Soldiers Magazine - July 2009 - The Official United States Army Magazine

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Golden Knights — 50th anniversary

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(On the Cover)

(Coming Next Month)

The Golden Knights celebrate their 50th anniversary. See page 4. Photo by Courtney Whittman

Survival training in South Africa, an Army rock band, and other interesting stories will be featured.

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Parachute team celebrates 50 Golden Knights jump at the chance to honor their unique history and heritage.

Biometrics protects America Army uses biometric technologies to verify identities of friends and foes.

Miracles on a mountainside Wounded warriors find solace and challenges in winter activities.

 To move or not to move

Army civilians weigh options when bases where they work are closed or realigned.

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On Point

  

Army News Military OneSource Prepared Kids competition

 

Balancing people and missions Leaders transition plan for personnel and organizations as bases realign or close.

Stretching your dollar One Army family finds creative ways to save money and maintain quality living.

 How to be financially fit Soldiers need a plan, says a money management expert.

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!"#"$%"&& '"!()&)*+(,(+-& &&&).'/0&/123&-456&%3467 The Army is our nation’s greatest resource in defense of our homeland. Every day Soldiers and civilians perform acts of valor. The heroic acts performed on the battlefield and the acts of kindness from humanitarian efforts de monstrate the strength of the Army. We want to tell your story. To find out how Defense Media Activity-Army can tell your story, contact your unit public affairs officer or send your submissions via e-mail to:

[email protected] (703) 602-0870

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& Magazine archives: http://www.army.mil/soldiers/archives

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Recipient of Awards of Magazine Excellence

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Letters from the field

March issue I am the short young female at the early age of 19 on page 5 (March 2009 issue), in the center of the picture. I was completing my training at Fort McClellan, Ala., and waiting for orders to go to Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind. to attend the finance and accounting school. During my tenure, I served at Fort Rucker, Ala., and rose to the rank of specialist, E-5 in 18 months during the Vietnam War. After completing my military service, I used the G.I. Bill to obtain my bachelors degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and my masters from the University of Houston at Clear Lake City. I have written three books, one of which is on the life story of my father in law, Maj. Gen. Chester L. Johnson (who was a World War II prisoner of war of the Japanese, and who survived the Bataan March). For me, it has been an honor serving in the military and recording the notes for future generations. — Margarita Ruiz Johnson April issue We never want to hear about bloopers, trust me, I know — been there, done that at the “Recruiter Journal.” I read Soldiers cover to cover every month – an excellent publication for sure. But I had to laugh at the photo on page six in the April issue. It shows Jeremy Beales practicing archery. Well, he needs more practice and so does his coach standing behind him. Jeremy is holding the bow upside down! Which stands to reason why he’s pinching the front of the arrow between his two fingers (as he has no arrow rest to lay it on, since his hand is wrapped around it) with the actual handle sticking above his hand. Just wondered how many archers caught that one. I did, but then again I’m an editor, as well as an archery instructor. Keep up the great work. Very respectfully, Walt Kloeppel Associate Editor Recruiter Journal U.S. Army Recruiting Command

It’s always good to hear from a fellow Army writer and editor. Thanks for pointing out the “blooper”—it’s always helpful to get feedback on our magazine. I both wrote the story and took the photographs. An upside-down bow isn’t anything we would have noticed because none of us on staff have archery experience. I have a feeling the Operation Purple camp counselor who was providing the instruction isn’t an archery expert either. The counselors had many other duties. In any case, the counselor didn’t correct his stance and Jeremy actually hit the target—almost every time he shot— and came very close to the center several times. I’m sure it bothers you as an archery aficionado, but my hope is that readers will take away the overall message of the story: how courageous Army brats still manage to thrive and share their stories in this era of persistent conflict. It was tough when I was growing up in the Army in the 1980s and 1990s, and it’s more difficult now. I have nothing but admiration for these kids, especially kids like Jeremy who have both parents in the Army. I’m not sure that it matters whether they’re learning to hold bows upside down or not. What matters is that this is a week when they can be kids again. They don’t have to worry whether mom or dad is coming home, or help take care of younger brothers and sisters, or try to understand why a parent acts or looks different. And for those who attend Operation Purple’s camp specifically for kids whose parents were killed in combat, there is a reprieve from the constant sense of loss. Thanks again for your feedback, and I’m glad you enjoy Soldiers magazine. Very respectfully, Elizabeth M. Collins Soldiers Magazine May issue The layout of the May issue is great, and especially the photos! A good friend of mine who is a military journalist also thinks so — he thinks May’s Issue is among your best! Thanks for the quality work you do. — Sgt. Maj. Cecil Edwards

-6*7'#/8$9)*:#8$;6:/$ %<'5'65 To comment, keep your remarks to under 150 words, include your name, rank and address, and send them to: Defense Media Activity-Army, Attn: Editor, Soldiers Magazine, Box 31, 2511 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202-3900 or email: [email protected]

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celebrates 50 years—

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Pioneers In April 1958, Army Regulation 95-19 was published, officially authorizing Soldiers to participate in the sport of free-fall parachuting, which opened the door to many who enjoyed the sport. Over the next two years, sev-

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ust more than 50 years ago, a unique job opportunity forever changed the lives of a small group of Soldiers. On an early Sunday afternoon, a group of men sat in a hotel lobby, sharing their military stories over a pile of old photographs. Although years older now, they lit up when they reminisced about their lives on the road, wearing the “black and gold,” and representing the U.S. Army. They move a little slower than they did 50 years ago, but their memories of being Golden Knights are vivid. They were free-fall parachutists who once sat around the drop zone dreaming of the day they could jump, compete and make a living doing something they loved.

eral sport parachuting clubs were formed at Fort Campbell, Ky., and Fort Bragg, N.C. Soldiers from the two clubs and other military airborne contingencies formed a special team and competed internationally in the Second Adriatic Cup in 1959 at Tivat, Yugoslavia. This allArmy U.S. National team placed fourth out of 14 nations, the highest placement ever achieved by any previous U.S. team. The Army recognized the worldwide publicity potential and the need for a unit to exploit the sport of parachuting. The Strategic Army Corps Sport Parachute Team was born. The team was the vision and hard work of Brig. Gen. Joseph

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Stilwell Jr. He was responsible for gathering Soldiers to form the initial competition team in 1959. The team based their headquarters at Fort Bragg, N.C., where it still exists today. The 19 original Soldiers assigned to

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the unit in 1959 became part of the STRAC team. “The team that evolved was made up from all of those sport parachute clubs,” noted Roy Martin, the team’s first executive officer. “During the Cold War, everything hinged on beating the Russians. The reason the STRAC parachute team was so important, was they were the team competing against the Russians. That grew a tremendous amount of support for the team.” It was a dream come true for many of those in the world of sport parachuting who, in 1958, set their sights on being able to compete as Soldiers. “We were ambassadors for not just the Army, but for America,” Martin said. He recalled being told by Stilwell, “remember always you are Soldiers first, and parachutists second.” The newly formed STRAC team’s first demonstration was at a show in Danville, Va., Nov. 1, 1959. The team’s first full year was loaded with accomplishments. In 1960, the STRAC para-

chutists captured the top three places in the U.S. National Championships. But the biggest accolade for the team came June 15, 1961, when the Department of Defense announced that the STRAC team would become the U.S. Army Parachute Team. This recognition meant that the team would be one of three authorized DOD aerial demonstration teams, along with the Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy Blue Angels. '4 Original member 3'440"36R Dick Fortenbury’s (1959 to 1964) position on the team came as a “special duty assignment.” Close to the end of his enlistment, he was asked to reenlist to continue his career with the STRAC team. “We didn’t know it was going to be this big,” said Fortenbury, alluding to the team’s evolution. “It was nice to give them a base and a platform to start out with.”

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Donna Dixon

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6 www.army.mil/soldiers

Fortenbury was the first person to make a dead center landing in 1960. “The Russians had silk parachutes, we had nylon. We came down a lot faster than they did,” he added. Bob McDonald was competing in the 1959 nationals as a civilian from California. During the meet, Stilwell told him there would be an Army parachute team someday, and

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according to McDonald, the general wanted to see him on it. “I joined the Army, which was the stickler…I went through training and got orders to go on the Army Parachute Team.” McDonald was involved in the team’s first plane crash in 1961. A large military aircraft (C-123) crashed on take-off as the team was preparing for a demonstration in Wilmington, N.C. One team member was killed and several critically injured, including McDonald

who spent three years in the hospital. Despite his injuries, he still supported the team and returns to reunions. “We had a good bunch of guys, we had good times,” said McDonald. “It was an excellent experience. I was feeling something big was going to happen.” Research and development The 1960s was a decade of research and development for the team. “We used our own gear, we used our own

cars to travel…we stayed in private homes…and in one case we stayed under a bowling alley. These were the things we did to get the team going,” said Jerry Borquin (1960 to 1965). “We had the camaraderie and helpfulness of each person to each other…we actually worked together as a team.” When asked about memorable moments Borquin added, “we did our own test and evaluation, we did our own R and D (research and development). We

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Tech. Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo Jr.

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Courtney Wittman

Staff Sgt. Noah Watts and Sgt. 1st Class Harold Meyer, U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Demonstration Team, locate their target on Chicago’s North Avenue Beach for their performance at the 50th Annual Air and Water show, Aug. 17, 2008.

modified parachutes. We all worked together; if somebody found something that didn’t work he’d share it with the other jumpers. Everybody would benefit, primarily for the safety aspect.” On Dec. 19, 1961, the Conquistador TU competition chute was developed by the team and patented. That same year, the team introduced the cutaway—a maneuver used in shows where the jumper’s parachute appears to fail and is released, at which time the jumper deploys another chute. In 1962, the team moved their winter training to Yuma, Ariz. The warmer climate gave the team the opportunity to train during the colder months, which eventually allowed them to break world records and earn 19 victories in competition. Later that year, on Oct. 15, they earned the nickname that characterized their powerful domination of the sport: Golden Knights. It was an easily recognized, distinctive name, symbolic of the team itself: Gold, the brilliant color of the team, combined with the all-conquering Army Knight, produced a symbol 8 www.army.mil/soldiers

that would stand for a unit ready to do “battle” on the competitive fields of international parachuting. (Later, the gold team color would be symbolic of the number of gold medals the team earned). By 1963, the team had 48 new World Accuracy records. For the first time in U.S. history, the Soviet Union parachutists were second to the U.S. Army Parachute Team in both the competitive and record breaking fields. Research and development remained key elements for the team. It wasn’t uncommon for members to jump parachutes they tweaked right on the drop zone. From 1963 to 1969, the team was involved in para-delay techniques—a tactical employment of small teams composed of skilled, delayed-fall parachutists, which could also be used in a variety of combat roles. To this day, the team provides direct support to special operations units, offering personalized assistance in maintaining and improving military freefall infiltration skills and techniques during their pre-mission training.

