Page 2 - Luke AFB Thunderbolt, April 2019

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April 2019 Commentary Thunderbolt
www.aerotechnews.com/lukeafb
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A tragedy felt by many
PHONE NUMBERS
Airman and Family Readiness Center ................................. 623-856-6550 Airman’s Attic ......................................................................... 623-856-6415 Armed Forces Bank ............................................................... 623-535-9766 Base Exchange main store ..................................................... 623-935-2671 Base taxi ................................................................................... 623-856-6866 Beauty shop ............................................................................. 623-536-1897 Chapel ...................................................................................... 623-856-6211 Chapel (after duty hours) ....................................................... 623-856-5600 Child development center ...................................................... 623-856-6338 Clothing sales .......................................................................... 623-856-6310 Club Five Six ........................................................................... 623-856-6446 Command post ........................................................................ 623-856-5600 Commissary ............................................................................ 623-935-3821 Community center .................................................................. 623-856-7152 Computer IT service desk .................................................... DSN 945-2900 Crime Stop ............................................................................... 623-856-6666 Dental clinic ............................................................................. 623-856-2273 Dermatology ............................................................................ 623-856-2273 Dining hall ............................................................................... 623-856-6396 Dorm management ................................................................. 623-856-7841 Education center ..................................................................... 623-856-7722 EMERGENCY ONLY ............................................................................ 911 Equal opportunity ................................................................... 623-856-7711 Eye clinic ................................................................................. 623-856-7965 Falcon Dunes Golf Course .................................................... 623-535-9334 Family health clinic ................................................................ 623-856-2273 Family housing ....................................................................... 623-388-3515 Fire station ............................................................................... 623-856-6641 Firestone Car Care .................................................................. 623-271-8104 Fitness center ........................................................................... 623-856-6241 Flight medicine ....................................................................... 623-856-2273 Food court ................................................................................ 623-935-2671 Fort Tuthill ............................................................................... 623-856-3401 Fraud, waste and abuse hotline ............................................. 623-856-6149 Hobby shop ............................................................................. 623-856-6722 Housing assistance section .................................................... 623-856-7643 Housing facilities section ....................................................... 623-856-3007 Housing maintenance ............................................................. 623-935-2676 Identification cards .................................................................. 623-856-7832 Information, tickets and travel ............................................... 623-856-6000 Law enforcement desk ........................................................... 623-856-5970 Legal assistance ....................................................................... 623-856-6901 Library ...................................................................................... 623-856-7191 Lodging office/switchboard ................................................... 623-856-3941 Maintenance control center ................................................... 623-856-5469 Marine Corps ........................................................................... 623-856-2417 Marine Corps 24-hour duty desk .......................................... 602-421-5806 Marketing ................................................................................ 623-856-3245 Medical appointments ............................................................ 623-856-2273 Military equal opportunity ..................................................... 623-856-7711 Military pay ............................................................................. 623-856-7028 Navy Operations Support Center .......................................... 602-353-3008 OB/GYN clinic ....................................................................... 623-856-2273 Office of Special Investigations ............................................ 623-856-6821 Optometrist .............................................................................. 623-856-2273 Orthopedic clinic ..................................................................... 623-856-2273 Outdoor recreation .................................................................. 623-856-6267 Pass and registration ............................................................... 623-856-4880 Patient advocate ...................................................................... 623-856-8968 Pediatric clinic ......................................................................... 623-856-2273 Pharmacy refill call-in ............................................................ 623-856-3969 Photo services .......................................................................... 623-856-6168 Post Office ............................................................................... 623-935-1343 Public affairs ............................................................................ 623-856-6011 Recycling information ............................................................ 623-856-4749 Retiree Activities office............................................................623-856-3923 Rodgers Travel ........................................................................ 623-856-6894 Safety ........................................................................................ 623-856-6941 Security forces ..........................................................................623-856-5970 Security incidents .................................................................... 623-856-7777 Service calls CE maintenance ............................................... 623-856-7232 Sexual Assault Prevention/Response ................................... 623-856-4878 Shoppette ................................................................................. 623-266-0040 Sick call .................................................................................... 623-856-2273 South Gate VRC ..................................................................... 623-856-4768 Straight-Talk line ..................................................................... 623-856-7064 Telephone repair (Base) ......................................................... 623-856-4400 Thrift store ............................................................................... 623-935-5782 Ticket/tour office ..................................................................... 623-856-6000 Travel management office household goods ....................... 623-856-6425 TMO passenger travel ............................................................ 623-856-7035 Transient alert .......................................................................... 623-856-6204 Travel pay ................................................................................ 623-856-7028 Vehicle maintenance ............................................................... 623-935-6576 Veterinary services .................................................................. 623-856-6354 Weather .................................................................................... 623-856-6805 Wellness center ........................................................................ 623-856-2273 Youth center ............................................................................. 623-856-7470
by Airman 1st Class ZOIE RIDER
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Tragedy is a part of life. But what can make or break an individual is how they deal with such tragedies.
