TOP STORY >> Excellence achieved in CCRI

By Airman Kevin E. Sommer Giron

19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs 

Team Little Rock earned an excellent rating from the Defense Information Systems Agency’s week-long Command Cyber Readiness Inspection that ended April 8. 

The purpose of the CCRI was to test the base’s network and physical security procedures for security vulnerabilities. 

The inspection consisted of security scans of the nonclassified Internet protocol router network and the secret Internet protocol router network. It also included physical security scans such as the removal of common access cards from computers and traditional building security systems.

“It was really important because this was our first ever CCRI, whereas other bases have already had two or three,” said Master Sgt. Kenneth E. Brown, 19th Communications Squadron CCRI preparations team superintendent. “We worked hard for this and as a team we came together; everybody was doing a part and even people who were not responsible for servers were going out around base and making sure people had their desk set up correctly.”

The communications squadron worked for more than six months prior to the inspection. With help from the information protection office, network operations and security center, and the network control center team working 12-hour shifts making sure everything was configured and patched correctly. 

“We put in a lot of man hours; our technicians worked really hard, day in and day out, with no weekends off until we reached the goal we wanted,” said 2nd Lt. Ryan Nartea, 19th CS CCRI preparations team deputy officer in charge.

Another part of the preparation was an awareness campaign featuring cat memes highlighting components of inspection items. According to the communications team, the support and awareness of every network user was crucial to the inspection’s success. 

 “The cat pictures we put up on login screens helped educate our users and made them more aware of the inspection,” said Nartea.

TOP STORY >> ‘The Rock’ drops dollars for Air Force Assistance Fund

By Senior Airman Harry Brexel

19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs 

The 2016 Air Force Assistance Fund campaign has come to an end and Team Little Rock members raised more than $50,000. 

The Air Force Assistance Fund annual drive raises funds for charitable affiliates that provide support to Airmen  in need, including active-duty service members, retirees, reservists, Guard members and their dependents to include surviving spouses who are in need of emergency aid.

The overall objective of 100 percent contact was accomplished rapidly at “The Rock.”

“It was impressive to see how easily everyone came together,” said Capt. Christopher Dolby, 19th Airlift Wing safety officer and AFAF base representative. “A team of 60-plus Airmen from four different major commands worked together to collect donations from across base.”

The money will go directly to AFAF affiliate charities, which include the Gen. and Mrs. Curtis E. LeMay Foundation; Air Force Enlisted Village; Blue Skies of Texas (formerly Air Force Village); and the Air Force Aid Society, which has an office located in the Airman & Family Readiness Center in Bldg. 430. 

“It will come back to help Airmen and families here at Little Rock Air Force Base,” said Peggy Bennett, community readiness consultant  and Air Force Aid Society officer. 

For more information on the Air Force Assistance Fund campaign visit www.afassistancefund.org. 

CLASSIFIEDS >> 040116

ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE COMBAT AIRLIFTER CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT will take ads by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 982-9421, or you may mail your ad to 404 Graham Rd., Jacksonville, Ark. 72078. You may also e-mail them to combatairlifterclassifieds@arkansasleader.com Deadline to advertise in Friday’s issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Do you have red, thickened, scaly patches on your scalp? Clinical research site is testing the effects of an investigational shampoo on plaque psoriasis of the scalp. To be eligible, must be 12 years of age or older,  have mild to severe plaque psoriasis of the scalp. Qualified participants will receive: Study related exams, shampoo or placebo, compensation for time and travel. 501-620-4449, Burke Pharmaceutical Research 3633 Central Avenue, Ste. I Hot Springs, AR 71913.**

HOME IMPROVEMENTS UP TO $25,000 per household with Government Money set aside for these improvements.! WANTED 10 Homes needing METAL ROOFS, SIDING OR WINDOWS! Save Hundreds of $$$$!!!! *Free Estimate. Payments $59/Mo. No money down. Senior and Military discounts 866-668-8681, wac.**

SERVICES

NEED A DJ?! Call Toney “Mixx808” McCauley. Over 20 years experience as a DJ. All genres, old school R&B, Hip-Hop, Country, Reggae, Pop, Salsa. Weddings, graduations, promotions, birthday parties for all ages! “It’s never too late to book Mixx808.” For booking, please call Toney, (210) 428-4491 or email: mixx808zb@gmail.com

DISH TV 190 channels plus Highspeed Internet Only $49.94/mo! Ask about a 3 year price guarantee & get Netflix included for 1 year! Call Today 1-800-224-0441.**

HELP WANTED

COOKS NEEDED! Now hiring COOKS &  DECKHANDS - Marquette Transportation.  Competitive pay, benefits & 401K. 1 year physical labor experience preferred. Apply Online at: www.MarquetteTrans.com, EOE M/F/V.**

“Come join our Management Team at Little Caesars! *SEARCY, CABOT, MAUMELLE, BENTON, BRYANT, PINE BLUFF, LR, NLR AND SHERWOOD, Conway, Jacksonville and Russellville*. Accepting  applications for: Asst.  Managers, Co-Managers and General Managers for all of our Central Arkansas locations listed above. On-going training and a comprehensive benefits package. Looking for dedicated individuals with the desire to succeed in a fast paced environment . 2  years exp.  in Restaurant Mgmt. preferred. Call 501-833-9444 or fax resume to 501-835-6112 OR email to: info@littlecaesarsofar.com for  interview.**

DRIVERS - $5000 Sign on bonus! Home every weekend, Great benefits, paid holidays & miles New equipment. Dry vans. Local family owned & operated. Must be 23 years of age and have valid class A CDL. 2 yrs OTR exp. a must.  ThompsonTrans.net, or call (501) 228-8800.**

FedEx GROUND – Central AR Area, CLASS A CDL DRIVERS – TEAMS- Signing bonus on day one! Currently looking for Class A CDL drivers for team runs. Premium mileage pay and great benefits. Home weekly. Apply today. Must have Class A CDL, 1 year of exp., be able to get doubles endorsement. Call/text: 870-754-5100, email: drivenow@outlook.com.**

HORSES

HORSES: LUCKY Acres Boarding Stable, TLC for your horse, box stalls and paddocks, clean pastures, indoor and outdoor arenas, riding instruction and training program. Dressage our specialty. (501) 988-2458.

AUCTIONS

FARM & CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AUCTION – Thurs - Fri, April. 7-8th • 9AM 2408 Hwy 64 West Wynne, AR 72396 -Equipment to sell at this auction? Equip. Accepted through Tues. April 5th. 10% BP on first $2500 ea. item sold, $250 max BP per item. Live Online bidding @proxibid.com. Details: www.witcherauctions.com. 870-238-1400 AALB#’s 2100, 2101.**

AUCTION – 107 Auction Block - Sat. April 9, 10am, 27010 Hwy 107, Cabot, AR 72023 Tractors, trailers,  collectibles, , MORE! Terms: 10% Buyer’s Premium up to $10,000. 5% Buyer’s Premium over $10,000. See pictures: www.auctionzip.com, ID #35576, www.107auctionblock.com, Cory Nicholson, AR lic #2447.**

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

2006 KAWASAKI EX250 Ninja 250, 2,422 miles, excellent condition, red, $3,000. Pics. avail. (501) 266-0960.

LAWN & FARM

GET YOUR SPRING GRASS!! Bermuda $1.25 / sq yd* Meyers Z-52 Zoysia - $2.50/sq yd* Prices are COD on full truck loads in the LR area. Call 800-458-4756.**

ITEMS FOR SALE

2 AUTHENTIC St. Andrews golf towels, $10 ea.; Callaway ERC Fusion driver & Nike Sasquatch 460 Tour 9.5 driver, $80 ea. or $150 for both. Adams Tight Lies Ovation $9, $35; pull cart, new & used balls, tees, towels, clubs & more, all priced to sell. (501) 837-5403.

EZGO DTS TXT golf cart, blue, Jake lift, custom tires/rims, blue LED lights, street legal, strong Trojan batteries, $3,500 obo. (478) 396-3425, Connie.

NEED A CARPORT?  - Fits any Vehicle, 10x 20 Only $748 Galvanized Steel Lean-To, Free Standing or Attached. 1-800-643-8728 OD Funk Mfg - Sherwood AR,  Since 1976.**

FURNITURE

DINING ROOM table w/4 overstuffed chairs that rock, swivel & roll, 4 matching overstuffed barstools, like new condition, $1,350. (501) 864-7264.

HOUSES FOR RENT

CABOT: BEAUTIFUL 3 bedroom, 2 bath, all brick home, double garage, fenced backyard. Must see. $1,050 month, $1,050 deposit, no smoking, 1 year lease. Cal (501) 628-1225.

JACKSONVILLE, 2 bedroom, 1 bath, newly remodeled, nice living room, central heat & air, brand new deck, large fenced backyard & big shed. Close to air base, $650 month. Call (501) 596-2700.

