JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
To submit a news brief, send an e-mail to 628abw.dispatch@charleston.af.mil. Make the subject line "NEWS BRIEFS." Submissions must be received no later than close of business the Friday prior to publication.
Special Announcements:
Blue Star Museums free admission: The National Endowment for the Arts along with the non-profit Blue Star Families has started a new summer program called Blue Star Museums, a partnership with more than 750 museums across America to offer free admission to all active-duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Museums in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are taking part in the Blue Star Museums initiative. In addition to 30 children's museums across the country, participating museums represent a broad range of art, history, science and cultural topics.
To obtain a list of participating museums in the area, visit
www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. Click a state on the map to see a list of museums.
628 MDG conducting fall sports physicals: The 628th Medical Group will be conducting youth physicals on dependents ages 9 to 19 on the afternoons of Aug. 5, 10 and 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. Call the appointment line at 963-6880 to book an appointment for children to be prepared to play sports in the upcoming school season.
Additional youth physical appointments will be made available as the demand dictates, and the medical group will advertise accordingly.
During the physical, the medical staff will check height, weight, blood pressure, listen to the heart and lungs, look into the ears, nose and throat, check eyesight, and finally, test strength and flexibility. The medical staff will also discuss any medical questions or concerns about a child's health in relation to the sport they wish to play.
"Back to School" supply drive: The African American Heritage Council is sponsoring a "Back to School" supply drive for Hunley Park and Midland Park Elementary schools. Donations will be accepted through Aug. 20. Supplies needed include pencils, notebooks, pencil sharpeners and glue. Call Tech. Sgt. Kenneethia Kennard at 963-3662 and Staff Sgt. Stephen Kohn 963-5809 to help make a difference in a child's education.
Events:
Saturday
Southern Savers extreme couponing sessions: Learn how to dramatically increase your buying power by using "extreme couponing." Two sessions will be held at the Airman and Family Readiness Center July 31 from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. Children will not be permitted in the classroom. Some childcare for 15-month-olds and up is available. Call 963-4404 for registration and to sign up for child care.
Extreme summer heat bowling: Every Saturday night from 9 to 11 p.m., it's okay to get extreme at Starlifting Lanes Bowling Center. During July, the bowling alley gives two hours of bowling, shoe rental, hot music and cool lights for $5. Drawings are held for great prizes each night. No RSVP required. Call 963-3315 for more information.
Monday
National touring company holds local youth auditions: An audition will be held for the Missoula Children's Theatre production of "Alice in Wonderland" Aug. 2 at Youth Programs. Approximately 50 roles are available for local students entering grades 1 through 12. Those auditioning must arrive no later than 4 p.m. and should plan to stay for two hours. Some cast members will be asked to stay for a rehearsal immediately following the audition. No advance preparation is necessary. The actual performance will be in the base theater Aug. 7 at 1 p.m. The show is free and open to the base community. For additional details, call 963-5684.
Tuesday
Water Fitness Workouts: If you're looking for a low impact exercise program to help alleviate joint stress, while strengthening muscles and your cardiovascular system, these water workout sessions maybe just what the doctor ordered. Each session is four days in length, Tuesday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the base pool. Each weekly session is $10 per person. The session dates are: Session 1, Aug. 3-6; Session 2, Aug. 10-13; Session 3, Aug. 17-20, Session 4, Aug. 24-27; Session 5, Aug. 31 - Sept. 3. Registration is now being accepted at the pool for all sessions. Call 963-3344 for additional details.
Aug. 6
Commander's Fitness Challenge: The Commander's Fitness Challenge for August will be held Aug. 6 at the Sports and Fitness Center. The event will be a dodge ball challenge with a minimum of six and a maximum of 10 players per co-ed team. Winners will be determined in a single round, best-of-three game format with a 12-minute time limit for each round. Team check-in will be from 7 to 7:15 a.m., with the games starting at 7:30 a.m. Registration deadline for this challenge is July 30. For more information contact Staff Sgt. Kandra Better at 963-3347.
