Plan to arrive early. Visitors are encouragedto take public transportation. For more information, visithttp://www.nps.gov/foju/fireworks.htm.

July 911thWing Command Chief Retirement BBQThe Club at Andrews, Bldg. 1889,ArnoldAve., Joint Base

Andrews,Md.12:00 - 2:00 p.m.The retirement BBQ for CMSgt William Sanders will be

hosted by Colonel William M. Knight. Anyone may attend.RSVP to tiffany.k.brown.mil@mail.mil.

July 1011th Wing Command Chief Retirement Ceremony

for CMSgtWilliam SandersThe Club at Andrews, Bldg. 1889,ArnoldAve., Joint Base

Andrews,Md.11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Anyone may attend. RSVP to jannine.d.pete.mil@mail.mil.

When I consider the Fourth ofJuly, and celebrating our country’sindependence, I cannot help but tofeel grateful for freedom. As a his-tory lover, I often think about howdifferent life can be based on whereindividuals are born in the world,who our parents happen to be, andhow the topic of gender equalityis still relevant today. I have readcountless books about life in dif-ferent cultures during differentperiods of time. I also carry piecesof my lineage with me in my heartand mind, as many of us do. I do notbelieve that I must ignore the darkparts of American history to be aproud American. However, I do feela sense of relief that social justice isstill evolving. The historical evolu-tion of America was imperfect, butAmericans can celebrate the prem-ise of freedom together. Findingcommon bonds enable us to makeour country stronger and more pro-gressive. Having the ability to speakup, sign petitions, protest peacefully

and speak openly when rights areviolated is legally permitted today.Thus, liberty still remains a focalpoint of the holiday. It is so inter-twined that I consider the couragethat has been shown by people whofought for equality of others who didnot inherit liberty, and those whostill do. The selfless acts displayedby soldiers, abolitionists and thosewho risked their lives to completegreat deeds in a different time issomething worthy to ponder. If theydid not step up and fight for humanrights—and civil rights—how wouldthings be in America? Trailblazersare often regarded as troublemak-ers. It takes courage to voice con-cerns publicly, then fight for what-ever an individual believes in, nomatter who may disagree. Bravemen and women struggled for liber-ation. We will never know all of thenames of the people who left tracesof their courageous acts behind. Oneby one they planted the seeds of jus-tice and opportunity, although all of

them did not live to see it material-ize. Many of them died because ofit so that things could be better forothers who came after them.I also consider the value of being

a part of a diverse society when ev-eryone can add something to Amer-ica’s growing melting pot. Not allAmerican citizens were born here.There is so much we can learn fromeach other, if we take the time tolearn more about other cultures.We do not have to all look alike orpractice the same customs to coex-ist peacefully together. Many of myfamily members and friends arefrom different parts of the world.The knowledge that they haveshared with me has been a usefulsecond education.As I reflect on the best parts of

freedom and liberty, my mind shiftsto another place in the world whereI once visited. I watched womenselling fruit on the side of the road

Commentary

Mental Health HelpMaking sure service members and

their families know where to turn forhelp, during a mental health crisis, is thecontinuing goal of the Defense Depart-ment’s suicide prevention program. TheDoD has a plethora of mental health re-sources in place.The Pentagon’s goal is toerase the stigma of seeking help for men-tal health issues. “We’re seeing more peo-ple access help through the Military Cri-sis Line,and an increase in users formen-tal health help across the department,” aspokesman said. Trained counselors areavailable 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255. In addi-tion, The Department of Veterans Affairsalso offers help via www.veteranscrisis-line.net/ActiveDuty.aspx.Access to in per-son counseling, and online chat and textmessaging services, are offered. Veteranswho need to talk to a mental health pro-fessionalmayalso call theVeteransCrisisLine 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255.

Tricare Online ServicesTricare has offered online enroll-

ment for Prime for several years and

has added online enrollment for itsDental Program and Retiree Den-tal Program. Beneficiaries can alsoenroll through the Beneficiary WebEnrollment (BWE) website at www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/bwe. To log in,beneficiaries can use a Common Ac-cess Card, a Defense Finance and Ac-counting Service myPay login identi-fication and password, or a DoD Self-Service Logon. The BWE website is asecure portal that also allows Tricarebeneficiaries to update personal in-formation in the Defense EnrollmentEligibility Reporting System, addor delete family members to theirPrime coverage, request new enroll-ment cards, change primary caremanagers, transfer coverage whenthey move and much more. For infor-mation about the BWE website, visitwww.tricare.mil/bwe. For informationabout Tricare’s dental programs, visitwww.tricare.mil/dental.

