Andrews 100215 flipbook

an independent publication of comprint military publications at Joint base andrews, md. dcmilitary.com friday, october 2, 2015 | Vol. 4 no. 1

Air Force NeWS2015 NOMAR Award, Page 3

retiree corNerMilitary Medical Advancement,

Page 2

coMMeNtArYFollow up: It can be a matter of life,

death, Page 2

By BoBBy JonesStaff Photojournalist

Prince George’s Coun-ty Council Member Obie Patterson (D) hosted the Fourth District 8 Com-munity Health Fair in conjunction with Kap-pa Foundation of Fort Washington, Mary-land National Capital Park and Planning and Prince George’s County Health Department at the Southern Regional Technology Complex in Fort Washington Sept. 26.

Placing focus on com-munity health and well-ness issues, the event’s theme was “Fitness is a Family Affair.”

Patterson noted the importance of seniors getting early screenings.

“We wanted our se-niors to come down and

get these various free health screenings for a better quality of life,” said Patterson.

“This is our fourth year sponsoring this event. We started at Harmo-

ny Hall Regional Cen-ter, which soon became too small to handle the amount of people, so we moved here to this site,” said Patterson.

“This year in particu-

lar, we made an effort to reach out to the youth as well. Some of them are getting their community service requirements in. We think it’s important for them to get started early in life with tak-ing care of their health and we’re delighted our youth could be with us today,” said Patterson. “And we’re having a great number of seniors turning out for this event.”

Hundreds of Prince Georgians took ad-vantage of free medi-cal, dental and vision screenings, flu shots, family-friendly physical fitness activities, give-aways and door priz-es. Several healthcare professionals, including

district 8 sponsors 4th annual Health fair

Photo/BoBBy Jones

Dwayne Saunders, 2, left, and brother, Deon, 3, try their hands at saving a life on miniature CPR manikins.

By Lisa Ferdinando DoD News, Defense

Media Activity

Female veterans, trail-blazers who served in the military decades ago, received a hero’s welcome Sept. 22 after arriving in the nation’s capital on the first all-fe-male honor flight.

“Best day of my life” is how retired Army Sgt. Maj. Sue Williams de-scribed the visit, which included stops at Arling-ton National Cemetery and the World War II Memorial.

Williams, who retired in 1995 after nearly three decades of service, helped lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Un-knowns.

“I could have died and gone to heaven right then,” she said.

The women, from wars

including World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, trav-eled with Honor Flight Tri-State, which covers southern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana.

They arrived to a he-ro’s welcome for the day-long trip, receiving applause, handshakes and greetings of “thank you for your service” at all the sites they visited.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Sara Abrams, who served in the Army from 1963 to 1964. She said she never imagined a day like this would happen.

She was thrilled, she said, by the warm wel-come from service mem-bers and the public. People were everywhere

first all-female honor flight gets hero’s welcome in washington

see HONOR, page 6

By LesLie C. smithStaff writer

Under the three-pronged guid-ing core principles of HUM: Hon-oring the Past, Uniting current service members and Mentoring future leadership, Kappa Epsilon Psi looks to offer military women a place to belong.

Kappa Epsilon Psi was found-ed by Shica Hill and Moneka Smith-Daley in 2011. Member-ship is open to all DoD branches, active duty, separated and retired who served honorably, as well as college-level cadets in the ROTC.

Kappa Epsilon Psi chapters can be found in Hawaii, North Caro-lina, Georgia, Virginia (Northern and Southern) with members to be found throughout the country and the world, including Germa-ny, Japan and Korea.

“We all face challenged in life and it’s good to have a sisterhood where we have common ground,”

said Monisha Barnes, a member of Kappa Epsilon Psi.

“We come from a plethora of backgrounds – officers and enlist-ed – different parts of the world. We come to together to continue to serve,” Barnes added.

Kappa Epsilon Psi is dedicat-ed to participating in events not

only that service veterans but also events that serve their local communities.

Recently the organization held a school backpack drive, challeng-ing each local chapter, as a way to give to each local schools and

Kappa epsilon psi ‘H.u.m.s’ the song of sisterhood

Photo/LesLie C. smith

Military Sorority Kappa Epsilon Psi was on hand to help with the festivities of VA Medical Center Ladies’ Night Feb. 27.

see SISTERHOOD, page 3

By airman 1st CLass J.d. maidens

11th Wing Public Affairs

The 2015 Joint Base Andrews Air Show was supported by the 779th Medical Group, the 11th Security Forces Squad-ron and elements of Na-val Operations Support Center.

