Travis Tailwind: July 22, 2022

Air Force announces top athletes of the year PAGE 4

TRAVIS

AFROTC grants accommodations for first Sikh cadet PAGE 6

TAILWIND

Travis aircrew delivers satellite for missle Friday, July 22, 2022 | Vol. 47, Number 29

DEFENSE

PAGE 3

SERVING TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE AND THE MILITARY COMMUNITY OF SOLANO COUNTY

TRAVIS

2 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022

39th Air Refueling Squadron partners with Aeromedical Evacuation for atypical mission Senior Airman Alexander Merchak 60TH AIR MOBILITY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – Airmen from the 9th Air Refueling Squadron, Travis Air Force Base provided emergency aeromedical evacuation of a patient, May 23, from Osan Air Base, Korea, to Kelly Field, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas.

The 9th ARS was asked to support the mission while attending the 2022 JapaneseAmerican Friendship Festival at Yokota AB, Japan, where the 9th ARS showcased the KC-10 Extender’s capabilities to public attendees.

The aircrew partnered with 18 Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron assigned to Kadena Air Base, Japan to transport a patient in a late-term, high-risk pregnancy – potentially saving both lives.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Rajeev Kristipati, 9th ARS KC-10 aircraft commander, received notice that they would be flying to Osan AB on the first day of the festival.

“We were initially surprised to be re-tasked with an AE mission,” said Kristipati. “The KC-10 almost never performs these sorts of missions.”

According to Kristipati, readiness was crucial to this mission

TRAVIS

as no one expected this tasking.

The squadron’s primary function is to ensure rapid global mobility through aerial refueling and is reconfigured to support transportation of service members, cargo, and in this case, aeromedical evacuation.

“We know the aircraft is capable of AE. We reached out to all the more experienced individuals in the community and heard of no one who had actually done this before,” said Kristipati.

In this situation, the aircrew was told they would be writing the manual on KC-10 AE missions says Kristipati.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Paul Santos, 9th ARS evaluator boom operator, was in the middle of displaying the KC-10 when he got word his team would be flying the mission.

“When the call came in of the re-tasking, I was skeptical,” said Santos. “We are not typically used in that capacity.”

“The jet was not initially set up for the AE so my team and I had to manually transform [the aircraft] to a configuration that we have never flown before,” Santos continued.

The configuration was named “S” after Santos for his part in the creation of the configuration, which took five hours to implement and complete prior to departure for Osan Air Base.

As airmen, readiness is key

TAILWIND

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A U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender assigned to Travis Air Force Base sits on display during Friendship Festival 2022 at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 21. The 9th Air Refueling Squadron aircrew were at Friendship Festival 2022 when retasked with an aeromedical evacuation mission. to mission success, and being adaptable for last-minute notice emergencies can be lifesaving, Kristipati explained.

Amongst all the chaos of the emergency tasking, the aircrew was able to relocate and aid the patient to Kelly Field.

The readiness displayed in this mission and efforts in others won the aircrew, “9th ARS Aircrew of the Quarter.”

Travis Tailwind is a publication produced by the Daily Republic. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without written permission, is prohibited.

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The appearance of advertising in the publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of Defense, the Department of the Air Force or the Daily Republic of the products or services advertised.

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CONTENTS

U.S. Airmen load a Transport Isolation System capsule onto a KC-10 Extender at Osan Air Base, South Korea, May 23, 2022.

The 9th Air Refueling Squadron aircrew were at Friendship Festival ’22, but were re-tasked with an aeromedical evacuation mission.

3 9 12-13 17

Cover story Puzzle Worship services Classifieds

Loadmasters from the 60th AMW and Lockheed Martin Space unload a satellite at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., June 2. Walter Talens/U.S. Space Force

ON THE COVER

TRAVIS

July 22, 2022

TRAVIS TAILWIND 3

Walter Talens/U.S. Space Force Walter Talens/U.S. Space Force

Loadmasters from the 60th Air Mobility Wing and Lockheed Martin Space unload the sixth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Space Based Infrared System satellite from a C-5M Super Galaxy at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., June 2.

