pentagram_051013

Cookouts

Thank you

Grill safety do’s and don’ts

Spouses get appreciation

page 8

page 5

Vol. 60, no. 18 May 10, 2013

Pentagram

Published for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall

Obama to military sexual assault victims: ‘I’ve got your backs’

AT THE BALL PARK

By Karen Parrish American Forces Press Service

PHOTO

BY JIM

DRESBACH

Marine Corps Staff Director Lt. Gen. Willie J. Williams (second from right) joins Marines from H&S Bn. at Nationals Park on Marine Day, May 8. The Henderson Hall Marines ran out onto the field as the “Starting 8.”

Marines show their Natitude at MLB Marine appreciation day

By Jim Dresbach Pentagram Staff Writer

United States Marines are accustomed to taking to water and invading beaches and enemy-controlled river banks.

May 8’s mission was a bit more leisurely but still multipurposed. The assignment was to converge on the northwestern bank of the Anacostia River in the name of goodwill and participate in pre-game ceremonies at Nationals Park on Marine Day

as the Washington Nationals faced the reigning American League champion, the Detroit Tigers.

Following a 55-minute rain delay, an announced crowd of 34,893 met the Marine pre-game lineup, which included Marine Corps Staff Director Lt. Gen. Willie J. Williams, who threw out the first pitch, and Headquarters and Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps Henderson Hall Sgt. Major Craig D. Cressman, who delivered the

game ball to Nationals starting pitcher Jordan Zimmerman.

“Excited and humbled,” were the words Cressman used an hour before walking to the field.

“This is an honor. The best thing is I get to see Marines on the field; I’m really happy about that.

They say it’s raining, but Marines are amphibious by nature.”

Before the 2013 season, the District of Columbia’s major league baseball club held a joint military appreciation day, but see MARINES, page 6

President Barack Obama, commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces, said sexual assault is an outrage, and anyone within the military who commits the crime “is betraying the uniform that they’re wearing.”

The president, speaking May 7 during a White House press conference, said the problem of sexual assault in the military is neither new nor easy to solve, but leaders “have to do everything we can to root this out.”

Obama noted he worked with former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta on the issue, and spoke about it May 7 with current Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel. He said the Defense Department is working to gather accurate reporting of assaults and is building “a system of accountability and transparency” up and down the chain of command.

The president added he told Hagel May 7 that, “We’re gonna have to, you know, not just step up our game, we have to exponentially step up our game to go at this thing hard.”

Obama offered a personal message to those in uniform who have experienced sexual assault.

“I want them to hear directly from their commander in chief that I've got their backs,” Obama said. “I will support them, and we’re not gonna tolerate this stuff. And there will be accountability. If people have engaged in this behavior, they should be prosecuted.”

Everyone in the military should understand “this is not who we are, this is not what the U.S. military is about, and it dishonors the vast majority of men and women in uniform who carry out their responsibilities and obligations with honor and dignity and incredible courage every single day,” Obama said.

The president said he has no tolerance for sexual see OBAMA, page 6

JBM-HH receives environmental award

By Michael Norris Pentagram Assistant Editor

Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Directorate of Environmental Management was the recent recipient of a Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award from Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality for its sustainability efforts.

JBM-HH DEM Director Richard LaFreniere and DEM Water Program Manager Wanda Gooden traveled to an awards presentation at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., April 10 to receive the bronze medal award.

“This recognition from Governor Bob McDonnell validates the Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall commander’s commitment to the environment and the effort and dedication

Index

Community Spotlight p.2 Commentary p.3 Community p.4 News Notes p.4 Sports p.7 Feature p.8 Classifieds p.11

by the staff of the Directorate of Environmental Management,” said LaFreniere.

According to the DEQ website, “The awards recognize the significant contributions of environmental and conservation leaders in two categories: sustainability and land conservation.

They are given to businesses and industrial facilities, not-for-profit organizations and government agencies.”

DEQ awards are given out in the categories gold, silver, bronze and honorable mention, with multiple winners in each division. Nineteen organizations received awards this year out of PHOTO BY RACHEL LARUE approximately 31 submitted, said Sharon Representatives from Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Baxter, manager of DEQ’s office of pollution Directorate of Environmental Management pose with prevention JBM-HH Commander Col. Fern O. Sumpter (center) and To get an idea of the variety of organizations JBM-HH Command Sgt. Maj. Earlene Y. Lavender (right), May 8. see DEM, page 6

Customer survey

Rules of the road

Pg. 4

Pg. 8

FMWR makes ICE program cool

Joint motorcycle trip stresses safety

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Friday, May 10, 2013

PENTAGRAM

PHOTO

Twilight Tattoo

BY

RACHEL LARUE

The first Twilight Tattoo of the season, featuring the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own,” is performed on Summerall Field May 1.

For the complete Twilight Tattoo schedule visit Twilight Tattoo home page at www.twilight.mdw.army.mil.

Community Spotlight • Name: Kyle Boyd • Where do you work: Contractor with ACS. • Spouse’s military service: Army.

• Favorite sports team: Tennessee Titans.

• Favorite book: “Machine of Death.”

• Favorite food: Five Guys.

• Favorite band/musical artist: Pink.

• Favorite movie: “Love Actually.”

• Favorite place you’ve ever traveled to or been stationed: Hawaii.

• What are you and your spouse’s goals for the year: He is working towards promotion.

• What do you like most about living in the National Capital Region: A lot of access to monuments, museums, and things to do and take the kids to.

• What’s your favorite attraction to see in the NCR: National Mall.

• What’s the best advice you can give to a military spouse?

Being independent and having your own skills and hobbies.

• If you two won the lottery, what would you do: Buy a house with a lot of land.

• What advice do you have for someone getting stationed at JBM-HH: Have an open mind to what the area has to offer.

• What do you like about being a military spouse: It’s a challenge. I like conquering a challenge.

Caption This

PHOTO BY RACHEL LARUE

Caption This #16

If you’ve ever looked at a photo, read the caption underneath and thought you could do better, now is your chance. Each week, “Caption This” will have a photo taken from around the base. It’s up to you to figure out the best, funniest or craziest caption that describes what’s going on in the picture. The only rule is you have to KEEP IT CLEAN! “Caption This” submissions can be sent either by emailing them to pentagramjbmhh@yahoo.com, commenting on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/jbmhh or just stopping by Headquarters Bldg. 59, suite 116 and dropping it off. Don’t forget to add the “Caption This” number, your name, rank or position and where you work.

Commander, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Every week the Pentagram staff will pick their favorite. The winner’s Col. Fern O. Sumpter’s vision and philosophy: name, caption along with the photo, will be printed in the newspaper.

Compete with your friends and coworkers and see who can come up with the best one. And if you have a photo you think would make a great With a team of resource management savvy and technically competent DoD professionals, establish JBM–HH as DoD’s premier provider of consistent, qual- “Caption This,” send it in. ity services that enhance readiness and the overall well-being of our customers.

Caption This #15 We must be ...

- Experts at what we do … constantly improving our skills and knowledge.

“You better get your safety belt on! It’s - Focused … set priorities and complete the mission. raining!”

- Committed … to the mission and each other, fostering a community of excellence.

Rob Joswiak - Professional/respectful … remain calm, even when others are not … count on each other at all times, treating everyone with dignity and respect.

Pentagram Printed on recycled paper

http://www.army.mil/jbmhh

The Pentagram is an authorized publication for members of the Department of Defense. Contents of the Pentagram are not necessarily the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, Department of the Navy, or Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

The content of this publication is the responsibility of the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Public Affairs Office. Pictures not otherwise credited are U.S. Army photographs. News items should be submitted to the Pentagram, 204 Lee Ave., Bldg. 59, Fort Myer, VA 22211-1199.

They may also be faxed to (703) 696-0055 or e-mailed to courtney.a.dock-abuhl.civ@mail.mil.

Circulation of 24,000 is printed by offset every Friday as a civilian enterprise newspaper by Comprint Military Publications. Comprint Military Publications is located at 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Telephone (301) 921-2800. Commercial advertising should be placed with the printer.

Comprint Military Publications is a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Army or Department of the Navy.

The appearance of advertisements in this publication, to include all inserts and supplements, does not constitute an endorsement by the Department of the Army or Department of the Navy of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation of this policy of equal opportunity by an advertiser shall result in the refusal to print advertising from that source.

Editorial staff Commander Command Sergeant Major Director of Public Affairs Command Information Officer

Col. Fern O. Sumpter Earlene Y. Lavender Mary Ann Hodges Sharon Walker

Pentagram staff Editor Assistant Editor Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Photographer

Courtney Dock Michael Norris Rhonda Apple Julia LeDoux Jim Dresbach Rachel Larue

(703) 696-5401 (703) 696-7607 (703) 696-1363 (703) 696-7605 (703) 696-5488 (703) 696-7606

PENTAGRAM

Safety tip Shocking hazards

By Mike Evans Civilian Injury Prevention Directorate U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center Fort Rucker, Ala.

Each year, electricity injures or kills more than a dozen Soldiers and civilians. That might not sound like a lot, but what’s frustrating is most electrical-related accidents are the result of human error.

Soldiers and civilians often don’t use proper protective equipment or correctly follow the procedures to ensure an electrical source is not energized before servicing it. In addition to these injuries and deaths, the Army loses an average of five vehicles and two buildings to electrical fires annually.

