The DEFENDER. President s Corner THE NEWSLETTER OF ALAMO CHAPTER 234

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1 THE NEWSLETTER OF ALAMO CHAPTER The DEFENDER SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: Mentors for CyberPatriot Annual Awards Banquet INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Face of AFA-e 2 Warrior CARE 3 Event Continuum of 4 Learning JBSA Lackland 5 New Library/ Cyber USA Annual Awards Banquet 6 V O L U M E 1 3 N O 1 President s Corner J A N - M A R Greetings, Alamo Chapter members! I can t believe we are already at the end of the first quarter. A lot has happened this past quarter. We kicked off the year with the Warrior CARE event at JBSA-Randolph. See page 3 for more on this great event. On March 10, I served lunch to wounded warriors at SAMMC and the Warrior Family Support Center at Ft. Sam. We join forces with AFPC each quarter to serve those who have sacrificed so much. It is a very rewarding and humbling experience as we package nearly 200 meals for patients at the hospital and then serve around 100 family and warriors in house. If you want to be involved in the next one, send an to alamoafa.org@gmail.com. We continued our March madness with our annual awards banquet on March 13 and recognized outstanding airmen from all across Joint Base San Antonio. This year we returned to an evening event based on feedback from you. Check out page 6 for a list of the winners we are forwarding to AFA Texas to compete at the state level. We have already set the date for 2019, too, so mark your calendars for March 19, Rachel Samples rounded out the month with presentation of the AEF scholarships to the CyberPatriot winners at the Mayor s Cup Luncheon on March 24. The Army JROTC team from Alamo Heights High School took first place in San Antonio and is going on to competing at nationals. Congratulations to Team members Abigayle Zepeda, Jana Hendricks, Alexandra Rukhina, Dayana Castro, Troy Whitney, and John Harrell coached by Jasper Miller, Army 1SGT (Ret). We wish them good luck as they go head-to-head with teams from around the world. On the chapter news front, we did not hold our annual election of officers at the awards banquet. Instead, we will put together a full slate of officers for vote this summer. If you are interested in running for one of the 4 elected positions (Pres, VP, Sec, Treas), send an to alamoafa.org@gmail.com. Voting will be conducted via in July/August. For a list of meeting dates and upcoming events, see page 9.

2 PAGE 2 Development Opportunities Have you ever taken a look at AFA National s website and taken advantage of the many development opportunities? If not, I challenge you to check out You can watch training videos to get ideas about how to be a leader in AFA; you can read the most current Field Operations Guide that includes reporting requirements, chapter officer duties, and many other interesting tidbits about how AFA operates. Are you receiving the Newsline s from National? Did you miss one? These are also available on the field leaders page. Are you aware of the myriad of awards AFA sponsors every year? Have you thought about nominating someone for one of these awards? How about starting up a CyberPatriot team at a local school? Everything you need to get moving on one of the many AFA programs is right at your fingertips. If you don t see something that you need, send an to field@afa.org and you will get an answer normally within 24 hours. They are that good! Finally, if you are employed by the Air Force and want to know what the current leadership guidance is for being involved in AFA activities, check out the Air Force Support tab. Our Chief and Secretary are very supportive of AFA. Doctors have AMA, lawyers have ABA, Airmen have AFA. We are THE professional organization of the Air Force. Thank you for being a member and supporting our efforts to Educate, Advocate and Support Airmen in and around South Central Texas.

3 PAGE 3 The U.S. Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) Program, in coordination with Maj. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, Air Force Personnel Center commander, hosted a Warrior CARE event January 8 th through the 12 th at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, TX. The AFA Wounded Airmen Program was thrilled to support several Warrior CARE events and hosted 7 unfunded veterans travel and lodging for this event. More than 150 wounded, ill, or injured service men and women from around the country including members of the U.S. Marines and Navy, trained and competed in sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, swimming, air pistol and rifle shooting, archery, and cycling as well as track-and-field competitions including shot-put, discus and running events. The event is the last introductory sporting event before the 2018 Air Force Trials, which selects the Air Force team for the 2018 Department of Defense Warrior Games. Opening ceremonies were held at the Rambler Fitness Center on Randolph AFB January 8th at 8 a.m. The event culminated on January 12th with a sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball competition between Joint Base San Antonio leadership and Air Force Wounded Warriors. The CARE event provides seriously wounded, ill and injured military members, veterans and their Caregivers focused and personalized service through Caregiver Support training, Adaptive & Rehabilitative Sports events, Recovering Airman Mentorship training and Employment & Career Readiness guidance, along with music and art therapy. The most physical component of the event was Adaptive & Rehabilitative Sports, designed to introduce Wounded Warriors to adaptive sports to aid in their recovery and promote mental and physical wellness and teamwork. With the assistance of the AFW2 Program team, wounded service men and women will continue to receive the CARE they deserve. The AFW2 Program team consistently epitomize the slogan Care beyond duty with the experience, expertise, and care that they provide their customers! Warrior CARE Event

