Nebraska Guard Transitions COVID-19

Defense Feature              23rd July 2020 at 5:57 PM

Testing to Civilian Health Care Workers

23rd July 2020//By Army Staff SGT. HEIDI MCCLINTOCK

After months of support, the Nebraska National Guard is transitioning its COVID-19 testing mission to civilian health care workers throughout the state.

As of July 1, full Nebraska National Guard testing teams are no longer activated to provide testing throughout Nebraska, but a small group of soldiers and airmen is still activated to provide training and knowledge to hos pitals for the Test Nebraska campaign. Another small team is supporting the Omaha area.

A man puts on full body protective gear.

''The transition has been going very well,'' said Army Maj. Angela Ling, the coordinator between the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Resources and the Nebraska National Guard. ''The current process is: if a hospital/clinic/health department is interested in running a Test Nebraska site, they contact DHHS, and together they get a contract signed. Once the contract is signed, my team receives the contract, and we call the hospital directly.''

''When we call the hospital, we work out their training needs, test kit, and [personal protective equipment] delivery and scheduling plan,'' Ling added. ''Once these details are solidified, we send an update to the Test Nebraska team to get them loaded into the scheduling system.''

The transition was put in place after several hundred Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated in late March to support testing teams that traveled across the state for weeks on end.

Three Nebraska National Guardsmen wearing face masks stand in grass.

''The civilian hospitals are doing a wonderful job with this transition,'' Ling said. ''They are eager to support this need for their communities.''

Over the past few months, the guard testing teams have been able to provide Test Nebraska sites wherever needed, including nursing homes, corrections facilities, meat processing plants, smaller towns and large cities alike.

The teams have helped to collect more than 80,000 samples for testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting 53 counties and all 19 health departments.

''It's been a great honor for the governor to entrust his confidence in Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen to provide the testing for COVID-19 these past few months,'' said Army Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, Nebraska adjutant general. ''I couldn’t be more proud of the team we have had on orders to provide the support and capabilities for such an important mission. It goes without being said we have great soldiers and airmen in the state of Nebraska that are ready to respond at a moment's notice.''

A woman in protective gear stands next to a car.

Throughout the pandemic, the guard has always pushed to ensure the safety of the soldiers and airmen supporting the COVID-19 response missions as well as their fellow citizens.

''I have three directives: [to] preserve the health of the force, protect our families in our communities and stay ready,'' Bohac said. ''If we take care of everyone, we take care of the other two, and that’s the direction we’re following.''

As the mission begins to wind down, the soldiers and airmen know that their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, and they are proud of their contributions during this time.

''Our team has enjoyed working with numerous agencies and filling a need for the state during this pandemic,'' Ling said.

(Army Staff Sgt. Heidi Mcclintock is assigned to the Nebraska National Guard.)

Face of Defense:Twins Serve Together in Afghanistan

By Army Sgt. Robert Yarbrough 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, May 29, 2013 - Army 1st Lts. Joseph and Joshua Mouré, twin brothers from Covington, Ga., are both deployed to Forward Operating Base Shank here with the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Army 1st Lts. Joshua, right, and Joseph Mouré pose for a photo May 24, 2013, at Forward Operating Base Shanks in Afghanistan's Logar province. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert Yarbrough  Joseph, about two minutes older than Joshua, is the fires support officer with the brigade's Company C, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, and Joshua is the liaison officer for the brigade's 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment."It was nice always having someone there to hang out with," Joshua said, about growing up with a twin. "We always were on the same football team, baseball team, things like that," added Joseph. "We grew up playing war and stuff like that, so we decided, I guess, we'll make it a career," Joshua said. Their parents, Joseph and Tammy Mouré, both served in the Army's Signal Corps, and the lieutenants said that was a factor in their decision to join. The twins joined the Georgia National Guard in 2006, attended the Georgia Military College, and were commissioned in 2008. They finished their degrees at North Georgia College and State University, where they met their wives, Abby and Ashley, who were roommates at the time. Joseph attended the field artillery basic officers leadership course at Fort Sill, Okla., and Joshua attended the infantry basic officers leadership course at Fort Benning, Ga. After their training, they were assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division's 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, also known as the Vanguard Brigade. "Since Josh was going to be infantry, I figured he needed somebody to protect him," Joseph joked. "It's good being the fires support officer so I can call in air assets, artillery, and mortar fire to help out the guys. It's pretty interesting de-conflicting and controlling those assets while the infantry are maneuvering around." As a liaison officer, Joshua is responsible for keeping the communication and information networks flowing between his battalion and the brigade. "I see what goes on at the brigade side, and I can help to translate down to the battalion, and vice-versa, so there's a clearer picture," he explained. The Mouré twins said being misidentified can be a challenge. "People come up and start talking to you, and you have no idea what they're talking about," Joseph said. "It gets old fast," Joshua added.

