#Ben Lackland

[kwebtv]

From the Golden Age of Television

Episode aired April 21. 1952

Captain Video and His Video Rangers - Operation Micromail - DuMont

Science Fiction

Running Time: 30 minutes

Written by George Lowther

Produced by Olga Druce

Directed by Steve Previn

Stars:

Al Hodge as Captain Video

Don Hastings as Video Ranger

Ben Lackland as Commissioner of Public Safety Charles Carey

Hal Conklin as Dr. Pauli

Fred Scott as Communications Officer Rogers

Jack Davis as Sam Screed

Arny Freeman as Horace

Gordon Mills as Randolph

LeRoi Operti as Dennis Flood

Scott Penicann as Chauncey Everett

Ed Condit as Announcer

[tarnishedhalo]

[Text: Drewski] Dude, I was just watching a show that said pararescue has a higher training dropout rate than the seals. Shit, I might have to actually be impressed by you.

{Text: McG} The pipeline's fucking brutal, man. Let me outline it for you. Hang on this is gonna take a hot minute. {Text: McG} Indoc: Lackland AFB, Tx. This was our basic, with emphasis on swimming, running, weight training, and calisthenics. Took 10 weeks. I still have nightmares over the psych training, obstacle courses, rucksack marches. Then days in class. physics, tables, metrics, medical and dive terminology, CPR, weapons qualifications, history and well. You remember "leadership training". And if you make it through all this, congrats...welcome to the suck. {Text: McG} Welcome to Fort Benning and Army Airborne School! Basic parachuting skills, static line air drops and not getting laid now for three months. You're here for a month. Ground ops. Pyramid and tower weeks, jump weeks, with 5 real jumps. At the end of this, you get your wings. {Text: McG} Now...6 weeks in gorgeous Pensacola, for combat dive course. Diving theory, infiltration/exfiltration methods, open circuit dive ops, and closed circuit dive ops. AFCDC is basically the pool party, and open water search and recovery training. And if you make the cut, it's Navy Underwater Egress training, which ...yay. The joy is overwhelming. Makes me hard. 🙄🙄🙄🙄 {Text: McG} USAF Basic Survival school-- 2.5 weeks, Fairchild AFB, Washington. Two words: Environmental conditions. As inhospitable as possible, and the breadcrumb trail, learning how to find your way back. This is where about fifteen guys dropped out. {Text: McG} Then US Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School--5 weeks split between Ft Bragg and Yuma PG. This one was cool as shit bro, and when we started Free fall HALO. Playing around in wind tunnels, aerial maneuvers, air sense, and other shit. Minimum 30 jumps (I did 36) including 2 night jumps with supp. oxygen and full kit. Instructor kept giving me and Sam shit for being able to carry twice the weight bearing and I had to explain spending all my life carrying Beth. Never got smoked that hard. On the other hand, this is when I got leave to head home for a break. I was never so glad to see my own bed. Drank my body-weight and yours, and slept for three full days. Finally got laid and grabbed a real Five-Guys. (Fuck you and your In-n-Out). {Text: McG} Shortest three weeks of my life, then back to the grind. The next six months was EMT/Paramedic training at Kirtland AFB, in Albuquerque. Yeah, fucking surprised me too that it was a real place. Trauma and evac training, emergency training. First 5 weeks was basic EMT-B training, next 17 was field surgery, pharmacology, combat trauma management, airway support, and evac. Graduation put us in the National Registry. Then there was Pararescue Recovery Specialist school. 20 weeks at Kirtland still. This was qualification for worldwide PJ unit placement. More EMT shit, field work, mountaineering, combat tactics, parachuting, helo insert/extraction, and the accompanying qualifications. At the end, we get the maroon berets and are full fledged PJs, though there's other schools which are "voluntary". {Text: McG} I FUCKED UP. Burt's Tiki Lounge. And what can I say about it? This pic sums it up. I feel the need for heavy duty antibiotics just remembering this shit. And this was BEFORE I used it.

[andretii19]

José Ramón andretii civera Piloto Aviador Militar (719826FUSPAR-FES-AM_UNOPES) OFICIAL,CAPITAN 2/o. FUERZA AERONAVAL Diplomado diplomado colegio de el aire Estado Mayor de la 21/a. Zona Militar,colaboración secretaria de marina,FUERZA AERONAVAL.como teniente de fragata, piloto,aviador militar,Pilatus PC-7,f5 northrop tiger 2 , ala rotativa helicóptero black hawk uh-60 en el Estado de Michoacán. Graduado sedena comisionado secretaria de marina Condecoración perseverancia FAM fuerza aérea mexicana SECRETARIA DE LA DEFENSA NACIONAL OFICIALIA MAYOR CREDENCIAL DE IDENTIDAD MILITAR CAPITAN 2/o. FUERZA AERONAVAL JOSÉ RAMÓN ANDRETII CIVERA fuerzas especiales sedena (719826FUSPAR-FES-AM_UNOPES) Estado Mayor en la Sexta y Décima Zonas Navales batallon 23 infanteria naval Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales de la VII Región Militar, en el Estado de Chiapas.UNOPES Educación: Curso de Formación de Oficiales de las armas, en el Heroico Colegio Militar. Curso Básico de Paracaidismo, en el Heroico Colegio Militar. Licenciatura en Administración Militar y Curso de Mando y Estado Mayor General, en la Escuela Superior de Guerra, adquiriendo el carácter de Diplomado de Estado Mayor. Curso de Capacitación docente, en la Universidad del Ejército y Fuerza Aérea. Curso Pana-Jungla Teribe Internacional, en Panamá. Curso Avanzado de Infantería en Fort, Benning, Georgia, E.U.A. Curso de inglés en el American Language Institute en la Base Aérea de Lackland, E.U.A. Curso “El Hemisferio Oeste y los Asuntos Globales” en el Colegio Interamericano de Defensa de los E.U.A. Curso "Latinoamérica y los Estados Unidos de América, Asuntos y preocupaciones comunes", en el Colegio de las Fuerzas Armadas de E.U.A. Curso "Rol de la Inteligencia en el Planeo y en la Elaboración de Políticas Conjuntas", en el Colegio de Inteligencia de los E.U.A. Curso "El Comandante y los Medios de Comunicación", en el Colegio de Inteligencia de los E.U.A. Curso "Latinoamérica en Conflicto: Una Historia de las Operaciones Militares en el Colegio Industrial de las Fuerzas Armadas de los E.U.A. Maestría en Administración Militar para la Seguridad y Defensa Nacionales, en el Colegio de Defensa Nacional. (en Ciudad de México) https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-d0ZiOZe8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[joannestorm]

Alex Manes’ Military Career

I’m sure this is going to get Jossed the moment the writers get a lightbulb moment, but here is a possible timeline for Alex’s last 10 years.   (Hopefully I can get the formatting to work this time...)

May 2008 -- Alex and Michael start their flirtation.

June 7, 2008 -- Michael/Alex first kiss/first time/wow they work fast.

June 8, 2008 -- Rosa dies.  (The dates are a little screwy here.  I know Carina MacKenzie said that they would fix them, but for now, I’m making an assumption that Max and Liz had their day in the desert on Saturday, June 7 and that Rosa was killed in the early morning hours of the 8th.  A large part of this assumption is based on the fact that neither one of them would skip school in order to finish the project.)

June 9, 2009 -- Alex goes to see a recruiter.  My assumption is that the Monster Sgt marched Alex to the recruitment office and forced him to sign up.  It doesn’t work that way in real life.  He can join at 17 with parental permission, but he can not be forced to join.  This gives him approximately two weeks to go through MEPS as they require a high school diploma to enlist.

