LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Laughlin was officially announced the busiest airfield and combined air traffic control tower in the Air Force for 2011 on Jan. 10 by the Air Force Flight Standards Agency for having a total of 337,439 operations.

Controlling the busiest airfield in the Air Force is the 47th Operations Support Squadron radar approach control section and tower. The RAPCON was identified as the busiest of 39 facilities with 266,591 operations and the tower was ninth out of 98 towers with 70,848.

"I'm very excited for and at the same time proud of the men and women in Laughlin's RAPCON and Tower who daily dedicate themselves to ensuring the safe execution of Laughlin's flight training mission," said Chief Master Sgt. Howard Teesdale, 47th Operations Support Squadron RAPCON chief controller. "Other than the instructor pilots who sit directly behind and are in control of the students flying the plane, no one comes close to touching the 47th Flying Training Wing's mission of graduating the world's best pilots than the controllers do."

The tower and RAPCON are made up of 69 controllers who control 62 airfields, 10,000 square miles of airspace within 100 miles of Laughlin. Before earning the title as the busiest airfield in the Air Force, they were controlling the fourth busiest in terms of combined air traffic control operations.

Teesdale also noted that Laughlin has been his busiest assignment to date and most complex.

"When your main customer is student pilots, the operating environment we try to provide them is ever changing," he said.

While a high operations tempo and constant change are always there, so is the sense of pride the controllers take in their job.

"I have a duty to help other controllers receive the quality training that will help them," said Airman 1st Class Jennifer Davis, 47th OSS air traffic controller. "This duty extends to myself as well, I am responsible for keeping myself current in all of my training and proficient in the positions I hold. I also have a moral responsibility to perform my job to the best of my ability, to ensure that I provide the best ATC service possible to aid in the pilot training process."

Teesdale explained how here at Laughlin it can get extremely busy at times and doing the unimaginable happens often.

"As with any organization, especially one that shares a singular common goal such as ours, there's a lot of camaraderie, they are a tough crowd and that's because they have to be," Teesdale said. "In the end however, controllers always seem to prevail and come out on top and in my humble opinion this is why controllers are routinely labeled a step above because they truly are."

 It was a cold and snowy Friday afternoon. McChord Field, which somewhat resembled an abandoned ghost town, was covered with more than nine inches of snow.

Amid the unfavorable weather conditions, Air Mobility Command's command chief, Chief Master Sgt. Richard Kaiser, was still able to visit the installation and speak with a few Airmen. One of those Airmen happened to be me.

Talking with a person who has witnessed the Air Force change and improve over the course of nearly 30 years has given me a whole new perspective. I've gained a different sense of pride and meaning in what we as a military branch do. Chief Kaiser's words not only encouraged and motivated me as an Airman, but a person as well.


Chief, tell us a little about yourself.

I'm from Columbus, Ohio, and I'm a huge Ohio State Buckeyes fan. I married my high school sweetheart, Debbie, and we have four wonderful children and three grandsons. I came into the Air Force open general and found out I was selected for a career in public health. After four years, I cross trained into communications and worked in that career field for 17 years.

What are your initial thoughts about Joint Base Lewis-McChord?

It's an amazing place, even with the snow! This transition has worked because of the relationships between the people who make it work. This is a very unique environment, and it's different from what we're used to, but it's working well here because of remarkable people.

What have you learned since you've taken over as AMC command chief?

I've been fortunate enough to witness the level of excellence and selfless dedication among the amazing young Airmen every single day. Recently, we have identified the "why" of AMC... Why do we exist? We answer the call of other so they may prevail. That could mean anything from refueling to saving lives with our aeromedical evacuation or providing hope with our airlift mission. The quiet professionalism throughout our command continues to impress me.

One of the things Comprehensive Airmen Fitness focuses on is resiliency. In what ways can Airmen become more resilient?

