Net Zero Focus of Military Forum

MILITARY AFFAIRS FORUM

FEATURING: JBLM AND “NET ZERO” PILOT PROGRAMS
Event Speaker: Col. Tommy Brittain, Garrison Commander

The Army announced JBLM as one of its pilot net zero installations. As part of the Army's overall effort to conserve precious resources, net zero installations will consume only as much energy or water as they produce and eliminate solid waste to landfills.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord was selected as a pilot net zero water installation which will limit the consumption of freshwater resources and returns water back to the same watershed so as not to deplete the groundwater and surface water resources of that region in quantity and quality over the course of a year.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord was also selected as a net zero waste installation for reducing, reusing and recovering waste streams, converting them to resource values with zero landfill over the course of a year.

The announcement initiates the programmatic environmental analysis and planning process for the Army's Net Zero Installation Strategy. Specifics for projects and initiatives will be determined through a programmatic environmental analysis which will include public engagement and stakeholder outreach.

ALSO FEATURING: THE CONNECTORY
By: Gary Hanson, Regional Coordinator, Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition

The Connectory is an industry database focused on the manufacturing capacity in the Pacific Northwest. There are over 3,000 firms in the database and it is open to the public. The database includes detailed information on the firms, their capacity, etc. Using the Connectory, firms can locate potential subcontractors with specific capacities. The PNDC was responsible for building and managing the Connectory under a grant from the Defense Logistics Agency.

Date & Time: WEDNESDAY, May 11, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Place: La Quinta Inn, La Quinta Inn, 1425 E. 27th St., Tacoma 98421
Price: $15.00 pre-paid after May 9; $20.00 walk-ins/at the door
Information: Gary Brackett,  (253) 627.2175, ext. 120
RSVP: DUE 12 noon, March 6 (Friday)
REGISTER HERE.

Military Vets Jobs Expo

Noteworthies with a Local Link

On Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced that the President made the nomination of:

Air Force Brig. Gen. Rowayne A. Schatz Jr. has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general. Schatz is currently serving as the director, strategic plans, requirements and programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill.

BG Schatz is a former Commander, 62nd AW, McChord AFB.

Armed Forces Day Weekend

Local Named National Vet Small Business Champ

Darrel Bowman has been named National Veteran Small Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Darrel Bowman of Tacoma served in the U.S. Coast Guard before becoming an entrepreneur, community leader, humanitarian, and veteran’s advocate. He is known for his strong belief that “what is good for our veterans is good for our country.”

The Chamber had selected Darrel for its first Vet-Owned Business of the Year in 2010 at the annual Spotlight on Business Awards Event. Darrel will receive the national award at ceremonies in Washington, D.C. May 20. Darrel enthusiastically says: “This is really cool. Wendy and I can make it, besides they said I may get to shake President Obama’s hand. Now that’s WAY cool! We now have the air and hotel reservations and are meeting (son) Justin in WA DC as he takes leave from his EOD Unit to join us in that celebration too!”

“Darrel Bowman is a dynamic community leader who helps grow the regional economy while supporting fellow veterans and military retirees. His high degree of integrity, responsibility, and commitment to community causes, veteran issues, and the promotion of veteran business initiatives is what merited him this prestigious recognition - SBA’s 2011 Veteran Business Champion award at the Washington state, Region 10 (WA, OR, ID, AK) , and National level,” said Regional Administrator, Calvin Goings.

Bowman’s foray into entrepreneurship flourished after he joined AppTech in 1999. Bowman eventually became the sole owner of AppTech, which he renamed mynetworkcompany.com in 2005. mynetworkcompany.com specializes in providing managed technology service solutions for a variety of industry companies, local governments, state agencies and federal departments. All this is accomplished while by providing proactive network and server maintenance, implementing IT best practices, providing unlimited remote & unlimited on site reactive computer support and providing a dedicated person to work with each organization as they plan their technology upgrades and budgets, all for a fixed monthly fee.

“As a veteran, Bowman knows firsthand that individuals with military experience tend to exhibit incredible tenacity and work ethic, outstanding leadership and teamwork skills, and a great sense of honor, respect and duty. Despite this, there are barriers that former military members face in the job market. To combat this phenomenon, Bowman - himself a disabled veteran - makes hiring veterans and current active duty IT personnel a priority in his company,” says Nancy Porzio, SBA Seattle District Director.

