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VOL. 45 NO. 42OCTOBER 21, 2005Superintendentchange ofcommand setfor MondayLt. Gen. John Regni becomes theAcademy’s 17th Superintendent duringa change of command ceremonyMonday on the Terrazzo by the ClassWall at 10 a.m.General Regni arrives to theAcademy from duties as commanderof the Air University, Maxwell AirForce Base, Ala.The outgoing Superintendent, Lt.Gen. John Rosa, is retiring and willbecome President of The Citadel.General Regni was commissionedin the Air Force following graduationfrom the Academy in 1973; receiveda Master of Science degree in systemsmanagement from St. Mary’sUniversity, San Antonio, Texas in1981; attended the Air Command andStaff College in 1984 and the Air WarCollee in 1990 at Maxwell AFB, Ala.General Regni graduated fromthe 1993 Advanced ManagementProgram, University of Illinois, and1997’s Capstone, National DefenseUniversity, Fort Lesley J. McNair,Washington, D.C.His career has spanned personnel,training and command assignments,and he has served at base, numberedair force, major command, air staff andjoint unified command levelsthroughout the United States, Koreaand Hawaii.Photo by Mr. John StaubDeterminationAcademy firefighter, Mr. Lance Gore, makes strenuous efforts on the “hose pull” during last weekend’s U.S.National Firefighter Combat Challenge in Atlanta. The five-member Academy team ran the relay race for the firsttime and is now ranked ninth in the world. See story, Page 5.Dental clinic to refer patients off-baseBy Eddie KovskyAcademy Spirit staffLt. Gen. John RegniInsideCommentary . . . . . . . . . Pages 2-3News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 4-12Feature . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 13-17Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . Pages 18-21Community . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22In order to ensure active duty Airmenassigned to the Academy receive timelydental care, some patients may bereferred off base to a civilian dentist fortreatment.“Emergency leave, unexpected separation and deployments have contributedto the fact that the squadron cannotprovide all the care needed in a timelymanner,” said Col. Nancy Perry, 10thDental Squadron commander.Military members assigned to theAcademy will continue to receive theirannual dental examination at the dentalclinic. However, depending upon theirindividual needs and the clinic’s accessto care, their follow-up dental treatmentmay be referred downtown to civilianpractices.“Our access to care will be the benchmark when deciding who we can treat inhouse and who needs to go downtown,”said Colonel Perry. “We want to empha-size that the dental treatment completedin the civilian dentist offices will bepreauthorized, meaning it will beapproved and directed by the examiningdentist here. This is not license for ouractive duty members to run to theirfamily members’ dentist and have theirteeth bleached, have all their teethveneered or to get the braces they havealways wanted compliments of UncleSam.”Who is sent downtown and wherethey go will be worked on a case-by-casebasis. Active duty members sent downtown will be carefully briefed and givena confirmed appointment with directions to the offices. Because of theirschedules and lack of transportation,cadets will continue to be treated at thecadet dental clinic.Only those procedures that the examining dentist feels need to be done andare appropriate for the individual patientwill be authorized and paid for by thegovernment. Payment for servicesrendered by the civilian dentist are routedthrough the Military Medical SupportOffice, which bypasses the patient andwill appear seamless to them whereverthey are treated.However, active duty members andtheir supervisors are cautioned thatmissing a dental appointment could costthem some money. The MMSO will notpay civilian dentists for time wasted ifa patient fails to appear for a scheduleddental appointment. Close coordinationbetween active duty patients and theirsupervisors must be stressed.It is not unusual for a base to sendactive duty military patients to civiliandentists for care that cannot be providedon base in a timely manner. Last year,the Department of Defense sent 22,713patients from all services to civiliandentists. Of the Air Force bases in the U.S.territories, only Andersen, Barksdale,the Pentagon, Travis and the Academyhave not routinely used this option.“We are hopeful that this will onlybe utilized for a limited period of time,”said Colonel Perry.
