1st Infantry Division Post TemplateTHE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION POST FORT RILEY, KAN. HOME OF THE BIG...

THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION POSTFORT RILEY, KAN.

HOME OF THE BIG RED ONE

1DivPost.com FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015 Vol. 7, No. 20

1DivPost.com

22May

The next USAG Resilience Day Off will be:

11 SPOUSES, STUDENTS GET SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, SEE PAGE 9.

HIGHLIGHTS

TWO USAG SOLDIERS GARNER BEST WARRIOR HONORS, SEE PAGE 13.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUESAFETY HOLIDAY

As of Thursday, May 14

days have passed since the last vehicular fatality at Fort Riley. Ninety-four more and the post will celebrate with a safety holiday to take place at each unit’s discretion.

1 2 8

By 1st Lt. Jonathan Beck2ND BN., 16TH INF. REGT.

The 2nd Battalion, 16th Infan-try Regiment, 4th Infantry Com-bat Team, 1st Infantry Division, cased its colors May 1 during an inactivation ceremony on Cavalry Parade Field at Fort Riley.

The 2nd Bn., 16th Inf. Regt., is being reorganized and assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Ben-ning, Georgia.

The unit is the fourth in as many weeks to case its colors in the phenomenal brigade, said Col. Peter G. Minalga, the commander of 4th IBCT.

It joins the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment; the 2nd Bat-talion, 32nd Field Artillery Regi-ment; and the 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment.

“In the ‘Big Red One,’ the Rangers are the masonry men in the building of our nation’s de-fense,” Minalga said. “The Rang-ers’ history dates back further than the formation of this great divi-sion, and with each war or con-flict, our country’s leaders turned to 2-16 Infantry to lead them into battle.”

The lineage of the “Rangers” dates back to May 3, 1861, when the battalion was first organized at

Fort Independence in Boston, Mas-sachusetts, in response to Civil War aggressions. The battalion went on to make distinctive marks on mili-tary history through World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and the War on Terror.

Assigned to the 4th IBCT in Jan. 2006, the battalion deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

LINEAGE OF UNIT DATES BACK TO 1861

Staff Sgt. Aaron Duncan | 4TH IBCT

Lt. Col. Eric J. Batchelor, commander (left), and Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas F. Williams, senior noncommissioned officer (right), 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, furl and case their battalion colors during an inactivation ceremony May 1 at Fort Riley’s Cavalry Parade Field.

VENERABLE ‘RANGERS’ CASE COLORS

“The Rangers’ history dates back further than the formation of this great division, and with each

war or conflict, our country’s leaders turned to 2-16 Infantry to lead them into battle.”

COL. PETER G. MINALGA

COMMANDER, 4TH IBCT

See RANGERS, page 2

Story and photo by Angelique N. Smythe1ST INF. DIV. POST

The Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Instal-lations, Energy and Environment, awarded the Director of Army Safety Risk Manage-ment Safety Award to recipients from several directorates May 7 during her visit to Fort Riley.

The awardees employed risk management to reduce the command’s overall accident rate. They were recognized for their dedica-tion to safety awareness and the preservation of vital Army resources.

“Safety is important to the Army because we do not want to lose personnel to acci-dents that are preventable; so we do a lot of safety training … a lot of risk mitigation (and) risk management training,” Hammack said.

The award ceremony celebrated zero ac-cidents within several of Fort Riley’s director-ates. Fort Riley is setting the standard and demonstrating what can be achieved with significant reductions in accidents across the board, Hammack said.

In previous years, she explained, prevent-able accidents exceeded mishaps and casual-ties that occurred to Soldiers in theater, so

it’s important to ensure correction and avoid reoccurrence.

The assistant secretary visited the post to learn about Fort Riley happenings as well as some of its challenges, noting the Army’s budget and sequestration challenges as top priority.

“We are not funding our installations the way they should be funded and that is some-thing that we’re doing purposefully because as our budgets go down, we have a choice; and our choices are to underfund training, underfund modernization, underfund man-

Safety, sequestration top Hammack agenda

See HAMMACK page 8

By Eric ZenkUSAG PAO

Soldiers from Fort Leavenworth’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company 705th Military Police Detention Battalion participated in a training exercise here May 4 to 7.

In “Victory Village” at the Com-bined Arms Collective Training Fa-cility, 705th MP Squad Leader Staff Sgt. Jarrett Giddens said the train-ing helps his unit prepare for duty around the world, whether it’s at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth or the Joint Regional Correctional Facility in Guantana-mo Bay, Cuba.

“Our primary mission includes corrections and detainee operations, so our main focus includes custody control of inmates, forced cell-move operations and hand restraint pro-cedures,” he said. “I’ve been with this unit for 10 months and we don’t have a lot of opportunities to train like this; we spend a lot of time tak-ing care of inmates. Here we’ve been able to incorporate a lot of infantry tactics, like reacting to contact, room clearing, calling in unexploded ordnance and communications sup-port—tasks Soldiers need to know for (deployments to) Iraq, Afghani-stan or other locations.”

The training plan incorporated a “crawl, walk, run” approach.

“Since these guys don’t do this on a daily basis, I wanted to get a ‘warm and fuzzy’ on their grasp of the ba-sics. From there, we ramp it up with a little more advanced tactics and get a little more aggressive with them,” Giddens said.

According to the unit’s platoon leader, 2nd Lt. Ben Harper, the training included preparation, the deployment to Fort Riley and four days of on-site training here.

Military Police hone skills at Fort Riley

By Cheryl PellerinDOD NEWS, DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

WASHINGTON – The com-mander of U.S. Northern Command elevated the force protection level as of May 8 for all Defense Department facilities in the continental United States, but not because of a specific threat, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said.

Force protection condition levels, or FPCON levels, range from Alpha, which applies when an increased gen-eral and unpredictable terrorist threat exists against personnel or facilities, to Delta, which applies in an immediate area where a terrorist attack has oc-curred or is imminent.

May 8, Northcom raised the force protection level at all DOD facilities nationwide from Alpha to Bravo. Bra-vo applies when an increased or more predictable threat of terrorist activity exists.

“I won’t go into the specifics of what that means because it is informa-tion that a potential adversary could use against us,” Warren said.

But in general, he added, at DOD posts, camps and stations, the elevated

Force Protection Level Boosted at DOD Facilities

Staff Sgt. Scott A. MacKinnon

1ST INF. DIV.

Brig. Gen. Eric J. Wesley, 1st Infantry Division’s senior mis-sion commander and deputy commanding general for sup-port, speaks with Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, May 5 at the Nation-al Training Center at Fort Irwin, California. The battalion, which is assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, is serv-ing at NTC in support of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based out of Fort Hood, Texas. Wesley was at the post as part of a senior trainer visit to monitor the battalion’s rotation.

See PROTECTION, page 8

See TRAINING, page 2

The Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assis-tant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment speaks to local media during her visit on May 7.

Maj. Gen. Paul E. Funk II, commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division and

Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command-Iraq, Command Sgt. Maj. Mi-

chael A. Grinston, 1st Inf. Div. and CJFLCC-I senior noncommissioned officer, are

pictured with Maj. Gen. Richard D. Clarke and Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Green, 82nd Airborne Div., command team, be-

fore a commander’s conference May 5 in Baghdad, Iraq. The conference hosted the current and incoming command team for

CJFLCC-I and other commands through-out the region that play a role in Opera-

tion Inherent Resolve.

SGT. 1ST CLASS MARK ALBRIGHT | 1ST INF. DIV.

Preparing for a change

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2 | MAY 15, 2015 HOME OF THE BIG RED ONE

By Kalyn Curtis1ST INF. DIV. POST

The Drunk Driving Preven-tion Program, a new program to prevent drinking and driv-ing, provides a free ride home to those who have too much to drink and are pre-registered.

The program is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization that got its start in Hawaii. Volunteers not only get the Soldier home safely, but they drive their car home for free as long as they are within a 30-mile radius of Fort Riley.

Volunteers began serving at Fort Riley in March providing rides to 16 participants.

“I think success is defined as if we’ve had one DUI prevented, which I think we’ve had prob-ably 10 to 15 calls total” said Fort Riley U.S. Army Garrison Command Sergeant Major Ja-son Schmidt. “But if we prevent one then that’s one DUI and po-tentially one life saved.”

“It’s been successful for the amount of time it’s ran,” said Dontea Reynolds, Fort Riley Chapter President. “In March we picked up a total of eight people and in April we picked up eight people. So the num-bers may sound small, but they are huge when you think about … eight people off of the road, not drinking and driving.”

The program is designed to be a cooperative one. Those interested in partici-pating first register as either a volunteer or as someone needing the ride. After the ride, participants are encour-aged to volunteer as a driver to return the favor.

Before becoming a volun-teer, drivers are required to take a one hour safety briefing that explains the rules of the organization.

Along with rules for per-sonal conduct, Reynolds said “It gives them tips on how to handle intoxicated people, so that safety brief helps to miti-gate some risk. “

Reynolds also said volun-teer drivers will be equipped with dash cameras for an added measure of security.

The volunteers are also working towards acquiring t-shirts and badges to iden-tify drivers when picking up participants.

Reynolds said when the volunteer is needed, a text mes-sage is sent with the location. The drivers head out to pick up the participant and they drive them back. Reynolds said the great thing about this program is that soldiers get five hours of credit toward their Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

TRAFFIC REPORT

ESTES ROADThe portion of Estes

Road on the right side of Normandy is closed.

Traffic changeover will be conducted during a non-rush-hour time of day. Prior to the changeover, the Nor-mandy left lane will be wid-ened. No roads will be closed for the widening work on Normandy.

DICKMAN AVENUE Road repairs on Dick-

man Avenue have begun and will continue until July 1.

Dickman Avenue is closed at Pershing Avenue at the south end of the con-struction and just south of the AAFES gas station/Shoppette at Huebner and Dickman on the north end of the construction. Both entrances to the AAFES gas station/Shoppette will re-main open.

The designated detour between Huebner Road and Dickman Avenue is Holbrook Avenue. Detour signage is posted. During the road closure, the GSA vehicle service facility, Bldg. 386, and the main post fuel point is only accessible via Carr Avenue from Pershing Avenue.

TROOPER – MCCORMICK

Phase 2 of work on Trooper-McCormick has begun and will continue until April 30. The work closed the southbound side of Trooper, south of Fire Station Five to the intersec-tion at Trooper and McCor-mick. All Trooper south-bound traffic will detour at the roundabout at Trooper and Rifle Range Road to First Street.

Phase 3 is scheduled to start April 30 and end May 7. This will close the northbound side of Trooper

for three days at the inter-section of McCormick and Trooper. All northbound Trooper traffic will turn left onto First Street and use the roundabout at Trooper and Rifle Range Road. Drivers going eastbound on First Street to McCormick and Trooper will not be able to make a left turn onto north-bound Trooper and should detour to the roundabout at Trooper and Rifle Range Road.

HAMPTON PLACEA portion of Hampton

Place, from Jackson Av-enue north to Ashby Drive, will be closed to thru traffic through May.

A pedestrian and bike detour is in place during this time. The closure is part of the demolition and construction project in the Warner Peterson Commu-nity.

Access to Custer Hill Elementary School will be available from Ashby Av-enue.

For more information, contact Corvias Military Living at 785-717-2200.

ACP HOURS OF OPERATION

Access control point hours are:

Four Corners/Troop-er/Ogden: Open 24/7

Henry: Open 24/712th Street: Open

from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday; closed on weekends and federal holidays.

Rifle Range: Open for construction vehicles only.

Grant: Open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; closed Sundays and federal holidays.

Estes: Open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday; closed weekends and federal holidays.

The winner of the Tuesday Trivia Staff Sergeant Cody Dailey, from Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. From left to right are the

members of the Daily family, Cody, Stephanie, Tyler, Tristan, Charlee and Trevor.

