andrewsgaz 072514

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION OF COMPRINTMILITARY PUBLICATIONS AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS,MD.DCMILITARY.COM FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 | VOL. 3 NO. 29

The meetingthat saved lives;a hero out ofuniform

5Heritage Parkconcert rocksjoint community

3 Air Force modelproject bringsunity in thecommunity

7

BY ANDREA BLACKSTONESTAFF WRITER

Gabrielle Jordan Wil-liams is a 14-year-oldMarylander who is argu-ably mature beyond heryears. Gabrielle is home-schooled and completedthe eighth grade. The mul-titalented teen is alreadythe CEO of her own busi-ness, Jewelz of Jordan. Shestarted the enterprise atthe age of nine. Addition-ally, the entrepreneur is anauthor, speaker and phi-lanthropist who believesthat leadership is the basisof everything. Her #1 best-selling book, “The MakingOf A Young Entrepreneur:A Kid’s Guide To Develop-ing The Mind-Set For Suc-cess” was self-published in2011.Gabrielle is reportedly

the youngest member ofher local Prince George’sCounty Chamber of Com-

merce. She was recentlythe recipient of McDon-ald’s Community ChoiceYouth Award. Gabriellewas formally recognizedJuly 5 during the 11th An-nual McDonald’s 365BlackAwards show. The star-studded event celebratedAfrican American achieve-ment as a part of the 2014Essence Festival in NewOrleans. The dynamicPrince George’s Countyresident was nominated bythe public and selected asthe first-ever female teenhonoree. Gabrielle willreceive a $10,000 collegescholarship, in recognitionof the significant impactthat she has made whilemaking a difference in hercommunity.“As an entrepreneur,

you have to be a leader. Irecommend that when youare doing anything, youhave to be confident. Con-

Local teen CEO wins McDonald’syouth award, inspires others

PHOTO/ANDREA BLACKSTONE

Gabrielle, CEO of Jewelz of Jordan, displays her fashion jewelry and book during Prince George’s County’s 1stInternational Festival July 12. The 14-year-old Marylander is reportedly the youngest member of her local PrinceGeorge’s County Chamber of Commerce.

PHOTO/JACKIE HICKS

Gabrielle is the CEO of Jewelz of Jordan. Her #1 bestsell-ing book, “The Making Of A Young Entrepreneur: A Kid’sGuide To Developing The Mind-Set For Success” wasself-published in 2011. She was recently the recipient ofMcDonald’s Community Choice Youth Award.see INSPIRE, page 7


Starting a business canbe an exciting yet over-whelming. Many buddingentrepreneurs wonder ifthey are on the right track,especially during the earlystages of planning. A localresource that offers insightinto business start-up isavailable for those whohave served our country.The Capitol City Commu-nity Development Corpora-tion (Cap. City CDC) wasfounded by Loumis Taylortwo years ago. Taylor andhis professional team pro-vide expertise with plan-ning, tracking and man-aging, career counseling,mentoring, skills assess-ment, development train-

ing, industry certificationand business ownershipseminars for governmentclients. They share over 20years of combined experi-ence working with com-mercial and governmentagencies. Cap. City CDC isa resource that is intendedto help veterans establishbusiness strategies beyondbusiness plans. The lo-cal nonprofit organizationstrives to position veter-ans to reach their long-term goals of establishinga business and positionthemselves for other careeropportunities.Taylor was reportedly

inspired to focus on sup-porting veterans, due to astrong affiliation throughhis past in ROTC, and thegroups’ desire to encourage

economic empowerment.Cap. City CDC aspires tobecome the premier veter-an-based training and ser-vice provider offering vet-erans education, training,certification, career andentrepreneurial opportuni-ties. Training in the Kauff-man FastTrac NewVenturefor the Veteran Entrepre-neur module will be avail-able free of charge to theveteran community in theWashington, D.C. metropol-itan area, including thosetransitioning into civil-ian life, through Cap. CityCDC. Every Wednesdayfrom 6:00 - 9:00 p.m., be-ginning July 30, 2014, theten-week course will be of-fered until October 1, 2014.Cap. City CDC and Kauff-

Nonprofit gears up to offer free entrepreneurship classes for local veterans

PHOTO BY INTROVERTED PICTURES

Lt. Col. Arvonette “Deano” Burrell, a course facilitator with Capitol City CDC, leads a vet-erans entrepreneurship symposium June 27. see VETERANS, page 8

COURTESY OF SECRETARYOF THE AIR FORCEPUBLIC AFFAIRS

In an effort to lead itsforce management actionswith voluntary programs,the Air Force announceda fourth round of civilianworkforce shaping measuresbeginning July 21.This follows the recent

Air Force announcementon headquarters organiza-tion and staffing reductions.Those changes are designedto eliminate redundantactivities and improve ef-ficiencies while also satis-fying previous secretary ofdefense direction to reducemanagement headquarterscosts and staff levels by 20percent.Voluntary early retire-

ment authority and volun-tary separation incentivepay will be used to realignand rebalance the civil-ian force during the roundIV program. Round IV islargely focused on Head-quarters Air Force-assignedcivilian employees, primar-ily located in the nationalcapital region. Civilians atsome major command loca-tions who could be impactedby these changes will alsoparticipate. The remainingMAJCOMs will participatein a subsequent round.Civilian employees will

receive VERA/VSIP inter-

est surveys from their localcivilian personnel sectionson or about July 21 and re-sponses are due by Aug. 1,unless an earlier date isestablished by local CPSs.Applicants approved for thisround of VERA/VSIP mustseparate no later than Sept.30.“As the Air Force works to

streamline the managementframework regarding basicorganization structures andassociated business practic-es, some civilian positions atthe Headquarters Air Forcelevel will be eliminated,”said Heidi Liebel, the actingchief of the civilian force pol-icy division. “The Air Forceis committed to minimizingthe adverse impacts of re-structuring on our civilianemployees, hence the use ofVERA/VSIP to offer volun-tary early separation or re-tirement incentives.”There will be at least

one more round of civilianworkforce management assoon as all the MAJCOMshave the final details of allthe changes associated withthe 20 percent headquartersmanagement review and re-ductions associated with re-aligning and consolidatingfunctions under the Instal-lation and Mission SupportCenter.“The Air Force recog-

Air Force focuses fourthround of VERA/VSIP onheadquarters reductions

see VERA/VSIP, page 4


Although there havebeen delays in the an-nouncement of the openingof the Silver Line rail line,Metro will begin offeringpassenger service Saturday,July 26. “Simulated service” began July 20 and report-edly allowed Metro to help“familiarize employees andfinalize train schedules un-der real-world conditions.”Approximately 11.4 milesof new of track has beenlaid in the first phase of theregional line that is alsoknown as the Dulles Corri-

Silver Line opensto riders July 26

Phase 1 of the Dulles Cor-ridor Metrorail Projectincludes five new stations.When traveling east, SilverLine trains will join the exist-ing Orange Line west ofEast Falls Church, then trav-el through downtownD.C. toLargo TownCenter inMd. see SILVER LINE, page 8

2 Friday, July 25, 2014Andrews Gazette

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint Military Publications,9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md., a private firm in no wayconnected with the U.S. Air Force or any branch of the UnitedStates military. The appearance of advertising in these publications,including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement

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HOTTICKETSAround Town

UniformsareDistinctiveHaving separate military services

brings perspectives to the table thatare the epitome of “jointness,” ac-cording to the chairman of the JointChiefs of Staff. Army Gen. Martin E.Dempsey said that he hopes the mili-tary services retain their own uniquefield uniforms. There have been sug-gestions for the military to adopt asingle field uniform. Legislators pointto cost as an issue. The chairman saidhe believes the uniforms affect andexpress the unique cultures of theservices. The uniforms reflect the dif-ferences in the services, the chairmansaid. “I have to tell you,” he added,“when I sit with the service chiefs, it isextraordinarily important and benefi-cial that we have four different viewsand that those views can be moldedinto military advice that we can pro-vide to our elected leaders.” The dif-ference in perspectives and experienc-es of the services are valuable, and asingle viewpoint would be a disserviceto the nation, the chairman said. “Itis a very healthy thing to have four

separate services, each proud of whothey are,” he said. “Some of that prideis reflected in the uniform you wear.”

