Italy — An airman assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing died early Friday the fighter wing said in a statement Sunday Velasco served as a Maintenance Operations Controller with the 31st Maintenance Squadron at Aviano Air Base in Italy Italian media outlet Ansa reported that the airman collapsed outside a nightclub in Montereale Valcellina and was pronounced dead at a hospital in Pordenone Base officials declined to answer questions seeking further information Velasco was a valued member of our 31st Fighter Wing team and we continue to mourn his loss,” wing commander Brig “Supporting those affected by his passing remains our utmost priority.” This work, Lt. Col. Poteet returns with honor to Aviano AB, by SSgt Brooke Rogers, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Get your daily fix of Air & Space Force news delivered right to your inbox every day There's no more reliable source for news about your Air & Space Forces Air & Space Forces Magazine is the official publication of the Air & Space Forces Association Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Italy – Like virtually all DODEA-Europe coaches Ian Birch has made numerous personal sacrifices to support his cross country and boys soccer teams over the years But he might have to draw the line in a few weeks “They want me to wear a suit for the championships,” Birch said after talking to his team following its 3-1 victory Saturday over Vicenza “But it’s just going to be too hot there.” Dressed formally to attend his daughter’s first Communion at a nearby Italian church just prior to the game Birch saw his team defeat the Cougars for the first time in six years And it was the Saints’ first victory of the season Birch owns four suits – coincidentally just enough for the four-day European championships in Germany in a few weeks his players did seem to deserve the lion’s share of the credit Saturday Seniors Andrew and Deon Walker each scored and Xavier Fox made the most of limited playing time with a goal and an assist And the Saints built a two-goal lead by keeping the Cougars without a shot in the first half a second-team All-Europe selection a year ago missed the last three games for the Saints while nursing a sore hamstring He entered late in the first half with the Saints already up 1-0 and tallied the winning goal just minutes later He had set up a teammate seconds earlier and a wild series of shots who boomed a kick into the left-hand side of the goal “That boom at midfield …” Vicenza coach John Kohut said he’ll only be a part-time player – at most – for the remainder of his senior season He held Fox out for much of the game and said that will be the plan the rest of the way “We thought we’d give it a try,” he said of the limited playing time “I believe he has a future (in soccer) after high school so we’re not going to jeopardize that next week or in the championships.” Fox sent the ball up the field just before halftime and Deon Walker reached it first and put Aviano up 3-0 The goal wasn’t much different from the Saints’ first goal when Andrew Walker outraced the Vicenza defense for a close shot at goal Vicenza got on the scoreboard with about 10 minutes left when Luis Roa headed a corner kick toward Benedict Morton “We’ve still got to work on communication,” Kohut said knowing the other guy is going to be there.” The Cougars actually outshot the Saints 11-6 in the second half after a 7-0 deficit heading into halftime Aviano 0: For the first time in her high school career Cougars senior Maya Fitch came up empty at the Italian stadium in downtown Aviano as Fitch – who has scored more goals on the field than the entire current Saints roster combined – took more than a dozen shots Aviano keeper Paige Rogers was there every time Fitch wasn’t the only one in a Cougar uniform Lexie Pollard and Yami Silva-Vasquez all tallied goals as Vicenza outshot Aviano 34-0 knocking,” Cougars coach Philip Paniagua said especially since the three who scored aren’t the ones who usually score for us.” Both teams were missing starters – something that was also true of the boys game that followed – and Saints’ coach Sarah Hartman said that sapped the team’s offense she said she was happy with her team’s effort “We’re definitely playing more physical than we have in the past and we never gave up,” she said The Cougars scored all their goals in the opening half while outshooting the Saints 11-0 Jenina Smith assisted on two goals and Kiera Mukai’s pass from the corner that a cutting Silva-Vasquez quick-booted into the goal was the game’s best play Vicenza got plenty of good looks in the second half as well continually taking possession deep in Aviano territory Goals – Vicenza: Benedict Morton; Aviano: Andrew Walker Caleb Fox 1; Ramstein: Elliot Radosevich 2 Saves – Alconbury: Jessica Bradley 2; Baumholder: Gideon Scott 16 Goals – Rota: Daniel Guido; Marymount: Giovanni Merico 2 Goals – Spangdahlem: Alexis Lauer 2; Sigonella: Madison Hoy 2 Assists – Spangdahlem: Aniya Robinson; Sigonella: Charlize Caro 