The official Magazine of the U.S. Army Reserve
Volume 57 No. 3 2012
Rally Point S P ECIAL
section
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Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief, U.S. Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command, outlines his strategy for adapting to the changing military and global environment
18 Beyond the Guatemalan Horizon Building schools and expanding hospitals becomes a special opportunity to share a common culture
‘chute’ for the sea 26
A successful water recovery operation first requires a leap of faith
the army reserve’s best warriors 32 Revealing the winners, plus a look behind the scenes at this year’s Best Warrior competition www.armyreserve.army.mil
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WARRIOR CITIZEN
editor’s note
ARMY RESERVE COMMAND TEAM Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley Chief, Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Schultz Command Sergeant Major of the Army Reserve WARRIOR-CITIZEN MAGAZINE STAFF Col. Jonathan Dahms Director, Army Reserve Communications Lt. Col. I.J. Perez Chief, Internal Information Branch
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rom the household budget to the global debt crisis, money, and how to spend it is influencing day to day decisions and impacting major investments. Critical to the defense of the nation, the military is currently under pressure to adapt its structure to the future operational environment while sustaining a steady flow of across-the-spectrum capabilities with reduced fiscal resources. Lt. Gen. Jeffrey
Talley, the Army Reserve’s new chief is stepping into his role prepared to manage expectations, set priorities and make the tough decisions required to remain a vital part of the operating force. In From the Top, Talley outlines his strategy for maintaining the Army Reserve’s essential
Melissa Russell Editor-in-Chief, Warrior-Citizen
capabilities and explains why finding a balance between Family, career, and the military is the
Mark Rydberg Army Publishing Directorate
best way for Army Reserve Soldiers to maintain resiliency and continue providing the strategic
Teri L. Bupp Contributing Editor
depth the Army and joint force has come to rely on.
Submissions • Warrior-Citizen invites articles, story ideas, photographs and other material of interest to members of the U.S. Army Reserve. Manuscripts and other correspondence to the editor should be addressed to warrior-citizen@usar.army.mil. All articles must be submitted electronically or on disk or CD. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will not be returned.
member of the command team on page 13. Wilson shared with contributing editor Terri Bupp
Warrior-Citizen welcomes Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson, the newest
Change of Address • Do not write the magazine. TPU Soldiers should notify their Unit Administrator or Unit Clerk. Members of the IRR and IMA should contact their Personnel Management Team at U. S. Army Human Resources Command, 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue. Fort Knox, KY 40122. AGRs should contact their PMO/PMNCO. Paid subscribers should forward their address change to the Superintendent of Documents, Attn: Mail List Branch SSOM, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Special military distribution recipients may write the editor directly. Subscriptions • Warrior-Citizen is distributed free of charge to members of the U.S. Army Reserve. Circulation is approximately 320,000. Paid subscriptions are available for $14.00 per year domestic, $19.60 foreign. Single copy price is $5.50 domestic, $7.70 foreign. Mail a personal check or money order payable to the Superintendent of Documents to: New Orders, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, or fax your order to 202-512-2233. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
1st Place winner of the 2011 Thomas Jefferson Award (category N) 1st Place winner of the MG Keith L. Ware Award – 2010 and 2011 (category C)
her hopes to leverage the opportunity to represent the “highly skilled, adaptive technical experts, combat leaders, trainers and advisors that comprise the Army Reserve warrant officer corps.” Theater Security Cooperation missions are an important way Soldiers can make a difference while maintaining their skills. In Beyond the Guatemalan Horizon, page 18, Maj. Carlos Cuebas takes a look at the 1st MSC’s mission to build schools, hospitals and friendships in a region plagued by crime and poverty. Finally, a compelling look through photos and words at this year’s Best Warrior competition — what it takes to win, and how Army Reserve leadership prepares for the “ultimate week of challenges,” in Tim Hale’s feature spread starting on page 32. How a unit or command adds value as a critical part of the joint force — and how a Soldier fits within his or her community and civilian career — are all important parts of what make Warrior-Citizens relevant at home and vital to our nation. One of Lt. Gen. Talley’s top priorities is sharing the Army Reserve story. From unit-specific stories to hometown, work and Family stories — tell us yours.
Melissa Russell Editor-in-Chief
CORRECTION: In the previous (57-2) issue, the cover image by Spc. John Carkeet, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), was mistakenly identified as a Fort McCoy courtesy photo. Our sincere apologies to Spc. Carakeet for the error.
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contents warrior-citizen
Volume 57 No. 3 2012
in this issue
c o mmu n i t i e s
18
beyond the guatemalan horizon
It is a region threatened by organized crime and vulnerable to humanitarian crises. Schools are in a state of disrepair and utilities are faulty. For residents in the Cobán province of Guatemala, every day brings challenges of survival. But the “Beyond the Horizon” mission aims to bring some relief. by Maj. Carlos M. Cuebas, 1st Mission Support Command Public Affairs
1 Editor’s Note 4 From the Top 8 Blogs + Websites 15 Soldiers Town Hall 43 streamlining the command board
people 10 making a lasting impact 11 cornerstone of readiness 12 champion of change 13 Change of Responsibility
communities 14 jagcnet on your side 16 the vow to create new opportunities
trained + ready 40 not just fun and games
health + wellness
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs
42 dentists in honduras 44 new mobile apps help troubled warriors cope
On the Cover photo ILLUSTRATION
From left to right are Spc. Brent Hannaford, 5th Battalion, 108th Civil Affairs Military Information Support Operations Regiment (Photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford, 211th MPAD); Sgt. Jonathan B. Stoltz, 108th Training Command (Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marisol Hernandez, 416th ESC); two Soldiers at the 2012 Best Warrior competition, Fort McCoy, Wis., (Photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford, 211th MPAD); and Sgt. Nathaniel Boyd, 807th Medical Deployment Support Command (Photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford, 211th MPAD). 2
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Photo by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
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House Calls in Guatemala Dr. Daniel Skirvin’s civilian career has gone to the dogs… and to the bulls, pigs and chickens! In the most remote areas of Central Guatemala, Skirvin’s team works save to save local farm animals and, in turn, the health of the Guatemalan people. by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
Photo by Maj. John Adams, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
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t r a i n e d + r e a dy
‘Chute’ for the sea
The jumpmaster’s command cuts through the roar of four Rolls-Royce turboprop engines. “Go! Go! Go!” A breathless second passes before a parachute pops open and the freefall slows to a cascade toward the glimmering ocean below as airborne warriors take a leap of faith. All in an effort to test new equipment and methods to drop Soldiers and supplies from the air and retrieve them from the sea.