2COMMENTARYAcademy SpiritOctober 21, 2005General Rosa leaves keys to AcademyOpenness, honestyunlock doorsto Academy’s futureBy Wayne AmannAcademy Spirit staffCiting with pride his tenure as the Academy’s 16thSuperintendent as one of openness and honesty toaccomplish positive change, Lt. Gen. John Rosaaddressed the media for the final time Monday duringa roundtable discussion here.The 45-minute forum spanned a variety of challenges General Rosa met, and the Academy will continueto address, under the leadership of his successor, Lt.Gen. John Regni.General Regni assumes the duties as Superintendentduring a change of command ceremony Monday at 10a.m., on the Terrazzo by the Class Wall.General Rosa opened the media roundtable with aprepared statement, then fielded questions fromreporters.“This two-and-a-half years has probably been thebiggest challenge for me and my family,” the generalbegan. “The flip side is that it’s been the most rewardingassignment of our 32-years.”General Rosa said they arrived here during somevery difficult times, in the middle of the institution’sgreatest challenge in its 50-year history, commonlyreferred to as the sexual assault crisis.“We hit the ground running with a new team,” theSuperintendent recalled. “But the team pulled together,and for the first 18 months it was a whirlwind, challenge after challenge, each day. I’m really proud of theway our team stepped up.”During the past two 1/2 years, the Academy underwent 13 reviews, some internal, but most of themexternal, including audits and inspections. Scrutinycame from Congress, the Air Force and the public.From 2003 to now, Academy officials conducted27 news conferences, 83 interviews with senior leadersfrom around the country, nearly 800 news releases andmore than 2,300 responses to query.“It has been tough,” General Rosa admitted. “Thisis not a perfect institution. I was proud of the institution when I got here and am just as proud of it now thatI’m leaving.”He said the Academy was up front to work its challenges, shortcomings and problems very transparently.“One of the first things I told the media when I gothere was we would be honest, and when times gottough, we’d step up and meet those challenges,” thegeneral said with pride. “We’ve done that. We’ve developed programs and initiatives that are now benchmarksfor others around the country.”The Academy’s sexual assault response team hasbeen adopted by the Air Force and General Rosa expectsthe Department of Defense will adopt a program likethe Academy’s as well.“We set in motion a unique culture change, one thatDirectorate of Public Affairs mission:To responsibly inform and educate theAcademy community and the public about theAir Force AcademyLt. Gen. John Rosa — Academy SuperintendentLt. Col. Laurent J. Fox — Director of Public Affairs2nd Lt. John Ross — Chief of Internal InformationStaff Sgt. Monte Volk — NCOIC of Internal InformationButch Wehry — Editorwhalen.wehry@usafa.af.milWayne Amann — Staff Writerwayne.amann@usafa.af.milEddie Kovsky — Staff Writeredward.kovsky@usafa.af.milDenise Navoy — Graphic DesignerPhotos by Joel StrayerLt. Gen. John Rosa addresses local reporters for the final time as Academy Superintendent Mondayafternoon, during a media roundtable discussion.was long overdue here. We didn’t do this in a vacuum,”he explained. “We visited West Point, the Naval Academy,the Merchant Marine and Coast Guard academies todevelop a hybrid. We took the very best from the bestinstitutions we could find.”During the first year of the Academy’s educationand training program, alleged sexual assaults decreasedalmost 50 percent.“It’s not enough, we all know that. This is not a destination, it’s a long journey, and we’ll continue thatjourney,” General Rosa pledged.