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UFBN As the team grew, so did their demonstrations. The team was divided into two demonstration teams: a black team and a gold team, enabling them to cover more air shows and events. A separate competition team continued to win medals. The 1970s and ‘80s were decades of change as the team morphed from wearing gold helmets during demonstrations to French leather helmets. They endured numerous uniform changes, began using smaller targets, and even suffered through a fuel shortage in 1973. One of the most significant changes in parachuting for the team happened in 1975, when it switched from jumping the round Para-Commander parachute to the square Strato-Cloud parachute, which offered an easier opening and softer landing. The team’s first relative work competition team was formed in 1975, which provided more opportunities to win gold. In 1977, the team’s first female, Cheryl Sterns, signed on. Primarily a competitor, Sterns racked up her share of gold medals and world championships and is still competing worldwide, now as a civilian. Sterns made her most memorable jump early in her career at the Statue of Liberty, where she filled in as a demonstrator in 1978. Other great monumental jumps for the team include jumping at Mt. Rushmore in 1985, and at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea. The following year was an exciting one for the team, which was invited to jump at the Lincoln Memorial as part of the presidential inauguration. Months later, the team broke a military world record when they jumped 45 members from the tailgate of a C-130, creating a giant star. The team continued to evolve in the 1990s with big-way formations, National Gold Medals, and tandem jumps. Over the next two decades, there were huge leaps in the parachuting world. “The parachutes got faster…they got smaller and they became zero

Staff Sgt. Michael Rook

jumpers and one pilot. New team member Sgt. Rachel Haddon’s first experience demonstrating for the Golden Knights was her most memorable. “The first time I actually went out and did a demo…all of a sudden, I realized I don’t just represent myself, I represent every female in the Army and every single Soldier. I have a huge responsibility now,” said Haddon. Each Golden Knight represents all Soldiers throughout the Army, putting a face to those who serve their country. As the team celebrates 50 years of excellence, it will continue the mission of demonstrations, tandem jumps and competition in support of the U.S. Army Accessions Command’s tactical, operational and strategic goals. Like those who served on the team over the past 50 years, new members will continue the role as ambassadors for the Army. “The recruiting cycle for the Army goes in phases, this team will continue to demonstrate and show everybody what it is to be a Soldier and all the great things you can do for the Army,” said team commander, Lt. Col. Anthony Dill. “We are given the opportunity to connect America with America’s Army,” he added. “What better thing to do than to represent our United States Army and to be able to tell the Army story across the United States to even the smallest town and represent those Soldiers that are down range?” To celebrate their 50th anniversary, the Golden Knights will honor their unique history, all past and present members, fellow Soldiers and the American public throughout the year, each time they jump. The team’s rich history is on display at its headquarters at Fort Bragg, N.C. For more information on the U.S. Army Golden Knights, visit www. armygoldenknights.com !

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porosity material which was a huge step in parachuting,” said former team member and competitor Joe Trinko (1991 to 1996). “During the time frame I was there, research and development was prevalent, it was relevant, it was constant…the guys were always tweaking their equipment to get the best out of it.” The team learned a few new techniques in eight-way competition, which helped launch a few big wins. Leaders like six-time world champion Scott Rhodes and others on the team had a “do or die” attitude toward winning, which netted them world records and national gold medals. With the onset of the tandem rig and the ability to tether two jumpers together came more opportunities. Since then, the team has tandem jumped numerous celebrities, dignitaries and other influential people who were able to experience free-falling from 13,500 feet and share the Army’s message with the rest of the world. “We started the pilot program in 1996, with four Soldiers, including myself,” said Billy Van Soelen (1994-2009). Numerous changes in the tandem rig and the parachute were paramount to the success of the program. The team has jumped celebrities such as Chuck Norris, Ann Curry, Geraldo Rivera, Tiger Woods and former President George H.W. Bush, among others. One of the most unique events for the team was when four women from the Style and Accuracy team jumped onto the back of four separate bass boats for the Warriors on the Water event at Lake Jordan, N.C. “I’ve had such great times with my teammates, on the road…demonstrating. I’ve been to wonderful places…but my greatest memory on the team is the boat jump,” said team leader Sgt. 1st Class Elisa Tennyson. She is a veteran on the team, now serving her 26th year in the Army. Tennyson has won numerous gold medals, both individually, and with her teammates. While the team is mostly made up of men, its women continue to leave their mark on spectators. Currently there are 10 women on the team: nine

Cheryle Rivas works for the U.S. Army Parachute Team public affairs office.

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10 www.army.mil/soldiers

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HE Biometrics Task Force, located in Arlington, Va., is a Department of Defense organization dedicated to developing new ways to protect the country using biometric applications. It leads DOD activities to program, integrate and synchronize biometric technologies and capabilities and to operate and maintain the DOD’s authoritative database to support the national security strategy. Biometric technologies used to verify identities employ such modalities as iris scans, fingerprints and facial recognition. They are being integrated into the framework of defense and security measures both at home and overseas. The Army is using biometrics to assist in identifying detainees in the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan and in differentiating friendly individuals from insurgents and terrorists. In Afghanistan, the Marines are using fingerprint devices, iris scanners and electronic databases to screen local residents applying for jobs requiring security clearances. In 2007, some Iraqi personnel applying for selection into the Iraqi Police Academy were found to have biometrics that matched those of previously identified terrorists and insurgents. Others were found to match felony records in the U.S. The use of biometrics has clearly thwarted security breaches and helped prevent unwanted activities by the enemy. “Interagency communication and compatibility greatly increases the use and feasibility of biometrics in

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the global war on terrorism,” said Lisa Swan, deputy director for integration at the BTF. “As a result, there’s been visible and measurable movement in the advancement of biometric technology in recent years.” Developing biometrics standards is also taking center stage. Interoperability of systems within the DOD is of critical importance, as is data sharing amongst other U.S. government agencies and multi-national organizations. In 2004, the DOD created a

centralized biometric database called the Automated Biometric Identification System. This growing repository is compatible with the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System used by the FBI so that matches can be made between the two databases. When biometric matches are flagged by the system, experienced examiners develop further actions and analysis. “By creating and sustaining a biometric database, DOD not only has

and in the DOD ensuring complete and timely support to warfighters. The BTF is currently involved in briefing senior Army officers on the value this training can add to war efforts. The task force also supports orientation sessions for key leaders assigned to biometric cells in Iraq and Afghanistan, and programs for operator-level training for the battlefield. Using the current biometrics cells in Iraq and Afghanistan as models, biometrics footholds throughout the combatant commands are also being established. Collection devices are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and visible in operations.

The Biometric Automated Toolset, a laptop-based computer system, has been deployed to collect biometric data and store it on a central server in a secure network. Currently, there are more than 1,000 active BATs in Iraq. The Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment, similar in size to a large camera, connects directly to the BAT and matches inputs against a biometric watch list of up to 10,000 individuals. The HIIDE is a rugged, shock-resistant collection and identification device. This handheld device was put to use in an Iraqi village near Baghdad International Airport, and led to a significant decrease in violence in and around the village. By using

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records of known threats, but can help identify those threats in active operations,” said David Lohman, deputy director for support at the BTF. “Hundreds of high-value individuals were identified in fiscal year 2008.” One of the BTF’s main areas of focus is to support institutionalizing biometrics training for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. The BTF enables its partners in the biometrics field to offer much-needed training, and conducts bi-weekly secure video teleconferences with the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom biometric cells. These teleconferences include all continental U.S.-based support organizations,

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the HIIDE to verify credentials, not only did the residents benefit from increased security, the police increased influence and authority with village residents. Almost 7,000 of these devices have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In December 2008, the BTF opened a demonstration room at its offices in Arlington, Va., to showcase this equipment and how it’s being used. This area allows visitors to see and touch some of the systems that are used for physical access, logical access,

and the identification of known or suspected terrorists and enemy combatants. Some systems displayed are currently in use, while others will be examples of how biometrics may be applied in the near future. Technology-driven exercises undertaken by the BTF this past year have tested nearly 50 new and emerging biometric technologies for operational effectiveness. “These efforts support the BTF’s mission to provide enhanced identity management capabilities across the community and to identify new technologies that support the needs of the warfighter,” said Swan. Thanks to ever-evolving biometric technology coupled with the vision of the DOD and the dedication of the individual services, the ability to identify and detain suspected enemies and terrorists continues to improve and ensure the ongoing safety of U.S. citizens at home and abroad. !

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IOMETRIC technology implementation has increased in recent years and is helping protect the nation by keeping it more secure. New, lightweight, multi-modal devices make distinguishing between an insurgent and a civilian in a war environment easier. Two such technologies, a laptop-based system deployed as the Biometric Automated Toolset, and the Handheld Interagency Identity Detection Equipment, capture fingerprint, iris and facial data. The Biometrics Task Force conducts standards conformance

12 www.army.mil/soldiers

testing of these tactical devices. The BTF also operates and maintains the DOD’s authoritative biometric database to support the national security strategy. By creating and sustaining a biometric database, DOD not only has records of some known threats, but can help identify those threats in active operations. A 2004 bombing in Mosul, Iraq, brought to light a need for a system that would more securely monitor and grant access to only authorized individuals. The Biometric Identifications System for Access was developed and has since been used by analysts to issue more than 220,000 military base

access cards and permanently bar more than 800 individuals from having access to U.S. facilities in Iraq. This smart-card-based system has increased base and checkpoint security with the use of biometrics-enabled badges and employee screenings. Biometric technologies, especially those that can easily be used on the battlefield, are making a difference in the current fight against terrorism by protecting both the warfighter and the homeland. Ongoing assessment and evaluation of biometric equipment will help enhance effectiveness and efficiency of those technologies. !

www.army.mil/facesofstrength Ms. Donna Cranston Seven days a week, Donna Cranston leaves for the Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport to greet troops returning home. Cranston is the coordinator of “Welcome Home a Hero,” a job she approaches with tireless energy as she and her crew of hundreds of Civilian and Veteran volunteers greet troops with cheers and hugs. But

her noble role doesn’t stop there. After greeting these Soldiers, Cranston is known to help them find their Families, make connecting flights or offer a meal or her phone to call a loved one, earning her the treasured nickname, “Mother of all Soldiers.”

The Nation’s strength starts here.

