seagull 1 june-july 2006 - 102nd intelligence wing

Seagull June-July 20061


From the operations group commander’s desk

Col. Timothy Lynch

By Col. Timothy Lynch102nd Operations Group commander

At this time of year, change can be seen all around.Every spring we see our world transform itself; there is

a renewed hope of what lies ahead. Now may be a perfecttime to take a fresh look at who we are, whom we wouldlike to be, and how to become more effective in both ourpersonal and professional lives.

So today I will share some thoughts on how we can beproactive and take personal responsibility in maintainingbalanced, productive lives.

Reaching the proper balance in our lives pays hugedividends in our daily successes. It is important because ifwe don’t, the mission will suffer. Chief Master Sergeant ofthe Air Force Gerald Murray recently said, “Our Airmen’squality of performance is directly related to their quality oflife.”

So how can we enhance quality (reach the properbalances) and ensure high, sustained performance?

One method of measuring quality of one’s life is bylooking at the status of our health, happiness, and theenergy levels we bring to each day. Health, happiness, andpositive energy are all achievable when we keep ourphysical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energies in thepositive and in the proper balance.

Air Force Materiel Command uses similar concepts in its“Wellness is an Attitude” campaign. Moreover, similarthemes were previously developed in Jim Loehr’s and TonySchwartz’s book “The Power of Full Engagement.”

Keeping ourselves physically fit is the most importantcontributor and lays the basic energy foundation. Consis-tent sleep cycles (such as Ben Franklin’s “early to bed,early to rise” theme), regular refueling breaks (eating 4-5small meals filled with complex, low glycemic meals andnever skipping breakfast), and daily exercise (aerobic,anaerobic, stretching, etc.) all set the stage for muchhigher, sustained energy/wellness.

The next assessment is of our mental energies. We aredoing well in this area when we are able to fully focus onthe tasks at hand, to visualize a clear path to success, andcontinue to expand and challenge our minds (old adage of

Striking aBalance

“use it or lose it” applies).Third, we have to strike the proper balance on the

emotional side. Having the self confidence in taking on newchallenges and finding enjoyment in living life (a life livedto the fullest based on whatever cards are dealt to us) aresome of the questions we need to ask. Additionally, thepower of positive thinking so often heard post-BRACcomes into play.

Lastly, there is the spiritual dimension. Knowing why weare here and how we fit into the grand design (i.e., what isour purpose beyond our own self interests), living each daywith courage and integrity, and sticking to our deeply heldvalues are all key areas to explore when making our selfassessments.

The Air Force core values appear to capture this dimen-sion quite well (“Service Before Self, Integrity First, andExcellence in All We Do”).

So take a moment to look within and see if the properbalance exists between the physical, mental, emotional, andspiritual energies. They won’t all be equal, but they allshould be present and they all should make positive contri-butions to your overall energy levels. Keeping these inbalance and in the positive will bring us to better health,increased happiness, and much higher energy levels whichwill be evident in improved performance both on and off thefield of play.

If we work hard to keep our lives in balance, we willincrease our productivity and will live much happier andsatisfying lives.

If we find ourselves running on empty in any one of thefour key areas, it is time to make changes and take the firstsmall steps. Creating new habits and positive “rituals” isone way of getting back on track. Once new routines reachthe autopilot stage, we will find ourselves fully energizedand ready to take on life’s challenges.

“A true leader has the confidence to standalone, the courage to make tough decisions, andthe compassion to listen to the needs of others.He does not set out to be a leader, but becomesone by the equality of his actions and the integ-rity of his intent.” - Gen. Douglas MacArthur


This month...MSgt. Gendreauadds a diamond

Story on Page 5

Story on Page 6

Story on Page 14

Group honorsMSgt. Boyd

Weather Flightgets award

ON THE

COVER

Col. Paul WorcesterCommander

Col. Anthony SchiaviVice Commander

1st Lt. Nicole IversPublic Affairs Officer

Master Sgt. Ken WheelerEditor

Senior Airman James ReganCliff McDonald

StaffDoris S. Bousquet

ProofreadingHarry B. Harding & Son

Printer

This funded Air Force newspaper is anauthorized publication for members of theU.S. military services. Contents of the Seagullare not necessarily the official views of, orendorsed by, the U.S. Government, the De-partment of Defense or the Department of theAir Force. The editorial content is edited,prepared, and provided by the Public AffairsOffice of the 102nd Fighter Wing, Mass. AirNational Guard, 158 Reilly St., Box 60, OtisANG Base, Mass., 02542-1330. All photosare Air Force photographs unless otherwiseindicated.

Seagull

Tech. Sgt. Paul Jacques donsfirefighting gear along withanother firefighter at MacDillAir Force Base, Fla., where acontingent from Otis spent twoweeks training. Related storyand more photos on Page 8.