2 Goals – Stuttgart: Meredith Fleming; Ramstein: Ava Smith Assists – Stuttgart: Maddie Fleming; Ramstein: Groat Saves – Stuttgart: ; Ramstein: Bailey Bennett 6 Goals – Brussels: Chrysoula Karakonstanti 2; Ansbach: Sonora Tollefson Pitching – Stuttgart: Taryn Lockhart 5 IP (5 ER Batting – Stuttgart: Brooklyn Gilcrest 3-4 (2B Pitching – Alconbury: Kalila Te’o 5 IP (14 R Pitching – Aviano: Alivia Adams 5.1 IP (14 H 1 BB); Naples: Savannah Ingram 4.2 IP (4 H Hayley Solis 2-5 (2 SB); Naples: Claire Olsen 2-4 Alisia Andrew (2 R); Wiesbaden: Kyra Cole (2 R) Pitching – Ramstein: Kelsey Moya 5 IP (2 H Batting – Ramstein: Emma Inthavixay 3-5 (2 2B Pitching – Ramstein: Arianna Chambers 3 IP (2 H Batting – Vicenza: Johnston 2-3 (3B); Ramstein: Edwards (3B Pitching – Lakenheath: Ethan Wright 4.2 IP (11 H 1 BB); Kaiserslautern: Bryant Lokey 7 IP (4 H Batting – Lakenheath: Tyler Chiappetta 2-2; Kaiserslautern: Rueben Todman 2-3 (HR Pitching – Kaiserslautern: Todman 3 IP (1 H 1 BB); Lakenheath: Chris Laliberte 1 IP (5 H Batting – Kaiserslautern: Logan Bell 2-4 (4 RBI0 Pitching – Rota: Mikey Borchansky 0.2 IP (0 H Pitching – Vilseck: Parker Wayland 3.2 IP (4 H 3 BB); Wiesbaden: Jonah Harvey 2.1 IP (2 H Batting – Vilseck: Carlos Aleman 2-4; Wiesbaden: Owen Smith (2 RBI) Pitching – Wiesbaden: Jack Lehr 2.2 IP (2 H Batting – Wiesbaden: Logan Hernandez 2-3 (2 RBI) Pitching – Aviano: Alex Cereceres 1.1 IP (3 H Revella (2 SB); Naples: Matthew Hostetler (4 SB) Pitching – Naples: Matt Butler 2.2 IP (1 H Italy — An American service member is being accused by Italian authorities of stabbing her active-duty spouse following a roadside argument An Aviano Air Base spokeswoman confirmed Monday that two American airmen were hospitalized following an incident a little over a week ago She referred further questions to Italian law enforcement officials who were not available for comment on the details The man involved is assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing while the woman is assigned to Detachment 4 at Poggio Renatico Air Base adding that both were released from the hospital Jan Army Garrison Italy Facebook page said that the woman is suspected of stabbing her husband Jan 25 at a service area off the Valdastico South highway Military officials and Carabinieri arrived at the scene after the woman called the police First responders took the man to the emergency room The woman was taken into custody and is facing charges of aggravated assault The Air Force said the incident is under investigation and it will fully cooperate with local law enforcement agencies The field was wet before the Hohenfels Tigers and Aviano Saints started to play baseball And it didn’t get any drier as the day alternated between a steady drizzle and a gloomy mist But in the world of DODEA-Europe spring sports Especially when one team has traveled the equivalent of a full day’s work to get there And the other has less than 10 games scheduled before the season-ending championships “We take what we can get,” Saints coach Ben DuBenion said What each team got Saturday was a doubleheader that featured a combined nine innings that saw 40 runners cross the plate more than a few of them with red clay clinging to their uniforms if they had to slide along the way salvaged a split with a 21-9 victory after the Tigers – in just their second weekend of play – won the opener 9-1 Not a lot of moments will be shared at Cooperstown More than half the Saints are either freshman or never have played baseball before (or both) The Tigers are a bit more experienced with four players returning from last year’s squad Hohenfels’ Matheo Reyes had three hits and cleared the outfield fence with a home run in the first game Aviano’s Cristiano Peterson drove in two runs with a solid triple to right center in the second game But plenty of baserunners reached first without hitting the ball out of the infield And even more advanced after striking out when a throw from the catcher failed to beat them to first base Hohenfels coach Robert Deverick said it’s all part of the process And there’s not a lot of games to do it in.” Hohenfels dominated from the start in the opener who has by far the most experience playing for the Saints scored his team’s only run and was tagged out trying to score a second time He went from catcher to pitcher in the second game and only gave up a few hits But the Tigers still managed to score a run in all four innings and tallied six in the third the Saints had benefited from some sloppy play from Hohenfels and tallied 11 runs of their own Aviano put the game out of reach in the final inning scoring 10 times while benefiting from a slew of walks Deverick said whether it’s losing 17-2 to Division I Vilseck on opening weekend or splitting a pair of games with fellow D-II/III school Aviano “Every game is a preparation for Euros,” he said This work, USAFE-AFAFRICA Wing Leaders make history at Aviano Air Base, Italy, by SrA Joseph Bartoszek, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Big changes are coming to Aviano