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RMY veteran Javier Torres recently traveled from the warmth of Puerto Rico to a snowy mountain in Colorado for some major life-changing experiences. “My eyes have been opened to discovering that there is a whole new world to experience out there,” he said. Torres participated in the 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, a world leader in promoting rehabilitation to injured veterans. At the event, held March 29 to April 3, in Snowmass Village, Colo., 370 participants with disabilities received instruction in adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing. They were also introduced to a number of other adaptive recreational activities and sports. For many newly injured veterans, including those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, the clinic provided not only their first experience in winter sports, but also an inspiration to take their rehabilitation to a higher level. While serving with the infantry in Afghanistan in 2005, Torres received three gunshot wounds during an ambush on his convoy. Though one would never guess the extent of his injuries from his positive attitude, his wounds resulted in severe nerve damage in one leg, no control over an ankle, sensitivity issues (similar to an electric current) through portions of his body and constant pain. During his rehabilitation, a physical therapist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center told Torres, 25, about the annual clinic. It sounded like a great idea, Torres said, and he followed up on the suggestion. He was one of 116 first-time participants at this year’s event. Although he was hesitant initially, Torres’ mountainside experience has given him a newfound love of snowboarding. Driving a snowmobile, trying archery and shooting skeet were some other exciting firsts for this Operation Enduring Freedom veteran who never held a gun before joining the Army. “During the clinic registration I even saw a friend I had gone through a great deal of

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rehab with, but we had lost contact. The camaraderie all week was great, and it was like a reunion with others who have done what we have done,” said Torres, a Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico native. “At the clinic, I even swam in a heated outdoor pool during a blizzard and made a snow angel in my swimsuit. Thanks to this opportunity to try some new things, I can’t wait for my baby girl to snowboard and do sports with her daddy. The clinic gives veterans like myself the opportunity to accomplish something new. You can do anything if you really want to.” The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Disabled American Veterans sponsor the clinic each year, with financial assistance from corporate sponsors and individual donors. Participation is open to U.S. military service veterans

of the participants. This year, the clinic received additional support from more than 450 volunteers. For the third year, a race training and development program helped veterans develop their skiing abilities to an elite level, with an ultimate goal of qualifying for the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team. The Army was well represented at the 2009 winter sports clinic, with 179 participants (including both veterans and active-duty servicemembers). Sixteen of the 29 female participants were Army veterans. The ages of the participants ranged from the youngest, Byron Henson, 22, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., to the oldest, Horace “Jim” Baugh, 87, of Idaho Falls, Idaho. Both were firsttime participants and Army veterans. “The last time I skied I was 17 or 18 years old,” said Baugh, who is visually

ties included scuba diving, sled hockey, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, goal ball, rock climbing, shooting sports, curling, fly fishing, snow cat/gondola rides, and a trip to nearby hot springs; plus educational and instructional workshops in self-defense, creative writing and other stimulating topics. Joey Bozik, 30, of Fuquay Varina, N.C., is an Army veteran who attended the clinic for the fourth time this year. In October 2004, while serving in Iraq as a military police officer with the 82nd Airborne Division, he was severly injured by an improvised explosive device. Today, Bozik is a husband and the new father of a baby girl, and is busy finishing his degree in business communication. He is also a triple amputee, losing both legs above the knee and his right arm below the

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with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic amputations, visual impairments, certain neurological problems and other disabilities. Veterans who receive health care at a VA medical facility have first priority to participate. In addition, a number of active military personnel from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom also attended. More than 200 certified ski instructors for the disabled, as well as several current and former members of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, serve as ski instructors to meet the unique needs

impaired. “I’m 87 now, so it’s been a while!” Baugh added that he had looked forward “with great enthusiasm to enjoying the winter sports and meeting other veterans. It’s important to stay busy and active in everything we can learn to do and not let our disabilities interfere with a good life.” Activities included adaptive Alpine (downhill) and Nordic (cross-country) skiing using mono-skis, bi-skis, and other adaptive equipment; as well as instruction in adaptive skiing and snowboarding for stand-up skiers including the visually impaired. Alternate activi-

elbow. The prosthetic devices he uses include a power wheelchair at home, a manual chair when traveling, and a body-powered arm. He also uses two powered C-Legs that have computer chips in the knees, which read his gait and then propel his legs for him. When there is pressure on the ball of his foot, the knee releases. “Be the best person you can be every day,” said Bozik. “The winter sports clinic is always great, the people are fantastic and you go home feeling fulfilled. Each year, I look forward to skiing and use a bi-ski. It’s great to see 4PMEJFST
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the ear-to-ear grins on the faces on those with medical injuries as they ski. This year, we had fresh powder so I had great skiing days. I’ve made friends at the clinic who I catch up with throughout the year. We support each other.” Sergeant Maj. Bill Roy, 54, of Winchester, Calif., has served the Army through active duty and the Reserves since 1973, and received a gunshot wound to the head while serving in Vietnam in 1974. Thirty-one years later, rocket fire hit his command bunker in Afghanistan. “I finished the tour with my boys, and then was diagnosed with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries after returning to the States,” said Roy. “I was in a wheelchair my first year back, and I use titanium leg braces now, similar to Forrest Gump. I used to ski double black diamonds (the most difficult runs), so I was a little nervous having to start all over again at the clinic. They challenged me with an advanced mono-ski and using outriggers with my arms. You are tethered to an instructor at the start for safety.” A first-time attendee, Roy also participated in snowmobiling, a trip to the hot springs and dancing at the evening concerts. “The clinic provides a wonderful opportunity for disabled veterans, and makes you feel more alive,” said Roy. “It teaches you to never surrender to a disability, but rather learn to adjust and overcome it. The clinic has re-instilled my confidence and re-invigorated my soul and spirit. I’m looking forward to coming back next year as well as pushing others to participate.” The 2009 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic provided veterans with disabilities, from 42 states and Puerto Rico, an opportunity for self-development and challenge through sports and leisure activities. Together, they seized that opportunity. !

Scott K. Krueger works for the Department of Veterans Affairs

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Nine World War II veterans participated at the winter sports clinic this year, eight of them Army veterans, three of them for the first time. Dr. Joseph “Joe” Hineman, 86, of Des Moines, Iowa, served in the Army from 1943 to 1946. He was hit in both legs by shrapnel from a German mortar. His left leg was amputated above the knee in Paris in 1945 when a severe infection from his wounds threatened his life. After his discharge in 1946, Hineman completed his education, including a Doctorate in Psychology. For the next 30 years, he worked at the Knoxville VA Medical Center where he provided psychological care to his fellow veterans. Besides using a bi-ski, Hineman, who has participated in all 23 of the clinics, also enjoyed snowmobiling and sled hockey. “In sled hockey, they put a lot of protective gear on you, then you go out and knock each other around,” said Hineman. “It’s pretty easy to tip over. You have little runners in the back of what you sit on and you have two short sticks, using one end to propel you and the other to hit the puck. “The clinic is a complete and satisfying experience, with great ski runs, an educational component and fun alternate activities. It is a great way to socialize with military peers from various backgrounds. We share a generational bond, because even though I’m much older, I can identify with them psychologically and physiologically because of our similar injuries. Live with purpose.” — Scott K. Krueger/Department of Veterans Affairs

ARMY FAMILY COVENANT: Keeping the Promise

For us, the Army Family Covenant means the Army stays strong by keeping the Family Strong. INGRID MURRAY, U.S. Army Spouse Serving Together, Nine Years

It’s about honoring our commitment to Soldiers and Families. - œ  ` ˆ i À Ã Ê U Ê  Õ ˜ i Ê Ó ä ä ™ 17 Visit ARMYOneSource.com to see what the Army Family Covenant can mean for you or someone you know.

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HE 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act, better known as BRAC, is many things to many people. To Congress, the Department of Defense and Army leaders, BRAC is an important tool to save money and realign forces and capabilities for the future. To a lot of Soldiers, it’s just another move. But to many Army civilians who are accustomed to putting down roots and building 20-year careers at one installation, it can be both scary and devastating. The decision to move or not move with a job is difficult and profoundly personal for the 22,294 Army civilians and countless Soldiers and family members affected by BRAC. It is a decision dependant on many factors such as school-age children, ailing parents, spouses’ jobs and the current housing market. 18 www.army.mil/soldiers

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New opportunities Based on past BRACs, the Army only expects about 30 percent of employees to move with their jobs, although Dr. Susan Duncan, the assistant G-1 for civilian personnel, said she hopes this round will be different, as the experience and skills those civilians have are important to the Army. She said the current job market is actually leading more employees to seriously consider moving. Duncan encouraged everyone to at least try and visit the new locations before making up their minds. She speaks with the experience of a former Army wife who made many unwilling moves. She remembered being horrified at the idea of moving to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., but said she ended up loving it. She added that the Army’s phased approach to the moves has also helped, as employees who have already moved call back to tell their colleagues how wonderful the new duty station is. There might be a lower cost of living,

better schools, shorter commutes and more recreational activities near the new installation. “Learn everything you can about what your command is offering you and what it really means,” she said. “What is the new place really like? If you can’t go or don’t want to go, okay, understood. We will do everything possible to get you another position. Just give it a fair shot and approach it with an open mind.” Duncan pointed out that the moves would open new positions and promotion opportunities as a result of vacancies left by employees who will decide not to move. She added that if the expected 70 percent of employees remain behind, that would equal about 46,816 new personnel actions, including more than 30,000 for recruitment and hiring. Job exchanges The DOD and the Army have several options available for employees who either don’t want to move or don’t have a choice because their garrison is closing. First, Duncan said, they’re looking at a job-exchange program,

!"#$ especially in cases where each spouse is employed by different tenant organizations that are going in different directions. In one case at the Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Va., a TRADOC employee nearing retirement switched positions with a mid-level garrison employee whose job was disappearing, for example. He still gets to retire and she will stay employed and move with TRADOC to Fort Eustis, Va. It’s a win-win situation, and Duncan said job exchanges could also be used in cases where an employee might not be able to go to, say, Fort Knox, Ky., but may have an elderly parent near Fort Benning, Ga., who needs care. New employment Of course, job swaps wouldn’t work for everyone, and not every BRAC-affected employee is ready to retire or even eligible for early retirement. Duncan said it’s up to the local command whether to offer Voluntary Early Retirement Authority or Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay. The two programs are really to offset the effects of a reduction in force and she said the Army doesn’t want to lose people. “The Army has invested a great deal of its heart and soul in those people and conversely, those people, great patriots, have invested a great deal in this !"#$%##&'($)*+&,'-$).&%'(/01#'2'3045.16

nation through the Army,” added Col. Jim Balocki, chief of the BRAC division in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. “So it’s really our desire that with every position that moves, we would like to be able to move the person with it.” Because that isn’t feasible, the Army will take care of the employees who won’t, can’t or don’t have the option to move, said Duncan. That means offering resume-writing and interviewing classes, job-retraining programs and career fairs. And it also means making use of the priority placement list program, an important tool to keep DOD employees within the DOD, said Shelia Dent, chief of the employment policy division at G-1 (Personnel). Most BRACaffected employees will be eligible to register for the program a year before the expected move date. At that point, civilian personnel representatives will meet with employees interested in the PPP to explain the registration process. They will help employees identify up to four additional job series they might be well-qualified for based on previous assignments or

collateral duties. Ultimately, it’s up to employees and they can also pick geographic locations as narrow as the Pentagon or Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. They also have the option to register for positions one or two grades lower than their current assignments, with grade retention and saved pay for about two years. According to Dent, there are three rungs of priority in the PPP. Employees who are losing their jobs within 60 days have first priority for DOD jobs that meet their criteria. Next are employees losing their jobs a year or two out, followed by employees who have already been through PPP, but had to take a lower grade. They are third on the priority list for jobs with their original grades. Civilians can stay on the PPP for up to a year after being separated. They also have the option of the federal-wide Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program, and civilians who meet the criteria can participate in both programs. Dent said that employees must have a reduction-in-force letter with separation date before they can participate in ICTAP. Instead of registering for a program that would automatically match them to jobs, under ICTAP, civilians must identify openings on www.USAJOBS.gov and other sites and identify themselves as ICTAP-eligible on their applications. Married Army civilians are facing a situation military couples know all too well: their spouses’ lives and careers are also turning upside down with BRAC. And with rising unemployment, some employees are concerned about whether their spouses will be able to find jobs if they move. Duncan said there will be many vacancies for which spouses can apply, and that the Army is considering special placement programs like the military spouse preference program. “I think there certainly will be 4PMEJFST
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enough vacancies that we’ll be able to accommodate most of our spouses who are looking for employment with the federal government,” she said. Housing assistance Another major concern employees have in today’s economy is whether they’ll be able to sell their homes and recoup the cost of their mortgages, and the Army Corps of Engineers has two programs to help. Any Army civilian affected by BRAC is eligible for the Defense National Relocation Program, said David Gage, chief of DNRP, explaining that it assists civilians in selling their homes,

