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Army Col. Michael Herman of the South Dakota Army National Guard briefs Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, center-left, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, center-right, on the progress of training Afghan National Army units in September 2010 at Kabul Military Training Center near Kabul, Afghanistan. Courtesy photo[/caption] KABUL, Afghanistan – While many South Dakotans are aware of the contributions South Dakota Army National Guard units have made in supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they may not know about the contributions made by individual Guardsmen who deploy and serve.
Army Col. Michael Herman of the South Dakota Army National Guard briefs Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak, center-left, and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, center-right, on the progress of training Afghan National Army units in September 2010 at Kabul Military Training Center near Kabul, Afghanistan. Courtesy photo[/caption] KABUL, Afghanistan – While many South Dakotans are aware of the contributions South Dakota Army National Guard units have made in supporting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they may not know about the contributions made by individual Guardsmen who deploy and serve.Known as individual augmentees or IAs, these Guard members have voluntarily asked for an opportunity to serve their state and nation by filling key positions in the war fight.Having never mobilized with an activated unit, Army Col. Michael Herman of Aberdeen, S.D., said, he knew he wanted to serve in Afghanistan in some capacity. He now is helping to develop the Afghan National Army. “I hadn’t deployed yet, and got permission to deploy by the South Dakota Guard,â€Â said Herman, 47. “I worked through the National Guard Bureau to find an IA assignment, and they gave me a list to choose from in Afghanistan, because that’s where I wanted to serve.â€Â Since 2001, the South Dakota Army National Guard has mobilized more than 3,500 soldiers in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, about 50 of them in IA positions. In August 2009, Herman chose a position critical to the security climate in Afghanistan from a short list of available colonel augmentee positions. Over the next 15 months, Herman would serve as the senior advisor and coalition commander of the Consolidated Fielding Center at Kabul Military Training Center near the Afghan capital of Kabul. The CFC develops nearly all Afghan army units for the country –- manning, equipping, training, validating, and finally deploying units into the fight. “The role of the individual augmentee is very important. Units mobilizing are obviously very important, but IAs fill key positions,â€Â said Herman, who is married with three children and one grandchild. “National Guard people are especially well suited for these types of assignments, because they bring a lot of unique skill sets to this type of environment or theater.â€Â So important is the role of the CFC in developing the security forces needed for Afghanistan, it garners the attention of the top officials from the U.S. government and military, as well as coalition partner nations. Herman has briefed former International Security Assistance Force Commander Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. James Stavridis, NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe, as well as numerous Congress members and foreign ambassadors.
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Army Col. Michael Herman, right, of the South Dakota Army National Guard briefs NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe Navy Adm. James Stavridis, left, on the progress of training Afghan National Army units in May 2010 at the Consolidated Fielding Center near Kabul, Afghanistan. Courtesy photo[/caption] With an ISAF goal of having 134,000 trained and fielded Afghan soldiers throughout the country by last month, Herman knew he had a big task ahead of him when he arrived in September 2009. With only about 110,000 Afghan army forces trained and deployed since the war began, Herman would lead the effort to increase its size by nearly 30,000 soldiers in just over a year –- bringing the total to about 140,000. “I knew very little about the position when I selected it,â€Â said Herman, a 29-year veteran of the South Dakota Guard. “But with having an extensive training background, I thought it would be the perfect fit for me training Afghan soldiers as they stand up their national army.â€Â Prior to mobilizing, Herman had been the professor of military science at South Dakota State University in Brookings for four years. Before that, he spent more than 13 years serving in training, personnel and administrative officer positions for the 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion and 147th Field Artillery Brigade, responsible for ensuring the manning, equipping and training of soldiers. Herman would rely on this experience to help in developing the year-old CFC. Leading up to his arrival, the CFC was the only collective training center in Afghanistan ramping up Afghan army units. “It was a relatively new training center. In the past, the [Afghan army] had been standing up their units in separate areas or remote locations,â€Â Herman said. “What [ISAF and the Afghan government] found out is that they had a product that was very different from one another.