June 21, 2008 -- High School Graduation.  

June 23, 2008 -- This is a very tight timeline.  If they had a Basic (BMT) slot available, then this is the earliest Alex could leave for BMT.  (I guess he could technically leave on a Sunday…  But he doesn’t have far to travel.)  Feel free to adjust anything by a month or more to fit your own timeline.

June 24, 2008 -- Alex signs in at Lackland AFB, TX for processing into BMT.

Week Zero - Processing Week - This week is all about the basics. You will receive a haircut, get issued your clothes, and learn what your life will be like the following 8 weeks. Basically, this week is an administrative week.

Week One - You start training this week with early wake-ups, workouts, and long days. You will continue a few of the military processing issues and tests (medical/dental). Expect to be tired after long days of military training.

Week Two - You will continue regular workouts and many hours of drill (marching with weapons) as they get tougher than previous weeks and attend a significant number of classes on many topics. From career counseling to weapon handling and maintenance to Air Force History, you will receive a full day of training every day.

Week Three - You receive your service dress uniform complete with an all-weather coat, a lightweight jacket, ties, a flight cap, belt and buckle, and low-quarter shoes. Be prepared to quickly get dressed in and out of all uniforms.

Week Four - Tactical training continues and advances as you will start to learn defensive fighting techniques like cover and concealment, as well as lifesaving skills (advanced first aid). Learning to prevent bleeding and keep an open airway are a couple of the skills you will learn that might save a life.

Week Five - BEAST Week. This week is a challenge both mentally and physically enduring long hours of physical training, combatives, and tactical skills tests. Some will recall this as the most fun week of training. Being physically prepared enables you to enjoy this week of applying skills you have learned the first month of training.

Week Six - Testing Week: You will be tested often during training, but this is the week where the PT test, academic tests, and general military bearing all come into question and an objective grade will be given to recruits. This week will determine your class ranking and awards given at the end of training.

Week Seven - Graduation Week. Welcome to the Air Force.  

Week Eight - Airmen's Week: This is the final step before the new Airmen advance to their assigned technical training.

(BMT length was 6.5 weeks and was changed to 8.5 weeks in November of 2008.  Today, they start on Tuesdays and graduate on Thursdays, so I assumed the same for Alex.  I do not know what they lengthened in November to take up 2 more weeks...)

August 14, 2008 -- BMT Graduation   He would be an Airman Basic at this point (E-1).

August 2008 -- Technical training at Keebler AFB, MS.  My assumption is that he signed up as a computer systems guy.  (Currently called Cyber Systems Operations.)  Training is currently 66 days and he would earn college credit towards Informations Systems Technology.  

November 2008 -- Graduation from tech school.  In this general vicinity, at least.  The military has a lot of “hurry up and wait” going on.  So, they might have sent him to Keebler and then he was forced to twiddle his thumbs for 2 weeks while he waited for the next class to start.  

December 2008 -- First duty station and block leave.  Members of the military usually have 2 blocks of leave a year, each approximately 14 days.  One in the summer and one around the Christmas holidays.  There are also 2 weeks before and after deployment and 10 days whenever you make a move to a new Duty Station (in order travel, find housing if you are not living on base, get your household goods, and settle in a bit).  It works out pretty well for Alex to have finished tech school in November, signed into his next duty station for a couple of weeks, before being sent on leave.

2009 -- First deployment.

February 2009 -- Automatic promotion to Airman (E-2) after six months Time in Grade (TIG) as an Airman Basic.  (Making an assumption that he was not on an accelerated promotion program due to JROTC experience or college credit.)

December 2009 -- Automatic promotion to Airman First Class (E-3) after ten months TIG as an Airman (E-2).

2010 -- TACP training.  390 days at Lackland AFB, TX, Fairchild AFB, WA, and Ft Benning, GA.  Earns credits towards Informations Systems Technology.  (A note here: I assume that TACP training is like Ranger School in when they want people to apply.  The Ranger School instructors are more demanding of officer enrollees, which is why I have Alex going through the TACP Schoolhouse as an enlisted airman.  We know that he is part of TACP because he wears the black beret.  What a TACP unit is doing in Roswell…  That is a completely different question.)

Block I Basic Career Knowledge (30 Days)

Portable radio familiarization, basic career knowledge, and associated publications.

Block II Ground Environment Training (30 Days)

Field training exercise, day and night land navigation, vehicle navigation, convoy training, and small unit tactics. Also including training in bivouac setup, site selection, patrolling methods, and day and night navigation on foot and in a vehicle.

Block III Air Support Coordination/Weapons Systems (25 Days)

Methods and means of requesting close air support, weapons effects and utilization, and other coordination procedures.

United States Air Force Combat Survival School – 3 weeks, Fairchild AFB, Washington

This course teaches basic survival techniques for remote areas using minimal equipment. This includes instruction of principles, procedures, equipment and techniques that help individuals to survive regardless of climatic conditions or unfriendly environments, and return with honor.

United States Army Airborne School** – Basic Parachutist Course – 3 weeks, Fort Benning, Georgia

Students learn the basic parachuting skills required to infiltrate an objective area by static line airdrop. This course includes ground operations week, tower week, and "jump week" when participants make five parachute jumps. Personnel who complete this training are awarded the basic parachutist rating and are allowed to wear the Parachutist Badge.

**Note: Some of these courses are unit dependent and not all students may be selected.

Advanced Training Options Post TACP -- 

Military Freefall Parachutist Course – 5 weeks – Yuma Proving Ground, AZ.

Static Line Jumpmaster School – 3 weeks – Ft. Benning, GA.

Military Freefall Jumpmaster School – 3 weeks – Yuma Proving Ground, AZ.

Pathfinder School – 3 weeks – Ft. Benning, GA.

Air Assault School – 2 weeks – Various Locations

Ranger School – 61 Days, Ft. Benning, GA.

Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification Course (Special Operations Diver Course) – 7 weeks – Special Forces Underwater Operations School, Key West, FL.

Special Tactics Advanced Skills Course – 12 weeks, Hurlburt Field, FL.

Combat Medic Course – 16 weeks, Fort Sam Houston, TX.

(I have not seen any of these patches on Alex’s uniform.  Granted, the Air Force might have different standards than I am used to and Hollywood always gets it wrong anyway.  I really want to see his dress blues now, preferably with a nice look at his ribbons.)

Oh, God...  As an aside, I still cringe over the documentation for Static Line Jumpmaster School.  Grammar?  What grammar? The hubby had to recite it word for word despite the fact that it was WRONG WRONG WRONG!  All military doumentation is the same, BTW.

December 2010 - Repeal of DADT signed into law.

2011 -- Second duty station and second deployment, now part of TACP.  Cam mentions that he deployed with Air Expeditionary Groups (AEGs), so he probably was not attached to another branch.  So far the characters have only mentioned Baghdad and Iraq.  With that being the case, the two AEGs that operate out of that area are:

321st AEG 

506 AEG

August 2011 -- Automatic promotion to Senior Airman (E-4) after 36 months Time in Service (TIS) with 20 months TIG, or 28 months TIG, whichever occurs first.

September 20, 2011 -- DADT officially ends.

2012 -- Finishes his college degree in Informations Systems Technology (A degree is a requirement to becoming an officer.  He could have taken classes through an online university.  There are many who cater to the military.  He would have used his GI Bill to pay for it.)