4 PAGE 4 Continuum of Learning AFA e JBSA Randolph TSgt Deinhart and the Randolph AFA-e held a Continuum of Learning (COL) briefing that outlined the new design for Airman development. The Continuum of Learning Strategy Chief, Lt Col Kasey Stramblad, explained that this is a change in the learning paradigm of how Airmen are developed, prepared, and empowered to expand their horizons and become better versions of themselves. Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is taking a look at training, education, and experience along the entire timeline of an Airman s career to equip Airmen with the skills and competencies they need as they progress in rank and responsibility. The COL is a fundamentally different approach to Airmen s Development in training, education, and experience. AETC is taking a look at not just what they train, but how they train based on an outcomes-based approach to their courses. Some bases have already jump started on this concept by redesigning their courses to be more learner-centric. Furthermore, AETC is tracking experience outside of assignments, formal training, and education in a comprehensive centralized record. Some other aspects of the COL that AETC is perfecting is Modular learning, Blended learning, On-Command/On-Demand learning, Competency-Base learning, and the Airman s Learning Record. Modular learning focuses on offering learning objectives in small packets that Airmen can choose from based on their needs rather than longer courses that are focused on a variety of topics. Blended learning uses a combination of distance learning and in-residence training to allow a increased amount of flexibility for training. On-Command/On-Demand learning allows Airmen to complete education that the Air Force requires for some level of expertise and also supports personal learning objectives to create a lifelong learning culture. Competency-based learning is an outcomes based approach that gives credit to Airmen in the form of a certification or badge for the skills and knowledge they have demonstrated in performance. Lastly, the Airman Learning Record is a comprehensive and complete record of all learning Airmen achieve during the course of their career. This Airman Learning Record is expected to be operational sometime within the next four years. The processes that AETC is currently perfecting will create a pinnacle of education and training supremacy within the United States Air Force. AETC epitomizes the Air Force Association s mission to educate, advocate, and support the total Air Force family and promote aerospace power.

5 PAGE 5 JBSA Lackland New Library The JBSA-Lackland library was originally opened in May of The almost 50 year old building was one of seven Air Force libraries to receive approved funds for a remodel. The library s new design is part of a modern bookstore layout plan that cost $274,000 and provides an improved display for its patrons. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 7 March which ushered in the grand opening of the JBSA-Lackland library. The front section of the library was redesigned to now accommodate the children s section, young adult section and a computer area. The library staff began this extensive project over a year and a half ago by changing all of the books from the Dewey decimal system to a listing of books by categories. The back part of the library now houses the adult and non-fiction sections, study rooms, and a new enclosed children s programming room which helps keep the back section quiet for members that wish to study or read in quiet. New tables, chairs, display units, and signs allow for an easily accessible and user-friendly experience. With over 250 patrons using the library daily, education of our force and family is an important aspect that makes us the greatest air power in the world. Cyber USA Conference The Cyber USA Conference was held in San Antonio on January 30th at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The welcome reception was held on the evening of the 29th. This one-day event brought the cyber community together to collaborate on the mission of establishing innovation, education, workforce development, enhanced cyber readiness, and resilience. The conference focused on a broad range of cyber information, such as: information sharing, federal funding, grants and resources, new advancements in cybersecurity education programs, cyber competitions to develop the cyber workforce, using automation to enhance cyber workforce development, protecting our community, top five cyber threats to the region, and building a community of women in cybersecurity/filling jobs that do not yet exist.

