Joint base journal 012315

Joint Base Journal

www.facebook.com/JBABdc JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING www.cnic.navy.mil/jbab

News and information for and aboutJoint Base Anacostia-Bolling

Vol. 6, No. 3 January 23, 2015

BY JEREMY K. JOHNSONJOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Air Force Chief Master Sgt.Kevin Kloeppel began his dutiesas Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling(JBAB) senior enlisted leader onJan. 12. A few days in, he was stillgetting to know the staff and thejob, but we stopped in to talk tohim and learn more about thenewest Chief at JBAB.

Kloeppel (pronounced kleh-pull), joined the Air Force in No-vember of 1991 and has served 23years at assignments that includeboth C-17 Globemasters, AC-130gunships.

Most recently, he’s worked atthe Pentagon in policy positions,serving as an advisor in the policysection of the Office of the Secre-tary of Defense.

Joint Base Anacostia-Bollingmarks his first assignment as a se-nior enlisted leader, but he chosethe assignment for a reason - thechallenge of being part of a jointenvironment.

“I took this assignment be-cause as a proud member of theNavy Senior Enlisted AcademyClass 135-Gold,” said Kloeppel,“I had a chance to interact withthose ladies and gentlemen andto see how important the ‘Top3’ is and what the enlisted corps- especially the chiefs’ mess -

brings to an organization.”He explained that his experi-

ence there, coupled with policyand tactical experience, madehim confident JBAB was wherethe Air Force could use him bestnext.

“It’s kind of a conglomerationof education, experience and wis-dom I can bring back over here, soI can give these men and womenwhat they need to be successful.”

He explained where he sees hisrole, especially since the enlistedpopulation here has drawn downconsiderably and converted to alargely civilian force.

“I see myself becoming moreintegral with those enlisted in-dividuals that actually are here.When other positions convertedfrom military to civilian, that leftless military ladies and gentle-men walking around the base,”he said. “So, we start to barrel itdown - we went from thousandsof people to just hundreds of ac-tive duty and enlisted people, andnow the preponderance is civil-ian. I’ll be learning more aboutthe issues that impact them aswell, and it could have the sameimpact. If we have 68 percent-manned Honor Guard, there’sgoing to be an impact over there.If we have 68 percent-mannedfor security forces, that’s goingto have a huge impact there. So,when you start having big events,such as the tattoo expo coming

up in September, you ask ‘whatimpact does bringing more ac-tivities here on base have whenthey’re already low manned?’”

His primary role remains thesame as his predecessor, however.

“The base as a whole faces a lotof challenges,” Kloeppel said. “Iwant to focus my attention on theenlisted members, to be ColonelPeters’ eyes and ears about the AirForce individuals, but also Capt.Mays’ eyes and ears about theNavy and Air Force piece and theentire installation.”

“Knowing about the civiliansector and all of the policies thataffect them is important - humanrelations and hiring, operationstempo, limited manning - espe-cially in, for example, securityforces. They’re down to 62 percentgive or take a little bit, so, knowing

the challenges that they face,” headded.

This isn’t the first time Kloeppelhas worked in a job where a jointenvironment demanded excel-lence in teamwork.

“As a previous AC-130 gun-ship operator,” he began, “I hada chance to work with a lot of dif-ferent services, namely some ofthe special forces that are on theground. We were flying in a left-hand turn protecting those indi-viduals. It didn’t matter if thoseindividuals were of a Navy back-ground, if they were of an Armybackground or of an Air Forcespecial operations background.Our job as a gunship was to makesure that they remained safe at

JBAB welcomes new Senior Enlisted Leader Kevin Kloeppel“To value each person with respect, to understand where they come from,

to understand what they can bring to the organization and to see where I

can help in their leadership path, I’m going to be an active, visible leader

throughout the entire base.”Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Kloeppel

Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Kloeppel

See KLOEPPEL, Page 2

BY NICOLE M. WOODS

JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Every year, breast cancerawareness is magnified during themonth of October as a national ob-servance, but for survivors, breastcancer is an everyday battle.

For Air Force Master Sgt. De-metrica Jefferis, breast cancerawareness means providing a sup-port system that meets every thirdTuesday of each month through-out the year at Malcolm GrowMedical Clinic/Surgery Center.

With a mission to educate, en-courage and support breast can-cer patients and their caregivers,Jefferis has organized Togetherin Pink, a support group for bothmilitary and civilian families livingin the national capital region.

“Whether you’ve been a survi-vor for one month or for over 40years, or even if you were just re-cently diagnosed, we want peopleto know they have a support team

right here,” said Jefferis.It wasn’t until after undergoing

a battle of her own that Jefferis re-alized the importance of having asolid support system for what shehad experienced - and for whatwas yet to come.

During the last month of a one-year tour at Osan Air Base, Repub-lic of South Korea in October of2013 - on her birthday - Jefferisdiscovered a lump on her breast.She immediately went to the near-est medical clinic (an hour away inSeoul) for a diagnostic mammo-gram. The doctors informed herof the possibility of breast cancer.

“They couldn’t determine rightaway if it was cancer, but the chiefradiologist there said that it wasprobable,” Jefferis explained.

On the hour-long ride home,amongst a bus of strangers, thepossibility of cancer had begunto sink in and Jefferis shed a fewtears before she quickly gatheredher thoughts and said, “God, I’mgoing to trust you and I’m going to

keep living my life.”Without any family nearby, Jef-

feris was surprised to find she hadsupport right there, one she neverwould have imagined having.

“Luckily I had a small supportsystem there in Korea,” she said.

Jefferis explained that hersquadron superintendent at thetime happened to be a survivorof cancer himself and was ableto provide the understanding earshe needed. She also had the sup-port of her commander and hiswife, who had been dealing witha recent loss in their family fromcancer.

“I had this support system Ididn’t know I needed until thattime had actually happened.They’re like my family now and Istill keep in touch with these peo-ple to this day. I’m so glad I hadthem there,” she said.

It was the following month,

Breast Cancer Support Group reaches out to JBAB community

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIR FORCE MASTER SGT. DEMETRICA JEFFERIS

Air Force Master Sgt. Demetrica Jefferis comforts fellow breast cancer survi-vor, Air Force Master Sgt. Catherine Church-Bennett after her surgery. See CANCER, Page 3

2 Friday, January 23, 2015 Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Joint Base Journal

COMMENTARY BY AIR FORCE

MAJ. GEORGETTE TREZVANT

779TH MEDICAL GROUP

The Air Force recognizes theachievements of the men andwomen who comprise the Bio-medical Sciences Corps (BSC) bydesignating Jan. 26 - 30, as BSCAppreciation Week. This year isnoteworthy as it marks the 50thanniversary of the BSC.

If you have ever had an ap-pointment at a base clinic or hos-pital, chances are you have met aBSC officer. The BSC is the thirdlargest of five corps in the AFMedical Service. With 2,400 offi-cers, supported by 5,800 enlistedmembers in parallel career fields,BSC members can be found at 81locations around the world andin multiple settings. The BSCencompasses physical therapy,optometry, podiatry, physicianassistants, audiology, speechpathology, clinical psychology,clinical social work, occupationaltherapy, aerospace and opera-tional physiology, dietetics, bio-environmental engineers, pub-lic health, medical entomology,pharmacy, biomedical labora-tory, healthcare facilities archi-tects/engineers, and health andmedical physics.

“In addition to specialty roleswithin our military treatment fa-cilities, BSC officers are embed-ded within operational units,

serve at every level of medicalcommand, and lead on staffs ofthe MAJCOMs, Forward Operat-ing Agencies, and HeadquartersAir Force. Additionally, the Bio-medical Sciences Corps is heavilyinvested in research and a host ofother vital roles to meet the de-mands of the Air Force mission,”said Lt. Col. Glenn Laird, SeniorBiomedical Corps Executive,779th Medical Group (779 MDG).

The diversity of specialtiesmay seem unusual for a corps,but its history explains how theBSC came into its present form.

“The BSC has its roots in theArmy with a long history datingback to World War I. In 1917, Con-gress established the Army Sani-tary Corps, a reserve unit activat-ed only during war and nationalemergency. Most of these officerswere experts in their respectivescientific and health-related spe-cialties such as industrial hygieneand entomology, and the Corps’mission was to fight infectiousdiseases,” stated Lt. Col. Jean-nette Watterson, 779 MDG Labo-ratory Flight Commander.

Upon the end of World War I,the Sanitary Corps was essentiallydemobilized. A few years later in1920, the specialties previouslywithin the Sanitary Corps wereincorporated into the Army Med-ical Administrative Corps (MAC).Within the next two decades,MAC’s mission and reach into al-

lied health fields grew to includepharmacists, biochemists, andphysiologists among other spe-cialties. During World War II, theSanitary Corps was again mobi-lized and populated by the spe-cialists from the MAC.

In the early and mid- 1940s,many corps changes occurred.The Army Dietetics Corps andWomen’s Medical SpecialistCorps (WMSpC, composed of oc-cupational and physical thera-pists) were established to createmilitary positions for these spe-cialties instead of filling the posi-tions with civil servants. The twocorps eventually combined un-der the WMSpC. In addition, theArmy Pharmacy Corps branchedfrom MAC secondary to growthand scope of their mission.

“Even more changes emanatedfrom the 1947 National SecurityAct,” said Watterson.

As a result of massive draw-downs in the military after WorldWar II, the Army Medical ServiceCorps was created with officersfrom the WMSpC, MAC, ArmyPharmacy Corps, and the ArmySanitary Corps. Moreover, theUnited States Air Force was es-tablished as a separate service;however, the Air Force did nothave its own medical services anddepended on the Army until 1949when the Air Force Medical Ser-vice (AFMS) was authorized. Maj.Gen. Malcolm C. Grow, the name-

sake of the Joint Base Andrewsclinic, was the first Air Force Sur-geon General. More than 5,100personnel were transferred fromthe Army to the Air Force, includ-ing many from the Army MedicalService Corps.

