Combat Excellence-Always on Mission

OCTOBER 2015

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WING COMMANDERCol. Timothy J. Donnellan

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERLt. Col. Gary A. Daniel

PUBLIC AFFAIRS NCOICMaster Sgt. Becky Vanshur

PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFFTech. Sgt. Sarah PokorneyTech. Sgt. Joshua Allmaras (editor)Tech. Sgt. John WinnSenior Airman Cassie MorlockSenior Airman Skyla Child

This month’s cover photo was taken Aug. 28, 2015 by Tech. Sgt. John Winn during the fire support departure of more than 20 Airmen.

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4 family day 2015AIRMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES ENJOY FAMILY DAY

6 FIRE SUPPORTGUARDSMEN ACTIVATED TO SUPPORT STATE OF IDAHO

8 CHARGED HOSE DRAGFIRST GOWEN FIELD CHARGED HOSE DRAG CHALLENGE

10 WARRIORS OF THE MONTHAUGUST - VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

16 AIRCRAFT DEDICATIONTWO MORE AIRCRAFT DEDICATED TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES

idaho.ang.mil@gmail.com

www.idaho.ang.af.mil

bit.ly/124Beacon

fb.me/124FWofficial

Flic.kr/ps/2tB3kf

www.twitter.com/124FighterWing

www.instagram.com/124FighterWing

» p.14

THE BEACON is the official newsletter/magazine of the 124th Fighter Wing, Idaho Air National Guard. It is published monthly by the wing public affairs office. Views expressed may not be those of the U.S. Air Force, Air National

Guard, Department of Defense or U.S. Government.

C O N T E N T S THE BEACON

From The Vice Wing Commander’s Desk COL. JEFFERY AEBISCHER

I have my first UTA as your vice-commander under my belt and already have been impressed by the exciting and interesting environment that is composed of so many terrific Airmen.

Although I have been in the Idaho Air National Guard for over 27 years, I know that I am an unfamiliar face to many of you. So a little about myself might be in order. I began my career in the IDANG in 1988 as a new 2nd Lieutenant. I completed navigator training and began flying the R-F4C as a Weapons System Officer (WSO) in 1990. Since then I have flown the F-4G as an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) and C-130 as a navigator. I have been deployed to Southwest Asia multiple times in both the F-4 and C-130 prior to 2005. I have since commanded the 212th Command and Control Squadron, spent time back in D.C. at the Guard Bu-reau, and most recently served as the Director of Staff at JFHQ and as the Mission Support Group Commander here at the Wing. It has been an amazing career so far and I am looking forward to serving you as your Vice Wing Commander.

My congratulations to Lt. Col. Salois as he formally assumed command of the 124th Maintenance Group, and equal regards to Lt. Col. Sheppard as she has replaced me commanding the Mission Support Group. They are welcome new members of Col. Donnellan’s leadership team responsible for leading over 50 percent of the mem-bership of the Idaho Air National Guard.

Thank you for turning out in “standing-room-only” numbers for Sunday morning’s All Call. This is our com-mander’s most effective forum for communicating directly with you, the warfighter.

I am very encouraged to see the large attendance at Family Day on Sunday. It’s a great opportunity for many of us to spend an afternoon sharing ideas and swapping stories in casual clothes with picnic refreshments. It is always a pleasant day for our kids to join us and remove a bit of the mystery of where mom or dad (or both) serves their nation and Idaho. Thanks also to the Family Support team and the many other hands that helped set up, take down and clean up. It was a great effort appreciated by all.

I am excited about what the future holds for the 124th Fighter Wing. We have several challenges ahead but with these challenges will come opportunities for us to rise to the occasion and once again prove that no one does it better than the 124th Fighter Wing.

Thanks again for all you do each and every day to serve your country, your communities, and take care of your families.

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Family Day 2015

Air National Guard photo by SrA Skyla Child

Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Sarah Pokorney

Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. John Winn

Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Becky Vanshur

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Flickr Album by clicking the logo:

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FIRE SUPPORT 2015

Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Sarah Pokorney

Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Sarah Pokorney

Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Sarah Pokorney

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Flickr Album by clicking the logo:

More than 50 Airmen with the 124th Fighter Wing were activated in support of state wildfire suppres-sion during the month of September 2015. The deployed Airmen as-sisted with road guard duties in and around the state of Idaho.

Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Allmaras

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Six female Airmen brought muscle and grit to the first-ever Gowen Field Fire Department charged hose drag competition at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on Sept. 13, 2015. They and other teams carried a 300-pound, 150-foot hose full of water, just as a team of fire fighters would.A veteran of the hose drag, Mas-

ter Sgt. Josh Zimmerly, Gowen Field Fire Department assistant chief of operations, advised par-ticipants to “pinch the line” tight under their arms and lean for-ward with their weight. He said, it will not be easy because of fric-

tion and the weight of the water in the hose.The participants, Capt. Tara

Bruner, Capt. Kristin Daigle, 1st Lt. Brittany Sailors, Master Sgt. Susana Borroso, Tech. Sgt. Mandy Lynch and Tech. Sgt. Joelene Wilkinson, competed in teams of two for the fastest time.Command Chief Master Sgt.

Tammy Ladley commented on the relevance of solely female participants. She said, “It’s awe-some! I’m impressed that they’re here and thrilled to watch them especially when we had no males come out to take the challenge.

They will represent us well.”After cheering from the side-

lines for a few rounds, the 124th Fighter Wing Commander, Col. Tim Donnellan and 124 Fighter Wing Vice Commander, Col. Jeff Aebischer shed their ABU tops, donned protective equipment and joined in the competition.The hose drag has been a fire

fighting tradition for fun and friendly competition. Municpil fire departments and the Air Force Fire Academy have used events like this to test strength, endurance and agility of their candidates.

Hose Drag 

By Tech. Sgt. Sarah Pokorney124th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Allmaras

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W A R R I O R S O F T H E M O N T H VEHICLE MAINTENANCE (AUGUST)

Warriors - From left, Chief Master Sgt. Allen Crist, Staff Sgt. Christopher Vogl, Master Sgt. Brett Johnson, Master Sgt. Gary Lezon-Ferria, Senior Master Sgt. Steven Kober, Senior Airman Nathan Nelson, Master Sgt. Ronald Shaw, Airman First Class Dean Barney, Airman First Class Scot Pettit

Why they were nominated and selected- The Vehicle Maintenance Section rapidly coordinated a recall of 20 vehicles from 19 different wing organizations, completing over 72 Hours of maintenance on the 20 vehi-cles requested to support fires assigned to Joint TASK Force Purple. They quickly procured and installed over $1,900 in parts and supplies to insure vehicles departed safe and serviced. The vehicle maintenance personnel volunteered to report for work early and stay late to complete the vehicle survivability inspec-tions. The notification was received at 7 p.m. Monday August 24 and the tasking was successfully satisfied within 40 hours of notification.

OUTSTANDING AIRMAN OF YEAR BANQUET

S A T U R D A Y , J A N U A R Y 8 , 2 0 1 6

R I V E R S I D E H O T E L

W e w i l l b e c o n d u c t i n g a u d i t i o n s f o r t h e M a s t e r s o f C e r e m o n i e s . I f y o u a r e a h i g h l y m o t i v a t e d A i r m a n ( E - 6

o r b e l o w ) a n d w o u l d l i k e t o b e c o n s i d e r e d f o r t h e s e p o s i t i o n s , p l e a s e c o n t a c t C M S g t G r a m k o w a t

s u s a n . l . g r a m k o w . m i l @ m a i l . m i l

SAVE THE DATE

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-Airman’s Council-When - Saturday of drill, 3 p.m.

Location - Building 400, downstairs classroom

-For more information contact-SrA Lonnie Kemp

Airman’s Council President208-422-6707

lonnie.l.kemp.mil@mail.mil

-NCO Council Meeting Information-When - Saturday of drill

Time - 10 a.m.Location - Building 441, human resource office annex

-For more information contact-Tech. Sgt. Christina Rohrenbach, NCO Council President

208-422-5322christina.l.rohrenbach.mil@mail.mil

COUNCIL CORNER

In August I attended this year’s Enlisted Leadership Symposium (ELS) in West Virginia. Command Chief Master Sgt. Hotaling was ready to empower all of us in just three days. I had the opportunity to get

acquainted with fellow guards-men representing all “54”. We were briefed on the Enlisted Force Development Concept of Opera-tions to EPRs, CCAF and even the Enlisted Force Structure, most commonly known as the “little brown book”. Command Chief

By Senior Airman Essanie WaldoSpecial to The BeaconThe enlisted symposium was an

unforgettable experience that has made me think differently about how I fit into the Air National Guard. As a junior enlisted airman it is easy to get in the mindset that I have little influence about the rules and decisions that get made. Attending the symposium shed light on the huge impact E-4s and below have on morale, changes to the AFIs, and our duty to keep our senior enlisted sharp and in the know. I enjoyed the opportunity to

hear in person from the author-ity figures that lead the Air Force.

