OFF RUNNING · · 2017-04-05bers of the 163d SPS received training that included explosives and trip-wire handling, pa-trol tactics, ... loted aircraft as the sun rises Dec. 14,

JANUARY 2017

www.163ATKW.ang.af.mil/163ATKW @163ATKW

est. February 1980 A MAGAZINE BY THE

ALSO INSIDE:

Vigilant Guard

Marijuana legal, but a no-go for troops

Scholarships formilitary children

Wing celebratesholiday season

Airman makes fitness a way of lifeAirman makes fitness a way of life

OFF&RUNNING

JANUARY 2017 3

On GUARD is proudly published for the members of the 163d Attack Wing and their families.

Public Affairs Office2nd Lt. Jessica Huerta

Senior Master Sgt. Stanley Thompson

Tech. Sgt. Neil Ballecer

Tech. Sgt. Joseph McKee

Tech. Sgt. Gregory Solman

Senior Airman Cynthia Innocenti

Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman

Airman Michelle Ulber

Special thanks to:Kat Lange, On GUARD logo designer

The On GUARD is the official magazine of the 163d Attack Wing, March Air Reserve Base, California.

The contents of On GUARD are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force or the 163d Attack Wing.

Wing CommanderCol. Dana Hessheimer

Vice Wing CommanderCol. Keith Ward

OurMission

To be one team providing dedicated, disciplined and diverse Guardsmen ready to defend our state, nation

and local communities from any threats that

compromise the safety, security and well-being of

our citizens and allies.

Integrity FirstService Before Self

ExcellenceIn All We Do

OFF & RUNNING: Senior Master Sgt. Richard Aceves is an avid runner who has turned distance running into a family affair.

Photo by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman

MORE PHOTOS AND STORY ON PG. 34

COVERstory

163throwback

A member of the 163d Security Police squadron trains in Indian Springs, Nevada, while learning airbase ground defense during a two week course held in January, 1994. 46 mem-bers of the 163d SPS received training that included explosives and trip-wire handling, pa-trol tactics, desert survival, and military small-arms training. (163d Attack Wing archive photo)

PICTUREthisSenior Airman Ernest of the 163d At-tack Wing performs the prelaunch flight check of an MQ-9 Reaper remotely pi-loted aircraft as the sun rises Dec. 14, 2016, at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California. Note: last names are omitted and name tape blurred in accordance with U.S. Air Force security policy for RPA personnel.

Air National Guard photo by Maj. Chris

JANUARY 2017 7

by Staff Sgt. Jannelle McRaeSecretary of the Air Force Public AffairsPublished Dec. 27, 2016

The approval of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

for Fiscal Year 2017 provides a num-ber of changes for Airmen, retirees, and families, to include stabilizing readiness and end strength, improving pilot retention, modernizing compen-sation and benefits and enhancing transparency in the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The NDAA authorizes an overall in-crease in manpower by 4,000 Airmen increasing the Air Force active forces end strength to 321,000.

For personnel compensation and benefits, effective Jan.1, the monthly basic pay will increase by 2.1 per-cent, and while there will not be any changes made to the administration of the housing allowance the NDAA directs the defense department to begin planning for a transition to a single-salary pay system no later than Jan. 1, 2018. The goal is to create a system that better aligns the payment with the DOD’s use of the housing al-lotment as compensation rather than as an allowance.

The NDAA additionally authorizes the Air Force to increase aviation retention pay from $25,000 to $35,000 per year and flight pay up to $1,000 per month as needed to address manning shortfalls and challenges.

Also addressing staffing challenges, the Air Force is required to transi-tion to an organizational model with enlisted remotely piloted aircraft pilots by Sept. 30, 2020, for the regular component and 2023 for the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.

The NDAA also directs improvements to military health care. One provision authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish a self-managed, preferred-provider network option under the TRICARE program. This program – ‘TRICARE Select’ – will be available to

active duty family members, retirees, reserve, and young adults. Under TRICARE Select, eligible beneficiaries will not have restrictions on the free-dom of choice of the beneficiary with respect to health care providers. Cost sharing requirements are determined by prior military status. In addition, some additional cost sharing fees for Tricare Prime retirees and family members and small increases to an-nual enrollment will be implemented. Another provision requires the DOD to improve access to urgent care servic-es in both military medical treatment facilities and the private sector, while also requiring Military Treatment Fa-cilities to expand hours on weekdays and weekends to ensure the availabil-ity of primary care services.

In addition, the NDAA authorizes up to 12 weeks of total leave for a primary caregiver, including up to six weeks of medical convalescent leave, to be used in connection with the birth of a child. It also allows a primary care-giver up to six weeks of total leave to be used in the case of an adoption. In each instance, a secondary caregiver is also authorized up to 21 days of leave.

This year’s authorization also contains a number of civilian hiring provisions, including direct-hire authorities for

post-secondary students and recent graduates, wage schedule employ-ees, financial management experts, industrial base facilities, major range and test facilities, and positions at DOD research and engineering laboratories. The NDAA also returned a restriction on the appointment of retired members of the armed forces to civil service positions in the DOD within 180 days of their retirement. Previous statute allowed that restric-tion to be waived based on a state of national emergency.

The first major reforms to the UCMJ in 30 years were also part of the autho-rization. The implementation of the reforms should improve efficiency and transparency, while also enhancing victims’ rights. The reforms include expanding the statute of limitations for child abuse offenses and fraudu-lent enlistment, and establishing new offenses ranging from improper use of government computers to retaliation to prohibited activities with military recruits and trainees by a person in a position of special trust.

More information about the NDAA is available on the House Armed Ser-vices Committee website at:

http://armedservices.house.gov

AROUNDtheFORCE

The 196th Attack Squadron is scheduled to hold an Undergraduate Remotely Piloted Aircraft Training pilot selection board March 4.

Personnel interested in RPA pilot training must turn in packages no later than Feb. 16.

Minimum application requirements include:

- Less than 33 years of age (unless already com-missioned)

- Bachelor’s Degree

- Passed Air Force Officer Qualifying Test

- Be able to pass a military flight physical

- Private Pilot License (or completed solo portion)

Each package should include:

- Résumé

- Three letters of recommendation

- College transcripts showing completion of bach-elor’s degree.

- Passing fitness score documentation

- Passing AFOQT and Pilot Candidate Selection Method (PCSM) scores.

More information about the PCSM can be found online at: access.afpc.af.mil

- Notate flying experience, including scans of your logbook, when applying.

Enlisted personnel and officers are eligible to apply.

Personnel in other military branches and civilians are eligible to apply.

For more information, or to submit a package, please email the Chief Pilot at:

[email protected]

A selection board is scheduled during the Feb. unit training as-sembly for a two-year term serv-ing as an additional duty First Sergeant on UTA weekends within the 163d Mission Support Group.