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20 www.army.mil/soldiers

and purchases the homes at market value if necessary. Civilians must have authorization for DNRP services on their original permanent-change-ofstation orders. The orders can’t later be amended with the authorization. Once they have orders in hand, employees can go to the DNRP Web site at http://www.nab.usace.army.mil/ dnrp/ and download the application form. Civilians must then turn their completed forms over to their human resources offices, which will authorize

the services and fax the forms to the DNRP office with copies of the orders. Within three days of receipt, DNRP counselors will call civilians to review eligibility and timing and ensure they’re ready to market their properties, and refer them to relocation-management companies. After two independent appraisals (the employee selects the appraisers), the employee must actively market his home for 60 days. If he receives a legitimate outside offer within that time, the contractor will purchase the home for that price, and if he does not, the contractor will buy the home for the appraised value. According to Gage, by accepting the buy-out offers, employees incur no selling costs like commissions,

!"#$ transfer taxes or attorneys’ fees. In today’s market, however, getting the appraised value may not help much. That’s where the Homeowner’s Assistance Program comes in. In past BRACs, HAP has only applied when a drop in home values could be directly linked to a BRAC announcement, said HAP assistant program manager Don Chapman. The program would pay a civilian or a Soldier the difference between his home’s selling price and 95 percent of its value on the BRAC announcement date, or pay off an upside-down mortgage, whichever was higher, and also pay the closing costs. If the employee chose not to market his home or couldn’t sell it, the program would buy it at 75 percent of its value

before the announcement date. That link has been impossible to determine in all but one BRAC 2005 case, Brunswick Naval Air Station, Maine. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—otherwise known as the stimulus—the program was expanded to cover all BRAC-affected civilians, PCSing servicemembers, wounded warriors and surviving spouses. Final DOD guidance on implementing these changes had not been released at press time. For up-to-date information, please visit the HAP website at http://hap.usace.army.mil/. “There’s a lot of stress on service families because of (the housing market collapse). We also have civilians who

are being required to locate. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service is closing most of its offices around the country and moving all these people someplace else. Twenty-two hundred DFAS employees can’t leave their homes because they can’t afford to. Army Materiel Command senior staff said they weren’t going to go to Huntsville, Ala., because they couldn’t afford to leave Washington. It definitely is a readiness issue. It’s a quality of life issue for the personnel involved,” Chapman said, adding that he expects the expanded program to help more people in the next six months than HAP has since its creation in 1966. Employees need someplace to live on the other end as well, so DNRP offers the free Destination Home Search program to all DOD employees. No orders are necessary, and all Soldiers and civilians have to do is call 1-800344-2501, to discuss their needs with a counselor who will ultimately refer them to local, experienced realtors. “If an employee seeks home-finding assistance on their own initiative, they really only represent one single transaction to that agent. Whereas if they’re referred through a relocation-company relationship…those relationships represent a valuable flow of business of qualified home buyers from whom the real estate company derives a lot of revenue,” Gage explained, also noting that because mortgage lenders generally consider government employees good credit risks, the program can often help employees find more favorable mortgage terms. The bottom line is that whatever employees decide, the Army plans to support them and help them begin the next phases of their lives. As September 2011 approaches, employees can relax and remember that whatever decisions they make, they’ll be the right decisions for them. !

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BRAC quick reference guide Civilian Assistance and Re-employment Division – CARE is a DOD organization responsible for administering the Priority Placement Program. www.nab.usace.army.mil/dnrp/ Defense National Relocation Program – DNRP is a DOD program designed to facilitate the sale (or buy) employees’ homes at their old duty stations, and help them find homes at their new duty stations. www.nab. usace.army.mil/dnrp/ Department of Labor/State 1 Stop Center – When DOL and states pool resources to establish employment/ training centers for employees impacted by BRAC. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program – ICTAP provides that employees adversely affected by BRAC may apply for other Federal vacancies advertised outside of the agency workforce and receive priority consideration if he or she is well qualified. www.opm.gov/ctap/ Homeowner’s Assistance Program – HAP is a DOD program to help Soldiers, civilians, wounded warriors and surviving spouses recoup financial losses when selling their home to PCS and/or move under BRAC. www.hap. usace.army.mil/ Job Exchange – DOD program which permits a retirement-eligible employee of a non-BRAC activity to change jobs with an employee adversely affected due to an activity’s scheduled closure or realignment. Outplacement Subsidy – BRAC activities may offer an outplacement

22 www.army.mil/soldiers

subsidy as an incentive to non-DOD federal agencies to hire BRAC-impacted employees who accept employment in another geographic area. Priority Placement Program – PPP is a DOD program for placement of DOD civilian employees who are adversely affected by RIF, BRAC and re-stationing. www.cpol.army.mil/library/permiss/631.html Reduction-in-Force – RIF is the federal process for reshaping and drawing down the civilian workforce. http://www.cpol.army.mil/library/permiss/631.html Re-employment Priority List – RPL is the federal program that provides priority consideration for an agency’s position vacancies for employees who were separated from the agency by RIF in the same commuting area. Three Rs – Recruitment, relocation and retention incentives are delegated to Army activities for use in recruiting new federal employees, offering monetary incentives to current employees to relocate and offering retention incentives to employees who are offered nonfederal employment to remain at an activity for a fixed period. Transfer of Function – TOF is the total transfer of a line of work from one geographic area to another geographic area where the same line of work is not currently being performed. Employees with TOF rights must be offered TOF if the alternative is separation or demotion. An employee who declines TOF may be separated under adverse-action procedures or included in an ongoing RIF.

Transfer of Work – TOW is the whole or partial transfer of a line of work or specific positions from one geographic area to another. Employees do not have a right to a TOW, but may be directed by management to relocate. Employees who decline are separated under adverse action procedures. Voluntary Early Retirement Authority – An employee with 50 years of age and 20 years of service, or 25 years of service at any age, may be offered VERA in order to lessen the effect of RIF or to restructure a position as a result of new mission requirements. www.opm.gov/employ/vera/vera01.asp Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay – VSIP is also called a buyout. VSIP equals the lesser of an employee’s earned severance pay amount and $25,000. VSIP is a tool to lessen the effect of RIF or to restructure a position. ww.opm.gov/employ/html/vsi.htm VSIP II – A VSIP that is offered to a DOD employee not impacted by BRAC to create a vacancy for a BRACimpacted employee. Other helpful sites: www.brac.gov www.hqda.army.mil/ACSIM/brac/ BRAC_2005.htm www.cpol.army.mil/library/general/ brac/ Source: The majority of terms are from the “Base Realignment and Closure Smart Book for Commanders.” Others are from interviews with subject matter experts. !

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NDER the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Act, the Army is scheduled to close 13 depots, ammunition plants and headquarters—including Forts McPherson, Ga., Monroe, Va., and Monmouth, N.J. —and 387 reservecomponent facilities. All of these locations must undergo a prescribed re-use process. First, the Army must ensure that no other federal agencies want the property, said Col. Jim Balocki, chief of the BRAC division in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management. If no other agency wants it, the Army will open it up for sale or for use by local communities. The communities form official re-use authorities, whose boards may include local mayors, members of the community, and the garrison commander. For example, the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority has all of these, as well as advisors from the state of New Jersey. Members of the public can air their ideas and concerns during public meetings, and eventually the authorities develop plans for re-using the closing installations. The re-use plans must meet specific criteria, such as a certain percentage of housing for the homeless, and the protection of any historic landmarks. The re-use authorities then submit their plans to the Army for approval, because the Army wants to ensure compatible use of the property. The process can take years. On the Sept. 15, 2011 closure date, the Army won’t walk away, lock the doors and hand the keys over to new owners. Instead, skeleton caretaker staffs will

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remain as the Army prepares to turn the property over. Balocki said he has properties from the 1988 BRAC that are still on his books, for example. This is often because of environmental concerns. In the mid-20th century, Balocki explained, the Army, and the nation as a whole, didn’t know what we know now, that it was harmful to dump or bury chemicals, for example. So the Army has to evaluate and remediate those properties, unless the new owner agrees to do so as part of the sale. “We invest and have been investing for many years on ensuring properties from previous rounds of BRAC are clean, clear and ready to use, and we have had some success. Some of them, though, are pretty nasty. We’ve got some that have required years of investment and will require years more,” Balocki said. He noted that a former industrial ammunition plant might never be appropriate for a residential community, but that it could have other uses. A movie studio recently made the winning bid on an old

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78-acre engine plant in Connecticut that still needs some environmental remediation. The studio is willing to do the remediation, Balocki said, because they plan to use old tank platforms as ready-made sound stages. “The thing that’s really sad about this is the way the acronym BRAC lines up. The last word in BRAC is closure, so that’s kind of the thing that rolls off the end of your tongue: closure. But in fact, this is more about the ‘R’ or the realignment part and transformation than it is about closure. Because at the end of the day, the closures are pretty minimal in terms of the numbers compared to the previous four rounds. This is really about how we’re going to transform our Army, bring parts of it home from overseas, and how we’re going to shape the civilian workforce in the future,” he concluded. !

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ERGEANT 1st Class Patrick King is experimenting with a bionic foot created by West Point cadets as a capstone project in the academy’s Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department. King lost his foot in Iraq to an explosively formed projectile, a weapon that can go through armored trucks. The cadets are designing, building and testing a below-the-knee active prosthesis to replicate the foot-ankle movement of a natural foot. “At this point, the foot does need electricity and to be plugged into a computer,” Joe Marshall, a project team member and academy senior,

said. “We are trying to reduce the components so amputees are able to walk.” King is the first to try the bionic foot, which he heard about through a prosthetic technician at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He decided he would like to help with the project, if not for himself then for someone else. “This is the first year of a multi-

year project,” Lt. Col. Joe Hitt, assistant professor in the CME department and faculty advisor, said. “This project will culminate with a walk-run device that Soldiers can use in and out of the field.” Hitt said three military amputees would test the system as part of approved clinical trials. “The goal is to improve the Soldiers’ metabolic efficiency and produce a more symmetric and comfortable gait compared to wearing a conventional, passive prosthesis,” he explained. ! — Pointer View/Kathy Eastwood

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OR fiscal year 2010, the Army has requested in its base budget $142 billion dollars for a range of expenditures that include a focus on taking care of Soldiers and their families. Also significant in the budget request, forwarded by the president to Congress, are items that have been trimmed. Portions of Future Combat Systems have been cut, for instance, as has the Army’s ownership of the Joint Cargo Aircraft. And both enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses have been reduced. “One of the main themes is taking care of families and Soldiers,” said William H. Campbell, acting director, Army Budget Office. “That’s a theme both the secretary of Defense, the secretary of the Army, and the chief of staff of the Army have emphasized as we built this budget.” Funding for Soldier programs, wounded warrior programs, increases to child care centers and services, and an increase in family-support activi-