â€Â Herman said some Afghan army corps would do very well at getting their soldiers the right equipment and training, while others were not doing as well, so coalition forces and the Afghan defense minister decided to have one location to have collective training. While the CFC was in its infancy, the program had very few resources and personnel to properly train the numbers of soldiers. But Herman had experience taking a struggling organization and making it successful. He revamped South Dakota State’s Army ROTC program there, and it later was was selected as the most improved battalion by the Army’s Cadet Command. With few resources and not enough personnel and training aids, Herman quickly needed to figure out how he was going to train so many forces in such a short amount of time. “I started formulating a plan with my staff and team on what we needed to complete our mission,â€Â he said. Herman’s team initially consisted of only 16 coalition soldiers and 10 contractors. Needing resources, training aids, additional equipment and personnel, Herman was about to tell the commander of all U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan what he needed to be successful. “At the time, General McChrystal had come out to the CFC -– he was getting ready to visit with President Obama, and he asked some hard questions of me,â€Â Herman said. “McChrystal asked, ‘Can you do what you are assigned to do? Can you meet the throughput capability?’ At the time we had a frank discussion, and I said, ‘Yes, if we have the right resources.’â€Â By November 2009, Army Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV was assigned as the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan commander and added a lot of resources for Herman and his team. Many coalition nations started contributing personnel, and by January, Herman started getting the resources he needed. Herman’s team grew to more than 440 coalition forces –- consisting of more than 50 support teams from nations such as Great Britain, Turkey, Australia, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Jordan and Canada. “We were only putting out one or two Afghan kandaks (battalion-sized elements of about 800 soldiers) at a time,â€Â Herman said. “By the April/May time frame, we had seven, eight or nine kandaks going through the CFC at any given time.â€Â By last month, the CFC had met the quota of 134,000 Afghan soldiers fielded, but along the way, Herman and his team made a significant change in the development process: quality vs. quantity. “We are making progress in this war. It’s night and day since I got here,â€Â Herman said. “When I started, I had five training aids; now we have a battalions worth of aids. Less than 50 percent [of Afghan troops] could qualify with their weapons; now we are up to 90 percent. We are teaching the military decision-making process and troop-leading procedures. Now, staffs know how to plan for operations.â€Â Herman said the CFC is producing a better product now than it ever has before. With more training time, more training tasks and more quality training, the Afghan soldiers are better, and this translates into a better fighting force, he added. The CFC also develops combat support units, Herman noted. “These types of units are very critical to sustainability right now,â€Â he said. “There are probably enough combatant commands out there to do the job, but they are having a hard time sustaining themselves. We as coalition partners are providing the sustainment operations, but we are starting to produce more of those units, so they will soon start taking over that mission.â€Â With the pieces falling into place –- adequate resources and personnel, quality training and the support units to sustain it all -– a picture is forming of what the Afghanistan National Army should look like, Herman said. “We’ve produced 68 units and more than 29,000 Afghan soldiers at the CFC during my time here,â€Â Herman said. “Our goal was 134,000; we now have 140,000. Our new goal is 171,600 by October of 2011, and we are on track to meet that.â€Â Herman said the Afghans he has met and worked with have been gracious and supportive of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and in helping to build their army. “Working with the Afghan Army leadership has been an outstanding experience and they are extremely supportive of the American and the coalition presence here,â€Â he said. “They know that we are here spending our resources, money and soldiers to help them take over their own security, and they understand they need to stand on their own two feet.â€Â As Herman completes his tour and heads back to South Dakota, he leaves Afghanistan knowing he has made a difference in the war effort, and will leave with a different impression of what the individual augmentee can accomplish. “I’m a huge fan of the IA, and I think they play an important role in this war,â€Â he said. “For a National Guard officer to have had the position I was in is extraordinary, because of the responsibility and tasking assigned. I would encourage any Guardsman to volunteer for an IA assignment.â€Â Nov. 17, 2010: By Army Capt. Anthony Deiss- Task Force Rushmore
Army Col. Michael Herman, right, of the South Dakota Army National Guard briefs NATO Supreme Allied Commander for Europe Navy Adm. James Stavridis, left, on the progress of training Afghan National Army units in May 2010 at the Consolidated Fielding Center near Kabul, Afghanistan. Courtesy photo[/caption] With an ISAF goal of having 134,000 trained and fielded Afghan soldiers throughout the country by last month, Herman knew he had a big task ahead of him when he arrived in September 2009. With only about 110,000 Afghan army forces trained and deployed since the war began, Herman would lead the effort to increase its size by nearly 30,000 soldiers in just over a year –- bringing the total to about 140,000. “I knew very little about the position when I selected it,â€Â said Herman, a 29-year veteran of the South Dakota Guard. “But with having an extensive training background, I thought it would be the perfect fit for me training Afghan soldiers as they stand up their national army.â€Â Prior to mobilizing, Herman had been the professor of military science at South Dakota State University in Brookings for four years. Before that, he spent more than 13 years serving in training, personnel and administrative officer positions for the 1-147th Field Artillery Battalion and 147th Field Artillery Brigade, responsible for ensuring the manning, equipping and training of soldiers. Herman would rely on this experience to help in developing the year-old CFC. Leading up to his arrival, the CFC was the only collective training center in Afghanistan ramping up Afghan army units. “It was a relatively new training center. In the past, the [Afghan army] had been standing up their units in separate areas or remote locations,â€Â Herman said. “What [ISAF and the Afghan government] found out is that they had a product that was very different from one another.â€Â Herman said some Afghan army corps would do very well at getting their soldiers the right equipment and training, while others were not doing as well, so coalition forces and the Afghan defense minister decided to have one location to have collective training. While the CFC was in its infancy, the program had very few resources and personnel to properly train the numbers of soldiers. But Herman had experience taking a struggling organization and making it successful. He revamped South Dakota State’s Army ROTC program there, and it later was was selected as the most improved battalion by the Army’s Cadet Command. With few resources and not enough personnel and training aids, Herman quickly needed to figure out how he was going to train so many forces in such a short amount of time. “I started formulating a plan with my staff and team on what we needed to complete our mission,â€Â he said. Herman’s team initially consisted of only 16 coalition soldiers and 10 contractors. Needing resources, training aids, additional equipment and personnel, Herman was about to tell the commander of all U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan what he needed to be successful. “At the time, General McChrystal had come out to the CFC -– he was getting ready to visit with President Obama, and he asked some hard questions of me,â€Â Herman said. “McChrystal asked, ‘Can you do what you are assigned to do? Can you meet the throughput capability?’ At the time we had a frank discussion, and I said, ‘Yes, if we have the right resources.’â€Â By November 2009, Army Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV was assigned as the NATO Training Mission Afghanistan commander and added a lot of resources for Herman and his team. Many coalition nations started contributing personnel, and by January, Herman started getting the resources he needed. Herman’s team grew to more than 440 coalition forces –- consisting of more than 50 support teams from nations such as Great Britain, Turkey, Australia, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Jordan and Canada. “We were only putting out one or two Afghan kandaks (battalion-sized elements of about 800 soldiers) at a time,â€Â Herman said. “By the April/May time frame, we had seven, eight or nine kandaks going through the CFC at any given time.â€Â By last month, the CFC had met the quota of 134,000 Afghan soldiers fielded, but along the way, Herman and his team made a significant change in the development process: quality vs. quantity. “We are making progress in this war. It’s night and day since I got here,â€Â Herman said. “When I started, I had five training aids; now we have a battalions worth of aids. Less than 50 percent [of Afghan troops] could qualify with their weapons; now we are up to 90 percent. We are teaching the military decision-making process and troop-leading procedures. Now, staffs know how to plan for operations.â€Â Herman said the CFC is producing a better product now than it ever has before. With more training time, more training tasks and more quality training, the Afghan soldiers are better, and this translates into a better fighting force, he added. The CFC also develops combat support units, Herman noted. “These types of units are very critical to sustainability right now,â€Â he said. “There are probably enough combatant commands out there to do the job, but they are having a hard time sustaining themselves. We as coalition partners are providing the sustainment operations, but we are starting to produce more of those units, so they will soon start taking over that mission.â€Â With the pieces falling into place –- adequate resources and personnel, quality training and the support units to sustain it all -– a picture is forming of what the Afghanistan National Army should look like, Herman said. “We’ve produced 68 units and more than 29,000 Afghan soldiers at the CFC during my time here,â€Â Herman said. “Our goal was 134,000; we now have 140,000. Our new goal is 171,600 by October of 2011, and we are on track to meet that.â€Â Herman said the Afghans he has met and worked with have been gracious and supportive of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and in helping to build their army. “Working with the Afghan Army leadership has been an outstanding experience and they are extremely supportive of the American and the coalition presence here,â€Â he said. “They know that we are here spending our resources, money and soldiers to help them take over their own security, and they understand they need to stand on their own two feet.â€Â As Herman completes his tour and heads back to South Dakota, he leaves Afghanistan knowing he has made a difference in the war effort, and will leave with a different impression of what the individual augmentee can accomplish. “I’m a huge fan of the IA, and I think they play an important role in this war,â€Â he said. “For a National Guard officer to have had the position I was in is extraordinary, because of the responsibility and tasking assigned. I would encourage any Guardsman to volunteer for an IA assignment.â€Â Nov. 17, 2010: By Army Capt. Anthony Deiss- Task Force Rushmore- Details
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Left to right: Department of Defense Education Activity teachers Judy Ryan, Steven Osborn, Pamela Tucker, Thomas Wiglesworth and Brenda Colom are teaching English in Afghanistan under the Defense Department’s Civilain Expeditionary Workforce program. Courtesy photo[/caption] WASHINGTON – When Brenda Colom first heard news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that affected as many as 3 million people, she felt compelled to do something.
