Kadena Tax Center Hours Tax Season Is Here! Free Tax Preparation by Trained Volunteers Is Offered at the Kadena Tax Center, CFAO Conducts Respirator Fit Test Bldg
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FallenFallen ButBut NotNot ForgottenForgotten Loadmasters from the 17th Special Operations Squadron and the 1st Special Operations Squadron salute during the annual STRAY 59 memorial flight after dropping a ceremonial wreath off the coast of the Philippines, Feb. 26. This is the 39th consecutive year the 353rd Special Operations Group has paid tribute to the 23 lives lost during the Special Warfare Exercise (SPECWAREX) of 1981, call sign STRAY 59, by dropping a memorial wreath at the suspected overwater crash site near Subic Bay, Philippines. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cynthia Belío) U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. James Walker, a By 18th Wing Public Affairs boom operator assigned to the 909th Air 3/4/2020 — Due to the rising number of cases of Coronavirus Refueling Squadron, Kadena Air Base, Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the region, the 18th Wing has refuels an F-15 Eagle assigned to the 67th Fighter Squadron, Kadena Air Base, decided to cancel AmericaFest 2020. assigned to the 14th Fighter Squadron, The open house event, scheduled for April 25th, was predicted Misawa Air Base, participating in Exercise to attract a crowd of over 50,000 people from around the Cope North 20, Feb. 25, Andersen Air Force region. Given concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the Base, Guam. Cope North 20 is an annual 18th Wing commander made the decision to cancel the event. trilateral field training exercise conducted at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and “The safety of our community, both on and off base, is my top around the Commonwealth of the Northern priority, and with the number of cases of COVID-19 continuing Mariana Islands (CNMI), Palau and Yap in to rise the safest thing to do is to cancel AmericaFest 2020,” the Federated States of Micronesia. said Brig. Gen. Joel L. Carey. “Team Kadena was really looking forward to this event and are disappointed to see it cancelled, but we need to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy.” As a result of the cancellation, Kadena Air Base is planning to host AmericaFest 2021 next spring. Details of the event will be released as they become available. Coronavirus If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, CALL AHEAD before proceeding to a medical facility. Kadena Medical Clinic: 630-4817 or 098-960-4817 U.S. Naval Hospital: (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Gracie Lee) 090-6861-5230 2 SAMURAI GATE MARCH 6, 2020 733rd AMS Adopts-a-School Students from Kadena Elementary School hold signs at an Adopt-a-School Program ceremony at KDES Feb. 24, on Kadena Air Base. The Adopt-a-School Members from the program is a voluntary, 733rd Air Mobility ongoing partnership Squadron applaud between a school and at an Adopt-a- a military unit that School Program will foster a mutually ceremony beneficial partnership at Kadena between the local Elementary school and the School Feb. 24. Airmen. (U.S. Air Force photos by Airman 1st Class Mandy Foster) U.S. Air Force ^ Staff Sgt. Christine Multinational medics, civilian Ebio assigned to the 18th Medical Group, Kadena Air Base, directs first responders ‘save lives’ a Humvee for a patient transport during a Cope at exercise Cope North 20 North 20 (CN20) mass casualty By Staff Sgt. Gregory Nash U.S. Naval Hospital Guam in an expedited exercise at Cope North Combined Joint Information Bureau and safe manner.” Rota, U.S. 2/29/2020 - ANDERSEN AIR FORCE Mass casualty scenario – the bus crash Commonwealth of the Northern BASE, Guam — When lives are on the The synergistic movement kicked off Mariana Islands, line, there is no margin for error – and for with screeching tires as a bus driver lost Feb 20. a group of multinational medics and first control while driving on the island of Rota. responders, their razor-thin life-saving op- Gliding into traffic, a loud, piercing boom (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Curt Beach) erations were put to the test during a Cope erupted as a rollover crash ensued, jarring to hone our skills and with an all hands-on the capability to convert single rooms to North 20 joint, mass casualty (MASCAL) glass debris and its passengers aboard. deck approach, we can confidently prac- double rooms, but it is not exercised fre- field training exercise on the islands of After surviving the collision, the “bat- tice and perform our procedures when re- quently and is generally reserved for Rota and Guam, Feb. 20. tered and bloodied” patients were ap- sponding and managing