The new AFMS was com-posed of six corps: medical, den-tal, nurse, veterinary, women’smedical specialist, and medicalservice. The WMSpC includedoccupational therapists, physi-cal therapists, and dietitians; theWMSpC eventually allowed mento join and became the MedicalSpecialists Corps. The MedicalService Corps (MSC) containedthe scientific/technical special-ists and administrators/logisti-cians including optometrists,pharmacists, laboratory officers,industrial hygiene engineers,entomologists, aerospace physi-ologists, health physicists, socialworkers, psychologists and medi-cal administrators and logisti-cians.

The exponential growth anddemand of allied health care aswell as the complexity of hospitalmanagement and logistics withinthe confines of the single MSCdecreased mission effectivenessand personnel utilization, train-ing, progression, and retention.As such, studies were conduct-ed demonstrating the need forseparate corps for the scientificand engineering elements of the

MSC. As a result, the BSC was offi-cially created as a separate entityfrom the MSC and merged withthe Medical Specialist Corps onMarch 15, 1965 with Col. Alvin F.Meyer Jr. as the first appointedCorps Chief. The MSC became acorps of medical administratorsand medical logisticians.

To date, the BSC’s missionis to enhance Air Force combatcapability and effectiveness byproviding world-class customerservice and scientific expertise,resulting in peak force perfor-mance, productivity, and qual-ity healthcare to our beneficiarypopulation. Comprised of 15 pri-mary specialty codes, the BSC isthe most diverse corps in the AirForce Medical Service. Capitaliz-ing on their breadth of expertise,the BSC motto is: United in theMission. Over the past 50 years,the BSC continued to expand itsrange of personnel to include awide variety of medically-trainedprofessionals.

Please join the Air Force incelebrating the 50th anniversaryof the Biomedical Sciences Corpsand recognizing the contribu-tions of these outstanding menand women who dedicate theirlives to improving health, maxi-mizing performance, and provid-ing trusted medical care to sup-port our most vital resource, ourAirmen.

Air Force Biomedical Sciences Corps celebrates 50th anniversary

any given time whether it’s op-erations in Afghanistan or op-erations in Iraq.”

He continued, “The differentside of what I did was fly C-17s,and we had a chance to take allsorts of equipment and all sortsof personnel and troops andtrucks and supplies around theworld, and it didn’t matter wherethat stuff was going to. The bot-tom line is the Air Force had thecapability to go from this base, tothis base, to this base, and dropthe stuff off over here. So, work-ing in that operational environ-ment, and also in a joint envi-ronment, just opened my eyes tothe bigger piece of what we weredoing.”

As the senior enlisted leaderof the base, he wants to be clearthat every member of the JBABteam counts toward its missionsuccess.

“I bring a varied backgroundin the operations specialty,” hesaid. “I did maintenance a long,long time ago in the Air Forceas well - loading bombs on theF-117 - and I truly do value andrespect the other Air Force spe-cialty codes and the other Navyjobs as well - personnel, securityforces, admin - because this trulyis one mission right here.

“It’s a very high profile, dis-tinguished visitor mission, youknow with the Navy CeremonialGuard, the Coast Guard unit, theAir Force Band, the Air ForceHonor Guard and vets really doappreciate what they’re doing tomake sure that this base does itsrespective mission.

“To value each person withrespect, to understand wherethey come from, to understandwhat they can bring to the orga-nization and to see where I canhelp in their leadership path,I’m going to be an active, vis-ible leader throughout the entirebase. I want to get out and meetas many people as possible.”

He ended with a piece of ad-vice that he said has worked wellfor him his entire career - the six“Ps.”

“In my time of flying gun-ships and C-17s, the six Ps havestuck with me through my careerwhich is ‘Proper Pre-missionPlanning Prevents Poor Perfor-mance’,” he said. “Those six Ps inlife will guide you in the right di-rection through a lot of differentthings, whether you’re studyingfor a promotion examination,whether you’re studying for anAirman of the quarter board or aSailor of the year board. You’vegot to go out there and be pre-pared. You don’t just show up toa fitness test without preparing.You have to be ready.”

KLOEPPELn continued from 1 New Year! New Fitness! New You!

PHOTOS BY DAWN POWELL, MARKETING DIRECTOR, JBAB MWR

Above: Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling community kicks off theyear by learning new fitness moves at MWR’s New Year,New You, New Fitness event, Jan. 10, at Fitness Center I.Instructors taught attendees some of the top fitness trendstoday, including Kukuwa and Z-Gogo which are various cardioexercises to African drum beats, TaijiFit, a synergistic movingmeditation, and Plyoga which provides a combination of plyo-metrics and yoga poses.

Left: Fitness instructor Stephanie Lauren teaches yoga posesduring Morale, Welfare and Recreation’s (MWR) New Year,New You, New Fitness campaign at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Fitness Center I, Jan. 10.