All Tech. Sgts. and Master Sgts. are encouraged to apply.

Interested personnel should submit an application package that includes:

- a letter of intent

- a letter of endorsement from your commander

- a full RIP from vMPF

- fitness history.

All packages must be received by Command Chief Master Sgt. Sanchez not later than the end of the January UTA.

Submit packages electronically by email to:

[email protected]

Contact Chief Sanchez for more information or for answers to any questions you may have.

Pilot selection board packages due Feb. 16

FY 17 NDAA impact on Airmen explained BRIEFS

New Year’s Day .....................................................................................Jan. 1Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday (observed) ........................................ Jan. 16Vietnam Peace Day ............................................................................ Jan. 27Chinese New Year Begins ................................................................... Jan. 28National Mentoring Month ...........................................................Month-longCervical Health Month .................................................................Month-longWinter Safety Month ....................................................................Month-long

January Holidays & Observances

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Thomas F. Good, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing command chief, speaks to Airmen in formation at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Nov. 11. The fiscal year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act allows for adding 4,000 more Airmen to the force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Miles Wilson)

E-6s and E-7s sought for additional duty First Sgt. position

JANUARY 2017 9JANUARY 20178

that has been mobilized for 10 years,” he points out. “So even drill-status airmen have been fighting wars for a decade.” That has meant a dramatic accrual of Title 10 status points and, for the first time in the wing’s history, the possibility of full, active-duty retire-ment after 20 years.

“We’re going to lose some airmen to retirement at 40 [years old]—and all the experience that goes with it,” Sanchez predicts. “If we lose half of our aircrews because they can retire…well, that’s a conversation I want to have now, not when they’re putting in their retirement paperwork.”

“Right now, 74 percent of the wing is drill-status guardsmen. They’re three quarters of our force,” San-chez says. “So the fact is, if we don’t focus on those airmen and make sure they’re developed, and that they’re motivated, we’re going to fail.”

“I don’t know any other job where you can go in on a Monday morn-ing and say ‘We’re going to send home three quarters of you, and we’ll see you in a month, and then we’re going to train you in two days, then send you home again for a month.’ That’s just unheard of,” Sanchez continues. “Without the traditionals, we would not be able to do the mission or the de-ployments.”

The wing’s constant war footing has been complicated by constant conversion for almost 11 years. “At most wings, you have an air-frame for 20, 25 years—and we’re already looking at whatever will replace the MQ-9 [Reaper].”

Sanchez says that can be good for retention, in avoiding routine and repetitive jobs, but it also involves

“a lot of retraining, from a 3- to 5- to 7-level. If you’re not in a career field long enough you’re never go-ing to get a 9-level and be eligible to be a chief, because you’re al-ways in conversion,” Sanchez says. “That’s the downside. Twenty years ago in the Air Force you had one career field, you took your CDCs [Career Development Courses] and 7-level once, and for the next 10 to 15 years you were good to go. Now, we’re asking airmen to go back to school every five or six years and retrain and redo their CDCs and go to tech school, and move their family. And I’m aware of the stress and what that does to an airman and their family. At the same time, it is a great opportunity to learn a new skill and crosstrain. And I would recommend that to anyone.”

Sanchez knows crosstraining from personal experience. He joined the Air Force in 1989 on delayed enlistment, needing money for school, and served five years of active duty, first with the 147th Fighter Wing at Moody Air Force Base, then at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan, in the 400th Muni-tions Maintenance Squadron: “Bombs, bullets, and anything that blew up. It was a lot of fun.” He punched out in 1995, started at Mount San Antonio College and finished at Whittier College, earning a bachelor’s in biology. Back then, he was training to go to medical school but recalls, with no hint of regret, that he’d fathered children so young, it had become impractical.

Sanchez joined what was then the 163d Air Refueling Wing in 1998, cross-training into Supply and serving with the Logistics Readi-ness Squadron until 2007. “I didn’t

realize until I joined Supply that my dad was actually in Supply,” at the 163d Fighter Group and Tactical Air Support Group fighter squadron in Ontario. “We share the same name. A couple of people who had been there for awhile remembered him.” Sanchez’s grandfather also served in the Army at the end of World War II and in the ramp up to the Korean War.

“The attitude, passion, and inter-est of the airmen makes us differ-ent,” Sanchez says of the 163d. “They’re open to orders, open to coming out and cross-training.” He aims at attending every group and squadron roll call at drill weekend in the next year, “find out what they are doing, see what information is, and isn’t, getting to them.” He wants to spend his three-year tour out-and-about in the wing. “I only have 34 drills left to do everything I want to do, to make an impact and make airmen’s lives better.”

“How am I going to do that?” asks the teacher—rhetorically, of course.

If the hallway-and-podium bearing of new 163d Attack Wing Command Chief Master Sgt. Gilbert Sanchez seems somehow familiar—a respect-commanding combination of “I’m genuinely in-terested in what you’re saying” and “Excuse me, I’m talking now”—that might be because Sanchez spent the bulk of his civilian career as a biology teacher in the Whittier school district.

Now Sanchez plans to teach a lesson in the art and science of being a command chief. The job, he says, “is very individualized. My personality is going to come out in this position. It’s not [Air Force Specialty Code] based; it’s not about your skill level. It’s about making it your own and individual-izing it.”

“I just enjoy being out with air-men and hearing their stories and watching them succeed and do well,” says Sanchez, who accepted the sword from retired Com-mand Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Dempsey last October. “I want to inspire and motivate airmen to be the best they can be. Whether they want to be a command chief, or a commander, or get out and go to school, I still want them to be the best airman they can be—and the best person.”

So far, being tied to a desk—some-thing Sanchez admits he would not embrace happily—hasn’t been as much of a problem as his in-ability to bilocate. During Decem-ber’s drill weekend at March Air Reserve Base, Sanchez appeared at nine Christmas parties and 12 separate promotions. In less than three months, he’s been on six out of town temporary duty as-signments, including travel to the National Guard Bureau in Wash-ington, D.C. (where he sometimes teaches the Human Resources Ad-visor Program orientation course); Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Buckley Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy, Colorado; and to the California Military Department in Sacramento.

“I’m pleasantly surprised that I get to hear more about the great things the wing is doing,” Sanchez says, summarizing his whirlwind tour. “At Langley, for the Air Com-bat Command conference, I heard about how the remote-piloted aircraft community is fighting the war on terror and keeping America safe. And some of those things I wasn’t aware of at that level.”

“It’s an honor to go to these events and represent the 163d,” Sanchez continues. “I wish I could take everyone with me so they could hear the amazing stories about

the work they’re doing. They don’t realize how appreciated they are across the Air Force and across the Air National Guard.”