3 BEDROOM, 2 bath, double garage, storage in back. Cabot. $850 month, $500 deposit. (501) 309-3668.

MOBILE HOMES

Mobile Homes with acreage. Ready to move in. Lots of room, 3Br 2Ba. Quick and easy owner financing (subject to credit approval). No renters. 501-588-3300**.

New Single Wide for sale - $19,900 call 501-653-3201.**

TOP STORY >> Mobility Airmen march to remember Bataan

Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. William Lyle Eldridge, Bataan Death March survivor, signs a runner’s certificate on March 18 prior to the start of the 2016 Bataan Memorial Death March. The 26.2-mile march remembers the trek prisoners of war at Bataan endured. POWs marched more than 60 miles without food or water, while many were beaten and some never made it to the end.

Article and photo by  Senior Airman Harry Brexel

This year, approximately 6,600 people participated in the 27th annual Bataan Memorial Death March at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. 

The Bataan Death March was a forced transfer of Filipino and U.S. prisoners of war. They marched more than 60 miles without food or water. Those who fell behind were shot, beaten or bayonetted. 

Marchers ranged in age from 10 to 98 years old and gathered from across the globe for the challenging event. Among the marchers were two teams of five Air Mobility Command Airmen from the 19th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base. 

The 19th LRS aerial porters trained for several months in preparation of the 26.2-mile desert journey. One team carried light gear and camelbacks while the other team participated in the male heavy ruck category, which requires each member to carry a rucksack weighing at least 35 lbs.

The march began with temperatures hovering around 40 degrees but then rose exponentially. However, the light category team still managed to finish eighth out of 21 teams and the heavy ruck team finished the grueling event in just under 9 hours. 

The heaviest rucksack carried by the “port dawg’s” team weighed 51 lbs.

The event serves as a reminder to today’s generation of the harsh conditions the World War II veterans were forced to endure during their horrifying journey to a prisoner of war camp in the Philippines.

BRIEFS >> 040116

TRICARE nurse advice line for  college students

TRICARE beneficiaries away at college who have a temperature or a sore throat and their doctor’s office is closed for the night now have another option for medical advice. The TRICARE’s Nurse Advice Line (NAL). The NAL gives TRICARE beneficiaries access to care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With just one call beneficiaries can get expert advice from our team of registered nurses. They will answer urgent care questions, give health advice, help find a doctor and schedule a next-day appointment at a military hospital or clinic if available. Call the NAL at 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273) and select option 1. 

Military fest, vehicle show

The Vilonia Museum of Military Veterans and Military History at 53 North Mount Olive St. hosts a free Military Fest and Military Vehicle Show from 10 a.m. to  4 p.m. Saturday. People interested in displaying military items may call 501-796-8181 for more information.

Job opportunities at commissary

USA Jobs currently is taking applications for the Pathways Intern Program through April 30. Interested candidates can log onto www.usajobs.gov and apply for these positions:

DECA-16-P-1636154-DE  (PART-TIME)

DECA-16-P-1635786-DE  (FULL-TIME)

The program is open to current students who are enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, on at least a half-time basis in an accredited educational institution. These intern positions are not to exceed 30 Sept 2016 at the Little Rock AFB Commissary. The salary range is $12.33 to $17.59 per hour.

COMMENTARY >> Mile-marker tribute ensures legacy lives

Airmen of the 19th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron honor a fallen Arkansan on March 20 in Conway. This year the race paid tribute to 143 fallen service members and allowed the Gold Star Families a chance to honor their loved ones they have lost.
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kaylee Clark)

By Senior Airman Kaylee Clark

19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

(Editor’s Note: This year Arkansas helps 143 Gold Star Families, families who have lost a service member, remember their lost loved ones. The fifth annual Arkansas Run for the Fallen event is a 143 mile cross-state run where each mile marks a state-native fallen hero and has been identified with an American flag and a biography of each. The 143-mile run ended with additional participants running the final 5K with the running team up the stairs of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock where the closing ceremony took place.) 

“In the aftermath, we are because they were,” said RJ Heller, author of “Holding Grace.”

The setting for the Arkansas Run for the Fallen took place in the lobby of a small hotel in Clarksville, where a group of rough, weatherworn bikers mingled with the Arkansas Run for the Fallen team and volunteers as they prepared boxes of biography cards and American Flags flown in Iraq during a combat mission.

Notes from a piano hung on the air as Alyson Beason tapped softly on the ivory keys bringing to life the melody of the Star Spangled Banner. The group fell silent as the music filled the room – breathing life into the cause of honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

These were the final preparations for the 2016 Arkansas Run for the Fallen event March 18-20, 2016, where volunteers ran across the state to honor the 143 fallen Arkansans.