Loadmasters from the 60th AMW and Lockheed Martin Space unload the sixth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Space Based Infrared System satellite from a C-5M Super Galaxy at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., June 2.

Aircrew delivers missile defense satellite Nicholas Pilch 60TH AIR MOBILITY WING PUBLIC AFFAIRS

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE — Ten airmen from the 22nd Airlift Squadron at Travis Air Force Base supported a joint force mission via C-5M Super Galaxy, aiding in the delivery of the sixth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Space Based Infrared System satellite (SBIRS GEO-6) to Cape Canaveral, Florida, June 2.

The satellite is tentatively launching in August, according to ulalaunch.com.

SBIRS is a high-priority, U.S. Space Force program that provides worldwide missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness and technical intelligence capabilities for the U.S. military and consists of a constellation of satellites in both Geosynchronous Earth Orbit and Highly Elliptical Orbit,

according to a press release from Space Systems Command, Space Base Delta 3, California.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin L. Wilson, 22nd AS C-5 evaluator pilot, led the mission.

“We on-loaded the satellite in its specialized container with its support equipment at Moffett Federal Airfield, California, and delivered it to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for its eventual launch,” said Wilson.

The mission occurred May 31 to June 7.

The C-5 is the only aircraft capable of airlifting the specialized container that carries satellites of this size.

“Our crews are trained to provide the specialized support required to accomplish this mission,” said Wilson. “The loadmasters have very stringent tolerances when loading and unloading, and can take 8 to

12 hours to load the cargo.”

The satellite and support equipment weighed more than 145,000 pounds with an approximate cost of $2.1 billion dollars.

“The flight engineers must adhere to strict pressurization and temperature limits during flight,” said Wilson. “The pilots must be able to fly a very smooth aircraft, with extremely tight landing tolerances to ensure the satellite is not damaged.”

Wilson expressed gratitude for his crew and the missions he is able to support because of the Air Force.

“Arriving, and meeting some of the people involved with the program is a great feeling,” he said. “Just knowing they have been working for years on this and that we have been able to play a small part in the eventual launch is a feeling like no other.”

Walter Talens/U.S. Space Force

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Louis Rodriguez, a C-5M Galaxy flying crew chief with the 60th Air Mobility Wing, observe the sixth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Space Based Infrared System satellite loading into the C-5M Super Galaxy aircraft at Moffett Federal Airfield, May 31. The satellite was taken to a processing facility to undergo testing and fueling prior to encapsulation.

GEO-6 is expected to launch in July 2022 and is the last SBIRS program launch.

AIR FORCE

4 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022

USAF announces top athletes of the year

Courtesy photo

Airman 1st Class Kelly Curtis, 31st Communications Squadron knowledge management technician at Aviano Air Base, Italy, poses in her Team USA gear. Kelly is the 2021 Air Force Female Athlete of the Year.

Debbie Aragon, AIR FORCE INSTALLATION AND MISSION SUPPORT CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) — The Air Force recently announced a winter Olympian and a nationally ranked Jiu-Jitsu champion as the 2021 Female and Male Athletes of the Year – Airman 1st Class Kelly Curtis and Staff Sgt. Justin Southichack, respectively.

Female Athlete of the Year “I’m humbled to be selected as the Air Force Female Athlete of the Year,” said Curtis, a knowledge management technician with the 31st Communications Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. “I joined a list of amazing women and am honored to be in such good company.”

“Her list of accolades during the award period included being ranked as the top Air Force and military skeleton athlete in the world and top military Olympian hopeful for the 2022 Winter Games,” said Maj. Aaron Tissot,

chief of DAF Fitness and Sports with the Air Force Services Center.

As an “expert in her craft,” Curtis was also requested by name to perform track testing and research and development at the Beijing venue before the Olympic Games, according to her nomination package.