Enlisted Pilots HonoredThe Air Force’s Enlisted Heri-

tage Hall at Maxwell-Gunter AFB

in Montgomery, Ala., unveiled amonument to honor enlisted avia-tors who served from World War Ithrough 1957. It also recognizes theservice and sacrifices of the nearly3,000 enlisted pilots. More than150 were killed in action. “Theywere men, who during a time ofcrisis, did not shrink from serviceto our country, and instead theycourageously fought to defend andaid those around them,” said Gen.Robin Rand, head of Air Educa-tion and Training Command, atthe dedication ceremony. Hall staffworked with former enlisted pilotsand their families to raise morethan $60,000 over 14 years to makethe monument a reality. The monu-ment depicts Cpl. Vernon Burge, theArmy Signal Corps’ first enlisted pi-lot. The Enlisted Heritage ResearchInstitute preserves the tradition ofthe Air Force enlisted corps and theArmy’s Aeronautical Division, AirService, Air Corps and Air Forces inthe development of airpower.

Retiree Corner

see COMMENTARY, page 6

3Friday, July 4, 2014 Andrews Gazette

BY SHARON LUCAS

My name is Sharon Lu-cas. I am a book club advo-cate who is based in PrinceGeorge’s County, Md. Sum-mertime is a perfect timeto catch up on reading forpleasure. Sharing the joyof books with old or newfriends can open the doorfor lasting memories. If youare an avid reader, I inviteyou to find my May 30 ar-ticle that explained the ba-sics of starting an online orin-person book club. Today,I will share simple stepsyou can take to ensure thatyour book club will surviveand thrive.If you decide to start

your own book club, stay-ing organized is key. De-voting some time duringyour first book club meet-ing to develop guidelinesfor the club is a simple yetcritical foundational step.While a book club can bean exciting social activity,

if you want it to be morethan a fleeting fancy, taketime to develop guidelinesand identify expectationsto avoid future conflicts.Try not to approach thisexercise like it is a chore.Keep it simple, be flexibleand encourage everyoneto participate. A few keyareas that you should ad-dress will follow.Char t e r member s

should agree on the genreof books that you willread. Although it is un-likely that every memberwill like every book thatis chosen, everyone shouldbe comfortable with the se-lected genre. For example,if an individual joins aclub that only reads Chris-tian fiction, “Fifty Shadesof Gray” should never ap-pear on a list of proposedbook club reads.Regular ly at tend-

ing and participating inmeeting discussions cangreatly impact the qual-

ity of your book club.When only two or threemembers engage in abook club discussion, itwill not be as dynamicas a time when eight ornine people attend. Thus,try to make your meet-ing schedule manageable.Agree on a specific dayand week to hold meet-ings each month. Stickwith that schedule. Emer-gencies will happen, butif members can plan forthe meeting day well inadvance, they are morelikely to attend.Set up a hosting rota-

tion and define the role ofthe host. For example, ifyou have six members andyou meet monthly, eachperson will host the clubtwice during the year, inwhatever order is agreedupon. A book club hostis the person who is usu-ally responsible for choos-ing and announcing thebook, and for moderating

the discussion during themeeting.Encourage courtesy and

emphasize the importanceof reading the entire bookin preparation for eachmeeting. Individual mem-bers should be urged to al-low everyone to contributeto the conversation. Hog-ging the discussion, or in-terrupting others, detractsfrom the book club experi-ence. Cell phones shouldbe turned off and personaldiscussions should onlytake place before or afterthe book discussion. If youserve refreshments, donot allow the food to be-

come more important thanthe meeting; ask a familymember or another bookclub member to help serverefreshments or assistwith clean up.After establishing your

book club’s rules, referto them often. Give newmembers a copy beforethey join. Conduct a “busi-ness” meeting at least onceannually to discuss anyupdates, changes or newrules that should be madeto the book club or guide-lines to keep it vibrant.When you hold your

first meeting, lead a live-ly discussion that startson time. There are manystrategies that you canuse to keep meetings in-teresting. Mix up yourreading selections. Do notread books by the sameauthor, or with the samegeneral theme, month af-ter month. Instead of rely-ing on questions that mayappear at the end of the

book, make up your own,or ask members to writedown a few and bring themto the meeting. Invite au-thors to your meetings.Local authors are usuallywilling to attend book clubmeetings to introduce anddiscuss their books whileothers are willing to jointhe discussion by phone orSkype. Stay abreast of lit-erary happenings in yourarea. Encourage membersto attend book signings,launches and festivals.Think out of the box and

encourage other membersto do the same.Sharon Lucas is a re-

tired sales manager, avidreader, book club memberand author advocate. Shefounded www.realdivas-read.com and is hard atwork planning the 2014Black Authors & ReadersRock Weekend, which willbe held in October in Bow-ie, Md. Email her at one-readingdiva@gmail.com.