Medicare Fraud CallsFraudulent telephone calls in-

volving Medicare cards seek verifi-cation of personal information to re-ceive new Medicare cards. Medicaredoes not call beneficiaries for suchinformation. If you are aware of suchcalls, notify the Medicare Fraud lineat 1 800 633-4227.

E-CigarettesCreateConcernsElectronic cigarette use is a popu-

lar alternative to traditional ciga-rettes, but is of concern to Air Forcehealth care providers. The battery-operated products—known as e-cigarettes—are designed to delivernicotine, flavor and other chemicalsas a vapor that is inhaled by theuser. “Airmen are using e-cigarettesat a level comparable to the civil-ian adult population,” said Col. (Dr.)John Oh at the Air Force MedicalSupport Agency, citing data from

the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention. While e-cigarettes havebeen advertised as a safer alterna-tive to conventional cigarettes, stud-ies have found potentially harmfulingredients in the product, includingnitrosamines, diethylene glycol andanimal carcinogens, according toDr. Oh. He cautions airmen againstusing e-cigarettes. “Not enough isknown about the long-term safety ofe-cigarettes to definitely state thatthey are safe,” he said. The Food andDrug Administration categorizes e-cigarettes as a tobacco product. Theymay also be sold to minors. Air Forcepolicy includes e-cigarettes underthe definition of tobacco, the firstmilitary service to do so.

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

Retiree Corner

BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASSMADISON SYLVESTER

319TH AIR BASE WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

As a young child, you don’t thinkmuch if someone doesn’t show upwhen they’re supposed to becauseyou have better, more importantthings to worry about; like bugsand dolls. They’re just anothershape flashing around you in yourown little world.Occasionally, a child will stop

and ask a question about the sky,their toys or where their parent is.The answer always seems to be, “Ohhoney, they’re right over there,” andlife goes on without a hitch.When I stopped playing one

night in 1998 and asked the ques-tion, “Daddy, when is Mommy com-ing home?” it brought everyonearound to a sudden halt. My fathercleared his throat and blinked a few

times, obviously taken by surprisethat his 3 year old was asking thisquestion so early. He replied qui-etly, “Mommy isn’t coming homesweetie. She’s living with the an-gels now.”My mother was killed in a head-

on collision March 24, 1997, as a re-sult of drinking and driving.That wasn’t the beginning of her

relationship with alcohol; however,her decision to drive home afterdrinking this night was not herfirst time doing so. It was a regu-lar thing. Consumption of alcohol,or rather the inability to stop con-suming it, had ruined my parents’relationship. Already in the processof divorce, they had been fightingthat particular day over my motherbreaking into my grandparents’ li-quor cabinet.The attempt to lie was imme-

diately wiped away with the first

glance of her. So she decided thatshe would leave, she tried to bringme along with her but my fatherwas able to wrestle me away. Mydad wasn’t worried, he thought shewould take a walk down the streetto calm down; he thought he hadthe keys. Little did he know, shehad a spare set made. Almost run-ning him over in his attempt to stopher, she sped off.My father got remarried to a

wonderful woman six months laterand because I didn’t understand, Ididn’t act like anything was wrong.It wasn’t until I was five yearsold that I really, fully understoodwhere my mom had gone. Peoplehad stopped sugarcoating thingsand telling me that I was too youngto get it.Never wanting to upset the

Commentary‘Mommy isn’t coming home, sweetie’

see COMMENTARY, page 3

July 25-26Bethesda Outdoor Movies9-11 p.m.On the sidewalk in front of Cornucopia, 8102 Norfolk

Ave. Bethesda, MD 20814Friday night they will be playing Pitch Perfect and Sat-

urday’s movie will be Top Gun. A limited number of chairswill be provided and attendees are invited to bring their ownlawn chairs. Admission is free. For more information http://www.bethesda.org/bethesda/bethesda-outdoor-movies.

July 26Bobby McKey’s Kids’ Day1-3:30 p.m.172 Fleet St. National Harbor, MD 20745Spend the afternoon with your family enjoying the

renowned dueling piano show at Bobby McKey’s. TicketPrices (seats and buffet): $18 for guests 12 years old andup; $18 for guests 2 to 11 years old. Buffet includes (pizza,wings, fries, hot dogs, fruit & house salad, mac & cheese,cookies). For more information call 301-602-2209 or visithttp://www.bobbymckeys.com/events/view/all-ages-fam-ily-dueling-piano-show-this-afternoon-doors-1pm-show-130pm-2218.

July 26Pirate Fest10 a.m.-6 p.m.Lake Fairfax Park, 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston, VA$10 in advance, $12 at the gateActivities include shanty singalongs, knot tying, flag

making, treasure hunt, boat ride and a moon bounce. Theevent also aims to be educational with lessons on the sci-ence of floating. For more information at www.fairfaxcoun-ty.gov/parks/lakefairfax/.

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3Friday, July 25, 2014 Andrews Gazette

woman I now called Mom, I waited un-til I had my father alone to ask again,“Daddy, what really happened to mom-my?” Judging from the look on his face, hehad thought he had some time before anyreal explanations had to be given. I quicklyapologized seeing the distressed look andgot up to rush to another room but hestopped me and said, “No, it’s okay, I justdidn’t think I would have to do this so soon... Your mother had a problem.”A problem. That’s what we hear today

when someone invites alcohol into theirlives for too long. A problem. A mistake.What my mother had was not simply aproblem; my mother had a disease. Onethat nobody cared to diagnose because thatwould mean their own failure. She wouldget sad and drink, she would get mad anddrink, and soon she had made any emotionan excuse to drink. I grew older with con-flicting images of her.“She was a wonderful mother; she loved

you, so full of life and laughter,” collidedwith “Your mother was a liar, a cheater anda drunk.”Yes. I had a woman who married my

father, gave me a little sister, and took onthe task of taking care of me too. But therewas always a hole that couldn’t be filledin me. I had questions that people felt tooguilty about to answer. Did I do somethingso wrong that she needed to drink again?If she really loved me, how could she be so

careless? I was grieving years after every-one else had moved on.However, I learned to deal with my own

hurt and turned it into understanding andproactivity. My mother was not the onlyperson to ever have alcoholism. I was notthe only person ever to lose someone thisway, nor would I be the last. I would notallow myself to be a victim, but insteadbecame an advocate. The one thing thatI took away from my own loss was that Inever wanted anyone else to go throughthe same experience. My family brushedher addiction under the rug because ad-dictions are ugly, they’re taboo, and deepdown inside they didn’t want to admit thattheir daughter, sister and granddaughterwasn’t okay. But the truth of the matteris that she wasn’t and others aren’t either.I urge you to help your wingmen. If you

notice that their weekend fun is turninginto everyday fun, say something. If yoususpect that they’re having hard times,say something. Even better than that, dosomething. Don’t let them get in that carafter they’ve been drinking. We have somany resources that can help prevent theloss of another brother or sister in arms.Most people are not willing to look at theirown reflection and say “I have a problem. Ineed to stop.”Help them. Love them. Support them.This disease is long-standing in my lin-

eage. I will be the one to end it. Will you dothe same with our Air Force family?

