The White Falcon - 11.11.1994, Side 3

tf
Cross answers
uestions
about 85th’s
reorganization
Editor’s note: This is the first part of a
Feedback transcript in which Col. Richard
B. Cross Jr., commander of the 85th Wing,
fielded questions about the Air Force’s
restructuring in Iceland.
Q: How quickly will the drawdown
occur?
A: The 85th Wing will become the 85th
Group on July 1,1995. The 57th Fighter
Squadron and the 85th Maintenance
Squadron will deactivate March 1,1995.
We will maintain the same mission with
the assigned people but with the draw-
down that mission will shift to a TDY
(temporary duty).
: If there are many people leaving at
'nee will this cause a problem, for exam-
ple, 300 people trying to sell a vehicle?
A: There is limited capability for a large
group to leave at once due to limited air
or sealift power. People will leave on
their normal DEROS (date eligible for
return from overseas) for the most part.
The Air Force population here is about
1,000 active duty. The drawdown is pro-
jected to reduce that number to about
700.
Q: Will the drawdown affect civilian
positions?
A: Yes, drawdown on military positions
will affect some civilian positions. We
are trying to ensure that everyone who is
presently employed will have a job at the
end. Some of the civilian positions
affected are already vacant.
Q: Will the new Operations Support
Squadron take the office space where
the 57th Fighter Squadron is, and which
squadrons will remain in place?
A: That option is under consideration.
Taking into account the population
increase in that area, the Stone Eagle
Dining Facility will remain open.
The leading idea is to utilize the space
previously occupied by the 57th Fighter
Squadron by putting the new Operations
Support Squadron in that space.
Q: What will happen to the heritage of
the 57th Fighter Squadron?
A: The heritage is important. Relics will
be stored at Wright Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio.
Q: Will extensions be approved for those
who want to stay?
A: Extensions will be looked at on a
case-by-case basis. Some people were
disapproved because of the uncertainty
of what was going to/take place. If there
is a place in the wing for a person
requesting an extension in a particular
Air Force specialty code (AFSC), then it
will be considered. Those who may have
problems are individuals in certain
AFSCs, such as F-15 maintenance tech-
nicians, whose specialty will no longer be
authorized in the wing.
Q: For those who took extensions to
accept this assignment, will they be
allowed to reenlist early?
A: Contact the Military Personnel Flight
for reenlistment questions.
Q: Will the drawdown affect holiday
leave?
A: There should be very little impact on
leave through the holiday season.

Church can be good for you - in more ways than one
By Chaplain Emilio Marrero Jr.
I recently picked up last month’s issue
of Focus on the Family with Dr. James C.
Dobson and discovered that there now
exists scientific proof that correlates the
belief in God with a higher level of satis-
faction with life. In other words, believing
and practicing your faith in God has some
astounding effects on your real life.
Psychiatrist and medical researcher
David Larson published a report that
summarized 12 years of psychiatric litera-
ture in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Here is a brief summary of what he found:
‘More than 90 percent of the studies
showed that having a personal relation-
ship with God supported the view that
religion benefits mental health.
* Every study showed that a strong reli-
gious commitment was the best protection
Kainst suicide.
W ‘Scientific studies also show that
churchgoers have less risk of heart dis-
ease, recover from burns and hip fractures
faster, have lower blood pressure and stay
out of the hospital more often.
‘People who attend church even once a
month increase their chances of staying
married.
‘Religion provides couples with a
shared sense of values, ideology and pur-
pose in life.
‘Faith provides support for married
couples to be committed, show respect, be
emotionally supportive, communicate
effectively, and creates a stable power
structure for the home. This intimacy
solidifies a marriage romantically and sex-
ually.
‘The most religious women were most
satisfied with sex and felt free to discuss it
openly with their husbands and, most sur-
prisingly, were more orgasmic than were
the nonreligious.
Dobson goes on to say that the last bit
of information may turn conventional wis-
dom on its head. After all, married
churchgoers are painted by the media as
prudes who think sex is dirty. In the same
light, churchgoers are portrayed as sour
characters in society who can’t have fun,
smile or enjoy life.
These facts show a different side to the
church - a side that depicts that people
are friendly, healthy and enjoying life and
their relationships.
Of course, we need to look at these
findings carefully to discover that it is the
dynamic of having a relationship with
God, the dynamic of having relationships
with one another as a faith community,
which combined, contributes to the devel-
opment of an intimate relationship at
home and therefore helps to create such
positive effects in our lives.
In our midst today, there exists at least
three generations of Americans who have
had little to do with God, the church or
faith development. These findings are not
guarantees nor promises, but simply an
indication of the profound relevance of
God in our lives. So as you study these
facts, remember what the Bible said more
than 1,000 years ago: The fear of the Lord
adds length to life, and I dare add, quality
to life as well.
For a copy of James Dobson’s article,
please stop by the chapel or call me at ext.
4111.
November 11,1994
3