Air Force Staff Sgt. Duriel Howard, the squadron’s standardization and evaluations noncommissioned officer, is proving he is as much an asset to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu group as he is to the squadron. Howard is responsible for certifying every airman in the squadron on their duty tasks, whether they’re patrolmen, desk sergeants, entry controllers or others. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu teammate and fellow squadron member said this means Howard must be a highly trained and valued member of the squadron. "In order to be a stan-eval NCO, you have to be the tip of the spear, and he is," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan Troester, a military working dog handler. After only three months on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu team, the 32-year-old Austin, Texas, native has proven his dedication isn't limited to his duty performance. Howard recently claimed two gold medals at the fifth annual De La Riva Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Cup in South Korea’s capital of Seoul, one in his weight class and the other for the absolute division, involving all the weight classes combined. "It felt good to win the medals," Howard said. "But it's all thanks to my group. I absolutely couldn't have done this myself. I had no experience, but the entire team helped me achieve this." Being a part of the group and winning the medals also will help the 10-year Air Force veteran reach his ultimate goal: to be an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter. "To be a UFC fighter, I need to learn martial arts, so this is one step to doing that," said Howard, a two-stripe white belt martial artist. Although he's achieved so much so quickly, he acknowledged, he still has a way to go. Martial arts experience takes a person through five belt colors as they progress - white to blue to purple to brown to black. Howard said he plans to continue practicing and reaching for his goal long after he leaves here in six months. But in the meantime, in addition to aiming for a personal goal, Howard said, he is developing himself as an airman and a security forces member, and also is remaining fit to fight. "What I am learning I can apply at work," Howard said. "If I'm in a bad situation, I can apply what I've learned and take someone down with only as much force as necessary." Brazilian jiu-jitsu is designed so that even the weakest person can have the same chances in a fight, said Troester, a purple-belt martial artist who started the Brazilian jiu-jitsu group here. "Using leverage and technique, even the weakest person can win," he said. "It may not always be the biggest and strongest person." Troester, a martial artist for more than two years, said he started the local group to help his fellow security forces airmen develop their skills and because of the intensity of the workout. "This training helps us for our job - the security forces career field has the most possibility for being in an altercation, so it gives us good self-defense to fall back on," he said. "But it's also a great workout.” Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the only physical training he does, he added, and he scored a 95 on his last fitness test. Howard agreed the hobby provides significant value. "I'd like to see more people join our group, because it's a great workout and a great way to relieve stress," he said. The group practices off base with a local gym's team. When they aren't hard at work, Howard said, they enjoy spending time hanging out with the members of the gym's team. "[It] gets me away from my daily grind and keeps me fit and focused," he said. "The group works together and practices so we all get better." Tomkiewicz, a one-stripe white belt martial artist, joked that he wasn't sure about Howard needing the practice. "He's a great member of the team - a hard worker and a team player. … But he squashes me," he said. Sept. 13, 2010: By Air Force Staff Sgt. Amanda Savannah- 8th Fighter Wing

 