“It’s been a privilege to be part of this great team,as the 16th Superintendent of the Academy. For 32years our family has served this great nation, and I’mproud to say I’ll continue to serve in uniform, althoughin a retired capacity, as the President of The Citadel inCharleston, South Carolina.”Academy Spirit: What is your perception of howAmerica views the Academy today?General Rosa: “As I travel around the country,you find a mixed bag. You go to certain areas andpeople haven’t heard anything, negative or positive, aboutthe Air Force Academy. But the overwhelming majorityThe Academy Spirit is published byColorado Springs Military Newspaper Group, aprivate firm in no way connected with the U.S.Air Force, under exclusive written contract withthe U.S. Air Force Academy. This civilian enterprise Air Force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the U.S. military services. Contents of the Academy Spirit are notnecessarily the official views of, or endorsed by,the U.S. government, the Department of Defenseor the Department of the Air Force.The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, doesnot constitute endorsement by the Department ofDefense, the Department of the Air Force, orColorado Springs Military Newspaper Group, ofof the folks I talk to appreciate the fact we’ve been openand honest. One of our big challenges was to restoretrust and confidence in the Academy, internally amongcadets, parents, faculty and staff. We’ve set the foundation to do that. Another challenge was to restore thetrust and confidence of folks around the country.According to the people I’ve met and talked to we’rewell on our way to doing that. We’re not there, we’vegot a ways to go, but with the kind of progress we’vemade in the first couple of years, staying the course isthe key getting this institution back to that next levelof excellence.”Academy Spirit: What will you bring to the tableat the Citadel that you learned at the Academy?General Rosa: “First is the open and honestapproach. We will take this to our alma mater the sameway we did here. I have not had the opportunity to digin and find out what’s going on with The Citadel. For10 years now women have come to The Citadel. In those10 years we’ve grown from zero to about 6 percentfemales. Day-to-day issues, what’s going on there, I don’thave that clue since I’ve been busy here. But, I’ll bring thethe products or services advertised. Everythingadvertised in this publication shall be madeavailable for purchase, use or patronage withoutregard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation or any other nonmerit factor of thepurchaser, user or patron. The printer reservesthe right to reject any advertisements.Editorial content is edited, prepared and provided by the U.S. Air Force Academy Directorateof Public Affairs. The editor reserves the rightto edit articles to conform to Air Force policyand Associated Press style. All photos are U.S.Air Force photos unless otherwise indicated.See ROSA, Page 3SubmissionsSend submissions to: HQ USAFA/PAI, 2304Cadet Drive, Suite 318, U.S. Air Force Academy, CO80840-5016 or deliver to Suite 318 in Harmon Hall.Deadline for free classified ads on a spaceavailable basis is 12 noon every Tuesday for thatweek’s publication date. Paid advertising is accepted by the publisher at 634-5905.Deadline for all stories is noon Friday, oneweek prior to the desired publication date. Referquestions to the Academy Spirit staff at 333-7557.The staff also accepts story submissions byfax (333-4094) or by e-mail (pa.newspaper@usafa.af.mil).