It helped me to appreciate them as people with a sense of humor, emotions and the influence they have when being in the same room. Their speeches were powerful and thought provoking. I had a change of heart as I

started to understand why there are certain polices in place that

could never be explained clearly in official memorandums or emails. There is so much room for personal interpretation when rules are read versus seeing and hearing them from our leaders. Many times I had an “ah hah” moment or felt a tear welling in my eye for those that have fought so hard to get our armed forces to where they are now. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the

symposium. I am a stronger wing-man, leader, and warrior after attending and plan to share my new knowledge and energy with my unit and the wing.

Master Sgt. Cody flew in from Washington D.C. to speak with us and answer a few questions. The enthusiasm was infectious! Chief Hotaling asked if we were

victims or victors. His words were not only inspirational, but also motivational. You get to decide how you want to handle certain roadblocks and decide the out-come. It made me think about the upcoming deployments and the fact that, as a parent, I will miss my son’s high school gradua-tion. I know that I will not be the only parent in this type of situa-tion. I am a member of the Idaho

Air National Guard for a reason. My son understands and we plan on making that day memorable even though I will not physically be there. I am in charge of this parade…I am a victor!

By Master Sgt. Keely LoweSpecial to The Beacon

By Master Sgt. Sara PippittSpecial to The Beacon

The ANG Enlisted Leadership Symposium was wonderfully eye opening. I went in knowing that I would learn a lot. I came back to Gowen Field feeling like I had A LOT of work to do to be a leader that people looked up to. But, the main “A HA” moment for me was something that Command Chief Master Sgt. Cody said. He was asked how he maintains a

work life balance and he honestly stated, “I am a horrible example of work-life balance and my kids tell

me that frequently.” He went on to say that he truly

believed that he would still be where he is today if he would have put his kids first, his wife first, and left the office at a decent hour to spend time with them. Let me say that again, Chief Cody

believes that he would STILL BE the CMSAF EVEN if his family would have come first. Being career driven is good for the

Air Force, putting your family first is good for BOTH the United States Air Force and you.

I found the Enlisted Leadership Symposium to be a very useful, I was able to attain a great amount

of valuable information. We are a culture of constant

change and must adapt to that change with the least amount of resistance. The most valuable informa-

tion I gained from the event was the understanding the difference between victim and victor. Taking responsibility for your own career as best you can, optimize your ex-perience by continuing to learn as much from the people around you, and take the time to seek your own information. Most days were 8-hour class days

that were followed by a social event every night. During these social

events we had the opportunity to interact with the other Airmen from across the nation and share our journey as Airmen. As we networked we discovered we might have traveled different paths, but we experienced many of the same speed bumps. The last night we experienced a

part of the Air Force’s heritage I never knew about, The Combat Dining In. An event I will remem-ber forever, as we paid tribute to those before us and welcomed those who just joined. It is an ex-perience you must experience first hand.

By Staff Sgt. Jesus Guevara Jr.Special to The Beacon

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PASSING THE GUIDON

124th mission support groupchange of command

124th maintenance groupassumption of command

Col. Jeffery Aebischer relinquishes command of the 124th Mission Support Group to Lt. Col. Stephanie Sheppard during a change of command ceremony Sept. 12, 2015 at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. (Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Allmaras)

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Flickr Album by clicking the logo:

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Flickr Album by clicking the logo:

Lt. Col. Scott Salois assumes command of the 124th Maintenance Group during an assumption of command cer-emony Sept. 12, 2015 at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. (Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua Allmaras)

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D E D I C AT I O N T O L E W I S T O N NOSE ART REVEALED -

The Airmen of the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing held a ceremony dedicating an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft to the city of Lewiston at the Lewiston-Nez Perce Regional Airport on Sep. 23, 2015. City officials from the community attended the ceremony along with interested members of the public. (Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. John Winn)

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Flickr Album by

clicking the logo:

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D E D I C AT I O N T O M O S C O W NOSE ART REVEALED -

Want to see more pictures? Visit our Flickr Album by clicking

the logo:

The Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing held a ceremony dedicating an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft to the city of Moscow, Idaho at the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in Pullman, Washington on Sept. 23, 2015. City officials and members of the public attended the dedication. (Air National Guard photos by Tech. Sgt. Joshua C. Allmaras)

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Effective October 1, 2015, Inactive Duty Scheduling, Certification, and Reporting will be

accomplished via the Air National Guard Reserve Order Writing System (AROWS)

What is considered Inactive Duty (IAD)?- All Unit Training Assembly (RUTA, SUTA, and BUTA), Additional Flying Training Periods (AFTP),