t r a i n e d + r e a dy
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The Army Reserve’s Best Warriors
This year’s Best Warrior competition has its winners. Find out who they are and get a behind the scenes look at this much anticipated annual event. By Timothy L. Hale, Army Reserve Command Public Affairs
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352ND CACOM PAO
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S P ECIAL S EC T ION
rally point
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief, U.S. Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command, has a vision— Rally Point 32—that will enhance the active Army and enable it to prevent, shape, and win its objectives. By Lt. gen. jeffrey w. talley, chief, U.S. Army Reserve WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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photo By Timothy L. Hale, Army Reserve Command Public Affairs
By Spc. John L. Carkeet IV, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
from the top
message from the car
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley receives the command colors from Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, U.S. Army chief of staff, during the June 9 U.S. Army Reserve Command change of command ceremony on Fort Bragg. Talley is the 32nd Chief, U.S. Army Reserve and the seventh commanding general of USARC.
Rally Point
The success of America’s Army relies on the depth of a multi-component force and will require the Army Reserve and National Guard to maintain their key role as part of Army force structure. My vision and strategy, outlined in “Rally Point 32” will enable the Army Reserve to sustain its support to the Total Army and the Joint Force.
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hile the past decade has redefined what it means to be a Reserve Soldier, the Army’s increasing reliance on critical capabilities resident in the Army Reserve has been generations in the making. In the early 1970’s, the Total Force policy, also known as the Abrams doctrine was a major change to the strategic reserve. It placed a greater reliance on the reserve force for war fighting and full spectrum operations. The Total Force policy aligned major pieces of combat service and combat service support units into the Army Reserve, making it essential to sustaining combat capabilities. The alignment created an active partnership between the active component and Army Reserve, placing budgeting, planning, and programming for active component and Army Reserve forces together. The doctrine was implemented in structure and policy in the 1993 Offsite Agreement which, coupled with 4
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the Transformation Campaign Plan of 1999, overhauled the force structure and created modular brigades, laying the foundation for today’s essential operational Army Reserve. In 1975, former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Creighton Abrams famously said, “They’re not taking us to war without the Reserves.” The restructuring of the Army in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and draft system, were designed, in part, to assure public support through the engagement of community-based citizen-Soldiers. At the time, the decision was considered risky in light of the perception that “weekend warriors” were ill-equipped and ill-prepared to mobilize. Having had the privilege of commanding both Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, I take great pride in the demonstrated capabilities and professionalism of reserve component Soldiers. Any question regarding performance and readiness been dispelled by the historic integration of the reserves, globally
engaged in multiple campaigns across a full range of military operations.
The Army Reserve now I believe we have the best Army Reserve in history. We are an essential part of the total force—every year since 2001, an average of 24,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have seamlessly integrated with the mobilized force. No longer a strategic, supplemental component; the Army Reserve has become a crucial and complementary force to the Army’s overall deployable strength and war fighting team. The Army Reserve comprises 19 percent of the Total Army for 6% of its budget. As a Federal Force under Federal Control, maintaining operational flexibility and strategic depth through critical capabilities resident within the Army Reserve is a top priority for the nation. The USAR structure is designed to provide complementary capabilities—we provide direct and essential access to the majority of
Photo by Andrew Craft, Fayetteville Observer
by Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley chief, U.S. Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command the Army’s medical, engineer, quartermaster, ordinance, civil affairs and psychological operations capability. More than one third of our structure is combat support and more than half is combat service support.
Army Reserve 2020 Developing AR 2020 as a versatile mix of enabling capabilities to Army 2020 and Joint Force 2020 is a key strategic priority. As we continue to provide ready and direct access to a high quality, all-volunteer, operational Army Reserve for Army and joint missions at home and abroad, we must also adapt to meet the evolving requirements of the Total Force and the nation in an environment of reduced fiscal resources. Progressive Readiness – The way ahead will involve varying levels of progressive readiness for the Army. Not all units require the same resources to achieve readiness goals. The revised Army Force Generation model will provide a more balanced approach to training, mobilization, and predictability that Soldiers, Families and employers deserve. Alignment – Aligning Army Reserve Theater Commands with Army Corps, Army Service Component Commands and Combatant Commands is crucial to keeping the Army
Reserve part of the operating force. This alignment will provide critical staff planning and support and ensure the unique capability of the Army Reserve is utilized throughout the ARFORGEN cycle. Forces that are regionally aligned will maintain an expeditionary mindset, and regional alignment will also broaden the core skills of Army Reserve Soldiers by including cultural and language training. The goal is to enhance the Army’s ability to conduct a full range of military missions worldwide, achieve and sustain security, stability and peace. Resources – The Army Reserve has numerous resources available, with dedicated training infrastructure as well as training divisions under the operational control of Training and Doctrine Command, making them a resource and asset to the Total Army. Maximizing CTC-like enabling training with the Total Force at our Warrior Exercises and Combat Support Training Exercises, conducted by the 84th Training Command is key. Also, simulation technology and home station training will save time and training dollars. The 75th Training Division (Mission Command) is currently spearheading a proof of principal that, if successful, could allow distributive use of games and simulations at platoon, company and expeditionary sustainment command-sized elements. The National Defense Authorization Act – Army Reserve Soldiers are present in 1,200 communities across the nation. They add value through military and civilian acquired skills and capabilities that can now be leveraged at home for critical lifesaving, property preservation and damage mitigation events. The new mobilization authority for Defense Support of Civil Authority response contained in NDAA 2012 will serve as the mechanism to rapidly activate Federal Reserve Components in a complex catastrophe. The core competency of the Army Reserve—the projection and sustainment of Army forces—lends itself readily to such missions. In the instance of a complex catastrophe, the Army Reserve maintains 100 percent of the Army’s bio-detection capability, 76 percent of the forward surgical, and a predominance of transportation and engineering capability for the Total Army. Resiliency – I would like to see a stronger emphasis on Soldier and leader readiness programs. In addition to physical fitness training, I expect my leaders need to know their Soldiers
and Families and work to instill resiliency. The one thing that keeps me up at night is knowing we are losing too many Soldiers to suicide. Learn to identify and recognize at-risk Soldiers and let them know that reaching out for help is a sign of strength. There are programs and resources that troubled Soldiers and Family members need to be made aware of, and looking out for your troop or battle buddy is something every Soldier must do.