3Friday, January 23, 2015Joint Base Journal Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

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The editorial content of Joint Base Journal is edited andapproved by the Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Public AffairsOffice. Tenant commands and others are encouraged tosubmit news, high-quality photos and informational itemsfor publication. All submitted content must be receivedby noon Friday, at least two weeks prior to publication.E-mail submissions [email protected].

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JOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLINGWASHINGTON, D.C.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE: PHONE: 202-767-4781EMAIL: [email protected]

Joint Base Journal Capt. Frank Mays, USN Col. Kendall D. Peters, USAFCommander Vice Commander

Michelle L. Gordon CMSgt. Kevin Kloeppel, USAFPublic Affairs Officer Senior Enlisted Leader

Lt. Cmdr. Jim Remington, USNPublic Affairs Projects

Eric D. RitterPhotojournalist

Nicole M. WoodsPhotojournalist

JOINT BASE JOURNALJeremy K. JohnsonPhotojournalist

COMPRINT MILITARYPUBLICATIONS

Maxine MinarPresident

John RivesPublisher

Deirdre ParryCopy/Layout Editor

when Jefferis relocated to JointBase Andrews in Maryland, thatshe underwent several more diag-nostic tests which ultimately ledto her diagnosis of DCIS (ductalcarcinoma in situ) in both breasts.

According to www.breastcan-cer.org, DCIS is the most commontype of non-invasive breast can-cer. DCIS is called “non-invasive”because it hasn’t spread beyondthe milk duct into any normal sur-rounding breast tissue.

“It’s not just having breast can-cer, but it’s what kind of breastcancer and what stage that makesthe difference,” Jefferis explained.

With a family history of breastcancer, a disease she lost hermother to at a young age, Jefferishad always kept her doctors in-formed and regularly performedself-examinations throughout hercareer - allowing her to detect thedisease early on.

She wasn’t surprised to discov-er that her form of breast cancerwas hereditary.

At the beginning of the nextyear, 2014, Jefferis was faced witha life-changing decision of howshe would choose to treat the can-cer. She chose to have a bilateralmastectomy with reconstructivesurgery, a procedure that wouldremove both breasts.

With the support of a very dearfriend living nearby - also a breastcancer survivor - Jefferis was ableto reach out and seek advice whenit came to making those really dif-ficult decisions.

“Just talking to her gave methat extra boost and at that pointI realized that through my journeythe one thing I was really able tolearn was perspective.”

Just a few weeks after the sur-gery, Jefferis received great news.The cancer had been completelyremoved.

Overjoyed by the news, shewent to work on organizing thesupport group’s first meeting.

“Realizing that there was sucha large populous here at Andrews,and I know I’m not the only breastcancer survivor, I thought to my-self, ‘why not start up a grouphere on base, for people who liveclose by, or for those who live atBelvoir, JBAB and even the Pen-

tagon,’” Jefferis explained withexcitement.

“I wanted something that’sclose for people living or workingon this side of Maryland, so thosepeople can get the support theyneed and not have to travel veryfar.”

She expressed her idea for thegroup and was quickly connectedwith two women who were al-ready working as counselors atthe outpatient medical center onAndrews. One of the counselors,a breast cancer survivor herself,and another counselor, an avidsupporter of survivors, were ea-ger to join in and bring the groupto life.

“I did not start this group bymyself. I had other people to helpme,” she said.

Together in Pink held its firstmeeting May 31, 2014.

During the monthly meetingsparticipants share a part of theirstory covering anything fromwhen they were diagnosed to how

many years they have been a sur-vivor.

The diverse group providesprofessional counseling for itsmembers in addition to having anurse present who is also avail-able for advice.

“Each woman is at a differentphase in their journey. Some havebeen survivors for over 20 yearsand it has come back; where-as others have just discoveredtheirs,” Jefferis explained.

The group is composed of bothcivilians and active duty servicemembers; men are encouraged toattend as well.

“I don’t want anyone to everfeel like they have to go throughthis alone,” Jefferis said, “becausethere are so many people outthere who don’t have anyone totalk to who has been where theyare at, that can help them alongthe way and lift them up whenthey’re down. It’s important tohave.”

“Why not have a breast cancer

support group? I know I’m not theonly one,” she concluded.

The breast cancer supportgroup meets monthly on the thirdTuesday in the Global ReachConference Room of MalcolmGrow Medical Clinic/Surgery

Center located at 1050 W. Perim-eter Rd., Joint Base Andrews, MD20762.

For more information aboutthe group, please contact MasterSgt. Demetrica Jefferis at 240-857-3795/3097.

CANCERn continued from 1

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AIR FORCE MASTER SGT. DEMETRICA JEFFERIS

Members of Together in Pink, a local breast cancer support group based at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, pose for a photo during their monthly sup-port meeting. Together in Pink meets every third Tuesday of the month, from 1-2 p.m., to educate, encourage and support its members, as they fightthe disease together. Meetings are held in the Global Reach Conference Room, which is located within the Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics/SurgeryCenter on base.