Feb 2012 -- Possible promotion to Staff Sergeant (E-5)  (He probably also attends the NCO Academy, which has 10 locations worldwide.  It is a 1 month long leadership course for E-5 and E-6.)

June 2012 -- Officer Training School (OTS), Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, AL.   An 8 week course to become a commissioned officer from prior enlistment.  (This is assuming that Alex has been a captain for 1 year when the series starts.  He actually could have been one for much longer, as much as 6 years.  Feel free to dismiss the possible promotion to Staff Sgt and adjust the dates forward.)

August 2014 -- Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant (O-1E) upon graduation from OTS.  I assume that he has transitioned to be a Cyberspace Operations Officer.  (As per the note below, he could have transitioned to be Security Forces.)

March 2015 -- Promotion to 1st Lieutenant (O-2E) after 18 months TIG.

June 26, 2015 -- Supreme Court ruled for gay marriage.

2017 -- 3rd Deployment.  I assume he was sent home early due to the injury.  

(If anyone is interested, Alex’s next of kin would have recieved a phone call that Alex was hurt.  They only send an officer and Chaplain if the airman has died, no matter how severe the injury is.  At this point, the military has realized how BAD it is for soldiers to have access to the outside world when something goes wrong.  His AEG would have been put on Blackout status until next of kin had been notified.  That means no phone calls, no social media, no facetime.  Trust me, finding out that a spouse found out that his or her soldier has been injured via people posting “Pray for X’s family” was NOT a fun time for anyone.)

March 2017 -- Promotion to Captain (O-3E) after 24 months TIG.

May 31, 2018 -- The beginning of Roswell, New Mexico.  

Notes: 

This is a possible timeline.  By no means should you take it as canon.  I could be completely wrong about his career path.  He could have done Cryptologic Language Analyst (he did say he was a code breaker), but that training is 8-16 months long.  Plus, I thought Cyber Systems made more sense for the “hacker” portion.  

It also assumes that he was a perfectly “average” airman.  It is possible that he did things like went before Airman of the Quarter boards for his wing, and then Airman of the Year boards if he got Airman of the Quarter.  Achieving this equals promotion points.  He could have been Promoted to Staff Sergeant 6 months early in an “in-house” promotion board if he was considered an outstanding Airman.

He could have gone to TACP right out of Basic (possibly signed up with a TACP contract).  He could have gone to OTS earlier.  He could have deployed at different times (as long as you stick to the 1 year deployed/1 year off schedule, you can have him deploy at any time after Tech School).  

I think the only career option that does not work is the Air Force Academy.  There’s no way that he could have entered right after high school without having been accepted beforehand.  You need things like a recommendation from a member of Congress to enter.

There are options for Enlisted to join the Academy, which is a year of preparing his packet and then 4 years at the Academy if he is accepted.  Plus, possibly a 10 month prep school.  I don’t see how he could have had 3 deployments on that timeline.  I mean…  I guess it’s possible…  It would be tight, though...

That would be…

2008 - Enlist

2009 - Tech School/TACP

2010 - Deploy/Prepare the Academy Packet

2011-15 - Academy (O-1)

2016- Deploy

2017 - No deployments (Promotion to O-2)

2018 - Deploy

2018 - Roswell, NM.

2019 - Promotion to O-3

So, it doesn’t actually work, but for fic purposes, you could flub it.

Links for Research/Further Reading:

How Enlisted promotions work

Officer Promotions

Edited:  

@ Rahjin pointed out that Alex’s beret has flashing for Security Forces, which made me take a better look at his Occupational Badge, which is aaaallllmmmooossttt the Security Forces Occupational Badge.  Which means that I was wrong about the TACP training (probably?  The beret still looks black and not blue to me.  But it HAS to be blue to have the Security Forces flashing...).  

The thing is, Security Forces is sort of an all-purpose catch all for Airmen.  A lot are Military Police and base security, but they also “back fill” Marine and Army mission tasks.  And none of that makes sense for “code breaker” and “hacker”.  

(Also, the Wiki on Security Forces says that as of 2011, the Air Force does 6 months on/ 6 months off deployments, which does not make sense for Alex having only deployed 3 times unless there was a LOT of additional training he was Voluntold for.  And was information I could NOT find before.  Grrr.)

But, here’s the Air Force’s official page about Security Forces careers.

And the Wiki about Security Forces.

He could have transitioned to Security Forces out of OTS.  I knew of a few officers who were Infantry and transitioned into Mech after they became officers.  

So...  It is possible that he did Cyber as enlisted and Security Forces as an officer.  And that I am completely wrong about TACP.  Until it is confirmed in canon, it is all speculation anyway...

[lucasbelrose]

Sydney, Bentley, Chloe, Eliza, Ben, Johnny

send 6 characters/people and i’ll tell you who i would:

do the sexy love™ with: @chloeoftheball oh good. now i’ve made it weird putting her here twice...

sacrifice myself for: @kinglyben

kick: @littleteapots, like just to get her attention.

take to prom: @sydneyandersen, because i don’t actually hate her like some people think

abandon in jurassic park: congrats, @ticktockbents, you got upgraded to abandonment.

push off a bridge: sorry @lacklands

[nanshe-of-nina]

Hi can i ask where u got the fancasts for the gifset with st isabelle de france? With the sibling relationships? Thanks!

Isabelle is Raffey Cassidy as young Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman.

Louis is William Moseley as Peter Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Robert is Skander Keynes as Edmund Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Alphonse is Kodi Smit-McPhee as Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (2013).

Charles is Asa Butterfield as young Mordred in the Merlin TV series (2008-2012).

Louis was blond in his youth, but his hair darkened as he aged. If I ever make a gifset of him as an adult, I’ll probably use Ben Whishaw as Richard II of England.

Charles was dark-haired with a large nose. I’m not sure who'd I use as an adult Charles... maybe Blake Ritson as Edward III or Osaac Isaac as John Lackland.

To my knowledge, there are no physical descriptions of Robert, Alphonse, or Isabelle, but I assumed they were dark-haired like their mother and paternal grandfather. Medieval art is little help because the convention of the time was to depict royalty as blonds, no matter their actual appearance. For instance, art of Henry II of England and his sons shows them as blonds, even though the chroniclers of the time were pretty united on the fact that they were all redheads.

[bigyack-com]

Rate of New Fatalities Drops in China

105 new coronavirus deaths in China, as increase in fatalities slows.

China’s National Health Commission on Monday reported 2,048 new cases of coronavirus infections and 105 new deaths over the previous 24 hours. The number of new deaths dropped from the previous day, when 142 deaths were reported, though the increase in the number of new infections remained steady. The vast majority of cases and deaths have occurred in Hubei Province, where the outbreak began, though the commission’s latest announcement also reported three deaths in neighboring Henan Province and two in Guangdong, the province next to Hong Kong. In all, more than 70,500 people have been infected in China and 1,770 have died so far. Four others have died outside of China as of Sunday night. On Thursday the government began counting cases diagnosed in clinical settings, including with the use of CT scans, and not just those confirmed with specialized testing kits.

American passengers on a quarantined cruise ship are heading back home.