COMMENTARY, from page 2

For more news from other bases around the Washington, D.C. area,

visit www.dcmilitary.com.

HERITAGE PARK CONCERT ROCKS JOINT COMMUNITY

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS/TECH. SGT. BRIAN FERGUSON

Members of the 11th Security ForcesSquadron give aworking dog demonstration to spectators at the Joint BaseAndrewsHeritage ParkConcert, July 12. The concert serieswas designed to showappreciation to the local community for their sup-port and showcase JBA’s dedicatedAirmen. Thiswas the second of three concerts scheduled for this summer.

Col. Bill Knight, 11th Wing and Joint Base Andrews com-mander, left, thanks members of the 11th Civil EngineerSquadron for their dedication and hard work on the newlyconstructed Heritage Park on Joint Base Andrews, Md.

Spectators are given a tour of a UH-1N Huey helicop-ter from the 1st Helicopter Squadron at the Joint BaseAndrews Heritage Park Concert.

Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Carson, a vocalist for “MaxImpact,” performs during the Joint Base Andrews Heri-tage Park Concert.

Members of the 11th Security Forces Squadron give aworking dog demonstration to spectators at the JointBase Andrews Heritage Park Concert.

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1042221


BY KRISTIN ELLISFORT BELVOIR COMMUNITY HOSPI-

TAL, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE

Obstetrics patients at Mal-colm Grow Women’s Health Clin-ic will soon have their labor anddelivery procedures performedat Fort Belvoir Community Hos-pital or Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center to bet-ter utilize military resources.Previously, obstetric patients

at Malcolm Grow delivered atSouthern Maryland Hospital.Beginning Aug. 1, obstetrics ser-vices will be consolidated in theNational Capital Region, whichis expected to save the militaryhealth system more than $2 mil-lion per year.Expectant mothers will re-

ceive care from a health careteam of joint military and civil-ians staff working with a patientfamily centered care approach,according to Navy Cmdr. StuartShippey, director for surgery atBelvoir hospital.“In addition, our delivering

mothers benefit from our baby-friendly policy: That skin-to-skincontact, infant rooming-in andbreast-feeding support follow-ing delivery to optimize bondingwith and health of their babies,”said Shippey.Expectant mothers will re-

ceive their routine prenatal careat Malcolm Grow’s 779th Medi-cal Group. When it’s time fordelivery, a military or civilianobstetrician, along with a nursemidwife or medical resident will

be present for the delivery atBelvoir hospital.“Our labor and delivery de-

partment is designed to take onmore than what we’re doing,”said Army Lt. Col. Amy Asato,labor and delivery interim chief.“Belvoir hospital is averaging120-140 deliveries each month,but we are capable of up to 200.”Transferring obstetrics care

to the military network willbring an additional 25 to 30

more deliveries per month toBelvoir hospital.Private rooms at Belvoir hos-

pital are large, spacious andtastefully decorated to providestate-of-the-art comfort and ser-vices. They overlook a wide ex-panse of greenery and gardens,offering calm, soothing environ-ment to enhance the birthing ex-perience.The facility provides generous

patient parking and also specific

parking in the front of the hospi-tal for expectant mothers.“Once you exit the public el-

evators, you will be greeted byhospital staff and directed tothe unit. ‘Wow!’ is often used todescribe [Belvoir hospital’s] la-bor and delivery suites and ser-vices,” said Air Force Maj. MollyGeorge, Malcolm Grow Women’shealth clinic chief.After delivery, babies will

room with their mothers in themother-baby unit. Infants de-livered before 36 weeks maybe transferred to the NeonatalIntensive Care Unit at WalterReed National Military MedicalCenter.Malcolm Grow Ob/Gyns will

begin performing inpatients gy-necologic surgeries at Belvoirhospital in July, “further addingto the utilization of this new andvery capable facility,” Shippeysaid.“Our patients will stay within

the military system at a beauti-ful state-of-the-art facility, we’llhave an influx of staff, and over-all increase the access to servicefor our gynecology patients,” saidAsato. “It’s a win for everyone.”Enrollees who prefer to deliv-

er their baby at a facility closerto home may use the TRICAREstandard option. In the event anurgent delivery is necessary, en-rollees should go to the closestcivilian or military emergencyroom.Tours of the labor and de-

livery unit at Belvoir hospitalare available on Tuesdays andThursdays at 5 p.m. Call 571-231-3442/3446 to schedule avisit. They also offer a 36-weekchildbirth preparedness class.This class starts in the Women’sHealth Clinic located in OaksPavilion on the first floor behindthe waterfall and in the backhallway.

Belvoir hospital, Malcolm Grow clinic team up

PHOTO BY SEAMAN TINA STAFFIERI

Sgt. Desiree Magginnis helps newmother Amrita Thomas learn how to best care for her newborn sonRyan Thomas in the Mother-Baby Unit at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital.

The Air Force plans to launchtwo operational satellites andone experimental satellite intonear-geosynchronous Earth or-bit July 23.According to Secretary of the

Air Force Deborah Lee James,“these operational and experi-mental systems will enhancethe nation’s ability to monitorand assess events regarding ourmilitary and commercial sys-tems. In essence, they will cre-ate a space neighborhood watchcapability.”The two operational satellites

are part of the Air Force’s Geo-synchronous Space SituationalAwareness Program, or GSSAP.The GSSAP satellites will

provide U.S. Strategic Commandwith space situational aware-ness data allowing for more ac-curate tracking and character-ization of man-made orbitingobjects.The satellites will drift a safe

distance away from the geosyn-chronous equatorial orbit, orGEO, belt while surveilling thearea to further enable space-flight safety.As space becomes increas-

ingly congested, contested andcompetitive, it is imperative toprotect the systems in space onwhich the world depends.Air Force Space Command

commander, Gen. William Shel-ton said, “we support the peace-ful use of space for all countriesbut we believe it is necessaryto increase our ability to detectand attribute any threatening ordisruptive actions.”The experimental satellite

program, known as AutomatedNavigation and Guidance Ex-periment for Local Space, orANGELS, is led by the Air ForceResearch Laboratory’s SpaceVehicles Directorate headquar-tered at Kirtland Air Force Base,New Mexico.This science and technology

satellite will conduct safe re-search activities around the up-per stage of its Delta IV launchvehicle.ANGELS will test new space

situational awareness tech-niques and technologies whileperforming safe, automatedspacecraft operations to supportand enhance future U.S. mis-sions.AFRL commander Maj. Gen.

