A Publication of GateHouse Media Delaware The...

Felton’s Stephanie Miller wears a lotof hats: wife, mother, student, teacher,volunteer, military reservist.

Each fits her well.Miller is a master sergeant with the

Air Force Reserve’s 709th AirliftSquadron at Dover Air Force Base, andlike most traditional reservists, she’s

used to juggling a lot of responsibilities.In addition to her military duties andthose requiring her attention at home,Miller donates much of her free time tohelping others inside and outside themilitary community.

“I think she really has a heart for peo-ple,” said Miller’s friend, MisdeeStallings. “I think that if she’s in a posi-tion to help people, she wants to dothat.”

Miller joined the Air Force after high

school as a way to get out and see theworld. Following training as a financeand accounting specialist, she made it asfar as dry and dusty Dyess AFB, outsideAbilene, Texas.

“That was a real culture shock, I guessI could say,” she revealed. “They werevery nice people, but it was just a lotslower than what I was used to.

“I was away from home and that wasreally hard.”

But it gave Miller her first taste of

what it was like to help others. Shestarted working with other airmen atDyess to help the elderly, an experiencethat proved invaluable when her fatherhimself required hospice care. She re-ceived a special assignment to Dover tohelp her family deal with the crisis.

At Dover she took the opportunity toretrain as a C-5 loadmaster after havinghad the chance to go on a special Africa

A Publication of GateHouse Media Delaware

C-5M loadmaster Master Sgt. Stephanie Miller instructs a flight engineer on how to tie down a vehicle. SUBMITTED PHOTO/709 AS

By Jeff [email protected]@DoPoJeff

The best of all worldsMaster Sgt. Stephanie Miller fills roles as mom, volunteer and military reservist

SEE MILLER, PAGE 11

2 MILITARY APPRECIATION 2016

MILITARY APPRECIATION 2016 3

Our nation’s military members are selfless in theirservice to our country.

As a retired Navy captain who served for 23 years, Iunderstand the sacrifice that both the soldiers and theirfamilies make during a deployment. When I was sta-tioned in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, thebest day of the week was the day we got mail from ourloved ones, or better yet, got a chance to talk to them.

Before email or Skype, we would have to take our callsfrom home through those old ham radios and corre-spondence through letters. Feeling the support from ourloved ones and the community can help make the mostdangerous missions seem that much easier. I was proudto serve my country then, and I am proud to have theunique opportunity now to help protect the benefitsthese service men and women receive when they returnhome.

Whether it’s defending the best G.I. Bill our nationhas ever had, to strengthening the VA health care sys-tem, I will never stop working for those who dedicatetheir life to protecting our country.

-Sen. Tom Carper

The men and women of our militarycarry an incredible burden for us eachand every day. Serving them is one of mybiggest responsibilities and my greatestpoint of pride. I am eternally grateful fortheir sacrifice and patriotism.

- Rep. John Carney

I am honored to recognize our brave men and women whocurrently serve on active duty, and in the Reserve and Nation-al Guard, as they continue to focus on the single goal of safe-guarding the United States on her citizens. I encourage allDelawareans to recognize these brave men and women whocontinue to make these sacrifices. Whether it be time awayfrom their homes, their loved ones or careers, they put thesafety and security of our nation first and foremost and forthat, I say thank you.

National Military Appreciation Month is a time to supportour military and our veterans by displaying flags on yourhome or business, sending a care package to a soldier andwhen you see a person in military uniform, shaking theirhand and thanking them for their service. These are simple,but meaningful gestures.

It is my honor as a member of Delaware’s congressional del-egation to continue to advocate the Dover Air Force Base andfor our Delaware National Guard and to keep fighting for vet-erans’ health care and employment opportunities. If you orsomeone you know is a veteran in need, I urge you to contactour constituent relations department at 302-573-6347.

- Sen. Chris Coons


Correct way to fold the U.S. flag

STEP 1: Begin by holding it waist-high with an-other person so that its surface is parallel to theground.

STEP 2: Fold the lower half of the stripe sectionlengthwise over the field of stars, holding thebottom and top edges securely.