Daily correctly provided the link to answer the question, “What is the dollar amount for Fort Riley’s economic impact on the Central Flint Hills Region?”

Every Tuesday, check out Fort Riley’s Facebook page for the Fort Riley Tuesday Trivia question of the week at www.facebook.com/FortRiley. Every answer will be available somewhere on the official Fort

Riley website at www.riley.army.mil.

CONGRATULATIONS, STAFF SGT. CODY DAILEY!

TUESDAY TRIVIA CONTEST WINNER

Preventing drunk driving aim of program at Fort Riley

Recently, the Rangers distinguished themselves in a deployment to Djibouti and Kenya in the Horn of Africa serving as a regional response force dedicated to embassy security and evacuation. The battalion trained Somali partners and prepared them for future combat deployments across Africa. The ‘Rangers’ also facilitated joint exercises by partnering with other militaries such as the French army.

Apart from their most recent deployment the battalion has continually fostered relationships in the Flint Hills region, part-nering with local schools, Kansas State University baseball team and the city of Riley.

While speaking at the battalion casing ceremony Lt. Col Eric J. Batchelor commander of the 2nd Bn., 16th Inf. Regt. praised his formation.

“What our real priority was is building leaders,” Batchelor said. “Someone I think very highly of once said, ‘leadership can fix any-thing.’ I believe that is true and I am satisfied that the leaders on this field in front of you are ready to go forth and excel across the division and the Army.”

Many Soldiers within the battalion will be reassigned to dif-ferent units within the division, while others will move across the Army.

“Rangers, I am stealing the sergeant major’s words when I say we are not in the business of being good; we are in the business of being the best,” Batchelor said to the Soldiers on the field before him. “So I charge you as you go out, whether it’s across the divi-sion or across the Army or civilian life, always strive to be the best at what you do.”

“The focus of our third-quarter training is individual skills in accordance with our Soldier’s manual of common tasks,” he said. “We ran our vehicles and did convoy ops at Leavenworth, but out here at Riley it’s all about the individu-al Soldier. We conducted land navigation refresher training on Monday, had the opportu-nity to use the medical simula-tor training center on Tuesday, then conducted tactical com-bat care classes and a practical exercise later in the day. On Wednesday and Thursday, we’ve utilized the Combined Arms Collective Training Fa-cility for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear train-ing, then moved on to room clearing, individual movement techniques, how to react to im-provised explosive devices and react to contact.”

“I think it’s really awe-some, I think the training scenarios were really good,” said Spc. Dustin Shamblen, a correctional specialist who participated in the Fort Riley training. “All the noncom-missioned officers were good and they gave us different perspectives on a lot of po-tential situations that could happen downrange. It was a good experience for me and my team and I’d like to thank my leadership for the oppor-tunity to come out here and train.”

The training here helps the MPs improve their tactical ex-pertise and global deployment readiness, while also honing skills that can be used in their day-to-day jobs as corrections specialists.

“We’re improving our re-action times out here, we’re

learning vital skills like tactical combat care and communi-cation,” Harper said. “Those things can be used to deploy, but they can also be taken back and used to make our job in the prison more safe, to help us react to things like ri-ots, inmate fights, etc., so this training here has made us bet-ter correctional specialists and better Soldiers.”

Fort Riley has more than 25 ranges, shoot-houses, live-fire villages, courses and urban clusters available for train-ing Soldiers. There’s also over 92,000 acres of training land.

“The facilities (at Fort Ri-ley) are top notch, the train-ing support center employees are extremely helpful and they have everything we need,” Harper said. “Additionally, the CACTF is second to none. To give you an example, not

only can we conduct tactical drills out here, but in the base-ment of the ‘police station’ they have a fully functional, fully realistic room of jail cells that we use to conduct forced cell extractions and other concurrent training that goes hand-in-hand with our (job specialty).”

“The first word that comes to my mind is ‘team-work,’” Giddens said. “On a much larger scale, we have posts talking to each other and saying, ‘absolutely, come out here and train and use our facilities.’ That’s pretty important to me, that our unit can come out here and (Fort Riley) has absolutely no problem letting our Sol-diers train up on the tools that they get to use on a daily basis that we don’t get to see all the time.”

TRAINING Continued from page 1RANGERS Continued from page 1

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MAY 15, 2015 | 3HOME OF THE BIG RED ONE

By C. Todd LopezARNEWS

WASHINGTON – “I think this was a wonder-ful event,” Floyd Brantley said. “During the war there were 16 million men. Since then we are dying out fast. We got one million now, and los-ing about 1,500 a day. All these men here – we’re all getting older and soon there will be none left. So this event was outstanding and fascinating and I was glad to attend it.”

Brantley is a World War II veteran, who served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater. But that did not stop him and his son, Charles, from traveling from Arkansas to attend the Victory in Europe 70th Anniversary at the National World War II Memorial event in Washington, D.C., May 8.

In addition to speeches by both National Se-curity Advisor Susan E. Rice and Katherine Ko-rbel, who stood in for her sister, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, there was a laying of wreaths at the memorial’s “Freedom Wall” by representatives of the Allied nations, who par-ticipated in the war. The biggest draw came at the end, when a series of military flyovers, fea-turing dozens of WWII military aircraft, flew overhead.

At the start of the event, when the first speak-er took to the lectern, only the area around the memorial was filled with visitors, with WWII veterans up front. By the time the “Arsenal of Democracy Flyover” began, just a bit after noon, the National Mall was packed with spectators from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial.

Brantley entered the Navy in 1944, and served as a medic during the war on an island near Australia. “I was in a fleet hospital on an island in the south Pacific ... after the initial push, we’d take them in the field hospital in New Caledonia.”

He said that he had a brother, who had also served in the war, but was killed.

“He was killed in Guadalcanal, a few years before I went in,” he said. “I was in high school when I got the notice I was being drafted. They typed at the bottom that they will defer me until the end of school if I want. But I didn’t want that. I cut that message off and showed them that. I had to go in. So I went on in and I kept that little piece in my billfold that said I could still be in school. “

When news of the victory in Europe came, he said he knew it did not affect him just exactly, but he and his fellow Sailors were excited just the same at the turn of events.

“We were thrilled to death because we knew it might soon be over for us too,” he said. “We celebrated when we got the news that it was over in Europe.”

When his time came, and the war with Japan ended in the Pacific, he said it took a while for him to get home, off the island, because at the

time there was a shortage of transportation, but no shortage of men that wanted to get back to the United States.

After the war, Brantley decided to finish his education. “I was a 20-year-old kid, who went back to high school and then went to Baylor University,” he said.

But then war broke out again – this time in Korea. At Baylor, he had been in ROTC. And this time, he went into service as an Air Force officer.

At the end of WWII, Brantley had earned the rank of pharmacist mate, third class, in the Navy. At the end of the Korean War, where he served as a transportation officer, he was an Air Force captain.

And later, at 49 years old, he wanted to go back into uniform again. The military was unwilling to let him go into the Arkansas Air National Guard as a captain, but he said he was able to resign his commission and enter as an enlisted Airman, with his assignment as a cook. He finished serv-ing in the Air National Guard as a senior master sergeant, but was allowed, after earning enough points, to retire as an Air Force captain.

Brantley’s son, Charles, said his dad is still active. He said he goes to the gym and has com-peted in bicycling racing. He is now training for another race.

H. Kurt Weiser, who lives in Rockville, Maryland, attended the V-E Day event with his son, Greg, and granddaughter, Susie.

Weiser said at the start of WWII, he was liv-ing in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and was “work-ing on steam engines.” He entered the service in 1942.

As an Army Air Corps officer, and “ferry pilot,” Weiser flew military aircraft - a lot of them. From his pocket he pulled a list of the 24 different military aircraft he has flown. Among those where the AT-6 “Texan,” the P-39 Aero-cobra, the P-40 Warhawk, the P-63 King Co-bra, the P-51 Mustang, the B-17 Flying For-tress and the C-47 Skytrain. All of those flew overhead as part of the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover.

He said that at one time, he was responsible for flying 30 P-39 aircraft from Niagara Falls, New York, to Great Falls, Montana. “They all had red stars pained on the side of them,” he said.

From Great Falls, the aircraft were flown by other pilots to Alaska – where the Russians came to pick them up, he said.

Weiser also served outside the United States during the war – in the China, Burma and India theater.

“I was only scared once. The Air Corps training always gave you instructions on how to correct a situation. This one night I was going home – I was [in] India – and I felt something hot on my left hand and I thought what the heck is that down there? And I looked down and it was the biggest damn tiger you ever saw – his mouth was that close to my hand,” he said, gesturing with his hands. “That’s the only time I was scared.”

When Weiser learned of the victory in Eu-rope, he said it was “just another day,” for him and his men. But his time would soon come to go home, and it would not be just another day.

“I got on a boat with 5,000 other guys in India, and it took us 19 days to get from India to New York City ... and when we ... ,” he paused, tearing up. “When we came into New York Har-bor and saw the Statue of Liberty ...” and then he was overcome with emotion, unable to finish his thought.

After WWII ended, Wiser applied for a regu-lar commission and eventually left the Army in 1948, as an Army major.

“It’s great. It’s the best thing that ever hap-pened,” he said of the event V-E Day event in the nation’s capital – also observing, “There’s a lot of old men around here.”

WWII veterans mark 70th anniversary of VE Day

Staff Sgt. Bernardo Fuller | ARNEWS

Ray Weaver, an Air Force veteran, salutes as historic aircraft sweep over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., May 8, during the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the European theater victory in World War II. Sixteen million servicemembers were engaged at the height of the war. Of those, about a million remain.

The Defense Com-missary Agency’s

Scholarships for Mili-tary Children have

been awarded to the following students:

Samara Cook – Fort Riley

Katherine Dixon – Manhattan

Caitlyn Hartung – Junction City

Megan Ochoa – Manhattan

Daniel Rivera – Junction City

Winners were selec-ted according to eli-gibility, academics,

volunteer work and a written essay.

Winners will each receive a $2,000

scholarship.

DOD NEWS, DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

WASHINGTON – “The world rejoiced in the hope of peace” upon the Allies’ ac-ceptance of the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany’s armed forces during World War II, President Barack Obama said on May 8, mark-ing the 70th anniversary of the victory in Europe during his weekly address.

“On V-E Day, after the Nazi surrender, people swarmed the streets of London and Paris and Moscow, and the cloud of fear that had hung for so many years finally lifted,” Obama said in his address. “There would still be three more months of deadly fighting in the Pacific,” he continued. “But for a few hours, the world rejoiced in the hope of peace.”

Army Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower announced Ger-many’s surrender with little fanfare, noting simply that the

Allies’ mission in Europe was fulfilled, the president said.

But Eisenhower’s mes-sage “belied the extraordinary nature of the Allied victory – and the staggering human loss,” Obama said. “For over five years, brutal fighting laid waste to an entire continent. Mothers, fathers, children were murdered in concentra-tion camps. By the time the guns fell silent in Europe, some 40 million had lost their lives.”

Today on V-E Day, “we pay tribute to all who served,” the president said.

“They were patriots, like my grandfather who served in Patton’s Army – soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Ma-rines – and the women of the WACs and the WAVES and every branch,” Obama said.

Those who served to secure Allied victory during World War II, the president said, also

included the “women who stepped up in unprecedented numbers, manning the home front, and – like my grand-mother – building bombers on assembly lines.”

This was the generation, he said, “that literally saved the world – that ended the war and laid a foundation for peace. This was the generation that traded in their uniforms for a college education and build the strongest middle class the world has ever known.

“This was the generation,” the president continued, “that included heroes like the Tuske-gee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers and the Japanese-Americans of the 442nd Regi-ment – and who continued the fight for freedom here at home.”

