Fairchild Airman saves two children

Master Sgt. Joshua O’Brien was taking a stroll through Medical Lake with his family, as they made their way towards the water front O’Brien noticed two girls fall through the ice.

O’Brien took action and jumped into the water to help save these girls. He struggled to get out, and was punching through the ice with his fist. “I started punching down the ice with my fist, trying to find my way out when Dave Dormaier, a Medical Lake Middle School teacher, helped pull me up,” said O’Brien, 92nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron section chief. “I couldn’t have done it alone; it was truly a community effort.”

Blankets were provided by bystanders until the fire department could arrive.

“It was a heroic thing he did rescuing those kids,” said Corey Stevens, Medical Lake assistant fire chief. “If he didn’t, they could’ve been seriously hurt or ended up with hypothermia.”

It was his military training and many years of service that enabled him to act quickly and decisively.

Check out the full story at:
http://www.fairchild.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1487273/fairchild-airman-saves-two-children/

Director Friday

Michael and Cynthia Noyes

SLFA Title: Past President 2003

Michael and Cynthia have been Involved with Lilac Festival since 1983.

They are now we are both retired.

They like volunteering for the Spokane Lilac Festival because they have the opportunity to support the community. They also enjoy working with the other directors

Michael Noyes’s favorite Lilac Festival memory is riding in the parade as President. He also was proud to represent the Spokane Lilac Festival Association at other events and parades.

 

92nd OG partners with 375th AES Airmen, expand KC-135 capabilities

Airmen from the 92nd Operations Group partnered with the 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron to learn how to turn a KC-135 Stratotanker into a mobile hospital at Fairchild Air Force Base March 1.

This partnership provides increased resiliency, capacity and ability of the Rapid Global Mobility mission by integrating and leveraging total force, joint, and allied partners to strengthen capabilities.

“Our aircraft also has two distinct characteristics to help support the AE mission; speed and range,” Gaskins said. “It’s the fastest and longest range AE aircraft, which is significant because it provides AE teams access to more locations in the least amount of time.”

AE teams consist of two flight nurses, three aeromedical technicians and a flight crew. The familiarity of safety checks and equipment operation is critical to caring for and transporting patients around the world with safety and urgency.

Check out the full story at:
http://www.fairchild.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1461746/92nd-og-partners-with-375th-aes-airmen-expand-kc-135-capabilities/

Royalty Wednesday

This week, the Royal Court had their official group photoshoot!

All photos by Hawkinson Photography

Updated Kennels for Military Working Dogs!

As of March, 15th 2018, construction on the $1.7 million 92nd Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog kennel upgrade has been completed.

The size of living space in each canine kennel has increased from 24 square feet to 96 square feet.

According to Sgt. Daniel Tabita, 92nd SFS MWD trainer, “The upgraded complex allows for more hands-on training while on-site and gives handlers the space they need to learn and maintain new skills. It also gives the handlers and canines their own space to decompress and relax after work and training.”

The updated building provides the 92nd SFS MWD section with equipment, tools, and space for more efficient training conditions.

Royalty Wednesday

This weekend the Spokane Lilac Royal Court participated in their first parade of the year. They rode in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Spokane. They enjoyed fulfilling their princess duties while throwing candy out to the crowd.

They continued their work as princesses by visiting the Veteran’s Home. The Court prepared a dance to entertain the vets in the home. The Royalty also spent time talking with the residents.

To round off the weekend, the girls in the Royal Court stopped by the float barn to help build the official 2018 Spokane Lilac Royalty float. They didn’t mind getting their hands a bit dirty to add the final touches to the float.

All photos by Hawkinson Photography

Finding Resiliency Through Breakdance

Comprehensive Airmen Fitness provides a foundation to grow resiliency by using a model of four pillars: mental, social, physical, and spiritual.

Senior Airman Simon Vang, 92nd Maintenance Group analyst and Chaplain, Capt. Juan Reyes, 92nd Air Refueling Wing have their own way of fulfilling the four pillars. They enjoy breakdancing to balance work stress and home life.

““Resiliency… we hear it a lot in the Air Force Comprehensive Airman Fitness training… to the point where we become numb to it, but we still need to manage the four areas it entails,” Chaplain Reyes said. “In break dancing, we get to work with our physical, mental and social areas, and for some, even the spiritual area.””

Vang and Reyes believe that principles of breakdance can be applied to the work that airmen do every day. For example, a single breakdance move can be practiced several times until it is mastered.  Chaplain Reyes believes that just like mastering a dance move, work needs to be mastered too.

Using dance, these two airmen are able to focus the mind, have some fun, and build up the resiliency they need to live a military lifestyle.

President’s Message

Hello Lilac Nation!

Things are popping in the Lilac Festival world!  Thank you to all who donated to our telethon!  Since we rely completely on donations this was a great boost!

We have a new and exciting event during festival week:  Lilac City’s Got Talent!  Any senior in high school in Spokane County can audition to be in the show on May 15, 2018.  The prizes are big, the judges come from the World of the Arts, and the winner of the show also gets to ride in our torchlight parade!

Go to www.spokanelilacfestival.org and click on the “Lilac City’s Got Talent!” bar.  This will link you to the rules, regulations, due dates, audition guidelines and application.  If you don’t have a talent, come support our youth at the show.  You can purchase tickets on our website as well.  We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,
Nancy Cole
Spokane Lilac Festival President, 2018

Samuelsons selected as Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award nominees

Col. Ryan Samuelson and Mrs. Kathy Samuelson have been selected as Air Mobility Command’s 2018 Gen. and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award nominees for their efforts in supporting Team Fairchild, the Air Force and the surrounding community.

This award is given  annually to the wing commander and spouse team whose contributions to the nation, the Air Force and the local community best exemplify the highest ideals and positive leadership of a military couple in a key Air Force position.

“No matter what the issues are, big or small, [the Samuelsons] own it and collaborate with others to find solutions,” Heathman said. “They work tirelessly with numerous organizations, both on and off base, to ensure they are not only meeting Team Fairchild’s needs, but also those of the surrounding community.”

“I’ve never met a commander-spouse team more involved, more caring and more invested in their current roles than Col. Ryan Samuelson and Mrs. Kathy Samuelson,” Heathman concluded. “It’s been an honor to watch them both in action and learn from their experience.”

Check out the full article at:
http://www.fairchild.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1430973/samuelsons-selected-as-gen-and-mrs-jerome-f-omalley-award-nominees/