Step 3: Fold the flag again lengthwise with theblue field on the outside.

Step 4: Make a triangular fold by bringing thestriped corner of the folded edge to meet theopen (top) edge of the flag.

Step 5: Turn the outer (end) point inward, paral-lel to the open edge, to form a second triangle.

Step 6: The triangular folding is continued untilthe entire length of the flag is folded in this man-ner.

Step 7: When the flag is completely folded, only atriangular blue field of stars should be visible.

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

DID YOU KNOW?

The colors represent:

Red: valor and bravery

White: purity and innocence

Blue: vigilance, perseverance,and justice

Source: U.S. Department of VeteransAffairs

Never ...n dip the flag for any person or thing, (even though state flags,regimental colors and other flags may be as a mark of honor).

n display the flag with the union down, except as a signal of dis-tress.

n let the flag touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, flooror water.

n carry the flag horizontally.

n fasten or display the flag in a way that will permit it to be dam-aged or soiled.

n place anything on the flag, including letters, insignia or designsof any kind.

n use the flag for holding anything.

n use the as wearing apparel, bedding or drapery. It should notbe used on a costume or athletic uniform. A flag patch may be at-tached to the uniform of patriotic organizations, military personnel,police officers and firefighters.

n use the flag for advertising or promotion purposes or print it onpaper napkins, boxes or any thing else intended for temporary use.

n the flag should never be draped or drawn back in folds. Drapedred, white and blue bunting should be used for decoration, withthe blue at the top and red at the bottom.

n when the flag is displayed other than from a staff, it should bedisplayed flat, or suspended so that its folds fall free. When dis-played over a street, place the union s faces north or east, de-pending upon the direction of the street.


The size of the flag is determined by the exposedheight of the flagpole from which it is flying, with the flagin proper proportion to its pole.

Flagpole height (in feet) Flag Size (in feet)

20 4 x 625 5 x 840 6 x 1050 8 x 1260 10 x 1570 12 x 1890 15 x 25125 20 x 30200 30 x 40250 40 x 50

Flags on homes flying from angled poles and those dis-played on standing poles in offices and other indoor dis-plays are usually either 3 feet by 5 or 4 feet by 6 feet.Flags carried by color guards are usually 4 feet by 6 feet.


Flag etiquette

Flag height/size ratios

Flag care

A flag’s life depends on its care. Dirt can cut fabrics, dull colors, and

cause wear. Most outdoor flags can be washed in

mild detergent and thoroughly rinsed.Indoor and parade flags should be dry-cleaned. Some dry cleaners offer freecleaning of U.S. flags during themonths of June and July.

Damaged flags can be repaired andutilized as long as the overall dimen-sions are not noticeably altered.

American Legion Posts and local gov-ernments often have facilities to disposeof unserviceable flags.

The flag should not be subject toweather damage, so it should not bedisplayed during rain, snow and windstorms unless it is an all-weather flag.

Store flags in a well ventilated areaaway from any harsh chemicals orcleaning compounds. If your flag getswet, never store it until it is completelydry. Wet folds cause permanent creases.Dampness ruins fabric and causesmildew.

Pole care is also related to flag care.Rust and scale cause permanent stainsand some metallic oxides actually eatholes in fabric.

Source: U.S. Department ofVeterans Affairs

DID YOU KNOW?

Most people know that the stars onthe flag represent individual statesand the stripes represent the origi-nal 13 colonies, but do you knowwhat state the last star was for?

The answer is the last star addedwas for Hawaii and it was addedin 1960.

Dave Skocik and Paul Davis probablycould give America’s politicians a lessonin harmonious relationships.

Davis is a diehard Democrat, and Sko-cik a dyed-in-the-wool Republican.When it comes to military veterans, ide-ological differences immediately meltaway.

As cofounders and registered lobby-ists for the nonprofit Delaware VeteransCoalition, the pair are a familiar sight inthe General Assembly. It’s a rare statelegislator who hasn’t been talked up byDavis or Skocik on behalf of former ser-vicemen and servicewomen.