How to run a successful book club

BY ANDREA BLACKSTONE

STAFF WRITER

Lamin Jatta grew up inthe Gambia. His belovedgrandmother, Binta Kin-teh, always told him thathe had been hand-pickedto complete a specialmission in life. Continu-ing the legacy of KuntaKinteh was placed on hisshoulders, whether heliked it or not. Binta Kin-teh reportedly informedher grandson that if hedid not continue the lega-cy of his ancestor who wasbrought to Md. from WestAfrica aboard a slave ship,it would be his fault.“Kunta Kinteh is not a

character in a novel. I’m adirect descendant of Kun-ta Kinteh. My grandmoth-er is a seventh generationdescendant of Kunta Kin-teh. The story was passeddown to her. She passedthe story down to AlexHaley. She passed it downto me. She passed it downto so many people in thefamily,” Jatta said.Jatta grew up in Africa

but is linked to the Amer-ican author of “Roots”through Kunta Kintehand his late grandmother.On June 26, Jatta tooksteps to fulfill his elder’swish by launching an ef-fort to help Gambia, andby preserving the legacyof Kunta Kinteh. Theheadquarters of Jatta’snon-profit foundation islocated in Tacoma, Wash-ington.Early in the evening,

Jatta greeted invitedguests at a private eventthat was held at the Wil-liam Paca House andGarden in Annapolis, Md.After guests were seated,Jatta stood adjacent tothe home of William Paca,a signer of the Declarationof Independence and gov-ernor of Md. The visitorrecounted pieces of storiesthat Binta Kinteh report-edly told him, before offi-cially announcing that hisgoal is to raise money toinstall 3-4 wells and a so-lar pumping station in theGambia.“When you look at the

village, not only Africanslive and come there. Wehave people from aroundthe world who come. Thewater is very importantfor both sides,” Jatta said.“In terms of tourism, wehave many people com-ing to visit. They want toknow the story and getengaged with the fam-ily. Tourists shower in thevillage. Clean water is foreveryone’s safety.”

The native of Gambiajoined forces with anoth-er descendant of KuntaKinteh—Chris Haley. TheMarylander is a well-re-garded historian who alsotravels throughout theU.S. speaking about Afri-can American history andgenealogy. He stated thatJatta had been in touchwith his father, the lateJulius Haley; his uncle,George Haley; and his latecousin, William Haley. Af-ter four years of intermit-tent communication, thecousins met in person atthe city-wide AnnapolisFilm Festival. Haley wasscheduled to participate ina panel discussion along-side Rain Pryor and Am-bassador Shabazz, daugh-ter of Dr. Betty Shabazzand Malcom X. He invitedJatta to attend the event.Attendees became curiousabout Jatta, upon findingout about his connectionto Kunta Kinteh. Whilevisiting Annapolis, buzzwas generated becauseof a photograph that wastaken of Jatta’s first visitto the Kunta Kinte-AlexHaley Memorial, whichis located at the Annapo-lis City Dock. This time,the cousins from differ-ent continents reunitedto co-host a stellar eventof their own. Since An-napolis is reportedly thefirst place where KuntaKinteh landed, when hecame from his Africanhomeland, Jatta said thathe felt that it was particu-larly important to startthe fundraising campaignin Annapolis.“Many of his family live

in the Md. area. The rea-son why I’m here in An-

napolis is to kick off thecampaign that we start-ed for the Kunta KintehFamily Foundation, tokeep the legacy of KuntaKinteh alive. The mis-sion is to help the peoplein the Gambia—mainlyin Kunta Kinteh’s vil-lage—to provide themwith clean water. Me andmy cousin Chris Haley,Alex Haley’s nephew, arekicking off the campaignto share that Kunta Kin-teh’s descendents are stillliving and to talk aboutthe foundation.”Jatta explained that

striving to provide cleanwater is critical. Gam-bians are reportedly dy-ing of lack of clean, safedrinking water. Blindnessand bone disease are alsoadditional problems thatcan arise from the popula-tion having limited accessto suitable drinking water.The cost to provide oneperson with clean drink-ing water for a year is re-portedly $1.71.“The water project

is the first part of the

foundation’s mission.It’s about preserving thelegacy. That’s always go-ing to be an overarchingpart. People come to visitthe village all of the time.They don’t have cleanwater. The second thingwould be to build a visi-tor’s center/library/muse-um to preserve the legacyand history—maybe be arepository of records—sothat African Americans orAfricans from anywherein the diaspora could comeback to the village andfind out more about wherethey are and be able totrace their ancestry,” Ja-net Roessler added.Janet Roessler and