True to his teaching vocation, Sanchez plans to emphasize pro-fessional development during his tenure; he’s already tracking Com-munity College of the Air Force enrollment and graduation rates. “I want to increase a lot of those numbers and the awareness,” he says, “especially senior enlisted joint PME [Professional Military Education]. That’s going to be one of the new requirements. And I don’t want people to get tripped up by that.” He adds that Profes-sion of Arms Center of Excellence training should also return this year, as well as the Leadership Challenge program. Sanchez con-tends that those opportunities for airmen will lead to a better devel-oped wing and also “better devel-oped supervisors and leaders. I don’t ever want an airman to ask another airman to do something they haven’t done themselves.”

Sanchez hopes that rapid develop-ment at all levels in the wing can avert the potential for a bubble bursting around 2026, when an unprecedented numbers of airmen will be eligible for early retirement around the same period. “We’re the only Air National Guard wing

Command Chief Sanchez Has a Lesson Plan

Story and photo by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Solman, 163d Attack Wing Public Affairs

Sanchez

JANUARY 2017 1110

Know someone who deserves a shout-out? Email the 163d ATKW

Public Affairs team at [email protected] to let us know who got promoted,

who received an award, or who did something else that was just plain awesome. Snapped a

photo? We’ll take it. Send it to our way and it might show up in the next issue of On Guard!

CONGRATS PROMOTED

ALSO PROMOTED(Listing reflects member’s new grade.)

RETIRED

Master Sgt. Miller of the 163d Headquarters is promoted to Senior Master Sgt. Dec. 3. (Air Na-tional Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman)

Master Sgt. Luis of the 163d Attack Wing is tacked on as Senior Mas-ter Sgt. during a ceremony Dec. 3. (Courtesy photo)

163d Attack Wing Vice Com-

mander Col. Keith Ward presents a Meritorious

Service Medal to Master Sgt. Carson during his retire-ment ceremony Dec. 3 at March

Air Reserve Base. (Photo courtesy Ed-

die Maloney)

Tech. Sgt. Schmitt of the 163d Force Support

Squadron is pre-sented a plaque showcasing his military career

during his Dec. 4 retirement cer-

emony. (Photo courtesy Maj.

Covington)

Staff Sgt. Morin of the 163d Com-munication Flight is promoted to Tech. Sgt. on Dec. 3. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mi-chael Leocadio)

Staff Sgt. Horst of the 163d Com-munication Flight is promoted to Tech. Sgt. on Dec. 3. (Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mi-chael Leocadio)

Airman 1st Class Staples of the 163d Communication Flight is promoted to Senior Airman on Dec. 4. (Courtesy photo)

Airman 1st Class Albizu of the 163d Logistics Readiness Squadron is promoted to Senior Airman Dec. 3. (Photo courtesy Master Sgt. Ward)

Tech. Sgt. Gerardi of the 163d Logistics Readiness Squadron is tacked on as Master Sgt. during a Dec. 3 ceremony. (Air National Guard photo by Maj. Jennifer Covington)

Airman 1st Class Gregory of the 163d Communication Flight is promoted to Senior Airman on Dec. 4. (Courtesy photo)

Chief Master Sgt. RicoSenior Master Sgt. IshMaster Sgt. Fontelera

Master Sgt. GarciaTech. Sgt. Justin

Staff Sgt. CandiceSenior Airman La

Note: in some instances on our Congratula-tions pages, last names are omitted and name tapes blurred in accordance with U.S. Air Force security policy for RPA personnel.

Staff Sgt. Ronald of the 163d Attack Wing, right, is presented the Air Force Achievement Medal Dec. 4 for his work during a recent deployment. (Photo courtesy Eddie Maloney)

Air Force Achievement Medal Presented

JANUARY 2017

JANUARY 2017 JANUARY 201712 13

SPOTLIGHT

Active Shooter Exercise Above: A fire team from the 452nd Security Forces Squadron assess and secures a March Air Reserve Base office building Dec. 1, during an active shooter exercise. The entire base locked down during the exercise, which was designed to test emergency response plans and communi-cation between the host base and tenant units. Members of the 163d Attack Wing participated in the exercise as victims with simulated injuries. Top left: March Air Reserve Base Fire Depart-ment personnel work with victims in a simulated triage area near the scene. Bottom left: Staff Sgt. Christian Bojorquez of the 452nd Security Forces Squadron checks on Staff Sgt. Nick of the 163d Attack Wing who has simulated injuries. Bottom center: Airman 1st Class Shane of the 163d Attack Wing has fake blood on his face in the triage area while acting as the victim of two gunshot wounds. Note: Last names are omitted for certain personnel due to USAF security policy.

(Air National Guard photos by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman)




COMMUNITYRELATIONS

Aviation students from Canyon High School in Anaheim visited the 163d At-tack Wing Nov. 29 during a day long tour of March Air Reserve Base. During the Aviation I and II courses, students learn about careers in the aviation industry with a focus on becoming pilots. (Photo courtesy Canyon HS Aviation Dept.)

Albertsons grocery store in Eastvale, which is managed by store director Kevin Smith (above, center), donated 80 turkey dinners to the 163d Attack Wing Nov. 22, just days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Vice Commander Col. Keith Ward joined with Command Chief Master Sgt. Gil Sanchez and first sergeants to distribute the dinners throughout the wing. (Air National Guard photos by David Cunningham [above] and Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman [right])

California Military Institute faculty and staff members toured March Air Reserve Base Dec. 16. During the visit, the military-themed charter school’s instructors toured 163d Attack Wing facilities and learned about the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft and also toured a C-17 cargo aircraft operated by the 452nd Air Mobility Wing. CMI is lo-cated in Perris and is the 163 ATKW’s adopted school. (Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Neil Ballecer)

Aviation students tour wing

Albertsons donates Thanksgiving dinners

CMI faculty visits wing, tours March ARB

California Military Institute faculty members learn about the MQ-9 Reaper during a Dec. 16 tour at March ARB.

Suitcases for Kids drive ends Jan. 8by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman163d Attack Wing Public Affairs

The 163d Medical Group is col-lecting new and used suitcases and large duffel bags to donate to “Suitcases for Kids.”

The organization aims to provide suitcases and luggage for children in foster care.

“A large number of foster children have to move from place to place with their few belongings in plastic bags,” said project coordinator Maj. Goss of the 163 MDG.

“This adds greater indignity to an already difficult situation,” he said.

According to Goss, the foster agency receives more backpacks than suitcases, so while they will accept anything, more emphasis is being placed on collecting suit-cases and larger duffel bags.

Goss said the drive is also aiming to collect baby clothes.

“They are taking in a lot of ba-bies,” he said. “Because [babies] grow so quickly they can really use baby clothes.”

In addition to Goss, the full-time point of contact is Senior Master Sgt. Chipman of the 163 MDG.