These incidents aren’t specific to the Army.

Nationwide, home electrical failures or malfunctions cause more than 50,000 fires each year, resulting in 450 deaths, nearly 1,500 injuries and about $1.5 billion in property damage, according to the National Fire Protection Association. To help prevent these incidents, it’s vital folks know the ins and outs of their electrical systems and the safety concerns associated with the latest residential technologies before bringing them into their homes.

There are simple improvements that can be made to any home or office to increase electrical safety without undertaking a major renovation.

This includes installing arc fault circuit interrupters that prevent fires by detecting hazardous arcing conditions, ground fault circuit interrupters that thwart shocks and tamperresistant receptacles that replace standard wall outlets to protect children from shocks and burns.

We hear a lot about the electric vehicles, smart meters and renewable energy sources.

Yet, there’s not a lot of information readily available to educate consumers about potential electrical safety hazards. Everyone in the Army family needs to be educated about these new technologies and have an electrical system evaluation performed before adding new components to their home.

At work, the newly released Department of the Army Pamphlet 385-26, The Army Electrical Safety Program, dated Feb. 1, 2013, provides electrical safety guidance to protect Army personnel, facilities and equipment against electrical hazards. The publication covers a myriad of topics, including electrical safety requirements, tactical electrical safety and electrical safety for all Army activities.

Safety awareness and education are key in preventing electrical fires, injuries and fatalities. Get the facts and don’t get zapped!

FYI May is National Electrical Safety Month, and safety professionals at the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center are happy to provide material to raise awareness about potential home hazards and the importance of electrical safety. The Electrical Safety Foundation International sponsors National Electrical Safety Month to increase public awareness of the electrical hazards around us at home, work, school and play.

This year’s awareness program educates the public about emerging technologies and the electrical hazards associated with them. These technologies include electric vehicles, solar power, wind power and smart meters.

For more information about ESFI and electrical safety, visit www.electrical-safety.org. The USACR/Safety Center’s electrical safety awareness program provides information and tools in an effort to help organizations plan and execute National Electrical Safety Month activities.

Friday, May 10, 2013

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911th Soldiers improve skills at Rescue Challenge

By George Markfelder JFHQ-NCR/MDW Public Affairs

A six-year-old boy and his father are reported missing in a deep culvert and another man has been reported dangling in the middle of an abandoned elevator shaft.

Fortunately this isn’t one of the worst days in the National Capital Region, but it is just two of the scenarios used during the annual training program called Rescue Challenge, designed to challenge technical rescue teams from Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia and the federal government, May 6 - 10.

“Rescue Challenge brings us [technical rescue teams] together so we can keep our skills sharp and see how the other teams solve problems,” said Capt.

Langston J. Turner, commanding officer of the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company, stationed at Fort Belvoir. “We are the hosting unit at the confined spaces and the breaking and breaching sites we set up at Fort Belvoir this year, but we train with our partner organizations from the NCR a number of times during the year.”

The first Rescue Challenge was held in May of 1995 and included only six fire departments within Virginia. A previous Henrico County Division Fire Battalion Chief, Steve Wood, wanted to raise the abilities of technical-rescue teams, share problem solving techniques and to develop working relationships among the teams within Virginia jurisdictions through combined training incidents. Nineteen years later, nine teams representing more than a dozen organizations participated in Rescue Challenge 2013 at sites all over north central Virginia.

“At the breaking and breaching site we are practicing skills in entering a void space, looking for possible survivors of a collapsed structure,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael E. McGee, 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company technical advisor. “The teams here will face a structural collapse scenario and will have to clear and move through a 36-inch culvert to a 24-inch culvert. They will have to figure out ways to use their tools in such a small space.”

McGee said the teams regularly use tools that may weigh more than 45 pounds, such as concrete saws and breaker drills while clearing a path through the small spaces.

Other skills and techniques were on display at the cavernous and unused coal fuel section of the

PHOTOS BY CORY HANCOCK

Alexandria Technical Rescue team members prepare to enter a 36-inch culvert that will eventually lead to a 24-inch “void” space. The fire fighters were participating in the annual training program called Rescue Challenge, designed to challenge technical rescue teams from Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia and the federal government.

Virginia Dominium Possum Point Power Station located approximately 30 miles south of D.C. “This training site involves a worker that has been missing for 25 minutes, and is found hanging 30 feet from the top of an elevator shaft,” said Dan Beck, a Prince William County Fire and Rescue Technician Two. “The team cannot use the stairs, but must bring the survivor up out of the shaft, string a high-line system to traverse a 129-foot chasm, then lower the worker down to the ground floor more than 100 feet below.”

Beck watched the Soldiers from the 911th Technical Rescue Engineer Company prepare rigging they will need to accomplish the rescue and offers advice as needed. “This type of rigging is something our department does often, and it is always interesting to see how other rescue teams solve problems,” said Beck.

The Technical Rescue Association of Virginia's website states that Rescue Challenge is not a competition. Instead, it is an opportunity for highly-trained teams to gain experience by participating in realistic scenarios that test their skills and knowledge. It is also a great opportunity for technical rescuers from many jurisdictions to discuss issues and trade valuable information in a formal and informal setting.

TAPS volunteer registration deadline extended The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is looking for up to 500 military volunteers to serve as mentors to children of fallen servicemembers during the Memorial Day weekend.

TAPS is a nonprofit organization that provides immediate and long-term support and care to the Families of our nation’s fallen heroes.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, TAPS will be holding its 18th Annual Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp here in the D.C. area, hosting (Registration deadline extended to May 15)

Mentors’ schedule Mandatory training: May 22, 9 -9 p.m. (or) May 23, 1-4 p.m.

Memorial Day Weekend: May 24, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

May 25, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

May 26, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

May 27 (optional) Arlington Cemetery Ceremony in dress uniform.

children and teens from across the country. What makes the camp unique are the active duty men and women and recent veterans who volunteer to provide one-on-one mentoring to the children of our deceased service members.

Each mentor will receive two TAPS t-shirts to be worn for all activities Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

There is no cost to be a volunteer. During the camp, you will eat all meals with your mentee.

TAPS will have parking available at specific locations that will be at no cost.

The training sessions and majority of activities will occur at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Crystal City, Va. For all other activities outside the hotel, bus transportation will be provided.

For more information about the TAPS Good Grief Camp or to register as a Mentor, please go to www.taps.org, click on the “Memorial Weekend Register Today” link, then register as a Good Grief Camp mentor.

Should you have any questions or need a letter requesting time off, please email mentors@taps.org or call 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).

(From a TAPS press release.)

Recycle and e-cycle success Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall personnel helped collect 15 tons of paper which was shredded in support of Earth Day April 23-25, according to Roy Croom, environmental protection specialist with Environmental Management.

A little more than a ton of electronics was also collected at an e-cycle event, he said.

“This team effort helped us to maximize the reduction of recyclables going to landfills,” Croom noted. “We collected more than 16 tons of recyclable materials this year.”

Hazardous metals not going to the landfill as a result of the joint base’s efforts include aluminum, antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead and manganese. All of these, plus mercury, palladium, platinum, selenium, silver and zinc, found in personal computers and monitors, will be responsibly and safely disposed of.

“It’s all about team work,” Croom said, “We did a great job this year.”

For more information about earth stewardship, call Croom at 703-696-3791.

May is National Military Appreciation Month

By Installation Management Command Public Affairs

The President of the United States has proclaimed May as National Military Appreciation Month to remind Americans of the importance of the U.S. armed forces in history.

It is a symbol of unity, honoring today’s military men and women, veterans and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom.

The U.S. Army Installation Management Command salutes those who serve — their strength, commitment and unwavering service to this nation. This year’s theme is “The United States Armed Forces: The

Strength of the Red, White and Blue.”

Throughout this month-long observance, which is focused on the theme of strength, IMCOM is highlighting events promoting fitness and teambuilding -- some of the pillars of resiliency, according to organizers.

National Military Appreciation Month is an opportunity for Army leadership at every level to raise awareness of servicemembers’ contributions both on and off post, as well as deepen partnerships that support resilience and enhance the total wellness of the force.

Look for localized information on national events such as Public Service Recognition Week (May 5-10), Victory in Europe Day

(May 8), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (May 10), Armed Forces Day (May 18), and Memorial Day (May 27) at installations and communities worldwide.

For additional information about National Military Appreciation Month, visit www.nmam.org.

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Community

Friday, May 10, 2013

ICE helps organization managers understand customer concerns

By Michael Norris Pentagram Assistant Editor

The late New York City Mayor Ed Koch, an unpretentious sort who eschewed limousines and rode public transportation so he could mingle with his constituents, was known for the catchphrase, “How am I doing?” soliciting advice from the everyday people he represented. That’s one means of getting feedback on essential services. Another method is to distribute customer comment forms which help to tabulate the level of customer satisfaction.

ICE, the Interactive Customer Evaluation program, helps service providers and service consumers improve government programs by establishing a dialogue between the two.

This is achieved when the users of a particular service fill out a comment form that describes his or her experience dealing with an organization or program. It helps service providers determine whether customers’ needs are being met.