Jennifer Triplett are own-ers of Treebranchdesign.The partners planned theevent and will be assistingJatta with the year-longcampaign for the waterproject and forthcomingmissions. Roessler statedthat Jatta would love tobe able to bring some ofhis family from Africa.He reportedly would liketo have a celebration that

involves closing the circle,and healing the relation-ship between being kid-napped and choosing tocome to America, at theend of campaign. Jatta isthe only family memberwho has had an opportu-nity to visit Annapolis.He stated that his grand-mother always wantedto see the place that wasmade famous by a bookwhich spawned a move-ment to explore rootsof people from all back-grounds.Now that Jatta has de-

voted his life to the workthat his grandmother ad-vised, he remarked thata peaceful existence hasreemerged in his life.Jatta said that he oncehad troublesome dreams,but now he is no longer

plagued by them. Theyreportedly stopped whenhe accepted that he wasgoing to form the founda-tion.“I did accept it. Now I

am happy. I have devotedmy life to this,” Jatta said.Through the recent

launch, Jatta hopes to getthe word out to educateothers about how poorpeople live in Juffureh inthe Gambia, and to en-list support to help themwith clean water. Visitwww.kuntakintehvillage.org to learn more aboutthe water project, and tomake online donations.The Kunta Kinteh Fam-ily Foundation is on Face-book. You may also visitwww.kuntakintehfamily.com for more informationabout Jatta’s endeavors.

Cousins with unique ancestrylaunch clean water campaign

PHOTOS BY ANDREA BLACKSTONE

June 26, 2014, Lamin Jatta speaks in Annapolis, Md.about fulfilling his his grandmother’s wish, and thepurpose of his foundation. “I love my roots,” Jatta says.

Lamin Jatta and Chris Haley are cousins who both spokeat a special event that was held in Annapolis, Md. Jatta isa direct descendant of Kunta Kinteh. Haley is a historian,and the nephew of Alex Haley, author of “Roots.”

Guests listen to Lamin Jatta explain his desire to preservethe legacy of his ancestor and improve the water supplyin Kunta Kinteh’s village.

Marty Peterson gives an expressive crash course in African dance as Raphael Montera,a drummer, illustrates the power of the drum.

Think outof the box

and encourageother members

to dothe same.

4 Friday, July 4, 2014Andrews Gazette

There is still time toexercise your right to vote.Please register and re-quest your absentee ballotso that you can cast yourvote even though you areaway from home.Registering now will

give you the opportunityto vote in most state’s pri-mary elections happeninglate this summer beforethe general election in No-vember.As a general rule, peo-

ple should register to votein their state of residenceevery January and afterevery permanent changeof station to ensure theirstate has the most up-to-date information.Registering can be ac-

complished in severalways. Use the absenteevoting system to your ad-vantage. The Federal Vot-ing Assistance Program(www.fvap.gov) has anexcellent on-line votingassistant that can auto-

matically populate yourhome state’s specific re-quirements, insert eligiblecandidates and offer youoptions for how to submityour forms and ballot.On Joint Base Andrews,

the base voting assistanceoffice is located in the BaseLibrary, Building 1642 onthe corner of Brookley Aveand D Street. It is openMonday from 9 a.m. - 8p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday,Friday and Saturday from9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Thurs-day from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.There is someone avail-able to assist you at alltimes.Every unit has a unit

voting assistance counsel-or who can help you andyour dependants.For more information,

contact the installationvoting assistance office at301-981-VOTE (8683), orat usaf.andrews.voting@mail.mil.

Do your partand vote

BY STAFF SGT.TORRI INGALSBE

AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRSAGENCY, OPERATING

LOCATION - P

Air Force leaders wantAirmen to share their sto-ries with the world anddesigned the 2014 Ameri-can Airman Video Con-test with that purpose inmind.“Every Airman has a

story -- and smartphonetechnology now allowsthose Airmen to sharethose stories to a wideraudience than ever be-fore,” said Air Force Chiefof Staff Gen. Mark A.Welsh, III.The contest, which be-

gins July 1, asks Airmento shoot a selfie videowhere they share individ-ual stories of service andshowcase the unique mis-sions they do every day.“I think we’ll get some

really creative, cool vid-eos that together, tell thelarger Air Force story,”Welsh said.Airmen who want to

participate should uploadtheir video, which shouldbe no longer than 30 sec-onds, to a personal You-Tube account and emaila link to the Air ForceSocial Media team at us-afvideos@us.af.mil.The videos will be re-

viewed to ensure theydon’t inadvertently vio-late any security, policyor propriety guidelines

before they are releasedfor public viewing on theAFBlueTube channel onYouTube.After review, each ma-

jor command will selecta winner within the com-mand. The 10 finalists’videos will be will beavailable on AFBlueTubefor public voting fromAug. 12 to 22. Voters can“like” their favorite vid-eos and the video with themost “likes” will win.The winning video will

be shown at the Septem-ber Air Force Associationconference in Washington,D.C., which attracts thou-sands of visitors annuallyand receives heavy mediaattention.Contest officials said

there are important rulesparticipating Airmenshould follow, including:- The contest is open to

