470Th MI Brigade Soldiers Offer Elementary Mentorship
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FORT SAM HOUSTON ARMY DAY AT THE ALAMO WEDNESDAY Noon-2 p.m. The Alamo Under APRIL 19, 2013 the Arbor, with VOL. 55, NO. 15 323rd Army Band, Soldier Show A PUBLICATION OF THE 502nd AIR BASE WING – JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO – FORT SAM HOUSTON FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 470th MI Brigade Soldiers offer elementary mentorship By Gregory Ripps the nearby school during the interest in what we do.” 470th Military Intelligence Brigade lunch period on most Fridays. Over lunch, the fifth-graders Public Affairs Although the Soldiers are talk with the Soldiers about how assigned as mentors to specific their school week has been going The scores of happy young fifth-graders, the lunchtime set- and sometimes about their homes voices reverberating outside ting allows for interaction among and families. Bowden Elementary School prob- the Soldiers and a number of “The 45 minutes goes by pretty ARSOUTH IN GUATEMALA PAGE 4 ably sounded more excited than students of different grades. fast,” Hocking said. “But the Sol- on other days when Soldiers from “We usually arrive in the caf- diers say it’s the best part of their the 470th Military Intelligence eteria about 10 minutes before week.” Brigade helped to conduct the the fifth-grade students,” said Sgt. Guadalupe Diaz, Bowden’s school’s field day April 5. 1st Class Sandra Hocking, who principal, said it was time well The field day highlighted the has been coordinating brigade spent. Soldiers’ partnership with the activities with the school. “The “It’s important for the children school through the Joint Base San younger children always ask us a to have good, adult role models Antonio Adopt-a-School program. lot of questions. who demonstrate responsibility Since last fall, about 10 brigade “They ask us about our uni- and integrity,” Diaz explained. Soldiers have been going from form, especially our patches,” JBSA-Fort Sam Houston to visit Hocking said. “There is a lot of See MENTOR, P8 FREEDOM PARK PAGE 6 Photo by Gregory Ripps Under the watchful eye of Spc. Kogan Stacey, Bowden Elementary School students run with stretchers carrying their “casualty” back to the VOLUNTEER GARDENERS PAGES 10-11 starting point in a “rescue mission” competition. The “casualty” was in reality a stuffed duffle bag inside a T-shirt. PAGE 2 NEWS LEADER APRIL 19, 2013 FORT SAM HOUSTON Sequestration real, though effects not hitting home yet A PUBLICATION OF THE 502nd AIR BASE WING – JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO – FORT SAM HOUSTON Hagel said furlough Editorial Staff By L.A. Shively JBSA-Fort Sam Houston notices will be sent in JBSA/502nd Air Base Wing Commander Public Affairs early May and though Brig. Gen. Theresa C. Carter he wished he had other Note: this is the first of options, the move would JBSA/502nd ABW Public Affairs Director a three-part series looking save the department an Todd G. White at sequestration immediate $2.5 billion. Furloughs are expected JBSA-FSH Public Affairs Officer Karla L. Gonzalez Although sequestration to begin in June and last hit March 1, government until Sept. 30. Editor offices remain open, loom- Stephen Fuller, director Steve Elliott ing furloughs have been of the Center for Regional Associate Editor delayed, curtailed military According to Jeffrey providing funding through Certain low-income Analysis at George Mason Leslie A. Shively tuition assistance was Zients, deputy director September. programs like Aid for University, explained in Writer/Editor reinstated and the federal for management of the Both resolutions are Women, Infants and Chil- an interview that the Lori Newman government was funded Office of Management and good news, but agen- dren and the Low Income economic impact will be cies will still have to trim Home Energy Assistance more visible after fur- Layout Artist through the rest of this Budget, bipartisan majori- Joe Funtanilla fiscal year. ties in the U.S. House and programs and furlough Program are subject to loughs go into effect and As a result, much of Senate voted for seques- employees in order to bal- cuts while others such as after current government the ballyhoo surround- tration as a mechanism ance the federal budget as Social Security, Medicaid, contracts expire as there News Leader office: ing sequestration seems to force Congress and the per sequestration over the welfare and food stamps is little money to renew 2080 Wilson Way distant, even unreal, like president to work together next 10 years. Sequester are exempt from seques- those contracts. Building 247, Suite 211 the clamor rising from on a balanced budget and cuts are slated to trim tration. “The full impacts of Fort Sam Houston heated disputes between further deficit reduction. $109 billion each fiscal Military salaries are cuts this year won’t be felt Texas 78234-5004 this year, but they’ll be felt 210-221-2030 opposing political parties Although the president year and are