May 30, 2013
The
U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart
Citizen Vol. 42, No. 11
www.stuttgart.army.mil
Panzer to get new heat system
A construction project on Panzer Kaserne will mean greener, cost-efficient heating.
Touring Stuttgart by river
If you’re in search of an unhurried, local day trip, try a Neckar River cruise.
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Furlough to start July 8, notices on the way By Nick Simeone and Karen Parrish Armed Forces Press Service
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks to DOD employees at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va., May 14. Hagel announced furloughs of up to 11 days for employees, adding that every military department and almost every agency will be affected.
A
fter weeks of review, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has concluded budget cuts will require most of the department’s civilian employees to be furloughed beginning in July, but that because of other efforts to deal with the shortfall, only half of the 22 days originally envisioned as temporary layoffs will now be necessary. During a town hall meeting May 14 at the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va., Hagel told Defense Department employees that most will be required to take 11 furlough days beginning July 8, one per pay period, through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 2013. Hagel noted that when he took the oath of office less than three months ago, post-sequester plans called for 22 furlough days. Congress allowed the department to shift or reprogram some funds in March that cut that number to 14. Now, he said, as maintenance, training, flying hours and ship deployments are increasingly affected, he had no choice but to authorize the furloughs.
Erin A. KirkCuomo
See Furlough on page 4
Top engineer promotes STEM to students Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general and 53rd chief of engineers, discusses the importance of science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, with students in an Advanced Placement biology class May 14 during a visit to Patch High School. The students were dissecting small sharks.
By Vince Little U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Europe Public Affairs Office
T
he U.S. Army Corps of Engineers commanding general made a pitch to spur more interest in science, technology, engineering and math among American students during a visit to Patch High School May 14. Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, the 53rd chief of engineers, talked about USACE’s expanded support to the Department of Defense Education Activity in preparing military children for college and the workforce. He also highlighted the need to reverse a national decline in engineer graduates and those entering STEM jobs, professions and research fields. The meeting with Patch students and faculty came ahead of a new accord between the two organizations. On May 20, the general signed a USACE partnership agreement with DODEA, paving the way to more collaborative educational and professional opportunities tied to STEM careers. The program takes effect in the 2013-14 school year. “I’ve encouraged the entire Corps
Brian Temple
of Engineers that we should be a leader in STEM,” he said. “This is the organization that built the Washington Monument, finished the Panama Canal … and did a lot of things on the waterways of the United States of America.
“We respond to disasters like Superstorm Sandy, and we did the construction after Katrina. These are all engineering feats that are useful for Americans to understand.
See STEM on page 4
Get free admission to stateside museums American Forces Press Service
I
f you are headed stateside this summer, more than 2,000 museums across the nation will open their doors free of charge to service members and their families. Through Sept. 2, all active duty service members, National Guardsmen and reservists, and their families can take advantage of this cultural and educational opportunity in all 50 states. In its fourth year, the Blue Star Museums Program is a collaboration among the Defense Department, Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and the museums to give service members and their families a way to spend time together in their local museums. For a list of participating museums, go to www.nea.gov.