Air Force contracting negotiates way to mission realization

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs10/3/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Much like Ferengi in the Star Trek universe, Air Force contracting specialists have strict standards and practices they must follow before awarding any contract and must be master negotiators with exacting attention to detail following what any good Ferengi would call the "Rules of Acquisition.""The Air Force takes its use of taxpayer money very seriously," said Maj. Chad Sessler, the 379th Contracting Squadron commander, who is serving a one-year tour here and hails from Syracuse, N.Y. "Even though we are a smaller squadron, we are critical to the mission and have a huge impact on the sustainability of the base."While Air Force contractors aren't as ruthless as the Ferengi, they do ensure each party at the negotiations table is handled fairly while ensuring integrity and fairness of the procurement system and never award a contract at the expense of honesty."We take what you need and turn it into something," said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Laube, a 379th CONS contracting officer deployed from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, and a Phoenix native. "A lot of trust is placed on our young Airmen. Each of us can obligate and/or write a contract totaling up to $1 million."These Airmen provide contracting support to a wide spectrum of missions, including major weapons, logistics and sustainment, installation and mission support, and contingency operations. They support national defense and humanitarian missions through global contracting operations by providing leadership, guidance, and execute contractual actions, for both goods and services in support of the warfighter both in garrison and down range."If a customer needs a wrench, we need to know exactly what color, size, make, model, etc., in order to work with the contracted companies to provide the customer exactly what they need to get the mission done," Laube said.Contracting here accomplishes their mission through means of two flights: services and construction.The services flight procures food services contracts, cell phones, vehicle leases, laundry, mail, etc. The construction flight helps civil engineering improve facilities, secures trench contracts and supports flight operations.Part of their job is also traveling downtown to negotiate deals with local vendors for things as simple as milk and linens."We are ambassadors," said Laube. "You're going to interact with the locals -- we have built up a great professional relationship with them as we project respect."Air Force Contracting must balance fulfilling the service's mission with upholding statutory law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and other Air Force policy and guidance."In our profession, the means and the ends carry equal weight," said Master Sgt. William Simpkins, the 379th ECONS superintendent and first sergeant serving a one-year tour and hails from San Angelo, Texas. "It's hard to think of a unit or squadron we haven't touched."Simpkins said his Airmen are always looking for the highest quality goods and services at the lowest cost in the shortest amount of time. These service members are charged with committing the nation's funds to provide for the warfighters around the globe."I'm extremely proud of my Airmen," Sessler said. "They are willing to go the extra mile to get the job done. I've witnessed their selfless dedication to the mission, the customer and the taxpayer. We will posture the Air Force as a demanding customer to our suppliers and ensure our Air Force Contracting processes and systems are able to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow."Referencing his copy of the Ferengi's "Rules of Acquisition," Laube made his wife proud when he explained rule number three, "Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to," noting the similarities between his work and their culture. And while Ferengi have never been lauded for their tenderness, they are, however, praised for their business, negotiating and accounting genius.

Expeditionary fire muster showcases firefighter’s might

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs[gallery type="rectangular" ids="2364,2362,2363,2365,2366,2367,2368"]10/1/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Service members deployed to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here participated in a “Fire Muster” Sept. 28 hosted by the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department.

 More than 80 service members in 20 teams pitted their might in a firefighting flavored challenge wrestling everything from hoses and tires to water buckets and fire trucks. “It was a good turnout,” said Staff Sgt. Daniel Moore, a 379th ECES firefighter deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and a Pana, Ill., native. “Most people don’t realize how much our equipment weighs and what we do on a day-to-day basis. This event really showed them what it takes to be a firefighter out here.” Taking home the trophy, “We Got Worms,” won the event overall. Teams consisted of four members and had to have at least one female on their team. “It was a great opportunity to experience what it means to be a deployed firefighter and I had a blast competing,” said Capt. Jordan Tribble, the 379th AEW wing section commander deployed from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., and a Midwest City, Okla., native. “It was challenging, but in the end my team was fortunate enough to take home the crown -- a big thank you to the firefighters and ECES for putting on the event.”