Local breast cancer support group, called Together in Pink, along withother survivors in the national capital region, gather for a monthly break-fast dedicated to breast cancer survivors living in area.


LT. CMDR. JIM REMINGTONJOINT BASE ANACOSTIA-BOLLING

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Editor’s Note: This is the secondpart of a two-part story that beganin the Jan. 16 issue of Joint BaseJournal.

Eltham High SchoolSymphonic Band’sexceptionalism

Listening to Eltham HighSchool’s Symphonic Band for evena few moments reveals that thisgroup has something very specialgoing on; not many high schoolbands sound quite like this. Theyare an exceptional band perform-ing at a professional caliber.

Eltham High School is part ofthe Eltham public school system.Students in the town’s music pro-gram begin learning their instru-ments at 12 or 13 years old. TheEltham High School SymphonicBand starts in seventh grade andgoes through 12th, with the young-est band member being 14 and theoldest 18. Among its 54 members,approximately 20 graduated onemonth ago when the Australianschool year came to an end andtheir summer vacation began.But all of the band’s recent alum-ni stayed with the band beyondgraduation for what will be proveto be a memorable finish to theirhigh school experience culminat-ing with their performances at theMidwest Clinic.

But even before this moment,these students have achieved sev-eral noteworthy successes. And be-fore any of them were students, infact before any of them were born,their predecessors in the sameband were achieving great thingsand building the foundations ofwhat they have become today. TheEltham High School SymphonicBand began to pave the way foroutstanding high school wind en-sembles in Australia. The previousdirector, from whom Plummertook over, steadily built the pro-gram over more than 20 years.

“At the time, nothing like it ex-isted. Now there are three or fourreally outstanding ensembles likethis in Victoria. In previous timesthe band has had streaks of 20years straight where they’ve wonthe Victoria state championships,”said Plummer. “Most recently wewon it in 2012 and 2013, and thisyear we came second to anothergreat high school band, BlackburnHigh School in Victoria. So there isa strong tradition of this ensemblecompeting well at the Royal SouthStreet Eisteddfod.”

When asked what makes hisstudent musicians and their bandexceptional, Plummer credited theculture of the whole program asbeing the main reason.

“Most of them don’t start learn-ing their instrument until theyget to the school, which is whenthey’re about 12 or 13. And theystart in group lessons of say fourstudents per group. And if theystick the path and they practiceregularly and just work with theirgreat teachers they should get intothe symphonic band,” Plummersaid. “So every ensemble that youmove through you have to audi-

tion. The audition is just to makesure that the student has donewhat the teachers have asked themto do.”

The school has teachers whoteach all of the instruments in theband, teachers who are specialistsnot just in teaching the instrumentbut also at knowing how to get thestudents through the programso that one day they can achievethese sort of high standards ondisplay at an Eltham High SchoolSymphonic Band performance.

“And then, of course, we havesome outstanding students, likeAlessandra, who you heard todayperform the solo. There are half adozen or so of those students whoare truly, truly talented and maywant to pursue a career or futurein music. But the general groupof them are just normal kids whowork really hard for this ensem-ble,” said Plummer.

While Eltham High is a publicschool with a music program thatgets lots of support, the children’sfamilies must pay for their lessons,and they must pay for them to goon this tour.

“The school does what it canto support us with buying someequipment. But I’m thankful thatwe’ve got an active parent groupcalled ‘The Friends of MusicGroup,’ who do a lot of fundraisersthroughout the year to raise somemoney to help buy some of thebigger instruments. Most recentlythey bought a grand piano for theschool; we never had a grand pia-no before,” said Plummer.

Plummer added that he feelslucky that the music program isled by the school and the schoolcouncil, rather than the state gov-ernment. Together, the school andthe school council determine whatrole music plays in the school andthey strongly support the musicprogram.

Guest conductor Ingrid Martinexplained that the band is differentfrom many U.S. high school bandsin that band is an extracurricularactivity, so it does not run duringclass time.

“This ensemble rehearses onlytwice a week outside of normal

school hours and has a musiccamp once a year for a weekendand this is the result,” she said.“There are competitions that runin Melbourne. One is the RoyalSouth Street Eisteddfod competi-tions and another is the VictorianSchool of Music Festival. And theband has a very long history of be-ing successful in those competi-tions.”

The reason the school’s mu-sic leadership brings the studentsto these competitions, Plummersaid, is to give the students a goaltoward which they can work andto inspire them to play togethermusically within a sophisticatedrepertoire.

“From that if we’re success-ful [placing in a competition], weare, and if not, it’s still been a greatjourney. We are very lucky that wehave been very successful over theyears with the program.”

A musical sidebar ofharp and flute

At the conclusion of Eltham’svisit with the band, while the othermusicians departed for a quicklunch, two of the band’s recently-graduated seniors chose to staybehind and give up half of theirlunch time for a smaller, morepersonal mini-clinic with SeniorMaster Sgt. Eric A. Sabatino, harpsoloist for the Concert Band, origi-

nally from New York.The two flutists, Anna Telfer

and Lauren Scalzo, both recentalumni of Eltham High School,hope to continue their musiceducation at the university level.Each has auditioned for the Uni-versity of Melbourne’s MelbourneConservatorium of Music and areawaiting word on their acceptance.