Air Base early next year when a restaurant and a furniture store are planned to be consolidated from one area into existing operations on the main base several miles away The relocation of Subway and Four Seasons to the base’s main exchange is intended to benefit military families a spokesman at AAFES headquarters in Dallas But the move is also associated with an attempt to cut more than 40 jobs held by Italians and has sparked union outrage Ward didn’t provide details on what might replace the two venues in the small mall on Area 1 where dining options are currently limited to Subway and a bowling alley And it isn’t clear how the inventory of the Four Seasons facility on Area 1 would fit in the main exchange Ward said the Army and Air Force Exchange Service is merging the Four Seasons with the main exchange to “provide greater customer convenience through one-stop shopping.” a union coordinator for local employees at Aviano said the Four Seasons is closing because it’s losing money That’s not a valid reason for laying off local staff and doing so violates the union contract with the base 44 people are 44 families that lose their jobs There are people who have been working for 40 years Now they’re near their retirement (and AAFES says) Area 1 is home to the base’s schools and education center It used to house dormitories that provided more potential customers to Area 1 facilities But they were torn down years ago due to force protection concerns When the converted mini mall opened in 2004 it was initially open 24 hours a day on Fridays and Saturdays furniture store and covered patio area with garden supplies Two restaurants once existed in the mini mall along with a few other shops The building originally housed the main exchange at Aviano before a much larger facility opened on the flight line at the turn of the century There are currently around 760 Italians working at the Aviano base The two unions that represent workers at bases around Italy generally are very protective of positions negotiated between the union and U.S. and Italian governments are always wary of jobs being transferred to American dependents Ward countered that the consolidation would be for the better “Improving the customer experience and enhancing operational efficiencies are critical to maximizing support to authorized shoppers and military quality-of-life programs,” he said Entrepreneurial intuition is the backstory for Burrito Bros personnel in the area are finding ideal for satisfying cravings while beating the lunch break time crunch an American-Italian born and raised in Aviano owns and operates the eatery with her three siblings They noticed the lack of local burrito places if I missed burritos and tacos and whatnot so much Given that service members from the base make up the majority of the restaurant’s customers Count me among those who were excited when Burrito Bros opened in September because lunchtime burrito bowls were something I missed from my stateside duty stations My first visit came within a month of the restaurant’s inception the menu is limited to four main items: burritos I chose the barbacoa quesadilla and a burrito bowl as I prefer to mix ingredients together Ordering any main item means deciding whether you want rice and beans and then choosing a meat option: ground beef I went with a blend of spicy and grilled chicken on top of white rice and beans topped with pico de gallo Upon first bite I was unsure of just how spicy the chicken would be as Rigo said others have told her they found the level of heat a bit over the top A pleasant surprise was in store with the quesadilla The amount of cheese in the tortilla blended well with the barbacoa After the quesadilla was cut into four triangles I didn’t have to worry about the meat falling out when I grabbed it the tenderness of the meat and deft balance of flavors ended up giving me more of an appetite for the quesadilla than I had expected I’ve found Burrito Brothers to be a quality place for a meal that is reminiscent of Chipotle in the U.S And with the impending closure of the Subway on base those looking for fresh ingredients and fast service will probably find this place even more attractive about half of the customers ordered their food to go while I was among those who sat down at a table and took in the busy scene at Burrito Bros which shares a building with the San Marco Petroli gas station Rigo said that’s just the balance they’re seeking “We’re just trying to give people something they missed and do it in a convenient and easy way,” Rigo said 5-7 euros; certain toppings add 1-2 euros to the price; beverages range between 3.50 and 10 euros Italy — Defense Department personnel here could have disruptions in on-base services Monday as Italians employed by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service at local installations are calling a strike AAFES employees have the legal right to either show up on the job or walk out who requested anonymity to preserve a strategic element of the strike Employees won’t