Wingman culture key to suicide prevention, resiliency

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs9/27/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Resiliency is a term describing skill sets for Airmen to bounce back and grow following adversity. The Wingman Culture strengthens Airmen by providing them the tools and support to face the challenges of military life, especially while deployed.September is known across the Department of Defense as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, focusing efforts on the Wingman Culture and the availability of helping agencies for all service members. In a recent press statement, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said leaders throughout the department must make it understood that seeking help is a sign of strength and courage, not a sign of weakness. Echoing his secretary, President Barack Obama said there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people."We see it in veterans who come home from the battlefield with the invisible wounds of war," the president said. "[These are veterans], who feel somehow that seeking treatment is a sign of weakness when, in fact, it's a sign of strength."The DOD has launched numerous programs, hired hundreds of experts and continues promoting the importance of looking out for one another. Many of these programs and helping agencies are found at the nation's largest expeditionary wing, the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing."The Chaplain Corps assists Airmen struggling with suicide by providing a support that includes: a safe place to share their problems with complete confidentiality, a support network through a referral program that includes other helping agencies on base and spiritual care provided by a professional religious support team," said Maj. Ismael Rodriguez, the 379th AEW deputy wing chaplain deployed from Moody Air Force Base, Ga., and a San Antonio native. "It is extremely important for every Airman regardless of rank and position to seek help and know that it is a perfectly acceptable option."The chaplain said he sometimes sees people who are afraid to seek help because they think it will somehow end their career in the Air Force. Rodriguez said he tells Airmen it is better to voluntarily ask for help when they are just beginning to feel overwhelmed or start struggling with having a sense of hopelessness than to wait for the situation to worsen."It is never too late to see a chaplain or health care provider," he continued. "We have a chaplain on call 24/7 and we will be there to respond and be with that individual for as long as that Airman needs us."The Air Force wants its Airmen and their families to thrive in good times and bad. The service continuously strives to improve Airmen performance and readiness by building their confidence to lead, courage to stand up for their beliefs, and capacity for compassion to help others."It is important for Airmen to seek early assistance before feelings of suicide," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Guin, a 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron mental health NCO in charge deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, S.C., and hails from Denver. "If you're having feelings of suicide, tell your Wingman or someone you trust. Our Wingmen and supervisors are incredibly important because they are the first to notice if behaviors change."Guin said mental health works with all the helping agencies on base including the chapel, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, and military and family life counselors. The mental health clinic is open for walk-ins 7 days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is on call 24/7.The Air Force supports it's Airmen in responsibly seeking help and according to the 379th AEW wing staff agencies first sergeant, Senior Master Sgt. Darrell Harmon, it's all about getting to know the people with whom you serve."Sometimes our Airmen just want to sit down and talk with someone they know and trust," Harmon said, who is deployed from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and a Chicago native. "As supervisors and first sergeants, we need to express a genuine interest in our people and their development."Harmon said an Airman came to him one time asking to sit and talk. The first sergeant said during their conversation not once did it seem to him his troop was considering suicide. But months later, he received an email thanking him for the chat that day -- for he had considered taking his own life, but it was because of Harmon's genuine care, he made the choice to live."You may not know it at the time, but your actions have a huge impact on your people," he said. "First sergeants and supervisors are an Airman's first step to getting the help they need. It's up to us to point them in the right direction and be involved. We need to know what resources are available so we can be good Wingmen, leaders and mentors."Good Wingmen support others who ask for help when they are in crisis and remove any barriers to responsibly getting help."We can all make a difference by helping our Wingmen understand they are not alone and positive support is available," said Brig. Gen. Roger Watkins, the 379th AEW commander. "Our expeditionary Airmen have been engaged in a long war highlighted by continuous and sustained operational deployments and a demanding operations tempo. These service members are accomplishing a significant mission here that is vitally important to the safety and security of our nation."Although the resilience of the overall force has been remarkable, recurrent deployments and high mission tempo can affect service members' ability to recover and restore total fitness and balance in every dimension of their lives. The Air Force created the Air Force Deployment Transition Center to combat these issues. DTC uses a resiliency-building, strength-based approach to empower Airmen at high-risk for traumatic exposure to decompress and successfully progress through the reintegration process before returning home.All service members can help him identify early warning signs in their Wingmen and intervene to ensure others get help when needed. For 24/7 assistance call the base command post at 436-0160. Below is a list of resources available for service members both here and worldwide.Resources: 379th Expeditionary Medical Group: 437-4216379th MDG Mental Health Clinic: 437-8767379th AEW Victory Chapel: 437-8811Veterans Crisis Linehttp://www.veteranscrisisline.net/DOD Suicide Prevention and Awareness Programhttp://www.defense.gov/home/features/2012/0812_suicide-prevention/Air Force Suicide Preventionhttp://www.afms.af.mil/suicideprevention/National Suicide Prevention Lifelinehttp://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Expeditionary wing remembers America’s POW/MIAs