About her experience work-ing with Sabatino and his harpfor just a half hour, Telfer said,“We’ve never had the experienceof playing with harp before and it’spretty rare to be able to do that. Hehelped us with phrasing and ex-pressiveness.”

Bunner, the Air Force Band’sAIM director, said Sabatino is oneof the top musicians and mentorshis band has.

“They couldn’t get enough. Ericis super; he just wanted to give asmuch as he could because theywanted to take some time to playwith him. Flute and harp are com-plementary instruments. Thereare a lot of pieces written for thatcombination. And he was able touse a little bit of their lunch breakwhich I thought was special,” Bun-ner added.

Scalzo, the other flutist, saidshe was especially grateful forher experience with the entire AirForce Band and the short time theywere able to work with Sabatino.

“I’ve looking forward to this for

two years now. And this day hasbeen the main thing I wanted todo on this tour so, being able towork with the U.S. Air Force Bandhas been amazing and a fantasticexperience,” said Scalzo.

Not all work and no playAfter 20 hours of travel, the

Eltham High School SymphonicBand touched down in Washing-ton, and with a day to spare beforeitsmorningwith the Air Force Band,the students and conductors man-aged to put in a solid day of touringSunday starting around 9:30 a.m.,in spite of their jet lag. They went tothe Smithsonian Institute’s Nation-al Air and Space Museum, NaturalHistory Museum, the White House,the Washington Monument andnearby memorials.

Plummer said that, as Austra-lians, they obviously understanda lot of American history throughtheir very close cultural relation-ship with the United States and ac-cess to its media. But even beyondthat, as a band, he and his studentsperform many American composi-tions to include a selection byMarkCamphouse, professor of music atGeorge Mason University in Fair-fax, Virginia titled “A Movement forRosa.” The piece, which the Elthamband studied and prepared, hon-ors civil rights heroine Rosa Parks.The composition has three sectionsto represent her life. The first cov-ers her early years from her 1919birth in Tuskegee, Alabama, untilher marriage in the 1930s. The sec-ond reflects a period of racial strifein Montgomery, where she and somany others were seeking socialequality. The third section finishesdepicting Park’s quiet strength andserenity with some final momentsof dissonance at the very end whichserve as a commentary and warn-ing on racism’s lingering presencein society.

After all of the preparation on“A Movement for Rosa,” and thenthe anticipation of working on itfirsthand with the composer atGeorge Mason University by thenext afternoon, Plummer said itmade the experience of seeing theMartin Luther King Jr. Memorialall the richer.

“To be able to go to the MartinLuther King Jr. Memorial yester-day was really great because wewere able to connect what some ofthat means to the American peopleand to what we’re going to be do-ing with the music,” said Plum-mer. “And then also to see all thoseplaces you want to have on yourbucket list, like the White House,the Lincoln Memorial, all that sortof stuff that we see quite often, buthave never seen in the flesh, wasamazing.”

The band then completed itsnight with a family-style Italiandinner at Carmine’s before turningin for a good night’s rest.

Between the Air Force Bandand the Midwest Clinic

After leaving the Air ForceBand, Eltham’s students had aquick lunch at the food court inJBAB’s Base Exchange before head-

Two bands strengthen strategic cultural, military ties through music

Senior Master Sgt. Eric A. Sabatino, harp soloist for The United States AirForce Band, originally from Evansville, Ind., works with Australia’s ElthamHigh School Symphonic Band flutists Lauren Scalzo (center) and AnnaTelfer (right) during a mini-clinic at the Air Force Band hangar on JointBase Anacostia-Bolling.

U.S. NAVY PHOTOS BY LT. CMDR. JIM REMINGTON

(Left to right) U.S. Air Force Band Commander and Conductor Col. Larry H. Lang, originally from El Paso, Texas,stands with Eltham High School Symphonic Band members Emily Everett and Lauren Scalzo, Eltham High SchoolSymphonic Band and Director of Music Rick Plummer, guest conductor Ingrid Martin, and Royal Australian AirForce Air Commodore Gary Martin, who serves as the air attaché at the Australian Embassy in Washington, fol-lowing a clinic and joint performance of the two bands.

See BAND, Page 6


www.MyWFR.comWarfighter & Family Readiness has a new look! Visit our

newwebsite at www.MyWFR.com to stay up-to-date with allevents, programs, specials and more!

ObservancesJanuary is National Stalking Awareness Month, a time to

focus on a crime that affected 6.6million victims in one year.The theme - “Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It.” -challeng-es the nation to fight this dangerous crime by learning moreabout it. For additional resources to help promote NationalStalking Awareness Month, please visit the Military & Fam-ily Support Center or http://stalkingawarenessmonth.org.