The comment forms are available as printed cards and can be found in service provider offices, online

at http://ice.disa.mil/index .cfm?fa=site&site_id=3 56&dep=DoD, or accessible via smart phones capable of scanning an organization’s quick response code. The forms allow customers to rate their experience with a service provider on a sliding scale by checking a box that indicates the level of performance one received in several different areas. The form also includes a section where customers can ask questions or leave comments.

The forms allow customers to comment on the good, the bad and the ugly. It can be used to single out an employee who went the extra mile, someone who only went through the motions or an individual who was unnecessarily gruff. A visitor might want to call attention to the inviting décor of an office or some missing brochures in a foyer literature rack. A key aspect of the program is that when criticism is called for, it should be constructive criticism.

Rosalind Strickland, Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall Education Center education service officer, said the center has received 137 customer

comments from October 2012 through May of this year. She said the program often informs her about things she already knows about, but sometime alerts her to concerns she is not aware of.

The comments are generally positive, she said, such as one customer citing an education center employee as being “extremely helpful” in answering questions about the benefits of the GI Bill. At other times, she added, customer comments have helped reinforce concerns she already had, such as when someone suggested an upgrade to the center’s computer equipment.

Strickland said such comments, coming from the ground up, helped expedite the center getting newer equipment.

Steven Waters, a Directorate of Resource Management budget analyst, said DRM receives about 30 ICE customer comments a year. He said most of the comments he reviews tend to focus on the negative, sometimes without enough specificity for the directorate to respond and take action on them.

Waters said it would be nice if customers left more positive remarks, compliment-

Andrew Rader U.S. Army Health Clinic on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall is closed for new patient enrollment.

“Unfortunately, this summer we’re not going to be able to enroll any additional patients,” Rader Clinic Commander Col. Laura Trinkle explained. “We will enroll active duty to the McNair Clinic, and on a case-by-case basis, we may enroll some active duty family members to the McNair Clinic, but Rader proper is closed for enrollment because we don’t want to shift patients who have been getting their care here.”

Trinkle sites the enrollment closure on provider losses and an ongoing hiring freeze.

“Between the losses and hiring freeze that’s in place, we have not been able to replace those provider losses,” she said.

Trinkle is hopeful that the providers who have been lost will be replaced, but she does not know when that will happen.

“The providers that we have on staff are absorbing the workload from those who have departed,” she said.

Eligible beneficiaries throughout the National Capital Region, and not those who simply live or work on the joint base, are seen at Rader, Trinkle explained.

“Any active duty, their Family members, retirees in the NCR have a choice between Belvoir, here, Walter Reed, Bolling, Quantico, and there are a couple of community health centers,” she said. “This clinic has a very good reputation, so word of mouth has spread, so we get a lot of people who want to be enrolled here.”

The shortage of providers also

means that patients may find it challenging to get an appointment at the clinic, Trinkle said.

She urged registered patients to communicate with their providers about non-urgent health conditions and symptoms, prescription refills and appointment requests through Relay Health, the Army’s secure messaging system.

Janet Cvrk, primary care nurse at Rader’s primary care clinic, likened Relay Health to online banking.

“They can send secure messages to their providers, it’s not an email, it’s a secure message,” she explained. “They can request appointments, prescription refills, they can communicate anything they want to with their doctor. They can get their lab results back through secure messaging.”

In order to sign up for Relay Health at Rader, you must be a registered patient at the clinic.

“Even though Relay Health is now in facilities all over, patients can only really sign up at this point with their primary care provider,” Cvrk said.

Almost 2,200 patients have signed up for Relay Health at the clinic.

“We think it’s a great opportunity to improve communication between the patient and staff,” Trinkle said. “The whole goal of Relay Health is to give patients options of how to contact their providers and hopefully take care of some of their needs without requiring them to come into the clinic.”

The Army requires a face-toface verification of a patient’s eligibility to be enrolled in Relay Health, Cvrk added. Patients can pick up an enrollment form at the clinic and return it after they

News Notes Death notice Col. Kenneth T. Stefanek regretfully announces the death of Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Brown, IV. Anyone having claims against or indebtedness to Brown’s estate should contact Stefanek, summary court martial officer, at 202-685-0814.

Anyone with debts owed to or by the estate of Spc. Ryan D. Cox, 1st Bn., 3d Infantry Regiment, (The Old Guard), Fort Myer, Va. must call Capt.

William Whelan, the summary court martial officer for the Soldier. Cox passed away April 27. Call Whelan at 703-696-0917.

ing programs and personnel when it’s deserved. “ICE is a very good tool that’s not being used very well,” he said.

Ocie Jacobs Pejcic, Morale, Welfare and Recreation marketing director, has reviewed customer comment forms for MWR in the past. She said the marketing office is trying to reinvigorate the ICE program by rolling out T-shirts, buttons and posters. A new slogan calls attention to the program acronym: “ICE is a cool way to let us know how we’re doing.”

“We want to show how it can be used for positive comments – a force for good,” Pejcic said of ICE. “We want people to tell us when we miss a step [quality-wise], but people forget that we sometimes need a pat on the back.”

Enrollment closed at Rader Clinic

By Julia LeDoux Pentagram Staff Writer

PENTAGRAM

have filled it out.

“If they fill out this form and give it to anybody here, we take that information and send an invitation to the patient to join Relay Health,” she continued.

“They answer back and we accept them and then they can start sending secure messages anytime.”

Cvrk said the program also helps provide patient education.

“If a patient emails and says I have a question about a particular medical problem or treatment, we can attach an article or an educational source for that patient and send it back to them,” she said.

Theresa Atmore, head nurse at Rader’s pediatric and immunization clinic, urged parents to make use of the Relay Health system when making appointments for school and sports physicals.

“Schedule the physicals before you go on vacation,” she urged.

“We don’t have enough staff to do everybody in August. That’s the message I want to get out. Bring your forms that the school requires with the parent section completed when you come for the physical.”

Parents should also bring their child’s military identification card, shot record, medical record, glasses or contact lenses with them when coming for a physical. Atmore said the appointment can take between 60 and 90 minutes. Extended appointments for school and sports physicals will begin June 3 and run through Sept. 30, she added. You may also call 855-227-6331 to book an appointment.

Rader patients can learn more about Relay Health by going to www.army.mil/sites/rader/Pages/ Relay Health.aspx.

Dress code All persons who visit or use the services provided in a JBM-HH facility such as the commissary, AAFES facilities, fitness centers, clubs and dining facility, are expected to comply with the appropriate dress and grooming standards. JBM-HH facility managers can deny someone access to the facility if the facility manager deems the person is inappropriately dressed.

Pool closed Maj. Douglas A. Zembiec Pool remains closed for spring maintenance and conversion. The pool is expected to reopen in mid-May. For more information, call 703-693-7351.

Gettysburg Trip The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War, the Union victory that ended General Robert E. Lee's second and most ambitious invasion of the North. Learn more about this war, the people, the places, and the meaning of the war to Americans today by visiting Gettysburg National Military Park with ITT Saturday, June 29. The package includes round-trip transportation, admission to the museum, lunch buffet, and two-hour guided battlefield tour. The fee is $78 per person. To reserve, please call ITT at 571-4831963 and see www.mccshh.com/ITT.html.

Henderson Hall parking structure maintenance Every weekend until May 27, maintenance will be conducted on the parking structure adjacent to Bldg. 29 on the Henderson Hall portion of JBMHH. All vehicles will need to be removed from the parking structure no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday until 11 p.m. Sunday through May 27 in order to allow workers to perform maintenance.

Any vehicles not removed by 5:30 p.m. on Fridays will be subject to towing at the owner’s expense.

For more information, call 703-614-5979.

Tuition assistance portal back on The GoArmyEd portal for Soldiers’ use in requesting tuition assistance has been turned back on. This will allow Soldiers to request tuition assistance for the remainder of fiscal year 2013.

For the balance of FY13, the eligibility for tuition assistance and the annual caps, $4,500 per year and $250 per semester hour, remain unchanged.

Pull-up clinic Marine Corps Community Services Henderson Hall’s Semper Fit division offers a pull-up clinic designed especially for women. The clinic is held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (except holidays) from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Cpl. Terry L. Smith Gymnasium on the Henderson Hall portion of JBM-HH. All Department of Defense identification card holders are welcome, and no advance registration is necessary. Call 703-6939440 for more information.

ANC funeral schedule Funerals held at Arlington National Cemetery often originate and conclude on the Fort Myer portion of JBM-HH when participants use Memorial or Old Post Chapel or one of the clubs for a reception. When a funeral originates at Memorial Chapel, expect traffic backups during the time of the funeral. Carpenter Road, which goes to the commissary and the Henderson Hall side of JBMHH, will be closed from 15 minutes and up to an hour after the start of the funeral.

ICE lets your voice be heard The Interactive Customer Evaluation System (ICE) allows customers to submit suggestions for improvement, cite exceptional service and identify concerns with service performance. Your comment card ratings are used to improve the products and services available to you. To visit the JBM-HH ICE page, go to http://ice.disa.mil/index .cfm?fa=site&site_id=356&dep=DoD. Iwo Jima 7K race Registration is now open for the May 22 Iwo Jima 7K race. Held on the joint base, the race begins at 6:30 a.m. at the Cpl. Terry L. Smith Gymnasium and proceeds to the Marine Corps War Memorial, popularly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, before returning to the Smith Gym. Tshirts will be given to the first 150 registered par-

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PENTAGRAM

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News Notes Continued from previous page

healthy heart class covers lifestyle changes to improve high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure. A healthy heart class will be held May 16 or June 13 at 1 p.m.; May 23 or June 27 at 8:30 a.m.; a pre-diabetes class will be held June 6 at 1 p.m. or June 20 at 8:30 a.m. Classes are open to all beneficiaries of the military health sysMarine Club events tem, registration is required. Call The Marine Club has events Beth Triner at 703-696-7930 for more scheduled in May, including a game information. night May 10. Beginning at 6:30 Prostrate cancer support group p.m., patrons are invited to play meets at Walter Reed cards, dominoes and board games.