American passengers evacuated a cruise ship that has been quarantined for more than a week in the Japanese port city of Yokohama, after hundreds of people on board fell ill with the coronavirus. The Americans boarded two chartered flights to the United States, which departed Tokyo at 7:05 a.m. Monday, according to a statement by the United States Embassy in Japan. Updated Feb. 10, 2020 What is a Coronavirus? It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. How contagious is the virus? According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is possibly transmitted through the air. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures. How worried should I be? While the virus is a serious public health concern, the risk to most people outside China remains very low, and seasonal flu is a more immediate threat. Who is working to contain the virus? World Health Organization officials have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, schools and markets. This week, a team of experts from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to offer assistance. What if I’m traveling? The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who recently traveled to China and several airlines have canceled flights. How do I keep myself and others safe? Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick. As the passengers prepared to leave the country, Japanese health officials said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases found on the ship, the Diamond Princess, had grown by 70, to 355. “Can’t get off here fast enough,” said Sarah Arana, 52, a medical social worker from Paso Robles, Calif. Only American passengers who were screened and did not show any symptoms of the illness were allowed to board the flights, according to a statement from the State Department. Once in the United States, passengers will undergo a 14-day quarantine at either Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., or Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio. The embassy said that those who did not take the charter flights would not be allowed to travel to the United States until March 4, two weeks after they would otherwise be allowed to leave the ship.

Hundreds left a cruise ship in Cambodia. Then one tested positive for the coronavirus.

An American woman who disembarked from a cruise ship in Cambodia last week has tested positive twice for the coronavirus since flying on to Malaysia, officials in that country said on Sunday. Cambodia allowed the ship, the Westerdam, to dock after five other ports turned it away over concerns about the coronavirus. Officials said more than 140 passengers from the ship had flown from Cambodia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital. All but the American woman and her husband had been allowed to continue to their destinations, including airports in the United States, the Netherlands and Australia. The woman, who is 83, and her husband, who is 85 and also an American citizen, were both hospitalized and placed in isolation. The husband tested negative for the virus, but he has pneumonia, which is often a sign of the virus. Dr. Eyal Leshem, director of the Center for Travel Medicine and Tropical Diseases at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel, called the disclosures “extremely concerning” and said, “We may end up with three or four countries with sustained transmission of the virus.” The Westerdam, carrying 2,257 passengers and crew, departed from Hong Kong on Feb. 1 and was at sea for nearly 14 days.

‘Are you sick?’ For Asian-Americans, a sneeze brings suspicion.

The coronavirus outbreak has so far largely spared the United States, with only 15 confirmed cases across this country, even as the virus has rapidly spread around the globe and killed more than 1,100 people, most of them in China. Most Americans seem to be going about their lives. But not everyone. For some people — those who come from China, or travel there frequently, and health workers who are charged with battling the virus — life has been upended. Hundreds of Americans who were in China are now marooned in anxious quarantine on military bases. But for many Asian-Americans who never left the United States, there has also been an unnerving public scrutiny. They notice that a simple cough or sneeze can send people around them scattering. “Instead of ‘Bless you’ or ‘Are you O.K.,’” said Aretha Deng, 20, a junior at Arizona State University, “their reaction is an instant state of panic.”

A man died in Taiwan despite no known history of travel to mainland China.

Taiwan said that a 61-year-old man who had a history of diabetes and hepatitis B had died of the coronavirus. The man, who died Saturday after nearly two weeks in a hospital, was not known to have a history of traveling to mainland China. Health officials were investigating how he came to be infected. News outlets in Taiwan reported that the man had worked as a taxi driver and could have been infected by a passenger. A male relative in his 50s who lived with the man was also infected, health officials said. Taiwan has recorded 20 cases of the new coronavirus, and it has enacted strict limits on travel from the mainland to prevent further spread.

Japan’s economy was already wobbly. Then came the coronavirus.

Japan’s economy shrank in the last three months of 2019 following a devastating typhoon and a tax increase on shoppers. Now the coronavirus threatens to put the world’s third-largest economy, after the United States and China, into its first recession in five years. Japan’s output shrank at an annual rate of 6.3 percent in the fourth quarter period, the government said on Monday. The country’s consumption tax was raised to 10 percent from 8 percent in October, depressing consumer spending. Days after the tax increase went into effect, Typhoon Hagibis slammed into Japan, causing enormous damage and further suppressing economic activity. Even before that, Japan’s exports had been hit by slowing growth in China, which has been dealing with a trade war with the United States. Government officials had hoped that these issues would ease in the new year. But that optimism predates the coronavirus outbreak, which the figures released on Monday don’t take into account. The coronavirus has closed many of the Chinese companies that buy parts and equipment from Japan. It has also stopped the flow of Chinese tourists to Japan. Research and reporting were contributed by Richard C. Paddock, Sun Narin, Sui-Lee Wee, Russell Goldman, Amy Qin, Austin Ramzy, Steven Lee Myers, Motoko Rich, Eimi Yamamitsu, Johnny Diaz, Ben Dooley and Chris Cameron. Read the full article

[keystonewarrior]

A coronavirus fiction....

I was almost fifty-one years old. Definitely too old for this. I looked into an empty coffee cup. I hefted the other carafe and by the sound inside there wasn't even half a cup.

"I'm going to get more coffee, anybody need anything."

My squad lit up with humorous requests for coffee, half & half, sugar, sweetener, donuts, bacon sandwiches. Good to see they still had some humor in them.

Except for Himmelberger. Well, every squad must have its malcontent. He just glared at his own cooling coffee.

I came back with two carafes of coffee and a surprise for the kids. Cheers went up as I passed around the oranges.

I poured myself a cup, and then topped up cups for Garza and Schmidt. But Scott Himmelberger was just fuming.

"How can they treat us like this!" The rest of the squad just looked for something else to pay attention to. Smith and Johnson shared a glance and then looked my way to indicate he had been complaining since I'd left. Hell, the kid had been complaining since he got here.

I really was through trying to reason with him, but I still had to do my job. "Treating us like what, Scott? They give us coffee, feed us, pay us. Would you rather be back in Allentown?"

Himmelberger just sat and sulked. Nobody wanted to be anywhere between Philadelphia and New York.

I was almost fifty-one. I had spent just a little more than sixteen years in the Army and barely less than fifteen years out of the Army. Part of that time had been as a medic in the 28th Division. I became a teacher after leaving the 81st RRC as a medic. In between, my six years of Big Army had been quietly served in Patriot. At least I got to see Germany.

My name must've been on a list somewhere. As Covid-19 swept across the US the entire healthcare ship had capsized. Only days before the collapse I received a phone call ordering me to my old reserve unit. Of course I ignored it and listened to the voicemail later. I had to report to a parking deck at UCF for inprocessing. Channel thirteen had said something a few days ago about Army units using the parking decks at MCO. I-4 was mostly empty that evening, no rush hour. The only time I passed a car it was going the other way. Cops were pulling people over on side streets. An Osceola deputy snagged me on Irlo Bronson going to the interstate and OPD got me coming off. Both asked to listen to the voicemail before letting me go and wishing me luck.

I was being sent to Fort Lewis in Washington to be a medic again. The unit I would be a part of was going to augment military and civilian hospital personnel at an ad hoc facility (they were set up in warehouses, I think) in Kent, but I never made it that far.

We got inprocessed at UCF, and then I was in a stick of twenty old dudes who were being sent to Fort Benning to be issued boots and uniforms. After that we got split up and I was part of seven other former medics and corpsmen headed to Washington. At fifty I was the youngest and they quickly started calling me the kid. I only meant it as a part-joke that as the E-6i was in charge, and it would be my ass in a sling if we goofed up, but we were all grownups so there were no issues.