Guard, Reserve and ac-tive-duty Airmen to par-ticipate- Finalists must be in

good standing withoutany adverse administra-tive actionsFor more details and

complete contest rules,visit http://airforcelive.dodlive.mil/contest.“Our Airmen are an

amazing communicationresource,” Welsh said. “Noone tells the Air Force sto-ry like they do.”

AF to everyAirman: Tellus your story

JBA children ‘deploy’ in supportof Operation KID Mode

OperationKIDModeparticipants andvolunteers play tug-of-war.More than70military personnel volunteeredto run this kid-friendly,mockdeploy-ment in-processingexperience.OKMfeatured things suchasweaponsdemo, kid-friendly physical fitness, abouncehouseandanexplosiveord-nancedisposal demo.

Justin Huddleston, 6, par-ticipates in a potato sackrace during Operation KIDMode June 27 on JointBase Andrews, Md. This isthe third annual kid-friend-ly, pretend deployment in-processing event designedto familiarize children withtheir parents’ deploymentexperience.

James Szymanski, 3, hashis face painted by Air-man 1st Class Rosa Wal-ters, 779th Medical DentalOperation Squadron men-tal health technician, forOperation KID Mode. Morethan 240 JBA children reg-istered for the Third AnnualOKM.

U.S AIR FORCE PHOTOS/SENIOR AIRMAN NESHA HUMES

Emmanuel Barnes, 11, crawls out of a jump house during Operation KID Mode.

A UH-1N Iroquois from the 1st Helicopter Squad-ron sits on display for Operation KID Mode par-ticipants to view.

JBA Buzz“What’s your favorite social media site?”

Master-At-Arms1st ClassStephanie Williams

Naval ReserveNaval SecurityForce Bethesda

“I like Instagram, becauseI feel a picture is worth athousand words and a picturespeaks for itself.”

Sharon Kimpson

Wife of retired StaffSgt. Franklin Kimpson

“I enjoy roller skating andFacebook is my favorite media,because I get to interact andstay connected with my skatefriends.”

Airman 1st ClassMaria Inocencion

779th DentalSquadron dentaltechnician

“Facebook is my favorite formof communication, because itallows me to track my friendsand see how they’re doing, andmost of all start a chat withthem and find out what they’reup to. I’m from the Philippinesand my friends there are thou-sands of miles away, so it’snice to be able to get in touchwith them.”

Staff Sgt.Maria Castillo

779th Dental Squad-ron dental technician

“My favorite social media siteis Facebook, because for meit’s a good way to get in touchwith friends and family. Also Ican see photo updates.”

BY 1ST LT.NATHAN WALLIN

AIR FORCE DISTRICT OFWASHINGTON PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The United States AirForce Honor Guard DrillTeam and the Air Force’srock band ensemble MaxImpact kicked off a nine-day, seven-city, 10-per-formance tour across theMidwest to increase pub-lic awareness and under-standing of the armedforces and the mission ofthe Air Force.The team of 17 Airmen

from Joint Base Anacos-tia-Bolling in Washington,D.C., performed June 21and 22 at the MilwaukeeWar Memorial as part ofthe Milwaukee Air & WaterShow. While heavy fog cov-ered Lake Michigan bothdays and prevented theaviation components of theshow, the Drill Team per-formed as scheduled beforecrowds of hundreds.

Max Impact made itstour debut Monday atMiller Park, home of theMilwaukee Brewers, andjoined the Drill Team for atwo-part presentation.The first show of the

tour was one to remember,according to Senior MasterSgt. Ryan Carson, lead vo-calist for Max Impact.“It was a great atmo-

sphere at Miller Park andthe audience’s energy re-ally set us up for success,”Carson said.After the band’s pre-

game show, Carson per-formed the National An-them, followed by the DrillTeam’s demonstrationwhich included precise rou-tines of rifle throws, exhi-bition drills and militarybearing.“There was a massive

amount of people thereby the end of our perfor-mance,” said Master Sgt.Scott Slindee, Drill Teamsuperintendent.