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force

U.S. Deputy Defense Secy addresses Japanese media

U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, right, addresses Japanese media in Tokyo, July 21, 2012. Japan is Carter's third stop during a 10-day Asia Pacific trip to meet with partners in Hawaii, Guam, Thailand, India and South Korea

Families Use Creativity

 To Connect With Deployed Loved Ones

By Elaine Sanchez American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2011 - Molly Blake will unveil a special guest on Christmas, someone who is an even bigger hero to her daughters than Santa Claus: their dad. Army Maj. Darren LoRe sends a message to his son, Sendoa, from Afghanistan, where he's been deployed since May. He'll connect with his family over the holidays using Skype and instant messaging. Courtesy photo  She'll use technology to enable her deployed husband, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Peter Blake, to participate in the morning festivities."We'll prop him up on the fireplace on the computer," she explained. From his fireplace perch, their dad's computer persona, which they've dubbed "Digital Daddy," will be able to watch as his daughters, Leah and Helen, open gifts. The lieutenant colonel's deployment to the Pacific marks his fifth in the couple's 10-year marriage. His wife, like many military family members, is accustomed to relying on creativity, and a heavy dose of technology, to keep her family connected throughout the holidays. "He's been gone for more Christmases than he's been home," said Blake, whose family is stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. Her husband is the commander of Marine Attack Squadron 311. To help speed through this separation, Blake used aluminum foil to fashion a bucket in the shape of a chocolate kiss, which she calls a "kiss jar." The girls counted out one candy kiss for each day of their dad's six-month deployment and loaded them into the jar. They'll eat a kiss each day until he comes home, she explained. Blake also created a "Daddy Journal" for each of them with their picture on the cover. On a recent night when they went out for sushi, they brought the journals along and wrote about the experience. "When he gets home he can relive some of these things," she said. Overall, the girls are staying positive. They understand the importance of their dad's mission, she said. Blake said she, too, is focusing on the positive. Her husband left for his deployment shortly after Thanksgiving. But while he won't be home for Christmas, she said she takes comfort knowing other Marines will. "It takes the sting away when someone else will be able to be with the family," she said. Cammy Elquist LoRe also is coming to terms with a holiday separation. Her husband, Army Maj. Darren LoRe, has been deployed in Afghanistan since May -- his second deployment in four years. LoRe and her husband rely heavily on technology, such as instant messaging, to keep in touch, she said. She's also created a YouTube channel where she uploads videos of their 4-year-old son, Sendoa, directly from her smart phone. This way, dad's been able to watch his son's first at-bat in T-ball, she added. The technology will come in particularly handy this weekend, LoRe noted, when phone line connections will be bogged down with families trying to connect with their deployed loved ones. She said she'll upload several videos on Christmas so her husband, when he has a few minutes off duty, can watch their son open gifts and share family time. LoRe said she hopes the videos will boost his spirits. "[Deployed troops] have to focus on what they need to do and we tug heart strings every time, but I know it's appreciated," she said. The family also is planning a Christmas encore when LoRe's husband comes home in January for his mid-tour leave. LoRe said she'll save some family gifts and leave the tree and house lights up on display. Along with sharing in the festivities, "he'll get some satisfaction knowing he does the lights better than me," she joked. Meanwhile, LoRe is trying to insert special holiday memories for her son between a busy schedule of work and child care. Each morning, she wakes up early to take her son sledding or to bake cookies before their day begins. "The challenge is creating time and the mind-space and purposefulness into the day," she said. "I still have to work. Finding that time as a solo parent is my biggest challenge." Above all, LoRe tries to instill a sense of thankfulness in her son. The holidays can be tough on military families with a deployed loved one, she noted, so it's important to focus on what's important. Kathy Kling said she's grateful to have her husband home. He missed Thanksgiving this year, but arrived home from his deployment in Kosovo just in time for Christmas with his wife and their 9-year-old daughter, Laurynn. Army Staff Sgt. Jason Kling is a flight medic with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Kling said the anticipation of his arrival was nearly unbearable on Thanksgiving. The family Skyped before and after dinner, but she acknowledged, "it was still a little rough because it was so close to his coming home." She said she kept her husband close at hand while he was gone by setting a plate for him at the table -- something she does every holiday he's gone. While he'll be home for this holiday, her husband has missed many others, Kling noted, and offered some advice to other families dealing with deployments. She cited the importance of maintaining a sense of normalcy around the holidays. If you're used to being with family on the holidays, she said, then take a trip to see them. This support will prove invaluable if the holiday blues come creeping in. As a National Guard spouse, more than an hour away from her husband's unit, Kling can't easily access the support systems active-duty families have on hand on a military installation. So she's created them. She said she makes time to get together with other Guard wives, and they enjoyed a recent outing before the busy holiday season kicked in. "Family is a great support system, but other wives understand what I'm going through as a military wife," she explained. Kling also stressed the importance of communication, especially between husband and wife. They went through a tough time on their first deployment on this regard, but when she opened up, she said things got easier, and "I became happier," she said. Staying busy also can help, LoRe added. Take a drive and look at lights or participate in a holiday community activity, she suggested. "Separate from the madness and stress of trying to please everyone," she said. "Simplify. Make it about appreciating what's going right in your life." In the midst of the holiday rush, LoRe noted the importance of pausing to appreciate what you have, and to look ahead with a positive outlook. The holidays aren't just about presents and gatherings, she said, but also about "leaving the year and entering a new year." "The time may pass by slow, but it passes, LoRe said. "No matter how down in the dumps you might feel, this moment in time and what makes you feel down passes, and then we're on to another moment. "That day will lead into the next one, and then to the time when your spouse returns to you," she said. "And you'll be back together as a family."