Emergency services, medical support and se-curity measures were put in place to ensure public safety during the show.

“We’re always ready for whatever happens,” said Staff Sgt. Chiniti Jiles, 779th MDG Flight Operation medical tech-nician. “We hope for the best and prepare for the

worst. The medical tea m is here to support and promote public safety and health.”

The 779th MDG set up a First Aid Station that had supplies to deal with dehydration, cuts and scrapes and sun burns, as well as dis-tributable resources like sunscreen, ear plugs, medication and bandag-es.

Additionally, they were able to transport criti-cally injured patrons to civilian or military med-ical facilities.

To respond to emer-gencies on the flight line, medical staff in golf

emergency services keep 2015 air show safe

see AIR SHOW page 5see DISTRIcT, page 4

Andrews Gazette2 Friday, October 2, 2015

October 1-31FrightfestSix Flags America, 13710 Central Ave., Bowie, MD

20721Enjoy the spookiness of Thrills by Day and Fright

by Night, through November 1. Free with park ad-mission. Call 301-249-1500 or visit www.sixflags.com/america

October 3Bowie International Festival11:00 AM-5:00 PMAllen Pond Park, 3330 Northview Dr., Bowie, MD

20716 Annual event celebrating international cultfre

with Food, games, entertainment and much more. Free Admission Call 301-809-3011 or visit www.city-ofbowie.org

October 3Sidewalk Arts Festival11:00 am-3:00 pmPrince George’s Ballroom, 2411 Pinebrook Ave.,

Landover, MD 20785Come out for a fun day with the family. Youth are

welcome to participate in a sidewalk arts contest. FREE. Call 301-341-7439 or visit www.pgparks.com

October 4KinderfestNoonWatkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Dr., Up-

per Marlboro, MD 20774Bring the family for a day filled with activi-

tes for pre-school and elementary aged children. Face-painting, hayrides, moon bounces, entertain-ment and more. Free Admission. Call 301-218-6700 or visit www.pgparks.com

October 4Wilson Bridge Half Marathon & 6kNational Harbor, 137 National Plaza, National

Harbor, MD 20745The Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon & 6K

events offer scenic routes along the George Washing-ton Memorial Parkway and stunning views across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The half marathon also treats runners to an out and back tour through the heart of historic Old Town, Alexandria. ($) Visit ww.wilsonbridgehalf.com.

Hot tickets around town

By Capt. DaviD Liapis92nd Air Refueling Wing Public

Affairs

She was a hero. She was some-one who had the courage to act when it mattered most. She was a true wingman. She saw the warning signs of depression and suicidal ideations in a friend, she made the right calls, made the right decisions and her friend’s life was saved. This Airman knew the warning signs well, because she had been there before.

I had the opportunity to meet this life-saving Airman after learning of her proactive inter-vention. I sat with her in my of-fice as she tearfully related to me some of her personal experience with depression and thoughts of taking her own life, and how that helped her know what to do when she realized her friend felt she had reached the end of hope.

This Airman was able to meet with me that day because she sought help, and, thankfully and more importantly, she was there for her friend when she needed her the most. She said, “Asking for help is not a weakness. It’s a strength. You’ve got to be able to admit you need help, and that takes strength.”

About a year after I spoke with this “hero Airman,” I was informed that she had tragi-cally taken her own life. I was stunned. How could an Airman who seemed to have risen from depression, and had even saved

someone’s life, end up in a frame of mind where taking her life appeared her only option? What went wrong? Why didn’t her pre-vious experiences and knowledge work?

The major lesson I learned from all of this was that preventing suicide is not a one-time event. This Airman’s saga demonstrates that we cannot assume that once someone has received mental health treatment and success-fully walked through dark times that they’re inoculated and won’t relapse and require further help. We also can’t assume that just because someone acknowledges that they know asking for help is a sign of strength that they will actually do it (even if they have in the past).

I’m not insinuating that anyone who has sought mental health help or has expressed suicidal ideations should be on perpetual suicide watch. What I’m getting at is that we need to be engaged with our Airmen and know how they are doing no matter how “stable” or “unstable” we perceive them to be.