The nation and world “will be forever grateful for what these remarkable men and women did, for the selfless grace they showed in one of our darkest hours.”

Obama Salutes ‘Greatest Generation’ on V-E Day

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Home wantedStetson

Stetson is a seven-month-old, very energetic heeler mix. Stetson can be afraid of people at first and will bark at strangers when he is in his kennel. Once he warms up, he is friendly and good with children and other dogs, but likes to chase cats in a playful manner.

Stetson is looking for an active and patient home that will work with him.Puppy classes are highly recommended.Stetson is smart, loves to play ball

and would make an outstanding running partner.

Stetson’s adoption fee is $142, which includes: neuter, microchip, distemper and rabies vaccines, heartworm test and de-worming. If interested call 785-239-6183. If no one answers, leave a message or email [email protected]. Other shelter animals can be seen on www.facebook.com/fortrileypets.

Stray animals on Fort Riley are picked up by the Military Police and brought to the Fort Riley Stray Facility. The animals are held for three business days to allow owners to claim their pets. After this, animals may be adopted out or euthanized. Animals are usually only euthanized in the cases of severe aggression or a life-threaten-ing illness.

Animals must be registered, micro-chipped, and up to date on vaccines before being released to owners.

Fort Riley Stray FacilityBuilding 226 Custer Ave., Main Post10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday 785-239-6183 or 785-239-3886

IRWINFORMATIONQ: What is the Nurse Advice Line? A: The Nurse Advice Line is a toll-free

number that puts you in contact with a time of live, registered nurses who can answer your urgent healthcare questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It helps you decide if

you should get care from a doctor or if there are other home options that may work for you. To get advice, call 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273) and select option one. If you have a medical emergency, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.

If you have a question for IrwINformation, send it to [email protected] or call 785-239-8414.

TRICARE

Transitioning from the Month of the Military Child into a month that emphasizes mental health awareness is a great time to discuss mental wellness in children. Each May, Mental Health America reach-es millions across the country to highlight the importance of mental health education and treatment.

Although their stressors or behaviors may be different, children can experience mental illness and require professional help.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, research shows that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. Once mental illness develops, it becomes expressed through a child’s be-havior and can be challenging to treat.

Young children often can-not express their thoughts and

feelings, so making a diagnosis can be challenging.

The signs of a mental ill-ness in a young child may be quite different from those in an older child or adult. Com-mon disorders affecting chil-dren include anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactiv-ity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, de-pression, eating disorders, and schizophrenia.

Even though health care professionals know how to treat many disorders, there are children with mental ill-nesses who are not getting treatment. Worrisome be-havior at home should be cause to ask a child’s teacher if similar behavior has been noticed. A conversation with a child’s doctor can determine whether a child needs further evaluation by a specialist with experience in child mental health and behavioral prob-lems.

Although not every prob-lem is serious and each child develops differently, it is im-portant to pay attention to a child’s growth and develop-ment. Every day stressors can cause a change in a child’s mood and behavior.

Pay special attention to cer-tain symptoms and behaviors, like sudden changes in appetite or sleep, problems at school, at home or with peers; and fearful behavior toward things thing a child is normally not afraid of.

For a more comprehensive list of problem symptoms and behaviors and a list of ques-tions that might determine if help for a child is needed, download the NIMH’s docu-ment Treatment of Children with Mental Illness: FAQs.

Mental health problems can affect the thoughts, mood and behavior in adults and children. Learn about Getting Mental Health Care on the TRICARE website.

Attention to mental wellness an important part of overall child care

CorrectionIn the May 8 edition of the 1st Infantry Division Post, Mr. Larry Githerman was incorrectly

identified. His position title is Director of the Logistics Readiness Center – Riley, Army Sustainment Command. The editor of the 1st Infantry Division Post regrets the error and any confusion it caused.

On April 15, 2015, a Sol-dier from HHC, 4-1 BSTB, 4IBCT was tried at a general court-martial and was found not guilty by a military judge of one specification of sex-ual assault, one specifi-cation of maltreatment of a subordinate, and one specification of vio-lating a lawful general regulation.

On April 23, 2015, SPC Courtney Craig, HHT, 5-4 CAV, 2ABCT was tried at a special court-martial, pled, and was found guilty of one specifica-

tion of attempted inde-cent visual recording. A military judge sentenced him to be reduced to the grade of E-1, to be con-fined for 20 days, and to be discharged from the service with a Bad-Con-duct Discharge.

On April 28, 2015, Spc James Reed, D Co, 1-28 IN, 4IBCT was tried at a general court-martial and was found guilty of two specifications of aggravated assault with means likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm, one specification

of assault consummated by battery, one specifica-tion of destroying non-military property of a value of $500 or less, two specifications of willfully disobeying a law-ful order of a superior commissioned officer, and one specification of kidnapping. A military judge sentenced him to be reduced to the grade of E-1, to forfeit all pay and allowances, to be confined for eight years, and to be discharged from the service with a Dishonorable Discharge.

RECENT RESULTS OF COURTS-MARTIAL

WWW.1DIVPOST.COM

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CommentaryRILEY ROUNDTABLE

HOME OF THE BIG RED ONE May 15, 2015

Why did you join the Army?

PAGE 5

“One of my girlfriends graduated college, and she had always said she would join the Army [to] pay for her student loans . . . so I figured if she could do it, I could definitely do it.”

SFC. LAURA PENA DUVAL UNION CITY, NEW JERSEY

Career Counselor, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

“I grew up poor, so every time we didn’t have enough money to live in the states we had to move back to

Mexico. So I joined hoping that would not happen anymore and I could

make a better life for my family and it definitely has.”

SGT. GINA CURRY SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

Company E, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division

“I was challenged by a classmate in high school. One of my friends said I wouldn’t last two weeks in the Army. The following week I turned 18, and I went to see the recruiter, and here I am nineteen and a half years later.”

MASTER SGT. MARIA ESTREMERA

CALLE, PUERTO RICOSenior Equal Opportunity Advisor,

1st Infantry Division

“I joined the Army due to my prior service in the Marine Corps and to

support my family. It provided stability and steady income, as well

as a chance to continue my education.”

CPL. SEAN CURTIS INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Ar-mored Brigade Combat Team,


“I joined the Army for tuition assistance. I didn’t have enough

money to go to college, so I figured ‘why not join the Army.’”

SPC. CIERRA ROBINSON CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

299th Fire Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Combat Combat Team,


THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION POST

This civilian enterprise newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of The 1st Infantry Division Post are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government,

or the Department of the Army. The editorial content of this publication

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Story and photo by Amy L. Haviland U.S. ARMY TRAINING AND DOC-TRINE COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Not in my squad.” “Not on my

campus.” The locations are differ-

ent, but the goal is the same, and for the second year in a row, the Army and academia partnered to find ways to put an end to sexual harass-ment and sexual assault.

This year, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Com-mand, or TRADOC, leaders met with representatives from regional colleges and universities on Fort Eustis, Virginia, April 29, to dis-cuss a problem that affects Soldiers as well as students, many ages 18 to 24.

“Many of the issues we are seeing in our communi-ties and on our installations and campuses are very simi-lar, when we start talking about issues of sexual assault and sexual harassment,” said Maj. Gen. Ross Ridge, deputy commanding general for the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training and TRADOC’s Sexual Ha-rassment/Assault Response and Prevention, or SHARP, Program co-lead.

This year, 10 university and college representatives attended the roundtable discussion, which focused on a variety of topics, in-cluding bystander interven-tion, lessons learned, best practices and new ways to prevent sexual harassment and assault.

“We are all working a similar problem, but we are all trying to work it indepen-dently,” said Ellen Helmer-son, TRADOC deputy chief of staff for G-1/4, G-8 and TRADOC SHARP co-lead. “This is an opportunity for us to talk about what’s work-ing, what’s not working, to partner and collaborate, and

see if this is something that we can work together.”

Helmerson said the challenges, the two groups face, may be more similar than they think, comparing freshmen to basic trainees and resident assistants to noncommissioned officers.

“I really never thought about it in the same way,” said Evelyn Whitehead, Virginia State University representative. “When they talked about new Soldiers in the barracks and compared it to residence halls, the concerns the military has are very similar to the concerns universities have about incoming students.”

As schools shared their experiences with different prevention initiatives, many agreed one of the bigger challenges is getting people to understand they are, in fact, responsible for their peers.

To that end, TRADOC leaders discussed the ser-geant major of the Army’s new initiative, “Not in my squad,” which charges front-line supervisors to be ac-countable for their Soldiers’ well-being, including issues of harassment and assault.

Another topic discussed was that many think it would not happen to them - that they are somehow immune to the possibility of harassment or assault.

“The issue that we found was that many did not see themselves as potential vic-tims,” Ridge said.

However, statistics tell a different story.

According to the Na-tional Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, nearly one in four females and one in six males will be sexually assaulted by age 18. And of those who are not directly affected, many know some-

one who has either been a victim or a witness of sexual harassment or assault.

One of the ways TRA-DOC is helping to aid and empower both victims and bystanders of sexual assault and harassment is through its “We Care” app. Avail-able for download on Apple and Android smartphones, the app provides resources for victims and witnesses of sexual harassment or assault.

“It’s not about whether you need [the app], but you may need it to help your friend,” Ridge said.

The two-hour session ended with an exchange of information between TRA-DOC and the schools, and although Sexual Assault Awareness Month ended the following day, the part-nership between the Army and academia continues to grow.

Army, campuses continue to tackle challenges of harassment, assault

Amy L. Haviland | U.S. ARMY PHOTO

Ellen Helmerson, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command deputy chief of staff for G-1/4, G-8, discusses an app that is part of the command’s sexual harassment/assault response prevention efforts during the Army Education Advisory Committee roundtable discussion session on Fort Eustis, Virginia, April 3.

By Alex D. BenderGARRISON SAFETY OFFICE

Warmer weather means that road-work season is in

full effect which means more and more work zones are popping up on our inter-states, highways and streets. It’s also the time of year when more people are on the road traveling greater distances to the beach, mountains and other vacation spots.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were 7 fatalities in construc-tion zones in 2013 on Kansas Highways. Workers struck by vehicles or moving equip-

ment is one of the most common causes of work related injuries and fatalities on road construction sites. The presence of numerous heavy powered equipment and fast moving vehicles does not help and even makes this one of the most common accidents in the construction industry. In fact, it has been reported that one in four “struck by” deaths involves a construction worker.

Some facts:• Each year, about 600

people are killed in roadway work zones.

• In 2013, the last year for which data is available, there were 579 deaths. Ten years

before we reached a high of 1,095 deaths, so we are mak-ing significant progress.

• Each year about 90 workers die in work zones; 60% of these deaths are the result of a worker being struck by a motorist or con-struction vehicle.

• According to a recent OSHA report, 70 percent of the “struck-by” deaths in work zones are caused by mo-torist intrusions.

We want to keep our con-struction workers safe. Here’s how motorists can help:

• Respect the work zone signs and warnings. Many workers are killed when impatient motorists inten-

tionally enter into the work space.

• Don’t be distracted. Distraction takes many forms: cell phone use; im-pairment due to drugs and alcohol; drowsiness; mul-titasking – eating, reading, shaving, make-up, etc.

• Obey posted speed limits. They protect drivers and workers

For more information on work zone safety, contact the Garrison Safety Office: If you would like to report any unsafe conditions at or near construction sites on Fort Riley, contact the Gar-rison Safety Office at 785 239-0647.

It’s the season on the roads: Look out for workers

By Yolanda R. ArringtonARMED WITH SCIENCE

Everyone is online these days. Uploading photos. Sending short

video messages. Sharing what they’re having for lunch. But, how do you use technol-ogy to get social media to matter in a sea of chatter? Well, there’s an app for that! Service members, veterans and their families have a new way to get social, showcase their strengths and connect to psychological health help. And, it’s as easy as tapping their mobile devices.