Donated bags and baby clothes can be dropped off at the 163 MDG building through Jan. 8.

JANUARY 201720

SPOTLIGHT

California Military Institute cadets march onto the school’s parade field Dec. 9 to begin their semian-nual pass-in-review ceremony. Lt. Col. Todd of the 163d Attack Wing served as a reviewing official while

cadets in grades 5-12 marched by. CMI is a military-themed charter school located in Perris and is the 163d Attack Wing’s adopted school. The school conducts two pass-in-review ceremonies

each academic year including the fall ceremony and a spring ceremony that also features the cadet corps’ annual change of command ceremony.

(Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. Neil Ballecer)

Note: Last name is omitted in accordance with U.S. Air Force security policy for RPA personnel.

JANUARY 2017 21

California Military InstitutePass-in-Review ceremony

JANUARY 201722

Members of the 163d Attack Wing attended the Team March Military Ball Nov. 19 in Riverside.

The ball, which was open to all base host and tenant units, featured a perfor-mance by the Blue Eagles Honor Guard. Ch. (Capt.)Dong of the 163d Chaplain Corps sang the national anthem and Senior Airman Eric Vilchis of the 163d Civil Engineer Squadron served as the ball’s master of cer-emonies.

Above: Members of the 163d Security Forces Squadron take a group shot in their mess dress uniforms.

Above right: Ch. Dong and Senior Master Sgt. Clark of the 163d Communication Flight snap a photo together.

(Photos courtesy Tech. Sgt. Barone and Ch. Dong)

163d represented at Team March Military Ball

The 163d Operations Group is scheduled to hold an MQ-9 Sensor Operator cross-training board on March 4.

This opportunity is open to enlisted members of the 163d Attack Wing who hold a 5-level in their primary Air Force specialty code.

Packages must include resume, current RIP from Virtual MPF and PFT report.

Packages must be submitted by close of business Feb. 22, and can be sent to the selection board chairman via email to:

[email protected]

Details for submitting packages in person can be found in a wing-wide email distributed in late Dec.

MQ-9 Sensor Operator packages due Feb. 22

New 163d Attack Wing coins are in stock and avail-able for purchase. The coins are $10 and can be purchased at the 163d Headquarters front desk. The coin front and back are pictured above.


New wing coins available

Rising Six is collecting pull tabs from aluminum cans to support Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Money from recycling the tabs will help the hospitals take care of children with orthopedic problems and burns, free of cost to families and third parties.

Pull tabs can be found on most aluminum soft drink and energy drink cans. Collection jars are located in offices throughout the wing.

More than fifteen pounds of pull tabs have been

collected thus far.

Contact Senior Airman Miller at (951) 655-3850 for more information.

Rising Six collecting pull tabs for children’s hospitals

JANUARY 201724

Wing catches the Holiday Spirit

by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman163d Attack Wing Public Affairs

A trio of members from the 163d Attack Wing gathered at dawn Dec. 10 to support Spark of Miracles in Upland.

From 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., Staff Sgt. Gregory, Staff Sgt. Ryan, and Master Sgt. Oliver, acted as chap-erones escorting children through a shopping spree at Target, Kohl’s and Dick’s Sporting Goods. The children, who were chosen from various shelters and community organizations, each had $200 to spend with half designated for personal spending and half to use for holiday gift giving.

The event was rewarding, but had one unexpected challenge, Mas-ter Sgt. Oliver said.

“It was a challenge keeping him in budget and having him spend money on himself,” Master Sgt. Oliver said of the boy he escorted. “He wanted to spend all of his money on his family.”

The need for volunteers increases

as the event grows.

“The event began to help finan-cially struggling families and make a difference,” said Jeff Bu-rum, who founded the event. “The number of local business owners who support these kids continues to grow, allowing us to help even more families.”

Note: Last names are omitted in accor-dance with Air Force security policy.

(Photos courtesy Master Sgt. Oliver)

Members of the 163d Attack Wing delivered boxes of toys to the California Military Institute campus Dec. 12. The toys, which were donated to the wing by Feeding America and Dollar Tree stores, were used by the school to help students’ families who were in need during the holidays. CMI is a military-themed charter school located in Perris and is the 163d Attack Wing’s adopted school. (Air National Guard photo by Air-man 1st Class Crystal Housman)

Tech. Sgt. Cortez of the 163d Attack Wing performs the na-tional anthem as members of the Blue Eagles Honor Guard pres-ent the colors Dec. 3 during the City of Moreno Valley’s Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. (Courtesy photo)

During the holiday season 163d Attack Wing members collected gifts to support Childhelp Merv Griffin Village in Beaumont. The organization offers a home to more than 80 abused, neglected and at-risk children between the ages of 6 and 15. Members of the Company Grade Officers’ Council delivered the gifts on Dec. 12. (Courtesy photo)

Members support Spark of Miracles

Toys donated to CMI families

Cortez sings at city’s tree lighting

Gifts collected for abused children

Holiday Card Lane

JANUARY 2017 25


Santa’s Workshop delivers cheer during December drill


Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Santa’s Workshop set up inside the 210th Weather Flight facility Dec. 3, at March Air Reserve Base. The duo met with children of 163d Attack Wing members, who shared their holiday wish lists and in some cases even tugged on Santa’s beard to make sure it was real. Children were also treated to an assortment of toys courtesy of Feeding America and Dollar Tree.


JANUARY 201728


Children visit Santa during the 147th Combat Communications Squadron holiday party in San Diego.

Airmen take a group photo with props at a photo booth during the 163d Maintenance Group party Dec. 3.

Carmen Morin created this dessert table for the 163d Communication Squadron holiday party Dec. 3.

Santa makes an appearance at the 163d Security Forces Squadron holiday party Dec. 3.

White elephant gifts are exchanged during the 163d Headquarters holiday party Dec. 3.

Pies in the face are an annual tradition at the

163d Maintenance Group holiday party and are a fundraiser for the

maintenance morale organization.

Senior Master Sgt. Stephen receives a pie in the face during the 163d Maintenance Group holiday party Dec. 3.

Contestants in the 163d Headquarters ugly Christmas sweater contest gather for a group photo Dec. 3.

Airman 1st Class Reeder selects a gift during

the 163d Logistics Readiness Squadron

holiday party Dec. 16.

JANUARY 2017 29“Ugly” sweater season


The Blue Eagles Total Force Honor Guard is looking for 163d mem-bers to join their honor guard training course Jan. 30 to Feb. 10, 2017.

Members who successfully complete this training will be assigned to the Honor Guard Reserve Team with consideration of becoming a full time team member assigned at March ARB.

The following requirements are mandatory to be considered for an interview. Packages must include:

• Copy of member’s Virtual MPF. Must re-flect living in the local commuting area (within 90 days).