notify supervisors of their choice until Monday leaving AAFES in the dark about which areas of its operations will be affected and to what extent Staffers of the retailer invited counterparts at American military installations elsewhere in the country Army Garrison Italy in Vicenza and Camp Darby near Livorno It’s still unclear whether those places will see demonstrations as well Italians employed by AAFES work at three locations in Aviano: the exchange on the main base the Express shoppette and laundromat on Area F and the Subway sandwich shop and Four Seasons home and garden retailer on Area 1 those latter two businesses are set to be transferred from a mini mall to the main exchange several miles away which moved to a much larger space on the flight line at the turn of the century The merger of the Four Seasons with the exchange and the Subway’s move to the facility’s food court are intended to “provide greater customer convenience through one-stop shopping,” AAFES spokesman Chris Ward said in September who said then that the Four Seasons is closing because it’s losing money and that the decision violates the workers’ contract with the base 44 people are 44 families that lose their jobs,” Zaccaria said “There are people who have been working for 40 years.” The two unions that represent workers at bases around Italy generally are very protective of positions negotiated with the U.S base in northeastern Italy are once again making friends among their Italian peers through a nearly 50-year-old exchange program that has been revived following the COVID-19 pandemic whose Italian name translates to “twinnings” in English,” brought more than 20 youngsters from Scuola Media Italo Svevo in Fontanafredda to Aviano Middle High School on Friday the Italian seventh and eighth graders spent just over four hours with American counterparts who are learning their host country’s language The intent of the program is to bring the two cultures together for a shared experience who teaches Italian at the Department of Defense Education Activity school The partnerships “are part of a continued collaboration to strengthen relationships between our school and the local Italian community,” Fisher said Aviano Middle High School has students in grades six through 12 and Italian classes are offered from seventh grade on up The Gemellaggi program is open to any pupil learning Italian the Aviano students started out by meeting their Italian peers with whom they had been communicating since the beginning of the school year via letters The Italian students then proceeded to follow the Americans around witnessing a typical school day for the children of U.S Seventh grader Arianna Rapoza said she had learned from her program partner that teachers in the Italian school change classrooms and the students stay put whereas it’s the opposite for the Americans the students in both groups ate lunch together before the Italians headed back to their school Seventh grader William Wolfe said he had never even thought about making Italian friends while in Aviano but he’s been doing just that thanks to his participation in Fisher’s class and the Gemellaggi program The Americans’ reciprocal visit to the Italian school is planned to happen at some point in the spring Besides providing an opportunity to strengthen relationships the program also gives both sides an opportunity to practice communicating in a foreign language the English teacher for Scuola Media Italo Svevo Fisher took over as the Italian teacher in 2006 and has been working with Zardini for at least a decade the Aviano Middle High School Italian program has conducted exchanges with over 30 schools from more than 10 cities She is hoping to eventually get the opportunity to coordinate joint trips to a common location like a nearby town amusement park or some other fun destination so the two groups can share time outside of school  Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade are able to reduce their rapid deployment time due to a $4.5 million warehouse project that stores their equipment at Aviano Air Base While Army buildings on an air base sounds unusual Army paratroopers use Aviano for training and deployments European Command & Supreme Allied Commander and Italian employees of both Caserma Ederle in Vicenza and Aviano AB listened as Cavoli discussed the importance of the new infrastructure while serving as a Vicenza-based lieutenant in U.S Cavoli sat along the airfield with 1,100 fellow paratroopers at Aviano Serving as the air operations officer at the time Cavoli oversaw the inspection and loading his unit’s gear “It began to rain and the idea came that at some point we should build something here,” Cavoli said The new structure supports 173rd contingency operations and allows the unit to deploy more rapidly to contingency missions in Europe USAG Italy runs all deployment operations supporting the Southern European Task Force Africa’s early-entry command post mission the North-West African response force and U.S Construction began in the