I was stationed at what was then Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, and our wing commander was Brig. Gen. Thomas Tinsley. I remember attending a command-er’s call at the base theater where Tinsley encouraged us to be good wingmen and to seek help if we needed it. He was clear in his de-livery, confident as a leader and

by all appearances had it all to-gether. It was for these reasons I was shocked to learn only a cou-ple weeks after that commander’s call that Tinsley had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. What went wrong? He was a gen-eral officer. I guess I assumed at the time that someone like him shouldn’t be at risk.

Mental health issues and fac-tors that lead to suicide are no respecters of rank, job, gender or age. We cannot fool ourselves into thinking there’s a demo-graphic that’s “safe” and to whom we don’t need to pay attention. Every Airman matters and we need to care for each other ac-cordingly.

Really taking care of Airmen means more than passing them off to a helping agency, assuming they’re good to go, and then mov-ing on. It means following up over the long term and not allowing ourselves to believe that anyone is immune from needing a help-ing hand, and more than just once. It may be that follow up is the difference between life and death.

Editor’s note: If you or some-one you know is thinking about hurting yourself or others, help is available. Contact mental health, a chaplain, family advocacy or someone in your chain of com-mand today, you can find helpful resources on your base’s resilien-cy Web page or the http://www.af.mil/SuicidePrevention.aspx

Commentary Follow up: It can be a matter of life, death

Andrews Gazette is published by Comprint Military Publications, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md., a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force or any branch of the United States military. The appearance of advertising in these publications,

including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the products and services advertised.

Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, martial status, physical handicap, political affilia-tion or any other non merit factor of the purchases, user or patron.

Comprint military publiCations

maxine minar, [email protected]

John Rives, [email protected]

Matthew Getz, page [email protected]

Leslie Smith, [email protected]

Bobby Jones, [email protected]

Eligibility HitReservations at the Armed Forc-

es Recreation Center in Garmisch, Germany, are expected to take a dip as a result of a change in the Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Germany. Troops, retirees and their families living outside Eu-rope no longer can book stays at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort. Under the rule change, the only way for individuals living outside Europe to stay at the resort is as a guest of an eligible person, or if they have been living in Europe for at least 30 days. Active-duty and retired troops can also stay at the Edelweiss as guests of someone who has lived in Europe for at least 30 days, if that sponsor remains present during their stay. Other AFRC facilities are Shades of Green, Orlando, Fla.; Hale Koa, Honolulu; New Sanno Hotel, Tokyo; and Dragon Hill Lodge, Seoul.

Fraudulent Car SalesAlthough military exchanges

cannot sell vehicles or represent private sellers in completing trans-actions in the continental United States, fraudulent advertisements leave consumers with the impres-sion they are dealing with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. The fraud has proliferated through use of the Internet, making it difficult to identify the perpetrator. In one case, money wired by an individual was picked up in Bangladesh. While the Exchange has mail order and Inter-net offerings, it does not advertise in civilian outlets. Advertisements for legitimate exchange offerings are published in outlets whose audienc-es are mostly composed of military members. Shoppers who believe that they may have been taken advantage of can file a complaint through the Internet Crime Com-plaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

Military Medical AdvancementA 2-year-old boy is enjoying a

better quality of life, thanks to a ro-

bot and skilled surgeons at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Anto-nio. Doctors performed surgery on Jose Collado Jr. to remove a cyst from behind his bladder. It was BAMC’s first robot-assisted pedi-atric surgery. Size of the mass was likely to cause bladder and bowel problems. Robotic technology has been a surgery staple at BAMC for several years, but was reserved for adults. Robotic technology is mini-mally invasive, more agile in small spaces, offers 3D high resolution magnification for better views of the surgical site, and typically involves less recovery time.

The Retiree Activities Office is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Visit the office in Building 1604 at California and Colorado Avenues or call 301 981-2726. Call before your visit to ensure a volun-teer is on duty. The RAO has a web-site at www.andrews.af.mil.

Retiree Corner

Andrews GazetteFriday, October 2, 2015 3

By Senior AirmAn PreSton Webb 11th Wing Public Affairs

Capt. Carlos Cueto Diaz, 11th Wing assistant staff judge advocate, was re-cently named the Active-Duty Air Force winner of the 2015 National Organiza-tion for Mexican American Rights Meri-torious Service Award.