Each individual Airmen needs to realize they're part of the Air Force family. One of the pillars of Comprehensive Airman Fitness is the social aspect, and I think it's important for Airmen to build strong relationships. Airmen who are willing to stretch outside of their comfort zone, try new things and succeed, often become more resilient in the long run. We want every individual Airman to succeed, and we're going to provide the tools and resources to ensure they succeed.

How do you think we can better prepare our non-commissioned officers for expanded leadership roles?

I think our front line supervisors are the most important role in the Air Force. Not only are they executing the mission, but they're also leading and growing the next generation of Airmen. That is a huge responsibility. I think our NCOs can be more confrontational, not in a negative way at all, but in a challenging way. Enhance your Airmen. Give them feedback in a helpful, respectful way. We take our Airmen to the next level with strong and effective leadership.

The Air Force announced new high-year tenure rules which will begin in 2013. What are some suggestions you would make to young NCOs to ensure their careers are progressing in a positive direction?

In one word: Study! Make the most of every single day.

How important has family been in your career?

I would not be a command chief if it weren't for Debbie being such a great command chief's wife. Also, the sacrifices that our children had to make were incalculable. My career really has been a joint venture. You have to be all in it together. I would not be talking to you today were it not for the love and support of my family.

Now that the war in Iraq has ended, in your opinion, what were some of Air Mobility Command's greatest contributions to the effort?

We've played many traditional roles, such as airlift, airdrop and aero medical evacuation. We've also played many non-traditional roles. We've asked our Airmen to step outside of their career fields, such as Airmen who are embedded in joint special operations units. Now that we're out of Iraq, there's a democracy there. That's the bottom line. Also, our Airmen have become better leaders because of their experience in Iraq.

Are there any final thoughts you'd like to share with the men and women of McChord Field?

I'd like our leaders to set the bar high for their Airmen. Provide the tools for them to succeed and then stand back and watch them excel. Give them coaching and encouragement when they need it. You are obligated to help that Airmen become the best they can possibly be.

I'd like for our individual Airmen to stretch beyond their comfort zones and try something new. Accept a new leadership opportunity or sign up for a new class. Find out what you're really capable of. The military makes up less than one percent of this country's population. Each one of our Airmen plays a huge part in the overall mission. Continue to grow and let nothing stand in your way.

After a record breaking year saving Joint Base Lewis-McChord Soldiers and retirees over $1 million on filing their tax returns and generating $16.6 million in refunds from the 7,800 federal and state returns, the JBLM Tax Center is preparing for another busy year. However, servicemembers may see fewer refunds this year due to changes in the tax codes including the expiration of the Making Work Pay Credit and in most cases, the First Time Homebuyers Credit. Officer in Charge Capt. Sean Flood hopes to continue Lewis-McChord's accuracy track record while saving servicemembers money.

"We conduct a double quality review of everything before filing," he said. "The more sets of eyes on (the return), the more money you get back."

Last year's returns from McChord Field alone had the third lowest rejection rate of all Department of Defense tax centers in the continental U.S. with only 3.7 percent of returns rejected. As a whole, JBLM had the lowest rejection rate of all major Army installations based on volume.

To ensure accuracy, Flood and his staff stress that customers bring Social Security cards, as well as those of all dependents, to the center.

"The No. 1 reason why our returns get rejected is that the names and Social Security numbers do not match with what the IRS has on file," Flood said.

The tax centers request you bring all of your required paperwork to complete your return before arriving. If not, you will be asked to return another day and not be given line preference. The centers will not print documentation on site. Required documents generally include, but are not limited to, W-2s, 1099-Rs, 1099-INTs and, if applicable, any documentation relating to a rental property or itemized deductions.

The staff consists of 28 servicemembers from the installation and two civilians with tax preparation experience. Military members received training from the IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program and military-specific tax codes.

Specialist Lucas Sutton of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is excited that the training will save him money in the future.

"I love that it's a great skill to have beyond the Army," Spc, Lucas Sutton said. "I can forever do my own taxes for free."

JBLM Tax Center is also testing a new program entitled Free Assisted Self-Service Tax Preparation at the McChord location. FAST allows people to file taxes electronically on their own for free with a tax preparation service, including H&R Block Free File, Turbo Tax Freedom and TaxSlayer. A trained staff member will be on-site at the designated computer stations to help users with filing and working with the system.

FAST is best for people with a simple tax return, such as no state tax return, few or no assets, and no itemized deductions. Upon arriving at the McChord Tax Center Office the staff will help you decide if FAST is your best option.

The tax center held its ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday and both tax centers open Monday for all 2012 returns. They are free and open to all active duty servicemembers, retirees, activated reservists and National Guardsmen. Expect a wait, especially the first weeks the center is open and as W-2s become available on MyPay on Tuesday.

Unlike recent years, the tax center will be open on Mondays. Hours are subject to change depending on the volume of people. You can call ahead to see how long the wait is prior to arriving. In the past, early daytime hours were the busiest.

All services are available on a walk-in basis. Appointments are available to those who own rental properties, have foreign source income or other foreign issues, home day care, respite care and for E-9s, O-6s or higher and CW-5s.

The Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations Center, Dover Air Force Base, Del., has the sole duty of fulfilling the country's commitment of ensuring dignity, honor, and respect to fallen U.S. troops and the care, service, and support to their families. Since 1996, Reservists from the 446th Force Support Squadron Sustainment Services Flight at Joint Base Lewis-McChord have helped support the Air Force's mortuary mission.

The unit will send five more Reservists to Dover to support the mortuary between February and March. And they volunteered knowing their actual deployment window is right around the corner, knowing they could end up serving another six months there.

"The thought that we have volunteers who want to do things for this nation, shows the best part of who we are as a Reserve," said Col. Bruce Bowers, 446th Airlift Wing commander. "They want to do it to help other people. The fact that they are spending their time helping the families of some of the greatest heroes we've ever seen, makes my heart happy. This epitomizes who we are as a Reserve unit."

Technical Sergeant Michael Bishop is preparing for his fourth deployment to the mortuary - it's the second time he's put his "service before himself" by volunteering outside of his flight's tasking- and he says, it won't be the last.

Technical Sergeant Katie Badowski, 446th FSS Sustainment Services supervisor shares a similar background as Bishop.

"I had been to Dover twice prior to this upcoming deployment," said Badowski who, like Bishop, had deployed to Southwest Asia. "I felt a strong camaraderie with the staff at the port mortuary."

First-time deployers, such as Capt. Carrianne Culy, 446th FSS Sustainment Services operations officer, prepare for the best at the mortuary.

"I have no doubts, I'll be working with a group of outstanding people and for a great commander," Culy said. As simple as it may sound to prepare for a deployment of this delicacy, Culy knows what's ahead of her.

"I went to an orientation course at the port mortuary and felt like it would be a tough, yet worthwhile deployment," she said. "I'm not sure how much longer officer assignments will be available, but I plan on going as many times as they need me to, whether I have a good experience or not."

Hurlburt Field, FL - More than a dozen Airmen from the same unit were presented eighteen medals recently for meritorious actions in combat.

Fourteen special tactics Airmen from the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., were presented two Purple Hearts and 14 Bronze Stars, five of which were with Valor.

Lt. Gen. Eric Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, hosted the ceremony, presenting the medals to 10 combat controllers and four tactical air control party members.

The Bronze Star is awarded in recognition of bravery, heroism and meritorious service during engagement with an armed enemy of the U.S. It is the fourth highest combat honor within the military. The Bronze Star recognizes meritorious service while the Bronze Star with Valor recognizes heroism.

The Purple Heart is awarded to those injured or killed in combat.

Fiel commended the Airmen for tirelessly and humbly sacrificing for their country.

"Whenever I speak with a recipient of one of these awards, I always get the response 'sir, I was just doing my job, just doing what I was trained to do,'" Fiel said. "But the reality is that all of you men do so much more than just 'what you were trained to do.'"

Training is a building block, but these Airmen are not merely being recognized for putting their training into play, he said.

They are being recognized for being leaders in their squadron and examples for the next generation of special tactics Airmen, he said.