“I believe we have the best Army Reserve in history. We are an essential part of the total force.… The future will require an Army Reserve that can enable our Army to Prevent, Shape and Win across a full range of missions.” — Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief, U.S. Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command
rally for the future I have high confidence that together our leadership teams will aggressively exercise proper authority within their commands to ensure adequate manning, training and equipping to meet mission requirements. Leaders should emphasize technical skills in tactical environments—make use of our WAREXS and CSTXs and participate in Theater exercises; this will maintain the warrior skills honed over a decade of war. As I stated in Rally Point 32, the future will require an Army Reserve that can enable our Army to “Prevent, Shape and Win” across a full range of missions. Reduced resourcing will require continued effectiveness with gained business efficiencies. The key to success is maintaining the right force mix in our total Army and keeping a balance in our personal and professional lives as we serve together. WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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Photo by Timothy Hale, Army Reserve Command Public Affairs
from the top
ADAPTING TO NEW REALITIES
“We need to leverage the resources and strengths we have…. By training together… and maintaining Soldier skillsets through support to theater cooperation missions, we can strike the right balance.” — Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief, U.S. Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command
by Melissa Russell, Army Reserve Communications
ABOVE: Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, chief, U.S. Army Reserve, and commanding general, U.S. Army Reserve Command, expands on his goals and objectives as outlined in Rally Point 32 with staff members at the command’s Fort Bragg, N.C., headquarters on June 11.
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in step with America’s Army In order to adapt to a changing military and global environment, the Army Reserve’s new chief is stepping into his role ready to manage expectations, set priorities and make the tough decisions required to provide continued and essential support to the Army. As Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley’s mission and intent is to continue to provide U.S. Forces Command with the proven Warrior-Citizens who evolved as an integral part of the joint force. The trick is he’ll have to do it without the dedicated contingency dollars that helped assure a trained and ready reserve component over the past decade. “Everybody has become very comfortable with the Army Reserve as part of the operating force,” Talley said. “But with constrained fiscal resources, I think managing those expectations within the force and outside the Army Reserve is going to be the real challenge.” At Talley’s June 9 assumption of command ceremony, Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, the Army’s Chief of Staff called the Army Reserve the most capable reserve force in our nation’s history. “More than ever, our nation—and specifically our Army—relies on the diversity and strength of our multi-component structure,” said Odierno. “It provides
us the depth, versatility and agility to operate simultaneously across a broad spectrum of missions.” The Army Reserve maintains a predominance of the Army’s operational support structure. Operational specialties such as medical, chemical, transportation, engineer and civil affairs that function within the Army Reserve and are enhanced by civilian skill-sets that would be costly to maintain as part of the active component structure. The critical institutional functions such as professional military education, initial entry training, mobilization and resourcing have enhanced the total force by expanding their mission to function as Mobile Training Teams at forward operating bases. “As we move forward, all three components will play a critical role in dealing with the challenges of an increasingly complex and uncertain environment,” said Odierno. “The nation will continue to require much of our Army, Guard and Reserve but in very new ways.” Talley believes the key to meeting mission requirements in an environment of reduced fiscal resources is to set priorities and maintain the right level of progressive readiness at the right time in the most cost-effective manner. “Lt. Gen. Stultz was very successful in leveraging the historic opportunity for the Army Reserve to become part of the operating force,” said Talley, “and
RESERVE CAPABILITIES
now we need to look at ways to keep our battle-tested force ready for future requirements.” According to Talley, commanders can expect a significant shift in how we train and provide varying degrees of progressive readiness. “Not everybody is going to be at the same level of readiness all the time and that’s okay.” In order to most effectively maintain Soldier skill-sets, Talley is currently working to align and integrate Army Reserve capabilities with regional combatant commands, something he feels is crucial to maintaining the Army Reserve’s relevancy as part of the Total Army. “Aligning forces supports and enhances the progressive readiness model by giving us the ongoing ability to plan, train and fight side by side,” said Talley. “The future requires ongoing support to theater cooperation missions. By aligning and integrating with Army Service Component Commands and Combatant Commands, we can remain ready and relevant— leveraging our respective resources and strengths.” According to Odierno, Talley’s experience and background make him “the absolutely right leader to understand the strategic environment, articulate a vision, and lead change as the Army moves forward in a time of change.” “I admired his leadership when he commanded an engineer brigade in Iraq,” said Odierno, calling Talley’s counter-IED and construction efforts in Sadr City ground-breaking. “It allowed multi-national force Iraq to achieve success in a place, Sadr City, that few believed was possible.” Talley’s leadership is enhanced by his education and civilian acquired skills—he holds a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Oxford in England. He also holds multiple master’s degrees in strategic studies, environmental engineering and science, liberal arts (history and philosophy), and religious studies. Prior to assuming command, Talley was president and CEO of Environmental Technology Solutions and an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University. Ultimately, Talley believes that finding a balance between Family, civilian career, and the military is the best way for Army Reserve Soldiers to maintain resiliency and continue providing the strategic depth the Army and joint force has come to rely on. “Family is a primary source of strength for Soldiers, and it’s the civilian job that helps pay the Family mortgage or rent,” he said. “The resulting strength, knowledge and practical experience, coupled with vital military skills are what make Army Reserve Soldiers such an invaluable asset to the force.”
THE O.P.
Reserve Component Capabilities Army Reserve
National Guard
Access: USAR is federal force under federal control.
Access: ARNG is federal force under state control.
USAR structure is designed to provide complementary capabilities not resident in the AC.
ARNG structure provides depth and reinforcing capabilities to the Total Force.
USAR forces are integrated within various Army commands and Field Operating Agencies.
ARNG units support their states.
USAR has unique focuses and capabilities not present elsewhere in the Army that enable the Total Force.
ARNG focuses on brigade-level tactical and operational units and their direct enablers.