At the conclusion ofthe Drill Team’s routine,some fans were unable toexpress their appreciationin words. One man shookSlindee’s hand, nearly intears, expressing his deepappreciation to the DrillTeam.“He was very proud to

be an American last night,”Slindee said.After Milwaukee, the

Drill Team and rock en-semble will tour Minnesota,South Dakota, Wyoming,and Nebraska.“This tour is the first of

its kind,” said Drill TeamFlight Commander Capt.Alan Morford. “It’s a jointventure with Max Impactand this is teamwork at itsfinest.”The U.S. Air Force Drill

Team is known for its pre-cision, discipline and abil-ity to inspire awe. TheseAirmen are the top 10 per-cent of the U.S. Air ForceHonor Guard, who travel

the country and around theworld to showcase drill per-formances.During the tour, audienc-

es will see the Air Force’s“Ambassadors in Blue” per-

form professionally choreo-graphed sequences such asweapon maneuvers, precisetosses, and complex weaponexchanges, across variousMidwest locations, includ-

ing Mount Rushmore andSioux Falls Empire Fair-grounds in South Dakota;Cheyenne Depot Museumin Wyoming; and BrickyardPark in Nebraska.

Drill Team and AF Band kick off Midwestern tour

U.S. AIR FORCE GRAPHIC

The United States Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team.

5Friday, July 4, 2014 Andrews Gazette

rior projects and the fallen.The youth ice hockey

coach who works with theNaval Academy programhappened to see the emailabout the ride and agreedto participate.“There are multitudes of

them. Connected Warrior isa local foundation that sup-ports the wounded warriorsand it’s a pretty good one.I want to bring awarenessto that, and I’m a woundedwarrior myself.”Rachel Camm from Cen-

terville Md. is fifteen-years-old. Camm, a friend of Sa-los, said that she was ex-cited about the challengedof biking. Riding this yearwas something that she re-ally wanted to do. Cammwas one of many youngpeople who took a personalinterest in providing mean-ingful support to the Feeksfamily and Connected War-rior Foundation. The circleof support began in CarolCave’s household. Her son,Britt Cave, was an ambi-tious fifteen-year-old whenhe had the idea to start thememorial ride. The Cavesare neighbors of Ginny andTom Feeks, the parents ofPatrick Feeks.“We are friends and all

felt pretty terrible about it.The kids had been wantingto ride to this beach ride100 miles with their hockeycoach for a couple of years.Last year he said that hewould happily take them.When they went to do it,Ginny, mother of the fallenSEAL, said that she wouldgive us shirts to wear if wewanted to. We were like,‘Yeah, sure.’ That just didn’tfeel right to wear a memo-rial shirt and not do some-thing, so she contacted Con-nected Warrior Foundation.We started talking to thema little bit. We planned ourride, got our food, and got

the kids that wanted to doit. Three of my four kidsand my husband plannedthe ride with the hockeycoach. We wore memorialshirts, and got donations,and told the schools, andthey rode to the beach lastyear. They said that want-ed to do it again this year,”Carol Cave said.Jim Leckinger, Director

of Programs and Engage-ment for the ConnectedWarrior Foundation, man-aged the event. Leckingerstarted doing volunteerwork for Connected War-rior Foundation and beganworking for the organiza-tion on a full-time basisin Feb. Leckinger expectedthe memorial ride to take10 hours.“The route was cho-

sen for safety reasons andback roads, to get to DeweyBeach to make it a 100 mileride, and the safest way toget there and have a nicedinner.”Leckinger also said that

everyone involved in the

ride knew Feeks or is af-filiated with ConnectedWarrior Foundation. CWF’ssignature program, Opera-tion Feek’s 7’s, is namedafter the fallen hero. CWFpartners with Google, Inc.to improve the quality oflife for wounded veteransthrough unique measures.“We provide Android

tablets to injured veter-ans. When they get injured,generally all of their pos-sessions are left behind.They’re sent to Germany,usually the next day, andusually the United Statestwo days later. They haveleft all of the people theyknow behind, and all oftheir belongings are leftbehind. They’re most of thetime lucky if they have onefamily member, or spouse,or parent, who is with themwhile they are in the hos-pital. The idea behind theAndroid tablet is to givethem something portablethat they can carry aroundwith them to stay connect-ed with their out of town

family, friends and battlebuddies.”For a period of time, tab-

lets given to injured veter-ans were the Google Nexus7. CWF now also offersKindle Fire devices and anyAndroid based tablet. CWFhas been offering tablets alittle over two years. Theprocedure to apply for atablet is rather simple.“The process now is to