26 www.army.mil/soldiers

ties are included in those family- and Soldier-friendly budget requests. Increases in the quality of facilities are also included, Campbell said. The budget also has provisions that will affect the wallets of Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians — a pay increase of 2.9 percent for Soldiers and two percent for civilians, said Lt. Gen. Edgar E. Stanton III, military deputy for budget. This year there’s funding in the military personnel budget for 547,400 active-duty Soldiers, 358,200 Army National Guardsmen, and 205,000 Reserve Soldiers. With the increases in Soldier funding, the Army has met its growth goals. Re-enlistment bonuses have gone down because of the success of the Army in both re-enlistment and recruitment, said Campbell. “We still have some money in the budget for re-enlistment bonuses—but there is a decrease in the budget for bonus payments,” he said. From FCS, the entire line of

manned ground vehicles (eight systems all based on a common chassis) has been cancelled. Stanton said Gates, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, and Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., have directed research into a new manned ground vehicle to be completed by the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. Despite the loss of FCS’s MGVs, the fruits of the work done by researchers will continue to be pushed to the field through “spinouts,” Stanton said. “We will roll out the spinouts, these are tactical unmanned sensors, unmanned aerial sensors and the nonline-of-sight launch system,” Stanton said. “That technology, as it comes to fruition, will be rolled out to all brigade combat teams and done so in an accelerated manner. We will do it to all 73 BCTs and not just 15 BCTs. We are going to start in 2011 and finish in about 2025. It’s going to take time, clearly, to get to all 73.” ! — ARNEWS/C.Todd Lopez

From the Army News Service and Other Sources

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new command to provide sole guidance and policy for the Army’s 36 Warrior Transition Units, and the nine Community-Based Warrior Transition Units was activated May 11. The new Warrior Transition Command will oversee the care of more than 9,500 wounded, ill and injured Soldiers, while providing centralized family support under the command of Brig. Gen. Gary H. Cheek, who also serves as assistant surgeon general for warrior care and transition. Secretary of the Army Pete Geren said the standup of the WTC was the silver lining to the dark cloud of what happened at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. “It really was a wake-up call and helped us to see how much more we could be doing for those wounded, ill and injured Soldiers who are outside of our primary care and outpatient care,” he said. “The WTC is the culmination of efforts that bring together many different aspects of our Army. All these efforts are joined in one purpose, and that’s our commitment to never leave a fallen comrade on the battlefield, and never leave a fallen comrade in the hospital or in outpatient care.” Army Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, said since the beginning of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, more than 61,000 Soldiers had entered the Army’s medical system. Today, more than 85 percent, or 51,000 of those

HE new Army Field Manual 3-07.1, “Security Force Assistance,” provides guidance on training the forces of other nations. “Security Force Assistance is no longer an ‘additional duty,’” wrote Gen. Martin E. Dempsey in the field manual’s forward. “It is now a core competency of our Army.” Dempsey now serves as commander of the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command, which published the field manual. From August 2005 until the summer of 2007, he commanded the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, responsible for recruiting, training and equipping the Iraqi Security Forces. “We have military cooperation agreements with more than 125 nations around the world and often provide security force assistance in response to host nation requests,” Dempsey said. Dempsey explained that Security Force Assistance is a derivative of the broader mission of Stability Operations, which is covered in FM 3-07, released in October. The new FM 3-07.1 includes several chapters on how brigade combat teams can provide security force assistance. Other chapters focus on individual advisors, and include cultural and communications considerations. “Conducting foreign security assistance requires great skill in building relationships and `leading from behind,’” Dempsey said. “We must all increase our understanding of this important mission.” !" — ARNEWS/Gary Sheftick

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Soldiers, have completed the transition back to active duty, a figure equalling two brigades a year. As the new WTC commander, Cheek said one of his first three priorities is to implement the comprehensive transition plan for every Soldier “to get them excited about their future, whether that’s in the Army or out, because a Soldier excited about their future is a Soldier who will aggressively pursue their rehab and therapy.” The second priority is to work in concert with strategic leaders in the other services for a new way of taking care of those who have born the burden of serving the country. “Our current physical disability evaluation was crafted in the 1940s for a draft Army and an industrialagricultural America, and now we have a professional Army in an informationage America,” he said. “We want that system to reflect the nation and we want it to be a system that is more than just about disability and compensation; it’s also about rehabilitation and productivity, and that really inspires Soldiers to have a great future whatever that may be.” Cheek said his third focus is on families, and though he believes the Soldier Family Assistance Centers are doing a great job, he wants to customtailor a family program to each warrior in transition. ! — ARNEWS/J.D. Leipold 8D6+% :,>>12*% 82U>?=% V#24>WC% ,$$,=0"2%$'%$0"%!,4$"*%G""2% A*9?%3"2(=,4%C")$"*%!,**('*% H*,)#($(')%I*(6,2".%$,4:#%F($0% I*(6@%1")@%1,*?%J@%C0"":%7"K 4?-2%,6>/F,>/?=%?4%>12%X,--/?-% H*,)#($(')%C'99,)2%3,?%BB@

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Aberdeen Proving Ground A symbolic milestone was reached at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., this spring with the completion of the exterior of all of the buildings being constructed as part of Phase I of a sprawling campus here, which will eventually contain 2.4 million square feet of office space for well over 7,000 military and civilian personnel and support contractors. The emerging Army Team C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) campus represents a new beginning for the Army and a once-in-a-generation investment in a Center of Excellence that will be unequalled anywhere in the world. Part of the Army’s transformation involves Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure initiatives, including the relocation of the Army Team C4ISR mission—comprising the Army CECOM Life Cycle Management Command; the Army Communications-Electronics Research, 28 www.army.mil/soldiers

Development and Engineering Center; and Army Program Executive Offices for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical and for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors—from Fort Monmouth, N.J., to APG by September 2011. Army officials broke ground on the new $477 million complex at APG, marking the start of construction of “Phase One” of the campus on March 17, 2008. Five administration and laboratory buildings, a secure shop and warehouse, an auditorium and a training facility of 1.5 million square feet will be built. As of March 20, 363 Army Team C4ISR personnel had either relocated or been hired at APG and more than 800 additional personnel will relocate or be hired by the end of this year. Well over

1,000 Army Team C4ISR military, civilian and contractor positions will be located at APG by the end of 2009. All of the remaining positions are expected to move through 2010 and 2011 as construction of the offices and laboratories on the Phase One and Phase Two campuses are completed. There are also plans for a food court, development of a shore park area and a new childcare facility. Success in the initial phased relocations to APG has set the conditions for the successful movement of major elements of the command by establishing an initial command and control structure there, Maj. Gen. Dennis L. Via, commanding general of Army CECOM LCMC said. Looking forward, Via emphasized “we are leveraging BRAC as a catalyst for change…(and to) reconstitute the command and determine what we need to support the future force and capabilities in 2015 and beyond.” The CECOM LCMC will be using BRAC to transform and enrich its organization, facilities and people. Personnel in related mission and business processes will be co-located in the new campus to provide a collaborative work environment. Labs will complement each other

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and facilities once spread across several buildings will now be much closer together. The campus will serve as the new Army CoE for C4ISR with the new mission domains encompassing traditional program management functions as well as research and development, supported by functional representatives from across the life cycle of systems and equipment. This CoE will include green spaces, vistas and lots of daylight to help develop a more relaxing environment. Employees will have the opportunity to cross train, will have flexible work schedules and will work in decentralized operations in a state-of-the-art information technology environment. It is anticipated that as many as 1,250 positions will be filled between now and 2011, primarily at APG; and an additional 2,000 vacancies will require recruitment at APG after the full transfer of the mission occurs in 2011. Current and future vacancies exist in many civilian career fields, including engineering and science; logistics/ supply/maintenance; administrative/ business; contracting; and information technology. For transitioning Soldiers with skills in these areas, job opportunities will be plentiful. In addition to full performance positions, Army Team C4ISR will be recruiting management trainees as well. Information has been provided to Army Career and Alumni Program offices worldwide and is also available on the ACAP website for featured employers. As part of its strategy to meet hiring challenges, Army Team C4ISR has extended its outreach efforts to wounded Soldiers, including coordina-

tion with the Army’s Warrior Care and Transition Office, which oversees the various warrior transition units. Similar programs also are being utilized such as the Army Materiel Command’s Always a Soldier Program, designed to assist wounded Soldiers in finding jobs. “Working together, we’ll meet the challenges of relocating our complex mission; and we’ll continue to excel in supporting our nation’s warfighters and overseas contingency operations,” Via said. —Henry Kearney/Fort Monmouth Public Affairs Fort Bragg, N.C. With the turn of a shovel, Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, and Army Reserve Command Sgt. Maj. Leon Caffie put into motion the construction of the combined headquarters of the Army Reserve and Army Forces Command in a ceremony, Dec. 8, 2008, here. The ceremonial ground breaking marked the beginning of the biggest transformation project of the Army Reserve under the 2005 BRAC. “From an operational stand-

point, we are linked at the hip with FORSCOM,” said Stultz, adding the Army Reserve provides more than 200,000 Soldiers for FORSCOMdirected missions around the world. Stultz said that when the Army Reserve develops rotation plans for support to Iraq, Afghanistan, other portions of the world, plus stateside missions, the two commands already work closely together at Fort McPherson, Ga. “We’re sitting down with Forces Command and developing the Army Reserve forces we have available. Stultz added that together with FORSCOM and 1st Army, the forces are trained and then deployed. The new building will contain 600,000 square feet of office space and will house more than 2,700 military and civilian personnel. “Today is an important milestone,” said Gen. Charles C. Campbell, commander, Army Forces Command. “We’re making a real and tangible step forward.” Both Stultz and Campbell praised Fort Bragg, Army Corps of EngineersSavannah District, Fayetteville and North Carolina congressional officials for their efforts in paving the way towards this phase of Army transformation. “Fort Bragg is going to continue to be at the forefront in even greater ways in terms of what our nation’s military does,” said U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, N.C. 7th District.

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The new headquarters will be located at the corner of Knox and Randolph streets and is expected to cost nearly $300 million. According to Ken Williamson, Army Reserve Command chief executive officer, the construction plan is slated at 1,000 days build time with an estimated completion in the summer 2011. —Timothy L. Hale/Army Reserve Public Affairs Fort Hamilton, N.Y. Construction of the Fort Hamilton Armed Forces Reserve Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., is underway and is expected to be finished in two years. The $56-million project will greatly increase Fort Hamilton’s capabilities as a vital component to America’s national security and to New York City’s frontline defense. The project includes a new 123,000-square-foot Armed Forces Reserve Center, a 3,500-square-foot maintenance-training building and other facilities that include classrooms and arms rooms, providing units with a modern and revitalized environment that will sup30 www.army.mil/soldiers

port National Guard units and activeduty Soldiers. The project is a part of the BRAC Report requirement to renovate and build Armed Forces Reserve Centers across the country, to consolidate existing and outlying Reserve and National Guard facilities to best support retention and recruitment, as well as provide administrative support. Fort Knox, Ky. Fort Knox’s impressive number of BRAC and non-BRAC related projects represents more than $700 million in construction contracts, according to Col. Jeffrey Ogden, the deputy garrison commander for transformation. First and perhaps foremost of the many new buildings going up is the Human Resources CoE, which will house more than 4,000 employees with nearly one million square feet of office space. Ground was broken for the center, scheduled to be completed by June of 2010, in November 2007. The BRAC blueprint calls for consolidation of the Army’s Accessions Command and the Human Resources Command from its current three locations of Alexandria, Va., St. Louis and Indianapolis, into the new location at Fort Knox. While the Armor center is moving to Fort Benning, Ga., the post will still retain a major uniformed presence.