They are being recognized for their belief in the mission and for the preparation put into planning their missions and executing them in theater.

They are being recognized because they have strong families standing behind them, Fiel said.

Between them, the Airmen have deployed at least 42 times. Their service resulted in the removal of more than 600 enemy combatants from 2009 to 2011, according to their award citations.

The medal recipients are:

Master Sgt. Christopher Grove - Bronze Star with Valor 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Valor 5th Oak Leaf Cluster

Master Sgt. Douglas Neville - Bronze Star with Valor

Staff Sgt. Tyler Britton - Bronze Star 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

Staff Sgt. Eric Galvan - Purple Heart, Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Mike Kurta - Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Christopher Martin - Bronze Star with Valor 1st Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Valor 2nd Oak Leaf Cluster

Staff Sgt. Sean Mullins - Bronze Star with Valor 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

Staff Sgt. Michael Orlando - Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Verne Patterson - Bronze Star with Valor

Staff Sgt. Matthew Riechers - Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Jeffery Salazar - Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Ryan Sjurson - Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Nathan Vogle - Bronze Star

Staff Sgt. Michael Wilhelm - Purple Heart, Bronze Star 1st Oak Leaf Cluster

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - In March 2003, the United States military crossed the border of Kuwait into Iraq. For nearly nine years, the men and women of the U.S. military have deployed to Iraq under two banners - Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

On Dec. 18, 2011, the U.S. left Iraq in the hands of its own military and the last of American troops redeployed home. One of the last units out of Iraq was the 265th Movement Control Team, a unit responsible for coordinating the movement of personnel, vehicles, and containers out of Iraq and closing the military gateway to Kuwait and Iraq, known as the Khabari Crossing.

Staff Sgt. Eliezer Casas, 265th detachment noncommissioned officer in charge, said as the last of U.S. vehicles came through the gate, he and other soldiers, along with Kuwaiti government officials, closed the Khabari Crossing gate for the last time. According to Casas, they started receiving convoys that morning, and once the last one went through, soldiers and media there started cheering. "I have deployed to Iraq several times and to be one of the last out of Iraq and to close that gate was a great experience."

As soldiers came through the gate the unit would help them acclimate to the environment they were in, such as the rules of the road. "They needed to know they don't need to have the force protection measures like they did in Iraq," according to Capt. Michael Fullmer, detachment commander.

The unit accomplished a lot during their nine-month deployment. The unit redeployed 105 military convoys, 12,148 military personnel and 3,147 pieces of equipment.

They also processed over 4,916 convoys that included 120,232 vehicles, 198,292 personnel, and 22,024 containers. The unit provided oversight of 95 vehicle recovery missions in and out of Iraq and coordinated over 200 private security link-ups for both U.S. Army and U.S. Department of State convoys within a three-month period.

To maintain a positive working relationship during this time, the unit facilitated several key leader engagements with the Kuwait Ministry of Interior, Kuwaiti customs, Kuwait immigration, Kuwait Border Security Police and the U.S. Army.

"My troops did an outstanding job," Fullmer said, "They worked through every situation we encountered, and found solutions to any problem that arose. I am proud to say that I worked with every single one of them."

According to Fullmer, being part of the responsible drawdown of forces in Iraq was an extremely proud moment for him. "I never thought that this would be one of the historical moments I would see in my lifetime." Fullmer said helping out the people of Iraq stand on their own and pulling out of country was a proud moment for him.

The unit arrived back to Seattle-Tacoma airport around 1 a.m., Jan. 14. The terminal was bare except for a man asleep behind a counter. There was no one there to greet them as the got off their commercial flight. Media crews were not present asking for interviews. The soldiers of the 265th were not expecting a lot of commotion. They were not expecting a hero's welcome. Instead, they preferred to have a more subtle approach, to come home as quietly as they left.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Just like most other Southwest Asia locations, C-17 Globemaster IIIs and C-5 Galaxies bring a continuous flow of U.S. service members and supplies in and out of the area of responsibility every day. In order to keep this process going, these aircraft must be maintained and mission capable.