Thomas Masiello said, “the ex-periments conducted with AN-GELS will allow the UnitedStates to safely operate futurespace situational awareness sat-ellites in a more efficient, effec-tive and autonomous manner.”Although the two GSSAP

spacecraft and the AFRL AN-GELS experimental spacecraftwill launch on the same UnitedLaunch Alliance Delta IV boost-er out of Cape Canaveral, Flori-da, the missions and objectivesare distinctly different.As the Air Force continues to

develop cutting-edge and essen-tial space programs, James said“this launch is a remarkable ac-complishment in the Air Forcedevelopment of technologies toensure the safe and responsibleuse of space.”

GSSAP and ANGELScontribute to spaceneighborhood watch

BY DR. MELISSA HOLT779TH DENTAL SQUADRON DENTIST

Boil-and-bite mouth guardshelp to protect teeth from sportsinjuries. Military beneficiariesmay pick up a mouth guard, freeof charge, at the Joint Base An-drews West Fitness Center or atthe 779th Dental Clinic, 1601 Cali-fornia Avenue, on Joint Base An-drews. Appointments are not nec-essary, simply walk-in and requesta mouth guard at the front desk.According to the Journal of

American Dental Association,nearly 15 million Americans areinvolved in dental injuries annu-ally - this is the equivalent of ev-ery member of the United StatesAir Force suffering from at leasttwo dental injuries a year, over a20 year career.Summer time brings summer

sports - basketball, skateboarding,biking, soccer, football, tennis - andmany potential mouth injuries, allof which can be prevented with asimple, inexpensive sports guard.“People forget how easily teeth

can be harmed from sports in-juries. The recovery time can beyears,” said Dr. Bowers-Evangelis-ta, 779th Dental Squadron Endo-dontist.An endodontist is a dentist who

specializes in root canal treat-ments.“It’s not just the popular sports

you have to worry about. I haveseen patients lose teeth from get-ting hit in the face with a bowlingball and even from being flung offa mechanical bull,” said Dr. Den-nis Holt, 779th Dental SquadronEndodontist.Custom mouth guards will be

available for active duty membersin the fall of 2014. Military ben-eficiaries will call the main dental

clinic at, (240) 857-5029, to sched-ule an appointment to have an im-pression taken of their mouth. Themouth guard will then be fabri-cated by in-house dental staff andfitted to the individual’s mouth.Obtaining a mouth guard can

save you from painful, unwanted,and unnecessary dental trauma.Stop by and pick one up today.

Keep that smile!

AIR FORCE PHOTO

Captain (Dr.) Melissa Holt, 779th Medical Group Dentist fits a mouthguard for Airmen Maria Bettina Inocencion. Mouth guards help toprotect teeth from sports injuries. Military beneficiaries may pick up amouth guard, free of charge, at the Joint Base Andrews West FitnessCenter or at the 779th Dental Clinic, 1601 California Avenue, on JointBase Andrews. Appointments are not necessary, simply walk-in andrequest a mouth guard at the front desk.

BY MASTER SGT. BROOKE EMERY

The United States Air ForceBand welcomes our newest mem-ber, Technical Sgt. Kaitlin Taylor.She will serve as second oboe inthe Concert Band, a position shepreviously held at the Air ForceAcademy Band (Peterson AirForce Base, Colo.) since 2013.Taylor hails from Henderson,

Ky. She earned a Bachelor of Mu-sic degree from the University ofCincinnati, College-Conservatoryof Music in 2010 and a Masterof Music from the Yale School ofMusic in New Haven, Conn. in2012. During her time in college,she performed professionally withnumerous prestigious musicalensembles, including New WorldSymphony, Louisville Orchestra,Evansville Philharmonic Orches-tra, National Repertory Orches-tra, CCM Spoleto Opera and Clas-sical Music Festival in Italy, andthe Texas Music Festival.Taylor’s arrival is especially

exciting for the Concert Band,because it marks the first timein five years the ensemble hasbeen able to operate with a full,

three-member oboe/English hornsection. When asked what thisdevelopment means for the futureof the ensemble, principal oboistMaster Sgt. Tracey MacDonaldremarked, “The addition of Kait-lin will make a huge difference inthe variety and quality of musicwe will be able to select for pub-lic performance. We can’t wait tostart working with her!”

When asked about how shefeels upon the occasion of joiningThe U.S. Air Force Band, Taylorstated, “I am so excited aboutplaying with the wonderful musi-cians of the Air Force Band! I feelso fortunate to have this amazingopportunity in the Air Force toserve and do what I am passion-ate about for a living.”

Concert band welcomes newest member

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY TECHNICAL SGT. JOSH KOWALSKY

The newest member of the Concert Band, oboist Technical Sgt. Kait-lin Taylor (center) poses during a rehearsal break with fellow sectionmembers Master Sgt. Tracey MacDonald (left) and Technical Sgt.Emily Snyder (right).

nizes the invaluable contribu-tions of our civilian workforce,but also must manage the fiscalconstraints under which the De-partment of Defense is operat-ing,” said Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly,the director of force managementpolicy. “We are focused on finetuning the force while takingcare to minimize the effect on ourcurrent permanent civilian work-force and their families.’’The processes available to re-

balance or reskill the work forceinclude using reduction-in-forceprocedures to determine over-age employee priority placementrights into vacant positions, aswell as providing the flexibility towaive qualifications and provideretained grade and pay if placed

in a lower graded position. Inthat regard, the HAF and otherparticipating bases will begintheir preparations for submittingtheir requests for approval to usereduction-in-force procedures inan effort to place employees incontinuing permanent positions.“We are committed to using

voluntary separation programsas much as possible before pur-suing involuntary options,” Kellysaid. “As we progress toward theend of the fiscal year, it is appar-ent the HAF will need to rebal-ance skills of the workforce intovacant positions.”For additional information

about civilian employment, vol-untary separation programs andother personnel actions, visitthe Air Force Personnel Servicewebsite at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil.

VERA/VSIP, from page 1


BY STAFF SGT. BRENT SKEEN459TH AIR REFUELING WING

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

To say that May 19 startedout like any other day would bea lie.Master Sgt. Lonnie McBride,

law office superintendent for theJudge Advocate General’s officeat the 459th Air Refueling Winghere, was getting ready to leavefor a meeting in Newark, Dela-ware for his civilian position as asoftware consultant for Neocase.The meeting started at 9 a.m.,and Newark was more than atwo-hour drive from his home inAlexandria, Va.“It was a meeting I typically

don’t have,” McBride said. “But ifit wasn’t for that meeting I wassupposed to attend that morn-ing — I would have perishedthat day. Me and 16 others wouldhave certainly perished that day.There is no doubt in my mind.”McBride stepped out of the

door of his third floor condo,dressed in his business attire,overnight bag in hand. It was6:35 a.m. Leaving after 7 a.m.would be a nightmare, due tothe distance and traffic in Wash-ington D.C. and Baltimore. Still,his window of comfort to arriveto his meeting on time was tick-ing away. He turned right andwalked down the stairs.Inside the stairwell, he no-

ticed something; white smokeand the faint sound of an alarm.“Not a ton of white smoke,

but some white smoke,” McBriderecalls. “At first, I didn’t putmuch thought into it. People areup, making breakfast. Someoneprobably burnt toast to set offsomeone’s alarm — no big deal.”McBride continued down the

stairwell toward his car that wasparked in front of the condo thathoused 12 units.“Right when I’m coming up

to my vehicle, I had this strangefeeling -I swear to God—It cameover me like, something’s notright,” McBride said. “Becausethe thought prior to that waslike ‘no big deal, probably atoaster oven, I’m just going toget in my car and go about mybusiness - and I need to hustle,because I’m already starting topush it, because it is at least atwo hour drive to Newark’.”