Leading up to the Olympics, Curtis put in more than

500 hours of training, competed in 12 international events averaging 11th place among her peers around the globe and represented the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, or WCAP, at the skeleton team trials in Lake Placid, New York, earning a third team ranking for Team USA. Curtis got what many see as a late start in the Air Force at age 31, after she learned she could serve her country and continue to pursue a sport she loves.

“I first learned of the opportunity to merge the two when I joined USA Bobsled and Skeleton and saw the number of sliders actively serving in the military,” Curtis said. “Once I became good enough to compete for our national team, I started my application to enlist in the Air Force and join WCAP.” As the first WCAP Airman to enter basic military training, she spearheaded an elite athlete recruitment initiative which sparked interest in more than 20 elite athletes, her nomination noted, and Curtis shined as an Air Force ambassador and WCAP athlete at world competitions.

“I feel privileged every time I get to compete for the country

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and act as an ambassador for not only Team USA, but also the U.S. Air Force. I still have a lot to learn and I’m looking forward to learning from my fellow wingmen,” Curtis said.

Curtis attributes her success and selection as athlete of the year to her strong network of support.

“My village is composed of the Air Force World Class Athlete Program, the 31st CS,

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teammates and coaches at USA Bobsled and Skeleton, and the friends and family who have supported me on this eight-plusyear endeavor,” she said. “I am also fortunate enough to have a husband, Jeff Milliron, who has also agreed to join me in this unexpected chapter of our lives.

His support has been unwavering and his strength and conditioning programming has proved

See ATHLETES Page 5

AIR FORCE

July 22, 2022

TRAVIS TAILWIND 5

Athletes From Page 4 to be worthy enough of this title.”

Male Athlete of the Year Earning the title of Air Force Male Athlete of the Year “is truly surreal” for Staff Sgt. Justin Southichack, a production supervisor with the 649th Munitions Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

“I’m very certain the Air Force has numerous athletes who are truly inspiring and motivational at their craft,” Southichack said, “and I’m grateful for my leadership for nominating me and honored to represent the best Air Force in the world.”

He also thanked his coach, Eduardo Mori, and training partner, Amy Campo, because he said, “I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am if it wasn’t for them . . . those two have really pushed me to excel in the sport of JiuJitsu.”

During the award period, Southichack’s record in numerous competitions helped him edge out other male athlete nominees, Tissot said.

Southichack took first place in his division of eight competitors at the 2021 Winter Impact

Courtesy photo

2021 Air Force Male Athlete of the Year Staff Sgt. Justin Southichack poses for a photo with his son. Southichack said Jiu-Jitsu found him in 2019 when he was looking for a way to bond with his son and teach him self-defense.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ, tournament Open Gi competition in Salt Lake City; first of 12 in the North American Grappling Association Vegas Grappling Championship No-Gi Division in Las Vegas; first of 32 fighters in his weight class at the International

BJJ Federation World No-Gi BJJ Championship in Dallas; and first place of 334 rivals in his weight class in IBJJF Masters I Blue Belt, earning a top-six

ranking in his division for calendar year 2021.

“Throughout my Air Force career, athletics have played a vital role in my personal well-being and resiliency,” Southichack said, who has participated in many intramural sports as well as boxing, bodybuilding and powerlifting.

In addition to being an ammunitions troop, Southichack has been a physical training lead, unit fitness program manager and part of a unit fitness cell at every duty station he’s been assigned.

Even with his sports experience, he said it wasn’t until 2019 that he found a purpose within sport when Jiu-Jitsu found him as a way to bond with his young son and teach him selfdefense.

The martial art of Jiu-Jitsu, a sport gaining in popularity in recent years, is a discipline that is “non-bias to gender, age, size or physical ability that focuses on getting one’s opponent to the ground to neutralize any strength or size advantage the adversary may impose,” Southichack said.

“It has been shown to assist individuals physically, mentally,

spiritually, socially and psychologically throughout the course of one’s life span as well,” he said, “with the culture bringing forth a sense of acceptance and camaraderie.”