"That's where we come in," said Master Sgt. Brian Mason, 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron Detachment 1 superintendent.

According to its fact sheet, the 8th EAMS provides expeditionary mobility to the warfighter in four locations in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"Locally, our primary role is maintenance and launching and recovering the aircraft," said Mason.

The 8th EAMS is part of the 521st Air Mobility Operations Group, which provides en route support for air mobility command missions at multiple locations throughout southern Europe and the CENTCOM area of responsibility. The group is part of the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing which is currently responsible for 50 percent of the cargo moved by air mobility command.

The detachment includes fewer than 20 airmen, primarily C-5 and C-17 maintainers from Dover Air Force Base, Del., and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., respectively. But despite their manpower, they sustain a large role here, said Mason.

In December, the unit recovered nearly 260 aircraft that transported more than 11,000 passengers and nearly 8,300 tons of cargo.

The unit's workload varies depending on the day.

"We average about 13 flights per day," said Mason. "But sometimes we can have as few as 7 and have as many as 20."

Detachment leaders track inbound flights with a command and control system called Global Decision Support System 2. GDSS2 provides unit-level and force-level mission planning, scheduling and tracking of all mobility airlift and air refueling missions.

"Tracking the flights is the easy part," said Mason. "The challenging part is fixing the aircraft if it's broken."

As Mason describes, the unit has thousands of aircraft parts on hand, but if the unit doesn't have a part needed to fix the aircraft, they have to borrow parts from other units around KAF.

"We do what we have to to make sure these aircraft can take off," said Mason.

Another daily challenge the unit has to overcome is the geographically separated ramps that their aircraft have to park at.

"It's a 25-minute drive to the ramp where some of our C-17s and C-5s park," said Mason. This makes for a logistical hardship if maintainers need items or tools from their buildings.

In spite of the unit's challenges, Detachment 1 leadership applauds their Airmen for their production.

"Many times, our transiting aircraft are only on the ground for a couple of hours," said Capt. Russell Whitlock, 8th EAMS officer in charge. "These guys manage to get the job done no matter the circumstances."

 The following information is a summary of non-judicial punishments given by commanders under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice during December 2011. The punishments are determined based on the individual facts and circumstances of each case.

- An airman from the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron committed failure to go by signing a false official statement. The airman received reduction to airman basic, two forfeitures of $200, 15 days of extra duty and a reprimand.

- A senior airman from the 62nd Maintenance Squadron committed failure to go by making and signing a false official statement. The airman received reduction to airman 1st class, two forfeitures of $450, 14 days of extra duty and a reprimand.

- An airman 1st class from the 62nd Maintenance Squadron committed willful dereliction of duty. The airman 1st class received reduction to airman, 45 days of extra duty and a reprimand.

- An airman from the 627th Civil Engineering Squadron failed to obey a lawful order by driving on the installation with revoked privileges while intoxicated. The airman received reduction to airman basic and a reprimand.

- A senior airman from the 627th Civil Engineering Squadron committed willful dereliction of duty by misusing a government travel card and making a false official statement. The senior airman received reduction to airman 1st class, two forfeitures of $250, 30 days of extra duty and a reprimand.

- An airman 1st class from the 627th Force Support Squadron committed failure to go and willful dereliction of duty by drinking underage. The airman 1st class received reduction to airman, 14 days of extra duty and a reprimand.

- A staff sergeant from the 373rd Training Squadron obstructed justice by violating a government computer in the form of pornography. The staff sergeant received reduction to senior airman, 45 days of extra duty and a reprimand.

The following information is a summary of involuntary discharges during December 2011.

- An airman basic from the 62nd Maintenance Squadron received a general discharge for minor disciplinary infractions.

- An airman 1st class from the 627th Communications Squadron received an honorable discharge for unsatisfactory performance during a fitness assessment.

First of all, Happy New Year to all of you wonderful, professional and hard-working Airmen who call McChord Field and the Pacific Northwest home. What you have accomplished over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable. In this short commentary, I want to briefly talk about something that I am fairly passionate about: Servant Leadership.