The deadline for submission of articlesfor the August Seagull is July 21. Noarticles can be accepted after this dead-line.

Articles for publication should be nolonger than 350 words. The public af-fairs staff has the right to edit all articlesfor content and length.

Items should be sent over the LAN [email protected] prepared on a floppy disk, preferablyin Word for Windows.

Articles on disk also should be submit-ted with a printed copy to the PublicAffairs Office, Building 158, room 209.For more information call 508-968-4090.

Seagulldeadline

Upcomingdrill dates

Drill hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 3:30p.m. Sundays.

What’sfor

lunch?2006

June 8-9June 10-11Aug. 26-27Sept. 16-17

Oct. 21-22Nov. 2-3Nov. 4-5Dec. 2-3

* First drill in June replaces July drill.* June 8-11 is for Unit Compliance

Inspection preparation.* First drill in November replaces

July 2007 drill.* Unit Compliance Inspection Nov.

2-7.

Wing cabletelevision

The 102nd Fighter Wing CATVbroadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek on the following channels:

Channel 3: Fox NewsChannel 9: CNN, defaults to training

broadcastsChannel 11: Pentagon Channel, de-

faults to training broadcastsFor questions about broadcasting,

please contact Multimedia at exten-sion 4516.

Medical groupneeds new

first sergeantThe 102nd Medical Group is looking

to fill a first sergeant vacancy.Resumes should be submitted to

Command Chief Master Sgt. RoyPiver. He can be contacted at 508-968-4503 or [email protected] no laterthan the close of business Tuesday,Aug 1.

For a description of duties and re-sponsibilities, see Air Force Manual36-2108 and Air Force Instruction 36-2113.

Technical sergeant applicants mustbe a graduate of an in-residence non-commissioned officer academy and beimmediately eligible for promotion tomaster sergeant. A minimum physicalfitness score of 75 also is required.

A two-week course at Maxwell AirForce Base, Ala., is mandatory andmust be completed within one year ofselection.

Thursday, June 8Pork spareribs or chicken

salad wrap, salad, vegetables,assorted desserts and bever-ages.

Friday, June 9Chicken broccoli and ziti or

fish, salad, vegetables, assorteddesserts and beverages.

Saturday, June 10Spaghetti and meatballs or Ital-

ian subs, salad, vegetables, as-sorted desserts and beverages.

Sunday, June 11Roast beef or grilled Reuben

sandwich, salad, vegetables, as-sorted desserts and beverages.

2006 MSgt. ThomasFlynn Award

nominations dueNominations for this year’s Master

Sgt. Thomas Flynn Award are due nolater than June 11 to the First Ser-geants Council.

Any member of the 102nd FighterWing can nominate anyone else in theunit for the award.

The nomination should consist ofone to two typewritten pages in outlineformat containing a description of theperson’s contributions to patriotism,morale and volunteer participation inwing events. A typewritten cover let-ter should contain the nominee’s name,rank, duty section, home address, su-pervisor and commander, thenominator’s name, rank, duty sectionand duty phone.

The award winner will be announcedat Family Day.

Please take a few minutes to recog-nize and nominate a member you knowwho deserves recognition for doing somuch for others.

For more information, contact Se-nior Master Sgt. Michael Poirier atextension 508-968-4662 or [email protected].

Have a happy,safeJuly 4


By Master Sgt. Ken WheelerWith a focus on “helping my people,”

Master Sgt. Raymond Gendreau hastaken over as the new first sergeant ofthe 102nd Aircraft Maintenance Squad-ron.

He replaces Master Sgt. ThomasRudzik, who is now the supervisor of theaircraft ground equipment shop.

A veteran of 21 years military service,Sergeant Gendreau says his focus in hisnew job is to see that maintenance per-sonnel are “ prepared to perform themission and see that outstanding perfor-mance is recognized and rewarded.”

“I hope to utilize personal recognitionto create better morale in the squadron.... I also hope to put forth a positivemilitary image that people will want tofollow, maintaining high standards formyself and hope others will follow. Wehave a lot of good people” in the squad-ron and the wing, he said.

“My success, ultimately, will be basedon the success of my people. ... I wantto see people do well. ... I want them to

Master Sgt. Gendreau adds diamondfeel good about themselves.”

In preparation for whatever new mis-sion the 102nd might receive, SergeantGendreau wants to ensure the membersof his squadron are ready to take on theresponsibilities that will come with what-ever the mission will be.

“Another goal is having people pre-pared for the change that is inevitable. ...If members complete their PME (Pro-fessional Military Education), completetheir upgrade training, and put them-selves in the best position to succeed,they will! ... I want people to have jobsand opportunities because opportunitieswill be available, but only for those whoare prepared.”

Sergeant Gendreau started his careerwith three years in the Air Force, work-ing as an integrated avionics systemsmechanic on F-15 Eagles at HollomanAir Force Base, N.M.