We never made it to Washington. Change of plans, the plane landed in Hannibal, MO and the eight of us were mustered into a two platoon detachment from B 1/138, which was mostly recalled guys like us and piles of kids from JROTC and college ROTC outfits, and new enlistees were waiting for a ship date. There were only about twenty guys from the MOARNG, mostly the NCOs and the officers. I was handed over to SSG Marx ( I secretly wanted to call him Marx Twain, but never got the chance) second squad, second platoon, as their medic, and then we found out how bad things had gone.

The east coast had gone under. Damn near everything from Boston to Richmond was like Mad Max. There had been a lot of protests and some rioting, mostly because hospitals turned people away. But then the real shortages started to hit. We had thought it was all fun and games back on March, posting pictures of no toilet paper online. But now there was no food of any kind on store shelves and no word on when it would come in. There had been stories of neighbor helping neighbor, and churches helping too, but there were also stories of predation. The Lehigh Valley had erupted into a full blown civil war. It lasted two weeks before people started to run out of ammo. When the military finally got it under control it was mostly over by itself.

That's where Himmelberger had come in. He had intended to join the Air Force after high school. He was in Bethlehem waiting to fly to San Antonio only a day before everything went to hell. He saw it beginning to fall apart. He had no word from his family because the recruiters had told them not to bring cellphones. His plane had gone to Atlanta and then he and all the other recruits were redirected to Fort Benning. He had been told he would be sent to Lackland, and the Navy recruits to Great Lakes, but they all ended up here instead.

I got Himmelberger, Himmelberger got me. I knew he'd rather be in Allentown. Every time I went to HQ I checked in on any word from the USAF about Himmelberger or other news from eastern PA. I sent him down to HQ every few days to do the same thing, and to give the squad a break from him.

It had been a long two weeks since Marx got shot. They had been quiet and uneventful. Every squad got one week off in eight. It also gave Lieutenant Johnson (not my Johnson) a good look at the jobs we were all doing and the sort of area we were all watching. Tomorrow, second platoon would be on the roadblocks at exit 210 on I-70. Second squad would be on on the west, actually closer to exit 209, with the woods to our left and right. Not my favorite spot. We'd likely get Falco and Weiss loaned to us from HQ, the former marines preferred to patrol the woods, so I'd give them Himmelberger and Gloss.

A week off at the Budget Inn had given Himmelberger too much time to stew. It would be good to go back to work. At least I hoped so.

[mastcomm]

U.S. Passengers Prepare to Evacuate From Cruise Ship in Japan

American passengers on Sunday frantically prepared to evacuate a cruise ship that has been quarantined for more than 10 days in the Japanese port city of Yokohama, as hundreds of people on board fell ill with the coronavirus.

As the Americans scrambled to pack their bags and prepare their own meals for a chartered flight to the United States, Japanese health officials said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases found on the ship, the Diamond Princess, had grown by 70, to 355.

“Can’t get off here fast enough,” Sarah Arana, 52, a medical social worker from Paso Robles, Calif., told reporters on Sunday.

The United States Embassy in Japan had recommended that American citizens stay aboard the ship during a 14-day quarantine period. But it suddenly changed course on Saturday, citing “a rapidly evolving situation” as conditions appeared to worsen.

American passengers said they were told to prepare to leave the ship at 9 p.m. local time. Their flight was scheduled to depart Haneda Airport in Tokyo at 3 a.m. on Monday. Officials said they would be taken to one of two military air bases in the United States.

Passengers on the charter were told there would be no overhead luggage space on the flight, so all carry-ons had to fit under the seats in front of them, and shipped luggage could not exceed 70 pounds. They would be flying on a converted 747 cargo plane, the officials said, which could be cold, so they were advised to shower and dress warmly for the flight. They were also advised to bring their own food.

Late in the afternoon, as buses lined up on the pier, American officials dressed in protective suits knocked on the cabin doors of American citizens to inform them that they needed to put their luggage out at 6 p.m. to prepare for the 9 p.m. transfer.

Rachel Torres, 24, who had been on her honeymoon with her husband, Tyler, also 24, said they were trying to clean their stateroom so as not to leave a mess for their cabin steward.

“We didn’t sleep much last night,” said Ms. Torres. In preparation for the flight, she said, the couple were “drinking as much water as we can to hydrate for the flight since we will be wearing masks on the plane.”

Updated Feb. 10, 2020

What is a Coronavirus? It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS.

How contagious is the virus? According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is possibly transmitted through the air. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures.

How worried should I be? While the virus is a serious public health concern, the risk to most people outside China remains very low, and seasonal flu is a more immediate threat.

Who is working to contain the virus? World Health Organization officials have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, schools and markets. This week, a team of experts from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to offer assistance.

What if I’m traveling? The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who recently traveled to China and several airlines have canceled flights.

How do I keep myself and others safe? Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick.

Including the cases aboard the Diamond Princess, Japan has recorded the highest number of infections from the new coronavirus outside mainland China. Worldwide, more than 68,500 people have been infected, and at least 1,669 have died, almost all in mainland China.

When the ship was placed under quarantine, more than 3,700 passengers and crew aboard were on board, including about 400 Americans. Those found to have the virus and some particularly vulnerable passengers were taken off the ship.

The American Embassy in Tokyo said those with coronavirus infections or symptoms would not be allowed to take the chartered flight.

Once in the United States, the passengers will be required to undergo a two-week quarantine at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., or Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Tex.

Those who do not take the charter will not be allowed to travel to the United States until March 4, two weeks after they would have otherwise had been allowed to leave the ship on Wednesday, the embassy said.

Some remained hesitant about whether to take the charter flight. Linda Tsukamoto, 63, a retired retail manager from Marina del Rey, Calif., said she had signed up for the evacuation flight, but changed her mind at the last minute.

Ms. Tsukamoto stuck a Post-it note on her door reading, “I’m staying.” Three military doctors came to her door and advised her to go. Their emphatic tone, she said, was “scary,” but she is standing her ground.

“I’d rather go home first class on United Airlines than a cold, noisy military charter when the Japanese Ministry of Health releases us,” she said. “I refuse to be fearful but respect the U.S. government to help others who feel more comfortable rushing home.”

According to a letter from the Diamond Princess staff to passengers on Sunday, passengers who test negative for the virus and show no symptoms will be allowed to leave the ship on Feb. 19. The letter noted that passengers “may be subject to additional quarantine requirements by their country of destination when leaving Japan.”

With at least 40 Americans from the ship having tested positive for the coronavirus during the quarantine period, some will be left behind in Japan when the charter flights depart.

For some, that means family separations. John Haering, 63, who was taken to a hospital in Chiba Prefecture last week with a fever and tested positive for the virus, will have to stay while his wife, Melanie, boards the charter flight.

“She’ll be in California quarantine,” Mr. Haering said by telephone from his hospital bed. “And I’m staying here, obviously.”

Mr. Haering said he was angry that the U.S. government had not acted earlier.

“If they were going to fly people out, they should have flown them out in the very beginning,” he said. “That way, we wouldn’t have sat there for 12 days, all of us getting sicker. I wouldn’t have been in the hospital; I would have been in the U.S. getting the treatment that I needed, and I could have been in quarantine there.”

Tung Pi Lee, 79, was whisked away from the ship Wednesday night with a fever, leaving his wife on the ship. JoAnn LaRoche Lee, one of Mr. Lee’s daughters, said she and her siblings did not want her mother to try to stay in Japan with their father for fear she would not be allowed to come back if she did not take the charter flight.

As for their father, said Ms. Lee, “We’re just kind of trusting that the State Department will be able to facilitate my dad’s return.”