apply online the first Mon-day of every month, be-

tween noon and 4:00 p.m.The reason for that is thatthere’s a great demand forit. We only get so many permonth that we can giveout. If we leave it open,we’d have a lot of disap-pointed people,” Leckingerexplained.Leckinger estimated

that CWF has been givingout 100+ tablets a month.In 2013, 1,350 were provid-ed to applicants. Addition-ally, Leckinger remarked

that Connected Warriorexpanded the program toincluded injured veteranswho are out of the hospitalsystem.“We found that the ones

with PTSD out in the worldwould make great use ofthem. If they have trau-matic brain injury, it helpsthem to organize theirschedules and their medi-cines, and their doctors ap-pointments. It helps themin educational ways.”Tablets are reportedly

mailed all over the countryto active duty servicemem-bers and veterans. Honor-ably discharged woundedcombat veterans who weredeployed to Iraq and Af-ghanistan since 9/11 are el-igible to apply for a device.The Patrick Feeks 100

Mile Memorial Bike Rideended at the Rusty Rud-der Restaurant in DeweyBeach, Del. at 4:35 p.m.Proceeds from the ride willsupport CWF programs.JeffreyWells is the Founderand Executive Director ofCWF. Visit www.connect-edwarrior.org to learn moreabout this remarkable or-ganization.

Joanna Kamm and Steve Salos proudly hold the American flag as SGT Lisa BodenburgUSMC sings The Star-Spangled Banner.

Steve Salos holds a bike steady as Andrew Jackinspects it before the memorial bike ride.

Three youth welcome the challenge of biking 100 milesin honor of Special Warfare Operator 1st ClassPatrick D. Feeks.

BIKE, from page 1

UFC FIGHTERS VISIT TEAM ANDREWS

Mike Dolce,an UltimateFightingChampion-ship FITcoach, andBrian Stann,a UFC fighter,veteran, andSilver Starrecipient, signautographsfor a fan.

Mike Dolce, an Ultimate Fighting Championship FITcoach, and Brian Stann, a UFC fighter, veteran andSilver Star recipient, pose for photos with a fan.

Mike Dolce, an Ultimate Fighting Championship FITcoach, takes a question from a young man.

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS/AIRMAN 1ST CLASS J.D. MAIDENS

Mike Dolce, an Ultimate Fighting Championship FIT coach, speaks to a crowd at the Tactical Fitness CenterJune 24 on Joint Base Andrews, Md. The UFC FIT program taught attendees about achieving maximum physicalfitness through living a healthy lifestyle, and was sponsored by the Air Force Reserve.

Brian Stann, an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter, veteran and SilverStar recipient, discusses his first UFC fight.

1042377B

6 Friday, July 4, 2014Andrews Gazette

quality information annually to the consuming public.The WSSC and Terrapin reports present information onthe water source, its constituents and any health risksassociated with contaminant findings. The WSSC reportis available at their website: http://www.wsscwater.com/home/jsp/content/wat-qual-report.faces.To ensure safe drinking water, the EPA prescribes

regulations to limit the amount of certain contaminantsin water provided by public water systems. Accordingto the EPA, the presence of contaminants does not nec-essarily indicate that water poses a health risk. Moreinformation about contaminants and potential healtheffects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drink-ing Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or by visiting theirwebsite: http://water.epa.gov/drink/hotline/.The Terrapin report is available in pamphlet format

and can be obtained at the following locations: Terra-pin Joint Base Andrews office at R69 Pennsylvania Av-enue, Liberty Park Base Housing Office, Child Devel-opment Centers, Youth Center, Imagine Andrews, BaseExchange, Commissary, Base Library, Lodging, and thePAX Terminal. An electronic copy can be accessed at theJoint Base Andrews website: http://www.andrews.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-140618-010.pdf.Questions about water quality can also be directed

to Bioenvironmental Engineering at 240-857-3380. Tocontact Terrapin, call 301-735-4101. To contact WSSC,call 301-206-8100.

WATER, from page 1

BY MATHEW B. TULLY

Q. Can a service mem-ber get in trouble fordrinking lots of water,or a drug detoxing solu-tion, to avoid a positiveurinalysis?