USAR has most of the Army’s medical, quartermaster, ordnance, engineer, civil affairs, and psychological operations capability.
The ARNG has most of the Army’s infantry, battlefield surveillance, and maneuver enhancement brigades.
USAR structure complements the AC.
The ARNG force structure mirrors the AC.
The O. P. By Master Sgt. Steve Opet
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blogs + websites The Web offers many free, interactive resources to help Warrior-Citizens and their Families make informed decisions regarding their health, finances, career and education. Here are some of the latest new and useful online tools for Soldiers.
ArmyReserveMarksman.info Army Reserve policy is for commanders to encourage small arms training and competition at all levels. To help direct this effort, Army Reserve Marksman, maintained by members of the USAR Shooting Team, provides the latest information as the official Army Reserve website.
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www.opm.gov/cfc In 2011 Army Reserve Soldiers and Civilian employees made a huge impact toward the Army’s Combined Federal Campaign goal of $1.9 million—with several organizations exceeding their voluntary contribution goal by as much as 171%. Established in 1961, CFC is the world’s largest and most successful annual workplace charity campaign. CFC is designed to allow Federal employees to help others through a wide assortment of health and welfare charities that operate nationally, internationally and locally. Contact your unit CFC campaign manager or log on to www.opm.gov/cfc to learn more and contribute. You never know when you will go from someone who can help to someone who needs help.
www.defense.gov/home/ features/2009/0409_gibill/ With more than 260,000 students attending about 6,000 colleges and universities this fall under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, officials are continuing an active outreach effort to ensure current military members and veterans don’t miss out on the new program’s education benefits.
www.militaryonesource.mil Military OneSource is a free service provided by the Department of Defense to servicemembers and their Families to help with a broad range of concerns including money management, spouse employment, education, parenting and child care, relocation, deployment, reunion and the particular concerns of Families with special-needs members. They can also include more complex issues like relationships, stress and grief. Services are available 24 hours a day—by telephone and online. Many Military OneSource staff members have military experience and all receive ongoing training on military matters and military lifestyle. The program can be especially helpful to service members and their Families who live at a distance from installations.
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people
soldier of the year
story and photos By Staff Sgt. Felix R. Fimbres, USACAPOC(A) Public Affairs RIGHT: Sgt. Steven Brandon Davidson, 490th Civil Affairs Command, receives a letter of commendation from Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, Chief, Army Reserve at an awards ceremony in Davidson’s honor, in which he was named Military Times 2012 Soldier of the Year. BELOW: Sgt. Steven Brandon Davidson, 490th Civil Affairs Command, was selected as Military Times 2012 Soldier of the Year on July 19, 2012. Davidson was selected for his outstanding community service both home and abroad, his heroic initiative, which saved a life and his performance as noncommissioned officer in charge when he was still a corporal.
making a lasting impact Washington D.C. — When Sgt. Steven Davidson graduated from high school in 2009, he never dreamed he would be attending a formal awards ceremony on Capitol Hill, receiving recognition from Military Times, and accolades from generals and top enlisted leaders from all branches of the military. The 2012 Army Times Soldier of the Year was one of five service members honored by Military Times as an “Everyday Hero.” Davidson, a human resource specialist with the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, was recognized in part for the life-saving actions he took during elite survival training, when a fellow Soldier lost consciousness due to heat stroke during a 122-mile trek through the desert in Djibouti. The Soldiers had been enduring 120-degree temperatures while participating in a French desert survival course that culminated in a nine-hour ruck march. “People had been falling down all night—they would get a hand up and then we’d drive on,” he said. When a fellow Soldier fell out and became unresponsive, “I grabbed my ruck and ran up to him. I grabbed my scissors and began cutting off his pants, boots and top.” He and his fellow Soldiers cut the fabric into strips, dampened, and applied them. Davidson poured his remaining water on the Soldier. “They were able to call in a MEDEVAC, but they told us it would take two hours,” he said. While waiting, the Soldier woke violently, disoriented and confused.
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“The Army Reserve turns young men and women into Soldiers, gives them skills and ingrains them with core values and discipline. The citizen-solider who returns is exceptionally poised as a key leader and valued member of the community.” — Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, Chief, Army Reserve, Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command
Davidson took control of the situation to calm him, but added, “We didn’t think he would make it.” French medics arrived before MEDEVAC, and Davidson could see the French medics were having a hard time communicating with the injured Soldier. “The French medics didn’t know any English and none of us spoke any French. They couldn’t tell him how to put on the oxygen masks, or that he was going to get an IV, I felt like I had to step back in,
drill sergeant of the year
cornerstone of readiness by Stephanie Slater, TRADOC
FORT EUSTIS, Va. — Drill sergeants are the cornerstone of Army readiness, entrusted with the task of preparing new Soldiers to fight and win the nation’s wars. The knowledge, skills and abilities required to prepare quality Soldiers for the rigors of war demand that only the best and brightest be selected as drill sergeants. Each year, Initial Military Training, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, puts the best among them to the test. Approximately 2,000 drill sergeants are tasked with training 160,000 new Soldiers each year. Four active duty and two Army Reserve drill sergeants, each previously recognized as the Drill Sergeant of the Year for their respective installation or division, compete for Department of the Army-level recognition. The six Soldiers endure physical and mental challenges during a four-day competition designed to test their knowledge of warrior tasks and battle drills, and their ability to teach these Staff Sgt. Jarod Moss, 95th Reserve Division Drill Sergeant of the Year, completes the final tasks to new Soldiers. obstacle of the Fort Eustis, Va., confidence The drill sergeants were first assessed on their course before sprinting to the finish line. ability to demonstrate and instruct such classes Moss and four other contestants competed for the fastest time in the Training and as urban orienteering, combatives and correct Doctrine Command-hosted competition, prior actions to take in response to a role-playing to his ultimate selection as the 2012 Army Soldier suspected as suicidal. A second round of Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year. assessments included tests on drill and ceremony movements, and providing care under fire. Of course it would hardly be an Army competition without the fitness and agility tests recruits regularly go through—low crawl, crossing monkey bars, wall climbing and ditch jumping are all part of the competition. The selection process concluded with each drill sergeant appearing before a board of command sergeants major to evaluate their knowledge of leadership and drill sergeant training tasks. At the end of day four, it was Staff Sgt. Jarod Moss, representing the 95th Reserve Division, and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Heilman, representing Fort Jackson, S.C., who received the overall highest scores—and were recognized as the 2012 DSoY for their components. Both were awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Moss will receive the Ralph Haines Jr. Award, named for the commander of the Continental Army Command (forerunner of TRADOC) from 1970 to 1972. The award will be presented in a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., at a later date.
Staff. Sgt. Jarod Moss (right), assigned to the 95th Reserve Division at Fort Sill, Okla., and Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Heilman, representing Fort Jackson, S.C., sit with their noncommissioned officer swords after being named Army Reserve and active duty Drill Sergeants of the Year at the closing ceremony for the U.S. Army’s 2012 DSoY competition. The drill sergeants earned top honors from battalion level up through installation level, and represent the best drill sergeants in the Army. WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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Photos by Senior Airman Wesley Farnsworth, Joint Base Langley-Eustis
to let the Soldier know what was going on,” said Davidson. Thanks to his civilian knowledge and combat lifesaver training, he understood what the medics were trying to do. Together, they were able to stabilize the Soldier until MEDEVAC arrived. Convinced Davidson’s actions directly attributed to the Soldier’s survival, leadership awarded Davidson the Army Achievement Medal. That accomplishment explains only part of Davidson’s selection as the overall winner for his branch. According to Military Times, the award is earned by demonstrated concern for fellow service members, their community and the country they serve. It was in his community of Denton, Texas, that Davidson says he learned both the value of good mentoring, and the skills that instinctively kicked in when he saw a Soldier in crisis. Davidson first began honing his basic medical skills as an underclassman at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas. He worked under the guidance of Scott Fletcher, the school’s head athletic trainer, who taught him how to take care of a myriad of sports injuries. “I absolutely loved it,” he said. “It was because of ‘Doc’ Fletcher—the skills he taught me and the confidence he gave me—that I was able to treat the Soldier,” said Davidson. “I acted the way I acted on that mountain because of instinct—he had such an influence.” Finding a way to pay it forward, Davidson grew up to become a mentor in his own right, reaching out to youth in the community. He mentors at local schools, telling the story of how his athletic training job, that included ensuring athletes stayed hydrated, led to hurtful remarks. “I was constantly taunted for being ‘the water boy,’” he said. Davidson quit in his junior year. “It was one of my biggest regrets,” he tells them. “Because I was self-conscious, I quit doing what I loved.” Although honored by his selection as Army Times Soldier of the Year, Davidson hopes to use his newfound celebrity to inspire other Soldiers to get involved. He believes that as members and leaders in the community, Army Reserve Soldiers have a particular responsibility to give back. “There are so many kids who are looking for someone to look up to,” he said, “and not many service members know how influential they can be.” “I’m not saying, ‘get out there and stop crime’, said Davidson, “but youth look up to Soldiers, and Soldiers need to visit their schools and churches and give back to the community.”
people
soldier honors
Story and photo by C. Todd Lopez, Defense Media Activity
Lt. Col. Alan Samuels, who researched the effectiveness of energy-saving “micro-grid” technology in Afghanistan, was among nine Americans honored as “Champions of Change” by the White House.
champion of change “So what these computer technologies do as components of a micro-grid system is sense [the] load and only turn on those generators that are needed. And their maintenance, as well as their fuel consumption, goes way down.” — Dr. Alan Samuels, explaining the benefits of micro-grid technology
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As a civilian, Dr. Alan Samuels works as a research chemist at Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., where he studies remote-sensing technology for the Army. As a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, he recently returned from deployment to Afghanistan, where he supported the efforts of the Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command to evaluate better ways to more efficiently use energy in a combat environment. The research Samuels conducted while deployed recently earned him the distinction of being one among nine Americans honored as “Champions of Change” by the White House. “It’s a very humbling thing for me…as a research chemist without any real expertise in power and energy,” Samuels said of the honor. “I am glad I was able to make a contribution to help out.” The Army Reserve Sustainment Command Soldier worked in support of RDECOM’s initiative to set up a science and technology collaboration, researching the effectiveness of energy-saving micro-grid technology. Samuels deployed to Afghanistan in April 2011 to set up this center at Bagram Airfield. His team collaborated and shared information with other Army and Department of Defense agencies in Afghanistan to address operational energy challenges there. One of the efforts Samuels was involved in was to assess, in an operational environment, the efficiency of traditional power-distribution systems using generators, and how that changes with the addition of micro-grid technology. Traditional power-distribution networks on a base, in a combat environment, Samuels said, are using fuel inefficiently.
“We had 60kw generators putting out anywhere from 5 to 15kw around the base,” he said. “That is kind of bad news for the generator systems. They are using a lot of fuel they don’t have to. Second, there are maintenance issues. Since the generator is not running at its load, it’s not reaching the temperature it needs to efficiently burn that fuel and put out power based on the demand.” Micro-grid technology, Samuel said, makes the whole system burn less fuel making it more efficient. “So what these computer technologies do as components of a micro-grid system is sense that load and only turn on those generators that are needed,” he said. “And their maintenance, as well as their fuel consumption, goes way down.” Samuels said in Afghanistan, he was able to observe a 17-percent reduction in the amount of fuel used, relative to the baseline, just using micro-grid technology. Reducing the amount of fuel used in theater of operations is not just an environmental concern, or even a cost concern—it’s a concern for the lives of Soldiers. “The Army’s mission is very dependent on power and energy, and upon our ability to adapt, change and innovate according to the circumstances in which our forces find ourselves,” said Katherine Hammack, the assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Environment and Technology. Technology, such as micro-grids, can reduce fuel usage and the great costs associated with providing it. “It means that we can have fewer fuel convoys on the road,” Hammack said. “One in every 46 convoys suffers a casualty—if we have fewer convoys, we are saving lives.”
new command chief warrant officer
change of responsibility FORT BELVOIR, Va. – In her tenure as Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve and U.S. Army Reserve Command, newly selected Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson hopes to mentor warrant officers and bring increased visibility to a corps that makes up less than three percent of the Army structure.
“I want to ensure that Army Reserve warrant officers are viewed as key leaders, key advisors and mentors,” said Wilson. “I’m very proud to have the opportunity to represent the highly skilled, adaptive technical experts, combat leaders, trainers and advisors that comprise the Army Reserve warrant officer corps.”
“I want to ensure that Army Reserve warrant officers are viewed as key leaders, key advisors and mentors.”
photo by Melissa Russell, Army Reserve Communications photo illustration
— Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phyllis Wilson
By Teri L. Bupp, Contributing Editor
Wilson replaced Command Chief Warrant Officer 5 James E. Thompson, who served as CCWO of the Army Reserve from Sept. 2007 to July 2012, retiring after 41 years of military service. Thompson, the first warrant officer to be included as part of the command group staff, called it “the best job I’ve ever had.” “I know that I am leaving the warrant officers in good hands,” said Thompson. “Chief Wilson is totally dedicated to continuing the transformation of the Army Reserve and the transformation of warrant officers.” “The advances made by Chief Thompson on behalf of warrant officers have had an impact across the entire Army Reserve and I’d like to thank him for all he has done,” said Wilson. As CCWO, Wilson will represent and advise the U.S. Army Reserve Chief, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, and the command staff on matters pertaining to the recruiting, organization, retention, training and education of warrant officers throughout the Army Reserve. Wilson will also coordinate policies and initiatives that address strength management, warrant officer development, morale, welfare and promotions within the warrant officer corps. Wilson, who enlisted in the Army in 1981 as a military intelligence voice intercept operator and transitioned to the Army Reserve in 1984, called joining the Army a great opportunity to serve the country, learn a language and see the world while pursuing a college degree. “I loved the military from the beginning—the structure, the discipline and recognition for a job well done has always had an appeal,” said Wilson. “This is the highlight of my career and I am honored to be selected and look forward to serving Soldiers.” Education is very important to Wilson, who has earned three associate degrees, two bachelor of science degrees and a master of science. “Education is critical and I recognize that warrant officers receive relatively small blocks of professional military education,” said Wilson. “I plan on working to ensure the right amount of education is afforded at the right time in a warrant officer’s career to provide the best trained technical expert to commanders at all echelons.” WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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communities
online legal assistance
JAGCnet on your side story and photo By
FORT JACKSON, S.C. – When the legal
Sgt. 1st Class Joel Quebec
issues faced by deploying Soldiers from the 81st Regional Support Command started to interfere with their ability to successfully navigate the staff judge advocate portion of the Soldier Readiness Process, Master Sgt. Denise Underwood, chief paralegal noncommissioned officer at the 81st Regional Support Command, began to wonder what they could do to better support their Soldiers. Her practical solution helped create a streamlined resource to benefit all reserve component Soldiers. While active duty service members have access to a Staff Judge Advocate office on-post, most Army Reserve Soldiers don’t have an attorney on retainer, so many simply let legal issues fall by the wayside. According to Underwood, many of the issues beyond routine wills and powers of attorney could not be resolved quickly, and when a Soldier is deploying, putting them off until later is not the prime solution. “We just don’t have enough lawyers to have one in every unit,” said Underwood. “When we were having SRPs, we had Soldiers that said they hadn’t seen a lawyer in years.” With Army Reserve and National Guard troops deploying almost as often as active duty Soldiers, readiness has remained a critical concern for more than a decade, throughout two conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the various places in Eastern Europe, Africa or wherever else citizen-Soldiers might find themselves. To alleviate this problem, Underwood initiated and helped organize a way to combine three legal
81st Regional Support Command Public Affairs
Assisted by Master Sgt. Denise Underwood of the 81st Regional Support Command, Sgt. Amanda Lockwood-Engel goes through the JAGCnet website in order to determine whether or not she needs any assistance from the Staff Judge Advocate office. The website now has a function specifically for Army Reserve Soldiers. Underwood is indicating the correct tab Reserve Soldiers are to choose to get to the correct legal assessment tool. 14
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assets: the lawyer, the online Army Regulations and the existing legal website for the Judge Advocate General's Corps, JAGCNET, into one accessible resource where the Soldier can do a self-assessment questionnaire and determine what his or her legal needs are. “If you combine all three,” Underwood explained, “the Soldiers can go to one site and answer some of their own questions.” The new system attempts to point the user in the right direction, linking their questions to relevant regulations. “It gives them instant results and also cuts down on the Soldier going to see an attorney when they really don’t need to,” she added. “The questionnaire asks the Soldier a set of questions that are designed to determine if they have either a Family or other legal situation that requires legal assistance or trial defense service support,” said Col. Elena Kusky of the Army Reserve Legal Command. According to Kusky, the checklist can be used as a part of the annual SRP, and also whenever a Soldier wants to know if a change to a Family situation or an administrative action at the unit requires legal support. Based on answers to questions, the system will produce a brief legal explanation of the significance of its positive answer and suggest the kind of legal assistance they might need. Once completed, a link to request legal assistance is provided as well as contact information for the Legal Command. National Guard Soldiers will be shown a link to the closest legal assistance office. If a Guard or Reserve Soldier has an issue that requires trial defense service support, a link is supplied that shows them their nearest TDS assets.
Underwood’s efforts were supported by then Brig. Gen. Gill Beck, commanding general of the Army Reserve Legal Command at the time. Beck, now a Major General and 81st Regional Support Command commander, had her coordinate with Legal Command and the Office of the Judge Advocate General’s legal assistance policy division. The result is an online questionnaire that is now live and available to Army Reserve and National Guard troops. There was a lot of checking and rechecking of the regulations as well as the technical aspects of adding new features to the existing site. Underwood gives a lot of credit to the webmasters of JAGCNET for their tireless efforts to make the new part of the site fully functional.