Mullen Praises Troops, Families on 'Daily Show'

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service NEW YORK, Sept. 13, 2011 - For a U.S. military leader trying to reach a different audience, it doesn't get much more different than "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, talks with Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," in New York, Sept. 12, 2011. The appearance was Mullen's third visit to the show, and his first since Stewart accompanied him on a USO troop visit to Afghanistan earlier in the summer. DOD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was Stewart's guest for the third time on the popular Comedy Central show last night.Mullen joked with the satirist about his plans for retirement and his decision to join the Navy in 1964. And on a more serious note, he stressed the need for military leaders to hear a range of opinions before making decisions. Stewart has been spending a lot of time with the chairman. He traveled to Afghanistan with Mullen this summer to thank troops in remote combat outposts and forward operating bases for their service. Stewart called it his "summer vacation." Mullen, whose father was a Hollywood publicist, joked about escaping Los Angeles in 1964 when he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Stewart asked about the chairman's plans after his retirement at the end of the month. "A long winter's nap," Mullen responded. The discussion turned to weightier matters, and the chairman praised the men and women who are serving today. They have served multiple deployments, he noted, and have done everything the country has asked them to do. "I've been doing this a long time -- since 1968 -- and unquestionably, they are superb," he said. Mullen said he and his wife, Deborah, who accompanied the chairman to the taping, try to represent the needs of service members and their families. "We try to stay in touch with them, so we understand what they are doing and what we are asking them to do, including the ultimate sacrifice," the chairman told Stewart. "I tell them ... there isn't a decision I make or recommendation I make that doesn't take their needs ... into account. The strength of our military is those men and women and their families." During last month's trip, Stewart said, he was surprised that Mullen had surrounded himself with people whose jobs were to challenge him and his thinking. "What I've found over the years as I've gotten into jobs with more responsibility is the diversity of opinions and views is absolutely critical," the chairman said. "It allows me, in the end, to make the best decision."

Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen

Airman Keeps Kadena Moving

By Air Force Airman 1st Class Tara A. Williamson 18th Wing Public Affairs KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa, Sept. 12, 2011 - Whether it's obtaining routine travel orders or simulating a deployment movement, chances are many service members here have been helped by Air Force Senior Airman Cristofer Mercado at one time or another. Air Force Senior Airman Cristofer Mercado, a passenger travel clerk with the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron, observes as fellow airmen participate in a deployment exercise at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, May 18, 2011. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sara Csurilla  "I enjoy helping out people, especially making sure that people get what they want and getting them to where they want," said Mercado, a passenger travel clerk who hails from San Diego.Mercado, assigned to the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron, said his main duties are preparing orders and travel arrangements for deployments and medical evacuations. He handles real-world deployments and deployments for exercises. "It's interesting and high-paced," he said. "I've pretty much sent people all over the world." Mercado said his office usually serves between 150 to 200 customers daily. The airman said he previously served at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. "Incirlik Air Base was definitely a great experience and I am glad that I got the opportunity to be there and to meet such great people," Mercado said. "I can't really compare [Incirlik to Kadena] because I enjoy both." Mercado said he loves his job and enjoys serving in the Air Force. "I joined the Air Force because it was actually a dream I had when I was a little kid," he said. "It didn't matter what I did in the Air Force. Everybody always asked me if I wanted to be a pilot -- I didn't want to be a pilot. I just wanted to be in the Air Force." Mercado said he's thinking about a future career as a kindergarten teacher, or perhaps an Air Force officer. His current people-centric job, he said, is good training. "I love helping people, so it's a good job for me," he said. Mercado said there are many challenging parts to his job that most customers don't see. "We do a lot of paperwork; we have to contact a lot of the agents," he said. "We work side-by-side with the Commercial Travel Office and they help us out and we help them out constantly with people's [travel] entitlements. "The deployment tempo here is very high so we're constantly getting a fluctuation of people coming in and out, and we arrange their travel," he continued. "The volume of people we see is big. I like it, but it's very stressful at times." Yet, life at Kadena is not all work and no play, said Mercado, noting he enjoys learning about Japanese culture. "It's a beautiful island," he said. "There are a lot of things to do. I get out as much as possible in the off-time that I get. I like to go around enjoying the culture and the food here. I love it." �

Weightlifter Excels in Iraq

By Army Sgt. Paul Evans 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq, Sept. 6, 2011 - Kentucky Army National Guard Sgt. Corey Blankenship often spends his time here occupied with very weighty issues. Kentucky Army National Guard Sgt. Corey Blankenship, a human resources specialist with 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command, works on his bicep curls at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2011. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Paul Evans  Blankenship, who hails from Corbin, Ky., is a weightlifter who motivates himself and others to stay in shape through his one-hour, twice-daily workouts."You've got to make it part of life where you stick to it ... but you get lazy sometimes. I've always got someone to work out with me for motivation," said Blankenship, who's assigned to 1st Battalion, 149th Infantry Regiment, 77th Sustainment Brigade, 310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command. Blankenship is a human resources specialist, and he's known to lead by example both at his military workplace and in the gym. "I like to consider Sgt. Blankenship as the backbone of the section. He brings the knowledge and leadership to the section when I can't and keeps them active in their duties. He'd be tough to replace," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Terry Roark, Blankenship's supervisor. Altogether, Blankenship has some pretty good statistics to show for his exercise regime: he can bench press 455 pounds, bicep-curl a 225-pound-bar and squat about 500 pounds, just to highlight a few of his impressive feats. He also follows a strict, low-carbohydrate diet. Besides spending two hours in the gym daily, Blankenship tries to include about 30 minutes of cardio work twice a week, either running or bike riding. He said consistency "is about the only way" for people to stay fit in top physical condition. Blankenship, who's married with a daughter, joined the Army in November 2006, he said, because he was bored with civilian jobs. "I had a lot of friends in the Guard pulling me towards joining," he said, "and the idea of getting college benefits was cool." Blankenship has held three jobs during his military service, to include infantryman, diesel generator mechanic and human resources specialist. He also attended schools for air assault and rappelling. This is his first deployment. Stateside, Blankenship works full-time as the human resources NCO at Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 149th Infantry Regiment, in Barbourville, Ky. Blankenship also attends Columbia Southern University, where he's working to earn a bachelor's degree in human resources management. Serving in the Army offers many rewards, Blankenship said. "Aside from friends and camaraderie," he said, "there's always something new... whether it's getting to travel, go overseas or attend interesting schools, the opportunity is always there to do something big." �

Soldier Excels in Decontamination Field

By Army Staff Sgt. Jeff Lowry 120th Public Affairs Detachment CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind., Aug. 26, 2011 - Indiana Army National Guard Spc. Michael Clayton, a chemical operations specialist with the 438th Chemical Company here, brings nearly 10 years of experience to an emergency response organization that trains to contend with nuclear, chemical or biological incidents. Indiana Army National Guard Spc. Michael Clayton, a chemical operations specialist with the 438th Chemical Company based at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., brings nearly 10 years of experience to the 19th Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package, an emergency response organization that trains to contend with nuclear, chemical or biological incidents. U.S. Army photo  Clayton also is assigned to the 19th Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package. He is a member of the 19th's decontamination team that treats survivors of chemical, biological or nuclear attacks."We run [survivors] through our decontamination line to clean them up, [to] make sure nothing is on them," Clayton said. Clayton's supervisor, Army 1st Lt. Jason Moore, said the specialist's 5-foot, 7-inch tall, 150-pound frame packs a lot of knowledge. "He probably knows everything there is to know out here" about decontamination, Moore said of Clayton's expertise. The 438th's troops, he added, lean heavily on the soldier. "He's helped me a lot," Moore said. "He makes me better and those he works with better, because he shares his knowledge and his talent." Clayton, who hails from Indianapolis, enlisted in the National Guard in January 2002. For three years he worked full time with Indiana's 53rd Civil Support Team, which helps first responders contend with nuclear, chemical or biological incidents. The 19th, which has been training since March, is here undergoing its mission-ready certification process. "The way I see it, we're going to do really, really well," Clayton said. "The way we've been setting up and working well as a team -- because we're a chemical unit, we already have decon[tamination capability] -- so it's made everything easier." Clayton said he enjoys serving in the National Guard. "It's outstanding; I love it," he said. "Every day we've been doing this, I wake up [and] I'm ready to go."