U.S. Air Force photos by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton

Deployed U.K. forces pay tribute to “The Few”

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

9/26/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Royal Air Force service members deployed with the 83 Expeditionary Air Group gathered outside the unit's headquarters here Sept. 20 paying tribute to RAF pilots who fought off Nazi Germany's air force and other RAF personnel who supported their "epic" 1940 air battle now known as the Battle of Britain."Over 70 years on from the Battle of Britain, the RAF continues to protect the nation with air power," said Group Capt. Domonic Stamp, the 83 EAG's deputy air component commander. "We never forget that we're standing on the shoulders of giants, so we were proud to take a moment out of our busy lives to salute 'The Few.'"Winston Churchill summed up the effect of the battle and the contribution of Fighter Command with the words, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Pilots who fought in the battle have been known as 'The Few' ever since."Their grit and courage, and the hard work of their ground crews and air battle managers, are an inspiration to everyone who serves on operations with the RAF today," Stamp said.Although most RAF units commemorated the Battle of Britain on Sept. 15, the day in 1940 when the RAF is considered to have beaten the Luftwaffe, operational demands and mission requirements prevented the deployed service members from holding the traditional ceremony until five days later.The RAF holds this day special as it was the day the Luftwaffe embarked on their largest bombing attack yet, forcing the engagement of the entirety of the RAF Fighter Command in defense of London and the South East, which resulted in a decisive victory in favor of Britain and marked a turning point in the war.U.K. forces are deployed to Afghanistan and the Broader Middle East in support of the U.N.-authorized, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission and as part of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

Deployed maintainers return damaged aircraft to combat operations

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

hits the fan, we've got to be ready to go."And ready to go they were when recently a C-130J Super Hercules landed at a remote forward operating base in Afghanistan."It was so damaged that we couldn't save it and get it flying again," said Hartley. "So we assisted in the salvage operations."Hartley and his team were able to recover 250 components totaling more than $20 million retrieving items ranging from engines and propellers to avionics equipment and other electrical items."Those avionics boxes can cost anywhere from $100,000 to more than $1 million," he said. "So we were able to get it all boxed up and shipped home, effectively saving the Air Force millions of dollars."Long days aside, the mission wasn't easy."During our time there, the base sustained a number of indirect fire hits," said Hartley. "The particular FOB we were at is a high-threat area getting mortar attacks every other day."The aircraft still had nearly 3,500 pounds of fuel on board, making it vitally important to maintain situational awareness."It was scary," Hartley said. "We actually dug a fox hole and when the alarms sounded, we'd hit the deck running."ABDR is a sticky business, but someone has to respond, repair and get Air Force jets combat ready in the war time environment."This ABDR unit is the only major package for the entire U.S. Central Command area of responsibility," said Hartley. "It's a huge obligation, but we're definitely here and eager to help. We repair jets to get them back in the fight. I mean, how cool is that?"