Dining2-for-1 Steak Night

Jan. 29 | 5-8:30 p.m. | Bolling Club, Wings Bar and GrillBest Deal in Town! Choose from a juicy 12oz rib eye or

New York strip steak, tossed or Iceberg wedge salad andbaked russet potato, sweet potato, french fries or rice pi-laf and chef’s choice vegetables. Catch of the day or grilledchicken breast is also available.

Club Members: $24.95 for two people; Non-Members:$24.95 per person

Spinz at Potomac Lanes Bowling CenterEnjoy a new spin on food with hand-crafted burgers and

sandwiches, signature pizzas and wings. Spinz also offersa variety of healthy and vegetarian menu items such as theGreek salad, fresh veggies with hummus and the VeggiePatch- sub!

EntertainmentPlay Bingo at Potomac Lanes

Win up to $8,000 per game and daily prizes! Sign up foryou VIP Bingo Payer’s Card today at Potomac Lanes!

Boss & BuddyJan. 30 | 3:30-5:30 p.m. | Bolling Club, Wings Bar & GrillFollow up that monthly promotion ceremony by tak-

ing your boss to the club for food and drink specials. ClubMembers can enjoy a complimentary buffet; cost for Non-Members is $10.

Super Bowl PartyFeb. 1 | 5 p.m. | Bolling Club, WASP LoungeWatch Super Bowl XLIX on six big screen televisions

while enjoying food and giveaways! Club Members: Free;Non-Members: $10

RecreationSave the Date!

A Catered Affair: Wedding & Special Events ExpoFeb. 6 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Bolling ClubStart planning for your special event at the Bolling Club

andCommunity Center with the area’s best event profession-als. The Bolling Club is the ideal venue in the Washington,D.C. Metro Area, offering the very best in amenities, serviceand affordability. With 340,000 square feet of space and 12rooms available we can ensure to find the right space for you.

Meet face to face with the Special Events and CateringManager and other vendors to include photographers, flo-rists, bakeries and travel agents - all under one roof! View dif-ferent event exhibits for weddings, anniversaries, retirementsand baby showers. Taste wedding cakes, sample appetizersand register to win giveaways! Free admission. Visit MyWFR.com for a complete list of vendors.

Private events are exclusive to Air Force Club Membersand their guests only. If you’re not a club member, sign uptoday at the Bolling Club or online at www.myairforcelife.comand start taking advantage of the savings! The Department ofthe Navy does not endorse any company, sponsor or theirproducts or services.

Cosmic SaturdayEvery Saturday | 8 p.m.-midnight| Potomac Lanes Bowl-

ing CenterUnlimited bowling and shoe rental for only $15; $12 for

active-duty military personnel and their families.

Arts & Crafts Center - 202-767-6997Arnold Ave, Bldg. 4472

Woodshop Now Open!The woodshop is now open to all DoD ID cardholders ev-

ery Tuesday and Thursday from 2-8 p.m. and on Saturdaysfrom 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 per hour.

Outdoor Recreation -202-767-9136 / 202-369-7476

Hit the SlopesRent or tune up your ski/snowboard gear at Outdoor

Recreation - 202-767-9136 / 202-369-7476.Giovannoli Way, Bldg. 928

Ski/Snowboard EquipmentSnowboard Package (1st Day): $25Ski Package (1st Day): $25Additional days for each Package: $10Boots: $8Poles: $5Skis/Snowboard: $15Snow Shoes: $12Helmet: $2ServicesTuning: $10Edging: $8Waxing: $7Calibrating: $10Complete Tuning: $25

Free Winter InspectionReceive a free winter inspection with the purchase of an

oil change at Auto Hobby Shop, bldg. P9. The inspectionincludes tires, belts, all fluids, top off washer fluid, undercarriage and suspension and lights!

Disney on Ice presents World of FantasyExperience a magical Disney fantasy live on ice at the

Verizon Center, Feb. 13-16. Discounted tickets are on salenow through Feb. 5 at the ITT Office, Chappie James Blvd,Bldg. 4570 (Inside the Commissary). Call 202-404-6576 orvisit MyWFR.com for details!

Personalized GiftsGive that special someone a unique gift with a personal-

ized message from the Engraving Shop, located at Arts &Crafts, Bldg. 4472. Call 202-767-6997 for pricing and details.

Child & YouthSnow Tubing at Whitetail Ski Resort

Teens (Ages 13-18): Jan. 31, Register by Jan. 28Noon-10 p.m. | Mercersburg, PennsylvaniaTube down any of the 10 snow tubing lanes at Whitetail

Ski Resort. Afterwards, we will stop for a fast food dinnerbefore returning to the base. Come dressed for lots of coldfun. Tickets must be purchased from the Information,Tickets and Travel (ITT) Office located inside the Com-missary. Cost is $26 for a two-hour session. Transporta-tion is included, but participants are responsible for anyassociated costs incurred on this trip. Current member-ship and a signed permission slip are needed for this ac-tivity. Limited seating is available on the bus, so registerearly at the Youth Center.