Left to right: Department of Defense Education Activity teachers Judy Ryan, Steven Osborn, Pamela Tucker, Thomas Wiglesworth and Brenda Colom are teaching English in Afghanistan under the Defense Department’s Civilain Expeditionary Workforce program. Courtesy photo[/caption] WASHINGTON – When Brenda Colom first heard news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that affected as many as 3 million people, she felt compelled to do something.“Besides giving money, there was nothing else I could do to help those that needed so much,” she said.It was the earthquake that got Colom, an English teacher with the Department of Defense Education Activity’s schools in Europe, to start thinking about ways to help others. When she received an e-mail from DoDEA headquarters a month later asking for volunteers for the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce to teach English to Afghan soldiers training with the U.S. military in Afghanistan, Colom said, she “jumped on the chance.”
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Tom Wiglesworth, a Department of Defense Education Activity teacher, reviews a lesson plan with his students. Wiglesworth and four other DoDEA teachers are volunteering with the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce program to teach English to Afghan soldiers. Courtesy photo[/caption] Colom explained that she liked the idea of teaching and living in a different country and getting to experience another culture, and she knew this was her way of helping those who really needed it. “The classes are long, but the [students] work hard and do realize that their future and that of their family and country depends on them learning English,” she said. Tom Wiglesworth, an English teacher from DoDEA’s Guam District, also is in Afghanistan teaching English to Afghan soldiers. Wiglesworth has a history of service with the U.S. military. He joined the Marine Corps in 1973 and later served in the Army Reserve before becoming a combat medic with the National Guard. Wiglesworth said he’s always considered it his duty to serve his country when and where he could, and that teaching with DoDEA allowed him to continue his military service even after his service with the military was complete. When the opportunity to teach English arose, Wiglesworth said, he was ecstatic to teach in Afghanistan. Colom, Wiglesworth, and two other DoDEA teachers -- Judith Ryan and Steven Osborne -- went through extensive pre-deployment training. They trained for two months, had to undergo medical exams, physicals, numerous shots, and online training in addition to their two-month training. Then the teachers were sent to the Defense Language Institute English Language Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where they learned the institute’s American Language Course curriculum. From there, they attended a two-week field exercise in Indiana, where they learned military structure in a war zone. “The training was adequate and profitable in many ways,” Wiglesworth said. “I particularly appreciated the time getting to know the team I would be with while here in the country.” This DoDEA team deployed in August and will serve on military installations throughout Afghanistan for one year under the mentorship of Pamela Tucker, a teacher from DoDEA’s Japan District, who serves as mobile training team chief. Tucker is a member of the Army Reserve and has experience teaching in a war zone stemming from her deployment to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2003 to 2004. “Given the opportunity, other educators should take advantage of teaching in an environment like Afghanistan,” Tucker said. “Not only does it allow one to engage in impact teaching, but it helps further the U.S. mission and vision towards global peace and prosperity. It really is a rich experience.” Each teacher teaches a class of about 30 students daily, and students range from wing commanders, pilots and senior officers to maintenance soldiers, crew chiefs and munitions officers. Though they must do without many creature comforts during their deployment, the teachers said, the sacrifices are small compared to the satisfaction they get from helping their students who need to learn English to make a career for themselves. Colom said she taught adults earlier in her career, so teaching English to the Afghan soldiers has been a smooth transition. She expressed admiration for her students’ dedication. “The respect that they have for their teachers is moving,” she said. “The classes are long, but they work hard and do realize that their future, and that of their family and country, depends on them learning English.” Wiglesworth echoed Colom’s statements. He noted that most Afghan soldiers have not had an education similar to that of most Americans. Rather, he said, they mainly were taught practical life skills. “The adults bring a richer, broader range of life experiences,” he said. “However, [having this education] greatly improves their desire to better themselves and instills a great respect for teachers. This, along with their intense integrity and considerate manners, has made working with the Afghan people a real touchstone experience.” Both Colom and Wiglesworth said their experiences in Afghanistan have been rewarding so far. Wiglesworth recalled an instance in which several Afghan soldiers were disassembling the cells from a battery and cleaning it, and he spoke with a student in a simple conversation about what they were doing. He watched an American