Page 1 - March ARB Beacon 11-13-15

Vol. 80, No. 45
NEWS BRIEFS
CORRECTION - AF
EXTENDS SARC
SERVICES TO
CIVILIANS
In the October 30, 2015 issue
of The Beacon, page 6, we ran a
photo to go with the story titled
“Change in Policy: AF extends
sexual assault prevention and
response service to civilians.”
The photo caption should read,
“Civilian employees – both ap-
propriated and non-appropriated
– who are victims of sexual as-
sault ARE allowed to file restrict-
ed and unrestricted report with
their installation’s sexual assault
response coordinator.” We apolo-
gize for the error.
BENFEDS OPEN
SEASON BEGAN
NOVEMBER 9
The 2015 Federal Benefits
Open Season (for the 2016 plan
year) runs from Monday, Nov. 9,
through Monday, Dec. 14. If you
are enrolled in the Federal Em-
ployee Dental and Vision Insur-
ance Program (FEDVIP) plan, it
will automatically continue into
the 2016 plan year, even if you
retire.You must take action if you
wish to make changes or cancel.
Visit BENEFEDS.com to check
the 2016 premium amounts,
research plan coverage and/or
make changes. For general ques-
tions, visit the Education & Sup-
port section at BENEFEDS.com.
SARC HOSTS
FREE MIND BODY
RESILIENCY CLASSES
Are you interested in learning
more about the Mind and Body
connection and how this can pro-
mote better overall health? Then
come join the interactive and in-
formational series of one-hour
classes based on the Benson-
Henry Institute for Mind Body
Medicine’s Resilient Warrior.
Classes are scheduled on the A
See BRIEFS page 3
March Air Reserve Base, California
Telling the Reserve story, it’s what we do
by Master Sgt. Julie Avey
163 ATKW public affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE
BASE, Calif. – Public Affairs
(PA) can partly be defined as
issues that affect people. On
November 2-4, PA staff from
Fourth Air Force wings around
the country came together at the
numbered Air Force headquar-
ters here to discuss their own ca- LQWKH3$FDUHHU¿HOG
reer field for a change. The 4AF
PA Conference was a time to
improve PA skills, enhance PA
processes, network, and share
PA-community knowledge.
“One purpose of the pub-
lic affairs Airman is to tell the
story of the Airmen assigned
to their unit and the Air Force,”
said Staff Sgt. Adam Borg-
man of the 927th Air Refuel-
ing Wing, MacDill Air Force
Base, Florida. “Gen Flournoy
(Maj. Gen. John C. Flournoy,
Jr., 4AF commander) giving us
his time during the conference
allowed us to ask questions and
give him feedback on our abil-
ity to complete our missions,”
Borgman said. “With this line
of communication, it better al-
lows us all to understand the
strategic communication plan
from commanders, which helps
better tell our unit’s story while “With PA members from all
supporting the big picture.”
Building stronger relation-
ships between the Air Force
Reserve Command PA office
and the wing PA offices to bet-
ter tell the Air Force Reserve
story is the hope of Col. Bruce
Bender, AFRC Public Affairs
director. “Through these rela-
tionships will come greater col-
laboration and synchronization
of communication efforts to-
ward a common goal of greater
public support and advocacy for
the Air Force Reserve,” he said.
Bender added that it is criti-
cal for wing commanders to
Friday, November 13, 2015
U.S. Air National Guard photo/Master Sgt. Julie Avey
Staff Sgt. Katie Justen, 459th Air Refueling Wing public affairs, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland,
and Tech Sgt. Benjamin Mota, 434th Air Refueling Wing public affairs, Grissom Air Reserve
Base, Indiana, take a look at new Canon technology at the Fourth Air Force Public Affairs Confer-
HQFHKHOGDW0DUFK$LU5HVHUYH%DVH&DOLIRUQLDRQ1RY3XEOLF$IIDLUVRI¿FHUVHQOLVWHGDQG
civilians from across the numbered Air Force, as well as their Air National Guard counterparts, at-
tended the conference to network, share best practices, and discuss ways to overcome obstacles
provide leadership and support and hearing what his vision is Dover AFB, Delaware, and
to their wing PA shops. “Now and the importance of PA,” said former journalist for ABC and
more than ever, we need to tell Maj. Stan Paregien, public af- CBS News. “I knew it would
our Air Force Reserve story loud fairs chief, 932nd Airlift Wing, be beneficial, but now that I’m
and proud,” Bender said. “It is Scott AFB, Illinois. “He under- here I am realizing you can’t
vital that commanders provide stands the importance of com- put a price on having face-to-
the access and expertise as well munications through PA. He face interaction with other PA’s.
as leadership to subordinate is putting his money where his That alone is more than worth
commanders to enable an effec- mouth is and bringing us all out the trip across the country.”
tive communication process.” here to be a part of this,” Par-
egien continued. “This will help The conference included
During the conference us go back to our units and push training on scripting and pro-
Flournoy spoke to the public the key messages from Fourth duction of short video clips to
affairs Airmen on several top- Air Force down to the bottom.” highlight Airmen and missions
ics to include the need for con- in order to share internal and
tinuously telling the story of In addition to communica- external information to several
Airmen doing great things in tion, the public affairs pro- different audiences. They also
all career fields. He encouraged fessionals were provided the discussed the Unit Public Af-
them to reach out to each other opportunity to learn new tech- fairs Representative program as
and share their expertise. niques to do their jobs and also a means of reaching out to ev-
network to continue commu- ery Airman to help tell the Air
“The conference has been nity-building amongst their Force Reserve story. Other top-
very beneficial for the public strong public affairs teams ics of discussion were develop-
affairs Airmen,” said Borgman. throughout the country. ing communication plans, and
crisis communication.
around the Fourth Air Force in “I wasn’t sure what to ex-
one room, we were able to dis- pect when I was gearing up to Networking and sharing pro-
cuss our best practices.” come here, to be honest,” said cesses were reoccurring themes
Capt. Bernie Kale, public af- throughout the training. Social
“Hearing straight from Gen- fairs chief, 512th Airlift Wing,
eral Flournoy, the two-star here, See STORY page 9