But McBride couldn’t shakethat feeling.“I had to identify this source

of this - just so I can feel rightabout the situation,” McBridesaid. “I needed to make sure thateverything is okay.”He put his bags in his car and

headed back to the building tolocate the source of the smoke.He walked through the hall-

way of the first floor. He lookedfor smoke escaping through theseals of the doors or the vents onthe wall that lead to the unit’sdryer and oven fan.There was nothing noticeable.

He went upstairs to do the samefor the second floor, and then thethird.Still nothing.All the floors were checked

and McBride did not see a sourcefrom where the smoke was com-ing from.“It must be fine,” he said. “But

I still had a bad feeling aboutthis.”He turned around and headed

back down the stairs. But this

time, the bad feeling that Mc-Bride had thought about shrug-ging off reared its ugly head.“I saw a ton of white smoke,”

McBride said. “I had to find outwhere it was coming from. Iknew it wasn’t right.”McBride slowly walked down

the hallway of the second floor,looking at the door seals andat the vent. He got to the lastdoor on the right hand side andlooked up at the vent. Whitesmoke was pouring out, gettingheavier by the second.McBride immediately starts

banging on the door.Inside the unit was his neigh-

bor, a nurse, who was sleepingon her couch, passed out after along work shift.As the banging and shouting

from McBride continued fromone side of the door, the neighboron the other side slept - unawareof the fire and carbon monoxidebuilding inside her home andthreatening her life.McBride’s mind raced. Maybe

no one was home; maybe they

were running the dryer while atwork, he said.Still, he kept banging —

shouting the same warningsover and over through the door.“I said, ‘Hey! There is a fire! Is

anyone there? Can I help you?’”McBride said.He looked up at the vent. The

smoke was no longer white, butnow a pitch black color — thickand heavy, like someone threw atire on top of a camp fire.The banging continued —

harder than ever before.This time, the banging from

McBride woke up the sleepingnurse, who awoke to the shock-ing surprise of seeing her kitch-en on fire.“Suddenly, I heard the sound

of struggles,” McBride said.Seconds pass, but it felt lon-

ger. He heard the person insidestruggling at the door to unlockthe deadbolt and the handle, hesaid.“This girl opened the door, it

was the wife, and she was cov-ered in black soot,” McBride

said. “Her skin was red like shehad first-degree burns.”To make matters worse, open-

ing the door created a backdrafteffect. The fire in the kitchenwas creating pressure, and whenthe door opened, the fire racedtoward the point where the pres-sure was released, said McBride.“It was coming at us, so I said

‘You gotta get out of here!’” Mc-Bride said.McBride called 911 and told

the operator they needed the firedepartment there right away be-cause there was a major fire atthe unit.He gave the dispatcher the

necessity information, such asthe address, what he saw andwhat he thought it was, all whiletrying to control himself frompanicking.“I cut it short and hung up,”

he said. “I didn’t have time, Ihad to get back to the buildingto bang on doors and evacuatethe building because it was amassive freaking fire. It was go-ing to spread, and people weresleeping.”McBride started banging on

the doors of the first floor, alert-ing his neighbors to evacuate thebuilding right away.The fire was moving at a

rapid pace. Since the smoke wastraveling up, and trapped underthe breezeway at the top of thebuilding, McBride realized thatthe third floor needed to be thepriority, he said.“I hauled [butt] up to the

third floor, and sure enoughthe third floor is engulfed withsmoke,” McBride said. “It’s thick,it’s black, you can’t see, can’tbreathe. Nothing.”“It was too late to get to them,”

McBride said. “I just had to prayto God that the fire departmentwould arrive in time to save thepeople on the third floor.”The fire department arrived

and McBride informed themwhich unit the fire originatedfrom, and that there were peopletrapped on the third floor.The fire was extinguished, and

the rescue attempt was success-ful. The firefighters rescued eightof the third floor occupants usingground ladders from several bal-conies within the building.

The meeting that saved lives; a hero out of uniform

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/ STAFF SGT. KATIE SPENCE

Master Sgt. Lonnie McBride, law office superintendent, Judge Advocate General’s office, demonstratedheroic acts by saving members of his community from a burning building, May 19. McBride will retire inAugust after 20 years of service.

BY MASTER SGT.JAKE MCCRAY

The month of July was kind toThe U.S. Air Force Band as fourmembers took home awards atthe 11th Operations Group levelfor the second quarter. The win-ners were Technical Sgt. MeganNeal for Non-Commissioned Offi-cer of the Quarter, Senior MasterSgt. Regina Coonrod who receivedthe award for Senior Non-Com-missioned Officer of the Quarter,Master Sgt. Jennifer Cox as Vol-unteer of the Quarter. Additional-ly, National Tours/TDY Team tookhome the Team of the Quarter forthat rating period.All of these Airmen musicians

won the title at the squadron(Band) level, and moved on tothe next level at the group (theorganization above the band). Atthat point, they competed withmembers from the Honor Guard,Chaplaincy and 11th OperationsGroup staff.

This quarter was unique in thatthe Band took home an unusuallylarge percentage of awards. Thiswas due in part to a new level ofscrutiny that the awards pack-ages underwent prior to submis-sion. Each awards package wasmeticulously edited for styleand content, with 12 band mem-bers contributing to the editingprocess which lasted for hours.The 11th Operations Group com-mander, Col. Richard Lindlan,even commented that this groupof awards packages were some ofthe best he had ever seen.The awards announcement

comes amidst a flurry of Sum-mer activity within the Band,following promotion announce-ments, the normal day to day op-erations of concerts, ceremoniesand funerals, and the Summerleave to which all members ea-gerly look forward.Congratulations to our quar-

terly award winners!

Band wins bigat group level

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO

The Band’s National Tours team is presented with a certificate for win-ning team of second quarter for the 11th Operations Group.

BY MASTER SGT. MARC DINITZ

One of the three pillars ofThe U.S. Air Force Band’s mis-sion is to honor those who haveserved. As part of the Band’sSummer Concert Series, mul-tiple units recently had the op-portunity to perform for WWIIveterans, and were even ledby one...the Band’s conductoremeritus retired Col. Arnald D.Gabriel.The Concert Band and Sing-

ing Sergeants were joined inthe audience by Honor FlightAustin at their concert on July11 at the Air Force Memorial.This group, which arrived fromTexas earlier in the day, includ-ed eight WWII veterans as wellas veterans from the Koreanand Vietnam Wars. The HonorFlight Network is a non-profitorganization created solely tohonor America’s veterans for alltheir sacrifices. They transportwar veterans to Washington,D.C. from all over the country.Top priority is given to seniorveterans, mostly WWII survi-vors, along with others who areterminally ill.The Austin chapter of the

Honor Flight Network, whichhas been operating for twoyears, has made 18 flights toWashington, D.C., with morethan 560 veterans. While a vis-it to a concert by The U.S. AirForce Band is normally not partof the scheduled itinerary, Hon-or Flight Austin Chairman AlanBergeron added it to the trip.“There happened to be a concertthat coincided with our trip onthe 11th, so we worked it intothe schedule,” says Bergeron.“It was a wonderful evening forthe veterans who made the trip,and they couldn’t stop talkingabout the concert the wholenext day and even upon our re-turn to Austin.”