Department of the Air Force fitness and sports programs, like the Athlete of the Year Program, emphasize the importance of mission success through sustained dedication and hard work, and the importance of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle, Tissot said.

“Our sports and fitness programs are designed to allow Airmen and Guardians to achieve their athletic goals, remain resilient personally and professionally, and ultimately that increases our mission readiness,” Tissot said.

When it comes to the importance of athletics to building better, stronger, more resilient Airmen, Curtis said, “I have learned to build a process I love then do my best to let that process run.

It’s not one great training day, but the day-in, day-out monotony of working toward an athletic goal that builds resiliency.”

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6 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022

AFROTC grants accommodations for first Sikh cadet Billy Blankenship AIR UNIVERSITY PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) — The Air Force has granted religious accommodations for Air Force ROTC’s first Sikh cadet.

Cadet Gursharan Virk, a sophomore information assurance major at Detachment 255 at the University of Iowa, is now allowed to wear Sikhism ceremonial accessories and abide by the religion’s grooming standards, which includes wearing a turban, necklace and bracelet, while having an uncut beard, in observation of his faith.

“Historically, the motive behind wearing the turban was that if anyone needed help and they saw someone wearing a turban in a crowd, they knew that they would be helped by that Sikh,” Virk explained. “Knowing this,

Sikhs consider the turban their crown and wear it with pride.

Thus, being able to take that ageold heritage and pride into the Air Force with me while also being able to work toward my dream of being a pilot means the world to me.”

While not a religious leader, Virk does adhere to Sikh religious rules such as not shaving and wearing his turban in place of typical military headwear. Desiring to continue observing his religious beliefs while serving, Virk submitted an official request for religious accommodation to Air Education and Training Command’s Manpower, Personnel and Services office, which was approved in December 2021.

“Air force ROTC is in the business of discovering, developing and showcasing talent,” said Col. Corey Ramsby, commander,

Headquarters AFROTC. “Cadet Virk is just the latest example of the shift in our culture that has allowed us to open that aperture wider than we ever have before.”

Virk struggled for a few semesters to get medically cleared for ROTC, with most of his medical documents still in India. He was born in the United States but lived in India until his junior year in high school, moving back to the states in 2018.

Regarded as a leader within

the detachment, Virk’s performance as a cadet has resonated with his AFROTC leadership team. He has been selected to go to AFROTC Field Training at Maxwell Air Force Base this summer, a critical step to commissioning as an officer.

“Cadet Virk has stood out from day one with his attitude.

He always maintains a cheery disposition, is eager to learn and grow and pushes those around him as far as moral is

concerned,” said Capt. Amanda Anderson-Gonzalez, a recruiting and admissions officer for Det. 255. “When he makes mistakes, he owns them, works hard to correct them and doesn’t make the same mistake again. He is kind, encouraging, involved on campus and highly involved with the detachment. He has always maintained professionalism and throws himself into everything

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Air Force ROTC Cadet Gursharan Virk, third from left, takes part in Detachment 255’s color guard ceremony at a football game at the University of Iowa in 2021. Virk is the first Sikh ROTC cadet to be granted religious accommodations by the Air Force in observation of his faith. The accommodations include wearing of a turban and facial hair.

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July 22, 2022

TRAVIS TAILWIND 7

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Cardholders earn rewards points and enjoy everyday discounts on food and fuel, but also help make the Travis community stronger. When shoppers use Military Star, the Travis BX avoids costly bank transaction fees – savings that totaled $269,500 in 2021.

Worldwide, using Military Star saved Exchanges more than $20 million last year. The savings increase Exchange earnings, 100% of which are re-invested in military communities through support of critical Quality-of-Life programs and capital improvements.

Sikh From Page 6 he does, earning him a spot firmly in the top 10 % of our detachment.”

Virk’s desire to serve in the military stems from his father, who retired as a colonel from the Indian army.

“Living that military lifestyle has always been something that I loved,” Virk said. “I have seen

In the last 10 years, the Exchange has contributed $3.5 billion to military Quality-of-Life programs, which serve military members and their families.

