Joint Base San Antonio > News > News - Year 2020

Weight loss: there is no 'magic pill'
February 7, 2020 — Fat loss solutions abound on social media, in the news, on your favorite celebrity’s lifestyle website and sifting through the abundance of “tea-toxes” and supplement sales pitches can make it difficult to determine what will work best... MORE

Preventing obesity and weight gain is much easier than treating it and the comorbidities associated with it, so military members and their families should focus on sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

How to avoid phishing emails exploiting coronavirus fears
February 7, 2020 — According to open-source reporting, nefarious actors are exploiting the public’s fears of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in phishing email campaigns... MORE

Graphic of a Coronavirus phishing email. (Courtesy graphic)

Air Force Optometry History in 2020: 'The Year of Optometry'
February 7, 2020 — Air Force Optometry came into existence around the same time the Air Force Medical Service stood up July 1, 1949 and has been caring for the vision of aviators and warfighters ever since... MORE

Air Force optometry came into existence around the same time the Air Force Medical Service stood up on July 1, 1949, and has been caring for the vision of aviators and warfighters ever since. 2020, ‘The Year of Optometry’, focuses on ensuring eye health and vision care are a priority.

AETC partners with UTSA to refine pilot candidate selection
February 7, 2020 — In an effort to gain more insight into what attributes could best predict the success of pilot training candidates, Air Education and Training Command turned to the data analytics program at the University of Texas-San Antonio to help them refine and validate the Pilot Candidate Selection Method as part of an Educational Partnership Agreement... MORE

In an effort to gain more insight into the predictable attributes of a successful pilot training candidate, Air Education and Training Command turned to the data analytics program at the University of Texas-San Antonio to help them continue their efforts to refine and validate the Pilot Candidate Selection Method as part of an Educational Partnership Agreement. (U.S. Air Force graphic / Dan Hawkins)

Learn to use social media safely
February 7, 2020 — Social networking sites enjoy worldwide popularity, underscoring the need to understand potential risks associated with the use of these sites... MORE

METC instructor lauded for his efforts in saving the life of a gunshot victim
February 7, 2020 — A medical instructor at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston is being lauded for his efforts in helping to save the life of a gunshot victim last summer... MORE

Clyde Foster, Medical Education and Training Campus Department of Combat Medic Training instructor at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, has been nominated for a METC award for his actions in saving the life of a gunshot victim at a northeast San Antonio H-E-B store in late July 2019.

Officials provide details on building Space Force, structure, operating imperatives
February 6, 2020 — Senior officials from the Department of Defense and U.S. Space Force provided the most specific details to date Feb. 5 for how the newly born Space Force is constructed, its structure and the philosophy guiding decisions for bringing the first new military service since 1947 into full reality... MORE

Strong foundation early in life contributes to heart disease prevention
February 6, 2020 — High rates of obesity and high blood pressure are placing people ages 35-64 at risk for heart disease earlier in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... MORE

Heart disease is most often associated with older adults, but younger people are not immune from its devastating effects.
High rates of obesity and high blood pressure are placing people ages 35-64 at risk for heart disease earlier in life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(U.S. Army graphic by Rebecca Westfall)

Army offering incentives to medical specialties
February 6, 2020 — The U.S. Army is looking for motivated health professionals and has added eight medical specialties to the list of part-time careers eligible for $25,000-$75,000 in bonuses per year... MORE

Secretary of Defense advises service members against using DTC genetic testing
February 6, 2020 — It has come to the attention of the Department of Defense that some direct-to-consumer, or DTC, genetic testing companies are encouraging DOD personnel to purchase genetic ancestry and health information through the offering of military discounts or other incentives... MORE

Airman 1st Class Chris Lawson, 20th Medical Support Squadron lab technician, places a drop of blood on a slide in the medical clinic at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Dec. 9, 2019. Lawson allowed the slide to dry before staining with different colors to make components such as white and red blood cells stand out from each other.