Shooting Survivor Inspires Others

By Micah Garbarino 72nd Air Base Wing TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla.:"Control your breathing, lie still, play dead." Air Force Staff Sgt. Deondra Parks credits her security forces training for her ability to stay calm when a stranger shot her in a bookstore. U.S. Air Force photo  During the most devastating moment of her life, Air Force Staff Sgt. Deondra Parks couldn't believe her brain was behaving so rationally. "So this is what a massacre is like?" she asked herself as a madman with a shotgun wreaked havoc around her. Parks, a 72nd Security Forces Squadron member, experienced danger and witnessed death during a deployment in Iraq, but nothing prepared her for the night of April 20, 2010. At a bookstore and coffee shop in Wichita Falls, Texas, she wasn't a target for being a police officer or an airman, but for being African-American. After changing duty stations for the fourth time in almost five years, Parks applied for retraining as an aerospace medical technician in 2009. She was accepted, and her training began April 6, 2010, at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. The night of the shooting, she and two classmates moved a study session from the base library to a coffee shop in town. "We had a big test on the airway the next day," Parks said. "I'd been [there] before, so I suggested it. I'd always been totally comfortable there." Air Force Staff Sgts. Jade Henderson and Tanya Jesser were sitting with Parks at a table in the bookstore's coffee shop when it happened. "I wasn't really paying attention to him when he came in," Parks said. "Then I felt someone next to me. I looked up into his eyes. I thought he was going to try and start a conversation, but his eyes were vacant, totally checked out, like there was no one there." Then, 22-year-old Ross William Muehlberger said, "Hey [racial slur], it's Hitler's birthday." He lifted a shotgun and fired right at Henderson's head, who was sitting across the table from Parks. The first shot grazed her; the second shot did not. "I thought he shot her twice in the head," Parks said. "I found out later that she put her hand up, which saved her life." Jesser dove under a table. The shooter was standing between Parks and the door. "I got up and ran," she said. "I was tripping over tables and chairs. I just wanted to get behind the bookshelves. I heard another shot and felt something graze past my face and hair. Then I dove to the floor." Parks said she laid there trying to control her breathing. From the training she received as a member of security forces, she thought if she played dead the shooter would ignore her. Instead, he stood over her and fired point-blank into her lower leg, shattering her bones. "I didn't scream," Parks said. "I didn't move. I forced myself to be still so he wouldn't want to shoot me again, like a dead animal. About 20 seconds after he shot me, I heard someone scream, 'He's gone.'" Parks screamed for Henderson and dragged herself until she could look her in the eyes. Some people came to help them and waited with them until police and ambulances arrived. They were transported by helicopter to a hospital in Dallas. Muehlberger continued his rampage through Wichita Falls, killing 23-year-old Iraq war veteran Timothy Donley before going to a house and shooting himself dead. From the moment Parks went into her first surgery after the shooting until now, she said she knows the Air Force has been looking out for her. She woke up in the emergency room and first saw now-retired Air Force Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz, commander of the Air Education and Training Command. "The first thing he asked was, 'Is there anything I can do for you?' and he assured me that my family was on the way," she said. Parks asked him not to take her training slot away. "He told me to focus on getting better and said when I was ready, I may return to training." The recovery care coordinator here, retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Wood, did everything he could to assist Parks' family when her mother, sister and brother came to stay with her in Dallas for two weeks. "In a sense, he was like a father," said Parks, who, along with Henderson, stayed at the Fisher House in Dallas while they were recovering. "I never had to worry about setting anything up," she said. "It really proved me right. I always knew that when I joined the Air Force, if I put my all into it, they'd have my back." Parks focused on her recovery, which took its toll. After four surgeries in less than a year, she felt like giving up. She didn't want to do rehabilitation anymore and was tired of the struggle, she said. However, Parks had to work at regaining her strength if she wanted to maintain the physical standards required to stay in the Air Force and avoid a forced medical separation. "Then I realized that anyone can quit, but not giving up when everyone else would understand shows true strength," Parks said. Her leaders encouraged her to continue on. She went from a wheelchair to a walker to crutches and was told she would be out of commission for three months. But Air Force Lt. Col. Troy Roberts, her squadron commander, asked her to begin coming in every day for as long as she could stand it, even if it was only to answer phones. "At first, I wasn't really happy about it, but now I'm so glad he asked me to do it," Parks said. "I needed to be around people, and without them I wouldn't be as far along as I am." Roberts said what he saw Parks go through would have sent most people into a physical, mental, spiritual and career tailspin. "Sergeant Parks has fought through and triumphed over multiple surgeries and hours of painful physical therapy," Roberts said. "She reached out to sources for strength such as wingmen, friends and family. She is one of the most resilient airmen I know." The gunshot wound wasn't the only trauma Parks suffered last April. She has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is receiving treatment. "I was never bitter, because I knew what could have happened that night, but didn't; I'm still alive," Parks said. "Putting all my trust in God, I don't carry a burden around day to day. Jade and I talked about forgiveness when we were at the Fisher House. Jade told me, 'His hate was not stronger than God's love for us.' Forgiving him was the first step in our recovery." The trauma of the shooting, however, still haunts her. She has terrible nightmares, and when she enters a business or a restaurant, she plays out in her head what she would do if a shooting occurred "as if I were already shot," she said. Parks said she's learning to deal with these issues. She credits her leaders at the 72nd Security Forces Squadron for their proactive response. Roberts and Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Melissa Garrett, the squadron's first sergeant, contacted the 72nd Medical Group and had a mental health professional contact Parks within days of the shooting. Parks said she hopes other service members will seek help for post-traumatic stress rather than suppressing it. "The therapy is awesome," she said. Although she's willing to share her story with other airmen who are looking for inspiration to continue through struggles, she doesn't want to always be known as "the girl who got shot." "I am not going to let this control the rest of my life," Parks said. Lorenz kept his word, and Parks will return to aerospace medical service apprentice technical training in June. Her goal, she said, is to retire from the Air Force as a chief master sergeant. "The injuries she suffered could have negatively affected her Air Force career, but Sergeant Parks is back on track," Roberts said. "If you think you have a reason to quit, come talk to Sergeant Parks. You will come away with a new perspective." (Issued n-May 27, 2011)

