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

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

Air Force Capt. Carrie Zederkof, a space-based infrared system mission instructor, competed against more than 150 competitors from 36 countries Oct. 9 in a race Time magazine named as one of the top 10 endurance competitions in the world.Zederkof's brother, Matt Lowe, found out about the competition online and suggested that she compete. "He mentioned that he wanted to do it last year, three weeks before the start of the competition," Zederkof said. "My dad and I tried to talk him out of it, because it was a little insane to do something like that without training for it, but we told him that we might do it with him if he waited a year -- and the idea just went on from there." A year later, on Oct. 3, Zederkof found herself hauling a 20-pound backpack filled with just enough gear, food and clothing to last seven days through a six-stage, 155-mile footrace over sand and sand dunes in the world's hottest desert. The only assistance provided was water and tents, which she didn't have to tote. "The hardest part for me was the heat," Zederkof said. "I had trained, but hadn't been able to train in heat, because it is not very warm here. It got up to about 118 degrees Fahrenheit nearly every day there. That was the hardest part." To overcome the heat of the desert, the captain said, she continuously consumed water and electrolytes. But that posed its own difficulty, she noted. "It is hard to run on that much water," Zederkof explained. "I definitely drank more water than I would normally drink on a run, and I ending up crashing, or 'bonked' as they say, towards the end of the first day. I had to walk the last three kilometers very slowly, because my body couldn't handle it anymore." At the close of the first day, Zederkof said, she was exhausted and began to doubt her ability to finish the race. But those thoughts didn't last long, she said. "It is all about the people who help you get through the race," she said. "That is what's neat about this. Although it is a competitive race, people are not out to get each other. We all want to finish, we all want to do well, and we all are in pain. It doesn't matter how good of shape you're in. Everyone hurts, but the people were really supportive." Veterans of the race mentored Zederkof, showing her how to balance electrolytes with water and passing along helpful tips, such as the need to snack often to make it through the day. "I told a couple people about this race, and I didn't want to disappoint them," she said. "I don't like quitting." There was no quit in Zederkof as she pushed through the remainder of the race, ambitiously crossing the Valley of Whales, where 40-million-year-old whale fossils protrude in what once was an ancient shallow sea, and then on to the finish line at the Great Pyramids of Giza. Zederkof not only completed the seven-day race, but also placed well in the competition. Out of 156 competitors, 75 percent of whom were men, only 107 people finished the race. Zederkof was the seventh woman and the 39th person overall to cross the finish line. The captain's father, Ted Lowe, and her brother were waiting for her at the finish line and shared in the celebration of the accomplishment of her two goals: to finish the race and to finish the race without injury. "It felt awesome that I had finished, and I was relieved that I made it," Zederkof said. Zederkof said she now is contemplating taking part in another part of a series of endurance events called 4 Deserts that includes The Last Desert in Antarctica, the Gobi March in China, and the Atacama Crossing in Chile. Oct. 27, 2010: By Air Force Senior Airman Steve Bauer, 30th Space Wing

Condino, a civilian employee and member of the Facility Safety Branch at the Coast Guard’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., has been involved in advancing the Coast Guard’s marine environment protection mission by providing guidance and oversight in key international policies.A Master Mariner, Condino holds a license of unlimited tonnage and has sailed the world’s oceans thus creating a deep connection to all things maritime. Through his global travels, he has gained a firsthand perspective of how garbage thrown overboard affects the maritime environment.Although regulations require ports and terminals to provide some waste reception facilities so garbage and other shipboard generated wastes can be disposed of properly, under certain circumstances, the disposal of garbage such as cardboard, paper, metal, and other operational wastes may be discharged while a ship is underway. When the opportunity to help protect the marine environment with more stringent regulation of shipboard garbage arose, Condino couldn’t help but get involved, landing him at the forefront of international action. Over the past several years, Condino was the Coast Guard lead, spearheading the United States’ effort to engage the International Maritime Organization to reform regulations to improve the marine habitat. He worked closely with other agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and the Departments of State and Navy. The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations based in London that develops international regulations for maritime shipping. As a governing body, the IMO plays a critical role in crafting marine environmental protection protocols, with one such protocol being the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. This policy is followed globally and is more commonly referred to as the MARPOL Convention. In July of 1991, the wider Caribbean region, which includes the Gulf of Mexico, was designated as a special area. Because of this designation, new, stricter rules for discharging garbage from ships, would be in effect. But, before these rules could be enforced, the United States and other wider Caribbean region countries would have to prove to the IMO that adequate reception facilities were available to handle the increase in garbage disposed in port. Condino launched an aggressive effort to ensure the United States had accurate details on the capabilities of reception facilities and that they were indeed prepared to handle the increase in the disposal of shore side waste. Armed with this information, the United States along with 25 other nations certified to the IMO that they were ready for the new rules governing the wider Caribbean region area to come into effect. The IMO accepted this certification in March 2010 and as a result, on May 1, 2011, the Gulf of Mexico will become a cleaner maritime habitat. Jeffrey G. Lantz, director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, said that “as the United States’ lead agency to the IMO, the Coast Guard and its members such as Dave are a critical component in coordinating US interagency support for safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans. Dave’s efforts on reporting adequate reception facilities are immeasurable to ensuring the protection of the marine environment in the Caribbean area.â€Â Protecting the marine environment from the effects of pollution such as shipboard waste is an ongoing process, and one that will require continued efforts by people like Condino. Cleaning up our oceans and maritime environment is a long journey, but if you walk by Condino’s desk you will see a simple statement posted on his wall that remains his constant motivation…“Let’s talk some trash.â€Â Oct. 26, 2010: By U.S. Coast Guard Lt. j.g Stephanie Young and Lt. Cdr. Kevin Lynn- American Forces Press Service