“Real Warriors,” a public awareness campaign that encourages help-seeking behavior in the military community, was started by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) in 2009. The campaign recently launched

its mobile app with the goal of connecting the military community to resources for invisible wounds. This mobile technology allows the cam-paign to be in the space where service members are.

“The Real Warriors app and complementary website are designed to promote self-help and encourage war-riors to support their peers by ‘saluting’ and sharing positive photos and messages from important events like deployments and homecom-ings,” said MAJ Demietrice Pittman, clinical psychologist and Real Warriors Campaign contracting officer.

Service members are encouraged to share photos of themselves, their families and their accomplishments via the app. The site’s 24/7 resources also function as a way to connect those experiencing stress. The campaign consulted with the National Center for Telehealth

& Technology (T2) to get feedback on the app’s concept. Service members and military families also provided feedback.

Much like the popular app, Instagram, users are encouraged to upload images onto the Real Warriors app, choose one of four messages like “thank you for your service” or “I stay mission ready,” choose an image filter, and include their own personalized caption with each post. The app gives the military community a way to salute peers, while each photo is watermarked with the Real Warriors web-site, giving users constant reminders of where to learn about and seek care for invisible wounds. App users may “salute” images that resonate with them, in the same way Facebook users may “like” content. Social media sharing functions are also built into the app.

The key element of the app is its interface with the Reach Out 24/7 feature that allows the user to anony-mously connect with the DCoE Outreach Center to find resources in their area and the Military Crisis Line for immediate response from a counselor. The app also sends out push noti-fications to further engage users.

The app has been down-loaded more than 1,100 times since its September 2014 launch and nearly 400 photos have been submit-ted. The Real Warriors app complementary website was also recently named the Web Marketing Association’s “Best Military Website.”

Currently, the app is only available for download on iOS devices but Android us-ers may view content on the app’s responsive site or on Facebook.

Technology connects users to psych health help

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By Amy Guckeen TolsonUSAG REDSTONE

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – He may not be able to predict the future, but Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey will do his best to guarantee the American Soldier is ready for whatever that future brings.

“In four years, we can pretty much expect the world is still going to be a dangerous and unpredict-able place,” Dailey said. “And there is still going to be a significant amount of uncertainty that the Army and Soldiers, along with their Families, must be pre-pared to face.

“One way to prevent war, which is always the most desirable course, is to ensure our adversar-ies know that we are an Army of preparation – the most lethal fighting force this world has ever known, fully capable of dominance in combat, trained and ready when called.”

Dailey outlined a three-pronged approach to ensuring the reputation of Army Strong does not fall by the wayside at the Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army, or CASA, National Conference Dinner here, May 6. He provided business and community leaders, who advise and support Army leaders throughout the coun-try, with his vision for the Army’s way ahead, which includes an emphasis on mental and physical fitness, training and education, and

keeping the United States’ view of the Soldier in the highest regard.

“If I had a crystal ball, it would show a time four years from now, when we have a force over-flowing with adaptive leaders, an organization that boasts they are the smartest, most educated enlisted force and officer corps in the world, and a consensus among the American people that they trust us implicitly to protect our way of life,” Dailey said.

In terms of physical and mental readiness, Dailey emphasized the importance of passing on knowledge from more experienced noncom-missioned officers, or NCOs, to newer Soldiers as they rise through the ranks, as well as, train-ing opportunities that include warrior tasks and battle drills, and performing physical training five days a week.

“We fight wars – this is what we do,” Dai-ley said. “That requires us to be physically fit,

mentally tough and resil-ient. And it’s no secret that physical fitness contributes to the overall well-being of our Soldiers. I need Sol-diers to be deployable. I need Soldiers that are ready to fight and willing to an-swer the call, because that’s the business we do.”

Several initiatives are underway to improve the training and education of Soldiers, Dailey said, in-cluding a revamping of the professional military

education system philosophy. Courses are being rebuilt force-wide to improve credentialing and academic-equivalency, and several new courses are in development for senior NCOs, while ju-nior leader courses are being restructured.

To better aid Soldiers as they transition out of the uniform, efforts are also underway to match every military occupational specialty, or MOS, with a civilian equivalent, providing a credentialing opportunity “for every Soldier and every MOS.”

“We want to give them skills to enhance their strength on the battlefield, as well as in the job

market back home,” Dailey said. “This is the real legacy of the Soldier for Life program – it’s not a bumper sticker – it’s tangible. We’re giving back to the American people a better product, able to enter and contribute to an American work-force that’s thirsting for technical tradesmen and women.”

To continue the Soldier’s legacy of exempli-fying the “image of America’s best,” Dailey has prepared a new initiative, “Not In My Squad,” which “puts the mid-level leaders in the driver’s seat to problem solve the issues that lead to laps-es of discipline and to offer suggested changes or improvements directly to Army senior leaders.”

Squad leaders will meet in Washington D.C. in June to brainstorm ways to develop the pro-

gram, discussing ways on how to best approach training, strategic communication, and policy modification.

Dailey thanked the CASAs for the work they do on a daily basis for their Army and their country. The Army secretary appointed leaders from throughout the nation to advise himself, the Army chief of staff, and commanders regard-ing the public’s sentiments toward the Army.

Nearly 70 attended the national conference. “Tomorrow always represents opportunity

in our Army,” Dailey said. “Tomorrow brings promise. Embrace these uncertainties, as I have, as opportunities for powerful and meaningful change, and we will, I promise, be successful together.”

Army’s top enlisted leader looks to future

BRYAN BACON | ARNEWSSgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey addresses attendees during the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army National Conference Dinner at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., May 6.

An uncertain future will require much from Soldiers, Army’s top NCO says

“I need Soldiers that are ready to fight and willing

to answer the call; be-cause that’s the business

we do.”

SGT. MAJ. DANIEL A. DAILEY

SGT. MAJ. OF THE ARMY

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By Cheryl PellerinDOD NEWS DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

WASHINGTON – Slashed budgets and high worldwide demand for U.S. military forces have created an unbal-anced defense program that is taking on increasingly greater risks, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a Senate panel this morning.

The secretary testified be-fore the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcom-mittee on the Defense Depart-ment’s fiscal year 2016 budget request. Joining him was Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“Over the past three fiscal years the Defense Department has taken more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars in cuts to its future-years defense spending,” Carter said.

The frequently sudden and unpredictable timing and na-ture of the cuts and continued uncertainty over sequestration have made the stresses greater,

he added, forcing DOD to make a series of incremental, inefficient decisions.

“Even as budgets have dropped precipitously, our forces have been responding to unexpectedly high demand from a tumultuous world,” the secretary said.

Carter said he believes the result is an unbalanced defense program.

“We’ve been forced to pri-oritize force structure and readiness over modernization, taking on risks in capabilities and infrastructure that are far too great,” he added.

“High demands on small-er force structure mean the equipment and capabilities of too many components of the military are growing too old, too fast – from our nuclear de-terrent to our tactical forces,” Carter told the panel.

The secretary said in recent weeks some in Congress have tried to give DOD its full fis-cal year 2016 budget request by transferring funds from the base budget into DOD accounts for overseas contin-gency operations, or OCO – funds that are meant to fund the incremental, temporary costs of overseas conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and else-where.

“While this approach clearly recognizes that the budget total we’ve requested is needed, the avenue it takes

is just as clearly a road to no-where,” Carter said, explaining President Barack Obama said he won’t accept a budget that locks in sequestration going forward, as this approach does.

“And he won’t accept a bud-get that severs the link between our national security and eco-nomic security,” the secretary added, “[so] legislation that implements this budget frame-work will … be subject to veto.”

If the Defense Depart-ment and Congress don’t find a different path by fall when a budget is needed, Carter said, the department will again have to make hasty and drastic decisions.

“The Joint Chiefs and I are concerned that if our congres-sional committees continue to advance this idea and don’t explore alternatives we’ll all be left holding the bag,” Carter said, adding that the OCO ap-proach does nothing to reduce the deficit.

“Most importantly,” he added, “because it doesn’t provide a stable multi-year budget horizon, this one-year approach is managerially un-sound and unfairly dispirit-ing to our force. Our military personnel and their families deserve to know their future more than just one year at a time – and not just them.”

Defense industry partners also need stability and longer-term plans to be efficient and

cutting-edge, Carter said, “[and] … as a nation we need to base our defense budgeting on a long-term military strat-egy, and that’s not a one-year project.”

Such a funding approach reflects a narrow way of look-ing at national security, the sec-retary said.

Year-to-year funding “ig-nores the vital contributions made by the State Depart-ment, the Justice Depart-ment, the Treasury Depart-ment and the Homeland Security Department,” he said. And it disregards the en-during long-term connection

between the nation’s security and factors like supporting the U.S. technological edge with scientific research and development, educating a future all-volunteer military force, and bolstering the gen-eral economic strength of the nation, Carter said.

“Finally, the secretary added, “I’m also concerned that how we deal with the budget is being watched by the rest of the world -– by our friends and potential foes alike. It could give a misleadingly diminished picture of America’s great strength and resolve.”

To create a better solu-tion than the one now be-ing considered, he said, “I hope we can come together for a longer-term, multi-year agreement that provides the budget stability we need by locking in defense and non-defense budget levels con-sistent with the president’s request.”

Carter pledged his person-al support and that of the de-partment to this effort, and, he told the panel, “I would like to work with each of you, as well as other leaders and members of Congress, to this end.”

Carter urges senators to support stable defense budget

Glenn Fawcett | DOD PHOTO

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee in Washington, D.C., May 6.

Budget woes means greater risks, Senate panel hears

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power or underfund installa-tions,” she said.

“If you underfund train-ing, then you risk deploying an untrained Soldier (caus-ing) loss of life or casualty,” Hammack continued. “If we underfund an organization or equipment, the risk there is deploying a Soldier who doesn’t have the equipment they need; and the risk there is high, too. And manpower – we want to ensure this nation has the manpower needed to prevent war from occurring. Prevent, shape, win is our strategy and we want to en-sure that we can prevent con-flict around the world.

“When it comes to choices in the budget, we chose to take risks on installations be-cause the risk there is not loss of life or men. The risk there are the grounds aren’t main-tained or the buildings aren’t maintained or maybe you have to close some of your gates because you can’t afford the number of gate guards.”

Sequestration has a sig-nificant impact as the Army is forced to take cuts in the size of its force, Hammack said.

“When you talk to (Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Chief of Staff of the Army) and our other military leaders, we think the appropriate size

of the Army is 490,000; and shrinking to 450,000 has some associated risks with it,” she said. “But at the direction of Congress, that’s where our budgets are hitting us.”

The Army is expected to shrink to 450,000 by the end of 2017, early 2018, Ham-mack said.

“Where we take those cuts is something that we’re dis-cussing right now,” she said. “We’re evaluating the input that came from all the listen-ing sessions we had at the 31 bases that would be affected.”

According to her official biography on the ASAIE&E webpage, Hammack is the primary advisor to the Secre-tary of the Army and Chief of Staff of the Army on all Army matters related to Installation policy, oversight, and coordi-nation of energy security and management.

She is responsible for policy and oversight of sustainability and environ-mental initiatives; resource management, including design, military construc-tion, operations, and main-tenance; base realignment and closure; privatization of Army family housing, lodg-ing, real estate, and utilities; and the Army’s installations safety and occupational health programs

HAMMACK Continued from page 1

FPCON level means more comprehensive checking of those entering the facilities, heightened awareness of per-sonnel at the facilities, and in some circumstances, more se-curity personnel on duty at the facilities.