• Copy of member’s current Fit to Fight as-sessment test

• Note: Member cannot have Facial Hair or Physical Profiles. No waivers accepted.

• No UIF’s or Pending UIF Action

If interested, please contact MSgt Powell at 951-655-2242 to schedule an interview.

WANTED:The Best of the Best

Starting Jan. 7, the Information, Tickets and Tours office will be open on drill Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit MarchFSS.com for a full schedule of op-erating hours and to download the most up-to-date discount ticket price list.

Tickets & Tours open drill SaturdaysBRIGHTspot

Chaplain Ethan Hedberg163d Attack Wing Chaplain Corps

“Later on

We’ll conspire

As we dream by the fire

To face unafraid

The plans that we’ve made

Walking in a winter wonderland”

I’m sure you have heard those lyrics a dozen times or more this past month, as Christmas songs have been playing nonstop in every store.

But have you really heard the words of this song?

This is about a couple in love, sit-ting by the fire, making plans for the future. They have decided to face those plans “unafraid,” with courage and bravery.

Have you made some plans for what you want to see, do, and/or become this year?

What plans will you make for 2017?

What are your professional plans? Is this the year you are going to finally enroll in your Professional Military Education? Is this the year you are going to get some specialized training and push yourself to new heights? What plans do you have to make your-self (and our wing) much better and more effective?

What are your personal plans? Is this the year you are going to travel to the exotic place you have dreamed about? Is this the year to start school, save money, begin dating?

What are your fitness goals? Is this the year to run a marathon? Is this the year to eat better, get chiseled and ripped, or top a personal record on your physical fitness test?

What are your spiritual goals? Is

this the year to start attending a place of worship? Is this the year to read a spiritual book, pray, give generously (time and/or money) to an organization or someone in need?

“Fail to plan is knowingly planning to fail.” –author unknown

Don’t let 2017 begin without in-tentionally planning who you want to be and what you want to do. When you make some plans for this year (two to three is plenty), face them unafraid and watch this year be a year of amazing journeys and results!

Lastly, let someone know your plans, so they might encourage you throughout the year. It is al-ways better to journey together.

Have a happy and blessed new year!

Bright Spot is a monthly column presented by the 163d Attack Wing Chaplain Corps.

‘Face unafraid’ in the new year

01.16.17

The first time Richard Aceves pinned a race bib to his shirt, it was because his mother asked him to help her prepare to run the Los Angeles Marathon.

“She asked if I’d be interested in practicing and training with her,” he recalled.

His mother, retired Senior Master Sgt. Silvia Aceves, was still serving and signed up to run the marathon as part of the 163d Air Refueling Wing’s 2005 LA Marathon team. Richard Aceves was 23 at the time, and had been a member of the wing for four or five years, he said. He’s older now, wears the stripes of a Senior Master Ser-geant, just as his mother did, and serves as the super-intendent of operations and training for the 163d Attack Wing’s Security Forces Squadron.

“I became interested [in running] and took it beyond just practicing and training with her,” he said.

He was able to join the wing’s 2005 team and joined his mother in the marathon field.

“This was my first time running in any kind of race,” he said. “Prior to that I did a lot of running on my own, but just a few miles here and there.”

Completing the 26.2 mile course as his first race ever was an eye opener for Richard.

“It was a big shock to me,” he said. “Because I did the marathon first, I didn’t immediately start jumping in to

5ks or anything like that.”

Shortly after the birth of Richard’s first child, that all changed.

His wife was looking for a way to get back in shape after having their baby, and she asked if she could start run-ning with him.

She did, and he set about signing the pair up to partici-pate in the Los Angeles Angels’ Big A 5K in Anaheim.

Richard pushed the baby stroller as the couple ran around the major league baseball stadium grounds. His first running partner, mom Silvia, joined in, as did one of his brothers and his brother’s family.

“That’s when it started becoming a family affair,” Richard said, “and I started to enjoy the races a little bit more.”

Some of his most enjoyable races have been hosted by an unsuspecting place: Disneyland.

In 2015, he signed up to run Disney’s Avengers Half-Marathon and 10k and ran his way through the streets of Disney’s California Adventure and Disneyland before wending his way into downtown Anaheim, through Angels Stadium, and back to a finish line at the Downtown Dis-ney shopping district.

Running through the parks was fun, he said, and there was a lot of entertainment along the both race routes.

R U N N I N GSTARTSTART

Getting a Getting a

LA Marathon kickstarts family tradition of runningStory and photos by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman, 163d Attack Wing Public Affairs

[CONTINUED AS RUNNER NEXT PAGE]

“They’re crowded, but outside of that, it’s so beautiful getting to run inside the park.”

When he returned to Disneyland for another run, Disney weekend this past September, he didn’t go alone.

“I was able to convince my wife to do it with me,” Richard said, “and I was also able to talk my mother into racing with us as well.”

When one of his uncles caught wind of the family run-ning trip to the happiest place on Earth, he decided not to be left out.

Richard didn’t just talk them into running the Disneyland Half-Marathon. He talked each of his family members into taking it a step farther and completing the race’s “Dumbo Double Dare” challenge. The two-day challenge required participants to run a 10k event on Saturday and follow-up by running the 13.1 mile half marathon on Sun-day. Those who completed both races at a certain pace were lauded with the Dumbo Double Dare challenge medal in addition to finisher medals from both races.

“For my wife and for my uncle, this was the first time they had ever done anything more than a 5k,” Richard said. “To slingshot into a 10k and a half marathon back to back was pretty cool for them.”

Now, the Aceves family is taking their running to yet another level.

In March, Richard, his mother, his uncle and his closest brother will join a field of over 25,000 athletes at Dodger Stadium and set off to complete the 26.2 mile Los An-geles Marathon. For Richard and

Silvia, that would mean returning to where it all started for them. It will be his third and her fifth time running the event.

For Richard’s brother and uncle, the marathon is a first

for each and is already the start of something new.

Richard’s brother, Robert, signed up to run as way to fight back against being borderline diabetic. “That kind of kicked him into gear to watch his health a little more,” Richard said, “and he asked if he could join with us (in the marathon).”

In October, Richard’s brother joined the family runners and completed his first 5k – a mariachi-themed 5k in Montebello.

“It was just amazing to see that he accomplished that,”

Richard said. “He was so stoked to be able to do it and do it in the company of his family.”

That event excited Robert enough to finish a marathon, Richard said.

“Last weekend they ran 12 miles and he (Robert) is on cue to run the marathon,” Richard said.

As the marathon date draws near, the Aceves family con-tinues to train. They joined the Riverside Road Runners running club and are active in the local 5k, 10k, and half-marathon circuit.

“It’s become almost like a lifestyle for our family to just get out there,” Richard said.

He and his wife are already raising the family’s next gen-eration of runners.