Several units have been stood up on post in the last few years, and more are on the way. The second of many phases of construction for the incoming infantry brigade combat team is nearing completion. The first phase of barracks was completed last summer and is designed to be home for 600 single Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division, who will begin arriving at Fort Knox when their current deployment to Afghanistan is completed this summer. Construction and transformation are very important, but the effect of the BRAC changes on the incoming workforce is even more so. Their decades of experience and institutional knowledge would be a significant loss to the organizations, Fort Knox and our Army if a large percentage of them chose not to move here with their jobs. In an effort to mitigate as much loss as possible, the Fort Knox BRAC Road Show was born. Post organizations—civilian personnel; family, morale welfare and recreation; education services; medical and dental activity; the public affairs office and community leaders traveled to these locations and welcomed personnel to make the move to Fort Knox. This opened up communication for incoming organizations and created a strong bond between the post staff and the community leaders. “We loved taking part in the Fort Knox Road Shows,” said Jo Emary, executive director of the Radcliff/Hardin County Chamber of Commerce. “We enjoyed meeting people we hope will soon become our new neighbors and sharing with them all the great things our region has to offer.” Emary and many other community leaders from the region surrounding Fort Knox have also hosted tour groups of employees trying to make a decision whether or not to relocate when their job moves to Fort Knox. In addition to their participation in the road shows and hosting tours, the communities surrounding Fort Knox have been actively working to make sure they are prepared for the arrival

!"#$ of the approximately 13,000 new Soldiers, civilian employees, contractors and their families. “A population increase of that size is sure to place increased demands on local road networks, schools, basic services and infrastructure,” said Sheila Enyart, mayor of the neighboring city of Radcliff, Ky. “We want to continue to offer a great quality of life for anyone who calls our region home, especially our friends and neighbors at Fort Knox. Enyart also serves as chair of the One Knox Policy Council (www. oneknox.com), formed by community leaders soon after the 2005 BRAC announcement. This nine-county regional planning organization coordinates BRAC-related activities that occur outside the gate. Identifying the needs and working closely with state and federal officials, the region has successfully secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for workforce training, road construction, infrastructure improvements and other requirements the BRAC-related growth demands. “Simply stated, we want to make this the most successful BRAC move ever. That means working as a team setting and managing the conditions for the smoothest possible transition for the new workforce and their families,

as well as helping the displaced workers from the out-going Armor School,” said Brad Richardson, executive director of One Knox. —Maureen Rose/Fort Knox Public Affairs Fort Sill, Okla. The move of the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Fort Sill, and the construction of the new ADA complex here are well underway and on schedule, said Fort Sill officials. The USAADASCH will conduct its first class at Fort Sill in early August when about 80 servicemembers attend the Captain’s Career Course, said Lt. Col. Artice Scott, chief of the BRAC Reintegration and Integration Cell. About four more courses will also begin during fiscal year 2009. Eventually, 18 courses will be offered by 2011, the deadline set by BRAC authorities. “Everything is moving along great. We’ve had no show-stoppers,” said Scott, whose BRIC is responsible for the transition of the ADA element from Texas to Oklahoma. Since July 2008, the five BRIC staff members, along with about 35 augmentees who are mostly from Fort

Bliss, have been working to ensure that the USAADASCH will be ready to begin courses the first week of August. “We’re making sure that all the processes, systems, i.e., instructors, equipment and all those types of items are available and ready to go,” said Scott, who is an ADA officer. Construction of the new USAADASCH and ADA complex began in August 2007. The first new structure, a dining facility, will open in the spring, said Randall Butler, Fort Sill director of Public Works. “We are making great progress in the construction and a lot of our projects are ahead of schedule,” Scott said. Eighteen new buildings will be built as part of the USAADASCH in the $215 million project. New buildings include facilities designed specifically to teach curriculums for the Patriot missile system; Stinger/ Avenger weapons systems; and command, control, communications, computers and intelligence studies. Other facilities include a noncommissioned officer academy and four barracks. “Starting in February through August, we are going to have a good chunk of these facilities come online,” Butler said. Another 10 buildings that are part of the ADA complex are being renovated, Butler said. BRAC renovations have been completed in the five buildings, which will house 6th ADA

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Brigade Headquarters and its three battalions’ headquarters, he said. Some sustainment, restoration and modernization work is still being done on those buildings and will be completed soon. Knox, McNair and Taylor halls are also getting upgrades because they will eventually accommodate staff from the USAADASCH, Butler said. —Jeff Crawley/“The Cannoneer” newspaper, Fort Sill Fort Lee, Va. Fort Lee has checked off the first and arguably most significant project of its massive $1.7 billion BRAC plan. The Sustainment CoE headquarters building was completed in late December 2008 after 18 months of construction. It was finished on time, at budget and is the first of more than 30 new structures to be built at Fort Lee under the 2005 BRAC implementation plan. Maj. Gen. James E. Chamber, U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee commanding general, said the four-story, 218,579-square-foot facility with its energy-efficient blue windows is only the physical embodiment of the SCoE. But what goes on inside the building and at the various subordinate elements under its command umbrella is what’s most important. “The SCoE creates a combat service support training center unlike any before,” said Chambers, “and will provide the best possible training to the sustainers of our Army and all of our sister services.” SCoE will house CASCOM, a multi-functional organization overseeing all combat developments and training in logistics, human resources and finance for the Army. A consolidation of logistics centers and schools from several installations will occur within the next couple of years. This will include the U.S. Army 32 www.army.mil/soldiers

Transportation Center and School from Fort Eustis; the U.S. Army Ordnance Mechanical Maintenance School from Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.; and the U.S. Army Ordnance Munitions and Electronics Maintenance School from Redstone Arsenal, Ala. These schools will join the U.S. Army Quartermaster Center and School and the U.S. Army Logistics Management College, both already located on Fort Lee. One other institution integral to CASCOM, the U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, located at Fort Jackson, S.C., will remain at that location. The SCoE has been called the “lifeblood of Army logistics,” as it transforms into the third largest training installation in the Army, surpassed only by Fort Jackson, S.C., and Fort Benning, Ga. It will bring thousands of military and civilian personnel to Fort Lee annually to attend the various logistics schools. In the end, 185 different courses will be taught here and no combat service support school will teach more military occupational specialties. The SCoE will become the command center for all of the instruction that takes place at Fort Lee. It will house the headquarters elements of each of the schools, with the exception

of ALMC. ALMC, which will become the Logistics University, is currently in the midst of large-scale construction on the other side of post. It will house the noncommissioned officer academies of each school and focus on multi-functional logistics instruction, especially for officers. —T. Anthony Bell/“Fort Lee Traveller” Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. “Make no mistake, First Army will do everything we can to take care of our staff right here in this room as we move, but we will move.” With those words, First Army commanding general, Lt. Gen. Thomas G. Miller, confirmed to the headquarters staff that First Army will move from Fort Gillem, Ga., to Rock Island Arsenal, Ill., in 2011. With First Army knee-deep in transformation, and with tens of thousands of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and coalition forces completing First Army post-mobilization training each year for the foreseeable future, some may wonder how the headquarters will be able to meet its mission and complete its move to RIA. “Seamlessly,” said Brig. Gen. Richard R. McPhee, deputy commanding general, First Army. “Moving the headquarters will not affect First Army’s primary mission of post-mobilization training,” McPhee

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said. “First Army will continue to train, mobilize and deploy troops throughout the BRAC process, while simultaneously taking care of our Headquarters workforce to the absolute best of our ability. “And the reason we’ll be able to do that is because we have two very competent and qualified divisions at Fort Meade and Fort Carson,” he said. First Army Division East (Fort Meade) and Division West (Fort Carson) command 16 training brigades; 10 brigades east of the Mississippi for Division East, and six brigades west of the Mississippi for Division West. The divisions ensure the brigades have all the necessary personnel and equipment to conduct tough, realistic, theater-specific post-mobilization training at each of 10 mobilization training centers throughout the United States. In fiscal year 2008, First Army mobilized more than 85,000 troops for service in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo and Guantanamo. “It’s not like BRAC has snuck up on us,” McPhee said. “We’ve been preparing for the move since Fort Gillem was put on the list in 2005. We already have a building identified at Rock Island where renovations will begin later this year, and we’ve sent advance teams there to start building relationships with the garrison staff, the other commands located there, and to meet officials from the Quad Cities (comprised of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa; and Rock Island and Moline, Ill.).

“But, the bottom line for First Army Headquarters is that our training brigades will continue to train our nation’s citizen-Soldiers to fight and win on the battlefield and return home safely to their families. Our divisions will continue to ensure that the training brigades have everything they need to train those Soldiers to standard. And

our great Soldiers and Army civilians at the headquarters will continue to do the hard work of ensuring the divisions have the necessary resources—dollars and people—to do their job regardless of whether we’re in Atlanta or Rock Island.” McPhee, realizing the wealth of institutional knowledge possessed by the headquarters civilian workforce, wants all DA civilians to stay with First Army and make the move to RIA. “We highly encourage all of our civilians to stay with the headquarters and join us at Rock Island Arsenal,” McPhee said. “Every one of our employees will be given the opportunity to join us at Rock Island Arsenal. They’ll

be entitled to all the benefits covered in the Defense National Relocation Program administered by the Corps of Engineers, which include helping the employee sell their existing home and even buying their home after a certain period of time if it fails to sell. With the current economy, being guaranteed your job and that you’ll be able to sell your house is hard to beat. But, it’s a personal decision the individual has to make, and we’ll do everything to help that person whether they relocate to Rock Island Arsenal, transfer to a different government agency or simply retire from civil service.” On June 15, 2011, First Army will be fully operational at Rock Island Arsenal. With early planning, teamwork and a shared sense of responsibility for its citizen-Soldiers, First Army Headquarters—its divisions and brigades— will execute its mission, transform itself into a more efficient, effective organization, and still seamlessly relocate its headquarters 800 miles north to Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. ! —Phil Manson/First Army Public Affairs Office

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Stretc hing y our dollar

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ROWING up, my family had little money. We had to watch things closely to make sure we made it through the month. My mother was very creative and frugal with money, so I didn’t realize until later how little we had. I’ve carried with me many of those same values and recipes for life; live on what you have and get the most out of it. My husband didn’t bring the same experiences, so there has had to be some retraining. So how does a single-income, E-4, familyof-three make it in Washington, D.C.? It took looking at our finances on paper to realize we’d have to be pretty careful when I left my job to stay home with our new baby. A major plus in our favor is that we don’t have much debt to worry about. My degree was largely paid for