Two months after he left the Air Force,“I heard that Otis received F-15s” and inAugust 1988, he joined the 102nd as atraditional Guard member, again work-

ing in the integrated avionics section.“I brought some active-duty experi-

ence to the job. At that time, most of thepeople were recently out of tech school.After basic training and tech school, Ihad worked on the planes for two years.

In September 1989, he became a full-time technician in the avionics test sta-tion where he repairs the various “blackboxes” on the F-15 Eagles that includeradar, electronic warfare and electroniccountermeasures systems.

Born in Fall River, Sergeant Gendreauis a graduate of BMC Durfee HighSchool and has associate’s degrees inavionics systems technology from theCommunity College of the Air Force andin liberal arts from Cape Cod Commu-nity College.

He and his wife, Staff Sgt. TabithaGendreau of the career enhancementsection of the 102nd Military PersonnelFlight, have three children: Samatha,Leesha and Jarren.

Photo by Master Sgt. Wes Smith

Master Sgt.RayGendreau,new firstsergeantfor the102ndAircraftMaintenanceSquadron,helps Tech.Sgt. YvetteBennettwith herfitnessquestionaire.


By Master Sgt. Ken WheelerFor his work with a variety of military-

related and veterans organizations, Mas-ter Sgt. Kenneth Boyd has been honoredby the Armed Forces Committee ofWorcester County as the OutstandingU.S. Air Force Noncommissioned Of-ficer of the Year. The award was pre-sented in mid-May.

Sergeant Boyd, a member of the 102ndLogistics Readiness Squadron, is thevehicle operations supervisor in the mo-tor pool where he works with a fleet ofmore than 200 vehicles, ranging fromsedans and pickup trucks to tractor-trailers and buses.

As part of that job, he is responsible forissuing military driver’s licenses and con-ducting no-notice inspections of vehiclesused by various sections at Otis, ensuring

Worcester grouphonors MSgt. Boydas outstanding NCO

Master Sgt. Kenneth Boyd

that personnel there are keeping thevehicles maintained.

Sergeant Boyd is also assistant non-commissioned officer in charge of theBase Honor Guard, which conducts flagceremonies at various venues, such asprofessional sporting events.

He has also taken his expertise to helpother organizations with their honorguards, including the Veterans of For-eign Wars post in Melrose and the Viet-nam Veterans Association chapter inStoneham. Sergeant Boyd also hasworked with veteran’s agents aroundMassachusetts to enhance their com-munity involvement efforts.

A letter carrier in Watertown, Ser-geant Boyd also has helped with U.S.Postal Service Muscular Dystrophy fund-raisers in that town.

During his 18 years of military service,Sergeant Boyd served four years in theAir Force, also working in vehicle opera-tions.

In 2004, he was one of five membersof the motor pool who were mobilizedfor six months and deployed to Balad AirBase, Iraq, where Sergeant Boyd wasthe supervisor for vehicle operations,responsible for vehicles used on the baseand in convoys sent to other parts of thecountry.

By Airman 1st ClassAlexis R. Colonna

Airmen, E-1 through E-6, do youknow where to go to discuss suchthings as:

-- Passing general feedback up theranks for resolution,

-- Finding your way around or find-ing resources,

-- What trends could be improvedupon,

-- What kinds of things do we do wellhere,

-- Differences or “best practices” todiscuss for possible implementation,

-- Effects of locally high levels ofexperience and rank on education andtraining on new non-prior members,

-- Smoothing conversion from activeduty to the Air National Guard,

-- Implications of converting to dual

status,-- Tools available for tracking indi-

vidual promotion status,-- Resource overload, how not to get

lost in the jungle of resources at yourfingertips,

-- Locally authorized uniform varia-tions,

-- Health issues arising out of localtrends or policies.

This is just a short list of exemplarytopics addressed by the Airmen’s

Council. If you have questions or wouldlike to contribute or participate on be-half of your shop or unit, please feelfree to look over the Airmen’s Councilwebsite, which is accessible directlyfrom the Otis home intranet page, andcome to our meetings, held in the WingConference Room, Building 158 at 1p.m. on Saturday of drill weekends.

We’d like to see all units repre-sented, so please join us!

Council is there to offer help


By Master Sgt. Keith Delgado102nd Medical GroupBioenvironmental engineering

As indicated by the motorist organization AAA, theaverage price of a gallon of regular gas, at $2.83 a gallon,is 27 percent more expensive than last year. Some de-scribed this as, “putting a huge dent in their pockets.”

But even though, as you stand there “fuming” about thehigh price, don’t use your cell phone while pumping gas.Make your cell phone call in a safe place away from the gasstation and then, complain to whomever you feel wouldlisten to your rant.