Aug. 7
"Bring on the Heat" Chili Cookoff: If it's not hot enough already, the Outdoor Recreation Center wants to kick up the temperature a few more notches by hosting a base-wide chili cookoff Aug. 7. The event site is the Base Pool, with cooking and judging going on from 4 to 6 p.m. Awards will be given for first and second place and a "People's Choice" award will be handed out. Some of the criteria that will be used to judge each dish is aroma, color, consistency, taste and ―after taste. There's a $5 per chili-type entry fee. Registration is now being accepted at the ORC. Call 963-1672 for more information.
Help break a Guinness World Record: Want to be part of an historical event? Come to Starlifter Lanes Bowling Center on Aug. 7 and help break the world record for the most games bowled in a single day. Starlifter will start everyone with one free game from 1 to 8 p.m. After the free game, it's just $2 per game for adults and $1.50 for kids 17 and under. You could even just rent a lane for $8 an hour with up to five bowlers on a lane. Make this a family outing and bring the whole gang - just show up, bowl, have fun and change history. The final tally for the day from Starlifter Lanes and other bowling centers around the world will be e-mailed to the Bowling Proprietors Association of America for submission to Guinness. Call 963-3315 for more details.
Aug. 13
Special Needs Information and Activities Fair: The Air Force Aid Society in conjunction with Charleston Air Force Base Integrated Delivery System is sponsoring an Information and Activities Fair at the base picnic grounds Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for families enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program. This event is designed to highlight the different resources available and bring families with Special Needs together. Events planned include pony rides, face painting and lunch with hot dogs, hamburgers, cotton candy and snow cones. If planning to attend, call 963-4406 no later than Aug. 6.
Sept. 9
Third Annual Welcome Home Event: All veterans and their family members are cordially invited to attend the Third Annual Welcome Home Event for returning combat veterans, sponsored by the Ralph Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Hospital. The free event will be held Sept. 9 on the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information and services will include VA enrollment, eligibility and benefits information, readjustment services, health screenings, women's health services, health and education benefits information. For more information, contact Jan Bolger at 789-7373 or Patrick O'Leary at 789-6648.
Education and Training:
Lifeguard Training Course: An American Red Cross Lifeguard Training Course will be held at the Base Pool starting Aug. 3. This two-week class will be from 8 a.m. to noon., Tuesday through Saturday. Students who successfully complete the course will receive Red Cross certifications. All participants in the course must be at least 15 years old. They also must be able to swim 300 meters non-stop, along with swimming 20 meters to recover a 10-pound object at a depth of seven to nine feet, and then return to the shallow end with the object. Cost for the course is $100. Pre-registration is now open at the pool. Call 963-3344 for more information.
Funding change to testing: Effective Nov. 20, Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) will only fund a military member's initial examination fee for each subject College Level Examination Program (CLEP), DSST (previously known as the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) and Excelsior College Examinations (ECE) exams. Due to the change, all military members taking CLEP, DSST or ECE examination on or after May 20 will be informed they will not be allowed to retest with DANTES funding, on that specific exam, if they do not obtain their desired passing score. However, re-testing will continue to be available on a personally-funded basis. Individuals who took a test prior to May 20 must retest prior to Dec. 11. For additional background and details, call 963-4579.
Records management training: Records management training is scheduled the last Tuesday of every month in the conference room of the 2nd floor in Building 302 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Members can sign up on the Enterprise Information Management website. For any questions or concerns, contact Airman 1st Class Francisco Bastian or Airman 1st Class Miguel Batista at 963-8270.
Learn to become a practicing phlebotomist at no cost: Introduction to Phlebotomy/Advanced Phlebotomy Techniques classes are being offered to enhance entry-level employment skills absolutely free. The free training is funded by Air Force Aid Society. Trident Technical College is scheduled to teach six sessions beginning Aug. 21. These classes will last for six consecutive Saturdays beginning at 9 a.m. and lasting until 4:30 p.m. The first session will meet in Building 500, the Airman and Family Readiness Center. Thereafter, the class will meet in the Chapel Annex, Building 1005. Registrants must be spouses of Joint Base Charleston active duty spouses and must register for the entire block, not individual classes. No childcare is provided and children will not be allowed in attendance.
Meetings and Registrations:
After school care: Registration is now underway for the 2010 through 2011 After School Program at the Youth Center. This program is accredited and a leader in the community. Transportation for the after school care will be provided from Hunley Park, Riverbends, Lambs, For Dorchester, Eagles Nest and Oakbrook elementary schools. The program is open to children ages 5 (and in kindergarten) to 12. Registration is accepted daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Shot records with current H1N1 vaccination and LES/pay statements must be available at time of registration. Call 963-5684 for additional details.