The prostrate cancer support On May 17, the club holds its version of “American Idol,” with brag- group meets at Walter Reed ging rights going to the best singer, Military Medical Center May 16 best performer and bravest per- from 1-2 p.m. and 6:30-7:30 p.m. in former. The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. the America Building, River conferPatrons are also invited to watch ence room next to the Prostrate the NBA playoffs on the club’s big Center, 3rd floor. Spouses and partscreens every Thursday and Friday ners are invited to attend. Military night in May. The Marine Club is identification is required for base open to all ranks, all services, all access. For men without military DoD card holders and their guests. identification, call the Prostrate Center at 301-319-2900 48 hours Boots to business prior to the event for base access.

A new Small Business For more information, call retired Administration boots to business Col. Jane Hudak at 301-319-2918 or workshop will be held May 13-14 in email at jane.l.hudak.ctr Bldg. 29, room 201 on the @health.mil or Vin McDonald at Henderson Hall portion of JBM- 703-643-2658 or vpmjam@aol.com.

HH. Geared toward transitioning AOWCGWA meets servicemembers, military spouses Everyone remembers where they and veterans, the workshop is designed to determine if starting a were and what they were doing business is right for you. The work- Sept. 11, 2001. On May 16, Jane shop is free and reservations must Davis, author of “First Aid for Heroes,” will tell her story of the be made by calling 703-614-6828. days leading up to 9/11, her volunWMZQ live on JBM-HH teering at Ground Zero in New York As part of their military apprecia- City for six and a half weeks, and tion week, radio station WMZQ 98.7 the following 10 years during the will broadcast its morning show Army Officers Wives Club of the from JBM-HH May 16 from 5-9 a.m. Greater Washington Area meeting The broadcast will take place out- in the Koran Room of the Fort Myer side the community center and din- Officers Club. For more informaing facility. Units from every service tion, call 703-717-9191. are asked to come and enjoy the ROCKS Inc. show. The rain location for the show will be inside the community center.

The Washington, D.C. Chapter of The ROCKS, Inc. hosts the 7th Patient education classes annual golf tournament at the Adopt a healthy lifestyle and Osprey’s Golf Course on June 8, at 8 attend a nutrition education class at a.m. The chapter will sponsor five Rader Clinic. The pre-diabetes class wounded warrior teams and host a covers information on how to prevent day party. Details and registration or delay developing diabetes. The information is at ticipants, and prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female runners. Registration closes May 20. For more information and the link to register online, visit www.mccsHH.com/OohRahRunSerie s.html or call 703-614-5959.

www.therocksdc.org or by calling 301-856-9319.

Welcome to Germany A welcome to Germany class is set for May 16 from 10-11 a.m. at Army Community Service, Bldg. 201, on the Fort Myer portion of JBM-HH. The briefing provides an overview of German customs, culture and language. Register by calling 703-6960156/0156.

Barbecue expo The Marine Corps Exchange holds its annual American summer barbecue expo May 18 from 10 a.m.2 p.m. in front of the store. The event features outdoor cooking demonstrations, beer tastings for patrons 21 years of age and older and gourmet food tastings. A disc jockey will provide entertainment, and a pulled pork barbecue sandwich lunch will be available for sale.

Call 703-979-5420 for more information or visit www.mccsHH.com.

Hearts Apart Hearts Apart is a support group for spouses, fiancés, parents or significant others of deployed or geographically separated civilians and military members. The group is designed to be a fun networking opportunity for those experiencing separation from a loved one. The next meeting will take place May 18 at American Legion Post 139 in Arlington, Va. For more information, call 703-696-0153/0156 or email rene.s.fizer.civ@gmail.mil.

Memorial Day picnic at the pools Enjoy Memorial Day at the Fort Myer Officers Club May 27 from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. There will be a disc jockey, dancing, moon bounce, face painting and fun for everyone. The event is open to those who hold pool or combination passes; barbecue is for all members and their guests from noon-5 p.m. No reservations are required. Member’s guests are welcome to join the pool party for $10, payable at the door. The Spendthrift Café is closed for the event. For more information, visit www.jbmhh MWR.com or call 703-696-5147.

EFMP holds class JBM-HH’s Exceptional Family Member Program is sponsoring Tricare/other benefits and safety issues for military and DoD civilian parents with children with autism and other cognitive disabilities class and support group, May 30, from noon-3 p.m., at Bldg. 201. Guest speaker will be Lt. Col. Scott Campbell, parent of an autistic child and board member of the Autism Society of America’s Northern Virginia Chapter. Reservations are required. Child care will not be provided. For reservations, contact Marcia O’Connor at 703-696-8467 or TTY at 703-696-4675.

Annual community yard sale The annual JBM-HH community yard sale is set for June 1, rain or shine, from 8 a.m.-noon along Jackson and Sheridan Avenues. The yard sale is open to everyone and JBM-HH residents are encouraged to participate. Set-up and staging is permitted on the sidewalks along Jackson and Sheridan. Items may also be donated to the Thrift Shop, which will be open that day.

Asian-Pacific Heritage Month JBM-HH will celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month May 22 from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the community center, Bldg. 405 on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base. A culPhotos on Flickr tural performance will be made To see more photos from this available. Contact Master Sgt. Juan Pentagram, log onto Torres at 703-696-2964 or or Sgt. week’s 1st Class Michael Swinton at 703- www.flickr.com/photos/jbm-hh. You can download and share them with 696-8729 for more information. friends and Family.

Legal services closed Please send your news notes to The Fort Myer Legal Services and the Pentagram at Claims Office will be closed from pentagramjbmhh@yahoo.com May 24-27 and will reopen May 28.

Army Career and Alumni Program The Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) Center is here to help transitioning Soldiers, their Family members and Department of the Army employees. Services offered are comprehensive and cover a variety of job search needs. From learning to compose a resume, networking and interviews, to job market research and marketing your skills. You can attend a Transition Assistance Program Workshop or any of the other useful ACAP workshops. For more information or to see what upcoming classes are available, log onto www.army.mil/jbmhh and click on the ACAP link on the lower right side.

Lifestyle.

Military Spouse Appreciation

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Ashley McNeil, wife of Air Force Staff Sgt. Zollie McNeil, assigned to the Pentagon, picks up a free swag bag at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation spouse appreciation event outside the JBM-HH Bowling Center May 8. “As a military spouse, it’s important to be supportive, whether my husband is home or deployed,” Ashley said. “There are different challenges you go through in the military and it’s important to encourage one another. It has increased our faith, strength and love. This [event] shows how much people care about us and that we’re acknowledged as spouses. We’ve lived here for about 14 months and we’ve been married more than six years. People are very friendly here, very helpful,” said the Rocky Mount, N.C. native. FMWR celebrated military spouses and partners the week of May 6 in honor of today being Military Spouse Appreciation Day. During the three-day celebration, spouses were able to enter into a drawing. The lucky winners of that drawing are: Flordelisa Cooper, Erika Miller, Tracey Wunderlich, Desire Ruiz, Robyn Campos, Demetrice McKoy, Mark Greenlee and Celeste Fick.

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Marines, from page 1 home dates on the Nat’s schedule this year will hold branch-specific military nights or days.

“We have these branch days, we have the Marines out today, and everyone is so appreciative,” said Shawn Bertani, the team’s community relations senior director. “We’re offering an opportunity to thank [them]; we’re offering an opportunity to showcase the Marines, and that hardly seems like enough compared to what they’re doing for us. This is one small way to say thank you.”

Even as Nationals players mentally prepared for the interleague contest against the Tigers, Bertani noted they were very aware and receptive of the

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evening’s Marine tribute.

“By virtue of them playing in the nation’s capital, they get that right away.

They get that early on,” she said of the player’s appreciation of the service branches. “We believe in supporting the huge military community we have in D.C. We bring to them opportunities to have one-on-one interactions with various members of the military.”

One once-in-a-lifetime opportunity the club provides for face-to-face interaction with fans is with the Starting Eight. The Starting Eight is the team’s pre-game custom of allowing fans to meet and greet a Nationals player at their respective field position. On Marine Day, the Starting Eight consisted of a lineup com-

DEM, from page 1 receiving recognition, some of the 2012 gold medal winners include: the Prince William County’s Solid Waste Division for its sustainability program, cited for its strong management, citizen and employee support; the DuPont Spruance Plant in Richmond, for a sustainability program that produced significant improvements in water conservation, waste generation and energy savings; and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, for its efforts to improve resource use.

Baxter said the awards started out as a program to recognize manufacturers in the state, but has grown through the years. “It’s a way to recognize and hold up by example those who have gone beyond compliance … [providing] more than what’s required in standards,” she said.

LaFreniere, who didn’t take the helm of DEM until after a nominating packet was submitted, credited Gooden with providing an effective write-up of the installation’s sustainability accomplishments.