Although there has never been a confirmed incident of arefueling fire caused by using a cell phone during refueling,according to the American Petroleum Institute, it’s best togive your full attention to the fueling process and tominimize distractions that cell phones can cause.

We have all seen false e-mails and claims that there havebeen explosions caused by cell phones, but the CellularTelecommunications Industry Association adamantly de-nies the risk. The CTIA said, “There is no evidencewhatsoever that a wireless phone has ever caused ignitionor explosion at a service station anywhere in the world. Cellphones don’t cause gas stations to blow up. The warnings

Cell Phone usage at the pump?being posted in gas stations simply perpetuate the myth.”

For all of you myth buster aficionados out there, this wasfeatured on the television show Mythbusters’ “Episode 2,Cell Phone Destruction” as seen on the Discovery Chan-nel.

News reports routinely attribute gas pump fires to cellphone use whenever a fire occurs at a service stationwhere such a cell phone was in use at the time, and somesimply assume the connection between the two to be valid.Later investigations, however, have always shown in suchcases that the press reports were wrong, that somethingelse touched off the fires, and the presence of cell phoneswas coincidental rather than the actual cause.

The Mythbusters’ conclusion was that static dischargefrom person to car was the most likely initiator of any suchfires reported.

Bottom line; adhere to the warning signs posted atservice stations.

The presence of the “DO NOT USE CELL PHONES”sign is simply posted for customers to give their fullattention to the fueling process.

It is designed to help alleviate any mishaps and allow youto concentrate on putting that huge dent in your pocket asyou fill up your gas tank.

PromotionsTo colonel

Maureen McCarthyTo technical sergeant

Thomas J. BurchellFred P. CarreiroJulie A. HeadleyPaul W. JacquesRobert Palomba Jr.Mark S. SheridanKeith Vaillancourt

To staff sergeantKimberly AndersonNathan F. DubovskyRichard C. KochRandy D. MatosChristien Savard

To senior airmanAnthony S. CastelliJustin M. GoffPatrick R. Hill

Technical school honorsMaster Sgt. Weston Smith, 102nd

Communications Flight, honor gradu-ate, basic still photography course, FortGeorge Meade, Md.

Senior Airman Sonia D. Jones, 102ndFighter Wing, academic excellenceaward, financial management andcomptroller apprentice school,Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Airman 1st Class Megan Cuthbert,102nd Maintenance Group, two let-ters of apprecation at Avionics TestStation and Aircraft Component Ap-prentice School, Sheppard AFB, Texas.

Welcome aboard102nd Security Forces Squadron

Airman 1st Class Kevin J. DaSilva,security forces apprentice, Taunton.

Staff Sgt. Charles R. Kinville, Secu-rity Forces specialist, Mashpee.

102nd Maintenance SquadronStaff Sgt. Scot W. Kurpick, aircraft

ground equipment mechanic, Braintree.102nd Civil

Engineering SquadronSenior Airman Phillip C. Kersey,

heating, ventilation and air condition-ing specialist, Brockton.

Tech. Sgt. Stephen J. Rawlinson,readiness specialist, Cumberland, R.I.

102nd Medical GroupStaff Sgt. Melanie J. Conner, medi-

cal services specialist, New Ipswich,N.H.

101st Fighter SquadronAirman 1st Class Mark A. Giromini,

aircrew life support specialist ,Belmont.

Staff Sgt. Aaron D. Smith, aircrewlife support specialist , WestBridgewater.

Milestones

Remember!Much of the June unit

training assembly periodwill be devoted topreparation forNovember’s unit

compliance inspection.


By Master Sgt. Douglas Campbell102nd Civil Engineering Squadron

On April 1, 11 members of the 102nd Civil EngineeringSquadron Fire Department traveled to MacDill Air ForceBase, Fla., for 15 days of training.

After some initial difficulties with billeting, the mem-bers got the chance to work in the newest fire station inthe Air Force; it was opened in December.

The firefighters were assigned to one of two rotatingshifts, working 24 hours on, 24 hours off. It sounds great,but it turns out to be a 72-hour workweek with an extra24-hour shift off every other week.

Though MacDill’s firefighters are now working 72-hour workweeks, with upcoming Aerospace Expedition-ary Force deployments, those firefighters left behind willend up working a minimum 96-hour workweek. The Otisfirefighters helped take on some of that load during theirdeployment.

While at MacDill, Otis firefighters also received train-ing in hazardous materials, aircraft rescue firefighting,vehicle operations, emergency medical services, aircraftfamiliarization and several public relations events duringthe trip.

They also were able to offer some structural firefightingtraining with a Northeast flair.

Building construction and environmental extremes weresome of the differences discussed. It was tough for theOtis personnel to deal with Florida’s heat and humidity,while the MacDill personnel found it difficult to compre-hend New England’s cold weather operations. Buildingsin New England also tend to be older - many built in the1800s — and closer together.