Bowman believes the military education, skills and training each veteran receives while in the Service are a hidden treasure to any business in need of dependable quality and dedicated employees. Bowman advocates for all military branches to identify direct links from the education received in the Service to correlating civilian certifications, degrees and credits.

To serve as a strong proponent of legislative and regulatory action to boost veteran-owned business access to state and federal government contracting opportunities, Bowman stays actively involved with community, congressional, senate leaders and the State Department of Veteran Affairs. He advocated for new legislation promoting the use of veteran and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses as a percentage of the contracted services in Washington state government. State senate bill 5041 established a veteran-owned business registry which is quickly becoming the veteran business “yellow pages.” State senate bill 5253 encourages state agency use of veteran-owned businesses for contracted services and products. He also participated in Senator Patty Murray’s Pierce County Veteran Employment Roundtable to help shape proposed veteran employment legislation.

Applying his expertise to benefit educational programs for veterans and the general public, Bowman has constructed several vital curricula for college technology programs, serves on Congressman Adam Smith’s Technology Advisory Council, and chaired the South Sound IT and Emerging Technology Skills Advisory Panel. Additionally, he is the current President of the WA Coalition of Veteran and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses.

AUSA Golf Tourney Fore!OURTROOPS

Australia Orders Another C-17

Air Force Magazine Online reports Australia has signed the agreement with the US government to acquire a fifth C-17 transport via a foreign military sale, announced C-17 manufacturer Boeing. Boeing delivered Australia's four C-17s between 2006 and 2008.

"Boeing thanks the RAAF, a C-17 customer since 2006, for its confidence in the airlifter's capabilities," said Bob Ciesla, C-17 program manager for Boeing. "We salute the RAAF and its crews, who helped save lives in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. We are proud to serve as their partner." Already this year, RAAF C-17s have supported disaster-relief efforts in Japan and New Zealand as well as at home after floods ravaged parts of Queensland.

The additional airframe will bolster the Royal Australian Air Force's ability to support international humanitarian-support and disaster-relief missions. Due to the RAAF's pressing need for more airlift capacity, the US Air Force has approved Australia's request to receive the new C-17 in August, according to Boeing. The aircraft will be assigned to RAAF Base Amberley, near Brisbane, home of 36 Squadron, which operates the country's C-17 force.

JBLM Designated for Two Net Zero Centers

The Army announced yesterday the locations identified to be pilot net zero installations. As part of the Army's overall effort to conserve precious resources, net zero installations will consume only as much energy or water as they produce and eliminate solid waste to landfills.

The announcement initiates the programmatic environmental analysis and planning process for the Army's Net Zero Installation Strategy. Specifics for projects and initiatives will be determined through a programmatic environmental analysis which will include public engagement and stakeholder outreach.

"The Army has identified six net zero pilot installations in each of the energy, water, and waste categories and two integrated installations striving towards net zero by 2020. This is a significant step in addressing the Army's sustainability and energy security challenges," said Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, who made the announcement at the opening session of the annual Association of United States Army Installation Command Symposium. "Striving for net zero is operationally necessary, financially prudent, and critical to our mission."

Joint Base Lewis-McChord was selected as a pilot net zero water installation which will limit the consumption of freshwater resources and returns water back to the same watershed so as not to deplete the groundwater and surface water resources of that region in quantity and quality over the course of a year.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord was also selected as a net zero waste installation for reducing, reusing, and recovering waste streams, converting them to resource values with zero landfill over the course of a year.

JBLM was not chosen as a net zero energy installation, which would produce as much energy on site as it uses, over the course of a year. The Oregon Army National Guard volunteered to pilot a unique and challenging Net Zero Energy Initiative, which includes all of their installations across the state. This strategy will be included in the environmental analysis.

Two installations were selected to be integrated net zero installations: Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Carson, Colo. A net zero installation is comprised of three interrelated components: net zero energy, net zero water, and net zero waste.

Hammack said the installations will become centers of environmental and energy excellence as they participate in the Net Zero Installation Strategy programmatic environmental planning process, showcase best management practices, and demonstrate effective resource management. Further, they will establish a framework of reduction, re-purposing, recycling and composting, energy recovery, and disposal to guide them towards achieving net zero in an environmentally responsible, cost-effective and efficient manner.

As part of the pilot, the installations will also participate in a kick-off meeting in June to receive training and showcase their proposed strategies to achieve net zero. Each installation will participate in monthly conference calls and share experiences and lessons learned in newsletters and military and industry conferences. These installations will also participate in a programmatic environmental analysis and integrated planning process that will inform future decisions regarding impacts to resources throughout the Army's initiative. Public participation will be an integrated part of the process and part of the environmental planning process.