Proficiency Training (PT), and Training Period Preparation Assembly (TPPA)What does this mean to me? - Member or ID Administrator (Orderly Room/CSS) will have to initiate authorizations to perform inac-

tive duty via AROWS; these authorizations will be routed to supervisors for approval. Once inactive duty is completed, members will create the certification process. These options to create an IAD authorization and IAD certification will be available on the Member Menu in AROWS.-Finance can no longer process and accept paper Inactive Duty documents (NGB 105S & NGB 633).How does this affect when I get paid for IAD?- There are several steps to get paid, starting with you! You must e-certify your IAD order in AROWS to

get paid. After you certify, your supervisor also has to e-certify your order in AROWS. Once this occurs, finance can process your certified orders for payroll. Finance performs AROWS payroll processing daily. LES’s typically post in MyPay within a week of finance processing payroll. Will training be provided to members?-Yes. You can find detailed training on the FM SharePoint at the following website:https://eis.ang.af.mil/org/124FW/WingStaff/CPTF/Military%20Pay/How%20Tos/AROWS%20-%20Mem-

ber%20(Inactive%20Duty%20Individual).pdf

N O T I C E T O A L LA I R M E N

CHANGES TO HOW YOUR PAY IS PROCESSED

Want to fly? 2016 Undergraduate pilot training board

Eligibility:•Must not have a history of alcohol/drug abuse, or law viola-tions (limited traffic violations are acceptable)•Be able to enter training by 30th birthday •Obtain qualifying scores for the AF Officer Qualification Test (AFOQT)•Pilot Candidate Selection Method PCSM score•Be able to pass a flying class I and II physical to include meeting vision requirements, height, weight, etc•Possess a four-year degree (Idaho ANG members may request an education waiver with 90 or more semester hours on a consolidated transcript)•Must be able to obtain a Top Secret Security Clearance (complete background investigation to include financial status will be evaluated)

Application must include:•UPT Questionnaire •Civilian candidates must fill out the DD Form 2807-2, Medical Prescreen. Military members must submit a current copy of a physical•Personnel RIP (military members only) from orderly room•Three letters of recommendation•AFOQT scores (must be included in application package by due date). Ensure you test in a timely manner as it takes 2-4 weeks for AFOQT results. You can obtain your score by calling 800-558-1404 or online at https://w20.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afoqtsnet20/DODBanner.aspx. Boise MEPS offers AFOQT exams on the third Wednesday of the month only. Must be scheduled 10 days prior to test date. Contact MSgt Milo Davis at 208-422-5383 if you need to be scheduled for the AFOQT. •PCSM scores (must be included in application package by due date)•Transcripts showing four year degree (copy will suffice). IDANG members may apply with 90 semester hours on a consolidated transcript (if selected a waiver will be required).•If applicable, copy of private pilot license and a summary of flying experience (last page of log book will suffice).•Single Picture of applicant only (shoulders and above)•One page narrative introducing yourself and why you want to fly for the Idaho Air National Guard. Please include your email address.

TIMELINE:6 Dec 2015 - Packages are due to SMSgt Will Ferrell (allow 7 days for delivery)4-10 Jan 2016 - Applicants will be notified of interview in-vite. Please do not call prior to January 10th inquiring about interviews4-6 Mar 2016 - Interviewees will need to be available (on location) 4 Mar through 6 Mar 2015.

NOTE: The 2016 board is for a FY18 flight training seat. Late applications or those without the above documents will not be accepted. Please include your email address on your narrative. You will be emailed once your package has been received. It is not necessary to call the recruiting office unless you do not receive an email within 7-10 days after submission of the package. DO NOT BIND THE DOCUMENTS IN YOUR APPLICATION. ATTACH THEM WITH A PAPER CLIP

Mail application packet to: SMSgt Will Ferrell, JFHQ-ID RRS

4400 Earhart St., Bldg. 405Boise, ID 83705-8103

or go to the following link:http://idahoangbeacon.ning.com/page/upt

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Combat Excellence

Employment Launch

• Talent Acquisition Professionals From Top Local Employers Conducting Workshops & Re-

27 October 2

015

0830-1200

@ Gunfighter C

lub

TOPICS INCLU

DE:

- Resume Review

- Linke

dIn

- Dress

for Succe

ss

- 1-on-1 Resume Coach

ing

- Get C

onnected w

ith th

e Idaho

Department o

f Labor

CAREER ENHANCEMENT EXPO

Human Resource Professionals from Top Local Employers conducting Workshops & Resume Reviews

Open to All Military & Family Members of Mountain Home & Gowen LinkedIn Headshots Taken Onsite

Space is Limited Call to Register: 208-828-2458