In the application, Gooden described JBM-HH as “a small, yet high-profile military installation located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed” that is “committed to supporting a strong national defense, securing the integrity of our natural and cultural heritage, and conserving our natural resources for tomorrow’s generations.

“Sustainable JBM-HH was created to ensure

plete with Devil Dogs.

Gunnery Sgt. David Charlton, H&S Bn. Henderson Hall Motor Transportation staff NCO, was a member of the evening’s Starting Eight. He was paired with Nat catcher Kurt Suzuki near home plate and was greeted by the umpiring crew of Hunter Wendelstedt, Jerry Layne, Alan Porter and Greg Gibson.

“Hey, that was quite a surprise; the umpires turned around and said thank you for your sacrifice,” said Charlton, who was a first-time visitor to Nationals Park.

“It was an awesome experience and something I’ll never forget. Meeting the catcher [Kurt Suzuki] and to see how appreciative and how sincere they were

that our Soldiers today — and the Soldiers of the future — have the land, water and air resources needed to train; a healthy environment in which to live; and the support of local communities and the American people,” she wrote. “The program includes both the natural and human environment found on the installation. Its success is dependent on support from the individuals that both live and work on the installation — involving everyone from Soldiers and civilians, to tenants, contractors and Army partners.”

Gooden cited a number of base accomplishments in her nomination write-up, including: the base’s establishment of a composting site that takes manure from horses at the caisson stables and turns it into fertilizer; base construction projects that incorporate Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards; native plant landscaping which makes green spaces more manageable; and a green procurement plan, among other efforts in a comprehensive 25-year sustainability plan.

“I think they thought it was a lot of cuttingedge stuff for a small installation,” said LaFreniere of the materials JBM-HH submitted to the state.

“It’s great to be recognized for what we try to do here. It’s great just to be nominated,” said Gooden, who said the installation has submitted for the award in previous years. She added that many of the sustainability policies pursued

by the base are part of a continuum and “have always existed in some form.”

For more information on the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, visit the website at www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs /PollutionPrevention/GovernorsEnvironmental ExcellenceAwards.aspx.

assault, and he expects consequences for those who commit the crime.

“I don’t want just more speeches or, you know, awareness programs or training — but ultimately folks look the other way,” he said.

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A composting site on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall that recycles caisson horse manure into fertilizer was cited in the base receiving a Virginia Environmental Excellence Award. To see more photos, log onto www.flickr.com/photos/jbm-hh.

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was awesome.”

As he came to the mound, Williams was loudly applauded for his 40 years of service to the Corps. He then delivered his pitch to Nationals utility infielder Chad Tracy. The lieutenant general confessed that like any pitcher, he warmed up before his appearance.

“I have been practicing a little bit; I have to admit,” he said.“I did throw a few back in the tunnel there. I had to at least make sure I could get it headed in the right direction.”

The other military branch recognition dates courtesy of the Nationals include the Army (June 20); The U.S. Coast Guard (Aug. 5) and the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 19.

“[When] we find out somebody’s engaging in this stuff, they’ve got to be held accountable; prosecuted, stripped out of their positions, court martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged. Period. It’s not acceptable.”

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Weather cannot stop Marines from enjoying MLB appreciation night

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A number of National Capital Region Marines were invited to participate in pre-game ceremonies during the Washington Nationals Marine Corps Day May 8 at Nationals Park. Marines involved in the festivities included Lt. Gen. Willie J. Williams, Marine Corps Staff director; Headquarters and Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps, Henderson Hall Sgt. Maj. Craig D. Cressman, who delivered the game ball to the mound and met Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman and the Starting Eight, a group of Henderson Hall Marines, who were given the privilege of meeting a position player.

Also taking part in the pre-game was the Quantico Marine Corps Band. The unit was given the honor of performing the national anthem. The color guard from Marine Barracks Washington presented the colors.

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Joint base riding with safety in mind “Right now in the military, we have a lot of fatalities due to a lack of experienced riders,” he said. “That’s why we partnered with our sister Marines and Soldiers will be the first to tell service to make sure Marines and Soldiers you that there’s no shortage of friendly interser- understand the safety of it.” vice rivalry between the Corps and Army.

Jessup, who currently rides a Gold Wing, said But when it comes to riding motorcycles safely, he’s been riding for “a little while” and always Devil Dogs and Soldiers agree on one thing: The puts safety first when he’s on the road. best ride is the one in which everyone arrives at “If you implement the standards of riding your their destination alive. bike, make sure your horns work, make sure With that in mind, Joint Base Myer-Henderthat you’re looking out for the vehicles and cars son Hall held its first joint service ride May 3. on the road, because some of them don’t look out Approximately a half dozen motorcyclists of all for you, so you have to look out for them; you experience levels took part in the ride, which began at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington and ended at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle.

“I’m kind of glad we have a small group here, so we can go in one group,” said ride organizer Marine Master Sgt. Jay Mattice, Headquarters & Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps Henderson Hall S-3 operations chief and motorcycle operator safety club president.

The riders began their 39.2 mile journey following a safety brief conducted by Mattice and a blessing of the bikes by Headquarters & Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps Henderson Hall Chap. (Lt.) Devon Foster.

“Ride within your safety zone,” Mattice said.

PHOTO BY RACHEL LARUE Participants in a motorcycle safety ride from the Marine “If you have any mechanical problems, pull off.

Corps War Memorial just outside of Joint Base MyerObey state laws.”

Henderson Hall to the National Museum of the Marine Army Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Jessup, Corps, gather around Chap. (Lt.) Devon Foster to bless command sergeant major of JBM-HH’s the bikes and start the ride with a prayer May 3. Both Headquarters Command Battalion, called motorMarines and Soldiers took part in the ride. cycle safety a “big deal.”

By Julia LeDoux Pentagram Staff Writer

have to be their eyes and your eyes, and that’s how you need to ride,” he stressed.

Jessup and Mattice said two motorcyclists were killed while riding their bikes on Interstate 95 in recent weeks.

“The overall thing is to get experienced riders and less experienced riders together to discuss safety,” explained Mattice.

As the temperature rises, Jessup urged drivers to watch for motorcyclists.

“When the weather warms up, I would ask that drivers look out for more motorcycles on the road,” he said.

Army Master Sgt. James C. Meyers, senior career counselor at JBM-HH, has years of experience riding motorcycles, but his last group ride was about four years ago and he recently transitioned from a sports bike to a cruiser.

“Even though there was a lot of traffic, I was much more comfortable on this, it’s laid back,” he said of his new bike.

Several installations in the National Capital Region, including Fort Meade in Maryland and Fort Belvoir and Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, offer motorcycle safety courses for servicemembers. To learn about the courses at Fort Meade, visit www.ftmeade.army.mil/pages /safety/motorcycle. For classes at Fort Belvoir, go to www.belvoir.army.mil/safety/mc.asp; and for classes at Quantico, visit www.quantico.usmc. mil/OPM/?m=QCAp+sd&s=8.

“You never stop learning,” said Meyers. “You can never say this is the best I’m ever going to be at riding. You can get better every time you ride.”

Old Guard Soldiers focus on composite risk management

By Staff Sgt. Megan Garcia Old Guard Public Affairs

With the onset of rising temperatures and summer ahead, the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) is educating Soldiers on all fronts on what the Army deems as some of the riskiest behaviors for accidents and dangerous safety violations.

“When we get into warmer weather, Soldiers tend to participate in a lot more outdoor activities,” said Kerry Kolhof, safety and occupational health manager, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).

Kolhof said it’s important Soldiers remember to implement the same safety principles at home as they do at work.

“When they’re on-duty, Soldiers do a composite risk management

[assessment] but fail to do these same kinds of things when they are at home,” said Kolhof. “Before lighting a barbecue or getting in a boat, Soldiers should be asking themselves these same kinds of questions; is there anything I can do to make this activity just a little bit safer?”

Composite risk management is the Army’s primary decision-making process to identify hazards, reduce risk, and prevent both personal and material loss. It is one of many tools The Old Guard is using to ensure Soldiers take every precaution necessary. The regiment also hosted a safety day, May 3, to show Soldiers safer ways to approach situations they may encounter outside of the work environment.

“Our focus is off-duty because it becomes a personal responsibility of

the Soldier at that point,” said Kolhof.

The event focused on subjects ranging from water safety, electrical safety and impaired driving to smart practices on the road.

“We hope to end the day with a supervisor traffic safety training piece which will teach supervisors what their basic responsibilities are as far as looking after their Soldiers and helping them with traffic safety,” said Kolhof.

Kolhof said one thing supervisors should specifically focus on regarding traffic safety is Soldiers who ride motorcycles.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports there is typically an increase in motorcycle accidents during the hotter months. Kolhof explained how the regiment is preparing Soldiers to

avoid this.

“The regiment will host a mentorship ride May 10,” said Kolhof. “It will start out with an hour of training and courses of actions Soldiers can take on their own. Then we will do a motorcycle safety inspection to make sure all of their vehicles are properly maintained and that they have all of the proper protective equipment and licensing.”

Kolhof said the group will then conduct a three-hour long ride over different road surfaces, highways and small roads.

“It’s a team building thing and an informational thing,” said Kolhof.