Other training sessions highlighted KC-135 egress andthe differences in large-frame vs. small-frame aircraftand the firefighting techniques used for both. Membersalso enjoyed some of the Florida entertainment with daytrips to Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, Tampa BayDevil Rays baseball games, and some local beaches.

During the March UTA, 20 members of the Otisdepartment also participated in live fire training at theBarnstable County Fire Training Academy. That facilityoffers a unique opportunity because most Air Forcetraining uses propane props that do not create the smokeand fire conditions that occur during structural fires.

In addition to the life fire trainer, the academy also hasa “flashover simulator,” a confined space rescue simula-tor and a two-story, full-sized search trainer that is usedto teach search and rescue techniques.

To get first-hand experience of some of what thefirefighters go through, Lt. Col. Eric Pauer, com-mander of the 102nd Civil Engineering Squadron, donnedbreathing apparatus and, with the help of two seniorfirefighters, went through the flashover simulator.

“Putting the gear on, I realized it was a lot heavier

Firefighters get hands-on trainingthan I expected. It also was a lot warmer than I expectedeven wearing the reflective suit,” Colonel Pauer said.“Going into the building, you think you will be able to seemore, but with all the smoke, it is so black, you can’t seeanything. The firefighters have to instinctively know whatto do.

“As a commander, the exercise gave me a better under-standing of what our firefighters go through day in and dayout. It was a great experience.”

The Otis Military Fire Department has a wealth offirefighting experience; most members work for full-timemunicipal fire departments. Some of the members includefire officers up through the rank of deputy chief, or on-callvolunteer firefighters in their home communities.

Airman 1st Class Shaun Colby and Senior AirmenNicholas Cuervels and Anthony Castelli got a KC-125incentive ride.

Tech. Sgt. Paul Jacques gives a thumbs up on the way toa structure fire.


Among oneof themoremundanetasks thatanyfirefighterfaces iskeepingtheequipmentclean.

Lt. Col. Eric Pauer, commander of the 102nd Civil EngineeringSquadron gets some help to make his way through the “flash-oversimula-tor” at the Barnstable County Fire Training Academy.

Colonel Pauer suits up for his session.


Photo by Lt. Col. Christina StevensStaff Sgt. Mike Dorsey, wearing a communications headset, prepares to ready F-15 Eagle 520 for a maintenance checkflight at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.

Maintainers ensurewing’s newer

F-15s are readyto cross ‘the pond’

Master Sgt. Bill Killen helps removes a panel fromaircraft 500.

By Lt. Col. Christina StevensDeployment officer in charge

When Col. Timothy “Tiny” Lynch, 102nd Operations Groupcommander, taxied F-15 C model 519 to the ramp at Otis, itrepresented more than just your average sortie.

It represented lots of planning, 30 days of maintenanceinspection, many confidence flights and thousands of miles.

The aircraft came to Otis from the 18th Fighter Wing tobecome one of our primary assigned aircraft after beingaccepted by the third rotation of 102nd maintainers.

This third group of maintenance folks arrived at Kadena AirBase on Okinawa, Japan, at the end of March and took a fullmonth to inspect and fly two of the 18th Fighter Wing F15Csback to Cape Cod.

(See F-15, Page 11)


Tech. Sgt. Brian Savage ran thetransfer dock operation. “The mostchallenging part was making sure ev-erything was good to go across thepond (Pacific Ocean)” said SergeantSavage. “We wanted to make sure itwas all properly inspected, but wereally got busy when we started fly-ing.”

Sergeant Savage went on to say thatworking with the active duty and visit-ing that part of the world was an“overall incredible experience.”

All the aircraft systems are inspectedduring the process, so the 102nd teamhad representatives from all the shops.

Engine shop was particularly busyinspecting and installing new Pratt &Whitney F100 turbofan motors in thenew tails.

Senior Master Sgt. Mike McCarthy,shop supervisor, was justifiably happywith his team. “I’m extremely proudof the quality and quantity of mainte-nance accomplished by all the indi-viduals deployed to Kadena,Okinawa,” said McCarthy. “Over thepast 5 months engine shop personneland augmentees conducted 14 engine

changes, 21 engine borescope accep-tance inspections, and three augmentorremovals and installations. The pro-fessionalism and focus on mission ac-complishment displayed to this pointhas been very impressive considering

F-15(Continued from Page 10)

Master Sgts. Tim Schilling and Bill Killen work on an aircraft in the transferdock at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan.

all the distractions we have all beenthrough over the past year.”

When the Otis team of 22 personnelhad completed inspecting, fixing andprepping the aircraft, pilots from the101st Fighter Squadron flew the planesto check the systems.

Then maintainers began the nextround of fixing and flying.

