Page 1 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 7-3-15

Volume 63, Number 1 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California July 3, 2015

www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase

Minors confess to causing $22,000 in damage

by Rebecca Amber act. It’s been four weeks straight. In theory were brought in for questioning. After four Air Force graphic by Patric Lovato
Staff Writer WKH\¶UHJRLQJWRGRD¿IWK¶´VDLG'DYLG5DQ- days of interviews, 412th SFS determined
that one of the juveniles allegedly caused School’s snack bar and the football booster
After weeks of investigative work, two mi- dolph, 412th SFS lead investigator. most of the damage while the other accom- snack bar were broken into in the previous
nors confessed June 8 to committing vandal- panied as more of an accessory. weekends. The alleged vandals damaged
ism at Desert High School and nearby school That fifth week, no damage was done. the booths and stole spirit wear, drinks and
district maintenance buildings. While the majority of the vandalism oc- food items. Additionally, several trash cans
However, in the fourth week, the alleged curred in maintenance buildings, Desert High RQFDPSXVZHUHVHWRQ¿UHWKHZHHNHQGRI
From the end of April through mid-May,
just under $22,000 in damage to school vandals logged onto a school computer and See VANDAL, Page 3
district property was caused by individuals
living on base. The identities of the parties visited various websites.
responsible are not being disclosed. ³7KHVFKRRO¶V¿UHZDOOSLQJHGRIIEHFDXVH

According to Loretta Gibson, Muroc Joint they were looking at things they shouldn’t
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school district will be pursuing disciplinary have been looking at. That gave us a time
action and will seek restitution for the dam-
ages from the individuals’ parents. period, which was about 2 p.m. on Sunday;
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The Edwards community became increas- 5DQGROSK
ingly concerned after reports of the vandal-
ism spree were published by the base, lead- Security forces started patrolling the area,
ing volunteers to patrol on their own around DQGWZRZHHNVODWHUJRWWKHLU¿UVWLQYHVWLJD-
the schools. WLYHOHDG$QRI¿FHUZKRKDGEHHQSDWUROOLQJ

The Kern County Sheriff’s Department the school on foot was driving away from the
had been investigating incidents of vandal-
ism at DHS for four consecutive weeks when school when he saw two minors quickly put
the 412th Security Forces Squadron offered
to assist. The fourth incident at the mainte- a bag away when they saw him. He stopped
nance buildings located by DHS was much WKHLQGLYLGXDOVDQGFRQGXFWHGDTXLFN¿HOG
more destructive than the previous incidents,
accounting for the bulk of the damages. interview to take down their names and
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“We asked Kern County because it’s their
jurisdiction. We said, ‘We’d like to do sur- Meanwhile, Kern County deputies contin-
veillance to see if we can catch them in the
ued to investigate anonymous information

provided through WeTip reports. Accord-
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WeTip made up for the lack of chatter.

In the combined efforts of off - and on-

base police services, there was reasonable

belief that the minors were involved and they

AFMC commander talks resilience, future of command

by Jet Fabara cause you just don’t know when Air Force photograph by Jet Fabara
412th TW Public Affairs somebody in your organization is
JRLQJWRQHHGDZLQJPDQ´3DZ- Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, Air Force Materiel Command commander, addresses Team Edwards during a
Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, com- likowski said. commander’s call in the base theater June 19. Pawlikowski offered insight into the Air Force’s role in global
mander of Air Force Materiel Com- operations and the current world environment in relation to AFMC.
mand, emphasized her expectations “In October 2010, I needed a
and the command’s priorities in a wingman. It was not an experience
commander’s call at the base theater that I thought I would go through
June 19. and there was a wingman/friend/
wingwoman that stood up in that
“I can’t tell you how happy I am time. For that next month, there
to be here. First of all, to be named was hardly a day that went by that
the AFMC commander and have ,GLGQ¶WKHDUIURPKHU´VKHVDLG
the opportunity to lead such a great “Well, I’m here today and I can tell
and important command is a dream you it’s because of her and my Air
come true. And, second, to have the Force family that I made it through
opportunity to be associated again ZKDWZDVDYHU\GLI¿FXOWWLPH´
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Pawlikowski. While providing an overview of
the Air Force core missions, Paw-
In expressing her appreciation for likowski offered insight into the Air
her new role as AFMC commander, Force’s role in global operations and
the general spoke about her back- the current world environment as it
ground and the importance of being relates to AFMC.
and needing a wingman, especially
after the passing of her husband and “All those missions cannot be
sister in October 2010. done without AFMC, and we can-
not meet this vision that’s presented
“Being a wingman is not just be- by the chief and secretary of the Air
ing a wingman when someone is )RUFHZLWKRXW$)0&VWHSSLQJXS´
in trouble, but it comes every day. said Pawlikowski. “We cannot send
Simply taking the time to under- F-22s into combat if we haven’t
stand who the Airman next to you
is becomes critically important be- See AFMC, Page 5