mentor beam proudly, he said, as an Afghan airman explained in simple English what the soldiers were doing and the names of several parts of the battery and the tools involved. In another instance, Wiglesworth said, he spoke with the pilots in his classes and explained an English language miscommunication that occurred in air traffic control. “[The pilots] had already had the Dari version explained to them, but I was able to teach the simple English involved in their misunderstanding,” he said. “They greatly appreciated having an English teacher walk them through the language and practice the necessary vocabulary and grammar involved with the incident. They are some of the most faithful attendees of the classes.” As their year in Afghanistan winds down next summer, Tucker and Wiglesworth will have the option to extend their tour for another year. But for now, they said, they are content just knowing they are helping to make a difference in the lives of the Afghan soliders they teach. “I thank those in DoDEA who afforded me this opportunity, Wiglesworth said. “Risks exist, but they diminish when compared to the value of the service we are providing and the rewarding relationships we are building.” Nov. 1, 2010: By Megan Rattliff- Department of Defense Education Activity
Tom Wiglesworth, a Department of Defense Education Activity teacher, reviews a lesson plan with his students. Wiglesworth and four other DoDEA teachers are volunteering with the Civilian Expeditionary Workforce program to teach English to Afghan soldiers. Courtesy photo[/caption] Colom explained that she liked the idea of teaching and living in a different country and getting to experience another culture, and she knew this was her way of helping those who really needed it. “The classes are long, but the [students] work hard and do realize that their future and that of their family and country depends on them learning English,” she said. Tom Wiglesworth, an English teacher from DoDEA’s Guam District, also is in Afghanistan teaching English to Afghan soldiers. Wiglesworth has a history of service with the U.S. military. He joined the Marine Corps in 1973 and later served in the Army Reserve before becoming a combat medic with the National Guard. Wiglesworth said he’s always considered it his duty to serve his country when and where he could, and that teaching with DoDEA allowed him to continue his military service even after his service with the military was complete. When the opportunity to teach English arose, Wiglesworth said, he was ecstatic to teach in Afghanistan. Colom, Wiglesworth, and two other DoDEA teachers -- Judith Ryan and Steven Osborne -- went through extensive pre-deployment training. They trained for two months, had to undergo medical exams, physicals, numerous shots, and online training in addition to their two-month training. Then the teachers were sent to the Defense Language Institute English Language Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where they learned the institute’s American Language Course curriculum. From there, they attended a two-week field exercise in Indiana, where they learned military structure in a war zone. “The training was adequate and profitable in many ways,” Wiglesworth said. “I particularly appreciated the time getting to know the team I would be with while here in the country.” This DoDEA team deployed in August and will serve on military installations throughout Afghanistan for one year under the mentorship of Pamela Tucker, a teacher from DoDEA’s Japan District, who serves as mobile training team chief. Tucker is a member of the Army Reserve and has experience teaching in a war zone stemming from her deployment to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division from 2003 to 2004. “Given the opportunity, other educators should take advantage of teaching in an environment like Afghanistan,” Tucker said. “Not only does it allow one to engage in impact teaching, but it helps further the U.S. mission and vision towards global peace and prosperity. It really is a rich experience.” Each teacher teaches a class of about 30 students daily, and students range from wing commanders, pilots and senior officers to maintenance soldiers, crew chiefs and munitions officers. Though they must do without many creature comforts during their deployment, the teachers said, the sacrifices are small compared to the satisfaction they get from helping their students who need to learn English to make a career for themselves. Colom said she taught adults earlier in her career, so teaching English to the Afghan soldiers has been a smooth transition. She expressed admiration for her students’ dedication. “The respect that they have for their teachers is moving,” she said. “The classes are long, but they work hard and do realize that their future, and that of their family and country, depends on them learning English.” Wiglesworth echoed Colom’s statements. He noted that most Afghan soldiers have not had an education similar to that of most Americans. Rather, he said, they mainly were taught practical life skills. “The adults bring a richer, broader range of life experiences,” he said. “However, [having this education] greatly improves their desire to better themselves and instills a great respect for teachers. This, along with their intense integrity and considerate manners, has made working with the Afghan people a real touchstone experience.” Both Colom and Wiglesworth said their experiences in Afghanistan have been rewarding so