Hilltop Times – Hill Air Force Base Weekly Newspaper Since 1948

April 10th through 16th is National Volunteer Week, and is the time for us to recognize and celebrate the dedication, time and hard work that more than 62 million volunteers give freely in this country every year. Hill Air Force Base and its surrounding communities are the recipients of many hours of this dedication, donated by our own civilian employees, active duty personnel and their dependents.

The Boston Marathon extends over 26 miles and 385 yards of hilly New England terrain. This run, which is the world's oldest annual marathon and one of the five World Marathon Majors, pits runners from all over the world against each other as they race from Hopkinton to Boston, Mass.

James Purtell, a police officer with the Department of the Air Force and retired 75th Security Forces Squadron master sergeant, intends to conquer this lengthy stretch of road on April 18.

“Nobody ever wishes to be a victim of sexual assault,” said 1st Lt. Julianne Douglas, Alternate Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. “Coming forward with a sexual assault and making a report is very difficult and trying on a victim. The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team is very proud and supportive of victims who come forward.”

Hill's Key Spouses work nonstop to give back to the Hill community, seeking no recognition or rewards other than the feeling of satisfaction that comes from helping someone in need. This year, however, our Key Spouses deserve to be recognized for their contributions by being nominated for the Air Force's Key Spouse of the Year award.

Come learn about the Air Force, its traditions and base resources as well as meet new friends at the Airman and Family Readiness Center's Heart Link program on Tuesday, March 8.

The program, which will start at 5 p.m. and run until 8:30 p.m. at the A&FRC, is open to all military spouses, military members and key spouses. Even if you think you might know all there is to know about the Air Force and Hill, you might be in for a surprise.

It's hard to believe, but statistics from a 2005 U.S. Department of Justice study show that 78 percent of sexual assault perpetrators know their victim personally. This doesn't mean that we should all shut ourselves in our rooms instead of going out and having a good time, but it does mean that there are steps we can all take to prevent sexual assault before it happens.

"It's never someone's fault that they're a victim, but there are steps we can all take to reduce our risk," said Janaee Stone, Hill's Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

It's been two years since the Hill "Warriors" basketball team was created in 2009, but despite still being a relative newcomer, the team boasts many years of experience, not to mention heart and determination.

"We started with nothing," said Airman 1st Class George Covington, a member of the 75th Force Support Squadron and forward for the team. "We had no team, no coach and no uniforms," he continued.

Considering that we're bombarded every day with survey requests printed on receipts, in the mail and online, it's sometimes easiest to just shrug them off and move on. Some members of Team Hill may feel that the recent opening of the Air Force Community Assessment Survey (AFCAS) is just that -- another survey -- but in this case that assumption is wrong.

Tom Badman, Integrated Delivery System (IDS) chairman, stresses the importance of participating in the AFCAS and how survey results can have a direct impact on base resources and programs.

“I have seen it firsthand, the difference that it makes when your eternity is secure,” said Chaplain (Maj.) Jeff Struecker, U.S. Army (Ret.) after recounting how prayer helped shape the outcome of his personal experiences during the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu.

Struecker, who served as an Army Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment during the infamous Battle of Mogadishu, shared how faith and prayer changed his life at the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Jan. 3.

This is the final segment in a two-part series on effective job search techniques, resume writing and interviewing. Please look for the first installment -- covering setting goals, conducting a job search and networking -- at www.hilltoptimes.com.

Once you've found a few potential job openings it's time to tackle the next portion of the effective job search process: Applying.