PMEL prolongs equipment effectiveness

by Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

are quickly approaching more than 60 years old and still flying with systems requiring calibration equipment no longer manufactured making our mission very important."Just as people perform regular maintenance on their own car or truck, PMEL does this with their standards and calibration equipment to prolong equipment's useful life effectively saving the Air Force millions of dollars. Loe said they maintain equipment by means of a science called metrology.Metrology is the science of measurement and required to ensure Air Force systems are accurate and can reliably perform their designated missions. Every system in the Air Force inventory requires some type of accurate and reliable measurement to be made."PMEL is absolutely vital as properly calibrated tools are essential for us to complete our mission correctly," said Airman 1st Class Marcel Acebo, a 92nd MXS crew chief and San Luis, Calif., native. "Without PMEL, there's the grim potential for damage to not only the aircraft, but anyone working on and flying them as well."Prior to the 1950s, the Air Force had no formal, centralized calibration program. However, during this period of rapidly expanding technology, operational and testing accident rates increased dramatically and contractor conformance deteriorated. So in 1958, a project dubbed, "Test Shop," was established directing that test equipment repair and calibration activities be established at Air Force bases worldwide eventually becoming what is now PMEL."What we do is very important for getting those tankers in the air," Bidler said. "They can't do what they do without us."

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."

Consolidated tool kit enables deployed maintainers, aircraft

by Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Running like a ninja, not like a t-rex

If dinosaurs were better runners, they might not be extinct today.Evidence suggests some dinosaurs ran by planting their heel first and springing off their toes. Many people run this way today. Those who run that way couldn't possibly get out of the way of a meteor fast enough.But you know who might?A ninja.Growing up I learned a lot from my Dad -- like how to drive, throw a football and run. As a Soldier, my Dad ran a lot and shared with me his passion for the sport. While I didn't pick up on everything right away, I have since become quite enthralled with what is called "natural running."Here's an example of what I mean when I say natural running. When walking around the house barefoot, do you walk heel-toe, or do you try to be stealthy and walk around on just the front part of your feet? The stealthy option is actually the healthiest with the least amount of impact on your joints. Now equate this same technique while running and you'll be stealthily flying around like a ninja!Something I learned from a friend, (who may not be a ninja, but is knowledgeable nonetheless) who has been running the mid-strike for years said every time you land on your heel while running, four times your body weight is slamming into your knees and ankles. So imagine you are 150 pounds -- that's 600 pounds of body weight slamming into your leg joints with every heel strike.Another issue many runners face is the question of what to do with their arms? Have you ever noticed people be-bopping along with their arms like a tyrannosaurus rex? These people are over working their legs and not effectively using their arms.According to the Air Force's chief of health promotion, Dr. (Lt. Col.) Dan Kuland, your arms equate to nearly half of a total run. He suggests you swing your arms quickly from relaxed shoulders, elbows bent at 90 degrees, and thumbs and index fingers touching only slightly. Ensure as you run, your arms do not cross your body and remain at your sides. With your hands, you can also grasp at the air as if you were swimming, pulling yourself forward, as a momentum gainer.Kuland also offered other tips:− Fall forward from your ankles in order to enlist gravity.− Run softly by imagining a helium balloon attached to your head.− Look where you are going, not at your feet.− Imagine being reeled in on a big fishing line attached at your belly button.− Expand your lower abdomen like a balloon, then squeeze the air out.− Keep your knees slightly bent, never completely straightening your legs.− Land on the middle of your foot to reduce braking that would occur from crash landing early on your heel.− Imagine running on hot coals with a quick cadence.− Think of your foot slipping backward on a banana peel.− Picture helium balloons lifting your heels.− Move your ankles in little circle as if they are wheels.− Wear minimalist footwear."When we run, our legs swing forward and back like a pendulum, landing on the backswing," Kuland said. "Without shoes, we would land on our mid-foot or toward the front of our foot. But the thick heels of common running shoes catch the ground early with our knee extended and foot out front, inviting knee pain and anterior shin splints. 'Minimalist' shoes with thinner heels allow more natural landings. Once you're on the ground, just lift your heel and gravity will pull you forward. Pushing off wastes energy and promotes posteromedial shin splints and Achilles problems."A great resource for revamping an aerobic workout is found at the Natural Running Center's website:www.naturalrunningcenter.com/. There are videos, blogs, articles, photos, emails, book suggestions -- you name it. Lt. Col. Mark Cucuzzella, Air Force Marathon medical consultant, Efficient Running Program subject matter expert and director of the website, also put together a video on YouTube providing visual cues for extra help: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSIDRHUWlVo.There is a group of runners at Fairchild who meet every Monday afternoon at 4:50 p.m., in the Winner's Circle located at the Funspot. The group usually does a 3.2 mile run around base, but according to their secretary, Staff Sgt. Ceridwyn Wald of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing, they've in the past gone for trail runs on South Hill and at Riverfront Park downtown. She also alluded to special runs including the famed "bikini run," super hero run and various hash runs.Running naturally has improved my run time, increased my endurance and strengthened my leg muscles by leaps and bounds. But if my testimony isn't enough, consider this: no ninja has ever been eaten by a dinosaur.