The couple has returned to Anaheim Stadium to run the Angels’ 5K every year since that first race together. In 2015, the couple stopped pushing the stroller around the course as son Michael – the couple’s oldest child -- was finally big enough to join them on the run.

“He was only four years old and he finished it,” Richard said.

“He’s started to become a little bit of a runner,” Richard said. “He joined the 100-mile club (at school), so we’re helping him with that.”

Mostly, he just wants to set a good example for all three of his children.

“We want to pass on to our children to live a healthy life-style,” Richard said. “We’re making an effort to provide a positive influence in their lives in regards to staying fit and healthy.”

[RUNNER FROM PREVIOUS PAGE]

Getting YOUR startRichard Aceves offers tips for runners just starting out

Richard Aceves, second from left, along with his uncle, wife, mother and brother, gather for a group photo in their race costumes before running the Mariachi 5K together in Montebello in October. (Courtesy Photo)

TOP: Senior Master Sgt. Richard Aceves holds the finisher medal he earned at the 2005 Los Angeles Marathon. The race was his first and he ran it with his mother. Both were members of the 163d Air Refueling Wing -- now the 163d Attack Wing -- and ran on the wing’s marathon team. ABOVE: The 2005 wing mara-thon group photo includes Aceves and his mother, both at left of the front row. LEFT: Aceves runs with Staff Sgt. Amber Johnson of the 163d Civil Engineer Squadron along the old track at March Air Reserve Base on Dec. 13. Aceves runs nearly every day and is training for the 2017 Los Angeles Marathon.

1. The first step is just to get out there. Even if it’s just for half a mile. You need to just get up, commit to going outside, and just do it. It’s that simple.

2. Don’t set goals that are beyond reach. Set small objectives, something you know is attainable, and slowly start to up that bar just a little bit. Before you know it, you’ll be a marathon runner.

3. At any moment you could be called upon to do your PT test, so why not just test yourself every week to gauge where you’re at?

4. Once you get out and you start running, you realize a 5k is not that far of a distance -- only 3.1 miles. Anybody can probably do it within 30-40 minutes right from the start.


“Our Military Kids” offers grants of up to $250 for children of military personnel deploying on Title 10 orders outside of the continental U.S. for 120 days or more.

Grants can be awarded to children from age 5 through grade 12 for lessons, tutoring, or one activ-ity/program.

Grants do not cover school tuition, child care, or religious mission trips.

For more details or to download an application, visit www.OurMilitaryKids.org

Wing Training has moved from Building 441 and is now located in Building 625 next to the Riverside gate. The new building’s street address is 5730 Riverside Ave.

Members reporting for testing should sign in with Wing Training once they have arrived in office 214.

For training inquiries, contact the Guard Training Manager located in office 214C.

Defense Commissary Agency News ReleasePublished Nov. 22, 2016

FORT LEE, Va. – Dec. 13 marked the opening of the Scholarships for Military Children Program for the 2017-2018 school year.

Now entering its 17th year, the program was created to recognize the “contributions of military families to the readiness of the fighting force and to celebrate the role of the commissary in the military family community,” ac-cording to the mission statement on the militaryscholar.org website.

At least one scholarship worth $2,000 will be awarded at every commissary location where qualified applica-tions are received. Additional recipients will be selected based on a prorated basis, so more scholarships will be awarded at those stores with larger numbers of appli-cants. A total of 700 scholarship grants will be awarded this year.

Fisher House Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps service members and their families, administers the program. Scholarship Managers, a national, non-profit, scholarship management services organization, manages and awards the scholarships.

“This is always an exciting time of year, when the Fisher House Scholarships for Military Children program kicks off, knowing 700 military children will have the opportu-nity to receive a $2000 scholarship to help toward their studies,” said Marye Dobson, the Defense Commissary Agency’s liaison for the scholarship program.

The commissary’s industry partners, including vendors, suppliers and manufacturers, as well as the general public donate money to the program, and every dollar donated goes directly toward funding the scholarships.

To qualify for consideration, applicants must be a dependent, unmarried child, younger than 21 – or 23, if enrolled as a full-time student at a college or univer-sity – of a service member on active duty, a Reserve or Guard member, retiree or survivor of a military member who died while on active duty, or survivor of a retiree.

Applications must be hand-delivered or shipped via the U.S. Postal Service or other delivery methods to the commissary where the applicant’s family normally shops by close of business Friday, Feb. 12. Applications cannot be emailed or faxed.

“Every year, we continue to be impressed by the caliber of military children who submit applications. The stu-dents who are selected to receive scholarship grants are truly ‘the best of the best,’” said Jim Weiskopf, Fisher House Foundation vice president.

Applicants should ensure that they and their sponsor are enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Report-ing System database and have a military ID card. The applicant must attend or plan to attend an accredited college or university, full time, in the fall of 2017 or be enrolled in studies designed to transfer to a four-year program.

Students who are awarded a full scholarship or receive an appointment to one of the military academies or affiliated preparatory schools are not eligible to receive funds from this program. A full scholarship is usually de-fined as one that provides for payment of tuition, books, lab fees and other expenses.

In the past 16 years of its existence, the program has awarded more than $15 million in scholarships to over 9,000 students.

For more information, students or sponsors should visit www.militaryscholar.org. You can also call Scholarship Managers at (856) 616-9311 or email them at

[email protected]

Program offers activity grants for children of deployed personnel

Wing Training, testing moves to new facility

The Blue Zones: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People

Published in 2015

Healthy Airmen are resilient Airmen, ready for any challenge life throws their way. Dan Buettner has travelled the world looking for the places on the plan-et where people live the longest. Now he is bringing those secrets to you. His ideas aren’t revolutionary: people

across the world have been putting them into practice for millennia. Exercising naturally, hav-ing a positive outlook on life, eating wisely, and building community and family connections are the secrets to not only a longer life, but a better quality of life. The Blue Zones Solution includes his reports on visits with centenarians, recipes, and practical tips to put more life in your years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dan Buettner is an American explorer, educator, author and public speaker. He also co-produced a documentary and holds three world records for endurance bicycling. He is the founder of the online Quest Network, Inc., which provides opportunities for students to interac-

tively engage with explorers on expedition. In February, 2007, an expedition led by Buettner to Nicoya, Costa Rica, uncovered the longest-lived people known in the Western Hemisphere.

General Ronald Fogleman created the CSAF Profes-sional Reading Program in 1996 to develop a com-mon frame of reference among Air Force members -- officers, enlisted, and civilians -- to help each of us become better, more effective advocates of air and space power. Each CSAF since then has enhanced and continued the Professional Reading Program.