Altitude chamber takes your breath away
February 6, 2020 — The 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron's aerospace and operational physiology unit trains potential aviators about human performance in the air... MORE

The aerospace and operational physiology unit at JBSA-Randolph sees over 5,000 student come through its doors every year with the purpose of learning how to combat the physiological dangers of flying such as hypoxia and spatial disorientation.

Army South welcomes Brazilian leaders in preparation for PANAMAX
February 5, 2020 — PANAMAX will be held at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil... MORE

In preparation for this year’s PANAMAX multinational exercise and upcoming combined training, U.S. Army South hosted Brazilian army Maj. Gen. Marcos De Sá Affonso Da Costa, Brazilian director of training, and Maj. Gen. Josias Pedrotti Da Rosa, Brazilian army attaché to the United States, and their delegation at Army South headquarters, Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Feb. 4. PANAMAX will be held at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Distracted Walking; Heads up, Phones Down
February 5, 2020 — The JBSA Safety Staff has noticed is an increase of people, civilian, military and dependents alike, spending a large amount time looking down, looking at their cell phones. These individuals are participating in a very dangerous habit, TEXTING WHILE WALKING... MORE

Distracted walking incidents are on the rise, and everyone with a cell phone is at risk. We are losing focus on our surroundings and putting our safety at risk. The solution: Stop using phones while walking, and not just in crosswalks and intersections. Over half of distracted walking injuries occur in our own homes, proving that we need to stay aware of our surroundings whether indoors and out.

Exercise Sudden Response 20 showcases task force support to civil authorities
February 5, 2020 — Members of Joint Task Force Civil Support, or JTF-CS, at the direction of U.S. Army North and U.S. Northern Command, rehearsed force and equipment employment, life-saving operations, and web-based command and control collaborative tools Jan. 23 to 29 in Killeen, Austin and Fort Hood, Texas, to ensure capabilities for Defense Support of Civil Authorities... MORE

Service members assigned to the 3rd Platoon, 68th Engineer Company urban rescue team conduct a car rescue during a simulated urban search and rescue mission Jan. 25 as part of Exercise Sudden Response 20.

New AFIMSC tool streamlines support agreement program
February 5, 2020 — A new tool developed by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Installation Support Directorate consolidates everything base-level support agreement managers need to do their jobs into one tool... MORE

Donna Johnson, AFIMSC support agreement manager, reviews documents loaded into the Support Agreements Management Tool, or SAM-T.

Pentagon website adds ‘Spotlight’ page for coronavirus updates
February 4, 2020 — The Defense Department has created a “Spotlight” page on its website to convey latest updates as the novel coronavirus continues to spread, according to a Pentagon release... MORE

This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). (CDC via AP)

Defense Language Institute beta tests new program similar to U.S. Army Echo Company
February 4, 2020 — Nested in the corner of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland lies the Defense Language Institute English Language Center. Identifiable by its kempt campus, DLIELC is home to more than 400 civilian and... MORE

Echo Company trainees pose for a photo in a Defense Language Institute English Language Center hallway between classes. Along with English language training and pre-basic training, trainees have the opportunity to react with the 70 other unique countries on campus at one time.

JBSA-Lackland supports HHS quarantine of American citizens
February 4, 2020 — A town hall is scheduled at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. in the Gateway Club to answer questions about the repatriation of American citizens due to the current coronavirus outbreak in China. The town hall will allow representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to hear concerns from local residents. More information on when and where the town halls will take place will be released in the next few days. ... MORE

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, is similar to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus in that it is spread from animals to people. The MERS virus particles are in blue, surrounding an infected cell. The undated image was taken at Fort Detrick, Maryland.

UPDATE 2: CDC Novel Coronavirus Response Support
February 4, 2020 — #JBSAupdate - Comments and concerns have been captured, and 502nd ABW Public Affairs is in the process of creating a “fact sheet/FAQ" to provide a detailed response to questions. ... MORE

UPDATE 1: CDC Novel Coronavirus Response Support
February 4, 2020 — Update: We hear and understand the concerns of our community and family members regarding JBSA’s support for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the potential repatriation of American citizens who are subject to a federal quarantine... MORE