“As far as what the Ameri-can public can expect to see,” Warren said, “broadly speak-ing there won’t be a change, but in specific areas there could be longer lines as per-sonnel enter posts, camps and stations around the nation, [and this] could have traffic implications.”

At Northcom in Colorado Springs, Colorado, spokesman Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck Marsh said raising the base-line force protection condition “was a prudent measure to re-mind installation commanders at all levels within our area of responsibility to ensure in-creased vigilance in safeguard-ing our DOD personnel, in-stallations and facilities.”

The raised FPCON level is in addition to random drills or exercises performed at all DOD facilities, Marsh added, “and they’re all a means to in-sure that we effectively execute our force protection mission.”

The FPCON level was raised at this time because of a general environment of height-ened threats, he said.

“This is the new normal,” Marsh said, “so we’re going to be doing random security [pro-tection] measures … to be able to best execute the safety and security of our people and our facilities.”

According to Northcom, the commander last raised the FPCON level from Alpha to Bravo in 2011 in prepara-tion for the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sep-tember 11, 2001. At the Pen-tagon, Warren said, the FP-

CON level has been at Alpha but “with selected measures from Bravo in effect. Now it’s Bravo.”’

This is an acknowledge-ment, Warren added, that “right now we believe the threat level nationwide has increased.”

According to Northcom, the potential for another at-tack is always possible and implementing random force protection measures is one way to minimize the likelihood of

an attack on an installation or service members.

“Some of you can see for yourselves – you can look at Twitter or at other social media sites and see threats,” Warren said.

“We have a little bit more capability than you do so we see a little bit more than you do. Some of [the threats] are international, some are do-mestic … but it’s an overall increase in the environment,” he said.

Mike Kucharek | COURTESY PHOTO

Members of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command monitor systems and networks in the NORAD and Northcom Com-mand Center on Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 29.

PROTECTION Continued from page 1

Leadership expert, author speaks with 1st Inf. Div. SoldiersStory and photo by J. Parker Roberts1ST INF. DIV. PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Author and leadership expert Simon Sinek visited Fort Riley May 7 where he experienced a variety of daily training activities for Soldiers and spoke to a group of 1st Infantry Division troops about his leadership philosophy.

“Trust and cooperation are absolutely essen-tial, not only for our survival, but for our ability to thrive,” Sinek told the group of officers and noncommissioned officers gathered at Riley’s Conference Center. “The problem is that trust and cooperation are not instructions; they’re feelings. I cannot order you to trust me.”

Sinek said those feelings come directly from the environment a person is in.

“That’s why we have leaders,” he said. “Lead-ers set the environment and leaders set the tone inside the organization.”

The author of “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” and “Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull To-gether and Others Don’t” discussed the various ways leaders can motivate those they lead and which of those methods result in lasting positive behaviors.

“When we do things for our people, our people do things for each other,” he said. “The reward of being a leader is the exact same reward for being a parent – the little glimmers you get for all the sacrifices you’ve made that didn’t al-ways seem worth it, and the work that was so hard to do.”

Sinek is an adjunct staff member with the RAND Corporation think tank and speaks about leadership with military and government audiences, as well as corporations like 3M, Dis-ney and JetBlue.

“It was a great opportunity to get some leadership training,” said Sgt. 1st Class Nigel Algoo, Headquarters and Headquarters Com-pany, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Inf. Div. “It was a good class. It definitely opened my eyes to react to situations differ-ently. It showed you how to open your heart more and understand where other people are coming from.”

Algoo, a telecommunications operations chief, said he would be able to directly apply the lessons Sinek shared in leading his Soldiers.

Author and leadership expert Simon Sinek speaks to an audience of Sol-diers during his visit to Fort Riley.

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TRAFFIC UPDATESFor traffic updates, see the

Traffic Report on page 2 or visit www.riley.army.mil and click on “Advisories.”

GENERAL INFORMATIONFor general information about

events and services at Fort Riley, visit www.facebook.com/FortRiley or follow @FortRiley on Twitter.

CEREMONIESFor U.S. Army Garrison Fort

Riley ceremony information, visit twitter.com/usagceremonies.

FORT RILEY SPOUSE CHOIR

The Fort Riley Spouse choir is accepting new members. If you love to sing and want to spend time with other Army spouses, then this group is definitely for you. Practices are at the Kapaun Chapel on Normandy drive at 6:30 p.m. Thursday nights.

NO DOUGH DINNERThe USO is helping to bring

families together with free din-ners. The next USO No Dough Dinner is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. May 28 at Fort Riley USO building 251 on Cameron Ave. Be sure to bring your ID. For more information, call 785-240-5326 or email [email protected].

PATRIOT PET SHOWThe Patriot Pet Show is

scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 at the Fort Riley Main Exchange. There will be contests, coloring books for children, in-formation booths on vet services and housing regulations. Other events include adoption and reg-istration with on-post veterinary service, a visit from Sparky the Fire Dog, fire department dem-onstration and treats for pets.

CENTRAL ISSUE FACILITYThe Central Issue Facility will

be closed at noon May 20 and reopen 7:30 a.m. May 26 for a monthly 10 percent Inventory.

POOLS OPEN MAY 23Four Corvias community pools

open for the season on May 23. Pool hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit http://riley.corviasmilitaryliving.com/pools.

FAMILY BINGOFamily Bingo is scheduled for

2 p.m. May 24 at Rally Point. Doors open at 1 p.m. Admission for adults is $10 and children are $5. For more information, call 785-784-5434.

SUMMER READING KICKOFF PARTY

Sign up for the 2015 Sum-mer Reading Program during the library’s fabulous Summer Reading Kickoff Party from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Enjoy hot dogs, dancing, a dunk tank and a bounce house and then stick around for movie night. This year’s theme is Read to the Rhythm. The Fort Riley Post Library is located at 5306 Hood Drive. For more information, call (785) 239-5305 or visit rileymwr.com/library.

AN IMPORTANT REMINDERVisitors to Fort Riley are

reminded that a temporary Fort Riley Access Badge or Pass is required for anyone without a Department of Defense ID card. If you know the exact date of your visit, it is highly recommend to get a temporary badge or pass early by stopping by the Visitor Control Center, calling (785) 239-2982 or emailing

[email protected]

<mailto:[email protected]> . Please note there are longer wait times for passes during periods of higher traffic-especially weekday mornings and weekday after-noons-when Soldiers and civilian employees are traveling to work and physical fitness activities.

If you’re unable to get a pass early, make sure to allow extra time the day of your visit to get through processing at the Visitor Control Center.

Please visit our website athttp://www.riley.army.mil/

Units/GarrisonCommand/Emer-gencyServices/AccessInformation.aspx for more information.

IN BRIEF

Community LifeHOME OF THE BIG RED ONE MAY 15, 2015 PAGE 9

Story and photos by Kalyn Curtis1ST INF. DIV. POST

Inch by inch, Ben Postlethwait, a voluntary climber with Westar Energy, made his way toward the eagles nest, sitting in a tree on the Milford reser-voir on Fort Riley property.

Once he reached the 10-week-old bald eagle, he realized he was no match. The eagle took his first leap from the nest and the chase was on.

“He’s flying away,” Postlethwait said. Since the first documentation of a bald eagle’s nest

in Kansas in 1989, the Kansas Department of Wild-life and Parks has been keeping a database of “band-ed” eaglets. This banding was performed on May 7.

“We don’t do all of the eaglets because there are 86 nests across the state this year,” said Dan Mul-hern, Fish and Wildlife Biologist. “Those ones that

Kansas continues to band eaglets across state

Dan Mulhern, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, measures the nearly 10 week old eaglets beak just before putting banding at the Milford Reservoir on April 7.

As population increases across area, Department of Wildlife and Parks maintains database of nation’s symbol

Story and photos by Maria Childs1ST INF. DIV. POST

Four scholarship granting organizations combined forces into one award ceremony worth more than $25,000 May 5 at Cavalry Parade Field at Fort Riley.

The combined scholarship fund, established by the Fort Riley Spouses Club, retired Gen. Joe and Patty Robles, K-State partner-ship and the Fort Riley Thrift Store awarded scholarships to 11 people. The Fort Riley Combined Scholarship Committee handles the applications and how much each receives. The committee asks a few members of the community to review the applications and score them.

Recipients included high school and college students who are al-ready dedicated to education as well as Fort Riley spouses pursuing a college education.

Two spouses were among the recipients. Crystal Hayes and Stormy Marsh received the Fort Riley Spouse Club scholarships. The guest speaker was Dr. Brianna Nelson Goff, a professor for the K-State School

Spouses, students get scholarships for higher education

Scholarship recipients pose for a group photo after the Combined Scholarship Award Ceremony May 5 at the Cavalry Parade Field. Recipients included high school, college and spouse who are dedicated to education.

On the road to success

Crystal Hayes, military spouse, receives her scholar-ship from the Fort Riley Spouses Club president Mary Britton during the Combined Scholarship Award Cer-emony May 5 at the Cavalry Parade Field.

FRONT AND CENTER

ROAD TO RECOVERY

• The bald eagle, our nation’s symbol since 1782, was first placed on the endangered species list in 1967, where it remained until its removal by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2007. It remains protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects most wild birds.

See EAGLETS, page 12

See SCHOLARSHIPS, page 12

Workplace violence cannot be overlooked

By Maria Childs1ST INF. DIV. POST

Fort Riley employs more than 20,000 Soldiers, civilians and con-tractors. Each must complete online training about violence in the work-place. The training helps raise aware-ness about workplace violence and how it can happen to anyone.

Workplace violence can be de-fined as any violence that occurs in a workplace. It can range from off-the-cuff remarks made under some-one’s breath to an active shooter at the office.

Capt. Kurtis Mohlman, opera-tions officer for Fort Riley Police De-partment, said workplace violence may not be the most common type

of violence, but it cannot be over-looked and is serious.

“Normally before there is a vio-lent act there are many signs, com-ments and actions that occur prior to it that precipitated that attack,” Mohlman said. “It might be com-ments that are made to the side or under their breath or someone who is angry all the time. Those are things we need to pay attention to.”

According to the Department of Defense Workplace Violence Preven-tion and Response Guide, there is no way to predict what humans will do in the event of violence, but it is up

Individuals must use senses to assess incident, take appropriate action

See WORKPLACE, page 12

OPTIONS AVAILABLE

• There are three options a victim of violence has: hide or take shelter, flee the situation or fight the attacker.

White House event pays tribute to military moms

Story and photo by Lisa Ferdinando ARNEWS

WASHINGTON – “When your children leave, a part of your heart leaves,” so it was particularly special, said a mother whose daughter and son-in-law are in the Army, at a White House event to honor military mothers.

Sherry Warner was among 180 guests, May 8, at a special Mother’s Day tea hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden.

The event featured musical guest Ben Folds, and included uniformed service members from all branches, military children, military spouses, Gold Star mothers, and caregivers of wounded warriors.

It was a great event and wonderful way for the White House to show its deep appreciation for all that military moms do, Warner said, adding that it was particularly moving to see a Gold Star mother.

First lady praises group’s commitment, ability to give back to communities

A White House staff member displays a gift made by a child during a Mother’s Day tea hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to honor military mothers, May 8.

See MILITARY MOMS, page 11

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Barlow Theater is now in digital!Tickets cost $5.50 for adults and $3 for childrenTickets for 3-D and first-run movies cost extra.

Children younger than 5 are admitted free.

For movie titles and showtimes, call

785-239-9574

FRIDAY, MAY 15• Get Hard (R) 7 P.M.

SATURDAY, MAY 16• Woman In Gold (PG-13) 2 P.M.

• The Longest Ride (PG-13) 7 P.M.

SUNDAY, MAY 17• The Longest Ride (PG-13) 5 P.M.