After one local sortie, Colonel Lynchpraised the quality of Guard mainte-nance and thanked the team for theirefforts in getting his aircraft ready fora long trip across the Pacific.

With a whole month in the country,the trip wasn’t all work.

“It’s a great little island, I reallyenjoyed the local culture,” said Tech.Sgt. Don Auclair from the mainte-nance squadron machine shop. “Butthe best part of it was the food, half thetime I didn’t know what the heck I waseating. I tried kelp, octopus and localshrimp.”

The rotation culminated with thesuccessful launch of two aircraft backto Cape Cod. Then the team turnedover their tools, briefed the incominggroup and started the long trip backhome.

Photos by Master Sgt. David NurseMaster Sgt. Tim Schilling visits the memorial at the Okinawa Peace Park.


Chapel CallChaplain (Capt.) Mary Scheer

Nearly everyday I speak with some-one experiencing pain, regret, or disap-pointment in some area of his or her life.

They say things like, “It’s not what Ithought it would be,” “this isn’t the wayI hoped things would turn out.”

A man in his late 70s recently told methat he lived his whole life working a jobhe hated and never pursued the thing hehad really wanted to do from the time hewas very young.

“I missed out on my dreams,” he said.It’s easier to dream when we’re young.

My husband and I have six children andas they grew up, I listened to all thedreams they had for when they grew up... dreams about their first car (myyoungest is currently dreaming about abeautiful white Mustang. I encouragedher to keep dreaming), where they wouldgo to school, who they would marry,what kind of career they wanted. Weencouraged our kids to dream and then to actively pursuethose dreams.

But did you ever notice that there are always people outthere ready to rain on your parade. Negative, nay-sayingdream crushers exist.

When our dreams come true and things work out the waywe want them to, life is great, but when they don’t, we tryto figure out what went wrong and who’s to blame.

In her song, “Because Of You,” Kelly Clarkson singsabout the effect one person can have on another. Thecharacter sings about life with her parents, saying:

“Because of you, I never stray too far from thesidewalk.

Because of you, I learned to play on the safeside so I don’t get hurt,

Because of you, I try my hardest just to forgeteverything,

Because of you, I don’t know how to let anyoneelse in,

Because of you,, I’m ashamedof my life because it’s empty,

Because of you, I am afraid.”

The world is full of people singing asimilar song; “Because of you, I’mafraid to try... afraid to risk ... afraid offailing. Because of you, I dropped outof school ...

I didn’t go to college.Because of you, I ran away ... got

married too soon ... didn’t get marriedat all ... had kids too soon ... am raisingthese kids alone ... have poor self es-teem ... am plagued with self doubt ...don’t know how to trust ... regret thepast, hate the present, dread the future... because of you ... I am afraid.”

The truth is, we are all affected by(and we each affect) the people aroundus, sometimes for the good, sometimesfor the bad.

Another truth exists as well. We are more than ourmistakes, more than the things that have happened to us.We are more than our past, more than what people thinkabout us.

We are more than labels, more than diagnosis or dysfunc-tion. We are more than our fears. Everyday, we are morethan we used to be.

There is a power that comes through faith. We have thepower to make changes and choices, to take risks, to riseabove or move beyond.

Our lives can exceed more than we hoped or expected aswe keep dreaming and reaching for those dreams.

It begins by believing that we can, then trusting and actingon that belief.

Finally, in addition to reaching for our own dreams, eachof us has the potential to help someone else reach for theirs.

Each of us is a dream builder or a dream crusher forsomeone else.

At the end of the day, what will they say “Because ofYou?”

‘Because of you’

We are more than ourmistakes, more than the

things that have happenedto us. We are more than

our past, more than whatpeople think about us. We

are more than labels,more than diagnosis or

dysfunction. We are morethan our fears. Everyday,we are more than we used

to be.


Interfaith calendarHoly Days & sacred times

For June & JulyJune

* 1 Ascension of Jesus - Orthodox Christian* 2 Shavuot - Jewish* 4 Pentecost - Christian* 9 St. Columba of Iona - Celtic Christian* 11 Trinity - Christian Pentecost - Orthodox Christian* 15 Corpus Christi - Catholic Christian* 16 Guru Arjan martyrdom - Sikh* 18 All Saints - Orthodox Christian Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ- Catholic Christian* 19 New Church Day - Swedenborgian Christian* 21 Litha - Wicca/Neo Pagan northern hemisphere Yule - Wicca/NeoPagan southern hemisphere* 22 First Nations Day - Canadian Native People* 23 Sacred Heart of Jesus- Catholic Christian* 24 Nativity of Saint John the Baptist - Christian* 29 Feast Day of Saints Peter and Paul - Christian

July* 1 Most Precious Blood of Jesus - Catholic Christian* 6 Dalai Lama Birthday - Buddhist* 9 Martyrdom of the Bab - Baha’i* 11 St Benedict Day - Catholic Christian Guru Purnima - Hindu Asalha Puja Day - Buddhist* 13 Obon (Ulambana) - Buddhist/Shinto* 15 St. Vladimir the Great Day - Orthodox Christian* 24 Pioneer Day- Mormon Christian* 25 St. James the Great Day - Christian

Submitted by the wing chaplain’s office

With the creation of two new Commonwealth of Massa-chusetts military ribbons, several people have been askingabout their precedence with other state ribbons.

