The Clover Park School District will host a grand opening celebration for the new Carter Lake and Hillside elementary schools Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 5:30 p.m. The grand opening, which celebrates the construction and completion of both schools, takes place at Carter Lake Elementary School at McChord Field on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. 

The event will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and self-guided tours of Carter Lake Elementary School. Because it's a school night, the event will end at 7 p.m.

Special guests include former U.S. Representative, the honorable Norm Dicks; Lt. Gen. Robert Brown, commanding general I Corps; JBLM commander Col. Charles Hodges, Jr. and Col. David Kumashiro, commander of the 62^nd Airlift Wing. Light refreshments will be served.

In 2006, CPSD began a partnership with JBLM to evaluate and quantify the conditions and capacity of the six elementary schools on the base. For more information on the new schools, click here.

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Groundbreaking ceremony for the new schools

The following Airmen graduated from Julius A. Kolb Airman Leadership School June 27 at McChord Field.

Senior Airman Audry Akelkok, 62nd Medical Squadron
Senior Airman Scott Bean, 627th Civil Engineer Squadron
Senior Airman Zachary Beyer, 22nd Special Tactics Squadron
Senior Airman Taylor Christian, 1st Weather Squadron
Staff Sgt. Devin Davis-Roberson, 627th CES
Senior Airman Byron Fonseca, 62nd AMXS
Staff Sgt. Derek Haupt, 62nd AMXS

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Summer is just around the corner and it won't be long before the kids get bored. Head them off at the pass with adventures and activities hosted by your local library.

Air Force libraries have launched the summer reading program, "Have Book - Will Travel!" and are planning a host of activities for children, teens and adults designed to encourage the love of reading. Program participants can also win prizes for reaching their reading goals, said Margie Buchanan, the Air Force Personnel Center libraries branch chief.

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"When I was in high school, if someone had told me I'd wind up a teacher, I'd have laughed," joked retired Lt. Col. Gary Roberts, Air Force JROTC instructor at Clover Park High School. "After I'd been in the Air Force working as a pilot, I was asked to be an instructor pilot ... and I assumed that my command saw something in me that I wasn't even aware of yet."

Saturday, May 4, during the CPHS Air Force JROTC annual Awards Banquet and Military Ball, Roberts was again recognized for his teaching gift when he was presented with one of the Veteran of Foreign War's National Citizenship Education awards, for grades 9-12, for the state of Washington. The awards, which were announced in January, are given to a select number of educators across the country every year.

"It was because of the love that he shows for the cadets and the future of our country," said retired Air Force Master Sgt. Elmer Clark, VFW commander for Post 91 and District 3, who was responsible for Roberts' nomination.

"I'm having just as much fun in the classroom as I did in the cockpit," said Roberts, who has been teaching JROTC at Clover Park High School for the last 15 years. "But I can still learn a lot from these kids ... they manage to always ask new questions that make me think."

In addition to the time he spends in the classroom, Roberts also spends hundreds of hours working with the school's drill teams, leading them to four national title championship awards at the VFW Drill Computation last summer.

"I'm not out for recognition, but I appreciate it," Roberts added. "I think that's why I've never missed a day of work, I just love what I do."

Clover Park School District will begin enrolling kindergartners for the 2012-13 school year beginning Monday, May 14. Carter Lake Elementary School, 3415 Lincoln Blvd SW on JBLM McChord Field, will host its Kindergarten Parent Orientation Wednesday, May 16 from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. This meeting is for parents only. Parents are strongly encouraged to come and learn about the opportunities their children will have next school year.

For more information, call 253-583-5210.    

You're flying mission-critical supplies to troops in the field behind enemy lines. Suddenly and without warning, your aircraft is rocked by a surface-to-air missile.

The No. 2 engine groans as oil pressure plummets and flames lick the cowling.

The pilot radios a distress call and tells you and your fellow Airmen to ready for a possible emergency landing. Thoughts and fears race through your mind as you prepare to tackle the unknown.

"Where are we? How do we avoid capture by enemy combatants on the ground? How will we survive with no food in freezing temperatures if we're stuck here for days, weeks, months?"

Through the chaos comes a moment of clarity as you recall the Survival Evasion Resistance Escape training you learned at home station. Now your thoughts have purpose and hope.