Warfighter & Family Readiness Programs & EventsAll classes are open to active-duty service members,

spouses, retirees and civilians affectedbybase realignment.Workshops are open toDODcivilians ona space availabilitybasis. To register, please call the Military and Family Sup-port Center, 202-767-0450. To view a complete schedule,visit MyWFR.com or theMWR Smartphone App, ABSalute.

Employment Assistance/Transition AssistanceExecutive Transition GPS

Jan. 26-30, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Bldg. 13.Register for course through command career counselor.

VA I & IIJan. 26, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Bldg. 13

Family Employment Readiness ProgramFamily Employment Readiness

Jan. 29, 10 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 13

Life Skills

Tots, Tumble, & TalkHeld every Tuesday and Thursday, 9:45-11:45 a.m., at

the Youth Center

Effective CommunicationJan. 26, 2-3 p.m., Bldg. 13

Personal Financial ManagementDeveloping Your Spending Plan

Jan. 28, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Bldg. 13

Million $ WaysJan. 29, 8 a.m.-noon, Bldg. 13

Relocation AssistanceSmooth Move & Overseas Planning

Jan. 27, 9-11 a.m., Bldg. 13

Right StartJan. 28, 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Bldg. 13

Sexual Assault Prevention & ResponseSAPR VA Refresher Training

Jan. 29, 1-3:30 p.m., Bldg. 13

Military & Family Support Center

1042243

Military Spouses can get FREEcareer training with MyCAA funding.

Train online in healthcare, technology,or administration and prepare to earn

$30,000-$50,000/year.

Visit CareerStep.com/spouseor call 1-866-203-1822 today!

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ing on for another clinic at nearby George Mason Universityin Fairfax, Virginia. There the band played with the universi-ty’s director ofmusic, Dr. DennisM. Layendecker, retired col-onel and former commander of The United States Air ForceBand from 2002 to 2009, as well as the previously mentionedProfessor of Music Mark Camphouse.

From there, Eltham’s band headed north to New YorkCity for approximately a week, where it participated in anumber of workshops and performances in New York, evenworking with American composer, big-band leader andGrammy Award-winner Maria Schneider who recently col-laborated with David Bowie on his new single “Sue (Or In ASeason Of Crime).”

Eltham’s young musicians also worked with composerMichael Markowski in Brooklyn on his 2011 composition,“As Midnight on a Moonless Night,” and later performed itin concert with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony.

The Midwest ClinicThe band performed in two separate events at its final

stop in Chicago. Their guest conductor Ingrid Martin gave apresentation on Australian band repertoire. Together she andEltham’smusicians served as Australian cultural andmusicalambassadors to the clinic’s attendees. Additionally, Austra-lian composer and music educator Jodie Blackshaw, a goodfriend of the Eltham, also used them as the demo group forher education workshop.

“Ingrid Martin, she’s put together a clinic of Australianrepertoire. The idea of that clinic is we’re wanting to exposesome of the great writers fromAustralia thatmaybe the Amer-icans haven’t come across. Everyone knows Percy Grainger,and everyone knows a few of the more well-known compos-ers that have beenwriting repertoire for the last 10 to 15 years,but we’ve tried to bring some of the composers that perhapsthe American ensembles and band directors don’t know,”said Plummer.

“For mine it’s mainly a survey of Australian repertoire,”said Martin. “So we’ll be playing excerpts from a number ofdifferent Australian works, and Jodie’s is somewhat uncon-ventional so there’ll be kids running around with drumsticks

hitting chairs and helping the band directors who are comingto the clinics understand some different ways in which theycan teach in their band room.”

Plummer said that Blackshaw’s work is starting to get no-ticed and played in America, but beyond her music she hasso much important knowledge to convey about how to teachmusic to young musicians.

“Jodie is really passionate about drawing a connectionwith the students and understanding a lot of different musi-cal concepts and how that goes within their understandingbefore they even touch their instruments. So we’re doing aclinic with her that’s based on alternative ways to rehearseyour band. So there’s a lot of interaction. They’ve got drum-sticks at one stage they’re using, all sorts of stuff, and theneventually at some point they’ll pick up their instruments andplay somemusic at the end,” Plumer said.

And with the conclusion of these performances, this par-ticular collection of Eltham High School Symphonic Bandmembers will reach its proud end.

Outside of their performance role, the Midwest Clinic willgive all of the band members an opportunity to see severalworld-class ensembles in one place.

“Once we finish this tour,” Plummer said, “this particu-lar ensemble as it is composed with this group of students isfinished.”

For Eltham’s recent graduates, they will always have thememory of how it felt to go out on a high note.

BANDn continued from 4

U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY LT. CMDR. JIM REMINGTON

Eltham High School Symphonic Band guest conductor IngridMartin directs both Eltham and The United States Air ForceBand during a clinic.

M.V. Leckie Elementaryrecognizes MLK, Jr. Day

PHOTO COURTESY OF LARISSA CAMILLERI

Volunteers from M.V. Leckie Elementary School in D.C.Ward 8 participated in the Martin Luther King, Jr. DayParade, Jan. 19.

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Documents

Joint base journal 012315