The evening was made evenmore special as Gabriel con-ducted multiple pieces on theconcert, which was entitled“Bella Notte - An Italian Sa-lute.” Gabriel, who served ascommander and conductor ofThe U.S. Air Force Band from1964 to 1985, was named thefirst conductor emeritus of theband in 1990. A combat ma-chine gunner with the UnitedStates Army’s famed 29th In-fantry Division in Europe dur-ing WWII; Gabriel received twoawards of the Bronze Star Med-al, the Combat Infantryman’sBadge and the French Croix deGuerre.On July 6, The U.S. Air Force

Band presented Celtic Aire andthe band’s country/pop groupSilver Wings in a performanceat the Steven F. Udvar-HazyCenter in Chantilly, Va. Attend-ing this concert in full dressuniform was retired Air ForceCol. Bob Shawn, a 94-year-old,highly decorated WWII veteran.Shawn, who joined the Army

Air Corps in 1940, became anenlisted pilot (which Congressauthorized in 1941) and waslater commissioned into the of-ficer corps. Awarded 24 medalsfor his service, he was promotedto general yet retired early asa colonel, and has a personalgoal to become the oldest liv-ing WWII veteran. Says SeniorMaster Sgt. Dennis Hoffmann,who performed in the concert,“It is an honor to perform forall veterans who come to ourshows, but to have a chance tomeet Colonel Shawn and hearsome of his stories was a truehonor.”Honoring those who have

served will always be an inte-gral part of The United StatesAir Force Band’s mission. Ifyou are a member of a veterangroup and would like to attenda future concert by The U.S. AirForce Band, please click here toarrange for your group to be in-troduced.

Veterans attend recent concerts

PHOTO/MALI WONG-WARREN

Retired Air Force Col. Bob Shawn poses with members of CelticAire and Silver Wings after their recent performance at the Smithso-nian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

see HERO, page 8


BY KATHY CANFIELD779TH MEDICAL SUPPORT SQUADRON

Lt. Col. Chrystal D. Hender-son assumed com-mand of the 779thMedical Opera-tions Squadronon July 10, 2014,at the Joint BaseAndrews theater.Lt. Col. Hen-

derson replacesCol Steven T.Lamb and willhave direct com-mand responsibil-ity for the dailyoperations of theFamily HealthClinic, Pediatrics Clinic, AllergyImmunization Clinic, PhysicalTherapy, Occupational Therapyand Chiropractic Services, Men-

tal Health Services, InternalMedicine Clinic with five subspe-cialties, Emergency Medicine andfor 49 Air Force providers of the

Critical Care Units atFort Belvoir Communi-ty Hospital and WalterReed National MilitaryMedical Center alongwith the Fort BelvoirFamily Practice Resi-dency.Prior to her ar-

rival, Lt. Col. Hender-son served as the com-mander, 42nd MedicalOperations Squadronand deputy commander,42nd Medical Group, atMaxwell Air Force Base,

Alabama. As commander, Lt. Col.Henderson was responsible for es-tablishing policies and maintain-ing standards of practice within

the primary and specialty careclinics for more than 40,000 ben-eficiaries in the Maxwell/Guntercommunity, while ensuring thequality and provision of $1.5M inhealthcare services.Col. Thomas Cantilina, com-

mander, 779th Medical Group, of-ficiated the ceremony.“It is truly an honor and a priv-

ilege to be the commander of the779th Medical Operations Squad-ron. This squadron is much largerthan the previous one I command-ed with a greater array of servic-es offered, but I am definitely upto the challenge. Col Lamb dida superb job and has set me upfor success. I have no doubt thatthe men and women of the 779thMedical Operations Squadronwill continue to do great things.I cannot wait to get started!” saidLt. Col. Henderson.

779th Medical Operations Squadronwelcomes new commander

Lt. Col. Chrystal D.Henderson

BY MELANIE MOORE79TH MEDICAL WING PUBLIC

AFFAIRS OFFICER

Lt. Col. Andrew C. Lattimoreassumed commandof the 779th Medi-cal Support Squad-ron at a ceremonyat Malcolm GrowMedical Clinics andSurgery Center onJune 25.Lt. Col. Latti-

more replaces Lt.Col. ChristopherVaughn and willcommand the morethan 350 person-nel who supportthe 779th MedicalGroup in MedicalLogistics, Facility Management,

Resource Management, MedicalReadiness, Information Systems,TRICARE and Patient Adminis-tration, Pharmacy, Clinical Lab-oratory, Nutritional Medicine,

and the CommandersSupport Staff. Thesquadron managesa $51 Million an-nual Operation andMaintenance budget,$20 Million in WarReserve Materiel, amanpower programencompassing 1,300personnel, and a 43acre medical campuswith 562,000 squarefeet of facility space.He will also provideadministrative com-mand oversight for

50 Air Force medical residents

within the National Capital Re-gion.Prior to his arrival, Lt. Col.

Lattimore was the Commander,436th Medical Support Squad-ron, Administrator of the 436thMedical Group, and also servedas the Deputy Commander,436th Medical Group, Dover AirForce Base, Delaware.Colonel Thomas Cantilina,

Commander of the 779th Medi-cal Group, officiated the ceremo-ny.“This is a special day for me

and my wife and we are happyto be back. We look forward tothe opportunity to work withthe men and women of Team An-drews as will do our part to en-sure Malcom Grow Medics con-tinue to be the Face of Air ForceMedicine!”

779th Medical Support Squadronwelcomes new commander

COL. OBA VINCENT

ASSUMES COMMAND

OF 459TH ASTS

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/MAJ. TIM SMITH

Colonel Oba Vincent (right) receives the guidon from Col. ScheidHodges, commander, 459th Air Refueling Wing, and assumescommand of the 459th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, duringan Assumption of Command ceremony July 19 at Joint BaseAndrews, Md. Vincent comes to the wing from Kirtland Air ForceBase, NewMexico, where he served as a medical inspector andteam leader with the Air Force Inspection Agency and led healthservices inspections at Guard and Reserve medical Squadronsacross the country.

Lt. Col. AndrewC. Lattimore

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fidence is actually what helps you thrive in leadership. It’snot about me. It’s not about how fearful I am or how muchI want to do it. It’s about the lives that I’m going to touch.Every time I don’t feel like doing something, that’s whatI have to keep in my mind. That’s what I really focus on,”Gabrielle said.Her mother, Marcella Mollon-Williams, is her manager.