Fall of 2022 and the warehouse was completed ahead of schedule in the Spring of 2024 It offers more than is 13,450 square feet of space who deliver engineering solutions to support U.S national security interests in Europe and Africa USACE’s resident engineer for projects in Italy the project’s completion was successful because of hard work and cooperation between the Italian design and construction firms Taylor saw it grow from its groundbreaking to the ribbon cutting “In the matter of a year and a half we were able to construct a fully functional warehouse that can help support the troops in fulfilling their mission.” Having supplies nearby the airfield enhances the Army’s role as a power projection platform by reducing response times and offering leaders strategic options calls it a “crucial hub for the rapid outload of equipment,” because it increases the unit’s storage capacity streamlines logistics and enhances interoperability with the Air Force Among those who took part in the afternoon event were Maj Cavoli recognized several people personally and thanked the entire group is a great example of people stepping up and fulfilling the expectations that populations have for us to provide for their defense,” Cavoli said Italy — A policy that would have required service members at Aviano Air Base to apply for a military-affiliated credit card to be eligible for fuel discounts was shelved just two days after taking effect The short-lived policy tied the Forax fuel rations card issued to U.S personnel in Italy to the Military Star card which is administered by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and was intended to be the only payment method allowed for fuel purchases military’s global network of base exchanges Fuel ration cards in overseas military communities allow service members to pay gas prices that vary but are in line with U.S a gallon of “super-plus” gas cost the equivalent of $7.45 at the San Marco station in Aviano on Wednesday the 31st Fighter Wing posted a statement on the Aviano Community Facebook page saying AAFES had canceled the requirement it introduced Sunday “The policy change had been recommended after an internal audit examined unpaid debts due to other systems of payment but it had not been appropriately coordinated before implementation,” the post stated “We apologize for any confusion or concern that this has caused.” as of Wednesday evening was working on answering Stars and Stripes questions asked Monday about the decision which hosts tens of thousands of American military personnel the Esso cards used for personal fuel discounts don’t require the user to sign up for the Military Star card Break out of your clique and follow your dreams along with the students in “High School Musical Jr.” at Aviano Community and Schools Theater (ACT) this energetic musical features an all-youth cast of talented middle and high school students from Aviano Gabriella (Genesis Diaz) navigates her way through the ingrained social norms at her new school She shines with her beautiful singing voice and pulls off the new kid vibe with skill Gabriella befriends jock Troy (Jules Lasalle-Bryant) whose love of basketball comes across the stage but so does his other secret interest: singing Together they audition for the school musical booting longtime thespian siblings Sharpay (Annika Haas) and Ryan (Phillip Rushing) The shakeup sparks a conflict that will pit the long-standing cliques against each other We are creatively drawn into the unique world of each clique Thespians are constantly wearing old show shirts with a clever nod to ACT’s previous performances The brainiacs give off that nerdy vibe while sporting tucked-in collared shirts they are hard to miss with their bright red cheerleading and basketball uniforms The sets and staging keep the cliques in unique physical spaces adding to the dramatic divide between these groups We are further drawn into the high school landscape with banners and student-made posters advertising upcoming events that play out during the show; it’s a great immersive touch we see just how far Sharpay will go to return to the spotlight She clearly comes across as an obnoxious theater kid who loudly evening taking a cake to the face for the cause Ordering around her brother leads to several fun high-energy dance numbers featuring the two The entire talented cast keeps this show full of activity from start to finish This includes the excellent use of well-choreographed basketball moves and complex ball handling Stand-out ensemble acting also compliments and reacts to the primary on-stage action Even the audience spaces offer a high level of attention to detail with yearbook-style cast photos in the lobby a photo booth with props from your favorite clique and concessions sold to benefit real-world school organizations Italy — Airmen in the 31st Fighter Wing have their transition to a new cutting-edge combat rescue helicopter underway putting Aviano’s fleet of two HH-60W Jolly Green II aircraft on display for the first time the