By Col. Andrew ColeGARRISON COMMANDER

We are in the peak military permanent change of station

moving season. Do you remember when

you first arrived to Fort Riley? Even if you’ve moved nu-merous times throughout your career, it was still important to us that you felt welcomed to the Fort Riley family and became familiar with your new area as well as resources available to you on post.

Newcomers often receive their first impression of Fort Riley long before arrival – usu-ally their first line of commu-nication is with a unit-assigned sponsor who makes contact either through emails or phone calls in efforts to prepare them for their new adventure.

Under Army Regulation 600-8-8, The Total Army Sponsorship Program, sponsors are provided to help Soldiers and families adjust to new locations. Sponsors of first-term Soldiers also act as big brothers or sisters for inbound Soldiers to orient them to new surroundings and provide support and assistance during the transition period. They also

develop a sense of responsibil-ity for their fellow Soldiers to improve safety and reduce the likelihood and opportunity for sexual assault, misconduct and suicide gestures/attempts during the Soldier’s first year in the unit.

Sponsorship isn’t only for military members. Anyone who is permanent party is en-titled to sponsorship – DOD civilians, teachers and contrac-tors.

If you remember having a good sponsor upon your arrival to Fort Riley, why not pay it forward and consider volun-teering to sponsor a newcomer this PCS season?

If interested, the Army Community Service, located in Building 7264, provides training for unit sponsors.

Training is available to units or individuals and can be completed in person or online.

We know moving can be exciting, but it can also seem daunting. It’s always good to know someone’s available to give you a hand when needed.

For more information about the sponsorship pro-gram or Relocation Readi-ness, call 785-239-9435.

If you would like to comment on this article or suggest a topic for Community Corner, e-mail [email protected].

ColonelCole

COMMUNITY CORNER

Become a sponsor of a Soldier. It matters

By Maria Childs1ST INF. DIV. POST

Eighty-two days. That is the number of days the Fort Riley tax center was open for the tax season. The center closed its doors April 16.

The center prepared 2012, 2013 and 2014 federal tax re-turns. State returns were com-pleted as a courtesy when com-pleting a federal return.

Elizabeth Thurston, legal assistance attorney and chief of

the tax center, said the season was successful.

“I think we did really well,” Thurston said. “We had more staff this year.”

Thurston said through-out the season, the center was steadily busy. There were 14 tax preparers this year.

According to Thurston, the center prepared about 8,000 federal returns and 6,000 state returns. The amount of refunds returned was more than $17 million

and the staff saved Soldiers and families preparation fees of more than $3 million. These numbers do not in-clude 2012 and 2013 returns filed with the center.

Although the tax deadline has passed, Thurston said she still helps clients prepare their taxes. Taxes can be filed up to three years past.

To make an appointment to file or discuss tax issues, call the Legal Assistance Office at 785-239-3117.

Tax center closes for season

J. Parker Roberts | 1ST INF. DIV. PAO

In recognition of the National Day of Prayer, Chaplain (Capt.) Kevin Daul, 1st Infantry Division family life chaplain, led a “Prayer on the Patch” May 7 on the front lawn of 1st Inf. Div. Head-quarters. The event featured music and guest remarks from Lt. Col. Scott Woodward, 1st Infantry Division deputy chief of staff. The National Day of Prayer is observed annually on the first Thursday of May, as designated by the United States Congress. “In America, our Nation is stronger because we welcome and respect people of all faiths, and because we protect the fundamental right of all peoples to practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith, or to practice no faith at all, and to do so free from persecution and discrimination,” said President Barack Obama in his proclamation for this year’s day. “Today, as we pause in solemn reflection, we celebrate the religious liberty we cherish here at home, and we recom-mit to standing up for religious freedom around the world.”

‘BIG RED ONE’ CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER

USO COMEDY TOUR KEEPS

SOLDIERS LAUGHING

Sgt. 1st Class Rob-ert M. Pollard, Divi-sion Headquarters and Headquarters

Battalion, 1st Infan-try Division, (shak-

ing hands with comedian Steve

Byrne) meets with comedians May 4

in Iraq as part of a USO comedy tour.

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

Comedians Steve Byrne, Bill Crawford, Steve Simeone (above) and Roy Wood Jr. met and per-formed for 1st Infantry Division Soldiers, coalition service members and other U.S agency mem-bers May 4 near Baghdad, Iraq, during their USO Comedy Tour. The group traveled through Iraq to entertain troops deployed in support Operation Inherent Resolve.

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“You just start tearing up and you can’t even imagine her pain. It just gets to you.”

A FAMILY AFFAIR GATHERING

Warner, who attended the event with her daughter, Maj. Robin Johnson, said soldiers are the best of society and chose to serve.

“They’re not like the rest of us,” Warner said. “They’re extremely brave. They’re ex-tremely courageous. They are selfless.”

Also in attendance was Johnson’s mother-in-law, Kathy Johnson, who said it was a great event she’ll always remember.

“It was wonderful to hear from Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden that they really under-stand that the Families do have a loss” when their loved ones deploy, she said.

Obama thanked the mili-tary moms for their commit-ment. They face many chal-lenges, she said, including separation from loved ones, career demands, frequent moves and job changes.

In the midst of everything, whether they are in the service themselves or their loved ones are, military moms always find time to give back to their com-munities, Obama said.

“You give us energy. You give us strength. You give us focus and purpose,” Obama said. The White House tea, she said, is a way to say thanks for everything that military moms do.

Biden’s son, Beau, is a major in the Delaware Army National Guard and an Iraq veteran.

“I want you to know just how much we appreciate ev-

erything your families do in serving our country,” Biden said.

“We ask a lot of our mili-tary families,” she said. “I believe that each of us – no matter where we live, no mat-ter whether we’re connected to military ourselves – all of us should make our best efforts to show our military spouses, kids, siblings and parents how much we appreciate their ser-vice and their sacrifice.”

SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES Also in attendance was

Michele Bajakian, whose hus-band serves on Fort Drum, New York. She has been through many moves and de-ployments during her 17 years as a military spouse.

“One of the many things that I appreciate about Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden is they have been strong advocates for our military Families and they recognize military spouses and military service member moms do go through a lot,” she said.

“It’s not an easy lifestyle,” said Bajakian, who attended the event with her daughter, Hannah, and friend Patricia

Eassa, who has been an Army spouse for 25 years.

“It was so nice to be in the White House, and be with friends and other service fami-lies and service spouses and know that we’re all one big family,” Eassa said.

MILITARY CHILDREN SPECIAL GUESTS

Obama and Biden greeted the military children, who were talking with the White House chefs and doing Moth-er’s Day craft projects.

Hannah enjoyed her time at the White House.

“It was a lot of fun to be able to meet some of the chefs who are in the White House and to be able to talk to Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden in per-son. It was very nice meeting them,” she said.

She and the other mili-tary children swapped tales of moves and where they had been stationed.

“It was really nice because as military kids, we know what it’s like to move around and we just kind of connect easier and we were able to make friends there just in a short amount of time that we had there,” she said.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/FORTRILEY

Lisa Ferdinando | ARNEWS

First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to military children during a Mother’s Day tea honoring military mothers at the White House, May 8.

MILITARY MOMS Continued from page 9

“We ask a lot of our military families. I believe that each of us – no matter where

we live, no matter whether we’re connected to military ourselves – all of us should

make our best efforts to show our military spouses, kids, siblings and parents how

much we appreciate their service and their sacrifice.”

DR. JILL BIDEN | WIFE OF VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

WWW.TWITTER.COM/FORTRILEY

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1ST INF. DIV. POST STAFF

The Fort Riley Combined Graduation Commencement Ceremony is scheduled for 1 p.m. May 21 at Riley’s Confer-ence Center.

Fort Riley’s access control procedures permits those who will attend the ceremony but do not have DOD ID cards, Fort Riley access badges or Fort Riley visitor passes, to enter through the Henry or Ogden gates be-tween the hours of 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. May 21 only.

• All personnel over the age of 16, or who appears to be 16 years of age or older, in the vehi-cle must have a government is-sued photo ID (driver’s license, state ID card or passport). No exceptions will be granted.

• All vehicles entering must have valid vehicle reg-istration and proof of insur-ance.

• All vehicles containing any occupants who do not possess DOD ID card, badge or pass holders must enter through Henry Gate, Exit 301, US In-terstate Highway 70 or through the Ogden Gate on Huebner Road.

• All vehicles must inform guards that they are attending the graduation event.

• All vehicles entering may be subject to a random vehicle search upon entering.

• For more information, visit www.riley.army.mil/Units/GarrisonCommand/Emergen-cyServices/AccessInformation.aspx.

to each employee to help main-tain a safe working environment.

Mohlman said when a situ-ation is presented, individuals must use their senses to assess the situation and make an ap-propriate decision based on the surroundings. There are three options a victim of violence has: hide or take shelter, flee the situ-ation or fight the attacker. The decision will be different for everyone.

“If they find themselves close to the situation, and the violence is right on top of them, the only choice they may have is to fight,” Mohlman said. “If their routes of escape are blocked by the active shooter, then barricading and making themselves safe is probably the best option.”

Mohlman explained the police department does not get involved in a case of violence until a crime is committed. The earlier stages of violence could include comments being made that are not specific enough to identify as a threat. The process of handling workplace violence starts at the unit level. That is the most crucial time of a case of violence.

“It’s something that needs to be dealt with and taken care of before it escalates,” Mohlman said. “In the Army’s program they talk about that. They talk about how in order to prevent workplace violence we have to have good problem solving skills

and we have to be able to re-solve conflict and we have to be able to communicate with each other so we can mitigate these issues long before they ever be-come workplace violence.”

“Workplace violence is very straightforward,” Mohl-man said. “The low end of the spectrum is ‘I can’t stand to be around that individual.’ That’s a perfectly fine comment, but it might be something to pay at-tention to.”

Access control for Fort Riley graduation ceremony May 21

MORE INFORMATION

• If you or someone you know is a victim of violence, they can report it to the Military Police Desk at 785-239-6767.

• In the case of an emergency, call 911. To view the Department of Defense official instruction about workplace violence, visit www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/143806p.pdf.

• To view the guide, visit http://www.lee.army.mil/hrd/documents/IMCOM_Handbook_on_Workplace_Violence_Prevention_and_Response.pdf.

“If they find themselves close to the situation, and

the violence is right on top of them, the only choice

they may have is to fight. If their routes of escape

are blocked by the active shooter, then

barricading and making themselves safe is probably the

best option.”CAPT. KURTIS MOHLMAN FORT RILEY POLICE DEPT.

WORKPLACE Continued from page 9

CONFIDENTIAL ALCOHOL AND TREATMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM

785-239-5047/785-240-5127 | [email protected]

of Family Studies and Hu-man Services. She empha-sized the importance of education.

“All of you who are re-ceiving scholarships tonight whether you are the tra-ditional 18-year-old or a spouse, it is your job to be a student for the next four, maybe five, years, but treat it like your job because it is,” Goff said.

For some, education leads to a new career path.

Hayes said she under-stands the importance of education. After taking a 10 year break from school, she received a Fort Riley Spous-es Club scholarship. She heard about the scholarship on social media through a

family readiness group page and decided to send in her application. She plans to pursue an elementary edu-cation bachelor’s degree

from Southwestern College. Hayes explained the im-

portance of the scholarship to her family is personal and financial. The scholar-

ship will help her financially achieve her goals. Hayes said her two kids are the inspira-tion for her completing her degree. She volunteers at her kids’ schools and it brought back the desire for teaching.back the desire for teaching.

SCHOLARSHIPS Continued from page 9

Fort Riley Garrison Commander Col. Andrew Cole, Jr. speaks to scholarship recipients and their families dur-ing the Combined Scholarship Award Ceremony May 5.