The phrase "Servant Leader" was brought into the mainstream back in 1970 in an essay published by Mr. Robert Greenleaf. In this writing, he defines a servant-leader as someone who "is a servant first." Servant leadership isn't about positions and titles. Instead, it is an attitude that says people and relationships are important, valuable and essential to mission success.

What does it mean to me? It's very simple. Putting the needs of your fellow Airmen first. Is this convenient? No. Is it rewarding? Absolutely! There is nothing more satisfying than to see someone you've worked with succeed. That is what personally drives me in the capacity I serve.

We often talk about getting to know one another and being good Wingmen to each other. For those in supervisory positions, we emphasize getting eyeball-to-eyeball with your Airmen, daily if possible, to identify when something might not be quite right with them.

For the servant-leader this isn't a chore, it is an imperative embedded in their DNA; they genuinely care about others and know that mission success absolutely depends on individual successes of those around them.

In my opinion, some great examples of servant-leaders throughout history are Jesus, Ghandi, Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King. These leaders absolutely put the needs of others before their own and, because of it, are considered some of the greatest, most beloved leaders to have ever lived.

An unknown author once said, "A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."

John C. Maxwell, famous leadership mentor and pastor said this, "True leadership must be for the benefit of the followers, not to enrich the leader."

These two quotes are at the heart of servant-leadership and define your leaders here on McChord Field.

In closing, I'll say that leadership to me isn't about the number of stripes on your sleeve or the shape or color of the rank on your shoulders; it is about serving others. No matter what capacity you serve in. I believe that success isn't defined by how much you personally achieve but on how much those you influence achieve. Does this define you as a leader?

Air Force officials announced Jan. 10, the fiscal 2012 career job reservation program with 16 Air Force Specialty Codes placed on the constrained list.

Career job reservations allows the Air Force to control the number of first-term Airmen re-enlisting in career fields where projected manning levels exceed the needs of the Air Force. This is the first time since 2007 the Air Force is using a constrained listing.

The AFSCs and career fields on the constrained list are the following:

-- 2A6X1, Aerospace Propulsion
-- 2A6X4, Aircraft Fuel Systems
-- 2A7X3, Aircraft Structural Maintenance
-- 2T0X1, Traffic Management
-- 2T1X1, Vehicle Operations
-- 3D1X1, Client Systems Technician
-- 3D1X3, Radio Frequency Transmission Systems
-- 3E7X1, Fire Protection
-- 3E9X1, Emergency Management
-- 3M0X1, Services
-- 3N0X4, Still Photography
-- 3P0X1, Security Forces
-- 4A1X1, Medical Materiel
-- 4A2X1, Biomedical Equipment
-- 4Y0X1, Dental
-- 8M0O0, Postal

First-term Airmen in these AFSCs who entered their CJR window as of Jan. 1 are affected, said Chief Master Sgt. Shannon Parker, the Air Force Personnel Center chief of Air Force skills management branch.

"All first-term Airmen must have an approved CJR to re-enlist," she said.

The Selective Reenlistment Program automatically requests a CJR for first-term Airmen when they enter their first month of eligibility. Airmen serving in a constrained AFSC will be added to a waiting list and compete for monthly quotas based on a rank-order process.

Airmen and their supervisors will receive CJR notification reflecting their status monthly starting in February. The virtual Military Personnel Flight will also be updated to reflect the Airman's CJR status.

First-term Airmen in constrained AFSCs are prohibited from extending for any reason while pending a CJR or while on the CJR wait-list. The exception is for Airmen overseas who are required to obtain additional retainability to become eligible for their continental United States return assignment.

All first-term Airmen, including those on the CJR waiting list may apply for retraining or a special duty.

Airmen not approved for a CJR and not selected for retraining may reapply for retraining or special duty, provided they are not within 120 days of their date of separation.

Quotas for constrained AFSCs will be posted on the Air Force Personnel Services website when available.

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