Obama Signs Defense Bill
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2009 GATEWAY TO THE AIR FORCE • LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS • www.lackland.af.mil • Vol. 67 No. 44 DON’T TOPPLE THE TOWER INSIDE Chief promotion list 3 Obama signs Commentary 4 Recognition 6 News & Features defense bill By Gerry Gilmore procurement practices so American Forces Press Service weapons systems’ costs do not spin out of control. WASHINGTON – Presi- “Even as we have made dent Obama signed the fis- critical investments in College graduates 7 cal 2010 National Defense equipment and weapons Authorization Act during a our troops do need, we’re ceremony at the White eliminating tens of billions House Oct. 28. of dollars in waste we President Obama hail- don’t need,” President ed the act, which contains Obama said. $680.2 billion in military The legislation, the budget authority, as trans- president said, saves bil- Pregnancy program 12 formational legislation that lions by capping produc- targets wasteful defense tion of the Air Force’s cost- spending. ly F-22 Raptor and termi- The president was nating troubled, over- accompanied by Vice budget programs such as President Joe Biden, con- the Army’s Future Combat gressional leaders and System and a new presi- Sport bike safety 17 other senior officials, dential helicopter. including Defense Sec- “As commander in retary Robert Gates and chief, I will always do Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, whatever it takes to keep chairman of the Joint the American people safe Chiefs of Staff. to defend this nation,” “There’s still more President Obama said. Volleyball 27 waste we need to cut; “That’s why this bill pro- there’s still more fights vides for the best military that we need to win,” in the history of the President Obama said, world.” noting he and Secretary The authorization act Gates will continue to seek provides for a 3.4 percent out unnecessary defense pay raise for military Photo by Robbin Cresswell spending. members, improves care Aidan Sanders carefully stacks Jenga blocks during the Lackland Youth Center open President Obama said for wounded warriors and house Wednesday. The open house was part of Air Force Family Week which recog- he has ended unnecessary expands family leave nized and celebrated the Air Force family while providing education and awareness no-bid defense contracts rights. View the Talespinner online about base and community support programs. Aidan is the daughter of Capt. and signed bipartisan leg- at www.lackland.af.mil Christine Sanders, 711th Human Performance Wing, Brooks City-Base. islation to reform defense See DEFENSE P2 PAGE 2 TALESPINNER NOVEMBER 6, 2009 DEFENSE from P1 Admiral Mullen for their hard work in developing the The other is the appropriations bill, crafted by the 2010 defense budget. House and Senate Appropriations Committees, which Money also is budgeted to fund programs that “I want to thank, publicly, Bob Gates for his service provides funding to pay for the defense programs address “real and growing threats,” President Obama to our nation,” he said, and he added that Admiral specified in the authorization bill. said. Such systems, he said, include the F-35 Mullen has “provided wise counsel and stood with us Although the authorization bill contains funding to Lightning II joint strike fighter, the littoral combat ship in our efforts to initiate reform.” develop and produce an alternate engine for the F-35 and more helicopters and reconnaissance support for The authorization act, Secretary Gates said, is a Lightning II joint strike fighter that Secretary Gates deployed U.S. forces. bipartisan effort that’s the result of countless hours had opposed, the legislators were able to provide that The authorization act contains $130 billion to fund and hard work on Capitol Hill. funding without taking resources away from the F-35 overseas contingency operations in Iraq and “This bill is a necessary step toward reshaping the program itself, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Afghanistan and it also provides $6.7 billion for thou- priorities of America’s defense establishment and Morrell said. sands of all-terrain, mine-resistant, ambush-protected changing the way the Pentagon does business,” Some people, Mr. Morrell said, believe that funding vehicles now arriving in Afghanistan. Secretary Gates said at the signing ceremony. Work a second engine for the F-35 would be an unneces- “Secretary Gates and I both know that we can’t already is under way, he said, in development of the sary waste of taxpayers’ money. build the 21st century military we need unless we 2011 defense budget recommendation. “The authorizers have been able to do it in a way fundamentality reform the way our defense establish- “And, I can ensure you it will focus on institutional- that does not seriously disrupt the overall F-35 pro- ment does business,” President Obama said. He cited izing and accelerating many of the priorities and gram; we’ll see if the appropriators are able to come a Government Accountability Office report that found reforms embraced by this