 Redistributed by www.SupportOurTroops.org

Their father is a retired Air Force master sergeant and Vietnam veteran, their uncle was a commander in the Navy, and Harvey's son, Army Spc. Wayne Harris, serves at Fort Bragg, N.C."I don't remember a time in my life that my father didn't hang an American flag outside our door, something that didn't seem to catch on in many households until after [the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks]," Rosa said.As a child, she added, she always wanted to follow in her brother's footsteps. "He was always doing the ‘cool’ things and had the best imagination,â€Â she recalled. “Of course, when he got a mongoose, I had to have a purple mongoose." Harvey, first sergeant for an OH-58D Kiowa Warrior cavalry troop in the 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii, joined the Army in November 1990. He has deployed five times. Rosa enlisted in the Air Force in 1993. She spent 12 years as a Morse code interceptor before a brief stint with the National Security Agency as a civilian. "Being in the Air Force wasn't enough for me, either,â€Â she said. “I once again had to follow my big brother. I wanted to finish what I started as an officer in the Army [and] took a pay cut to become a lieutenant." Rosa is deployed with the 1st Infantry Division as a public affairs officer. She previously deployed to Kuwait as a signal officer with the 1st Armored Division. She and her brother recently reunited in Kuwait when Harvey's unit redeployed. While they were together, Rosa changed her name tape to "Harvey" for a photo opportunity to surprise their father. It was the first time the siblings had seen each other in five years. Rosa also paid a visit to Harvey's son when he passed through Kuwait. While the miles may separate them, serving in the Army together has strengthened the bond Rosa and Harvey have had since they were children. "We already were very close, but I'd say it has definitely made us appreciate the times we get to spend together," Rosa said. Her brother agreed. "I consider us very close and supportive of each other,â€Â he said. “We can relate easily.â€Â Being in the same branch of service has given them a level of understanding for one another that cannot be quantified. "My brother is a hero in my eyes,â€Â Rosa said. “Several of his comrades have given the ultimate sacrifice, and his best friend just recently lost his life. My brother, of course, does not allow this to stop him. He's the first sergeant after all, and he must take care of the troops. "At that time, my mission was to be his 'Sis,'â€Â she added. “I've noticed that's what he calls me when he needs me.â€Â Rosa said having a sibling in the military makes it easier to understand the need to come together through difficult times, which is made easier knowing they can lean on each other. "It's a comfort to me to know if I need either a brother's advice or a first sergeant's advice, I have the absolute best of both just a phone call away," she said. Their parents, John and Vickie Harvey, offer unwavering support from the home front. "My parents were very proud of my brother joining the Army and later me joining the Air Force,â€Â Rosa said. “[Now they have] pride that both of their children are now soldiers and combat veterans." The soldiers’ parents spearheaded a volunteer effort to hold "Support the Troops" rallies outside the gates of Fort Rucker, Ala., every month, Rosa said. The Harveys began rallying in 2003, when a group joined together weekly to hold American flags and service banners outside MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. "These rallies were meant to show nonpartisan support for our brave military servicemembers," John Harvey said. "Three years ago, [when] we moved to Alabama, … there was no similarly organized display of support for the young men and women stationed at Fort Rucker." Nine months ago, John set out to change this. He organized a group to show support weekly to the soldiers at Fort Rucker, and the group has garnered support from other residents, churches and community groups. Sept. 10, 2010: By Army Staff Sgt. Melissa Applebee- U.S. Division South

Narayan, a patient administrator with 1st Armored Division’s Company B, Division Special Troops Battalion, serving here with U.S. Division Center, said she aspires to be a general officer in the Army one day, as well as to earn a doctorate in chemistry. And those who know her have no doubt she’ll do everything she can to attain her goals.“I love her fearlessness, motivation and willingness to learn new things and take on new challenges,â€Â said Army Capt. Michele Kehrle, medical operations and patient administration officer in charge. “Sergeant Narayan shies away from nothing.â€Â While growing up in the South American nation of Guyana, Narayan said, she was given strong values from the start from her traditional Indian family. “Respect for elders is held very high in my culture, so growing up, I knew my place,â€Â Narayan said. “The greatest value I learned from my grandparents is honesty. Honesty is something I value a lot.â€Â Narayan, who now hails from Valley Stream, N.Y., said she has molded strength with military tact over the years to become the person she is today, noting that her strength came from overcoming obstacles such as having to support herself at 16. Still, she admitted she was full of attitude when she joined the Army. “My attitude has improved drastically over the years,â€Â she said. “I get told a lot about my attitude, and I appreciate the constructive criticism given to me. I love the person I am today because of a stern noncommissioned officer I once had. I am a lot nicer. I care about other people’s feelings, and I have more compassion.â€Â Kehrle agreed that Narayan has learned to benefit from constructive criticism. “Her strongest qualities are her open-mindedness to recommendations and mentorship, and her motivation,â€Â the captain said. “Personally, she is considerate, level-headed, introspective and reliable.â€Â Narayan said her strong personality is her strength, but her attitude is her weakness. “That’s the only thing I would change about myself,â€Â she said. “I have come a long way, but there is always room to improve. I work on it, and I change it all the time. I’m proud of myself for that.â€Â Still, Narayan said, attitude is as important as ability when it comes to success. “I made [the] commandant’s list when I graduated [from the] Warrior Leaders Course,â€Â she said. “I went there with the idea in my head that I was going to make that list. All my NCOs told me they knew I could do it. I think other people have a lot more confidence in me than I do in myself.â€Â Narayan said that while she’s proud of what she’s achieved in the Army so far, she has her sights set on even more. “I think the enlisted side [of the Army] is amazing, but I think of myself as more of a leader, like on the officer’s side of the house,â€Â she said. “I definitely want to retire from the Army. It’s a great organization, and in 20 years, I’ll be done. Too easy. I’ve always wanted to be a general someday.â€Â Narayan needs to finish her bachelor’s degree to be an officer in the Army, but she doesn’t plan to stop there. She sees a doctorate in chemistry in her future. “It’s always been a goal in my life,â€Â she said. “I love putting different pieces of information together and seeing what I come up with as the creation.â€Â Narayan said cultural awareness is another passion of hers. Upon arriving here in May during Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, she volunteered to put together cultural information for fellow soldiers to help them better understand cultural differences. “It was interesting to be a part of the celebration and show people we are not all the same,â€Â Narayan said. “It is important for me to show people there is more to a culture than what they think.â€Â She added that she would like to be an equal opportunity advisor for her unit in the future. “It is so important to reach out for a better understanding of cultures,â€Â she said, “because in the Army, we all work so closely with each other.â€Â Narayan also organized a 10-mile combat medic run, open to anyone to honor the military medical occupations. “What makes Sergeant Narayan stand out is [that] she is the kind of person and NCO who says ‘What can I do?’ versus ‘Why I cannot,’â€Â Kehrle said. “That is a rare and invaluable trait.â€Â As Narayan continues to reach above places where others find limits, she said, she never forgets who helped her along the way. “My biggest appreciation is that my NCOs never gave up on me,â€Â she said. “Anything I wanted to do, they have always supported me. That to me made the biggest difference in my career. I appreciate my leaders for not giving up on me and helping me be the person I am today.â€Â Sept. 8, 2010: By Army Sgt. Kimberly Johnson- U.S. Division Center

