Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

Members of Team Hill's Thrift Shop and the Golden Spike Dog Obedience Club traveled to the 75th Security Forces Military Working Dog's kennel on base recently to see their donations in action.

The annual Martin Luther King Jr. luncheon Wednesday featured four different presentations apart from the guest speaker, Carolyn Smith. Its theme was: "The Dream Realized"

"I think today was excellent," said Smith, the Center Scientist and Engineer Workforce Development Branch chief, of the event. "The presentations added some additional inspiration to the luncheon."

Community was key at Saturday's Deployed Spouses Meet and Greet that 75th Air Base Wing Key Spouses put on.

The event served as a community builder for Team Hill's spouses as they came to meet not only other spouses dealing with deployments of their loved one, but also the bases' leadership. Colonels, first shirts and chiefs alike all came to the Airman and Family Readiness Center to rub elbows with the spouses and share a meal together.

This is part 1 of a four-part series involving the four members of the Team Hill community who won the Ogden ALC 2012 AFA Outstanding Air Force Civilian Employees of the Year award.

The windstorm on Dec. 1 reaped $500,000 in damage. But the damage could have been worse if Chris Shipman didn't see it coming.

Shipman, a meteorological technician in the 75th Operational Support Squadron, saw the storm four days out and recognized its powerful features. The next day, he issued a weather advisory.

Tucked away behind the Arts and Crafts Center lies an inconspicuous door next to a row of garages. To most, it could pass as just another base maintenance shop. But behind the little sign on the door that reads, "Auto Hobby Shop," lies a car lover's dream.

The shop holds just about every tool and mechanism to get a car into tip-top shape, and with newly installed lifts to boot.

"They really can do anything they want," Arts and Crafts Manager David Ovard said of the place's customers.

The buzzer rang and the score was settled at 11,689 to 9,765, the blue team toppled the white by almost two-thousand points. The world's longest basketball game was over, the record set, and a group of 22 players, two lost to injury earlier, limped off the court, smiling.

The game started Dec. 26 and finished last Friday, Dec. 30, at 10 p.m. in front of a crowd of supporters, 109 hours had been clocked. Breaking the world record wasn't the only motive behind the grueling game. Its driving force was raising funds and awareness for the Fallen Heroes Scholarship Foundation.

Beginning in October 2007 with one Wingman Advocate, the Hill Air Force Base program grew to 13 advocates by October 2009.

Wingman Advocates provide resources, referrals and support to employees. The advocates are embedded within the organizations to allow ready access and availability to anyone who might not know where to turn for valuable information, especially in times of crisis.

Team Hill's Junior Force Council hosted a member of the Air Force's Senior Executive Service last week for an hourlong lunch at the Landing (formerly known as Club Hill).

Debra Tune, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics, stopped in to dine and talk with the group of about 30 JFC members. Tune asked everyone to introduce themselves and spoke briefly about issues facing the civiliam work force, emphasizing also the importance of mentoring.

“Thank you” was the theme of the Combined Federal Campaign breakfast held the morning of Dec. 5. In addition to thanking all the key workers for the campaign, the campaign’s chairwoman, Peggy Facer, implemented the first Early Bird Award to the Team Hill organization that achievedits giving goal by Oct. 26.

The campaign raked in close to $4,000 more than the previous year, totaling $1,138,775. Pledges will begin to go out to charities in January, with more than 1,000 charities participating in the campaign.

Team Hill's Deputy Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, or SARC, recently returned from Iraq leaving it a better place for the service members who deployed there.

Capt. Rita Nolan is the Hill AFB Deputy Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, or SARC. Nolan's main duty is to deploy as a SARC, which she did Sept. 11, 2010, to March 13, 2011, with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. During her time in Iraq, Nolan set new standards for incoming SARCs. In late September, Nolan was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for her accomplishments while deployed.