The United States previously evacuated about 850 people on five charter flights from Wuhan, the city in central China where the coronavirus emerged late last year.

Canada and Hong Kong also said they would charter flights for passengers on the cruise ship, though it was not immediately clear when those flights would leave. The Philippines’ labor minister said on Sunday that the country was working to bring home more than 500 crew members.

The Australian government said it was sending an expert to Yokohama and would consider the best options for more than 200 of its citizens aboard the ship. The Israeli government said three of its citizens on the ship had been infected. They are the first confirmed Israeli cases.

About 330 Hong Kong residents are on the ship, including 260 Chinese citizens and 70 foreigners. Eleven of the Hong Kong passengers have been infected, the Hong Kong government said.

An 80-year-old man who took the Diamond Princess from Yokohama to Hong Kong in January tested positive for the coronavirus on Feb. 1, the first documented case on the ship.

Eimi Yamamitsu, Ben Dooley and Isabel Kershner contributed reporting.

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/event/u-s-passengers-prepare-to-evacuate-from-cruise-ship-in-japan/

[levlumos]

Chloe, Eliza, Ben, Lucas, Bentley, Johnny

do the sexy love™ with: Oh gooooooooood why did you doooo this? A tough one right out the gate! Is it in the rules that I can pass?

sacrifice myself for: @lucasbelrose, my big brother best friend forever! 

kick: @kinglyben‘s study door so he’ll let me in when my hands are filled with tea cups and I can’t knock like a human being. Or @littleteapots, when I catch her falling asleep in the library!

take to prom: @chloeoftheball, because who doesn’t want to go to the prom with their platonic childhood pal?

abandon in jurassic park: @ticktockbents, my brother, going to Jurassic Park is legit a fantasy of mine so I swear this is a good one, I love you!

push off a bridge: @lacklands! I hear you’re an actor and I’ve always wanted to pull of a murder mystery party SO here you go!

send 6 characters/people and i’ll tell you who i would!

[gastonthejr]

Riley, Skylark, Ben, Chloe, Johnny, Eliza

do the sexy love™ with: If I was single, @rilespan, easy. She’s the hottest of the girls listed here, bar none.

sacrifice myself for: @kinglyben, because I’m a good guy.

kick: @lacklands, for not using magic more often. That shit’s dope.

take to prom: @chloeoftheball, because she’s cute.

abandon in jurassic park: @skylarkbell. He’d get some good pics.

push off a bridge: @littleteapots. I know her least, nothing personal.

send 6 characters/people and i’ll tell you who i would!

[tarnishedhalo]

FULL NAME: Andrew Michael Riley OTHER NAMES: Andy {super selective}, Riley, Snarky, Duck {do not ask}, Six, Falcon 2, Drewski, “Morning” “T-Rex” “DTTAH” {pro: DATA} TITLE: 2nd Lieutenant {retired, USAF}, Detective {NYPD}, SWAT Officer {LAPD}  STRIKE-Team Leader {SHIELD} {Doctor, closed verse} AGE: 33

GENDER: male SEXUALITY: Heterosexual, Heteroromantic {+That one time} ORIGIN: Bayridge, Brooklyn NYC  CURRENT LOCATION: NYC/Tennessee/LA/Wherever he’s shipped/London {closed} NATIONALITY: Irish American SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, {Irish} Gaelic, Latin, Russian, select phrases in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Swahili, French,  Farsi, Dari, Arabic, Pushtu  {and can cheat} RELIGION: Lapsed Roman Catholic

HEIGHT: 6ft3 BODY TYPE: Muscular, Broad, Athletic {Mesomorphic} EYES: Hazel Green TATTOOS: Unit Insignia right bicep, heart ring finger of left hand, Hawaiian Islands right back shoulder, Inside left wrist “SPQR” and Laurel Leafs PIERCINGS: closed over SCARS: –Knife wound, left pec just below shoulder – Right Leg from amputation – Mid back to hips: Surgical scars – Left knee – Left Bicep Knife Scar

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: High School Graduate, Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. Pararescue:  Pararescue/Combat Rescue Officer Indoctrination Course {Lackland AFB}. Army Airborne School {Ft Benning}, AF Combat Diver Course {Panama City}, Navy Underwater Egress Training {Pensacola}, AF Basic Survival School {Fairchild AFB}, Army Military Free Fall Parachutist School {Ft. Bragg}, Pararescue/EMT Paramedic Training {Kirtland AFB}, Pararescue Recovery Specialist Course {Kirtland AFB}, Cold Weather Survival Training {Minoq AFB}

SOCIAL MEDIA: Riley is THAT douche. He has all of the social media {Twitter, FB, Instagram, etc. that he updates once every couple of days} SMOKE: Pack a day but is trying to quit. {Prefers Marlboro reds} DRINK: Professional Alcoholic DRUGS: Medical marijuana, anti-inflammatory/steriod shots, spinal/saddleblocks monthly ATHLETICS: Riley has always been athletically inclined, having played 10 different sports in his youth {Football, Soccer, Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, Rugby, Tennis, Volleyball {he was in Hawai’i.}, Surfing, and horseback riding}. He knows how to joust, and fight with live steel swords. Riley used to enjoy kick boxing and tae kwon do. He is no longer able practice those. Does still practice Systema. HOBBIES: cooking, playing guitar, singing at local dive bars, fishing, tinkering on Sally {his classic mustang}.  VIRGIN: nope

FAVORITE DRINK: McCallan’s 25, Laphroaig 18, {whiskey doesn’t need an umbrella. it needs a glass. That’s it.} Coffee. Coffee with Bailey’s. FAVORITE FOOD: Grilled Steak {rare-medium rare}, Coq Au Vin, Beef Bourguignon, Bacon Cheeseburgers,  FAVORITE MUSIC: Classic rock, country, Bluegrass/Hiphop {it’s a thing, look it up}, pretty much anything at least once CLOTHING STYLE: Work: suits/ties/bdus/flack jackets/bullet-proof vests/occasional flight suit, leisure: jeans, tee shirts or button downs, wedding ring. Always: combat boots {Tanker style with straps rather than laces}, shoulder holsters, thigh holsters. Bracelets. Watch. Dog-tags, PJ amulet

Tagged by: @whiskeyandtwoshotglasses Tagging:  @multi-mused {because someday, LOL}, @morgansmornings, @lilxlionxman, @ronmanmob, @corinnebaileyrp, @therealgamble, @thedarcydichotomy, @rxsmyers, @vamptrampbamf, @tabbyrp,  @lucxsnorth@bloodcnmyname, @fullrangeofemotions, @reclaimedasset, @nigellecter, @thor-theavengergod, @hitslikeatruck, @hoouna, @jerseysass and anyone else who wants to, just hit me up

[militaryspouse101]

New Post has been published on Military Spouse

New Post has been published on http://militaryspouse.com/msoy/2017-msoy-base-spouses-of-the-year/

★2017 AFI MSOY Base Spouses of the Year★

Congratulations to all of our amazing nominees!

Based on popular vote, these amazing military spouses have been nominated and selected to represent their bases, states, and districts as Base Spouses of the Year. These 170 spouses are in the running to become the 2017 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year presented by Military Spouse!

Get to know them. Click around to check out their profiles and pick your favorite to vote for on February 20th.