Sailor Steps Up to Challenge

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker  Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, May 2, 2011 - Deployments often afford service members an opportunity to experience situations and perform duties outside of their comfort zone. One person who has broadened his skill set during his tour in Afghanistan is Navy Seaman James Q. Beheler. Navy Seaman James Q. Beheler, a corpsman with the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan's Kunar province, puts a bandage on an Afghan boy's leg at Zagrano Bando School, April 14, 2011. Beheler noticed the boy was wearing a makeshift bandage after being bitten by a dog the previous day, and he changed the boy's bandage to help in preventing infection. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Chuck Walker  As an active-duty sailor from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va., with only two years in the service, the hospitalman experienced a lot in his seven months with the Kunar Provincial Reconstruction Team. As a corpsman, Beheler works with a forward surgical team operating a Level 2 care facility at Forward Operating Base Wright in Afghanistan's Kunar province. The Roanoke, Va., native said he was prepared for many of things he has seen at the facility, and for others, he was not. "It's been real busy at times," Beheler said. "When we've got operations going on in our area, many casualties will come in through our [facility]. They'll use anyone with medical experience to help, and I really wasn't prepared for that. I'm used to seeing things in the field, not seeing things in a clinical setting. That took some getting used to." Beheler, who received an Army Commendation Medal with Valor for saving the life of a fellow provincial reconstruction team member who suffered a gunshot wound, said being on patrols still is the most challenging aspect of his job. "When you're out doing missions, we are that medical asset," Beheler said. "I know that I can fight my way to you, treat you and fight my way back with you. There's only one medical corpsman on the crew, so you better know what you're doing." Navy Lt. Cmdr. Lynn Redman of San Antonio, nurse practitioner with the team, said she's impressed with Beheler's performance and that she is so confident in the work he does, she would trust him to treat one of her children. "He's handled everything very concisely," Redman said. "He's consistent. He's bottom-line. I don't have to wonder about him. He is my lowest-ranking corpsman, but he is a hard-charger. He's very knowledgeable. He should have been a doctor." Beheler said one of the best things he's experienced has been the people he works with and the friends he made within the unit. Army Sgt. Patrick Johnson of Worcester, Mass., said Beheler is a good medic and a great listener and learner, and that this experience will help Beheler in the future. "He's been a delightful subordinate," Johnson said. "He's quick to listen, learn and volunteer, and that is at the core of being a great corpsman. He's going to leave here with so much knowledge. He's also become a close, personal friend of mine. I'm proud to have met and known him." Beheler said his teammates are great to work with and have made his experience rewarding. "I couldn't have asked for any better people to work with," Beheler said. "There are three corpsmen and one Army medic. We all have our little specialty. We work really, really well together. There's a mutual respect there that has a lot to do with it, too. We actually care about one another."

Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force