The following morning, daylight came early and the motivated volunteers prepared for the long day ahead. The opening ceremony, held in Ozark, Arkansas, began with the local choir singing the National Anthem, a simple prayer offered and a cannon fired to signal the start of the event. 

As soon as the cannon fired, the grey skies gave way to rainy conditions and even colder temperatures. None of these obstacles waylaid the runners. They remained focused on the task ahead:
To stop at each mile marker and honor one of the fallen. The roads quickly filled with the selfless who wanted only to be a part of the memorial. The silence on the road is filled with stories of our fallen comrades’ sacrifices.

As the runners covered ground, the American flag, Arkansas state flag, POW/ MIA flag and a small American Flag with a biography of the fallen hero attached were proudly carried through desolate backroads, small towns and crowded streets. It was in these moments when I was most overwhelmed with how much people do care about the lives we have lost. I was humbled witnessing how most of the small town streets were lined with patriots waving ‘Old Glory’ and encouraging us.

As the runners reached each mile marker with the biography and American flag, the name, date and action of the deceased was read while the remaining runners rendered a salute. For many of these mile marker tributes, Gold Star family members wearing blue to support the Run for the Fallen event, stood quietly bearing witness as their beloved was honored.

Once the flag was planted and a salute rendered, the team comforted and thanked those families and kept moving to the next mile marker. The miles filled with family members seemed to be the hardest to leave.

Even though I physically moved from one marker to the next, a small piece of me lingered behind with the last. I couldn’t help but think about the family eating Thanksgiving dinner with one less person at their table; the wife who will never receive a “goodnight” kiss from her husband; or the daughter whose dad will never get the chance to walk her down the aisle.

Sadness lingered in the eyes of the families of the fallen, but once a service member or volunteer offered a hug and gratitude, the comfort of knowing someone remembers took over. You could feel that we helped them share their loss, not wrestle with it alone.

Once we reached the final steps to the stairs of the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, more than 60 Gold Star families, runners, coordinators and spectators filled the atrium. It marked the end of a journey which immortalized our fallen comrades. In a fitting tribute, Jim Morehead, the father of Master Sgt. Kevin Morehead spoke of his son’s legacy. Once he left the podium, a stillness came over the crowd after his moving account of loss, sacrifice and his unwavering pride in those who stood ready to protect their country.

The audience remained somber as Gold Star family members then came forward to read the list of names of the fallen. When they made it to their heroes name, their voices all buckled, and took on a weaker note and their eyes struggled to hold back the tears – but they continued reading.  To me, it felt as if I knew these heroes personally and wanted to help the wife, father, mother, cousin and niece who would never see or hear from these men and women again.

While these miles will never bring any of the fallen service members back or make the loss of them less painful, this run will ensure their legacy lives on.

None of this would have been possible if it hadn’t been for the passion of U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Bubba Beason who decided that he wasn’t willing to let the memories of the fallen fade into silence. The importance this event is proven by the comfort the families now have in knowing their loved ones will be remembered.

Although I have never met any of these heroes in the aftermath of this memorial event, my appreciation of their bravery and service to our country and freedom will never cease.

TOP STORY >> 48th Airlift Squadron clinches ‘top’ honors

By Senior Airman Stephanie Serrano

19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

The 48th Airlift Squadron was recognized on March 10 as the Air Education and Training Command Top Flying Training Squadron for 2015.

Reactivated in December 2003 as the first active-duty C-130J Super Hercules formal training unit, the 314th Airlift Wing squadron provided 389 combat airlifters to seven major commands and five international partners, despite instructor pilot manning being as low as 54 percent. Through innovative scheduling methods, the unit recovered from a 14-day training deficit to achieve a 97 percent on-time graduation rate. The unit is responsible for training student pilots and loadmasters.

“Drive, spirit and hard work is what made the 48th what it is today,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. William Holyfield, 48th AS commander. “It’s an honor to receive this award, continue our proud heritage and keep the tradition alive.”

Additionally, the 48th AS hosted the largest Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps exposition in Little Rock history and led the installation’s Airman Against Drunk Driving program. 

Key contributing factors to the squadron’s success are pride and professionalism due to the participation and teamwork found throughout the unit.

“We train the world’s best C-130J combat airlifters to fly, fight and win,” Holyfield said. “Although this award was a result of a total team effort, we couldn’t have done it without the 314th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.”