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by scholarships. We only use a credit card for monthly expenses and pay it off every month. We own a home we left behind in Texas, and now rent the property, which covers the monthly mortgage. We shopped around to find a great deal on a good vehicle and a great interest rate. Our debts are reasonable and we have great credit. We’ve also tried to sit down and decide our financial goals such as establishing retirement and college funds. We have a savings account where anything that doesn’t get spent goes to hide. When we received our enlistment bonus and permanent change of station reimbursement, that money went directly to savings so we already have our six-month emergency fund. In the investment class we’ve been taking, we learned the next step to financial fitness is “finding money.” We’ve saved tons of money by having no cable, Internet or home phone. We rely only on cell phones and use local free Internet options. We save money on our cell phones with a military discount, sharing a family plan and splitting the bill. We do lots of “at home” games and activities, so we don’t spend much on recreational activities. Food seems to be the big place in our budget where money was heading down a black hole. Now, we take lunches and snacks for work and play. We purchased a water filter to refill water bottles too. We also cook doubleand triple-sized dinners and freeze leftovers for later—a great time saver that keeps us out of restaurants and away from takeout. When we do go out, we try to make it a special occasion and always use coupons and ask for military discounts. Groceries were the other part of our food budget. Our biggest asset was living near a wholesale club. We don’t live on post but the club prices seem to be comparable to the commissary’s. During the week we make our list and I look for coupons that apply. We purchased a subscription to the Sunday newspaper to get the double packs of coupons included. There are many shopping tactics out there. Rule #1: Make a list and

stick to it. We buy the largest package we will use without going overboard on bulk products. Also be aware that five for $10 does not always mean you have to buy five to get the discount. Pricing groceries is another great way to save money. If you can, crosscheck your favorite items among various stores to compare prices. We found that between the three local stores we were frequenting, we saved 25 percent at one store over the other. However, we also save 25 percent over that store by shopping at the wholesale club. It will also give you a good idea of what a real sale price is (to stock up) and it will help you verify that the scanner priced items correctly at checkout. There are many spending categories. Take advantage of on-post benefits; entertainment, counseling, medical and legal (including free wills). Use public transportation for commuting (possibly allowing you to eliminate a car from your family) and make sure you get reimbursed, if that is an option. Whatever you spend your money on, get something out of it. We use a cash back credit card for all our regular spending then pay it off at the end of the month; $500 a year just for spending on a card, building credit and keeping our own money until the end of each month. We also have a cash-back card for our wholesale club that brings in $200 a year from those purchases. That’s almost a whole month of savings money for our retirement and college funds, just in cash back. As a family, we have a lot of costs that Soldiers without children don’t have. Children are costly when it comes to food, clothes, diapers, childcare and play. To cut costs, make your own baby food—just steam/ cook, puree and freeze. Consignment sales and shops are wonderful—visit them, stock up and save. You can sell your stuff there too. Join playgroups for reading or activity time to avoid gym fees. Many playgroups also have a subgroup for childcare swapping. We’ve also mastered (or almost mastered) the military haircut at home. So what’s our next step? Well, we’ve accounted for thousands of dollars we

aren’t spending, but that doesn’t mean it’s in our savings account, just that we’re living within our means. We are putting some extra money toward our mortgage, because every little bit now really means a lot saved over the years. We are looking into opening a college savings fund and purchasing CDs on a tiered-ladder system with our emergency fund. Our plan is to search for the best CD rates we can find (FDICinsured of course) and purchase stairstepped CDs: six months, one-year, two-year and three-year. Long term, my husband plans to take advantage of Army college tuition assistance and earn promotion points. !

Lora O’Neill is the wife of Spc. Matthew O’Neill II, a graphic designer with the Army Multimedia and Visual Information Directorate.

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One Army family’s savings rules

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THRIFT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"#!#$"%!&'!()!*&+)!,)-!(.$/012!3+)!)$#")#&!-$4!&'!#&$4!',!$!(5%6)&!"#!&'!+$7)!$//'5,&$("."&4!$,%!+).81!9"65:)!'5&! 4'5:!$88:';"<$&)!(5%6)&=!)7),!">!$..!4'5!%'!"#!%'-,.'$%!4'5:!($,0!#&$&)<),&#!$,%!/:)%"&!/$:%!#&$&)<),&#!$,%!.''0!$&!&+)2*'->)'.D*2*'0->2';-#*0'"+'5-"#5:'!"+%$&'2*+4-#+"/"&")0'"+'+4*#3"#5'.")D"#'0->2'/>35*):'!"#$#%"$&'$37"+-2+'$2*'$7$"&$/&*' -#'/$+*'$)'#-'%D$25*')-'D*&4'0->'(5>2*'0->2'/>35*)8'%-#+"3*2')D*'<>)>2*'$#3'+*)'5-$&+: No cable or Internet service: Our family owns a few videos we watch occasionally. We also have access to our apartment-complex computer lab. There are also plenty of public access Internet locations available. Annual savings: $1,200.

Shop around for major purchases: We spent two months waiting to buy our gaming console. We watched prices and availability, and bought only when we found it for a reasonable price. It is also a good idea to wait at least a month before making big purchases to stop impulse buying. Buy something because you really want it, instead of finding out later you didn’t really want it. Annual savings: $1,440.

Grocery shopping: Use coupons whenever possible. Don’t forget about online coupons at coupon sites or company sites. Annual savings: $960.

Limit entertainment spending: Do you need to rent a movie every night, or go bowling with the gang? We made an investment in a gaming console; so now bowling can be at our house every Friday. And, we get a fitness center with the gaming console, which saves on paying a gym membership. Annual savings: $960.

Shop at wholesale clubs: Wholesale clubs seem to have prices comparable to the commissary. Annual savings: $1,800. Take lunches to work and play: Going to work or on children’s play dates, we always make it a point to pack lunches and snacks for everyone going. Annual savings: $3,360.

Cook double and triple dinners and freeze for later: We make constant use of our crock-pot and our deep-chest freezer. We make casseroles, pot roast, soup and lasagna for three, two-person meals and pack up the leftovers for other nights. This saves money, time and the temptation to eat out or order takeout when schedules get tight. Annual savings: $2,400.

Know grocery prices: List all of your regular grocery purchases for a month and comparison-shop your store versus other area stores. Annual savings: $1,800.

Food pyramid guidelines: This one may not apply to every family but after meeting with a dietician, I realized our family had been eating four to five times the number of servings of meat recommended by doctors and the food pyramid—these are usually the most expensive items. Now we buy healthy, lean meats, but less of them. Annual savings: $960.

Consignment sales and hand-medowns: These are fabulous. We purchased two seasons/sizes of clothing (16 outfits), plus three toys, two pairs of shoes, a floatie swimsuit and an outside coupe wagon for a total of $100. We also consigned at the event, and the items we sold brought in 55 percent of what we spent on our purchases. In the end, we only spent $32! Annual savings: $500.

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Dave Ramsey’s

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Personal money management expert, Dave Ramsey, opened up to Soldiers magazine about how Soldiers can be financially fit.

!$ What are some of the major issues you see when it comes to Soldiers and financial fitness? Money issues have become a major readiness issue for military personnel. I see many Soldiers getting

ready to be deployed who don’t have a plan for their money and when they leave, their spouse is left to make all the decisions. You need to be able to deploy for whatever length of time and not have to worry about what is happening financially on the home front. If you and your spouse create a plan together, you will be prepared no matter what situation comes your way. A plan will allow you or your spouse to know what decision to make and not feel pressured because of your situation. !$ How should Soldiers organize their financial affairs/insurance to protect their families in case of their death?

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The most important thing to have to protect your family is a will. It doesn’t matter how much money you leave behind, if you don’t have a will your loved ones will be shortchanged. Go to an attorney or go online today and create a will so that you do not leave an absolute disaster behind when you die. !$ Do you have guidance for surviving family members when it comes to using/saving/investing the life insurance and death gratuities they receive? I teach “Seven Baby Steps” to get your finances in order and on track, and you should apply these baby

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steps if you receive money from life insurance or an inheritance. Your first goal is to have a $1,000 emergency fund in the bank, which is what I call Baby Step 1. Baby Step 2 is using the debt snowball to become debt free, except for the house. List your debts, smallest to largest according to the balance, and put every extra dollar you have towards your smallest debt, while continuing to pay minimum payments on the others. When that debt is paid off, move to the next smallest and so on until you’ve paid off the last debt. Baby Step 3 is a fully funded emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. Invest 15

percent of your income (Baby Step 4); begin saving for your children’s college (Baby Step 5); pay off the house (Baby Step 6); and finally, give like never before (Baby Step 7). Depending on how much money you receive from life insurance or an inheritance and where you are in the Baby Steps, you may be able to only do Baby Step 1, or you may be able to get all the way through Baby Step 3. Either way, it is important to stick to these steps and not go spend the money you receive on a new car or stuff you don’t need. !$ How does this plan differ from other financial management plans?

This is a straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. It is a step-by-step process based on results and common sense. More than 750,000 families have benefitted from it since 1994. The average family pays off $5,300 in debt and saves $2,700 in the first 91 days using these “Baby Steps,” and is completely out of debt, except for the mortgage, in 18 to 24 months.

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!$ What are some good investment tips? First, you need to work through your first three “Baby Steps.” Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to start investing 15 percent of your income. That’s Baby Step 4. We recommend that military personnel participate in the Thrift Savings Plan. The TSP is a strong retirement plan for servicemembers. Specifically, I recommend that Soldiers put 60 percent in the C Fund, 20 percent in the S Fund, and 20 percent in the I Fund. I don’t recommend the F, G, or L Funds at all. They just haven’t performed that well.

40 www.army.mil/soldiers

I should also mention that servicemembers should always roll their TSP funds into an IRA when they leave the military. This gives you a lot more options in the open market. If you can pay the taxes out of pocket when you do the transfer, I’d roll the TSP money into a Roth IRA so that it will grow tax-free. If you can’t pay the taxes out of pocket, just roll it into a traditional IRA. !$ What are some things Soldiers TIPVME
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economy? Soldiers need to watch out for all the doom and gloom from the media. If they are overseas they may not be able to find out what’s actually going on in the economy due to lack of resources. It’s important to stay positive and not listen to all the fear and rhetoric that is being broadcast. The solution to this economy is to believe again. As people start believing in our economy, houses will start to sell, cars will start to sell, and jobs will be created. We the people are the healing agents of this economy.

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strong economy? The key is to live on less than you make and get on a plan so that you are okay no matter what the economy is like. I hope that this economic downturn has been a wake up call for people. We’re in this mess because, for the last few decades, people have progressively been spending and borrowing more than they could afford. It’s your responsibility to take care of your family first. Don’t go into debt to buy more stuff and don’t rely on your credit cards to get you through this tough economic time. !$ 4IPVME
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Keep investing steadily and think long-term. !$ $BO
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planning for deployments? If you work on a plan with your spouse and discuss different situations that may arise and how to handle them, your spouse should feel prepared to take care of the finances while you are away. Remember that you both must agree on the plan so that you don’t return to find your spouse has changed the plan or made a decision you don’t agree with. Today, we are blessed with tons of technology that allows couples to communicate while one is overseas. If an emergency should arise, you may be able communicate about the situation and decide on a solution together. There is also important information available about the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. This is something every servicemember needs to understand. This is an important piece of legislation that provides several provisions for our Soldiers and their families, including

restrictions on interest rates, mortgage and rent payments, credit card debt, bankruptcy, foreclosure and collection practices. !$ What are some of the financial implications of a deployment? Depending on where you are in the Baby Steps, deployment pay can be used to help pay off debt, fully fund your emergency fund, or for investments. Being deployed may also interfere with your civilian employment, so this may be needed for your family’s basic living expenses while you are gone. Either way, make sure that you and your spouse discuss how the money will be spent before you leave. !$ How can Soldiers and families develop long-term financial goals/ plans? It is very important to have long-term financial goals. Long-term goals are those that you plan on completing at least three years from now. These types of goals can include debt elimination, retirement, college funding, etc.

Sit down with your spouse and decide when you want to be debt free, how much money you want to have when you retire, and how much money your kids will need for college. Many of these goals will most likely be necessities and you will need to factor them into your budget. !$ How can Soldiers assess their financial readiness for major events BOEPS
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If you are planning on having a child, look at your income and your budget to see if you are financially ready to provide for a child and what extra items you will need to cut out so you will be able to supply food, shelter and clothing for your child. I believe in buying used cars. The money saved by buying a used car is because of depreciation. Used cars have already depreciated (60 to 70 percent in the first five years). Buying used allows the person who bought the car when it was new to eat the cost of the depreciation. The person who buys the car used can get a great car for much less than the new wholesale prices.