3COMMENTARYAcademy SpiritOctober 21, 2005RosaSenator pays tribute to SuperintendentFrom Page 2same kind of leadership style. You don’t change muchfrom job to job. I don’t know what issues are there but we’llcertainly take an A to Z scrub and figure out where TheCitadel is going to go in the 21st century.”Academy Spirit: How will it feel to lead your almamater?General Rosa: “It’s kind of surreal. I’ve only been backonce, when Donna and I did the interview. It was kind ofstrange because she and I started dating my sophomore yearthere. We got married in the chapel when we graduated.Walking around the campus we looked at each other,laughed and said did you ever think you’d be walkingaround here as the future president? It’s a pretty goodfeeling.”Editor’s note: The following are excerpts fromremarks made by Colorado Senator Wayne Allard, andAcademy Board of Visitors member, on the Senate flooron Sept 30.Mr. President,I rise today to pay tribute to the 32 years of outstandingmilitary service Lt. Gen. John Rosa has given our Nation.Yet, as I think General Rosa might readily admit,his most difficult assignment began when he became theSuperintendent of the Academy. Under ordinary circumstances, overseeing the academic progress and militarytraining of more than 4,000 cadets can be a challengingexperience. Unfortunately for General Rosa, he came tothe Academy under anything but ordinary circumstances.Despite these circumstances, General Rosa didnot hesitate to take action. He invited outside investigative organizations to come to the Academy and reviewthe institution’s policies and procedures for addressingsexual assaults. He opened up the Academy and its cadetsto the media, to Congress, and to the school’s board ofvisitors. Most importantly, General Rosa admitted thatthe Academy had a very serious problem and that sweepingit under the rug was not an acceptable response.Under General Rosa’s leadership, the Academy isnow a source of guidance for other military academiesand universities. Indeed, the Department of Defense isnow turning to the Academy for direction on how toformulate the Department’s sexual assault and religiousexpression policies.I also commend his family for standing by him ashe worked tirelessly to repair and strengthen the reputation of one of America’s premier training institutions.Thank you for the opportunity to honor the serviceof one of America’s finest military officers. I wish GeneralRosa and his family the best as he begins his new careeras President of The Citadel.3 & " 4 0 / / 6 . # & 3 " DIFDLJOH BDDPVOUCBMBODFE GPS UIF XBZ ZPV MJWF /PU UIF PUIFS XBZ BSPVOE &WFSZPOF IBT B EJõFSFOU HPBM JO NJOE XIFO DIPPTJOH B DIFDLJOH BDDPVOU 5IBU T XIZ PVS DIFDLJOH BDDPVOUT DPNF XJUI UIF FYUSB GFBUVSFT ZPV OFFE UP RVJDLMZ BOE FBTJMZ NBOBHF ZPVS NPOFZ o TVDI BT B GSFF 7JTB IFDL BSE GSFF F4UBUFNFOUT BOE VOMJNJUFE DIFDL XSJUJOH UP OBNF B GFX "MM XJUI OP SFRVJSFE NJOJNVN CBMBODF "OE TJODF XF LOPX IPX JNQPSUBOU DPOWFOJFODF JT XF BMTP PõFS GSFF POMJOF CBOLJOH BOE B GSFF EBZ USJBM QFSJPE GPS PVS #JMM 1BZ TFSWJDF #JMM 1BZ JT UPUBMMZ GSFF XIFO ZPV VTF %JSFDU %FQPTJU 4P OPX ZPV MM CF BCMF UP PSHBOJ[F BOE NBOBHF ZPVS mOBODFT XIFOFWFS BOE XIFSFWFS ZPV XBOU "OE UIBU T KVTU POF NPSF SFBTPO XIZ &OU JT XIFSF ZPV CFMPOH tt'PS NPSF JOGPSNBUJPO BCPVU &OU JODMVEJOH IPX UP CFDPNF B NFNCFS TUPQ CZ UIF OFBSFTU &OU 4FSWJDF FOUFS DBMM PS PS WJTJU &OU DPN UPEBZ , , #) " #) ( ""*# ) ' ) ' ' ) *# # &* ! %% ' )*# ) # ' , ' !! #(*' , - #) ' ! ' ) # # #) ( )' # " #) ' ! ' ) # #
4NEWSAcademy SpiritOctober 21, 2005POW/MIA flag honors Academy’s historyBy Eddie KovskyAcademy Spirit staffA Prisoner of War/Missing in Action flag isnow flying beneath the U.S. flag in the cadet areato acknowledge those Academy graduates whowere prisoners of war and those who have neverreturned from combat.The flag was officially acknowledged witha moment of silence during the Oct. 12 cadetwing parade and retreat.The POW/MIA flag will fly whenever theAmerican flag is up.Retired Lt. Col. Ted Curtis convinced theAcademy to start flying the flag to remind cadetsof their military heritage.“For cadets it’s about teaching them tradition and heritage,” said Colonel Curtis. “TheAcademy has at least one Medal of Honor winnerwho was a POW. There are enormous stories ofcourage there that the wing should be awareof.”Colonel Curtis graduated from The Citadelin 1964 and was commissioned into the AirForce. As a fighter pilot, he flew 332 combatmissions in Vietnam.