legislation,” Secretary up with a way to do it that way,” Mr. Morrell said. “If cost overruns totaling $296 billion across 96 major Gates said. they don’t, if they seriously disrupt it, then the secre- defense projects over the last year. That amount of The annual defense authorization bill prepared for tary will recommend to the president that he veto the money, the president said, would have paid for troop the president’s approval or veto falls under the House appropriations bill.” salaries and military family benefits for more than a and Senate Armed Services Committees and is one of The House and Senate Appropriations Committees year. two bills required for the Defense Department to are evaluating budget provisions contained within the President Obama praised Secretary Gates and spend money. Defense Authorization Act. Want to sharLovee your your personal job experiences in the inAir the Force?military with others? The Lackland Speakers’ Bureau wants YOU! Call 671-5066 or 671-2907 for more details. NOVEMBER 6, 2009 TALESPINNER PAGE 3 News AMMO TO GO BRIEFS WOUNDED WARRIOR DONATION DRIVE November is Military Family Appreciation and Wounded Warrior Month, events supporting the Year of the Military Family. A donation drive sponsored by the Lackland Family Advocacy Program is underway through the end of November. The collected items will be donated to the Fort Sam Houston Warrior Family Readiness Center, which supports Brooke Army Medical Center and the Center for the Intrepid. Requested items include toiletries, gift cards, disposable cameras, candy, individ- ually wrapped snacks, pens and pencils, CDs and DVDs, popcorn, diapers and for- mula. Monetary donations are also accept- ed. Drop-off locations are Wilford Hall Medical Center, Room 4A55, and the Airman and Family Readiness Center, Bldg. 1249. Contact Staff Sgt. Dawn MacKenzie at 292-0404 for more information. FACILITY MANAGERS TRAINING Facility managers training takes place Monday, 1-3 p.m., at Carter Hall, Bldg. 10215. The training is an annual requirement and an avenue for facility managers to Photo by Senior Airman Felicia Juenke receive updated information. Tech. Sgt. Pete Cervantez, an air transportation specialist from the 455th Expeditionary Aerial Port Squadron, pushes pallets of Contact Staff Sgt. LaShondra Jones at ammunition onto a C-130 Hercules at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Oct. 23. Sergeant Cervantez is deployed from Lackland. 671-5912 for additional information. TOPS IN BLUE CONCERT Tops in Blue performs Tuesday at the Lackland Airmen make chief master sergeant Municipal Auditorium in downtown San Fourteen Team Lackland exam and 388.58 board 37th Training Wing 93rd Intelligence Squadron Antonio as part of Celebrate America’s senior master sergeants score. Douglas Onwiler Dennis Wright Military week. were among 475 of 2,276 Those selected for chief Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the per- eligible senior master ser- master sergeant will be pro- 37th Logistics Readiness 543rd Support Squadron geants selected promotion to moted according to their Squadron Kelly Roberts-Cooper formance begins at 7 p.m. The free event is chief master sergeant for a promotion sequence number Michael Schmick open to the public. selection rate of 20.87 per- beginning January 2010. Barnes Center for Enlisted REESE STREET TO CLOSE cent. Congratulations to the fol- 331st Training Squadron Education Reese Street will be closed Monday The average score for lowing senior master ser- Glen Usherwood Johnny Phelps through Nov. 20 from Kenly Avenue to the those selected was 662.78, geants selected for promo- with an average time in tion to chief master sergeant: 342nd Training Squadron Cyber Analysis Squadron base exchange parking lot. grade of 3.40 and time in Brian Hubbard Rogerio Garcia THIRD QUARTER AWARDS LUNCHEON service of 23.23 years, Air Force Medical The Team Lackland third quarter respectively, and 24.49 for Operations Agency 59th Surgical Inpatient U.S. Transportation awards luncheon is Nov. 13, 11:30 a.m. at decorations. Rickey King Squadron Command Air Force The average score was Angela Wood Leslie Bramlett Element the Gateway Club. based on the following point David Eldridge Contact your first sergeant for more averages: 135.00 for enlisted 37th Communications 91st Network Warfare information. performance reports, 63.57 Squadron Squadron for the Air Force supervisory Toby Tibbits David Johnson PAGE 4 TALESPINNER NOVEMBER 6, 2009 COMMENTARY Know H1N1 basics, how to self-triage Editorial staff By Col. Keith Morita breathing, bluish or gray skin color, severe or persistent vomiting and/or who have had COL. WILLIAM H. MOTT V, 59th Medical Wing 37TH TRAINING WING flu-like symptoms that improved only to COMMANDER Many people are concerned about H1N1 return with fever and a worse cough. OSCAR BALLADARES, Influenza, and making a decision about how Additionally, if a child is not drinking DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS to care for and protect your family during enough fluids, is not waking up or not inter- JOE BELA, flu season is easier if you know the signs.