Airmen arming deployed defenders

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

8/29/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The basic goal of a security forces specialist is to protect U.S. Air Force people, property and resources. While defenders have hand-to-hand combat training, their effectiveness is only enhanced by the weapons they carry and without the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron armory here, these weapons would not be a part of their tool kits."The purpose of the armory is to hold all of the defender's weapons and supplies they need to perform their duties on a day-to-day basis," said Airman 1st Class Jillian Ward, 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron staff armorer. "My duty at the armory is to arm up all the defenders."Much like services Airmen account for all the food served on base, armory Airmen account for all the weapons, ammunition and any extra supplies and equipment defenders may need to keep the base safe and secure. When they first come on shift, Ward said they conduct changeover tasks with the last shift making sure they know exactly what has been issued and what is now being placed in their care."We have to take accountability of all the equipment in the armory, such as weapons, ammo, night vision goggles, etc.," said Ward, who is deployed from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and hails from Sunbury, Ohio. "We have to keep track of everything issued and turned in on equipment trackers."These equipment trackers, she said, are then scanned into their computers and organized into folders for reference later."Once everything is accounted for, we setup all the windows so we can do issue and turn in in a timely fashion," Ward said explaining the quicker they get issue the weapons, the quicker they can get on post and relieve that post's last shift."I like it, it's a good job to have," Ward continued. "It's good to know we are helping them out and supporting the flight by giving them what they need to go out there and do their job."Ward's coworker, Senior Airman Jamela Nuriddin, said she also enjoys being a part of such an important mission."I am part of the wing's vital protection mission," Nuriddin said, who is deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and a Raleigh, N.C., native. "If we weren't here, everything in the security forces mission realistically wouldn't run. Airmen need weapons to fight, radios to talk and night vision devices to be able to see during nighttime conditions."Everyone sees the defenders on post protecting the base, but it's the armorers who enable that mission."We're the behind the scenes step to the mission," continued Nuriddin. "We make sure everything is ready for when the flights need to go out, accomplish the mission and defend the base."

Nondestructive inspection: Finding the cracks

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

8/14/2013 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- While playing football during physical training, an Airman hurts his arm. Thinking nothing of it, he brushes it off and continues playing. Though after weeks of excruciating pain and a visit to the medical group's radiology section, an x-ray finds his ulna is fractured. Aircraft undergo similar stressors requiring specially trained Airmen to find the mechanical fractures.Nondestructive inspection Airmen assigned to 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron here specialize in finding fatal cracks in aircraft parts before they lead to catastrophic failure."We're an inspection branch and it's our job to make sure the aircraft are structurally sound," said Master Sgt. Steven McCabe, NDI NCO in charge deployed from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and hails from Irrigon, Ore.NDI Airmen determine what test method to use and prepare fluids and parts for inspection. They also analyze worn metal content on engine-lubricating oil and other fluids, and recommend corrective actions. These Airmen are proficient in metals identification, detecting metal discontinuities and flaws, radiological safety and radiation monitoring."So in a nutshell, we find cracks you can't see with the naked eye and we have different processes to detect these cracks," said Staff Sgt. David Bayle, a 379th EMXS NDI craftsman deployed from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, and hails from Port Sanilac, Mich. "If we don't find the crack, the part itself could fail and it could be very detrimental to the aircraft and the support equipment used to maintain the aircraft."Unlike other maintenance career fields, NDI Airmen must understand a fair amount of chemistry as well."I had no idea chemistry would be involved in a mechanical career field; my recruiter just told me I'd look for cracks," said Senior Airman Darnell McConnell, a 379th EMXS NDI journeyman deployed and hails from Colorado Springs, Colo. "NDI is like the coolest field out there and is essentially a non-fail mission. One of my favorite methods is the magnetic particle inspection."MPI is a process for detecting surface and slightly subsurface discontinuities in ferromagnetic materials such as iron, nickel and cobalt. The process puts a magnetic field into the part. The piece can be magnetized by direct or indirect magnetization. Direct current is passed through the part and a magnetic field is formed in the material. The presence of a surface or subsurface discontinuity or crack in the material allows the magnetic flux to leak thus proving the presence of an imperfection in the part."MPI is easy because the crack glows very bright," McConnell said.But as with most maintenance Airmen, they're all about providing joint warfighters with the best machine possible as their work directly impacts the safety and security of aircrews down range."So if it's a wing, we're looking for a crack in the wing; if it's landing gear, we're looking for cracks in the landing gear," said McConnell. "If we don't find the crack, then eventually whatever it is, it's going to collapse and fail.""It makes me feel really good that what we're doing not only saves the Air Force money, but also saves the Air Force lives," Bayle added.