“Using Military Star has a positive ripple effect,” said Travis BX General Manager Phonda Bishop. “Just like shopping at the Exchange, it’s a way to save money and strengthen the Travis community at the same time.”

The Military Star card, available exclusively to service members, retirees, Veterans, military dependents and Department of Defense civilians, is accepted at all Army & Air Force Exchange Service, Navy Exchange Service Command, Marine Corps Exchange, Coast Guard Exchange and Defense Commissary Agency stores. Combined, these organizations saved $30.8 million in transaction fees with Military Star in 2021. him in a number of leadership positions, and he has been one of my biggest influencers of what a good leader looks like. I remember him telling me that whatever you do in life, always take care of the people you lead and never let them down.”

If he makes it through college and ROTC, he will become the first Air Force officer to commission through the program having been granted Sikh religious accommodations.

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8 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline hotline launches 1st. Lt. Amelia Leonard 66TH AIR BASE GROUP PUBLIC AFFAIRS

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. — The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline hotline has launched a new quickdial option nationwide.

Anyone located within the United States can call or text 9-8-8 any time of day, seven days a week to receive support for suicidal, mental health, and substance use crisis. The line will connect callers to trained crisis counselors.

People can also call or text 9-8-8 if worried about a loved one who may be in need of crisis support.

“What we want to do is make it as easy as possible for someone to reach help when they need it,” said Colleen Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, in a 2022 interview. “It’s not a new network being established. It’s a new way to access that network in a way that’s easier to remember.”

According to the Substance

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website, callers will be routed to a local crisis center based on their area code. A local, trained counselor will listen, provide support and share resources, if needed. If there is no one available at a local crisis center, the caller will be re-routed to a national center for assistance.

If needed, the counselor on the call can activate a local mobile mental health crisis team to be dispatched to the caller to provide therapeutic interventions and make referrals for outpatient services or transportation for further evaluation, according to SAMHSA. In the U.S., 45,979 people died by suicide in 2020. That is an average of one person every 11 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control website. In addition, 12.2 million adults thought about suicide, 3.2 million adults made a plan to die by suicide, and 1.2 million adults attempted suicide.

The creation of 9-8-8 not only

SAMHSA.gov graphic

Starting July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline changed to a new three-digit dialing code: 988. helps everyone living in America, but it also has the potential to make a significant impact on the active military and veteran community.

“These mental health professionals are trained on helping

the military population and addressing the unique issues they encounter,” said Kristin Wright, violence prevention integrator and suicide prevention program manager at Hanscom Air Force

Base. “Veterans, service members and military families face distinctive challenges in multiple aspects of their lives.”

If a veteran calls 9-8-8, they have the additional option of being connected to the Veteran’s Crisis Line instead of a local crisis center. The Veteran’s Crisis Line is a free, confidential and secure resource for military members and veterans. Veteran suicide accounted for 6,261 suicides in 2019, which represented 13.7% of suicides among U.S. adults that year, according to data from the Veteran’s Administration.

Nearly 600 members of the military, among active duty, reserves and National Guard, died by suicide in 2020 according to data provided in the annual

See HOTLINE Page 9

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

From Page 8 suicide report from the Department of Defense. The report also shows 202 military family members died by suicide in 2019.

“The findings are troubling.

Suicide rates among our service members and military families are still too high, and the trends are not going in the right direction,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a statement in September 2021.

By calling 9-8-8 instead of 9-1-1 when a behavioral health or mental crisis may not be lifethreatening, the response provided by public services, such

as law enforcement and EMS, can be reserved for life-threatening emergencies requiring their assistance.

“We have a three-digit number for medical emergencies; we need a three-digit number for psychological emergencies – and that’s what this is,” said John Draper, executive director for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in a 2022 interview.

The Federal Communication Commission is requiring all phone service providers in the U.S. to direct 9-8-8 calls and texts to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16. However, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline number, 1-800-273-8255 will

not go away. People will still receive the same services whether dialing 9-8-8 or 1-800-2738255.