“It’s important that Soldiers understand that we are not here to try and stop them from riding motorcycles, we are just here to help them do it right.”

Fire inspector urges safety during barbecue season

By Rhonda Apple Pentagram Staff Writer

Spring has sprung and as the thermometer continues to register warmer weather, more people will enjoy cooking on the grill. It’s a national pastime enjoyed by many and is a fun way to spend time with family and friends.

However, it can quickly turn into a disaster if safety procedures are not followed.

“People have to be careful when grilling out. In 2012, gas and charcoal grills caused more than 1,500 house fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association,” said Mike Bailey, a fire inspector with the Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall Fire Department.

Bailey said the danger with using charcoal grills is improper disposal of charcoal after cooking on that type of grill. “Last year, 4,200 outdoor fires were caused by discarding charcoal improperly.

Often, people take the charcoal out of the grill and put them in a bucket and leave them on the deck or elsewhere close to the house,” he said. At night, the wind may blow a bit and cause the charcoal to get onto the deck or on the siding of the home, starting the house on fire.

He said charcoal fires can be avoided by simply ensur-

ing coals are extinguished properly. “Keep them away from your house or any structure, wet the charcoal down with a hose and put them in a metal bucket or even wet them down in the grill. Close the grill lid and the coals will burn off inside,” Bailey said.

“When you use any barbecue grill, use it outdoors, never inside the house, under a carport or any covered area and keep it at least 10 to 12 feet away from any structure. Do not use a grill on a balcony — keep it on ground-level,” advised Bailey. “The radiant heat from any grill will melt your siding and again, can set your house on fire.” Also avoid grilling under trees with low branches.

He also advised to keep a three-foot safe area around the grill from others, including children and pets, to prevent burns and other personal injury. “Never leave a grill unattended — stay at the grill and supervise the cooking,” he said.

“When you put coals in the grill, you want to soak them with a lighter fluid or purchase the presoaked charcoal. Light the coals then leave them alone. Don’t add lighter fluid — some people do this because [charcoal briquettes] don’t look like they’re lit, but those coals are smoldering and a flash

fire can result,” said Bailey.

“If you spray lighter fluid on smoldering coals, it will ignite and a lot of people get hurt that way. Also make sure you use charcoal grill lighter fluid only. Do not use gasoline.”

Propane or natural gas grills burn cleaner and there is no disposal of coals involved, but there is more maintenance involved.

Bailey recommended that grills be assembled by a qualified professional.

“With these grills, you have to check for gas leaks in the lines and your burners,” said Bailey. He said applying a soap and water solution to the hose is how to check for leaks. “If there are propane leaks, you will see bubbles released.”

You shouldn’t smell gas when you’re using these types of grills, the fire inspector said. “Any gas will burn off while grilling. If you smell gas, cut off the grill immediately.

“I check my grill every time I refill my propane bottle, which is about once a month,” said Bailey.

Gas grills should be kept clean by scraping off grease and food residue after each use and emptying the drippings from the drip pan after the grill has cooled.

“This pan can ignite and cause a grease fire,” said

PHOTOGRAPH BY RACHEL LARUE

During a presentation for Echo Company about fire safety and proper fire extinguisher use, Fire Inspector James Dansereau (left) lights a training fire Nov. 4, 2011 in the parking lot across from Spates Community Club. Dansereau explained the proper use of a fire extinguisher by remembering the acronym “PASS” (Pull the pin, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep).

Bailey.

If you have a gas grill fire, cut the gas off, if possible. If not, get away from it and call the fire department.

“Also remember to turn the valve on the gas bottle off to prevent a gas leak,” he said. “Store gas bottles properly outside in a well ventilated area — not inside the house, garage, shed or other structure.”

With gas grills, it is also important to ensure the igniter works. “Often times, the grill’s igniter will go bad and some people think it’s OK to light the grill with a

match or lighter, but that’s dangerous and a sure way to get injured,” Bailey said.

To avoid burns while cooking out on your grill, Bailey recommended using longhandled tongs, spatulas and forks and keep pot holders handy. “Always use cooking equipment tested and approved by recognized testing facilities, like Underwriters Laboratories,” he said. Bailey also reminded grill chefs “never [to] leave cooking food unattended, keep the grill area clean and clear from combustibles.”

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Report helps military deal with sexual assault problem

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service

Sexual assault is a long-term problem for the military, and it will take time for military efforts to combat it, the director of the Defense Department’s sexual assault prevention and response office said.

“We are not satisfied with where we are at today,” Army Maj. Gen. Gary S. Patton said in an interview before the release to Congress of the Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military.

“This annual report shows that we have a serious problem with sexual assault in our military,” Patton said.

“It’s a problem we also know to be prevalent and persistent in our American society. In the military,

though, we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard.”

Combating the problem will require a culture change in the military, the general said.

“Current programs and training are laying the foundation for the culture change required to eradicate sexual assault from the military,” he added.

The report to Congress gathers data from the services and the results of a confidential survey of active and reserve-component servicemembers. The surveys give numbers for the prevalence of sexual assaults in the military.

The prevalence of unwanted sexual contact has increased for active duty women, the report shows, but has remained unchanged for active

duty men and reserve-component women and men. Unwanted sexual contact includes the crimes of rape, sexual assault, forcible sodomy and abusive and aggravated sexual contact, Patton said.

Overall, there were 3,374 reports of sexual assault involving service members as either victims or perpetrators in fiscal year 2012.

“This represents a six percent increase from fiscal 2011,” Patton said. “Of these reports, 816 were restricted reports — meaning these remain confidential.”

But buried in that number is a positive indicator, Patton said.

“The number of restricted reports this last year that converted to unrestricted reports increased from 14 percent to 17 percent in fiscal

2012,” he explained. “We see this as a leading indication of victim confidence.”

Sexual assault prevention and response is not a static program, he said, noting that it has changed and will continue to change and evolve.

“There are improvements and new initiatives in place,” Patton added. “We have to continue to assess ourselves and strive to improve.”

Sexual assault is an under-reported crime, and more victims coming forward means that more investigations and more accountability for offenders, he said.

“There is increased awareness, and we’ve got a lot of new programs in place or coming on line,” he said.

“There is much more for us to do.”

Community Listening Session explains the Army’s future force reduction plans

By Justin Creech Belvoir Eagle Staff Writer

Fort Belvoir’s garrison staff, partner organizations and local officials took part in a listening session on the Army’s force reduction plans, April 24 at Thurman Hall.

Representatives from the Army G-3 office presented a briefing on the plan to reduce the force structure at the end of Fiscal Year 2017 by 80,000 Soldiers.

Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region-Military District of Washington commanding general, opened the meeting. He emphasized that community leaders will have a say in the reduction process before any changes are made.

Linnington added there are no bad or off-limit questions.

“Throughout history, we have gone through a boom-to-bust cycle, and we are finally trying to get ahead of this so that everyone understands the difficult decisions that have to be made and the impact on individuals, teams, installations and the communities,” said Linnington.

Fort Belvoir Garrison Commander, Col. Gregory D. Gadson, said the meeting will answer some questions that people might have regarding the reduction. Although the reduction is specific to Brigade Combat Teams, Fort Belvoir needs to be aware of the reduction process.

“It is in all our interests to educate ourselves on actions like this force reduction,” said Gadson.

The Army executed a programmatic environmental assessment to evaluate the environmental and socioeconomic impact of the reduction. It was decided that a minimum of eight brigade combat teams should be eliminated and to restructure the remaining BCTs to have three maneuver battalions.

“There are 45 BCTs in the Army, and we’ve announced we are taking down a minimum of eight,” said session briefer Col. Tom O’Donoghue, Headquarters Department of the Army, G3/5/7.

“The first two are coming out of Europe, so there

Automated system reduces ID card waiting time

By Terri Moon Cronk American Forces Press Service

When Fort Carson, Colo., reduced its identification card waiting time from 45 minutes to five minutes, it was a mile marker in the Defense Department’s goal to cut the waiting process, a DoD official said.

Carson won a DoD award for its numerous successes in the ID card program, known as RAPIDS, short for Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System, said Mary Dixon, director of the Defense Manpower Data Center.

The center is making the process easier for servicemembers, veterans, Families, civilians and contractors to get their identification cards through RAPIDS, which is a self-service portal on milConnect.

RAPIDS enables users with a DoD common access card, or CAC, to apply for ID cards or update dependents’ statuses online, she said.

The RAPIDS portal also explains the paperwork that’s needed to obtain a card. Once the information is in the system, the ID cards are available for pick-

MARCUS J. WILSON SR.

Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, commanding general, Joint Force Headquarters - National Capital Region/ Military District of Washington, explained the purpose of the Community Listening session and the Army’s plan to reduce the force structure by 80,000 Soldiers by the end of Fiscal Year 2017 at Fort Belvoir, Va., April 24.

is a minimum of six more being removed across the 15 installations with BCTs in the U.S.” BCTs at installations with a large force structure will be targeted for the reduction. Based on the size of Belvoir’s operating force, O'Donoghue said a reduction in personnel on post is unlikely.

“Belvoir doesn't have that kind of force structure,” said O'Donoghue. “So, it likely won’t have much of a change from this.”

Representatives from the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, Prince William County Board of Supervisors, and Virginia Department of Transportation came to the meeting to find out how the reduction is going to impact their relationships, not only with Fort Belvoir, but the entire National Capital Region.