supposed to exempt, but some benefits DSN 471-2030 over how to manage the signed the Act into law, amount to $1.2 trillion. such as TRICARE will and will be measurable federal debt. But make no sequestration was never No programs are be affected for a small sometime in the future,” News Leader Advertisements: mistake, the battle is real, intended to be imple- supposed to be cut; only percentage of beneficiaries Fuller said. Prime Time lines have been drawn mented. scaled back under se- due to service area reduc- During a press con- Military Newspapers and the outcome is not “Yet, a year and a questration and cuts are tions. ference, White House 2203 Hackberry completely clear yet. half has passed and the supposed to be distributed Although widespread spokesman Jay Carney San Antonio, TX 78210 So, what exactly is Congress still has failed evenly between domestic economic constriction has insisted that the effects of 210-534-8848 that dark cloud known as to enact balanced deficit and defense programs, not been felt as a result of sequestration were hard sequestration? reduction legislation that with about half affect- the sequester and the U.S. to measure because bud- News Leader email: The battle is over how avoids sequestration,” ing defense discretionary stock market recently rose get cuts were a “moving usaf.jbsa.502-abw.mbx. the federal budget – rev- Zients wrote in a letter spending such as funds to a record high in March, picture.” [email protected] enue from income taxes, to House Speaker John for purchasing weapons, Defense Secretary Chuck “When you’re deal- payroll taxes, corporate Boehner. base operations and con- Hagel said the seques- ing with these kinds of This Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of taxes, customs duties and Labeling sequestration struction. ter “is already having a across-the-board forced Defense. Contents of the News Leader are not excise taxes – is spent. a “blunt and indiscrimi- disruptive and potentially budget cuts in the middle necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government or Department of Sequestration is an nate instrument” Zients damaging impact on the of a fiscal year and you’re Defense. It is published weekly by the 502nd across-the-board series of described the cuts re- readiness of the force,” having to make all sorts of Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio- Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs Office, 2080 automatic cuts to federal quired as deeply destruc- during a speech at the adjustments to account for Wilson Way, Building 247, Suite 211, Fort Sam spending equal to $109 tive to national security, National Defense Univer- them and to reduce your Houston, Texas 78234-5004; 210-221-2030, DSN 471-2030. Printed circulation is 10,000. billion per fiscal year, orig- domestic investments and sity, Fort McNair, Wash- expenditures accordingly,” Everything advertised in this publication shall ington D.C. Carney said, “that can be be made available for purchase, use or patron- inally signed into law as core governmental func- age without regard to race, color, religion, sex, part of the Budget Control tions. Defense Department on the plus side where national origin, age, marital status, physical furloughs may take place handicap, political affiliation, or any other non- Act of 2011. The intent of Lawmakers delayed maintenance, training, merit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. If sequestration was to rein the start of sequestration research and develop- a little later, or on the a violation or rejection of this equal opportu- nity policy by an advertiser is confirmed, the in federal spending that and lowered cuts via a ment, military capabilities minus side where things printer shall refuse to print advertising from has reached nearly $17 House continuing resolu- and program costs will may be more immediate. that source until the violation is corrected. The editorial content of this publication is the trillion. tion that settled on $85 be impacted Hagel said “There are constant responsibility of the Director of Public Affairs. Sequestration was origi- billion instead and gave Courtesy photo during his speech. Federal adjustments being made The News Leader is published by Prime Time, Inc., Military Newspapers, 2203 Hackberry, nally slated to kick in Jan. agencies more flexibility Jeffrey Zients, deputy director civilian personnel will be at each agency as they San Antonio, Texas 78210, (210) 534-8848, a 1 and cut $109 billion with allocating their funds. for management of the Office of furloughed for 14 days. A deal with their budget in private firm in no way connected with the U.S. government, under exclusive written contract this fiscal year and each That legislation expired Management and Budget, an- furlough, unpaid time off, terms of what the impacts with the 502nd Air Base Wing and JBSA-Fort following fiscal years for a March 27, but the House swers questions during a recent may affect pay and leave of sequester are,” Carney Sam Houston Public Affairs Office.