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

• High School Recipients: Anna Frick, Derek Barlett-Steede, Megan Ochoa, Elizabeth Cortes, Frances Korer

• College Recipients: Malika Baker, Abriana Delfuto, Nashia Baker

• Spouse Recipients: Mari Schuldt, Stormy Marsh, Crystal Hayes

we have a history of, and that we’ve been banding for several years, we try to update the da-tabase. Basically we enter the information in the database and wait for the eagle, report bands if you may, some dead some alive.”

Mulhern said they normally try to band the eaglets when they are between the ages of 5 to 7 weeks, and that the eaglets usually take their first flight be-tween 10 and 11 weeks.

“That 5-, 6-, 7-week-old age is a good age because their feet have grown and their bills have grown,” he said. “So the measurements we take tell us something, but yet they usually aren’t big enough to do what he did and bail out of the nest.”

The eaglet that was band-ed earlier that morning was around eight pounds, and he

will not get much larger. Fe-male eagles will grow to be any-where from 12 to 15 pounds and have a wingspan of up to seven feet. The bird does not get their iconic white feather-ing until they turn five years old.

The bald eagle, our na-tion’s symbol since 1782, was first placed on the endangered species list in 1967 where it remained until its removal by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2007. It remains protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects most wild birds.

“They have their own separate clause called the Bald Eagle Protection Act, which was done before the endan-gered species act, just because it is our national symbol,” said Mulhern. “It still is a violation

of federal law to harm or take a bald eagle…”

The eagles have roughly a 20 to 25 percent chance of surviving their first year of life. Once they master hunting, the chances of surviving their first year increase. Once an eagle finds their mate, they mate for life.

Mulhern said they have seen a steady increase in eagles throughout North America.

“What we’ve seen with this population in Kansas has really been mirroring what we’ve seen across North America,” he said. “That’s re-ally come back well. I mean we’ve come from 4,000 pairs 30 years ago to close to 50,000 pairs now.”

Mulhern added if the eagles live in captivity, they can sur-vive to as old as 50 years.

Dan Mulhern, left, and Michael Watkins, Fish and Wildlife Biologists, banding the nearly 10-week-old eaglet on the Milford Reservoir on April 7.

EAGLET Continued from page 9

Michael Watkins, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, holds a 10 week old eaglet after taking its first flight. The biolo-gists banded the eaglet for tracking on the Mil-ford Reservoir on April 7.

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BOWLING SPECIALSMonday to Friday: From 11

a.m. to 1 p.m., pizza and salad buffet, $6.99

Monday to Friday afternoon specials: From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., $2 games and $2 shoes.

Wednesday to Friday: From 1 to 6 p.m., $2.50 games and $2 shoes.

Saturdays: From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., $2.50 games and $2 shoes.

Sundays: From noon to 6 p.m., family fun, $35 per lane, which includes two hours of bowling, one large two-topping pizza, two pitchers of soda and shoes for up to six people.

Evening specials:Wednesday – Dollar Night:

From 6 to 9 p.m., $1 games and $1 shoes.

Thursday – Quarter Mania: From 6 to 9 p.m., $5 cover, which includes shoes and 50¢ games.

Friday – Red Pin: From 6 to 9 p.m., $10 for 3 games with shoes and prizes

Extreme: From 9 p.m. to mid-night. Cost is $9, which includes shoes and up to three hours of bowling. Cost is $7 for children.

Saturday – Extreme: From 6 p.m. to midnight. Cost is $9, which includes shoes and up to three hours of bowling.

SALSA NIGHTSalsa Night is scheduled for

8 p.m. May 22 at Rally Point. Doors open at 7 p.m. The event is open to adults 18 and older. Ad-mission is free.There will be live music, salsa, merengue, bachata and more. For more information, call 785-784-5733.

RUN FOR THE FALLENHonor the memory of our

nation’s fallen heroes during Run for the Fallen, a 2-mile remembrance run set for Satur-day, May 30 at Riley’s Confer-ence Center.

Registration for Run for the Fallen is free and open to the public. On-site registration will begin at 7 a.m. and the run begins at 9 a.m. T-shirts will be available for advance purchase; more information will follow soon. For more information, visit rileymwr.com/sports or call 785-240-2664.

OUTDOOR CLIMB TIMEAre you craving family fun?

Outdoor Recreation offers you an exciting escape from your regular routine with Outdoor Climb Time, set for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 30.

Trained staff will belay while you, your family, and your friends climb on the wall. Climbing costs $5 per person and is open to climbers ages 10 and older. Reserve your block of climbing time today! Pre-registration and payment are required. The Out-door Recreation Center is located at 1806 Buffalo Soldier Drive. For more information about climb time, call Outdoor Rec at 785-239-2363 or visit rileymwr.com/odr.

YOUTH SPORTS OFFICIALSChild, Youth and School

Services is looking for officials for youth outdoor and indoor soccer, flag football, basketball, baseball and softball.

Volunteer and paid positions available. Training provided and experience is not necessary. A background check is re-quired. For more information, call CYSS Sports at 785-239-9223 or 785-240-5207.

LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SERVE VETERANS?

Team Red, White and Blue is a national veterans outreach organization enriches lives of America’s veterans by connect-ing them to their community through physical and social activity. For more information, visit www.teamrwb.org. For Team RWB local chapter events, see “Team RWB Fort Riley” on Facebook.

SKEET AND TRAPAn introductory clinic is

offered by appointment covering basics of sport of shooting. Gun rental, ammo and protective equipment are provided.

Cost is $11.25 per round and $6.25 for ammunition. For more information, call Outdoor Recreation at 785-239-2363.

IN BRIEF

Sports & RecreationHOME OF THE BIG RED ONE MAY 15, 2015 PAGE 13

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Soldiers take tough stance on physical fitness test failures

No PaiN No GaiNBy Kalyn Curtis1ST INF. DIV. POST

This year’s Best Warrior competitor credits confi-dence as a strength in the competition.

The competition is a yearly event that challenges the Soldiers ability to navigate their way through obstacles and apply their knowledge and training in events like weapons assembly. Climbing ropes, as-sembling weapons, and navigating through the woods are all a part of the Best Warrior Competition, a place where Soldiers compete to be the best in the Army.

“You don’t feel the pain until you stop moving,” said Sgt. Jaleta Paige, chaplain assistant, Fort Riley Garrison. “So ruck marching and then going through the obstacle course, it’s kind of like I don’t know where this energy is coming from but the minute you stop and sit down, you’re like ‘No. What happened?’”

By Shannon Collins DOD NEWS, DEFENSE MEDIA ACTIVITY

FORT MEADE, Md. – The crowd went quiet as the female Soldiers raised their compound bows, pulled the bowstrings back to the anchor, took aim and released their arrows during the Army Trials on Fort Bliss, Texas.

For Spc. Laurel Cox, a Patriot missile specialist as-signed to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, this is the best kind of therapy and the first step as she prepares for her first 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games on Ma-rine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, June 19-28.

Throughout the games, wounded, ill and in-jured Service members and veterans from the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard will compete in track and field, shooting, swim-ming, cycling, archery, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.

Cox joined the Army to follow the footsteps of her brother, who is also stationed on Fort Bel-voir. She said she hopes her family will travel to the games to watch her compete.

“My brother is very proud of me and has been following my competitions,” she said. “Since my entire family is in Virginia, I’m hoping I can get everybody to make the two-hour trip to Quantico.”

During the Army Trials, March 29 to April 2, she took a silver medal in the women’s compound archery, a silver medal in women’s standing air rifle, and fourth place in women’s seated shot put and seated discus. She started with seated events and progressed to standing categories.

Cox said her favorite sport is archery, because it helps her in her recovery from a physical injury to her back and leg received while working on a piece of equipment during training May 2013, as well as with her post-traumatic stress.

“Archery got me out of my room,” she said. “I was very isolated and would only go to my doctor’s appointments. I wouldn’t really socialize with anyone. Archery forced me back into society. I’m so thankful for all of my coaches who introduced me to the sport and the personnel back at my unit who encouraged me to pursue it.”

Her coach, John Fuller, said her skill grew dur-ing her time at the Army Trials.

“She showed a marked improvement, even with us changing her equipment during the Army Trials,” he said. “No matter what we changed, she worked hard to improve, and she did. I was very impressed with how hard she worked to improve, and I was very glad to see her medal at the trials. She puts her heart into it, and I wish her the best of luck at the 2015 DoD Warrior Games.”

Soldier uses archery to overcome injuries

See BEST WARRIOR, page 14

By C. Todd LopezARNEWS

WASHINGTON – Soldiers at the first NCO Solarium said they felt the Army has gone soft on those who have failed their Army Physical Fit-ness Tests, or APFT, too many times – and called for more discipline in enforcing standards.

Sgt. 1st Class Jason Ruiz, Head-quarters Services Company, U.S. Army North, said allowing Soldiers who repeatedly fail their APFT to stay in the Army is inconsistent with the idea that physical fitness is important.

“When Soldiers [who repeatedly failed their APFT] end up being re-tained, we feel it is a detriment to the unit and other units, who see that Sol-dier being retained,” Ruiz said. “One of our recommendations is to remove the commander’s ability to decline a separation packet for APFT failures.”

Ruiz served as the spokesperson for the physical fitness group dur-ing the 2015 NCO Solarium on Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

During the Solarium, about 80 NCOs, from throughout the Army, were tasked to come up with solu-tions to problems involving educa-tion, Army culture, training, mis-sion command, physical fitness and Army vision and branding. Those Soldiers were then asked to brief the sergeant major of the Army on their findings.

1st Sgt. Robert V. Craft Jr., 1-16 Infantry, Fort Bragg, North Caro-lina, was part of the physical fitness group. He speculated that the Army was accepting poor performers on the physical fitness test as a way to retain manpower numbers - something he felt was a bad idea.

Spc. Marcus Fitchtl | 8TH MP BDE.

A Soldier, assigned to the 8th Military Police Brigade, com-pletes a situp as part of an Army Physical Fitness Test during the 8th Military Police Brigade’s Best Warrior Competition at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, April 10, 2012.See TEST, page 14

See ARCHERY, page 14

Los Angeles Dodgers | COURTESY PHOTOSpc. Andrew Zapata, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, shakes hands with Justin Turner, a third baseman for the Los Angeles Dodg-ers, May 3 following opening ceremonies of the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Zapata, a native of Colton, California, was honored by the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Military Hero of the Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Zapata was introduced on the field and met players.

DODGERS HONOR MILITARY HERO K-State breaks ground for new sports fieldsK-STATE SPORTS

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- K-State Athletics officially broke ground on new practice and competition fields.

The new home for soccer is located south of Tointon Family Stadium.

Both soccer and football will use the space, as a practice field. The east side of the site will ac-commodate both sports. The soccer competition field is be-ing built along College Ave

Fans will be able to use the existing restroom and conces-sions facilities at Tointon Fam-ily Stadium for games in the fall of 2016. The cost of the initial phase of the project is estimated at $2.1 million and will be to-tally funded by department-generated revenue.

Sgt. Jaleta Paige, chaplain assistant, Fort Riley Garrison, participates in the Best War-rior Competition which took place May 3 to 8 at Fort Hood, Texas. Paige also competed in the Installation Management Command

competition in San Antonio, Texas.

Sgt. 1st Class Betty Brime | USAG FORT RILEY

Soldier wins regional Best Warrior Competition

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Cox also credits her squad leader, Staff Sgt. George O’Neal, with her recovery.

“We went through the en-tire healing process together,” she said. “He was my rock. He got me through every bad day. He got me through every doctor’s appointment, and he helped me to pursue every-thing I ever wanted to pursue.”