According to NomarInc.org, the NOMAR Meritorious Service Award honors Hispanic American military members and Department of Defense civilian employees who have supported the DoD mission in a manner that epit-omized the core values of their military service while simultaneously displaying exceptional support for the betterment of the Hispanic community.

Cueto Diaz was nominated for the award for organizing two recruiting trips to Puerto Rico for the United States Air Force Judge Advocate Gener-al’s Corps involving visits to three sepa-rate law schools and promoting the hir-ing of Hispanic Americans to military installations or DoD components.

“I enjoy setting up trips like these because I love my job and they let me reach out to the Hispanic community and share my ex-periences with young law students,” Cueto Diaz said.

The captain also volunteers at a food bank with the nonprofit organization, Alexandri-ans Involved Ecumenically — Alive! — and a significant portion of his time as a master financial education volunteer through the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

“When I first arrived here 11 years ago, I didn’t know what a credit card or checking account was. I wish someone could have sat down with me one-on-one and walked me through how to es-tablish myself financially,” Cueto Diaz said. “Many [Hispanic Americans] that

move here grew up keeping money un-der mattresses because they couldn’t trust financial institutions.”

The classes Cueto Diaz volunteers to teach contain essential information nec-essary for creating the financial founda-tion necessary for modern life in the Unit-ed States.

Cueto Diaz said though he wears the uniform, he still feels indebted to those around him.

“I’m extremely grateful that my lead-ership has empowered me to volunteer my time and become part of something greater than myself,” Cueto Diaz said. “Even though I put on the uniform ev-ery day — and walk a little bit taller because of it — I wanted to a little give back to the country and community that has done so much for me already.”

2015 NOMAR Award presented to 11 WG Airman

U.S. Air Force photo/Senior AirmAn preSton Webb

Capt. Carlos Cueto Diaz, 11th Wing assistant staff judge advo-cate, sits in his office Sept. 24, 2015, on Joint Base Andrews. Cue-to Diaz recently received the 2015 National Organization for Mexican American Rights Meritorious Ser-vice Award.

communities. They researched local schools to find those with the most need.

“We’re all about giving back ei-ther through resources or our time; sometimes people just need a extra hand with things,” Barnes said.

Barnes, herself a transplant to Maryland from Seattle, speaks of the sisterhood, “No matter where you find yourself you always have family to embrace you and bring you in. I remember when I discov-ered Kappa Epsilon Psi and de-cided to join. I’ve had nothing but the best time. My sisterhood and circle of friends has blossomed. I see them as family – like I’ve been here for years. They embraced me and I embraced them. I really love what we do.”

The organization can be seen

at numerous events throughout the metropolitan area. Recently, they volunteered at the Air Show on Joint Base Andrews. They will be joining the military fraternity Kappa Lambda Chi for the Veter-ans Day Parade in New York City.

The organization seeks to lend a hand with numerous charitable and service events throughout the region such as Habitat for Hu-manity, the Army 10-miler, or in several area feeding kitchens such as So Other Might Eat and the DC Kitchen. In keeping with the core value of honoring the past, the or-ganization also lays wreathes in Arlington Cemetery in December.

Kappa Epsilon Psi is currently developing several mentoring pro-grams and career track programs with plans to roll them out next year.

For more information about membership in Kappa Epsilon Psi, visit www.militarysorority.com.

SISTERHOOD, from page 1


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Spicy Half SmokeServed on a fresh potato bun

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Fresh Tuna SaladHomemade tuna salad on your choice of bread or served

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Ham, Turkey, OR Roast BeefYour choice of freshly sliced deli meat, cheese, bread,

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physicians and other specialized health tech-nicians were on hand to provide services and answer questions. Over-all, more than 60 busi-ness vendors provided services and rendered information and various products.

Participants were en-couraged to visit and check off each health station where they re-ceived a stamp on their

health pass card. Upon full participation at all of the stations they were allowed to take home free fruits and produce donated by the county.

Sonia Brown, a nurse practitioner at Prince George’s Hospital Cen-ter’s Chest Pain Center instructed members on how to use CPR mani-kins during the Early Heart Attack training session.

“We’re introducing training to make people aware of symptoms of a

heart attack and call 911 immediately. ‘Survive don’t drive’ is our mot-to. We also teach them that women’s symptoms present differently than men,” said Brown.