Gabrielle is armed with her own public relations profes-sional and marketing director.“I have always been very interested in jewelry. At 7

years old, I taught myself how to make jewelry by goingonto YouTube. Later on, I found out that there are sixgenerations of entrepreneurs in my family before me onmy mom’s side. I felt like I really wanted to continue thislegacy of being an entrepreneur, so I decided to create ajewelry business,” Gabrielle said.Gabrielle sells her creations made of gemstones and

precious metals from her website, during events and at alocal design studio. The founder of Jewelz of Jordan saysthat professional women can wear her jewelry from theboardroom to the ballroom, although she wears some ofher pieces casually. Penning her first book increased op-portunities to pursue more business endeavors.“It started out with a competition in my school called

Write A Book. I was 11 years old and already had my busi-ness at that time. I decided to write a book about entrepre-neurship for kids. I wanted to share with kids how theycould get started in a business or go after dreams andgoals that they had set for themselves.”The young author made it to state level of the competi-

tion, but she did not win the main prize, which was gettingthe winning book placed in a library system. Gabrielle per-severed and added more chapters to her manuscript. Hermother helped her to self-publish her book that is gearedtoward youth. The response to “The Making Of A YoungEntrepreneur: A Kid’s Guide To Developing The Mind-SetFor Success” has been extremely favorable. Children andadults have reportedly been inspired to take action to livetheir dreams, because of the key messages that they havegleaned from Gabrielle’s book.July 12, the experienced keynote speaker stood in front

of a stage spreading her inspirational message, informing

attendees of Prince George’s County’s 1st InternationalFestival that it’s all right to be afraid to start a venture,although it is critical not to get stuck in fear.“There will be people that need your unique value. It’s

for you to bring out and use it in the world to inspire andmotivate. I saw there was a need. Even kids were askingme all of these questions. I said, ‘Who knows how manyother times fear will overtake me? How many kids would Iget the opportunity to inspire?’ Even though I was afraid,I decided to move forward anyway,” Gabrielle said. “I start-ed speaking at schools. I started speaking at churches. Ihad such a great response. Kids were coming up to me andtelling me that they were inspired, and that they wantedto start a business. I was also even more inspired becauseadults were coming up to me telling me that they quittheir business, but because they heard me speak, becausethey read my book, ‘I’m going to get started again. You’re ayoung, little 11-year-old girl, and you are already writing

a book and becoming an author, and becoming an entre-preneur speaking. I should be able to start a business.’”The philanthropist often illustrates her philosophy

about the importance of giving back. Gabrielle said thatshe decided to donate a dollar of every retail book sale toan organization of her choice. The philanthropist report-edly feels humbled by giving back. She believes in beinga part of a solution, because more problems exist than wecan count. Gabrielle is service-oriented and wants to helpovercome problems in this world. She is also the YouthAmbassador for a nonprofit organization called TigerlilyFoundation, which offers hands-on support to young wom-en between the ages of 15 to 40, before, during and afterbreast cancer.“I tell kids you don’t have to wait to be a leader tomor-

row. A lot of people say leaders of tomorrow. Be a leadertoday. Inspire people today. Go after your dreams today.Work hard today. The world needs your unique value to-day. The world needs what you have,” Gabrielle said.In November, Gabrielle will be traveling to California

and New York to speak. She will be receiving anotheraward in New York. As Gabrielle builds the entrepreneur-ial life of her dreams, she manages to maintain normalcy.Despite being positioned for radio, television and onlineinterviews, she balances her tremendous writing and jew-elry making gifts with other hobbies like cooking and box-ing.“When it comes to success for me, I don’t think it’s real-

ly about having a lot of money. Success is really the mind-set. I talk about mindset a lot. I say everything starts inyour mind. When I am describing success, I believe thatit’s a state that you feel like you have reached a level, butyou’re ready to achieve more. When you’re reaching mul-tiple goals at a time, and you’re still continuing to growmore and more, you’re not in one position. You’re still mov-ing forward.”The ambitious author is currently working on a new

book that is expected to be released in the fall of 2014 orspring 2015. Learn more about Gabrielle at www.gabri-ellejordaninspires.com and her jewelry business via www.jewelzofjordan.com.

INSPIRE, from page 1

PHOTO BY ANDREA BLACKSTONE

Gabrielle, founder of Jewelz of Jordan, speaks to festivalattendees during Prince George’s County’s 1st Interna-tional Festival July 12. The entrepreneur is also a philan-thropist, author and accomplished speaker.

BY AMBER J. RUSSELL11TH WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The United States Air Force Personnel Center and the11th Force Support Squadron are bringing the Team An-drews community together with the new Community Com-mons Project slated for completion early in 2015.The new community commons will reduce operation

cost by consolidating the Learning Resource Center [li-brary], Information Tickets and Travel, or ITT, resourcesand the former Sports Page food operation.“I became involved with the project in October 2013

when it was still in its infancy,” Maj. Kelli Moon, 11thForce Support Squadron operation officer said. “We didn’treally know what the building was going to be. We didknow, however, there was a services transformation direc-tion where the AFPC component wanted to have a one-stop shop for Joint Base Andrews patrons.”Recently, AFPC decided JBA and Canon Air Force Base

will be the two test sites for the Community CommonsProject - where people can visit to get information, congre-gate, relax and simply be themselves.“Being in the National Capital Region and so close to

the Pentagon, we are like the model base for the Air Force,”Moon said. “We have to step up our game and look at newinnovative ways to bring customers in. Within the lastcouple of months we have taken this to a whole new level. “Feedback from base patrons is a cornerstone for the

new initiative. Two food surveys have been distributed tobase members to solicit input.“Aside from the Air Force survey, [11th FSS] did a sepa-

rate one to find out what people want,” Moon stated. “Thefood operation used to just be a sports bar; we’re trying tomake this more of a family-oriented place and offer some-thing you can’t get anywhere else on base.”The feedback the unit received from patrons reflected a

yearning for more healthy items without losing the abilityto serve adult beverages in the evening, she said.The building, which is next to the West Fitness Cen-

ter and near the Jacob Smart Building, is convenient forgetting a healthy snack before or after a workout, or ca-tering special events. According to Cheryl Gritton librarymanager, the services within the building can integrateto bring the community together, as well as give new basemembers options for on and off base activities.“We can now plan our programming with the ITT re-

sources center,” Gritton said. “For instance if our summer

reading program is studying history, we can coordinatetours to museums in the surrounding area, and you caneat at the restaurant before or after the event.”Team Andrews families will also be able to take advan-

tage of an expanded game room with up to 12 TVs and avariety of video game consoles. The computer room will belarger as well.The new multi-purpose room can now divide three ways

to accommodate large conferences. There will also be a cof-fee kiosk, smoothie bar andWi-Fi throughout the building.Leo VanWart, 11th FSS community support flight chief,

is also charged with the responsibility of making the land-

scape of building 1442 a safe haven for members of theArmed Forces and their dependents.“Our intention is for this to become a location of esprit

de corps, meant to provide a morale boosting experience,VanWart said. I think the new name should reflect that;and base members should have a say in what to call it.“Now’s the time to let people know where we’re at with

this project,” he said. “There is a dual purpose we areworking toward - Building a community and taking careof the community.”For further questions regarding this base togetherness

initiative, contact the 11th FSS office, (301) 981-9333.