“That thing never comes up,” Skociksaid of the political angle to their associ-ation.

“Legislators know why we’re there,” hesaid. “We can talk to our elected repre-sentatives on both sides of the aislewhen we need to get something done.”

“It’s an interesting connection,” Davissaid. “But Dave and I are very, very close

friends. We’re both Vietnam veterans,we’re both in contact with a lot of vetsand we do a lot together. That’s a greatteam as far as I’m concerned.”

The result of their association hasbeen a resurgence in bringing veteransto the fore, from publicizing businessopportunities for veterans to bringingup military-related health issues tobuilding the Kent County Veterans Me-morial Park in Dover.

Skocik and Davis are president andvice president of the executive commit-tee for the Friends of Delaware Veter-ans, which provides emergency fundingfor veterans in need.

No regrets A native of Mt. Carmel, Pa., Skocik,

68, comes from a family of military vet-erans. His father survived two airplanecrashes during World War II and threeof his five brothers, and his son, are vet-erans. He joined the Air Force out ofhigh school at age 17, serving from 1965until 1976, including a tour in Vietnam.

After leaving the military, he workedas an air traffic controller until 1981

when he and thousands of others werefired by President Ronald Reagan. Sko-cik became an unpaid spokesman forthe union, getting his first taste of publicaffairs work.

He used his veterans benefits to earn adegree and a teaching job at Wesley Col-lege, where he also directed the school’spublic affairs programs. He hosted a tel-evised academic quiz show, and whenthat ended, worked as an insuranceagent and later moved into public rela-tions.

But military service beckoned and heenlisted in the Delaware National Guardat age 50 for three years, and then in theU.S. Navy Reserve, from which he re-tired in 2007.

While assigned to the Pentagon after9/11, Skocik worked as a public affairsrepresentative with wounded U.S.Marines, a job that affected him deeplyand helped cement his desire to work onbehalf of veterans.

“What moved me was, at the end ofeach interview, they’d be asked if theyhad any regrets,” Skocik said. “To a manthey said they regretted leaving their fel-low Marines behind.

“These were guys that had been shot,crushed and blown up. More than ever,that made me want to get involved.”

Two tours Davis, 74, was born in Wilmington.

He lived in 13 foster homes by the age of4. He was 29 years old by the time helearned the identity of his birth mother,and 50 when a DNA test identified hisfather.

“I’ve been asked to write a book aboutthat, but I don’t have the time,” he said.

Raised on a farm in southern KentCounty, Davis joined the Army aftergraduating from Milford High School in1961. “I thought by going into the mili-tary I could better myself and do some-thing for my country,” he said.

As a communications specialist, Davisfound himself in South Vietnam for ayear. He returned to the United Statesand discovered he disliked the spit andpolish of the stateside Army, so he vol-unteered for a second tour, this time fora little more than a year.

Afterward he returned to Delaware,


Paul Davis and Dave Skocik: True brothers in armsPolitics never gets in the way when these two fight for veterans

By Jeff [email protected]@DoPoJeff

SEE BROTHERS, PAGE 10

joining the Milford and the Dover policedepartments. He continued his law en-forcement career with the DelawareDrug Enforcement Agency, retiring aschief agent in 2000.

He has been a member of the Frederi-ca Fire Department for more than 50years and served on Kent County LevyCourt.

No plans to slow down Although both men are well past the

age where they could be taking it easyand reflecting on a life full of accom-plishments, neither plans to do so.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with my-self,” Skocik said. “It gives me somethingto look forward to everyday. That’s whatlife is all about, having a daily chal-lenge.”

“I have no plans to slow down,” Davissaid. “I’m in good health. I get emailsand phone calls every day. I love doingthis and I think I’m doing somethinggood. If I can help one person, thenthat’s made my day.”

Both say they will continue to fight forveterans -- together -- whether throughthe Delaware Veterans Coalition or bytalking to legislators in the halls of theGeneral Assembly.