And Marine Corps Cpl. Sage Koch doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon.“I was just a regular Joe like anybody else,â€Â he said. “I started from the bottom and worked my way up.â€Â His competitive stride was first put to the test in middle school, as Koch began running for the school’s track and field team. “The first event I ever ran was a mile,â€Â Koch said. “For me, it was good for relaxation to help me with the daily stress.â€ÂAs he progressed to high school, he found that becoming a freshman meant not only tougher classes, but also a more serious attitude toward his running. “As I became older, competition became more a part of the picture, and along with track, I also started running cross-country,â€Â he said. Although running was his passion, he said, not all running made him happy. The closest he ever came to running in a sprint event was an 800-meter race, but it wasn’t by choice. “I hated that race,â€Â he said. “The coach would always put me in it so that I could get my speed up, so that I could run that faster mile.â€Â After graduating from high school, Koch accepted a cross-country scholarship to a nearby community college. But after a year, he decided he needed something different and enlisted in the Marine Corps in March 2008. “I wanted to get out and see the world,â€Â he said. His three-mile time is 15:19, which has earned him the name “Smokeâ€Â from Marine Corps 1st Sgt. Thomas Russi of Company A, Headquarters Battalion, who unholsters the name every time he sees Koch in the gym. With a time like that, Koch said, he had trouble finding a running partner, until about six months ago. Sarah Raschiatore, also a running enthusiast and a physical trainer at the Combat Center’s East Gym, began running with Koch and training for various running events. “Sage is very passionate about running,â€Â she said. “He loves it, and has a great positive attitude and mental strength for it.â€Â Although Koch is the best he has ever been, she noted, he continues to get stronger and has transferred his focus on running longer and longer races. “He’s building up his miles,â€Â she said. Since January, Koch has recorded the miles he has accumulated in base competitions such as the Road Runner Challenge and in his other training. He just passed the 2,000-mile mark. The Road Runner challenge helps to keep track of his mileage, he said, and the competition always encourages him to give it his all. “I want to run professionally, but I’ve got a long way to go,â€Â he said. “But if I keep at it, I know good things will come.â€Â Although running professionally is the ultimate goal, Koch said, he sees himself back at college running competitively while he earns his degree. “I’m running about 70 miles-a-week,â€Â he said. “That’s a lot, [but] some professional runners run 130 or 140 miles-a-week.â€Â Koch identified persistence as his formula for success. “People always ask me how do I do it,â€Â he said, “and I tell them, ‘You’ve just got to do it. You’ve got to push your body and your limits to get better. The only way for improvement is by practice, and the best time for practice is now.’ If everyone starts at the bottom, there’s only one way to go but up.â€Â Sept. 7, 2010: By Marine Corps Cpl. Andrew S. Avitt- Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms