Eagle BELVOIR
Fort Belvoir hosts youth track meet Page B1
www.belvoireagleonline.com
June 11, 2015
Route 1 lane transitions next month By Adrienne Anderson Staff writer
Drivers using U.S. Route 1 around Belvoir’s Tulley and Pence gates will be using new lanes soon, as construction on Route 1 continues. All lanes of traffic will shift from existing lanes onto the newly constructed southbound lanes, said Tim Brown, construction operations engineer, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division. The transition will be from Fairfax County Parkway intersection to Britten Drive, using the new Accotink Creek Bridge. “It will allow us to remove the existing bridge … that way we can construct the new bridge,” Brown said. The temporary transition is estimated to begin the first week of July and will last about six months, he said. Once the construction is complete, the new bridge will be for northbound lanes. “It should be a very smooth transition, as long as drivers abide by the new signs,” Brown said. “We’ll have a lane shift sign ahead of the actual shift.” The next major construction, as part of the Route 1 widening, will be the demolition of existing buildings between the Fairfax County Park-
Up Front DoD Warrior Games
The DoD Warrior Games are coming to Marine Corps Base Quantico June 19-28. The competitions are open to the public. Competitors are from the Army & Fort Belvoir; the Marine Corps; the Navy; Air Force; Coast Guard and British Armed Forces. Info is available from www.defense.gov/ WarriorGames.
World Police and Fire Games
VDOT photo
Southbound lanes on Route 1, between Belvoir’s Pence and Tulley gates, are expected to shift soon. Drivers are asked to continually be alert as improvements are made to the area. way intersection and Tulley Gate. well as a provision for a multi-use This is estimated to occur in July, trail, pedestrian sidewalk and onand is in preparation for a future road bicycle accommodations. The traffic switch. widening occurs between Telegraph The construction is part of the Road and Mount Vernon Highway. overall $180 million project to widen The project is scheduled to be com3.5 miles of Route 1 from four lanes pleted in early 2016. to six lanes. The lanes will include For more information, visit http:// left and right turn lanes at intersec- rte1ftbelvoir.com or www.facebook. tions and connecting roadways, as com/rte1fortbelvoir.
12 graduate from warrior training program at Belvoir By Amanda Stewart Staff writer For wounded warriors recovering from their injuries and preparing to separate from the military, one big question often lingers. “Part of the stress of separating from the service is, ‘What do I do next,’ especially for the wounded,” said John Fickel, with the Veterans Benefits Administration. Fickel is the program manager for the Warrior Training Advancement Course, or WARTAC, a program that hopes to answer that question for many veterans. The program, a partnership between the Veterans Benefits Administration and the DoD, trains wounded warriors to become veterans claims processors. Participants go through a 14-week training program and, after successfully completing the program and being medically released from the military, are placed in full-time jobs in VA benefits regional offices. On June 4, program officials celebrated the graduation of 12 WARTAC participants in a ceremony at the Fort Belvoir USO. At Fort Carson, Colo., 15 more participants completed the WARTAC program last week. “These graduates have completed a three-month training program while also working their way through some of the largest challenges they’ve probably faced in their lives—recovering from wounds and separating from the military,” Fickel said at the ceremony. Guest speaker James D. Rodriguez, Deputy Assis-
Photo by Amanda Stewart
A group 12 wounded warriors celebrated completing the Warrior Training Advancement Course at a ceremony at the Fort Belvoir USO, June 4.
tant Secretary of Defense, compared the graduation to a promotion and said the program graduates would benefit the future of their organization. Rodriguez said the program is a good example of a partnership between the DoD and the Veterans Benefits Administration and said the wounded warriors are the perfect fit for the job of veterans service representative. See WARTAC, Page A2
Get involved in the community and be a part of one of the largest multi-sport, multivenue events in the world. The 2015 World Police and Fire Games run June 26-July 5 at several locations in and around the area. Sports include track and field; baseball; basketball; bodybuilding; boxing; swimming; tennis; volleyball; archery; cycling and more. Volunteers are also needed to help out with the games. For more information, visit www. fairfax2015.com or email Arnie Daxe, adaxejr@gmail.com.
Motorcycle, drivers’ training
The Fort Belvoir Safety Office offers the Intermediate Traffic Safety Training Course IIIA. All newly assigned Soldiers younger than 26 will get intermediate traffic safety training that reinforces the initial traffic safety training course. Other personnel may be required to attend the training, as deemed necessary by the local command. The training is June 23 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.; and July 10 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The safety office also offers motorcycle training for new and seasoned riders. The Basic Riders Course is for active-duty Service members who want to “try it before you buy it.” Learn to ride on a smaller, contractor-owned, loaner motorcycle. The BRC is mandatory before operating a motorcycle and taking this course, through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, earns drivers a Virginia Motorcycle endorsement. Two-day classes start July 1, 7, 13, 16, 20 and 27. An Experienced Riders Course is mandatory for motorcycle riders within a year of the basic course who have their own bike. Class dates are: July 9; 15; 22 and 29. The Military Sportbike Riders Course is mandatory for all active-duty sport bike riders. MSRC is the advanced course for sport bikes that goes far beyond what is taught in BRC2. The Safety Office offers the class monthly, with the next sessions June 19 and July 31. Army CAC users can sign up at https:// imc.army.mil/airs. All other Service members can call 703-806-3447 to sign up.