“The questionnaire [on the JAGCNET site] asks the Soldier a set of questions that are designed to determine if they have either a Family or other legal situation that requires legal assistance or trial defense service support.” — Col. Elena Kusky, Army Reserve Legal Command
S o l d i e rs
Town Hall with Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Schultz
John C. Maxwell once said, “A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Over the last year we’ve focused on getting back to the basics, focusing on the most important aspects of being a Soldier and leader: knowing, adhering to and enforcing standards. Now, with the right tools, programs and resources, all of us must focus on “taking charge.” Taking charge is insisting that you and your Soldiers understand the most up-to-date professional development policies and programs to support you as warriors, while also ensuring you have access to vital resources needed to support you as citizens. Taking charge means reaching out to Families above and beyond battle assemblies, annual training and deployment windows. Knowing, going and showing the way is not easy. It never has been. Leaders, no matter the organization, must know the programs, policies and resources out there, and if they are not sure, they need not be afraid
The questionnaire is confidential and, once completed, the Soldier can print out a separate certificate of completion to give to the unit administrator or use as proof of completing a legal review during the SRP. The completed questionnaire can also be printed and kept for reference when consulting the JAG attorney. The questionnaire is maintained on the JAGCNET website, which Soldiers can access by going to the site listed below and clicking on Reserve Soldier Legal Readiness Review. In the future, a link to the questionnaire will be inserted into Army Knowledge Online under the “My Legal, Self-Service” portal.
to ask. Over the coming year both the Chief of the Army Reserve and I will continue to pursue a model that will provide predictability and stability for our Soldiers and Families while maintaining our operational focus. This will not happen overnight and that’s why it is vitally important that we “take charge” of knowing and understanding who our Soldiers are and what they are facing. Work with your chain of command to gain access to the resources you need, and do not hesitate to connect with me and my team as I travel to visit all of you. “Taking charge” is not a slogan. It’s a way of life, and now, more than ever, it’s a must as an Army Reserve Soldier.
For more information visit: https://www.jagcnet.army.mil/LRR WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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communities By Staff Sgt. Joshua Ford 214th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Veterans opportunity to work program
the VOW to create NEW YORK – Combining military capabilities with civilian education and skill sets make Army Reserve Soldiers an ideal fit for many job openings, but navigating today’s challenging job market can leave many Soldiers frustrated, and in some cases, unemployed. A pilot program launched by the Army Reserve on Aug. 12, hopes to offer relief by introducing the 2011 Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act to eligible veterans. Soldiers of the 436th Transportation Battalion recently attended a workshop designed to help transitioning Army Reserve Soldiers pursue their employment and education goals. Spc. William Lewis, a transportation specialist with two deployments, found the pilot program both enjoyable and helpful. “This is a lot more detailed than what I remember from my first two deployments,” said Lewis. “A lot of information is provided. All we need to do is apply it.” Col. Henderson Baker leads the Army Reserve’s Veteran’s Opportunity to Work program, designed
“This pilot program [VOW] is for us to figure out how to fit the pieces together. How to take certain tools and place them at the right time for the Soldier to benefit from it.” — Col. Henderson Baker, U.S. Army Reserve Command’s officer in charge of the VOW Implementation Program
for Soldiers mobilized for more than 180 days. “In the development of the curriculum, we had to ask what are the tools that will benefit the service member as they are transitioning from the military?” Soldiers are returning from deployment or coming off active duty to a shrinking job market. “The unemployment rate for veterans is high right now,” said Baker. “With VOW, we are getting that number lower.” Much of the push for a program like VOW came after the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the Army paid more than $500 million in 16
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unemployment claims for veterans leaving active duty, said Maj. Lee Edmonds, the Army transition officer at Human Resources Command. According to the fiscal year 2011 report, Edmonds said the veteran unemployment rate was 8.3 percent, not a drastic change from the 2010 rate of 8.7 percent. Edmonds added that a subsequent report in March found that more than 830,000 veterans were unemployed and seeking work. Veterans must spend 180 days on active duty to qualify for the benefits provided through the
“The unemployment rate for veterans is high right now. With VOW, we are getting that number lower.” — Col. Henderson Baker, U.S. Army Reserve Command
VOW Act. Eligible veterans can attend resumewriting workshops, interview technique classes, financial planning classes and job postings and education benefit classes. “Some of the classes will be given before the service member deploys or is activated so they can start planning for their life after coming back home or leaving active duty,” said Edmonds. According to Edmonds, one of the benefits is that by completing the resume-writing workshop while deployed or mobilized, a Soldier can immediately start working on finding employment when they get back home.
photo illustrations
new opportunities For more information on the VOW to Hire Heroes Act go to benefits.va.gov/vow.https:// www.jagcnet.army.mil/LRR
Baker said the full program goes live Nov. 21 for veterans of all services. In the months leading up to the program’s launch, Army leaders put the finishing touches on the VOW curriculum and figured out the best way to deliver it to the veterans who need it. “This pilot program is for us to figure out how to fit the pieces together. How to take certain tools and place them at the right time for the Soldier to benefit from it,” he said. “For example, financial planning would be a class that could benefit Soldiers before mobilizing. And that is something we might not have gone in to such depth before,” he said. Active duty service members are already provided most of the curriculum because installations have the staff and facilities to support such programs. Reserve Soldiers have not had that luxury, he said. Edmonds said the Army has been given $40 million for fiscal year 2012 to hire counselors and buy equipment to bring these services to Reserve units at their home stations. “Mobile training teams are being created and will be placed multiple locations around the country to provide these services to veterans,” he said. Baker said the Army is ready to go. “The country has a long history of helping veterans and I think the country wants to continue helping Soldiers after they leave active duty,” said Baker. “Failure is not an option here.” WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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It is a region threatened by organized crime and vulnerable to humanitarian crises. Schools are in a state of disrepair and utilities are faulty. For residents here, every day brings challenges of survival. But the “Beyond the Horizon” mission aims to bring some relief.
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs
Guat 18
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atemalan Beyond the
Horizon by Maj. Carlos M. Cuebas 1st Mission Support Command Public Affairs
Soldiers assigned to the 471st Engineer Company and the 603rd Eng. Detachment, U.S. Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, move in a convoy down a remote road in Cobån Province, Guatemala. During their mission, known as Beyond the Horizon 2012, the engineers renovated a school and built a new classroom to benefit over 200 children who reside at the remote village. The troops also renovated an emergency room at the Banlebaal hospital, in the Carcha province. Guatemalan soldiers worked along with the Puerto Rican troops in the project, which is a reflection of the effective partnership built with the Beyond the Horizons mission. WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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“Since we are able to speak in Spanish with the local population, our job here goes beyond the construction of a building. We are really making a connection with the Guatemalan people.”