Although Prince William County does not share the same county (Fairfax) as Fort Belvoir, our community has a large impact with those who work and live on Fort Belvoir, said Patrick Durany, senior aide to John D. Jenkins, Neabsco District

up from a RAPIDS site, which are DoD-wide. A RAPIDS site locator is on milConnect.

“The whole idea of self-service is good for people who are deployed [and their] Family members are back at home,” Dixon said.

In addition to the self-service portal that speeds up the ID card process, other initiatives are in the works, Dixon said.

Civilians and military members can go to RAPIDS to view their records, and military Families’ information. If anything is incorrect, such as an address, Dixon said, employees should first notify their personnel office of the error. Personnel offices forward the changed information to the center to correct it.

An appointment system will help move the process along, Dixon said. Fort Carson’s significant waiting period reduction was partly due to people making appointments, she added.

“We all should learn from that,” Dixon said.

“Setting an appointment saves time for you and the personnel doing the processing.” She noted that about 300 sites process cards by appointments.

And, CAC holders will find that RAPIDS “prepopulates” their information onto a form, eliminating the need for employees to fill them out. The CAC also can be used for digital signatures.

Dixon said she also expects RAPIDS to create a process that saves money as well as time, but figures are not yet available.

Future plans will extend the system to new military recruits, she said, in what will be a candidate database. As part of their initial processing, recruits’

Supervisor.

“We enjoy this relationship and want to increase that by building strong relations,” said Durany.

Several of these organizations have focused a significant amount of funds into installations in the NCR and wanted to make sure they are going to get something from their investments.

“We’ve spent hundreds of millions of dollars in road improvements for the Fairfax County Parkway, I-95, Rolling Road [and] Fort Eustis to widen the main road into that installation, and roads in and around Fort Lee,” said Tom Fahrney, Virginia Department of Transportation BRAC coordinator. “I wanted to make sure those investments are recognized by the group that is doing the evaluation.”

The Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 forced the state of Virginia to realize they need to spend money to upgrade the road networks around local installations to make sure employees have an easy trip to their places of employment, according to Farney. So, making sure these investments are of some value is important.

“We realize there’s going to be a round of BRAC at some point,” said Farney. “So, we want to make sure the road networks serving the installations are prepared in case more employees are moved to those installations.”

O’Donoghue informed Farney that the Army’s G-3 office is keeping every community representative’s concerns in mind.

“We take everything in consideration when we are making these tough decisions, such as environmental data, infrastructure, water, and schools,” said O’Donoghue. “We gather all of the facts and we do factor in the local community.”

O’Donoghue concluded saying, now that the drawdown has begun overseas, the Army does not need to have as big a force structure as it has had for the last decade.

“The Army had to grow because it had to sustain stability overseas and have forces it could rotate,” said O’Donoghue. “Now the war is over, so the strategy says [the Army] is not going to need to be sized for a long-term stability operation.”

PHOTO

BY

LANCE CPL. ERICA DISALVO

RAPIDS enables users with a DoD common access card, or CAC, to apply for ID cards or update dependents’ statuses online.

documentation can be scanned into the RAPIDS system so a spouse can access the portal once their military sponsor’s active duty begins.

Dixon said the expedited ID card process is coming together in bits and pieces, but she hopes that someday, a kiosk will handle the entire process.

“But that’s a while away,” she noted.

Dixon said RAPIDS is expected to serve about 3.7 million servicemembers, 750,000 DoD civilians and 500,000 contractors. She added that the total number of servicemembers includes the active-duty military service branches, reserves, the Coast Guard, and employees of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Friday, May 10, 2013

PENTAGRAM

Installation libraries kick off JBM-HH makes summer reading program transition from heat to A/C

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. American Forces Press Service

Libraries across the Defense Department will begin offering the fourth annual Summer Reading Program to students on their installations to promote reading fun, a Navy General Library official said.

Nilya Carrato, program assistant for the Navy General Library Program, highlighted DoD’s Summer Reading Program during an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel.

“The Summer Reading Program operates on DoD installations worldwide, and it runs, generally, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, although we know school gets out at different times all around the world,” she said. “And it’s a way for students to have fun reading so they don’t

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go back to school behind the [power] curve.”

Carrato used sports as an example of practicing a skill to stay prepared.

“If you play a lot sports, you need to know how to run,” Carrato said. “If you want to learn in school, you’ve got to already have your reading skills. And if you don’t practice, you lose them.”

Reading is much less of a chore for a child who enjoys it, she added.

“If you don’t practice [reading] over the summer, you can go back a few weeks behind your classmates in terms of your reading skills,” Carrato said. “And that might not be so bad this year, but by the time they’re in sixth grade, they can be a whole year behind their classmates as far as their reading skills, because it does add up over time.”

This year’s Summer Reading program theme is

By Rhonda Apple Pentagram Staff Writer

It’s that time of year – the annual change-over process from heating to air conditioning in buildings throughout Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall.

The question then becomes “when will the air conditioning be on throughout JBM-HH?” Employees from JBM-HH Directorate of Public Works and contractors from Pepco Government Services, which controls the temperatures in a number of joint base buildings, have begun the transition process.

“The weather and budget cuts will dictate when the joint base commander will authorize air condisee READING, page 11 tioning to be turned on base-wide,” said Louis Martin, DPW utility systems repair operator shop supervisor for the Fort Myer portion of the joint base.

“The decision of when to turn the heat off and turn on the A/C is made [with input] by the director of DPW and the command group, based on the long-range weather [forecast], since climate dictates the process,” said Bill Lucas, energy manager.

“The change-over is gradual and several phases are involved – a turn-off [heat] phase, a waiting phase and a turn-on [air conditioning] phase. The heat was turned off already – this was completed base-wide in April,” he explained.

“There has to be a sustained number of days which the temperature is over a certain degree for the decision to be made on when to turn on the A/C,” said Lucas.

During the transitional phase, DPW operations and maintenance employees stay busy checking the equipment. “Our technicians work behind the scenes, usually in each building’s maintenance mechanic room, changing valves and making sure the equipment is working properly,” said Martin.

“There are locations in which the building managers let us know if they need the A/C turned on.

These buildings have steady customers or have the need for A/C due to a function, like Memorial Chapel; the Fort Myer Officers Club; the post exchange; Class Six (Shopette) store; the Bowling Center; the recreation center; Spates Community Club; the dining facility; The U.S. Army Band’s Brucker Hall and Firestone Car Care Center,” said Martin.

“We also have buildings which are automatic – the A/C or heat will come on or go off as needed, including Cody Child Development Center, the fire department and the two new barracks,” he said.

Other buildings may have the air conditioning turned on earlier than others, at manager’s request, said Martin. “Central Issue Facility, Building 313, was hot with the steam pressers they use there, so the A/C has been turned on there.”

“Within these buildings are owner-specified start and stop dates for heat and air conditioning, and it’s up to the building coordinator/manager to determine when their building should be turned on and off for heat and air conditioning,” said Lucas.

“DPW determines when the heat and A/C goes on and off for the remainder of buildings under their control. And P-Gov controls 30 to 40 percent of the buildings on the installation and 100 percent of housing quarters.”

Lucas said the entire operation is laid out on a large spreadsheet DPW uses to track the process.

DPW began a major decentralization project on the joint base in 2010. “This was part of the stimulus plan to save energy and money,” said Lucas, explaining the central heating plants were the old steam plants at Bldg. 34 on the Fort McNair portion of JBM-HH, and Bldg. 447 on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base. “[Fort] McNair has been switched over, and on the Fort Myer portion of the base, the steam plant is only used to run Spates Community Club’s kitchen equipment. These old, underground steam pipes fed steam to each building to provide heat and hot water. Now each building has an individual high-efficiency boiler system, using low-pressure steam, which saves energy,” said Lucas. “The new system saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of water.

“The Henderson Hall portion of the joint base once got their steam from the Pentagon, but they’ve also been converted from the old system, and boilers operated by P-Gov have been installed in the buildings there,” said Lucas.

“It’s a challenging process,” Lucas explained of the seasonal switch from heat to air.

There will be specific temperature points set for buildings on base, said Lucas. These regulated point limits will help conserve energy, he said.

In the meantime, if you get hot, Martin and Lucas suggested opening windows for natural ventilation.

Editor’s note: Executive Management and Housing Directorate operates on a separate system. For all heating and cooling concerns in base housing, to include the Fort McNair and Fort Myer portions of JBM-HH, contact Director of EMHD, Dee Spellman, at 703-696-1147.

PENTAGRAM

Friday, May 10, 2013

Plan ahead for McNair special event parking

By Jim Dresbach Pentagram Staff Writer

Though tucked safely on Greenleaf Point between the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, Fort Lesley J. McNair on Washington D.C.’s southwest side, the third oldest Army installation, gets its share of vehicular traffic.

With Nationals Park a tape-measure home run away from McNair and the base being one of the epicenters for prime District firework watching, parking is in high demand during the spring cherry blossom festival and Independence Day pyrotechnic celebrations.

According to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Directorate of Emergency Services, the Fort McNair portion of the joint base contains a total of 1,899 parking spots. Six hundred ninety of those spaces are on the north end of McNair and 1,209 are on the south end.