Air Force model project brings unity in the community

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY AMBER J. RUSSELL

The Community Activity Center, building 1442 here, is undergoing a makeover scheduled to be complete by years end.The new community commons will reduce operation cost by consolidating the Learning Resource Center [library],Information Tickets and Travel, or ITT, resources and the former Sports Page food operation.

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man FastTrac NewVenture partnered to offer a scholar-ship that covers the full cost of the class for veterans. Thismay be the last time the scholarship will be offered byCap. City CDC, so interested veterans are encouraged totake advantage of this opportunity. Four classes have beenoffered thus far.Ret. Lt. Col. Arvonette “Deano” Burrell, is a facilitator

of Cap. City CDC’s Veteran Entrepreneurship course, andProgram Manager for Special Initiatives for the Develop-ment of Veteran Owned Businesses.“We’ve received well over 50 evaluations from past

students, and generally speaking, the students stronglyagreed with the course materials, and they thought thecourse and instructor was effective. What I like is thatwe’re putting veterans in the mix. We want them to beentrepreneurs, so they can empower themselves, empowertheir families and empower their communities. Makingentrepreneurs is my special way of giving back to the com-munity,” he said.Affiliates provide the FastTrac NewVenture for the Vet-

eran Entrepreneur course, including Cap. City CDC. Theorganization began offering the entrepreneurial trainingcourses in 2013. As a part of the course, veterans in theearly stages of business development are able to test thefeasibility of their concept before launching them. Immer-sive instruction helps entrepreneurs assess their abilitiesas entrepreneurs, evaluate the viability of a business idea,create a business concept and plan, define strategies for

establishing and marketing a business, analyze pricingfor a product or service, and understand capital needs andfinancial statements.Burrell will facilitate instruction and presentations, along

with invited guest speakers and local entrepreneurs whowill share lessons learned in starting and operating a busi-ness. Registered participants will have access to a varietyof activities, examples, concepts and audio and video clipsfeaturing successful entrepreneurs. Students can expect bechallenged to evaluate their entrepreneurial goals, and in-vestigate business feasibility and concept development.“What I like about the class is that we have an oppor-

tunity in helping veterans take the first step in becomingentrepreneurs. We at Cap. City CDC believe that moreveterans entrepreneurs are needed, especially in Ward 7.In the process of creating their business plan, they be-come subject matter experts on their business and indus-try. We use 10 modules for the course. One module a weekgives students a chance to do the research,” Burrell said.“They understand that they have to make time to do theresearch, so that they can become experts. We help themchange their paradigm, and let them know that they don’thave to be rocket scientists to create a good business plan.If we can help change their mindsets and thinking, we canhelp them change their paradigm.”Cap. City CDC is located at 4645 Nannie Helen Bur-

roughs Ave. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20019. Registrationwill remain open until July 30. Interested veterans mayregister at http://capitolcity.affiliate.fasttrac.org or con-tact Michael ElShengo at 1-202-800-7966 for more infor-mation about the free course.

PHOTO BY INTROVERTED PICTURES

President and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce,Harry Wingo, speaks with a veteran at Capitol City CDC’sVeteran Entrepreneurship Symposium on June 27 at the93rd Annual Convention of the Disabled American Veter-ans D.C. Chapter.

VETERANS, from page 1

dor Metrorail Project. Five new stations—McLean, TysonsCorner, Greensboro, Spring Hill andWiehle-Reston East—are expected to open to the public at noon. The Silver Linewill operate betweenWiehle-Reston East Metro Station inVa. and Largo Town Center Metro Station in Md., makingstops through downtown D.C. The first train leaving Wieh-le-Reston East Metro Station is scheduled to head towardLargo Town Center Metro Station, during the unveiling ofthe new stations.According to www.silverlinemetro.com, in the first

couple of years, Metro estimates that the Silver Line willeventually attract 50,000 riders travelling to and from thenew stations each day. Customers who ride the OrangeLine are eventually expected to switch to the Silver Line,due to convenience. Large employers and shopping areaslike Tysons Galleria are located near the new metro stopsin Va. Riders will now have direct access to Tysons Cornerand Reston without having to change trains at Stadium-Armory Metro Station in Washington, D.C. Metro reportedthat riders will be in walking distance of the economic cen-ters and other attractions near four clusters of stationsaround Tysons Corner.“The Silver Line will provide new connections to sev-

eral of the region’s most dynamic and rapidly growingeconomic centers. Coupled with integrated bus service,the Silver Line’s high-quality, high-capacity transit ser-vice will give riders new, traffic-free access to employment,entertainment,and shopping opportunities,” the officialSilver Line brochure informed.Prior to first train leaving at noon, an opening-day cer-

emony will be held in Reston, Va. Transportation represen-tatives are scheduled to be present at Largo Town CenterMetro Station to inform potential users in Prince George’sCounty of the Silver Line’s opening. Metro says that theSilver Line will bring a net increase in rail service andallow shorter wait times. Trains will be scheduled to runevery six minutes during rush hour. There will reportedlybe a 50 percent increase in availability of trains at theLargo Town Center Metro Station. During off-peak times,trains will be scheduled to run every 12-20 minutes. Metroreported that customers will notice an increase of trainsrunning on weekends at Morgan Boulevard and Largo Me-trorail Stations.After the Silver Line begins service, Metro users who

ride Blue and Orange Lines may notice service reductions.Service changes during peak times are outlined on www.wmata.com under Alerts & Advisories for Orange and Bluelines.Early construction of Phase 2 of the Silver Line is un-

derway. Another 11-mile section of new track will extendthe Silver Line into Loudon County, Va. When fully com-pleted, service will also run to Washington Dulles Inter-national Airport. Completion of the expansion is expectedto occur in 2018.For more information about the Silver Line, visit www.

silverlinemetro.com. Riders may also sign up and custom-ize MetroAlerts at www.wmata.com/MetroAlerts to be no-tified of Metro service disruptions and delays.

SILVER LINE, from page 1

While the firefighters were trying to put out theflames, McBride called his clients in Newark.“I said, ‘I am not going to be able to make it to this

meeting - I am literally watching my house on fire,’” hesaid.The cause of the fire was from a faulty wire connected

to an overhead light inside a kitchen cabinet. The con-stant flow of electricity ignited the wood cabinet, and onthe stovetop there was a pot of cooking oil.“So, when it hits that, it goes from a cabinet on fire to

a ball of flames,” McBride said. “And she’s laying there.”“If not for the banging of the door, she would have

died,” McBride said. “Carbon Monoxide would have got-ten her, and the whole building would have gone up.”“The only reason why I discovered that fire out of sure

coincidence is because my clients set a meeting for 9:00A.M.,” McBride said. “We all would have died.”McBride credited his reaction to the fire to the 20

years of training he received in the Air Force and AirForce Reserve.“I absolutely, without a doubt feel that the way I re-

acted to the fire was in large part due to the training Ireceived in the Air Force,” he said. “One of the thingsthey train us is to remain calm, assess the situation, andthink about what you need to do and prioritize.”“You are able to control the panic that wants to over-

take you,” McBride said. “You are able to control thatand allow your Air Force training to really go throughthose steps.”“I am extremely thankful — I am alive, McBride said.

“This has had a fundamental change in my life. I ammore appreciative of every day.”

HERO, from page 5

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