"No matter what happens, my team and I can get through this," you think.

While it is unlikely you'll ever find yourself in this situation, the SERE instructors with the 446th Operations Support Flight make it their mission to prepare fellow Reservists for such a scenario.

"When you train someone who could potentially end up in harm's way, you're there to give them the confidence and ability to survive and return," said Tech Sgt. Ken MacArthur, 446th OSF SERE superintendent.

"Without that training, there would certainly be more apprehension going into situations where you don't know exactly what to do."

Every three years, 446th Airlift Wing aircrew members are required to satisfy three components of SERE: water survival training, emergency parachute training and combat survival training.

MacArthur and his colleague, Staff Sgt. Manuel Lamson, ensure these Reservists retain the skills that could potentially save their lives.

"This isn't complicated stuff," said Lamson, who spent four years on active duty teaching SERE survival skills at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane before joining the 446th AW last year. "But can you remember how to do it when you're injured or out of your comfort zone? That's what we want to get across."

Lamson, an Air Force ROTC student at Washington State University in Pullman, said the SERE training is a two-way street. Not only do Reserve aircrew members gain a better understanding of the latest survival gear and how to use it, but the instructors in turn gain knowledge from the aircrews.

"It helps us learn too, because we get to find out what gear they're using when they deploy to the area of responsibility," Lamson said. "This allows us to better tailor the training to suit their needs."

MacArthur lives and breathes SERE. He was an active-duty instructor at Fairchild AFB for 14 years before a break in service took him to the Middle East, where he worked as a contractor teaching SERE to authorized foreign and U.S. military members and civilians.

In 2006 he rejoined the Reserves and took the lead in developing a Reserve SERE training program for the 446th AW.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. (AFNS) -- Hundreds of aeromedical evacuation professionals will gather here July 20 to 21 for the first, U.S.-led international symposium on in-flight medical care.

The International Aeromedical Evacuation/En Route Care Conference features speakers from a variety of countries sharing their stories, advice and lessons learned with hundreds of fellow doctors, nurses, paramedics and medical specialists. Officials expect representatives from 28 nations to attend the event.

"Different countries call it different things, so we wanted an all-encompassing get-together for anyone who provides any level of medical care in an aerial transportation role," explained Col. Beverly Johnson, the Air Mobility Command chief of aeromedical evacuation at the command surgeon general's office. "What's most important is that we all have the opportunity to share with each other information about our respective capabilities. If we're all aware of we can each do, it's easier to come together and work quickly, effectively and seamlessly in a contingency situation.

"Really, it's all about how we can work together to save lives," she added.

The colonel played an instrumental role in creating the plan for evacuating Sailors and Marines after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole in October 2000. A conference like this, she said, would have been especially beneficial back then.

"When nations partner together before an emergency, it becomes a great deal easier to operate during an emergency," Johnson said. "It becomes easier to understand each other, easier to execute the mission and builds confidence among allies. And that's what this conference is all about."

Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., the AMC commander, will be the keynote speaker for the event. In addition, experts from around the Air Force as well as Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Jordan and New Zealand will address the group on a variety of subjects. Retired Airmen and civilians will also speak to the group.

"I'd like to see people find common ground and understanding when it comes to the aeromedical evacuation mission," Johnson said. "We all have similar challenges and resource constraints, so it's important to find ways to collaborate and help each other. This is especially true when it comes to teaching nations how to build their own AE capability, like in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The AE mission, however, isn't just restricted to wartime use, the colonel pointed out.

"That's one of the other things we want to show some of our international partners," she said. "We had a lot of success working with other countries after the volcano eruption in Iceland and in the wake of the earthquakes in Japan. There are a lot of lessons we all can learn from each other."

Several members of the South Korean air force are attending the conference as observers to learn how other countries perform their aeromedical evacuation missions.

"In Korea, we have limited experience with AE," said Maj. Kyungpil Choi, a South Korean air force flight surgeon. "I'm hoping to learn how other countries train and construct their teams and how they manage their transportation systems. We're pretty excited about it all."

The conference coincides with the lead-up to the 2011 Air Mobility Rodeo, a biennial international competition that focuses on mission readiness, featuring airdrops, aerial refueling and other events that showcase the skills of mobility crews from around the world.