During a normal work day, enough spots are available for National Defense University students and staff, Officer Club visitors, base employees and residents, but normal Mondays through Fridays can be out of the ordinary. On atypical work days when a change in command occurs or a cabinet-level official visits NDU, parking and traffic can

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become problematic.

“The traffic that we do get impacted with is during special events; especially, if they’re at Lincoln Hall,” JBM-HH DES Traffic Investigation Chief Lt. Ron Foster said.

“Those [special events] take up all the parking at Lincoln Hall, which holds about 300 cars. So when that happens, it affects the students [at National Defense University] as well as the employees.”

Foster mentioned that compared to sections of the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland, the state of available parking at McNair is sound and secure but one area needs to be improved by commuters who become parkers.

“The problem we have – not only at McNair but at most installations – [is that] the average person doesn’t want to park a thousand feet away from their place of employment,” Foster said. “That right there is part of the problem.”

Some drivers have taken the law into their own hands and illegally parked on the Fort Myer, Henderson Hall or Fort McNair portions of the base in order to cut a few feet off their walks to their offices or places of employment. The DES reemphasized that legal joint base parking is only permitted within parking

spaces that are outlined in white paint. This provision is stated in the JBM-HH Uniform Parking Policy (regulation 190-15) chapter 2, paragraph 40. Parallel parking along unmarked curbs is deemed illegal and violators will be ticketed and fined.

During spring and summer festivals, McNair’s parking can fill quickly while parking for Nationals games at McNair totals a dozen to two dozen vehicles. Foster also made note that in order to park on Fort McNair for a National’s home game, commuters must be an active duty servicemember or a Department of Defense employee.

“We established that [policy] when the stadium first opened,” Foster said.

“That way, we don’t have just anybody coming off the street and parking on McNair to go to the baseball game.”

If authorized visitors plan to sightsee the southwest riverfront and park at McNair, Foster offered a number of tips.

“If you’re going to park here, do it during the day,” he said. “The activity outside of the gate, we really can’t control. After dark, you really don’t want to be walking around in the neighborhood.

That’s where we have the biggest issues – outside of the fence line.”

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School physical appointments School physical appointments are now available at Rader Clinic through Sept. 30 for TRICARE Prime children assigned to Rader Pediatric Clinic. Parents are encouraged to schedule appointments early.

Rader clinic staff advise parents have the parent portion of the forms already filled out. Appointments last approximately 60 to 90 minutes. To schedule an appointment, call 855-227-6331.

Reading, from page 10 a travel theme: “Have Book, Will Travel.”

“We’ll be reading about airplanes and cars, and [asking], ‘If you could go anywhere, where would you go?’”

Carrato said. “But it’s not necessary that you have to read about [that] theme — just [have] fun. Those are the program ideas.”

The program will apply throughout the Defense Department, and it will be available at installation libraries and at some child and youth programs during the summer, Carrato said.

“It goes all ages,” she added. “Some bases will even do it for adults.”

In addition to the travel theme, the program includes incentives for students to participate, Carrato said, such as bookmarks and other prizes, as well as crafts parties. This year, she said, participants can earn a military challenge coin for reading.

In last year’s program, Carrato said, Defense Department children put in almost 30 years of reading time.

“We get the reports back from all of the installations around the world about how many minutes their kids read, and how many pages their kids read, and I add it all up,” Carrato said. “It’s millions of minutes.”

Last year’s program notched a 30percent increase over the year before, “which was like a 300-percent increase over the year before that,” Carrato said.

“So it will probably be about a 50percent increase if things keep building,” she added. “It’s pretty insane.

This is the fourth year we’ve been doing it. It’s a lot of fun.”

Students can sign up at their local installation library or online. For more information about reading programs available on Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall, contact the library at 703-696-3555.

PHOTO

BY JIM

DRESBACH

Sliding home Right fielder Jeffryan Atenta of the 529th RSC Trans Platoon softball team slides home safely during a multi-run outburst in the season-opening game of FMWR’s intramural softball season. In the first of two games May 6, the 529th defeated The Honor Guard 20-14 and in the nightcap, United States Coast Guard shut out 289th MPS 21-0.

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Friday, May 10, 2013

PENTAGRAM

One visit can land servicemembers big savings on tickets and tours

By Jim Dresbach Pentagram Staff Writer

The Henderson Hall Marine Corps Community Service Information, Ticket and Tours office and the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall MWR Leisure Travel Services office are looking to shred their under-theradar status. Both recreational and leisure outlets are reaching out to active duty servicemembers, veterans and Department of Defense employees with a wide array of discounted get-aways, cruises, tours and sports and entertainment tickets.

Whether a Soldier is finalizing plans for leave by booking a cruise or a Marine Family is attempting to purchase Major League Baseball tickets, the pair of offices are willing to assist. In fact, both staffs long for additional walk-in business.

“We would love to explore [and broaden] our customer base,” said MCCS ITT Supervisor Jun Micu.

“Sometimes we’re surprised we’re getting phone calls telling us that [they] didn’t know [we] existed.

We’ve been here the past several years.”

Inside the Fort Myer Community Center, Leisure Travel Services Facility Manager Andy Finnerty spent a good chunk of the morning of May 6 selling Washington Redskin ticket voucher packages, but his tickets and tours office offers much more for Soldiers, servicemembers and DoD employees and retirees.

“Often times, our patrons come in

PHOTO

BY

RACHEL LARUE

The Henderson Hall Marine Corps Community Service Information, Ticket and Tours office and the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall MWR Leisure Travel Services office offers servicemembers and DoD employees discounts and information on area attractions.

here and they know they want to take a vacation, they want to do something, they want to go somewhere, but they don’t really know where they want to go. Some of the services we provide them are to show what is available to them.

Often, they are not aware of temporary military lodging around the world. They may be thinking about staying in a hotel somewhere, and one of the things we recommend to them is to plan a trip keeping military installation lodging in mind.”

A favorite ticket at the Fort Myer office are discounted movie passes and National Football League tickets, while the MCCS ITT office

noted Marines favor Orlando, Fla., amusement parks and resorts and New York City one-day excursions to take in a Broadway musical.

According to Micu, servicemembers can save close to 50 percent on a four-day pass to a magical kingdom destination in Florida and 10 percent on local hotel stays.

The LTS office is knowledgeable and ready to help military personnel book Potomac river cruises and purchase tickets to local museums and attractions through the military voucher program, which has contracts with vendors across America for reduced rates on hotels, theme parks and musical venues.

For a complete list of Washington, D.C. area attractions, available services and eligibility requirements, call the MCCS ITT office at 703-9798429. To reach Finnerty and his staff on the Army side, phone 703696-3470.

Like the Marine ITT office, Finnerty’s goal is to spread the word about the leisure office, which also offers Community Center Saturday night movies for the troops in addition to an A-to-Z selection of ticket discounts.

“I was part of the installation level and regimental safety briefing May 3 for the Old Guard and the support elements, and it was a great thing,” he said. “Both the BOSS program, Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, and Leisure Travels Services, what used to be referred to as ITT, Information, Tickets and Tours, had a tent set up. And we had all the pamphlets set up, and I was truly surprised how many Soldiers had no concept as to what MWR does. That was very enlightening to me because we’re here for those Soldiers, so they don’t go out and pay that full price for a one-time visit to [an amusement park] when they can come down here and buy a season pass for pretty much the same price.”

DoD employee Karen Johnson was the first customer in line to purchase Redskins football packages, and she also uses the office for other fun-filled purchases.

“I like to buy Six Flags season passes and the movie tickets,” she said. “Its economical and easy.”

Hagel calls for culture of dignity, respect in military Allegations of misconduct against an Air Force officer in charge of the service's sexual assault prevention and response effort underscored the importance of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s effort to prevent sexual assault across the military.

Hagel began his Pentagon news conference May 7 by discussing the incident in which the officer was arrested by Arlington County police and charged with sexual battery.

“He’s been removed from his position pending the outcome

of this investigation,” the secretary said. “We’re all outraged and disgusted over these very troubling allegations.”

Hagel called sexual assault “a despicable crime” and said it is a serious challenge to the department. “It’s a threat to the safety and the welfare of our people and the health, reputation and trust of this institution,” he said.

He shifted to the annual report on sexual assault within the military the department delivered to Congress today. “This department may be nearing a stage where the frequency of this crime and

the perception that there is tolerance of it could very well undermine our ability to effectively carry out the mission and to recruit and retain the good people we need,” he said.

“That is unacceptable to me and the leaders of this institution. And it should be unacceptable to everyone associated with the United States military.”

Hagel called for a cultural change in the military with respect to sexual assault. He announced initiatives so “every service member is treated with dignity and respect, where all allegations of inappropriate behavior are

treated with seriousness, where victims’ privacy is protected, where bystanders are motivated to intervene and where offenders know that they will be held accountable by strong and effective systems of justice.”

Hagel wants leaders to take this seriously and stressed the department will hold them responsible for putting in place programs to prevent sexual assault and to treat victims of the crime with compassion and justice.

Mother’s Day brunch canceled at Fort McNair Officers Club Mother’s Day Brunch at Fort McNair Officers Club has been canceled due to lack of reservations. Mother’s Day brunch will still be served at the Fort Myer Officers Club and at Spates Community Club. To make reservations at the Myer Officers Club call 703-524-2907 and for Spates call 703527-1300.

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PENTAGRAM

Friday, May 10, 2013

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PENTAGRAM