large-scale medi- emergency situations. The lack of addi- Together, the United States Air Force proached by local first responders and a cal emergencies.” tional bed space required our staff to ex- and Navy, Japan Air Self-Defense Force RAAF physician who provided initial tri- The hospital’s collective efforts in- ecute this plan and double-up our inpa- (JASDF), and Royal Australian Air Force age until higher echelon care was available. cluded a critical care transport team tient beds. This was outstanding because (RAAF) raced against the clock in a real- Inter-island medical care (CCTT), which conducted inter-facility we were in real-time executing our emer- istic exercise scenario to save 24 patients Once the patients were stabilized, they patient movement at the hospital. They gency plan despite not initially planning from a bus rollover. They worked along- were transferred onto a US C-130J and also boarded the Guam Army National to need this.” side Guam’s Army National Guard and flew to Andersen AFB where patients and Guard’s UH-72 helicopter and conducted The MASCAL’s design showcased Cope local police and emergency medical per- medical care teams awaited transport to patient movement from Andersen AFB North’s interoperable capabilities not only sonnel during integrated medical, air and either a UH-72 helicopter, ambulatory to NMRTC Guam. An all-hands hospital among international military teams, but ground operations. bus or Humvee to the U.S. Naval Hospi- staff recall was directed for exercise sup- with local, civilian first responders. Amidst the sounds of injured patients tal Guam. A motorcade of emergency port while the hospital’s command center “The exercise’s trilateral (construct) screaming, helicopters chopping and po- response vehicles, accompanied by the coordinated additional island medical re- was the perfect structure to perform as a lice sirens blaring, the team persevered ambience of red and blue lights from the sources, regional military resources and unified medical effort in the Marianas re- past extreme duress to accomplish their Guam Police Department, transported local military operations centers with the gion,” Johnson added. “Its design enabled goal: keeping every patient alive. the “accident victims”. NMRTC’s new Emergency Management all participants to rely on each other’s “When providing care for critical pa- The U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and team. strengths and capabilities to handle the tients, minutes can often make the differ- Training Command (NMRTC) Guam, Ross said with the exercises’ large mus- scenario effectively, emphasizing a syner- ence between life and death,” said USAF which recently co-located with navy med- cle movement and potential support to si- gistic response capability.” Maj. Brian Johnson, Cope North 20 medi- icine, was the ideal hospital to accept aero- multaneous real-world incidents, opera- Whether it’s a real-world emergency or cal planner. “Due to the (patient transport) medical evacuated patients as their final tional challenges were expected, and the a future training scenario, these agencies distance and time of day, ground patient stop, said U.S. Navy Commander Elliot hospital staff efficiently overcame those will be heavily relied on for their exper- transfer wouldn’t have resulted in a favor- Ross, Senior Medical Officer, NMRTC hurdles. tise. Their ability to find and refine their able outcome had it been a real-life scenar- Guam emergency department. “We rapidly filled the exercise’s avail- best practices during Cope North 20 can io. However, thanks to the Guam Police “This exercise was a great opportuni- able bed space and because we were run- assure the Indo-Pacific region that the Department and local authorities, the pa- ty for the naval hospital on many levels,” ning the hospital in real-time, additional highest echelon of care is available at a tients who weren’t flown were able to get to Ross said. “Drills like these help our team space was limited,” Ross added. “We have moment’s notice. Published by Eight Co., Ltd. a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with the 18th Wing. The civilian enter- prise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services overseas. Contents of Samurai Gate are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Eight Co. Ltd. of the products or ser- vices advertised. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or Eight Co. Ltd. of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other non-merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. For commercial advertising, inquiry, send an email to [email protected] 18th Wing Public Affairs: [email protected] DSN:634-3813 MARCH 6, 2020 SAMURAI GATE 3 Cope North 2020 joint forces exhibit aerial prowess By Staff Sgt.