See All Candidates Here

Army

CNIC Corry Station: Jennifer Gibney Fort Belvoir: Cassaundra Martinez Fort Benning: April Stephens Fort Bragg: Evie King Fort Campbell: Elizabeth Groover Fort Carson: Melissa Velisek Fort Detrick: Janine Rodriguez Fort Drum: Brittany Raines Fort Eustis-Newport: Erica McMannes Fort Gordon: Melissa Ebbing Fort Hood: Maria Reed Fort Irwin: Lindsay Dickey Fort Jackson: Weezy Knott Fort Knox: Racheal Waggoner Fort Lee: Bri McPherson Fort Leonard Wood: Yvonne Seman Fort Lewis: Serena West Fort Meade: Maureen Elias Fort Myer: Melissa Engler Fort Polk: Sasha Trevino Fort Riley: Eden Briscoe Fort Rucker: Amanda Gardner Fort Sam Houston: Annie Beth Wehri Fort Sill: Laura Trentham Fort Stewart: Steven Schmitt Fort Wainwright: Amber Taylor Ft. Huachuca: Nicolas Telesco JB Elmendorf-Richardson: Carmen Jones JB Lewis – McChord: Katya Newberry JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst: Andrea Price MacDill AFB: Amy Schick Not Affiliated With a Base: Kelli Krahmer Pentagon: Elizabeth O’Brien Presidio of Monterey: Maria Mola Schofield Barracks: Sarah Hutchison USAG Ansbach: Melissa Johnson USAG Bavaria: Jennifer Herbek USAG Benelux/Schinnen: Ashley Clark USAG Daegu: Danielle Tenconi USAG Rheinland-Pfalz: Melissa Kreitzer USAG Stuttgart: Kori Yates West Point Military Academy: Lauren Hope Yuma Proving Ground: Jessica Campbell

Get More #MSOY17

Navy

Camp Lejeune: Claire Jones Eglin AFB: Carrie Fry Fleet Activities Yokosuka: Lindsey Savage Goodfellow AFB: Tamara Garcia Guam: Kalyn Kasten JB Andrews: Melissa Nauss JB Ellington Field: Mikiyta Stepney JB Little Creek-Fort Story: Vicki Krauter JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam: Laurie English JB San Antonio: Lissa Navarro Kadena AB: Yolanda Morris MCLB Albany: Tara Glenn MEPCOM: Esmeralda Guerra NAS Jacksonville: Kimberly Green NAS Key West: Katrina Pringle NAS Lemoore: Lisa Emme NAS Oceana: Delia Pettit NAS Patuxent River: D’Antrese McNeil NAS Pensacola: Scarlet Q. Turpin NAS Whidbey Island: Janice Case NB Coronado: Nicole Dowd NB Kitsap: Danielle Smith  NB Point Loma: Ashley Camac NB San Diego: Alessia Rossi NB Ventura County: Michelle Tucker NCBC Gulfport: Laura Pipoly NH Pensacola: Jennifer Coble Not Affiliated With a Base: Justine Evirs NS Activity Norfolk: Carrie Sanders NS Everett: Bessie Childs NS Great Lakes: Nicole Close NS Mayport: Holli Recobs NS Newport: Joy Goodrich NS Norfolk: Lisa Wakeman NS Rota: Jaime DeWitt Parker NSB Kings Bay: Kristen Francis Faires NSB New London: Jennifer Taylor NSF Dahlgren: Sarah Otto

Get More #MSOY17

Marines

4th MCRD Michigan: Kayla Reyes Camp Courtney: Jessica Curren Camp Pendleton: Kristie Slade Marine Forces Europe and Africa: Aletta Rice MCAG CC Twentynine Palms: Jessica Rudd MCAS Beaufort: Krysta Creager MCAS Cherry Point: Jessica Del Pizzo MCAS Iwakuni: Kelly Butler MCAS Miramar: Hilary Wilkerson MCAS New River: Catherine Fitzgerald MCAS Yuma: Evie Pine MCB Hawaii: Judy Otero MCB Quantico: Holly Vega MCBC Smedley D. Butler: Meaghan Perry MCLB Barstow: Natalie Brennan MCRD Parris Island: Dontaye Scott-Neal MCRD San Diego: Sarrah Goldschmidt Wright Patterson AFB: Karin Childress

Get More #MSOY17

Air Force

Altus AFB: Carmen Bell Barksdale AFB: Samantha Nawrocki Beale AFB: Christian Brown Buckley AFB: Kimberly Robertson Cannon AFB: Lindsay Davis Columbus AFB: Therese Loe Dover AFB: Amber Odom Dyess AFB: Desiree Martinez Edwards AFB: Megan Rosario Eielson AFB: Kennita Williams Ellsworth AFB: Chasity Williams F.E. Warren AFB: Kristen McCreary  Fort Bliss: Natalie Hayek Hill AFB: Angy Hogan Holloman AFB: Jenny Monroe Hurlburt Field: Hang Owen JB Anacostia – Bolling: Brandy O’Mary JB Charleston: Hannah Weatherford Keesler AFB: Heather Aliano Kirtland AFB: Dinah Dziolek Lackland AFB: Felicia Davis Little Rock AFB: Brittany Boccher Luke AFB: Amy Duncan Malmstrom AFB: Alexandra Fuller Maxwell AFB: Tabatha Copper Minot AFB: Brittany Porche Mountain Home AFB: Jeanette Jackson Nellis AFB: Nadine Batchelor Not Affiliated With a Base: Shelby Renninger Offutt AFB: Cassidy Spillman Patrick AFB: Natalie Ramsey Peterson AFB: Laila Ireland RAF Alconbury: Rachel Toney RAF Lakenheath: Marissa-Ellen Patterson RAF Mildenhall: Kimberli Roth Ramstein AB: Alicia Barnett Randolph AFB: Lindsey Litton Robins AFB: Trina Phillips Scott AFB: Jessica Barattini Seymour Johnson AFB: Charissa Godfrey Shaw AFB: Whitney Armstrong Sheppard AFB: Alexandra Hamby Tinker AFB: Chrichelle Fernandez Travis AFB: Autumn Lombardi Tyndall AFB: Elana Power Westover ARB: Trisha Smith White Sands Missile Range: Theresa Poling Whiteman AFB: Sarah Dvorak

Get More #MSOY17

Coast Guard

District 1: Lindsay Thompson District 12: Meaghan Hurley District 7: Jennifer Kirkpatrick District 9: Jessi Adkisson

Get More #MSOY17

National Guard

Alaska NG: Erica Glass California NG: Anna Burgos Fairchild AFB: Martina Hernandez De Cichowicz Florida NG: Cassandra Michelle Powell Kentucky NG: Robin Pruitt Louisiana NG: Danielle Trosclair Maryland NG: Laura Lane Unsworth McConnell AFB: Josephine Jacobs Michigan NG: Kimberly VanNortwick Minnesota NG: Rhiannon Knutson New Jersey NG: Courtney Mitchell Not Affiliated With a Base: Kari Mosher Ohio NG: Christina Grady Pennsylvania NG: Debra Berger Rhode Island NG: Michelle Lemieux Texas NG: Cassaundra Melgar-C’De Baca Utah NG: Melissa Wood Washington NG: Yolanda Flores

Get More #MSOY17

Connect with us on Facebook!