far. Wiglesworth recalled an instance in which several Afghan soldiers were disassembling the cells from a battery and cleaning it, and he spoke with a student in a simple conversation about what they were doing. He watched an American mentor beam proudly, he said, as an Afghan airman explained in simple English what the soldiers were doing and the names of several parts of the battery and the tools involved. In another instance, Wiglesworth said, he spoke with the pilots in his classes and explained an English language miscommunication that occurred in air traffic control. “[The pilots] had already had the Dari version explained to them, but I was able to teach the simple English involved in their misunderstanding,” he said. “They greatly appreciated having an English teacher walk them through the language and practice the necessary vocabulary and grammar involved with the incident. They are some of the most faithful attendees of the classes.” As their year in Afghanistan winds down next summer, Tucker and Wiglesworth will have the option to extend their tour for another year. But for now, they said, they are content just knowing they are helping to make a difference in the lives of the Afghan soliders they teach. “I thank those in DoDEA who afforded me this opportunity, Wiglesworth said. “Risks exist, but they diminish when compared to the value of the service we are providing and the rewarding relationships we are building.” Nov. 1, 2010: By Megan Rattliff- Department of Defense Education Activity- Details
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Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Rose runs with her squadron in physical training at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., Oct. 13, 2010. Rose lost more than 55 pounds during a deployment to Southwest Asia and has taken on a leadership role in her squadron’s physical training program. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales[/caption] MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – Deployed airmen face many challenges, but Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Rose transformed her mental and physical obstacles into a fitness success story.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Rose runs with her squadron in physical training at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., Oct. 13, 2010. Rose lost more than 55 pounds during a deployment to Southwest Asia and has taken on a leadership role in her squadron’s physical training program. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales[/caption] MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – Deployed airmen face many challenges, but Air Force Staff Sgt. Michelle Rose transformed her mental and physical obstacles into a fitness success story.Rose, noncommissioned officer in charge of 22nd Operations Support Squadron aviation resource management, began her battle to improve her fitness in September 2009. Her physical fitness test score was 76 points, one point from failing, and it affected many parts of her life."I weighed 175 pounds and was completely unhappy with myself," she said. "My self-esteem was low; therefore, I never wanted to go out when friends asked me." Rose’s transformation began when she deployed to Southwest Asia. "The day after I got to my deployed location, I went to the gym in the coalition compound," she said. "I asked for a workout plan, and a civilian employee offered to train me." With the help of friends, Rose continued her regimen during her deployment and dropped 45 pounds. "I trained six days a week for 114 days, and cardio and weightlifting was the key to my success," she said. Rose returned here in December 2009 with a changed mind set and a new lifestyle. She scored 94.9 points on her physical training test. "The changes have made her healthier and have given her a more positive outlook on life and the future," said Air Force Master Sgt. Clayton Raub, the squadron’s chief of host aviation resource management. The changes in Rose’s personal life led to improvements in her professional life, Raub added. "She is able to supervise and lead better, because now she can come from the standpoint [of] 'I am doing this, and there is no reason you can't,'" he explained. Rose has been leading and encouraging others in her squadron during their physical training. "When we PT, she is leading it and putting her energy out on other people, … and they take it well," Raub said. "How can you not take it from someone that actually went from where she was to where she is now?" Down to 117 pounds and striving for a perfect score, Rose said she will continue to improve her health every day by improving on all aspects of her life. "I will continue to always be physically fit -- and the happiness that it has brought me is more than words can describe," she said. Oct. 29, 2010: By Air Force Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales, 22nd Air Refueling Wing
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Air Force Maj. Jim Dorn tutors airmen in math during weekly sessions at an air base in Southwest Asia. Dorn is the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron commander. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee[/caption] SOUTHWEST ASIA – Few things are more frustrating in academics than struggling to find an answer or to understand a theory. Though the journey can be intimidating for students as they work through a problem, the struggle becomes worthwhile when they finally find the answer.