wing held an official welcome ceremony for the Jolly Green II which serves as the Air Force’s replacement for the venerable HH-60G Pave Hawk Aviano received its first of the new helicopters last month and is scheduled to have a total of six by October It represents a significant boost in capabilities over its precursor threat detection and countermeasures as well as greater fuel capacity The name Jolly Green II pays homage to the Vietnam War-era Sikorsky HH-3E Jolly Green and HH-53 Super Jolly Green whose crews are regarded as the pioneers of aerial combat search and rescue The upgrades reflect a focus on protecting crews and evacuees in hostile environments Air Force Air Education and Training Command said in a December statement survivability and lethality needed on future battlefields is not just about the arrival of the new aircraft; it’s about embracing the challenges of today,” Clark said Italy — An F-16 Viper pilot’s flash of inspiration amid frustration turned into a win in the annual Air Force innovation competition known as Spark Tank The collapsible F-16 ladder invented by Maj Nick “Trapper” Atkins of the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base was selected as the best of the six finalists in the competition which helps airmen bring promising ideas to market “Sometimes being mad solves things,” Atkins the chief of agile combat employment for the wing Agile combat employment is a set of concepts that involves rapid deployment of aircraft from larger overseas installations to groups of smaller often remote locations with minimal infrastructure In contrast with pilots of many other aircraft those who fly the F-16 rely on a ladder that is pre-positioned the size and availability constraints of those ladders opened the door for Atkins to come up with something better “If you look at what our competitive advantage is going to be to get after the threat it’s our industry and it’s our people,” Gen vice chief of space operations and one of the five competition judges “Our people are the ones innovating and bringing forward smart ideas.” Spark Tank winners don’t receive financial compensation though their name is listed on the Air Force-owned patent Atkins has been working toward approval and certification of the prototype He said the version of the ladder that won the competition doesn’t meet all the requirements of the Air Force’s System Program Office which manages the development and acquisition of military systems and programs Areas being looked at for modification include the load-bearing points and ways to minimize wear and tear on the aircraft He hopes that winning the competition will help bring the ladder to mass production the wing is funding the effort to get it from prototype to production and available for commercial purchase Atkins and his team at Aviano are in talks with the military contractor Bunker Supply which specializes in developing and manufacturing optimized equipment on a larger scale we are trying to resource 900-plus for the Air Force inventory so we need a company whose purpose is to build,” Atkins said Once the prototype achieves System Program Office certification the goal is to have a production model of the ladder available for units to purchase online by the end of 2025 Italy – Moriah Barthold hasn’t completely figured out her team yet But the Aviano girls basketball coach pushed the right buttons Friday night Concerned the Saints might let their opponents dictate the tempo – as has happened a few times already this season Aviano started out the game in a full-court press “Let’s be aggressive from the jump,” Barthold said of her strategy “Set the tone squarely where we wanted it to be.” The Saints certainly got the result they wanted – a 58-32 victory over Rota The Admirals turned the ball over 46 times and Aviano held a 45-23 advantage on the boards in handing Rota its first loss of the season after four victories was paced by sophomores Gabriella Fortuna and Aubrey Cannon Aviano led 23-16 at halftime before blowing the game open in the third quarter Rota had turned the ball over 18 times in the opening half The Admirals were playing without point guard Emcee Amatorio “But that’s not an excuse,” Rota coach Edward DeMeritt said “We had girls playing in positions they weren’t used to It doesn’t get any easier for the Admirals as they take on American Overseas School of Rome on Saturday morning which has generally had trouble scoring much in recent years put up 21 points in the third period Friday That included a few pretty give-and-go plays involving Cannon Fortuna and Jazmyn Warren as they traded cutting to the basket and making the assist who grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and blocked four shots though she has reclassified after taking an array of extra classes during summer breaks Rota 22: There weren’t a lot of moments Friday that will likely be included in the Saints’ highlight reel after the season is over But Aviano did halt a two-game losing streak “I think we missed 11 layups in the first half,” Saints coach Keith Adams said mainly in the form of three seniors who are longtime Saints Joseph Guerrero had his strongest game of the season Brothers Andrew Walker (five steals) and Deon Walker (seven rebounds) seemed to be everywhere that Guerrero wasn’t “We need those seniors to play like that,” Adams said The trio’s strong play helped offset an off night by junior Nash Stoner who entered the game with the highest scoring average in DODEA-Europe at more than 29 points a contest He was in foul trouble for much of the game and finished with 16 points Stoner picked up most of his fouls guarding Rota sophomore center Parker Njoku a transfer from Stuttgart who finished with a career-high 12 points and seven rebounds The Admirals (0-5) don’t have anybody on this year’s squad who saw meaningful action a year ago and coach Ben Anderson said that it’ll be up to Njoku junior forward Kaya Geylani and several others to continue to improve and come together as a team Adams said his players are adjusting to a tweak to the program’s longtime 1-3-1 zone defense they’ve been working on after getting swept by defending champion Vicenza to end play in December Both Saints teams also take on the Falcons on Saturday after AOSR and Rota clash to open the day Stars and Stripes Europe is celebrating Month of the Military Child at Aviano Air Base Stars and Stripes Europe’s marketing assistant shares her weekly interview slot with Aviano’s military-connected children and their families Kids go live on air to share their stories by answering questions from Stars and Stripes Europe’s MoMC Toolkits “I miss having the opportunity to showcase the news industry to our next generation of journalists,” said Goulding-Morin I found a way to bring that experience to our military families here in Italy with Stars and Stripes Europe and AFN Aviano.” This experience will allow military-connected children to share their unique stories in an expanded capacity while also providing them the opportunity to learn about a future career in the news industry through a local Defense Media Activity agency AFN Aviano hosts the kids and allows them to explore the studios learning about both TV and radio broadcasting creating commercials and broadcasts and so much more “Getting to partner with Stars and Stripes to celebrate Month of the Military child has been an amazing opportunity,” said U.S “Getting military kids into the studio and letting them get hands on experience not only creates lasting memories but helps connects AFN to our families who support us every day.” One mother said this experience was not only fun but educational for her children who participated in the first session on April 2 “Stars and Stripes and AFN (Aviano) truly created something so special for our military kiddos with this Month of the Military Child collaboration,” said Vanessa Slagle “The experience was unforgettable and what my daughter Zoey said was a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ They were able to learn about an exciting and technical profession valued and appreciated as military children during their tour through AFN and during their interview.” We have military families set to go live on air with Stars and Stripes Europe in Aviano every Wednesday at 4 p.m airmen here took their final active-duty flight this week in a rescue helicopter that the Air Force is phasing out after decades of use in saving the lives of American personnel the world over Retirement of the Pave Hawk has been in the works since 2010 the Pave Hawk has flown missions ranging from combat rescue to humanitarian aid delivery and disaster response Air Forces in Europe — Air Forces Africa statement said It served as the Air Force’s primary combat search and rescue helicopter pulling off both daytime and nighttime recoveries of service members in hostile environments “Today marks the end of an iconic chapter in our Air Force history,” Col Aviano received its first HH-60W helicopters on December 13 and is scheduled to receive its full order by October 2025 The Pave Hawk’s replacement has better avionics Air Force Air Education and Training Command said in a statement earlier this month the HH-3E was nicknamed after advertising icon the Jolly Green Giant Italy — The American airman who went missing four days ago from Aviano Air Base was found alive and unhurt Saturday but according to Italian news service Ansa who had arrived in Italy the day before to help with the search Miele’s brother went into the woods on his own and found the airman allowing them to focus their efforts on a specific area of Andreis “I want to thank the local Italian authorities and our base community for the combined search and rescue effort to bring Joseph home,” Col “The unwavering support of the local community has been invaluable during this challenging time.” The wing did not immediately respond Saturday to questions seeking additional information Miele was flown to base camp in a helicopter and taken to a local hospital and his dog was examined by a veterinarian