The new 9-8-8 quick-dial came about after The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Donald Trump in 2020.

If you are thinking about harming yourself or attempting suicide, tell someone who can help right away. Call your doctor’s office, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or 9-1-1 for emergency services, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

Puzzles STR8TS

No. 604

Tough

7

Previous solution - Medium

3

2 3 1 6 9 8

7 5 3

1 9 1

6

1

2 3

© 2022 Syndicated Puzzles

Hotline

TRAVIS TAILWIND 9

7 4 You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

SUDOKU

No. 604

4

Easy

9 5 6 3 1 1 7 2 6 3 1 5 2 6 2 3 4 5 2 4 2 9 5 9 1 8

1 7 3 8 4 2 1 4 5 2 2 3 3 4 8 6 7 8 9 6 9 7

4 5 6 3 6 5 8 8 9 7 7 8 6 7 2 5 3 1 2 4 4 3

7 6 1 2 3 5

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’ are formed.

4 3 9 2 6 8 7 1 5

6

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

2 1 4 3 9 5 7 6 8

Previous solution - Very Hard

8 7 6 5 1 4 3 2 9

5 2 1 7 9 3 8 4 6

6 9 2 3 7 1 4 5 8

3 5 7 4 8 9 2 6 1

1 8 4 6 5 2 9 3 7

7 4 8 1 2 6 5 9 3

9 6 3 8 4 5 1 7 2

2 1 5 9 3 7 6 8 4

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. © 2022 Syndicated Puzzles

July 22, 2022

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

10 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022

Healthy weight: How diet, lifestyle and mental health impact your eating habits and fitness and personal readiness.

MHS Communications FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Think you might need to lose a little weight? You’re not alone.

Even in the military, where maintaining physical fitness remains a job requirement and a key component of military readiness, thousands of service members struggle with weight.

But physical fitness is more than just a set of scores measuring your body-mass index, run times, or how many pushups you can do. Optimizing your physical fitness starts with a combination of good diet, healthy lifestyle and exercise serving as the foundation for increased strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance.

Yet keeping a healthy body weight is correlated with all those components and is essential for long term health, fitness

Pro Tip: Avoid Fad Diets Among the first things that professional dieticians and nutritionists are likely to tell you is to avoid “fad diets,” like Keto, intermittent fasting, Paleo and others.

Many people attempt these diets as quick-fixes, but these diets may not be healthy or effective for long-term weight loss. For some people, these diets can fuel frustration because people try them and then revert to their old eating habits, gaining even more than their initial starting weight.

Fad diets can be severely restrictive; they’re not something patients can maintain long term, said Air Force Lt. Col. Tracy Snyder, the nutrition consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General at the Air Force Medical

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Severely restricting a specific food group could be problematic.

“Once their diet goes back to baseline, they quickly regain any weight or body fat that they lost

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

July 22, 2022

Healthy From Page 10

Eating Better Consuming a balanced diet rich in nutrients can “help prevent stress fractures and other anomalies that prevent military personnel from being ready for duty,” said Army 1st Lt. Cara Adams, a registered dietitian and the chief of outpatient nutrition at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital in Missouri.

Good nutrition goes beyond just calories and protein, she pointed out. “Our bodies were created to absorb and use nutrients from whole foods.”

She suggested service members “start with the basics” by simply taking an honest look at what they eat and drink every single day. “Are you setting your body and your health up for success by consuming a variety of whole foods?” she asked.

Whole foods are foods that are not heavily processed or refined, like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, whole grains, meat, fish, and eggs.

“Unfortunately, our current food environment seems at odds with healthy eating,” she said.

“The evolutionary discrepancy between our brain’s desire for calorie-dense foods to ensure survival and the ultra-processed food, sedentary living, and stressful lifestyle of today’s culture creates the perfect storm for constant cravings, weight gain, and poor health.”

Moreover, many fitness-oriented service members are focused more on cure-all dietary supplements rather than their core diet.

A good rule is to avoid any “diet” that is not truly stainable, Adams advised.

Many want quick fixes to weight loss. “They want to go vegan or vegetarian simply to lose weight, yet chicken and fish are their favorite foods. I remind patients that they do not have to completely eliminate any of their favorite foods to achieve their health goals. In fact, I encourage

them not to.”

The most important goal is a healthy diet and regular physical activity.

“It can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, as well as strengthen bone, muscles, and joints,” Adams said.

Regular exercise and proper nutrition “have been shown to improve levels of happiness, increase energy levels, and increase your chances of living longer. It can also improve sleeping habits and sleep quality and

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Her primary recommendation is that overweight service members should cook their meals at home or eat at their installation’s dining facility where there are freshly cooked hot meals and other healthy foods available three times a day.

Avoid meal delivery services, Roberts suggested. During the Covid-19 pandemic “we’ve created a new culture of fast food and delivery service” that leads to unhealthy eating, she said.

TRAVIS TAILWIND 11

“People struggle the most about how to have food that is nutritious, easy to have on hand, and easy to prepare during busy weeknight schedules,” she said..

Her most important component, she said, is to encourage small goals that are modifiable but consistent.

For instance, she makes her patients’ first goal to lose 5% of their body weight. “I deal with people who weigh 220 or 230 pounds. When they calculate how many pounds to lose to get

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Keeping a healthy body weight is correlated with all those components and is essential for long term health, fitness and personal readiness. help you build a stronger immune system,” she said.

Changing Bad Habits Dietitian Leah Roberts said she tries to “reframe” her patients’ triggers for bad nutrition that can contribute to weight gain. Roberts is a licensed dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at the Army’s Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center at Fort

Too much work and afterwork or after-school activities frequently lead to settling for comfort foods or convenience foods because there just doesn’t seem to be time to shop for healthy foods, Roberts said.

Her second recommendation is to “avoid sodas, juices and sweet tea.” They are full of sugar and empty calories.

Tip number three on Roberts” list: “Have a plan.”

to that first goal, they say, ‘I can do this.’”

Psychological Aspects of Weight Loss Nutrition is a key component to maintaining a healthy body weight. But experts say it’s a mistake to fixate solely on your diet.

There are a host of mental and psychological factors that impact

weight, and getting those aspects of your lifestyle and fitness program on track can make all the difference in your long-term success.

Dr. Natasha Schvey, assistant professor of medical and clinical psychology at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, says the best approach to improving your health is one that takes into account both mind and body.

“I actually think it’s more important to focus on addressing some of the other possible targets of weight management rather than weight loss specifically – things like physical activity, addressing disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, such as crash dieting, reducing body dissatisfaction, and trying to improve ‘intuitive eating,’ which is essentially re-learning to eat according to your internal hunger and fullness cues,” said Schvey.

There is often the misconception that weight loss is a reflection of willpower or discipline – basically, that you can’t lose weight because you don’t want to or you’re not trying hard enough.

“It’s really important to realize that significant weight loss is very, very difficult to maintain psychologically and physiologically,” she said. “Even the best treatments aren’t particularly effective in the long run. That being said, even small amounts of weight loss can be accompanied by tangible and important health gains and benefits.”

She recommended that people “reframe the approach.”

Individuals often adopt weight management plans or programs with an “all or nothing” attitude.

“Rather than thinking, ‘I’m on a diet,’ or, ‘I’m off a diet,’ or, ‘I’m going to start a diet on this particular day’ – instead try to adopt approaches that are more sustainable in the long-term,” Schvey explained. “Also remember that weight is something that is largely controlled by factors that may not be within our control like genetics.”

See HEALTHY Page 13

12 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022

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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

July 22, 2022

Healthy From Page 11 “There are obvious physical components to this, but weight can be a very fickle friend or foe,” said Schvey.

Time to Get Professional Help?

If you’ve struggled unsuccessfully to lose weight in the past, it might be time to try getting some

professional help.

A trained nutritionist can help you reach your goals by designing a personalized plan based on your health status, your individual needs, and your lifestyle.