[bigyack-com]

U.S. Passengers Evacuate Quarantined Cruise Ship in Japan

TOKYO — American passengers evacuated a cruise ship that had been quarantined for more than a week in the Japanese port city of Yokohama, after hundreds of people on board fell ill with the coronavirus. The Americans boarded two chartered flights to the United States, and the flights departed Tokyo at 7:05 a.m. Monday, according to a statement by the United States Embassy in Japan. As the passengers prepared to leave the country, Japanese health officials said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases found on the ship, the Diamond Princess, had grown by 70, to 355. “Can’t get off here fast enough,” Sarah Arana, 52, a medical social worker from Paso Robles, Calif., told reporters on Sunday. The American Embassy had recommended that its citizens stay aboard the ship during a 14-day quarantine period. But it suddenly changed course on Saturday, citing “a rapidly evolving situation” as conditions appeared to worsen. American passengers said they were told to prepare to leave the ship at 9 p.m. local time. Their flight was scheduled to depart Haneda Airport in Tokyo at 3 a.m. on Monday. Officials said they would be taken to one of two military air bases in the United States. But the process, taken deck by deck, went slowly. It took several hours to load all passengers on buses to take them to Haneda airport in Tokyo. On one of the buses, Gay Courter, 75, an American novelist traveling with her husband, Philip, said the passengers were mostly silent. A doctor in a yellow hazmat suit accompanied the group. “Clearing my throat sounds like thunder,” Ms. Courter wrote in an email from the bus. All passengers were given N95 respirators — a heavy-duty mask fitted to the face that filters out 95 percent of smaller air particles — to wear on board the repurposed cargo planes, Ms. Courter said. Updated Feb. 10, 2020 What is a Coronavirus? It is a novel virus named for the crown-like spikes that protrude from its surface. The coronavirus can infect both animals and people, and can cause a range of respiratory illnesses from the common cold to more dangerous conditions like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS. How contagious is the virus? According to preliminary research, it seems moderately infectious, similar to SARS, and is possibly transmitted through the air. Scientists have estimated that each infected person could spread it to somewhere between 1.5 and 3.5 people without effective containment measures. How worried should I be? While the virus is a serious public health concern, the risk to most people outside China remains very low, and seasonal flu is a more immediate threat. Who is working to contain the virus? World Health Organization officials have praised China’s aggressive response to the virus by closing transportation, schools and markets. This week, a team of experts from the W.H.O. arrived in Beijing to offer assistance. What if I’m traveling? The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who recently traveled to China and several airlines have canceled flights. How do I keep myself and others safe? Washing your hands frequently is the most important thing you can do, along with staying at home when you’re sick. Some sections of her flight were segregated from others, with those who had tested positive but were not yet showing symptoms sitting in a tented area of the plane, she wrote from on board. Passengers on the charters were told there would be no overhead luggage space, so all carry-ons had to fit under the seats in front of them, and shipped luggage could not exceed 70 pounds. The converted 747 cargo plane could be cold, the officials said, so passengers were advised to shower and dress warmly. They were also told to take their own food. Rachel Torres, 24, who had been on her honeymoon with her husband, Tyler, also 24, said they were trying to clean their stateroom so as not to leave a mess for their cabin steward. “We didn’t sleep much last night,” said Ms. Torres. In preparation for flying, she said, the two were “drinking as much water as we can to hydrate for the flight since we will be wearing masks on the plane.” Including the cases aboard the Diamond Princess, Japan has recorded the highest number of infections from the new coronavirus outside mainland China. Worldwide, more than 70,500 people have been infected, and at least 1,770 have died, almost all in mainland China. When the ship was placed under quarantine, more than 3,700 passengers and crew aboard were on board, including about 400 Americans. Those found to have the virus and some particularly vulnerable passengers were taken off the ship. Only those passengers who were screened and did not show any symptoms of the illness were allowed to board the flights bound for the United States, according to a statement from the State Department. “All travelers on these flights were screened for symptoms prior to departure and will be subject to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) screening, health observation, and monitoring requirements,” the statement said. “Only those who were asymptomatic were allowed to board the flights.” The State Department said in a statement on Monday that 14 passengers who had tested positive for the virus two or three days ago but were not showing symptoms had been allowed on one of the charter flights. “These individuals were moved in the most expeditious and safe manner to a specialized containment area on the evacuation aircraft to isolate them in accordance with standard protocols,” the statement said. Once in the United States, the passengers will be required to undergo a two-week quarantine at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., or Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio. Those who did not take the charters will not be allowed to travel to the United States until March 4, two weeks after they would have otherwise been allowed to leave the ship on Wednesday, the embassy said. Some remained hesitant. Linda Tsukamoto, 63, a retired retail manager from Marina del Rey, Calif., said she had signed up for an evacuation flight, but changed her mind at the last minute. Ms. Tsukamoto stuck a Post-it note on her door reading, “I’m staying.” Three military doctors came to her door and advised her to go. Their emphatic tone, she said, was “scary,” but she was standing her ground. “I’d rather go home first class on United Airlines than a cold, noisy military charter when the Japanese Ministry of Health releases us,” she said. “I refuse to be fearful but respect the U.S. government to help others who feel more comfortable rushing home.” According to a letter from the Diamond Princess staff to passengers on Sunday, passengers who test negative for the virus and show no symptoms will be allowed to leave the ship on Feb. 19. The letter noted that passengers “may be subject to additional quarantine requirements by their country of destination when leaving Japan.” After 11 days of being isolated in their windowless cabin, John and Carol Montgomery were finally preparing to board a bus to take them to the airport, where they would then fly next to hundreds of people for about nine hours. “It feels surreal,” said Ms. Montgomery, 67, a retired administrative assistant from San Clemente, Calif. With at least 55 Americans from the ship having tested positive for the coronavirus during the quarantine period, some were left behind in Japan as the charter flights departed. For some, that meant family separations. John Haering, 63, who was taken to a hospital in Chiba Prefecture last week with a fever and tested positive for the virus, will have to stay while his wife, Melanie, heads home. “She’ll be in California quarantine,” Mr. Haering said by telephone from his hospital bed. “And I’m staying here, obviously.” Mr. Haering said he was angry that the United States government had not acted earlier. “If they were going to fly people out, they should have flown them out in the very beginning,” he said. “That way, we wouldn’t have sat there for 12 days, all of us getting sicker. I wouldn’t have been in the hospital; I would have been in the U.S. getting the treatment that I needed, and I could have been in quarantine there.” Tung Pi Lee, 79, was whisked away from the ship Wednesday night with a fever, leaving his wife on the ship. JoAnn LaRoche Lee, one of Mr. Lee’s daughters, said she and her siblings did not want her mother to try to stay in Japan with their father for fear she would not be allowed to come back if she did not take the charter flight. As for their father, said Ms. Lee, “We’re just kind of trusting that the State Department will be able to facilitate my dad’s return.” The United States previously evacuated about 850 people on five charter flights from Wuhan, the city in central China where the coronavirus emerged late last year. Canada and Hong Kong also said they would charter flights for passengers on the cruise ship, though it was not immediately clear when those flights would leave. The Philippines’ labor minister said on Sunday that the country was working to bring home more than 500 crew members. The Australian government said it was sending an expert to Yokohama and would consider the best options for more than 200 of its citizens aboard the ship. The Israeli government said three of its citizens on the ship had been infected. They are the first confirmed Israeli cases. About 330 Hong Kong residents are on the ship, including 260 Chinese citizens and 70 foreigners. Eleven of the Hong Kong passengers have been infected, the Hong Kong government said. An 80-year-old man who took the Diamond Princess from Yokohama to Hong Kong in January tested positive for the coronavirus on Feb. 1, the first documented case on the ship. Reporting was contributed by Eimi Yamamitsu, Ben Dooley, Chris Cameron, Johnny Diaz and Isabel Kershner. Read the full article