Three panels made the pilot installation recommendations from the 100 self-nominations (53 energy, 23 water, and 24 waste) received from 60 highly motivated installations managed by the Army National Guard, Army Materiel Command, Installation Management Command, Medical Command, Space and Missile Defense Command and the U.S. Army Reserve Command.

Installations that self-nominated for the pilot Net Zero Installation Initiative, but were not identified are highly encouraged to continue to strive towards net zero learning from the net zero journey of the pilot installations. In fiscal 2014 another 25 installations in each category will be asked to self-nominate to achieving net zero.

30th Annual Scott Citizen-Soldier Honored

Today, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is honored to present the 2011 Howard O. Scott Citizen-Soldier of the Year Award – this year to an U.S. Air Force Reservist – to Lt. Col. Diego Wendt.

The event was held at the Kiwanis Club of Tacoma. Pictured (l to r) are George Cargill, Vice-Chair, Tacoma-Pierce County Chair, LC Diego Wendt, Sandy Roszman, Pres., Kiwanis Club of Tacoma.

Taking a leave from Boeing Company as an instructor pilot for the 737 and 777, Diego Wendt has flown for the past 18 months with the 97th Airlift Squadron, 446th Airlift Wing at JBLM-McChord Field.

Lt. Col. Wendt has deployed a total of 265 days, commanding resupply missions to Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Antarctica as well as deploying for a six month tour as the acting Director of Mobility Operations at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

Lt. Col. Wendt defines the word “service.” In 2005, Wendt and his wife Kim, co-founded 4US, an all-volunteer charity which raises money to buy ultrasound machines for crisis pregnancy centers. Since 2005, 4US has raised over $655,000 making possible the purchase of 15 ultrasound machines for centers across the state as well as providing the necessary staff training to operate each one. The first six machines were donated directly to pregnancy centers in Pierce County.

Each year, he organizes a single-day bike ride, run, walk and family fun festival hosted at Point Defiance Park. The event draws over a thousand participants from across the state and raises funds for 4US. Having outgrown the confines of Point Defiance Park, this year’s event is being held at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood.

Lt. Col. Wendt’s service does not end there.  Additionally:
• He is an active member of St Patrick’s Parish, serving as a lector and member of the Knights of Columbus;
• He organized and led a 10-member team in a week long effort to renovate a neighborhood widow’s home as she prepares to put the house on the market;
• He volunteers as a substitute “Spin Instructor” at the Downtown Tacoma YMCA.

Diego is also a supportive husband to his wife Kim (a Lt. Col. in the Washington ANG), and is an engaging father of four small children.

His children are taught the importance of service:
• Each has a role in 4US from stuffing envelopes to starring in the yearly promotional videos;
• The older children help serve pancakes at the Knights of Columbus breakfasts;
• They assist in the neighborhood home renovation effort;
• They collect toys and clothing for delivery to local crisis pregnancy centers;
• and they help prepare meals for families facing difficulties.

While the Wendt family serves their nation and community year-round, they place a high priority on maintaining family values. When Diego is not deployed, the family enjoys eating dinner together and attending Mass while ensuring “pajama days” and family vacations hold equal importance on a packed schedule.

A balanced life of service to country, community and family are the reasons behind this family’s success. Lieutenant Colonel Diego Wendt’s compassion, commitment and community impact in Pierce County and beyond makes him deserving of the Citizen-Soldier of the Year Award.

About Howard O. Scott
Each year, the Citizen-Soldier Award memorializes Howard Scott who grew up in Tacoma and served the nation when called upon during World War II—as part of “America’s Greatest Generation.” He returned to succeed as a banker in Tacoma, giving of his time to community service organizations, believing and enjoying this in his belief that doing so is one's responsibility.

JBLM Gets SecDef Environmental Award

The Department of Defense has announced the winners of the 2011 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards.

A panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the public has selected the following installations, teams, and individuals as the winners of this year's awards.  Leading the list is our own:

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
for Sustainability – Non-Industrial Installation

Each year since 1962, the Secretary of Defense has honored individuals, teams, and installations for their outstanding achievements to conserve and sustain the natural and cultural resources entrusted to the Department of Defense. A ceremony honoring the 2011 winners is planned for June 8, 2011, at the Pentagon.