When it comes to obesity, for example, a registered dietitian understands “it’s a disease, just like any other disease,” said Snyder, the Air Force nutrition consultant.

Additionally, registered dietitians are “educated in helping individuals tweak their normal dietary intake and give them

Dietitians and nutritionists can help you to modify habits in a healthy, achievable way. And depending on each patient’s

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Tools of the Trade

TRAVIS TAILWIND 13

goals, professionals can provide different types of support and education.

“Some patients are interested in learning how to read food labels. Some are interested in creating mutually agreeable dietary goals that they can try on a day-to-day basis. Some are interested in obtaining meal plans.

Some want custom meal plans, and some just need accountability and regular feedback from a professional on how they are eating,” Goldberg said.

Embarking on a weight loss

journey with professional guidance also means looking at your current habits and understanding where you want to be and why, Snyder said.

“When beginning treatment with a patient, one of the first things I take into consideration is where the individual is currently in their weight loss journey, their individual motivation and other factors that may or may not impact their ability to make changes,” she said. “Sometimes

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14 TRAVIS TAILWIND

CLASSIFIEDS

July 22, 2022

TRAVIS

July 22, 2022

Healthy From Page 13 that’s not even a nutrition-related problem.”

To remain in check, Goldberg recommends service members see a registered dietitian to assess their current dietary intake and habits, eating a diet consistent with the plate model, and exercising between 150-300 minutes per week.

What TRICARE Can Do For You Keeping a healthy weight can be challenging, but it’s worth the effort. And with the right support, it’s possible. Whether you’re active duty, retiree, or a family member, you can work with a health care provider.

They can help you understand your weight and its impact on your health, and get you started

toward diet and exercise goals to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

“Not only can carrying extra body weight impact your mobility and joint health,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Heidi Clark, chief of the Nutritional Medicine Clin-

disease, sleep apnea, lower back pain, depression, and fatigue.”

Here are some of the services TRICARE covers and tips to help you with weight management:

Treatment for Obesity

If you meet specific conditions, TRICARE covers inten“Embarking on a weight loss sive, multicomponent behavioral interventions for obesity. These journey with professional services promote sustained guidance also means looking at weight loss (12 to 26 sessions in a year). A TRICARE-authorized your current habits and provider, like a physician or a dietitian who’s workunderstanding where you want registered ing under the supervision of a physician, must provide these to be and why” weight loss services for TRI— Lt. Col. Tracy Snyder, CARE to cover them. nutrition consultant To qualify for these services, you must be: n An adult with a Body Mass ical Support Service at the Defense Health Agency. “Being Index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or overweight or obese puts you higher n A child or adolescent with a at risk for serious health conditions, like diabetes, heart BMI value greater than the 95th

TRAVIS TAILWIND 15 percentile Services include, but aren’t limited to: n Behavioral management activities like setting weight-loss goals n Guidance regarding physical activity and dietary changes n Strategies to maintain lifestyle changes n Addressing your personal barriers to change n Teaching you self-monitoring behaviors to track your weight loss progress TRICARE also covers surgical obesity treatment for non-active duty service members. This includes gastric bypass surgery and other surgeries for weight loss. But you must meet certain conditions for TRICARE to cover. You can go to the Bariatric Surgery page on TRICARE.mil to see the list of covered services. And you can find the medical conditions which may make weight loss surgery medically appropriate for you.

Seeing a Registered Dietitian or Nutritionist TRICARE covers medically necessary services and supplies from registered dietitians and nutritionists. They must have a license from the state where you get the care. They must also be working under the supervision of a physician. Here are some examples of conditions that may benefit from medical nutrition therapy (also medical nutrition counseling) sessions provided by a registered dietitian or nutritionist: Obesity, elevated blood lipids/high cholesterol, diabetes, anemia, irritable bowel syndrome, and eating disorders.

For more on what TRICARE can cover, visit the TRICARE. mil to review coverage of weight management services available to beneficiaries.

16 TRAVIS TAILWIND

July 22, 2022