Among the other guests were Prince George’s County Sher-iff Melvin C. High, radio station WMMJ Majic 102.3 FM, and various United Healthcare represen-tatives, including their mascot, Dr. Healthy E. Hound.

district, from page 1

Photo/BoBBy Jones

Vendors hand out free popcorn as a healthy snack alternative at the Fourth District 8 Health Fair on Sept. 26.


The Security Forces Blotter is intended to keep members of the Joint Base Andrews Community informed and aware of the crimes and offenses that occur through-out the base each week. If you have any information that may help Security Forces solve a crime or pre-vent a criminal act, please contact BDOC (Base Defense Opera-tions Center) at 301-981-2001, CRIME STOP LINE 981-2677 COPS or the in-vestigations section at 301-981-5656.

Sept. 18 at 2:33 p.m.: Security Forces re-sponded to a shop-lifting incident at the West Side Shoppette. The individual walked out of the West Side Shoppette without rendering payment for Tylenol cold tab-lets. The individual was apprehended and charged accordingly.

Sept. 18 at 2:44 p.m.: Security Forces re-sponded to an anon-ymous tip through the “LiveSafe” App reporting vehicles parked in front of resident’s driveways in Liberty Park Base Housing. Security Forces responded but were unable to locate the vehicles.

Sept. 20 at 3:07 p.m.: Security Forces re-sponded to a report of an unattended child in a vehicle at the Commissary. The legal guardian was charged accordingly.

Sept. 21 at 3:15 p.m.: Security Forces re-sponded to a report of damage to a vehi-cle in the Malcolm Grow Medical Cen-ter Parking lot. The individual reported parking their car in the morning and re-turning that after-noon, noticing dam-age to the passenger rear side quarter panel. Security Forc-es accomplished all the appropriate pa-

perwork.Sept. 25 at 10:43 a.m.:

Security Forces re-sponded to damage to personal property at the Malcom Grow Medical Center park-ing lot. The individu-al discovered damage to the front bumper with some paint transfer. All appro-priate paperwork was accomplished at the scene.

Sept. 27 at 2:14 p.m.: Security Forces re-sponded to a shop-lifting at the Main Exchange. The in-dividual attempted to leave the loca-tion without render-ing payment for a Bluetooth speaker. The individual was apprehended and charged accordingly.

Sept. 28 at 11:32 a.m.: Security Forces re-sponded to a vehicle accident at the En-try Control Point to the flight line. The individual was fol-lowing the vehicle in front and came in contact with the drop bar when approach-ing the ECP result-ing in minor damage. All appropriate pa-perwork was accom-plished.

As A ReminderPlease remember,

while driving on the installation you must have a val-id driver’s license, proof of insurance, vehicle registration and proper Military Identification or ap-proved installation access credentials. All credentials must be up to date and presented at the time they are asked for.

For reporting any emergencies or non-emergencies please feel free to utilize the “LiveSafe” App. “Live-Safe” is an anonymous reporting app that can be downloaded for free on your smart device.

There has been an in-crease in reported van-dalism on the installa-tion. If you witness any vandalism taking place call Security Forces at (301) 981-2001.

Any person in-volved in a vehicle accident must re-port it to Security Forces as soon as possible. All vehicle accidents regardless of damage must be reported within 72 hours. Any report after that will not be taken.

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Security Forces Police Blottercarts and on- foot were dispatched for the dura-tion of the show.

The team was also ex-tensively prepared for a mass casualty event if a worst-case-scenario sit-uation occurred.

Members of the Expe-ditionary Medical Fa-cility Bethesda’s Naval Reserve Unit also sup-ported the 779th MDG’s effort.

“We always appreci-ate the opportunity to work with our Air Force counterparts,” said Com-mander Sarah Fowler, Expeditionary Medical Facility Bethesda offi-cer-in-charge. “Further-ing the joint environ-ment is one of our top priorities.”

Elements of the 11th SFS were on-duty for the 2015 Air Show, with patrolman keeping the peace, helping attendees and guarding prohibited

areas.“We’re here to assist

the public,” said Airman 1st Class James Bush, 11th SFS elite gate guard. “We’re helping people get back to their vehicles, answering questions and respond-ing to medical emergen-cies.”