Air Force Maj. Jim Dorn tutors airmen in math during weekly sessions at an air base in Southwest Asia. Dorn is the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron commander. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee[/caption] SOUTHWEST ASIA – Few things are more frustrating in academics than struggling to find an answer or to understand a theory. Though the journey can be intimidating for students as they work through a problem, the struggle becomes worthwhile when they finally find the answer.Through weekly tutoring sessions in algebra, Air Force Maj. Jim Dorn, the 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron commander, helps deployed airmen at an air base here turn their academic struggles into success."I find it extremely satisfying to see the light bulb go on for somebody," he said. "When they finally get something that they have been struggling with, you can tell by the facial expressions how happy it makes them." Dorn said he holds the tutoring sessions because of a promise he made to a former squadron superintendent who helped him enter the Air Force’s “Bootstrapâ€Â program to become an officer. "I promised to help people get their degrees any time I had the opportunity," Dorn said. "I did the same thing when I was stationed here in 2006. I tutored six people who were trying to [complete] an algebra course, and all six of them passed." Air Force Master Sgt. Scott Neu, the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Squadron vehicle operations superintendent and one of the airmen Dorn is tutoring, said the major's assistance has been integral to his completing the course work. "If it wasn't for Major Dorn, I wouldn't be passing my class right now," Neu said. "It's been a long time since I have been in school. I have been one class short of a Community College of the Air Force degree for eight years, and it has been a math class that I have put off." Neu said the lack of a CCAF degree could prevent him from being promoted, so the tutoring that Dorn provides is helping him to extend his career. Dorn has a knack for presenting the material in an interesting manner and has a good sense of humor, he added, and that keeps the tutoring sessions fresh. While it is great that technology allows deployed airmen to take online courses, Dorn said, old fashioned, face-to-face instruction sometimes is a preferable way to teach new material. "When you are taking an online course in the desert, if you don't understand something, e-mail is not the best way to learn something like math," he said. "With the tutoring sessions, I can answer a question in person when they are stuck. It just works better." Dorn said he believes his tutoring sessions are a great example of airmen taking care of airmen, and that he hopes other Air Force leaders will consider doing the same thing. "I'd like to see other officers and military members with degrees throw their name in the hat and pitch-in as well," he said. "I think as an officer you need to lead your airmen through their personal goals as well as the mission goals." Nov. 29, 2010: By Air Force Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee- 380th Air Expeditionary Wing
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Army Sgt. Jason Hudgins, left, installs seats in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with the help of his father, Army Spc. Dale Hudgins, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Monica Smith[/caption] BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Stories abound of soldiers who meet up with family members while serving overseas, but few feature family members who serve in the same company.
Army Sgt. Jason Hudgins, left, installs seats in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with the help of his father, Army Spc. Dale Hudgins, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Monica Smith[/caption] BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Stories abound of soldiers who meet up with family members while serving overseas, but few feature family members who serve in the same company.For Army Sgt. Jason Hudgins of the Delaware National Guard, serving in Afghanistan meant deploying and serving alongside his father, Army Spc. Dale Hudgins. Both soldiers are assigned to Company A, 3rd Battalion, 238th Aviation Brigade, attached to Task Force Knighthawk, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, Task Force Falcon. “I see him almost every day,â€Â said Jason, a crew chief. “It’s nice to have him here, because when I have questions or problems, he gives me good advice.â€Â Dale, an airframe mechanic, originally was part of the Delaware National Guard’s medical evacuation company, but when Jason’s was called upon to deploy, Dale was asked if he would go to provide maintenance support. “Last August, I was asked if I’d go, and I told them I would,â€Â said Dale, originally from Wilmington, Del. “It’s nice to be here with him because, during his deployment to Iraq, if I heard something on the news about a helicopter going down, I would worry since I knew he flew on helicopters. But now, if something happens, I immediately know about it, and that puts me at ease.â€Â For Jason, being able to see his father often has helped him have an easier deployment than his first one to Iraq. “When I was in Iraq, it was incredibly overwhelming,â€Â he said. “I was 20 years old then, and it was the first time I was away from my parents for an entire year. So, having my father here is comforting.â€Â During the deployment, Jason and Dale work only a minute from one another, making it easy for them to find time to spend together or meet up for a meal. “He’ll come see me while I’m working on sheet metal, or I’ll go and talk with him while he’s working on the aircraft,â€Â Dale said. “We eat together often. In fact, on Father’s Day, Jason took me to eat at the dining facility. It’s been nice to have him here with me.â€Â Oct. 28, 2010: By Army Spc. Monica Smith- Combined Joint Task Force 101