A. A service member’sattempts to avoid a posi-tive urinalysis can landhim in as much trouble asa positive test result itself.That is because, as theU.S. Coast Guard Courtof Criminal Appeals notedin U.S. v. John R. Denaro(2006), “a random urinaly-sis is an inspection—thatis, an official examinationto determine the fitness orreadiness of the person, or-ganization, or equipment.”Consequently, if the ser-vice member’s deceptive

actions are detected, he orshe could be charged withwrongful interference withan adverse administrativeprocess, which is a viola-tion of Article 134 of theUniform Code of MilitaryJustice.The Manual for Courts-

Martial defines an “ad-verse administrat iveprocess” as “any adminis-trative proceeding or ac-tion, initiated against aservicemember that couldlead to discharge, loss ofspecial or incentive pay,administrative reductionin grade, loss of a securityclearance, bar to reenlist-ment, or reclassification.”Service members committhis Article 134 offensewhen they have a reasonto believe an adverse ad-ministrative proceeding

was or will be pendingagainst a certain person.They must wrongfully act“with the intent to influ-ence, impede, or obstructthe conduct of such admin-istrative proceeding, orotherwise obstruct the dueadministration of justice.”Additionally, their conductmust be prejudicial to goodorder and discipline or ser-vice-discrediting.The court in Denaro

noted that the servicemember’s “reason to be-lieve” an adverse adminis-trative proceeding may bein his or her future “musthave an objectively rea-sonable basis.” If serviceregulations, policies orpractices state an adminis-trative proceeding will beinitiated if a certain event,such as a positive urinaly-

sis occurs, then a beliefabout such an outcomewould be deemed reason-able. Further, the courtnoted how this offense’sspecific intent element“addresses the accused’sactual state of mind, rath-er than the mental state ofa hypothetical reasonableperson.” Consequently, aservice member, who be-lieves he or she will neverbe subjected to a randomurinalysis that could leadto an adverse administra-tive proceeding, may beable to raise this “extremeignorance” as a defense.By comparing the pen-

alties for wrongful use ofa controlled substance inviolation of Article 112awith those for wrongfulinterference, service mem-bers will see it is not worth

their while to resort totrickery when confrontedwith a random urinalysis.Both Article 112a and Ar-ticle 134 offenses featuremaximum penalties of dis-honorable discharge andtotal forfeitures. But themaximum confinement pe-riod for wrongful interfer-ence is five years, whereasit is similarly five years forthe wrongful use of drugssuch as heroin, cocaine andmethamphetamine. Themaximum confinementperiod is two year for thewrongful use of marijuana,according to the Manual.Service members who

have been charged withwrongfully interferingwith an adverse adminis-trative proceeding shouldimmediately consult witha military law attorney.

Depending on the circum-stances, an attorney canshow the service mem-ber’s reason to believe anadverse administrativeproceeding was or wouldbe pending was not objec-tively reasonable. The at-torney could also show theservice member lacked aspecific intent to influence,impede or obstruct an ad-ministrative proceeding’sconduct.Along with being the

founding partner of thelaw firm Tully RinckeyPLLC, Mathew B. Tullyis a veteran of OperationIraqi Freedom and Opera-tion Enduring Freedom.E-mail questions to ask-thelawyer@fedattorney.com. The information inthis column is not intend-ed as legal advice.

Ask the Lawyer

in sweltering heat. They were trying to raise moneyto enable their boys to attend school, since there is nofree public education for them. My eyes were drawnto another woman who harvested crops with a babysecured on her back.

Many shoeless children passed by me on thestreet. Others sold candles while dodging in and outof traffic. When I visited a village, I was told thatthere was one television that the entire village used.I glanced at the outdated model noting how happyvillagers were to have it. Their movie theater con-sisted of dusty wooden seats and old movies that wereshown according to a schedule. In this other country,there were no food pantries to help feed the hungry.Not everyone had clean drinking water. People diedon a routine basis because they did not have basicnecessities that many of us take for granted. The un-derlying reality was that travelers from other coun-tries who visited this place could step on a plane andresume life at home. Natives were not on vacation.Their limited options kept them vulnerable. As I flewhome I considered the harsh degree of poverty thatsurrounded the tourist route. Many vacationers werenot interested in seeing it, but I felt glad that I askedto see snippets of daily life for many in that place. Iwanted to start a shoe or school supply drive, when Ireturned home. Even items like pencils were greatlyneeded for schools in the village. I could not take ac-tion because of the high cost of shipping. My visitmade me appreciate my privileges and right to voicemy opinions about whatever I do not think is right insociety. Plus, I can legally try to do something aboutit.There are more opportunities in America than

what exists in many countries. It does not matter whowas born challenged by societal factors. Everyonehere has the right to reignite their potential, evenif difficulty interrupts the journey. We are fortunateto have the ability to find something positive beyondoppression, regardless where any of us began throughour heritage, or circumstances of our birth. Freedomwill not be an empty word to us, if we do not forgetthe meaning of fundamental rights within a contem-porary culture. Even if our lives are imperfect, hopeoffers so much to be thankful for. All we have to do istake a look around.

COMMENTARY, from page 2

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