Security Forces pro-vided checkpoints at

both the Branch Ave. Metro Station and Fed Ex Field, bicycle patrols, emergency services teams, F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II secu-rity, working dog teams and traffic control.

With a large public presence and September heat, it’s the supporting services that kept JBA Air Show 2015 safe.

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior AirmAn DylAn nUckollS

Senior Airman Mika Le Henaff, 779th Medical Group aerospace medical technician, and Staff Sgt. Misty Chaar, 779th Dental Squadron oral surgery technician, discuss medical pro-tocol on the flightline on Join Base Andrews Sept. 19. The 779th MDG provided medical sup-port for the 2015 Joint Base Andrews Air Show.

AIR SHOW, from page 1

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

visit www.dcmilitary.com.


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“cheering everybody on. It’s really great. The people are just fabulous.”

Cheryl Popp, the director of Honor Flight Tri-State, said she expects there to be more all-female honor flights. There were 250 applications for 140 seats on the airplane.

The veterans were from all the services, she said, and in-cluded younger female veter-ans who were partnered up as a guardian for an elder veter-an for the journey, she said.

“It’s been historic. I think you can kind of feel it wherev-er you go,” Popp said.

Proud serviceAt the World War II Memo-

rial is a quote from the late Army Col. Oveta Culp Hobby, the first director of the Wom-en’s Army Auxiliary Corps, which later became the Wom-en’s Army Corps.

The quote, etched into the stone, says, “Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women... This was a peo-ple’s war and everyone was in it.” It also graced the back of the shirts worn by the honor flight veterans.

“I’ve never been here,” said Air Force veteran Andrea Ko-var who served from 1963 to 1966. “This whole thing has been absolutely amazing and I wish I would have met Col. Hobby.”

When asked about her time with the honor flight, Kovar said it was an emotional expe-rience.

“I have been crying all day,” she said, adding that she loved visiting Washington. “It’s a beautiful city and I’m glad I’m here.”

Trailblazer greets trailblaz-ers

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Wilma Vaught greeted the women at the Women In Mili-tary Service For America Me-morial at Arlington National Cemetery. She is the presi-dent of the board of directors at the women’s memorial foundation.

It was a proud moment and very inspiring to see the fe-male veterans, Vaught said, who retired in 1985. She was the first woman selected for promotion to brigadier gen-eral in the comptroller career field.

“Every job that I had that was my assigned job when I was in service, I was the first

woman to ever hold that job,” she said.

“This put pressure on me to be sure that I did it in such a way that another woman would have an opportunity to fill that job,” she added. “To a degree, that situation in many instances still exists today.”

She noted how two female soldiers recently became the first women to pass the Army Ranger course. If they get an opportunity to serve as Rang-ers, Vaught said, they too will get the chance to “prove that women can do it.”

A grateful nationThe veterans are “simply

inspiring,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said at the women’s memorial during a luncheon program.

The nation honors them for their “fundamental sense of duty and courage,” McDonald said.

“You didn’t sign up to shat-ter glass ceilings; you came to serve and you served with dis-tinction,” he continued. “But you knew the stakes were high, if you failed, it might make it much harder for those who followed you.”

There is another part of be-ing the first, he said, explain-ing the women were often con-

sidered outsiders or intruders. “Yet, you refused to quit,” he said.

“Our nation is grateful. We’re grateful for the chal-lenges you’ve endured and overcame and the sacrifices you’ve made that men simply didn’t have to make,” he add-ed. “The service you rendered to this nation is more valu-able than you could ever have imagined.”

Rory Brosius, the deputy director of the White House Joining Forces initiative, sent greetings from first lady Mi-chelle Obama, and applauded the women for their service.

“During times when our

country called upon you, you stood up, you raised your hand, and you served. Your contributions meant that our country was better equipped for missions all around the world,” Brosius said.

“You are all trailblazers and your service has inspired many generations of women,” she said.

Brosius also read a let-ter from first lady Michelle Obama thanking them for their inspiring service and the important role they played in moving the coun-try forward. Each veteran re-ceived their own copy of the official letter.

HONOR, from page 1

Department of Defense photo/Lisa ferDinanDo

Army Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith, deputy chief of staff of the Army Reserve, poses with female veterans from the first all-female honor flight at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., Sept. 22.


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Andrews 100215 flipbook

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Transcript of Andrews 100215 flipbook