The two ribbons are the Massachusetts Defense Expe-ditionary Ribbon and the Massachusetts Defense ServiceRibbon.

Below is the precedence of the ribbons which will beworn below federal awards and decorations and aboveforeign decorations.

Massachusetts individual decorations, awards, and ser-vice ribbons will be worn in the following order of prece-dence over the left breast pocket:

a. Medal of Valor

b. Military Medalc. Medal of Meritd. Humanitarian Service Ribbon. (Note: This is not the

Federal Humanitarian Service Medal)e. Massachusetts Service Medal (ARNG/ANG)f. Desert Storm Service Ribbong. Massachusetts Defense Expeditionary Ribbonh. Massachusetts Defense Service Ribboni. Emergency Service RibbonMassachusetts National Guard awards and decorations

also are worn above any state awards awarded by anotherstate/territory.

Precedence explained for new state medals

NCO educationribbon

Editor’s note: This is the first in aseries that discusses Air Forceawards and decorations.By Staff Sgt. Tabitha M. GendreauCareer enhancement section102nd Mission Support Flight

Noncommissioned officer profes-sional military education graduate rib-bon.

This award, authorized by the Sec-retary of the Air Force on Aug. 28,1962, is awarded to graduates of thefollowing certified NCO PME schools:NCO Preparatory Course, AirmanLeadership School, NCO LeadershipSchool, NCO Academy, Senior NCOAcademy.

Graduation from each successivelevel of PME entitles the member to anoak leaf cluster.

Do not award the ribbon to memberswho only complete the correspondencecourses or similar training conductedby other military services except forin-residence completion of the U.S.Army Sergeant Major Academy, NavySenior Enlisted Academy, or CoastGuard Chief Petty Officer Academy.

Authorized device: oak leaf cluster


By Senior Airman James P. ReganA local Air Guard unit, with a pri-

mary mission of supporting the Army,was selected in May as a recipient ofthe 2005 U.S. Air Force Collens Award,given annually by the Air WeatherAssociation.

The 202nd Weather Flight was oneof three Air National Guard units toreceive the award, said Capt. John F.Cullen, vice commander of the flight.

The outstanding work done by theflight during deployments played a largepart in its being selected for the award,said Captain Cullen.

“All members of the 202nd contrib-uted to mission success whether theywere down range or here at Otis sup-porting those deployed,” said CaptainCullen.

The 202nd deployed two differentteams to Iraq in 2005 in support ofOperation Iraqi Freedom. Each teamspent six months working with theArmy’s 42nd Infantry Division basedin New York. During that time,servicemembers worked with aviationand helicopter units located through-out the country, said Captain Cullen.

They provided a monthly average of771 surface weather observations and815 mission briefings, which enabledpilots to fly an average of 4,500 hoursper month.

202nd Weather Flight earns Air Force honors

Photo by Senior Airman James ReganMaster Sgt. Jeffrey J. Souza watches as Master Sgt. Robert E. Chapman usesa laptop similar to the one they used in Iraq. Both men are from the 202ndWeather Flight, which was recently recognized for excellence with a U.S. AirForce Collens Award.

Commanders made decisions on airassaults and flying missions using theinformation the 202nd provided them,Captain Cullen continued.

The 202nd has received a variety ofrecognitions, including a Collens awardin 1994.

The award is named after Air ForceMaj. Gen. John Collens III, 15th com-mander of the Air Weather Service,who founded the AWA in 1987. Fiveawards are given annually to individu-als, and three are given to weatherflights.

The new battledress uniform.

By Master Sgt. Mitch GettleAir Force Print News

WASHINGTON — The new Airman battleuniform is ready for production and will beavailable in fiscal 2007, said the Air Force deputychief of staff of personnel.

Many factors were considered in developingthe final uniform selection, with the concern forAirmen being at the top of the list, said Brig.Gen. Robert R. Allardice.

“We were looking for a uniform that would beeasier to maintain,” he said. “We wanted toprovide a uniform that the Airman wouldn’t needto spend a lot of out-of-pocket expenses tomaintain.”

“We listened to the Airmen’s request where they

New battle uniform ready for productionwanted pockets to hold small tools, and when theywear body armor, the existing shirt pockets are notaccessible or usable,” General Allardice said. “Itwill have the four pockets on the front of the shirt,and also a small pencil pocket on the left forearmand two pockets on the lower legs. In addition, insidethe side pockets and inside of the breast pocketsthere will be smaller sewn-in pockets to hold smalltools, flashlights or cell phones.”