Military children eligible for $2,000 commissary scholarships

Scholarships for Military Children $2,000 recipient Jennifer Gray (center) was congratulated at a ceremony in the Fort Irwin Commis-sary, June 23. From left are Fort Irwin garrison commander Col. Scott Taylor who presented Gray the scholarship certificate, David Gray, Jennifer Gray, Maybel Gray, and Fort Irwin store director Eugene Da-vis, Jr. (Fort Irwin Public Affairs photo by Leslie Ozawa)

Community College of the Air Force receives 500-700 tran-scripts daily, Air Force wide.

With only eight on staff in their mail room, classifying and scanning each document can take several weeks.

Once the official transcripts are scanned on to the student’s record, program managers will then evalu-ate each course listed on the transcripts to deter-mine if it meets the accreditation requirements.

This process can take an additional two months un-til members can finally see their courses in the Web Progress report.

Members may contact Wing Training regarding the status of transcripts.

CCAF Transcript Processing


Story and photo by Airman 1st Class Crystal Housman163d Attack Wing Public Affairs

Lt. Col. Trevor Rosenberg is on a mission to make the Air Force better, and he’s starting with its people.

Rosenberg, an instructor from the Profession of Arms Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Ran-dolph, Texas, spoke Nov. 29 to a crowd, including 15 NCOs and officers from the 163d Attack Wing and 147th Combat Communications Squadron, at the 452nd Opera-tions Group building at March Air Reserve Base, Califor-nia, while presenting the PACE course entitled “Profes-sionalism: Enhancing Human Capital.”

“It’s about bringing a better version of ourselves at home and at work,” Rosenberg said. “It’s about understanding biases, understanding communication, and being a bet-ter professional.”

The day-long course, which was sponsored by the 452nd Air Mobility Wing and the March Field Chief’s Group, fo-cused on self-reflection as a pathway to becoming better people in all aspects of life.

With a passion in his voice as he paced across the floor, Rosenberg covered topics such as the attributes and dangers of personal bias, effective communication tech-niques, how power changes relationships, developing healthy relationships at work and at home, and mandate verses organic leadership.

“Truths that are universal resonate,” Rosenberg said. “It doesn’t matter what you call it, they’re human truths.”

“It connects with our heart when we’re willing to listen

and that’s what drives us to change in our lives,” he said.

“I hope to share those things because they’re core to what I believe.”

The last hour of the day began with additional self reflec-tion as students were asked to think about three ques-tions: Did something speak to you? What did it say? And lastly, What are you going to do about it?

“If we’re willing to listen,” Rosenberg said,” the light goes on for all of us.”

He is one of six PACE instructors for the program and has delivered its message nearly 80 times at units across the U.S., and in Europe and Asia. Every presentation is differ-ent, Rosenberg said.

“I learn things every time I teach this,” he said. “I’m grateful that we’re able to have the dialogue for a con-versation like this and that people will take it and keep it going.”

He challenges his students to ask themselves what they are going to do and leave with a willingness to change. It will help them individually, and the Air Force as a whole, he said.

“If we bring a better version of ourselves,” Rosenberg said, “we can be more effective at being the greatest Air Force in the world.”

Above: Lt. Col. Trevor Rosenberg, Profession of Arms Center of Ex-cellence instructor, teaches “Professionalism: Enhancing Human Capital” on Nov. 29, 2016, at March Air Reserve Base.

The challenge to changePACE course asks Airmen to be better versions of themselves

Tier 1

Base member receives

an Recruiting and Retention Appreciation Certificate from NGB

1 applicant

Tier 23 applicants

Base member receives a California State Recruiting Ribbon and Unit Commanders coin

Tier 35 applicants

Base member receives an National Guard Bureau Recruiting and Retention Referral Award and Recruiting and Retention Superintendent Coin.

Tier 410 applicants

Airman receives an incentive ride on F15 Eagle pending approval and Adjutant General coin

This program rewards on a multitier system of incentives. As a person brings in more recruits, the rewards move up in the 4 tiered system.

Disclaimer: All items will be distributed only after the applicant(s) have been sworn in and gained by the unit. The contest ends at the end of FY 2017.(Pending incentive flight approval).

Disclaimer: All items will be distributed only after the applicants have been sworn in and gained by the unit. The contest ends at the end of FY 2017.

1C3X1 Command Post1N0X1 Intelligence1W0X1 Weather (Enlisted &

Officer)2A5X3 Avionics2F0X1 Fuels2G0X1 Logistics Plans2S0X1 Material Management2T0X1 Traffic Management2T1X1 Vehicle Operations2T3X1 Vehicle Maintenance2T3X7 Fleet Management2W0X1 Munitions2W0X1 Weapons

3D0X2 Cyber Systems Operations

3D1X1 Client Systems3D1X3 RF Transmissions

Systems3E0X1 Electrical Systems3E0X2 Electrical Power Pro3E1X1 HVAC3E3X1 Structural3E4X1 Water and Fuel Systems3E5X1 Engineer3N0X1 Public Affairs3P0X1 Security Forces5J0X1 Paralegal

163d Attack Wing Recruiting & Retention

Looking for change? Want to learn a new AFSC? The 163d Attack Wing currently has cross training op-portunities available in the following areas:

Call (951) 655-3078 or stop by the Retention office located in Headquarters to learn more about the cross training process.

Cross training opportunities available

The 2017 Riverside Area Veterans Expo and Veter-ans Stand Down is scheduled for April 21, 2017, at the Lt. Gen. Herbert R. Temple, Jr. Army National Guard Readiness Center, 14941 Riverside Dr., at March Air Reserve Base.

Attendees will be able to explore economic, educa-tional, medical and recreational benefits available to veterans, active duty military, their dependents and their survivors.

The event is free and open to the public.

Attendees are first required to register in person at the Army National Guard Readiness Center.

The veterans program, display of services and a mid-day meal are open to all registrants.

Save the date: Riverside area Veterans Expo set for April


A local newspaper headline reads, “New Marijuana Laws Hazy.” But for airmen

of the 163d Attack Wing (ATKW), the law regarding

recreational use of marijuana –

despite the passage of the Proposi-

tion 64 initiative in November — remains

perfectly clear: Nothing has changed with

respect to the rights and risks of marijuana use for

members of the Air National Guard.

“In reality, there is zero tolerance for the use of drugs, and members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice or

the California Evidence Code,” says Senior Master Sgt. José Marti-nez, 163d ATKW law office superintendant. “There is the expectation, 24/7, that members will live by the core values and policies of the Air Force and the Air National Guard. Therefore, the fact that the use of marijuana might have become legal in California doesn’t allow Airmen to use marijuana, because they don’t go hand-in-hand.”

As Guard members serve under both Title 10 (federal) authority—un-der which marijuana use is still illegal, and classified as a Schedule I drug (see https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml) –as well as under Title 32 (state) authority, it might be supposed that there is an inher-ent point of conflict in any state having legalized marijuana.