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If you know that you will be purchasing a car in the future, start paying yourself car payments so that you’ll be able to pay cash for the car on the spot. I have more people call my show telling me that they are barely able to make ends meet and then I find out that their car payment is half of their income. Car payments are not the way to win with money! Military personnel face a different situation when it comes to buying a home. If you buy a home in every city you are relocated to, you’ll end up being a landlord by default with properties all over the nation. This can also be the case if you were to be deployed. This is a situation that you never want to be in, but with an even softer housing market right now, you really don’t want this to be where you are investing your money! Continue to

42 www.army.mil/soldiers

rent a home if you are in a position where you frequently move or there is a chance you will be deployed. If you are in stationary position and thinking about purchasing a home, there are some guidelines you should follow if you are not able to pay cash. When taking out a mortgage, never take more than a 15year, fixed-rate loan, and never have a payment more than 25 percent of your take-home pay. That is the most you should ever borrow. !$ How can Soldiers plan for retiring or separating from the military? Many of you are eligible for retirement at such a young age. Start by thinking about what else you’ve been called to do with your life and what your skills sets are. Consider the training you’ve had to date and where else it could take you. You

need to think about retirement as an opportunity to do what you always wanted to do, and having enough money to do it. Make sure to use incoming retirement funds in a responsible way to live out the next chapter of your life. !$ 8IBU
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when it comes to saving for college, GPS
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NFNCFST First, do some research on the cost of attending college so you know how much you’ll need to save. If you are saving for your college tuition, there are literally hundreds of vocational and professional schools that accept G.I. Bill funds. This should always be one of your first questions when looking at a school. Some states extend in-state tuition benefits to dependents of servicemembers. The G.I. Bill benefits cover

approximately 60 percent of the average cost of a college education. However, about a third of eligible veterans fail to use their benefits. There are also many scholarships available for servicemembers and their spouses. If you are saving for your children’s college, I suggest using an Educational Savings Account, funded in a growth-stock mutual fund. This will grow tax-free for higher education. !$ 8IBUT
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money every month? The easiest way to save money every month is to make it a priority. We all know we need to save, but most people don’t save like they know they need to. Why? Because they have competing goals. The goal to save isn’t a high enough priority to delay that purchase of the pizza, DVD player, new computer or china cabinet. So we purchase, buy, consume all our dollars away or,

worse yet, go into debt to buy these things. You will only save money when it becomes an emotional priority. When you are ready to save, set up a written budget where you spend all your money on paper, every month. Before you spend a penny on anything else, you could first tithe and then save. Do these first and then pay everyone and everything else. !$ *T
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off credit cards first? Remember, the first Baby Step is to save $1,000 and put it in the bank as an initial emergency fund. It’s going to rain so you need a rainyday fund. Obviously $1,000 isn’t going to catch all the big things, but it will catch the little ones until the emergency fund is fully funded. We do this first so that you’ll have a little cash to cover anything that comes along and we won’t use a credit card. No more borrowing! Once you

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have your $1,000 in the bank, then start to pay off your debt using the debt snowball. !$ 8IFO
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credit card or get a loan? I never recommend getting a credit card or borrowing money. However, mortgage debt is the only kind of debt I don’t yell about. !$ 8IBUT
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A realistic budget varies for each person, depending on his or her income and expenses. Where you are in the “Baby Steps” will determine how much money you put towards expenses versus how much money you are saving or investing. I normally recommend spending 10 to 15 percent of your income on charitable gifts, five to 10 percent on savings, 25 to 35 percent on housing, five to 15 percent on food (depending on the number of children), and five to 10 percent on utilities. !$ 8IZ
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a payday lender and what are other options? Cash advance, payday loans, title pawning and tote-the-note car lots

44 www.army.mil/soldiers

are examples of rip-off, predatory lending that only benefit the owners of the companies making the loan. These businesses line up at the entrance to military installations. Before the DOD regulated outof-control interest rates for these establishments, the average payday interest rate was 400 percent. If you want to stay on the bottom, keep dealing with these guys. If you use payday loans, totethe-note, and rent-to-own, please understand that you are being destroyed financially. They prey on servicemembers and offer quick fixes at unbelievably bad terms and conditions. !$ If a Soldier is already in over his/her head with a payday loan DPNQBOZ
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you are involved with a payday loan company, sell everything in your house and take on extra jobs when you can until you get those things paid off this weekend. You have to do this very, very fast and get these people out of your life. !$ )PX
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means? If you have a written budget and are spending more than you make, you aren’t living within your means. You must limit your style of living, because you can always spend more than you make. Make sure that you stick with your budget so that you are able to save, give and have a life without going into debt. You must figure out what your actual income is, and then proceed to live as far below that mark as possible. !$ 8IZ
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There is no positive side to credit card use. Even if you pay the card off in full each month you are not beating the system. When you pay cash you actually feel the money leaving your hand. With credit cards nothing registers emotionally, and because of this, you’ll spend more when using them. When making a large purchase, you should save money until you have enough cash to buy it. We Americans like “stuff,” and when we use a credit card to buy everything we start to have “stuffitis.” All of sudden, we need everything and we need it now. You have to be disciplined and learn to save for things you really need, not use credit cards for things you want. Not to mention the deals you can get when you go into a store and pull out the cash you plan on spending! !$ Where can Soldiers go to get help? What free services are BWBJMBCMF
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Military Saves is a great resource for Soldiers. It promotes financial readiness by encouraging military members to start an emergency fund, make savings automatic, invest in a TSP and eliminate debt. !

Dave Ramsey, a personal money management expert, is a national radio personality, and author of the New York Times best-sellers The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace and More Than Enough. On Oct. 15, 2007, Ramsey added television host to his resume when “The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business Network” debuted nationally. Ramsey knows first-hand what financial peace means in his own life—living a rags-to-riches-torags-to-riches story. By age 26 he had established a $4 million real estate portfolio, only to lose it by age 30. He has since rebuilt his financial life and now devotes himself full-time to helping ordinary people understand the forces behind their financial distress and how to set things right—financially, emotionally and spiritually. He resides with his wife Sharon and their three children in Nashville, Tenn.

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LEAVE NO SOLDIER’S STORY UNTOLD Operation Tribute to Freedom wants to tell your story.

We’re looking for Soldiers who’ve served or are currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Nominate yourself, a friend or another Soldier in your unit. Stories will be featured in Faces From the Front or OTF Soldier Story. Send an email with your nomination to [email protected]. Operation Tribute to Freedom is a program of the U.S. Army Office of the Chief of Public Affairs designed to share with the American public the stories of Soldiers who have or are currently serving in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom. OTF works in partnership with PAOs throughout the Army to tell the Army story.

46 www.army.mil/soldiers

Faces From the Front is a weekly news product distributed to national, local and social media. OTF Soldier Story is a weekly newsletter distributed to Army communicators.

Focus on People

Story by Jacqueline M. Hames Photo courtesy of Rafael Medina

!"#$%&'()"'*"+$%,$-.$/0 “I shall be a champion of justice and freedom. I shall build a better and peaceful world,” proclaims the International Taekwondo Federation Web site. The sentiments and discipline behind those words are reflected in Army values and in the dedication of Soldiers to their sport. The Army’s World Class Athlete Program “provides outstanding Soldierathletes the support and training to compete and succeed in national and international competitions…while maintaining a professional military career,” according to the program Web site. Of the many sports WCAP supports, Taekwondo is the only eastern martial art currently in its line-up. A martial art originating in Korea, Gen. Choi Hong Hi developed Taekwondo using aspects of the traditional Korean martial art Taekkyon and Japanese Shotokan karate, according to the ITF Web site. The WCAP’s Army Taekwondo team is coached by Sgt. 1st Class David Bartlett. He began practicing Taekwondo when he was five years old, and was training for the Olympics when he joined the Army in 1998. In October 2008, Bartlett retired from the sport to coach. “It’s an honor to coach the Soldierathletes in the WCAP,” he said. “Soldiers are great to coach. They are focused and disciplined. They understand what an opportunity they have and they never take it for granted.” Athletes in the WCAP train yearround, beginning three years before the Olympics, Bartlett explained. The Taekwondo team competes in the AllArmy Championships and the Armed Forces Championships annually, and if successful in those competitions, moves forward to the International Military Sports Council (Conseil International du Sport Militaire) World Championships. But Taekwondo wasn’t always such

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a prestigious Army sport; it wasn’t even recognized officially by the Department of the Army until the mid-1980s. “Army Taekwondo was officially started by retired Sgt. 1st Class Rafael Medina, in 1985 at Fort Bragg, N.C.,” said Bartlett. Medina, who pioneered the first Army team, was coached by his fellow teammates, as there was no sponsor or official coach. The impromptu team worked together and planned competitions alone for about a year. Fort Bragg sent a group of Soldiers, including Medina, to the 11th United States Taekwondo Union Championships to represent the Army in the sport for the first time in June of 1985, Medina explained. Not recognized Army-wide as a sport at the time, the Taekwondo athletes were sent by Fort Bragg’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation office with funds left over from the boxing team budget. Master Sgt. Bruce Harris began coaching the team in 1986, helping them with paperwork for competitions, recruiting athletes and petitioning the Army to support Taekwondo officially. “He did a lot for Army Taekwondo,” retired Sgt. Jada Monroe said of Bruce Harris. One of Harris’ former students and former Army team member, she’s been to the Olympics three times. Right after enlisting in the Army in 1980, Monroe took up Taekwondo. She was the first Army woman to make the

U.S. National Taekwondo team. In 1987, Department of the Army Sports recognized Taekwondo as a sport and the official team competed for the first time in the 2nd CISM Championship in Korea. “Everybody was hungry to have this competition because they wanted to go to Korea and compete,” Medina said. He was the only Army participant to place in the event, receiving a bronze medal. Medina said he believes the training and discipline learned through martial arts is reflected in the structure and values of the Army. Intense physical training is a hallmark of both the Taekwondo and Army regimen. “It’s not easy to be a Soldier and an athlete at the same time,” Medina said. The Soldier should approach Taekwondo—and any sport—with the skills needed and the drive to compete, he explained. The official Taekwondo Hall of Fame nominated several Soldiers for recognition by or induction into the hall: Medina and Monroe, Bartlett, and the late Staff Sgt. Andrew Roberts Jr. The Soldiers were honored for their achievements and contributions to Army Taekwondo at an April ceremony in Teaneck, N.J. To learn more about WCAP and Army Taekwondo, visit www.armymwr. com/portal/recreation/sportsandfitness/ program/. ! 4PMEJFST
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Ready Army invites you to join the Prepared Kids competition and inspire Army Families all over the world to get ready for emergencies. Prepare strong! For more information and competition rules visit www.ready.army.mil.

48 www.army.mil/publications

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STAR ART T PU P SH HIN NG YO OU UR RS SE ELF LF FURTHE TH HER.

START MAJORING IN LEADERSHIP.

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START MAJORING IN COURAGE.

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START MAJORING IN CONFIDENCE.

START STRONG.

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In Army ROTC, you’ll gain the classroom and leadership experience needed to succeed in any field. Many of today’s CEOs and top leaders started out here. Also, when you enroll, you could qualify for a full-tuition, merit-based scholarship, and upon graduation earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. Find out more at goarmy.com/rotc/startstrong.

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