Page 1 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt 8-21-15

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INSIDE Airmen bring economic opportunity to Afghan women
STORIES T-bolt receives AETC public service award
„ Storm water pollution, 3
„ 944th FW IPs, 4 by Staff Sgt.
„ Operation: /87+(50,7&+(//-U
Patriot Anger, 5 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
„ Mentorship, 6
„ VA benefits briefings, 11 “Mankind must put an end to war before
FEATURE war puts an end to mankind.”
Airman Pedro Mota ~ John F. Kennedy
War is a destructive force that leaves
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE cities devastated and people left picking
SQUADRON up the pieces for years to come. However,
one group of Airmen is striving to change
See Page 12 that, by creating programs to bring peace to
war-torn Afghanistan and sharing stories of
INDEX often overlooked sectors of the population.
Within a short period of time in Afghani-
Action line ............................. 2 stan, it became pretty apparent to one Air-
Briefs..................................... 3 man that the landscape of war had changed.
Spotlight ................................ 4 Dropping bombs was a piece of the puzzle
Diversions ........................... 20 in Afghanistan, but it wasn’t going to be the
Sports.................................. 23 SLHFHWKDWXQLÀHGWKHFRXQWU\
“While there, we made it a goal to en-
QUOTE OF THE WEEK JDJHWKHORFDOVDQGÀQGRXWKRZZHFRXOG ing Scarfs,” said Khanum Gul, a widowed
create a lasting effect that would make an
“The push to innovate requires impact for years to come in Afghanistan,”
EUDYHU\DQGLQQRYDWLRQE\GHÀQLWLRQ said Capt. Joseph Stenger III, 62nd Fighter
means doing something that chal- 6TXDGURQ ÁLJKW FRPPDQGHU ´1RW MXVW RQ
lenges the status quo. Leaders must the military side, but we wanted to know
take that leap of faith, enable others how we could help the people bolster their
to take risks, and engage in creative economy, which could bring about stability
practices.” and peace.”
The overwhelming answer they got was
a0DVWHU6JW-RVHSK&DVWLOOR the inequality in the country.
WK0DLQWHQDQFH*URXS “Women are disenfranchised the most
and don’t receive the same rights and eco-
WEATHER nomic opportunities men receive,” Stenger
said. “We decided the best thing to do
Today that would have the most lasting impact
on Afghanistan was to create economic
104°/83° opportunities for widows in that country,
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Mostly killed by the Taliban.”
Sunny From this thought Flying Scarfs was
founded, a nonprofit organization, that
takes scarfs made by women in Afghanistan
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the disenfranchised population.
“If you are a widowed woman, you are
a social outcast in Afghanistan,” Stenger
said. “You bring them back into the fold by
giving them employment and a chance to
make money.”
Four Airmen handle the program’s day-
to-day operations, and have been operating
it since 2011. The company sells handmade
scarfs and bags online and at retail loca-
tions.
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United States is now these women don’t
Go to luke.af.mil for Luke Facebook link
Aug. 21, 2015
Vol. 15, No. 31
Courtesy photo
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FDUGIURPKRPHZLWKDSLFWXUHLQZKLFKKHVDZDOPRVWHYHU\ZRPDQZHDULQJDVFDUI
have to send their children onto the streets LPPXQRGHÀFLHQF\ YLUXVLQIHFWHG ZLGRZV
of Kabul to sell produce or trash bags and
be taken advantage of by insurgent recruit- They produce clutch purses in traditional
ers, who ask ‘Do you want to make money? Kenyan style. Stenger and his partners also
Go plant this by the road,’” Stenger said. provided microloans in Haiti to help a man
“We are effectively trying to suffocate the who wanted to turn palms trees into trash
insurgent recruiting ground, by keeping as cans to help clean up after an earthquake
many kids off the streets and in schools by in 2010.
providing employment for their mothers.”
For his outstanding contributions and
The program has brought hope to the accomplishments to foster democracy and
lives of many women in Afghanistan. champion women’s rights while deployed to
Afghanistan by helping more than 100 Af-
´, FRXOGQ·W ÀQG D MRE WR HDUQ PRQH\ WR ghan widows sell handmade scarfs, directly
feed my kids, then I was told about Fly- cultivating micro-economic development
and community stability in regions plagued
Afghan woman. “I enrolled with them, and with social inequality and predatory terror-
now I can feed my kids, pay our rent and LVWLQÁXHQFHV6WHQJHUZDVDZDUGHGWKH$LU
buy school supplies for my children.” Education and Training Command’s 2016
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Flying Scarfs went from 10 to almost 100
women working part-time. Stenger hopes For Stenger, the stories of these women
WKURXJKWKLVSURMHFWLWFDQEULQJVWDELOLW\ are the most valuable gift he has received.
to the country.
“Everybody has a story, and these people
“We want to see a peaceful Afghanistan have incredible stories,” Stenger said.
where people are not discriminated against “These women are the bravest, most tena-
because of their sex, race or religion, and cious people I have ever met in my life.
if you talk to the locals, that is what they They are hard-working, determined and
want as well,” he said. they have overcome tremendous adversity
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In 2013, the Flying Scarfs initiative
spread to an orphanage in Kenya that sup- For more information, visit the Flying
ports 300 kids and about two dozen human 6FDUIV·ZHEVLWHDWZZZÁ\LQJVFDUIVFRP
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connect to our website!