The new uniform design is a pixilated tigerstripe with four soft earth tones consisting of tan,grey, green and blue. The ABU will have apermanent crease and will be offered in 50-50nylon-cotton blend permanent press fabric elimi-nating the need for winter and summer weightuniforms.


Air Force Print NewsRANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas — Airmen can

now track the status of requests and correspondence sent tothe Air Force Contact Center via the “My Stuff” tab on the AirForce Personnel Center public Web site.

Airmen need a separate user identification and password toaccess “My Stuff” because the new software cannot beaccessed at this time with the reduced sign-on capability usedby the Air Force Portal and the AFPC Secure site.

The system has automatically created a generic user ID andpassword for Airmen who previously corresponded with thecontact center. Those members should have received an e-mail from [email protected] requiring them topersonalize and secure their account by establishing a uniquepassword.

Members who did not receive this e-mail either alreadysecured their account with a unique login and password or theyhave never corresponded with the contact center.

A generic account was established for all Airmen who havenot interacted with the contact center, since they may be

‘My Stuff’ lets Airmen track requestsrequired to do so in the future as part of the Personnel ServiceDelivery Transformation.

Members can personalize their generic account by visitingthe AFPC public Web site at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.miland following these instructions:

— Click the “My Stuff” gray tab on the front page under-neath the search box,

— Type their generic user ID and click the “e-mail Me MyPassword” button. The generic user ID is the member’s lastname and last four digits of their social security number,

— Once the system e-mails the password, members can usetheir generic user ID and password to login and personalizetheir account by creating a unique user ID and password.

Establishing the “My Stuff” account will help Airmen trackany requests, applications or questions they have sent to theAir Force Contact Center.

For questions or issues regarding establishing a “My Stuff”account, call the contact center at (800) 616-3775, option 1,option 1, option 2; commercial (210) 565-5000; or DSN 665-5000.

By Gerry J. GilmoreAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON — Military mem-bers and families coping with the stressof overseas deployments and otherpotential health-threatening issues canlog onto the Internet to get help, said aU.S. military psychologist.

Servicemembers from all compo-nents and their families can obtain amental health self-assessment orscreening through a Web site co-spon-sored by the Department of Defenseand Screening for Mental Health Inc.,a nonprofit organization, said Col. (Dr.)Joyce Adkins, a psychologist with theForce Health Protection and Readi-ness directorate at the DefenseDepartment’s Health Affairs office.

“The (online) screening actually getsyou to where you need to be in termsof counseling,” Dr. Adkins said. “Onceyou do one of the screening checklists,it will give you the benefits that areavailable to you.”

The Web site was brought online inJanuary, and can be found at http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/mili-tary/index.aspx. The link to the survey

is in the upper right corner of the Webpage under “Click for anonymous selfassessment.”

The site augments other DOD men-tal health assistance resources, Dr.Adkins said. People logged onto thesite are asked to answer a series ofquestions. The program “grades” thecompleted survey, Dr. Adkins said,and gives people an evaluation of theirpresent mental health and providesassistance resources, if deemed nec-essary.

Other DOD-endorsed health sitestell customers how to access mentalhealth counseling services, but do notprovide an online mental health screen-ing program, Dr. Adkins said.

National Guard and Reserve mem-bers returning from overseas deploy-ments also are authorized to use theWeb site, Dr. Adkins said. ReturningReserve-component members havetwo years of health benefits providedby the Department of Veterans Af-fairs.

“And, it’s totally free to them,” thecolonel said.

Such services are especially impor-tant now because of the potential stress-ful effects deployments can have onboth military and family members, Dr.Adkins said.

“It’s a concern that people don’tunderstand what their thoughts andfeelings mean as they come back fromdeployment,” Dr. Adkins said. “Asthey re-integrate with their families,there may be conflict in the familythat’s not easily resolved.”

The mental health screening Website and other related programs avail-able to servicemembers and their fami-lies provide “a level of benefits and alevel of service to help them under-stand what services are available tothem for mental health issues,” Dr.Adkins said.

Online mental health screening availableSuch services are especiallyimportant now because of

the potential stressfuleffects deployments can

have on both military andfamily members.


FIRST CLASS MAILU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDOTIS ANG BASE, MA

Permit No. 101

SeagullPublic Affairs Office

158 Reilly Street,Otis ANG Base

Cape Cod, MA 02542-1330

Tech. Sgt. Paul Jacques has a big grin on his face as he rappels off a building as part of the training Otis firefightersreceived while deployed to MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., for training and to help the base Fire Department there.Related story and photo on Page 8.

Fun training

seagull 1 june-july 2006 - 102nd intelligence wing

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