6 PAGE 6 Annual Awards Banquet The Alamo Chapter AFA held the annual awards banquet at JBSA Lackland on 13 March All of the winnners will be nominated to AFA Texas for state-level recognition and results from the state and will be expected in August Please congratulate our winners if you know who they are. We are proud to announce the Alamo Chapter AFA annual award recipients below. Active Duty: Civ Cat I: Frances San ago, 802nd FSS Civ Cat II: William Folker, AFPC Civ Cat III: Mark Ledford, 502nd CES Amn: SrA Joseph Waart, AETC NCO: SSgt Shanequa Hunt, AFPC SNCO: SMSgt Robert Laning, AFIMSC CGO: Capt Jennifer Kasper, AETC 1st Sgt: SMSgt Eric Villafana, 323rd TRS, 37th TW AF Reserves (433rd AW): Civ Cat I Nicole Nagle Civ Cat II Jessica Ma ce Civ Cat III Michael Medrano Amn: SrA Jonathan Francis NCO: TSgt Jus n Samaniego SNCO: MSgt Kit Lui CGO: Capt Erika Cordes First Sergeant MSgt Tammanica Muse Alamo Chapter awards: Kay H. Biggar Member of the Year: Joan Lopez AFROTC Cadet of the Year: Cadet Katherine Duffer, UTSA, Det 842 Military Training Instructor of the Year: MSgt Damarcus Forney, 331st Training Squadron NCO of the Year: TSgt Jaqualene Taylor Military Organiza on of the Year: Gaylor NCO Academy Civilian Organiza on of the Year: Civilian of the Year: Ms. Lori S nson, SA Chamber of Commerce Community Partner of the Year: Veterans United Alamo Chapter nominees for the AFA Texas Medal of Freedom: TSgt Jennifer Deinhart, AFPC: lead for the AFA extended effort at Randolph AFB J. Sean Habina: VP for Veteran Affairs Thank you to all of the units that submitted nominees and again congratulations to all chapter winners. We wish you all luck at the state level. The next Alamo Chapter AFA annual awards banquet will be held at JBSA-Lackland on 9 March Mark your calendars and keep an eye out for some future nominees.

7 PAGE 7 Community Partner Highlight Craig Smith is the Director of Business Development for the Valero Texas Open. Some quick facts on Craig: - Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated from North Carolina State University - Married to Irene Smith (World's Greatest Hair Stylist) with one son, Aidan and two Jack Russell Terriers (Maria and Trixie) - Active member of his church, Craig enjoys working out and playing golf Craig has been working golf now for over 25 years, starting with the Vantage Championship (Senior PGA Tour) in Winston-Salem. He also work AAU Junior Olympic Games in Charlotte, NC. While in Charlotte, Craig was asked to work a Skins Game with some prestigious Wake Forest University golfers: Jay Haas, Curtis Strange, and some guy named Arnold Palmer. It was during that event that Craig realized his passion was with the PGA Tour, and in 1998 Craig was hired to work at the Texas Open. It was called the Westin Texas Open at the time but has since continued to grow in popularity and is now the renowned Valero Texas Open. During this 20 year period, Craig has served in various capacities including Operations, Logistics and is currently the Director for Business Development and PGA TOUR player relations. Craig will quickly tell you that in his 20 years with Valero Texas Open his greatest pleasure has been working with our military Heroes. With great support from the corporate patrons, wise counsel from our VTO military affairs team, and strong relationships with the active military community, we have built what many consider to be the most robust and engaging military appreciation platform on the PGA TOUR. From providing complimentary grounds and VIP suite access to pro-am playing opportunities, we have been fortunate to provide memories that last a lifetime. In the last nine years, our annual military appreciation banquet Night to Honor Our Heroes has become the flagship event of VTO week and has been voted the Best special event on the PGA TOUR. Craig established a relationship with the Alamo Chapter about 10 years ago. The Alamo Chapter has enjoyed a great relationship with a valued Community Partner ever since. The Alamo Chapter has enjoyed being a sponsor with Night to Honor our Heroes and Birdies for Charity. This valued partnership helps the charter raise funds which are used to fund scholarships for ROTC, Chapter Members, and Wounded Warriors. We salute the Valero Texas Open!

8 PAGE 8 ALAMO CHAPTER LEADERSHIP President - Debbie Landry Executive VP - Rachel Samples Treasurer - Alan Beaty Secretary - Tom Peterson Defender Editor ~ Jeremy Davey defenderalamo@gmail.com Community Partners...Join Us! The Alamo AFA enjoys a robust relationship with its partners. These local firms go above and beyond for our members, providing sponsorship and assistance during our banquets and other events. They are the linchpin that helps hold our chapter together. If you have any questions about becoming a Alamo Community Partner please contact Darin Defendorf (ddefendorf@gmail.com).

9 PAGE 9 UPCOMING EVENTS Contact Douglas Nelson (dnelson004@outlook.com) to add events to the Alamo AFA Calendar. View the calendar at Apr 10/May 8/Jun 12 Monthly Meeting dates April Valero Texas Open April 20 VTO Night to Honor Our Heroes April 28 UTSA AFROTC Det 842 Awards Banquet May 4/5 Honor Flight (details will be sent in ) June 20th Deadline for submitting articles or information for next quarterly Defender newsletter, send to defenderalamo@gmail.com **Every article submission will be entered in a quarterly drawing for a $20 AAFES gift card. The winner will be announced in the quarterly newsletter** Alamo Chapter (AFA) The Defender is now only available in digital format. If you need/want a paper copy, send a request to alamoafa.org@gmail.com with your mailing address. Allow 2 weeks for delivery. Send any address changes to alamoafa.org@gmail.com.

10 PAGE 10 Mailing address: Alamo Chapter, Air Force Association P.O. Box San Antonio, TX