The Museum of Flight begins a program of free admission for active military personnel with I.D. and up to five members of their family on Armed Forces Day, May 21. The discounts will continue through Labor Day 2011. Events on May 21 include the 8:30 a.m. opening of a new exhibit of scale models of World War I aircraft, a military flag raising ceremony in recognition of Armed Forces Day at 11 a.m., and a 2 p.m. lecture about the use of Zeppelin airships in war and peace.

8:30 to 10 a.m. - Preview of the Holtgrewe World War I Model Aircraft Collection

Active military and their families are invited to the opening preview of the Dr. Logan Holtgrewe World War I Model Aircraft Collection. Holtgrewe spent seven years meticulously making over 400 scale models representing virtually all of the aircraft flown in World War II. The collection will be on permanent exhibition in the World War I gallery of the Personal Courage Wing.

11 to 11:45 a.m. - Flag Raising Ceremony with Museum President and Military Groups

Armed Forces Day will be recognized with a flag raising ceremony by Museum officials and representatives of U.S. military branches, veteran and POW/MIA. The Museum of Flight President & CEO, Doug King, will introduce representatives from the Air Force Association, Navy League of the United States, Association of the United States Army, and POW/MIAs, who will present new military flags to the Museum, to be flown above the navy fighter jets displayed on the Museum's south lawn. The University of Washington ROTC Honor Guard will present the colors.

2 p.m. - Lecture on The History of Airships in War and Peace

In conjunction with the opening of the Dr. H. Logan Holtgrewe World War I Aircraft Model Collection exhibit, airship historian Dr. Horst Schirmer will give a presentation on the history of Zeppelin dirigibles in war and peace. Schirmer advised Holtgrewe in the making of a 13-foot-long scale model of the World War I L-30 Zeppelin for the new exhibit. Schirmer has nurtured a life-long interest in airship history, and he is possibly the only person still alive who flew on the ill-fated Hindenburg dirigible.

For more information, visit www.museumofflight.org.

SEATTLE - The Museum of Flight won't get to display one of the retiring space shuttles, but Seattle's air and space museum will get a consolation prize of a full-scale training mock-up that looks like the space shuttle without wings.

The museum near Boeing Field was one of 21 museum and science centers around the country hoping to land one of the spaceships. A new $12 million building called the Space Gallery is being prepared for the display.

Of the space shuttles that actually flew in space, the Discovery will be going to the Smithsonian Institution. It will take the place of Enterprise, the shuttle prototype used for tests in the late 1970s. The Enterprise will be going to Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York.

The shuttle Atlantis is going to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Endeavor is going to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Seattle museum visitors will be allowed to climb aboard and try out the full-size training module, which has been used by every astronaut and is the only one of its kind. Visitors won't be allowed to climb aboard the actual shuttles, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire noted in announcing why the consolation prize is a "true win" for the people of Washington.

"It will help inspire young people to the adventure of space and to the excitement of a career in science, technology, engineering and math," the governor added in her written statement.

The Washington High School Air Force JROTC team traveled to Phoenix last weekend to compete in the Air Force Junior ROTC west coast nationals against top teams from western states including Texas, California, Hawaii and Arizona.

Under the leadership of cadet Joshua Stage, the team  competed in unarmed exhibition, regulation and inspection, and all team members competed in the unarmed drill down. In their best performance of the year, the team managed a second place finish in exhibition and also garnered a fourth in inspection. To top off the competition, cadet Brenda Munguia finished first out of over 250 participants in the unarmed drill down. While this was the team's first trip to Arizona, it was the third time in the past six years they earned a first or second place at the national level.

"The competition at nationals was fierce but our team's dedication and hard work paid off in the end," Stage said.

Other team members included Jesse Tuivaiave, Kushaiah Pritchard, Cody Hoefs (Franklin Pierce), Nick Patrick, Byron Crisostomo, Jasmine Kim, Mi Kyeong Jung, Francesca Pratt (FP), Alexandra Svendsen, Brenda Munguia, Collin Schaaff (FP), Nina Williams, Amanda Jimmie,Cody Barnett, Kennett Ashford-White and Meagan Dunmire.