I grew up in a very small, rural town where you either knew every person or at least knew of them. Dull, flickering street lamps illumi- nate the streets and the taverns are filled with loud, bellowing laughter of locals, accompanied by the smell of cigarettes. Although our town seems fairly insignificant to most, our cows and cornfields, as well as the tractors we drive to school, are what make it a home.
Small towns are an underappreci-
ated blessing because through the bad and the good, the people in our community come together and sup- port one another. There is never a time when you feel alone because there is always someone looking to take you in and help you find com- fort in times of need. Although no one wishes pain or distress on their neighbor, the hard times help bring us together.
One of the most extraordinary things I’ve witnessed living in a small town is how we deal with loss, grief and pain. Whether you know the individual or not, if a major event happens, the entire town feels it collectively.
I can vividly remember the day one of my friend’s life tragically
ended at the hands of a reckless, impaired driver.
Although loss is always difficult, it can be even more so when you’re young. You don’t expect the most vi- brant people with contagious smiles and laughs to be the ones that go early. I think they are the ones that hurt the most because not only do you grieve for the memories of your friend, but you grieve for all that could have been.
The morning of the accident was like any other. I woke up and drove to school, eager for the day to be over and the weekend to start. I decided to take a break from my lab and walk outside to get some fresh air and wait for my friend to get to
See TRAGEDy, Page 6
Watching out for lost wingmen
by Col. (Dr.) BRUCE NEELY
446th Airlift Wing
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — Six thou- sand seventy-nine. That’s the number of veteran suicides for 2016, the most recent year reported. In some ways it’s just a random number and hard to put into any type of perspective. In many ways it’s sobering, sad, disturbing and disappointing.
One. That’s the number of veteran suicides of former 446th Airlift Wing members in 2019. I’ll give you some perspective on that. It was a friend of mine. A pilot who I flew into a war with. A pilot I helped when he needed a waiver for a medical issue. A pilot who was always upbeat, encouraging and helping to others. A pilot who left behind family and hundreds of friends across the Air Force. In all ways it’s sad, disturbing, hard to comprehend, and yes, disappointing.
There will probably never be answers for the question of why people commit suicide. I deal with suicidal people at my civilian work in the emergency department nearly every day. Many of them have no answer for why they are feeling that way or what led them to that point. Many feel they are a burden on others, and don’t want to go on being a burden.
They don’t realize the burden of helping them, be it by those of us in the hospital or by their families and friends, is nothing compared to the burden left behind if they end their own lives. That burden is much greater and felt by more people. I know that to be true from my own reaction and the reaction of others to the death of our friend.
I make it a point to ask, remind and encourage everyone to take care of the people around them, in the squadron and in the wing. That is part of being a good wingman.
But, there’s another part to being a good wingman. In the flying community there is a term called lost wingman. That call is made when the wingman loses sight or contact with the lead. The call is made because it’s a serious safety of flight issue to be lost or out of contact. The procedure is to change your direction for a short period of time and then get back into contact and back on heading. There is no shame in calling lost wingman.
So, you see the other part of being a good wingman is knowing when you’re lost, and not just in relation to fly- ing. It’s a serious safety of life issue. There is no shame in reaching out for help, asking for help, or letting others know you are lost.
People are concerned it will end their career. It’s not an end, it’s a temporary change in direction until you can make contact and get back on the correct flight path. Remember, there’s a waiver for almost everything, except being dead. There’s no waiver for that.
Pay attention to those around you. If someone seems off, ask them what’s going on. Reach out. Be a good wingman. But if you are lost, don’t hesitate to make that lost wingman call. I don’t want to lose any more friends.
Here is a partial list of resources if you feel lost: Unit commander, first sergeant, your supervisor, your flight or section chief, your flight or section officer in charge, psycho- logical health, chaplain, emergency departments, Military OneSource (militaryonesource.mil or 800-342-9647), or the National Suicide Prevention Life Line at 800-273-8255.
Thunderbolt editorial staff
Publisher ....................................................Aerotech News and Review Editor ........................................................................... Deborah Leuthold Designer .................................................................................Tinna Sellie Advertising sales................................................................ 877-247-9288
Luke Air Force Base
Commander.................................................Brig. Gen. Todd Canterbury Public affairs chief ................................................. Maj. Rebecca Heyse Command information ................................... Master Sgt. Vilma Cantu
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