Patience is key, she said. “Take it one day at a time,

that’s what got me through my 15 months at the Warrior Tran-sition Unit, one day at a time,” she said. “Every morning, I woke up, got out of bed, put my uni-form on, forced myself to do the things I didn’t want to do, and it helped. You’re not the only ones going through what you’re going through; there’s always support. There are always alternate path-ways to every option out there.”

Cox said working through her injuries with adaptive sports for events showed her she is resilient.

“If people knew where I was eight months ago and saw me today, they would under-stand that Warrior Games re-ally does work miracles,” she said with a big smile. “Resil-ience, to me, means that I’m able to overcome anything and that there is no challenge too big to be conquered.

“Warrior Games is my main motivator to make it from day to day right now, and it’s giving

me something to look forward to,” she said. “Warrior Games has introduced me to so many wonderful people, and it’s in-troduced me to other veteran and military-friendly, Olym-pic-style games, like the Valor Games and other opportuni-ties, that I can have so I don’t have to go home and sit on a couch for the rest of my life. I’m 24 years old. I’m too young for that.”

“Over the last decade or so ... we have begun to accept substandard performance in order to make numbers for missions,” he said. “By retain-ing those Soldiers, it basically leads to a consen-sus ... that PT [physical training] isn’t important, that being in shape isn’t important.”

The same rigorous accountability that is ap-plied to those within the Army Body Composition Program, ought to also be applied to those who fail the Army APFT, Craft said. AFPT failures could force a separation after a second time, or after a Soldier has failed within a certain number of years, for instance.

There should also be stricter Army physical fit-ness standards for those in leader positions, such as platoon sergeant, first sergeant or commander, Craft said. There should be stricter standards for those going off to any of the Army’s professional military education, or PME, schools. “Then we are getting the best to go to school,” he said.

Craft said his time as a first sergeant is limited - and often heavily managed. He said he ends up spending an inordinate amount of time working with Soldiers, who have failed too many times to meet Army standards. Above his head, he said, commanders continue to file the paperwork and make the exceptions to keep those Soldiers in the unit - something he said is not good for the Army.

“I can’t fix a Soldier if the Soldier has quit,” Craft said. “If the Soldier no longer has the de-sire, then get rid of him. I can do more with less [Soldiers], if I no longer have to worry about the bottom 10 percent.”

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey told those NCOs at the Solarium to not refrain from sending less-than-stellar PT performers to Army PME schools. He said at an Army PME school, a Soldier cannot hide from the repercussions of failing to meet standards.

“Send them to school,” he said. “We’ll take care of them. There should no longer be the idea that if they no longer make PT, we’ll hold them back. Send them. They go to school. We’ll grade them. We’ll help you take care of those people. Policy is going to drive that. When you fail, when you get that referred report in your file, you’re going to be eligible for QMP [Qualitative Management Pro-gram] - as you should.”

The QMP is a program that deals with sub-standard performing Soldiers, and can remove them from service.

Dailey said Soldiers must meet the stan-dards of being a Soldier the entire time they are in the Army, and there is no reprieve from the standards.

“There is no pause button on being a Soldier,” he said. “So nowhere in the regulations does it say two or three times you are allowed to be fat. It says you have to be skinny all the time. You should be graded from the time you enter the Army until the time you leave. Your peers are graded the same way. Don’t hold them back from school anymore. Send them. We can help with that.”

Sgt. 1st Class Erin L. Hicks, U.S. Army Den-tal Activity, Fort Carson, Colorado, said her

group was calling for a “supreme authority” on installations when it comes to things like nutri-tion and physical fitness. Right now, she said, there is no such central authority, and the net-work of individuals who provide that informa-tion and guidance is “fragmented.”

She pointed out that 68M Soldiers, nutri-tional specialists, are serving as cooks in military dining facilities. She said that flies in the face of the modern understanding of a nutritional specialist, which is somebody who can provide counseling and education regarding nutrition.

She also said the master fitness trainer course is unit-funded, coming out of discretionary funds. With fiscal constraints, she said, “not all commanders will be able to send NCOs to that critical course, bring them back and use them in their brigade, battalion, etc.”

With skills like fitness training and nutri-tional expertise dispersed, and not guaranteed, she suggested the Army create a new position in the Army, an enlisted expert on fitness, sleep and nutrition, that can be the central go-to Soldier for what the Army is calling its Performance Triad.

“Why can’t we bring all that together, like I would as a civilian and seek a personal trainer, who will provide me with nutrition education, physical training, recovery training,” she asked. “Why can’t we make that into an MOS [military occupational specialty], bring it all together and put it at brigade level?”

She said such a position would not eliminate the need for Army master fitness trainers, but would instead serve as the lead for that program.

Hicks suggested the 68M be transitioned from MFT/nutritionist to be the supreme au-thority on installations about fitness, nutrition and sleep. She said creation of such a position, which is Army-funded, not unit-funded, will be a “constant reminder that we take total Soldier fitness seriously and that we are going to make it a priority.”

Ruiz also said that his physical fitness group wanted to see the Army’s APFT more aligned, doctrinally with Army Physical Readiness Train-ing, which is focused on preparing Soldiers physically for specific Soldier mission tasks. He said the AFPT does not effectively evaluate what is being done in PRT. He also said that many units are not actually doing PRT, but are doing other forms of physical fitness.

Dailey said that the Army must change the cul-ture of physical fitness, and bring back accountabil-ity to the program.

“You don’t get good at physical training un-less you do physical training,” he said. “When you allow your platoons and your squads to do squad physical training, I can tell you most of the time ... it is not good. I don’t know how we ever said we have to let squad leaders do physi-cal training every day. We need to probably reel some of that in. There was a lot of good-ness when the battalion had to meet in the quad and salute the flag together. It’s called accountability.”

Paige and her sponsor Sgt. 1st Class Betty Brime, U.S Army Headquarters, Religious Sup-port, had only 11 days to prepare for a five-day competition. Most of the competitors train for months.

“My job and job of others also in the unit, not just myself, we’re training Sgt. Paige on things she needs to do to be able to compete i.e medevac lanes, climbing the rope obstacle course and the boards so that’s what we have been do-ing, sponsoring her so she can get ready for those things,” Brime said.

Brime said she did not participate in the ob-stacles herself, she said they were there for sup-port and encouragement.

There are three levels to the competition, re-gional, IMCOM, and Army. Paige competed in the IMCOM level competition. Paige said she feels confident in most of the challenges, except for the rope climbing in the obstacle course.

“Rope is day three,” Paige said. “And that’s the thing, I think it’s to test you. The first time we did it, we did a six mile ruck march and then right after that we did an obstacle course, and that’s where the rope is. So after holding some-thing on your back for an hour and a half, you have to get out there and still try to climb up ropes, climb ladders, and all this stuff, so it’s to challenge you.”

Paige said though the daunting 20-foot rope may be the worst of her worries, there are some things she finds easy, like weapons.

“It’s my favorite thing to do, break them down, put them back together, doing function check,” Paige said. “I’ve grown too really like that. The ob-stacle course is very fun. It’s very hard and challeng-ing especially because you don’t go on heights as much as you think you do.”

Paige said each event is worth points, if she comes in first on certain events there are more points awarded.

“So the ones I know I need to work on, those are my weaknesses and then my strengths, I am going to just strengthen them and get as good at those as I can and beat them at those,” Paige said.

Paige said it does not phase her one bit, not knowing who her opponents are or how many she will be facing.

“For me not so intimidating,” said Paige. “I’m kind of like ‘I got this,’ I mean you have to go in like that, because if you don’t you’re go-ing to be defeated as soon as you get there. So my whole thing is ‘I got this, see ya in the next round.’ You have to be like that because if you don’t, you’re going to go out there and it’s going to eat you alive.”

The results of the competition were an-nounced May 8. Paige did not win the Best Warrior Competition. The two winners were Private Brandon Laufer of III Corps and Fort Hood, and Staff Sergeant Jon Williams of U.S Army Garrison Camp Humphreys.

BEST WARRIOR Continued from page 13

TEST Continued from page 13

EJ Hersom | DOD

Laurel Cox, left, competes along with Chasity Kuczer at the Army Trials in El Paso, Texas, March 31.

ARCHERY Continued from page 13

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Travel & Fun in KansasHOME OF THE BIG RED ONE MAY 15, 2015 PAGE 16

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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Native Stone Scenic Byway: views of then and now

Part of the mission of the Native Stone Scenic byway is to preserve and repair his-toric fences. Through workshops like this one held in the city park in Wamego, Kansas, May 2 volunteers learned how to repair and build stone fences in the early tradition – by hand. Stones are still cut with hammers, chisels and personal strength. Pieces of stone are selected for size and shape then fitted together without mortar. The Wamego workshop project will serve as a permanent part of the city park’s landscape. An instructor on the site said this piece of fence should last a hundred years through kids climbing and people sitting on it. Travelers along the Native Stone Scenic byway may see signs touting the restoration of original farm and ranch boundary fences along the way.

Story and photos by Collen McGee USAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Sometimes the space between the way it was and the way it is can be found between a rock and a sharp place. So it is with the Kansas Native Stone Scenic Byway. The early range was once an open space. In 1867 new legislation abolished the open range. Those new laws also offered landowners a payment of 40 cents per rod, or 16.5 feet, to build and maintain a 4.5 foot high stone fence. That was a good amount of money in those days when the average Kansas farm work-ers made $10 to $12 a month and the stone building material was free and plentiful. Today, ranchers use barbed wire but a historic preservation group maintains some of the original stone fences along this scenic route. Not only are there restored fences along side modern ones, but buildings made of native limestone in various stages of repair and use make this day trip a photographic safari that traverses history.

Story and photos by Collen McGeeUSAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Sometimes the space between the way it was and the way it is can be found between a rock and a sharp place. So it is with the Kansas Native Stone Scenic Byway. The early range was once an open space. In 1867 new legislation abolished the open range. Those new laws also offered landowners a payment of 40 cents per rod, or 16.5 feet, to build and maintain a 4.5 foot high stone fence. That was a good amount of money in those days when the average Kansas farm work-ers made $10 to $12 a month and the stone building material was free and plentiful. Today, ranchers use barbed wire but a historic preservation group maintains some of the original stone fences along this scenic route. Not only are there restored fences along side modern ones, but buildings made of native limestone in various stages of repair and use make this day trip a photographic safari that traverses history.

Brothers Alfred and John Sage brought their wives, sisters Mary Ann and Eliza-beth, to Kansas in a covered wagon, founded the town of Dover, named it for an area in England. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Sage Inn and Stagecoach Station, originally owned by Alfred’s second wife, also named Mary Ann, still serves as a bed and breakfast. The first part of the inn was built in 1865 at the edge of the Kansas Flint Hills to offer food and lodging to travel-ers on the Southwest Trail, which joined the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails. Behind the inn was one of two fords that allowed wagons to cross over Mission Creek. In those days that creek was called American Chief Creek after the Kanza Indian Chief from a nearby village. Today the inn sits across the street from The Sommerset Hall cafe. Alfred Sage built the Sommerset Hall Building in the late 1800’s and named it after Sommersetshire, Bristol, England, from which his family came. The town once boasted a post office, general store and its own blacksmith and offered those headed west a respite from the rigors of overland travel.

The 54-mile scenic follows Kansas Highway 99 from Interstate 70 through Alma, Kansas, until it meets Kansas Highway 4 and goes east into Eskridge, Kansas, and ends in Dover, Kansas. Barns along the way range from abandoned and unused like the one on the left to the one near Dover on the right that is still functional. The one on the left can be found south of Alma, Kansas, near the beginning of the Native Stone Scenic Byway. The farm it sits on is no longer a part of a main homestead, but the buildings that once made it so are still evident and span at least 100 years. During spring and early summer, wildflowers, cattle and wildlife are plentiful and provide diversity in the views along the way.

8B/Travel

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