Healthy Thinking Workshop registration: Do you find yourself feeling angry or stressed more often than you would like or regret how you act when you are upset? Do you wish you could express yourself more clearly and be more assertive? Consider registering for the Healthy Thinking Workshop. This is a voluntary class focused on helping participants manage anger and stress and learn more effective ways of communicating their emotions. The workshop is divided into four 90 minute sessions held on consecutive Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30 a.m., with a new group beginning the first Wednesday of every month. To sign up or for more information, contact Family Advocacy at 963-6972.
Palace Chase, Palace Front briefings: The new in-service recruiter, Master Sgt. Robert Denehy, will be conducting Palace Chase and Palace Front briefings at 9 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of every month in Building 503, Room 201. Air Force Instruction 36-3205 mandates that eligible Airmen who are separating be informed about the benefits and opportunities available to them within the Reserve, such as cross training, continued service, retirement, education, medical insurance and promotion. For more information, contact Sergeant Denehy at 963-4499.
Girl Scouting on Joint Base Charleston: Girls in grades four to six, or six to seven are eligible for membership in the Girl Scout troop on JBC. Meetings are held at Building 245 on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. for fun, earning badges and getting to meet other girls. Please contact Carolyn Kolva at 743-5020 for more information.
Updates and Closures:
Trespassing notice: The small arms firing range is located off Arthur Drive on Range Road near the munitions operations area and explosive ordnance disposal building. Do not trespass into the surface danger zones; they are identified by posted warning signs. Trespassing is not only illegal; it is dangerous because of gunfire. Personnel requesting entry into firing range impact zones must contact the security forces combat arms noncommissioned officer in charge at 963-1121 or via e-mail at 437sfs.catm@charleston.af.mil.
Base shredding area open: The base shredder has been repaired. To make an appointment, contact Airman 1st Class Miguel Batista at 963-3289 or Airman 1st Class Dawn Voigt at 963-8270.
Base pool open: There is no-cost lap swimming and military training Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to noon. Open swimming will be Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. Without a season pass, the daily entrance fee during open swim times is $2.50 per person. The ORC is also taking reservations for pool parties. Parties can be booked at the base pool for Tuesdays through Sundays from 6 to 9 p.m. with a maximum group size of 100 people. Call 963-1732 for more information.
Free pool admission for Airmen: All Airmen E-1 through E-4 have free entrance to the base pool anytime during open swim times, which are Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. The pool is closed Mondays. Call the pool office at 963-3344 for additional information on pool activities and events.
Retiree activities office now at new location: The Joint Base Charleston Retiree Activities Office has moved to Building 503, Room 122. The hours of operation remain 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. For more information, call 963-2228 or e-mail rao@charleston.af.mil.
Airman's Attic in need of donations: The Airman's Attic needs household items, children's clothing to size eight, appliances, food and furniture. If anyone has items that have been gently used, consider donating them to the attic. Donations can be dropped off at Building 500, Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, contact Betsy Crump at 963-4411.
Military News:
Civilian Force Development Reference Center: The Air Force recently launched a Civilian Force Development Reference Center on the Air Force Portal for civilians and supervisors to learn about CFD framework, tools and programs designed to help civilians focus on professional development. An introductory video by Gen. Howie Chandler, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, a webinar introducing the CFD framework, programs, tools and an evaluation to provide feedback have been placed on the CFD Reference Center. You can get the reference center through the AF Portal > Life & Career > Force Development > Civilian Force Development Reference Center. Contact Joint Base Charleston Employee Development Specialist, Kathyann Hopkins at 963-4493 with questions.
Online legal assistance: The Air Force Legal Assistance website can be viewed at www.aflegalasssitance.com. Beginning Feb. 1, Airmen, their families and retirees will have access to this website to complete online worksheets for wills, advance medical directives and powers of attorney and submit customer feedback about their office experience. The 628th Air Base Wing Legal Office provides notary services from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on normal duty days. In addition, the office provides attorney consultation on a walk-in basis Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. for active-duty members in uniform, and 1 to 3 p.m. for all others.