“Sometimes when people work to-gether, you have disagreements, or youfeel strongly about something. I can saywe’ve never had that problem,” Davissaid. “We know what our mission is,what we want to get done and so it’s re-ally easy for us.”

For more about the nonprofit, non-partisan Delaware Veterans Coalition,visit delawareveteranscoalition.com.


BROTHERSFROM PAGE 7

Dave Skocik and Paul Davis at the Kent

Follow ReporterJeff Brown@DoPoJeff


mission.“The camaraderie of the crew, I felt

like they really were a family. That at-tracted me,” she said. “It was a wholedifferent world than finance. As soon asI got back, I put in my paperwork.”

After retraining, Miller returned toDover, then went to Oklahoma and laterwas again assigned to Dover.

Soon after returning to Delaware, shemarried fellow reservist Jay Miller. Thecouple and his children soon werejoined by sons Noah, now 6, and Jude,now 5.

The new family situation meantMiller had to decide whether to stay onactive duty or transfer to the reserves.

“I decided I could not give up the job Iloved so much, but I also loved my fami-ly,” she said. “This was a good compro-mise. We decided I’d stay at home, raisethe kids and homeschool them.”

That decision made it harder to con-tinue her volunteer work, but Millersaid she was determined to find a way.

This winter she volunteered to spendsome overnights at a women’s shelter,an experience that touched her deeply,she said.

“I met a really nice girl who was preg-nant. We just talked about what it waslike to live on the street,” Miller said.

“In a way it made me feel helpless,”she said. “But I’m glad I was able to givesome time because I don’t have muchelse to give.”

Miller has worked with the children ofmilitary personnel to help them learnwhat their parents do and why they doit.

“It helps the kids understand what themilitary does and gives them an appre-ciation of it, especially when they’re liv-ing in a military community,” she said.

All of her obligations means Millermust carefully budget her time.

“I burn the midnight oil a lot,” she ad-mits.

“Stephanie is just selfless,” Stallingssaid. “She rolls with things really welland if something pops up, she’s veryflexible. She doesn’t let herself getstuck.”

Working with their church group,Stallings said Miller has helped put onbirthday celebrations for shelter chil-dren, raised cash for women’s crisis clin-ics and volunteers in the church nursery.

Miller tries to sync her flying duties –she must go on a mission at least onceevery eight weeks – with Noah andJude’s schooling. She must spend a weekor two on occasional flights to the Mid-dle East. She works in time to study –she’s five classes away from a psychologydegree – and time for her requiredsquadron duties.

“It’s a tremendous workload that shejuggles, and I think she does it moresuccessfully than most,” noted Lt. Col.Mike DeSantis, commander of the 512thOperations Group, of which her unit is apart.

Miller volunteers extensively on baseand trains new loadmasters, DeSantissaid.

“I consider her the backbone of ourtraditional reservist force,” he said. “It’speople like her that really do the impor-tant work of the reserves, and we’relucky to have her.”

Miller herself is buoyed in all this ac-tivity by her strong faith.

“I do feel that something God has giv-en us is a spirit of love,” she said. “If Ican give a little bit of time, if it helpssomeone, then I’m spreading the lightso to speak, giving hope to the hopeless.

“That girl I talked to in the shelter,she didn’t have a lot of hope, but thatnight she had a warm shelter and ameal. That was fulfilling.”

As for the future, “every day I ask my-self what I want to do,” Miller said.

“I love psychology and I love thethought of helping people,” she said. “Iwas on the way to getting a nursing de-gree and I’d love to finish that. But I doknow I’ll still be flying. Other than that,I’m not quite sure. Wherever it is, it willbe where God leads me.”

MILLERFROM COVER

Master Sgt. Stephanie Miller and children Noah, 6, and Jude, 5. SUBMITTED PHOTO/STEPHANIE MILLER

StephanieMiller ishonored at thesenior non-commissionedofficerinductionceremony uponher promotionto mastersergeantSUBMITTEDPHOTO/STEPHANIEMILLER

A Publication of GateHouse Media Delaware The...

Documents

Transcript of A Publication of GateHouse Media Delaware The...