“History dictates that if you flew in Vietnamthere were a lot of POWs,” said Colonel Curtis.“There were about 50 Academy grads who wereMIA in that war, and I miss greatly the ones whoare still unaccounted for.”Colonel Curtis had already convinced hisalma mater to fly the POW/MIA flag beforebringing up the idea with senior leaders at theAcademy. West Point will soon fly the flag aswell.‘he Academies, teach history to cadets whomake the history we teach, said Colonel Curtis.Photo by Staff Sgt. Monte VolkCOMMUNITYM AT T E R SSERVE YOUR HOMETOWN AS A MEMBEROF THE AIR NATIONAL GUARDAs an active and integral part of our communities, the Air National Guard isalways there – in the best of times and the worst of times. While you may bethinking of returning to civilian life, your experience and leadership qualities arestill very much needed by your hometown Air Force – the Air National Guard.In return for your part-time service, the Air National Guard will Count time served on active duty toward your Air Guard retirement Recognize the military rank you held at time of active duty discharge Offer additional training in your field or a completely new career Provide eligibility for the VA Home Loan Program Reinstate many of your active duty military benefitsEnter a new era of military service.1-800-TO-GO-ANGwww.GoANG.comAMERICAIR NATIONAL GUARDCall 1-800-864-6264 today for1-800-TO-GO-ANGwww.GoANG.commore information.ANSATTHEIRBEST
5Academy SpiritOctober 21, 2005Team USAFA competes with nation’s bestBy the Academy Spirit staffFive Academy firefighters competed in the U.S.National Firefighter Combat Challenge in Atlanta, Oct. 1415. Team USAFA ran the relay and team competitions inthe “Super Bowl” for firefighters.Team USAFA consisted of Mr. Pat Kraft, team captain;Staff Sgt. William Gates, Mr. Hans Barkley, Mr. Lance Goreand Mr. Roy Dalton.In the relay competition, each Team USAFA firefighter ran a portion of the course that simulates the physical demands of real life firefighting by competing on alinked series of five back-to-back tasks, which are:- Climb a five story tower carrying a 42-pound firehose;- Pull another 42-pound fire hose up five stories, usingupper-body strength;- Move a 175-pound steel beam f ive feet, byswinging a 9-pound shot mallet;- Run 140 feet, then drag a fire hose 75 feet and hit avolleyball-sized target with water;- Drag a life-size, 175-pound, “victim” 100 feet whilewalking backward.On Sunday, they ran the entire course individually, saidErnst Piercy, Academy Fire and Emergency Services chief.“We finished in fifth place during the relay competition,” said Mr. Piercy. “This was the first time we hadever competed in this event.”Team USAFA ran against the second best team in thenation, team DoD Fire Academy, the Department ofDefense Fire School, during the quarterfinals, and wereactually in the lead when Staff Sgt. Gates, carrying the lifesized victim, tripped a mere 10 feet from the finish line.“Our relay time, (1:17:57), ranks us ninth in the world,”Mr. Piercy said. “Not bad, considering this is our firsttime running this event.”Mr. Kraft was on pace for a personal best in Sunday’steam competition, but fell.Team USAFA still finished 16th out of 25 in the teamcompetition that featured the nation’s best teams.Team USAFA firefighter’s times were:Staff Sgt. Gates 1:44:23Mr. Barkley 1:55:79Mr. Gore: 1:59:61Mr. Dalton 2:03:71Mr. Kraft 2:28:79 (He was at the final portion of thecourse, carrying the life-sized victim, at 1:20, when he fell).
Oct 21, 2005 · Dental Squadron commander. Military members assigned to the Academy will continue to receive their annual dental examination at the dental clinic. However, depending upon their individual needs and the clinic’s access to care, their follow-up dental treatment may be referred downtown to c