Martinez maintains that is beside the point. “I’m not an attorney, so I can’t give you a legal opinion on that,” says Martinez, who is also lieutenant for a law-enforcement municipality (for which he does not speak here). “But with regard to the black-and-white policy, it doesn’t

matter if it is Title 10 or Title 32. The mere fact that you are a member of the Air National Guard or United States Air Force

means there are expectations that you sign up for, and that makes it imperative for you to follow.”

That holds true both here and abroad, adds Maj. Marsha

Yasuda, 163d ATKW Deputy Staff Judge Advocate General (JAG). Airmen deployed

abroad, in nations where drugs are either legal or their use tolerated, must abide by Air Force norms, regardless of local custom. “In any country, you are governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Ya-suda explains. “Under UCMJ, the use of controlled substances is not allowed, irrespective of what’s allowed or ignored in other countries.”

Yasuda recalls that when she was a JAG in Germany, airmen trav-eled to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to abuse illegal drugs, thinking that “because it’s legal or acceptable there, that it was okay. In many

Story by Tech. Sgt. Gregory Solman163d Attack Wing Public Affairs

(Georgia Army National Guard photo by Maj. Will Cox) [CONTINUED AS MARIJUANA NEXT PAGE]

A


[MARIJUANA FROM PREVIOUS PAGE]

cases we court-martialed them or discharged them from the Air Force.”

“The nature of having good order and discipline allows you to wear the uniform and makes it im-perative to follow the guidelines,” Martinez continues. “We cannot have members of the Air National Guard use marijuana or any type of drugs because of the nature of the job. That is specified in the AFIs and well-understood over the years. That’s why we have the urinalysis program. So nothing will change—other than people will need to be educated so they don’t get in trouble, because ignorance of the law is no protection.”

Likewise, the increased likelihood of exposure to the marijuana smoke of others and to products containing edible cannabis that might, for instance, be offered at a party, should put Guardsmen

on guard, but not overly concern them. “The defenses people have used in the past have no stand-ing, if you are referring to second-hand smoke. Because of the level of exposure [to second-hand smoke], it is almost impossible to test to the level of nanograms we test for.”

Martinez recalls that in past courts martial for drug-abuse, air-men have tried the second-hand smoke defense and experts testi-fied that “you had to be in a small room with no windows for eight to ten hours” to register exposure on the drug test. “It is not going to be a valid defense. It has always been the case that unless the person can prove that he didn’t willfully consume the drugs, the presumption is that, if it is in your system, you should have known you ingested the drugs.”

Still, Martinez adds, Airmen might have to be more aware of marijuana products, and “it is imperative that airmen educate themselves about the products they eat or consume. There might be products that are legal to purchase, but you cannot con-sume.” Martinez adds that most products containing marijuana’s euphoria-causing THC (tetrahydro-cannabinol), have to be specified on product labels. “Airmen have to be really good at reading and knowing what they are putting in their bodies.”

Col. Vincent Dang, a physician who now serves the 163d Medi-cal Group with the 163d ATKW State Reserve Group, concurs with the opinion that “nothing has changed.” Second-hand smoke won’t present “any higher risk for airmen. If you are looking at a drug urinalysis test, they already

take into account that there may be second-hand smoke or mari-juana exposure and the cutoff lev-els used for that drug testing are above the levels where you would have accidental exposure.”

As to other unforeseen hazards airmen may face, Dang points out that “this is something that’s brand new. We have no experi-ence with it. Even though it’s okay to use in California, it’s still not okay to use in the federal govern-ment. So with the Air National Guard being a federal agency, we’re still prohibited from using marijuana.”

There remains the thorny issue of traditional airmen who may risk using marijuana off duty, in advance of a drill weekend, which typically includes random drug testing, thinking it will have cleared their systems. Dang says that while all traces of marijuana may leave the body “after a cou-ple of days,” the residual effect of having used marijuana depends a great deal on “the form used, whether you smoke it or eat it. So the levels vary according to the type of marijuana and its concen-tration and how you take it in.”

In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) says that “In general, standard urine tests can detect traces of THC several days after use. In heavy marijuana users, however, urine tests can sometimes detect THC traces for weeks after use stops.” Urinalysis tests set thresholds for positive use as low as 20 nanograms/mil-liliter.

And testing the limits cannot avoid the medical consequences, Dang warns. “As far as smoking marijuana, there’s still the danger of inhaling all the toxins that you

would get in cigarette smoke. Then, depending on the concen-tration or type of marijuana, there is some hallucinogenic effect.”

NIDA maintains that beyond that, the short-term effects of mari-juana use include “altered senses (for example, seeing brighter colors), altered sense of time, changes in mood, impaired body movement, difficulty with thinking and problem-solving, impaired memory” and long-term exposure could affect child development during and after pregnancy as well as lead to mental health issues related to hallucinations, schizophrenia and paranoia. And, “contrary to common belief, marijuana can be addictive,” the NIDA says.

“We cannot have members of the Air Na-tional Guard use marijuana or any type of drugs because of the nature of the job.”

- Senior Master Sgt. Jose Martinez

COMMENTARY

by Senior Master Sgt. José Martinez163d Attack Wing Law Office Superintendent

A reminder to all members of the 163d Attack Wing: The California Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force policy regulating a drug-free force remains in effect for all personnel, despite the passage of Proposition 64.

Although California voters legalized adult recre-ational use of marijuana on Nov. 8, the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the California Veterans Code, U.S. Air Force policy, and Air National Guard policy has not changed.

But living a drug-free lifestyle is more than simply complying with military regulations; it is a matter of duty. Members of the Armed Forces are the most prominent representatives of government and, as such, must always remain above reproach. Every airman in the California Air National Guard

has been vested with a position of inviolable trust and has an obligation to remain drug-free and set the example for the people we serve. Abuse of drugs by even a single member of the National Guard unacceptably imperils its mission, so the prohibition of marijuana or cannabis products, on- or off-duty, is a matter of workplace integrity and military necessity.

The penalty for using an illegal, controlled sub-stance—which is how marijuana remains classified under federal law—could be as severe as a court martial or a discharge for California Air National Guard members.

This article should not to be construed as legal advice. The Staff Judge Advocate can answer any related legal questions; please contact the legal office during drill hours at (951) 655-2308.

New Marijuana Laws Change Nothing for Airmen

Marijuana, along with nine other substances, is specifically prohibited under Article 112a of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and penalties for its use can range from a general dis-charge to dishonorable discharge (for positive results of a urinalysis) and even imprisonment for possession. (Courtesy photo)

YESTERDAY. TODAY. TOMORROW.

Documents

OFF RUNNING · · 2017-04-05bers of the 163d SPS received training that included explosives and trip-wire handling, pa-trol tactics, ... loted aircraft as the sun rises Dec. 14,