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs
— Chief Warrant Officer 2 Miguel Velazquez, acting commander, 471st Engineer Company
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs
A Soldier mixes mortar for the construction of a new school at the Sarrax-Och village, located approximately 30 kilometers outside Cobán city, in northern central Guatemala. During their rotation, the Army Reserve Soldiers from Puerto Rico are finishing the work that was started by three previous rotations of U.S. troops.
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COBÁN PROVINCE, Guatemala
I
t’s been a year since an auxiliary prosecutor was murdered in Cobán by drug traffickers who have plagued the country in increasing numbers over the past decade. In a recent statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, the commander of United States Southern Command, identified Central America as an area acutely impacted by “transnational organized crime, which has evolved into a volatile and potentially destabilizing threat to both citizen and regional security.”
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs
Giving Hope
TOP RIGHT: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Miguel Velazquez, acting commander of the 471st Engineer Company, U.S. Army Reserve-Puerto Rico, talks with the Sarrax-Och’s children at their temporary school in Cobán province, Guatemala. MIDDLE RIGHT: A small church sits perched atop a hill in Cobán province, Guatemala. LOWER RIGHT: A young girl in the town of Sarrax-Och, site of a ceremony officially starting military engineering operations on behalf of Beyond the Horizon Guatemala 2012, shields her eyes and looks at the Soldier taking her picture. Beyond the Horizon operations in Sarrax-Och, constructed and renovated school buildings to provide a community of about 1,000 people with more than three times the school area.
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs Photo by 2nd Lt. Harold Williams, 118th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
TOP LEFT: A group of school children raise their hands in their temporary classroom in Cobán province, Guatemala. U.S. Army Reserve-Puerto Rico engineers renovated their school and built a new classroom to benefit over 200 children who reside at the remote village.
In addition to the threat posed by transnational organized crime, the region is also vulnerable to humanitarian crises, where day-to-day challenges of survival leave scant time or energy for residents to concern themselves with the rising homicide rate. The main source of income for the approximately 1,000 residents in the remote village of Sarrax-Och is the production of coffee, and it’s hardly enough to make ends meet. Schools are in a state of disrepair. Electricity in the maternity ward of the local hospital is faulty; its lone sterilizer has not been used for years. This when, according to officials, the municipality of Carcha has the highest maternal mortality rate in Guatemala. The recent U.S. Southern Command Theater Security Cooperation mission, known as Beyond the Horizon, gives communities like this a reason to hope things will get better. Increased military presence in the region is a deterrent to threats, but for Soldiers assigned to the 1st Mission Support Command, the mission of applying their combined engineering and construction skills to complete the repairs and construction of schools and hospitals means more than just annual training.
Fostering Goodwill “We are making a small contribution to improve the quality of life for all Guatemalans,” said Sgt. 1st Class Victor Misla, a construction supervisor with over 19 years of experience. “What we are doing will stay, and the population will always remember us.” During their rotation, these Army Reserve Soldiers from Puerto Rico are finishing work that was started by three previous rotations of troops, who mobilized to Guatemala from different commands in the United States. “We are working on two schools, constructing a new building and renovating another one that was in very poor shape,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Miguel Velazquez, acting commander of the 471st Engineer Company. WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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TOP RIGHT: Sgt. 1st Class Harry Calderon, 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico, right, discusses notes with Guatemalan Army Col. Juan Navarro, left, and U.S. Army 1st. Lt. James Orth, 304th Information Operations Batt., Camp Parks, Calif., prior to a community meeting. BOTTOM RIGHT: Sgt. 1st Class Randy Holt and Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ciesielski, deployed to Guatemala in support of Beyond the Horizon Guatemala 2012, consider possibilities before beginning restoration of this women’s clinic in Carcha, Guatemala.
photo by Carlos Cuebas, 1st MSC Public Affairs
both PhotoS by Spc. Anthony D. Jones, U.S. Army South
A school girl in Cobán province, Guatemala. smiles from her desk. U.S. Army Reserve-Puerto Rico engineers renovated her school and built a new classroom to benefit over 200 other children who reside at the remote village.
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According to the school's director, Guillermina Arévalo, more than 250 kids will receive a better education, thanks to the new facilities. The Beyond the Horizon mission is designed to foster goodwill and improve relations between the United States and the government of Guatemala, while allowing U.S. military personnel and units to sharpen their occupational skills and practice deployment and redeployment operations to better prepare to respond to future challenges. "The Army Reserve does not only mean going to war. It also means conducting humanitarian missions like this one," said Staff Sgt. Juan Cruz, a carpenter with more than 20 years of Army Reserve experience. They are currently building a new school at the Sarrax-Och village, located approximately 30 kilometers outside Cobán city, in northcentral Guatemala. Arévalo calls it “a blessing for all of us in the community." According to Velazquez, they have used excess construction material to improve other areas of the school. "We are currently fixing the students’ seats and making new teachers’ desks. Also, we are leveling the backyard of the school, so the kids can play soccer."
photo by Robert R. Ramon, U.S. Army South Public Affairs
Photo by Robert R. Ramon, U.S. Army South Public Affairs
Citizens of Guatemala line the streets for the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new El Rancho medical clinic. Construction of the clinic was part of the Beyond the Horizon Guatemala 2012. Army South, working with SOUTHCOM, other military services and partner nations, will continue to build strong partnerships in the region by engaging with allies, building partner nation capacity and providing humanitarian assistance.
LEFT: In honor of construction starting at their town’s school, women of Cubilguitz, Guatemala present Soldiers participating in Beyond the Horizon Guatemala 2012 a meal of turkey, soup, rice, tortillas, tamales and chilies.
Beyond the Horizon
“We are making a small contribution to improve the quality of life of all Guatemalans. What we are doing will stay and the population will always remember us.” — Sgt. 1st Class Victor Misla, construction supervisor
In addition to the school project, the Soldiers are working in a maternity delivery room at the Carcha municipality. “Our job here is to finish up a maternity delivery room, making an electrical connection for a sterilizer that they have not been able to use in years. We are also sealing and painting the facilities,” said Misla. According to the hospital’s director, Dr. Barbara Fernandez, thanks to the job being done by the Soldiers, the hospital will be able to double its capacity to receive expecting mothers. “Now we will be able to better serve pregnant women and avoid maternity deaths in our municipality,” said Fernandez. For this rotation of Soldiers, a job well done is only part of the value they bring to the Beyond the Horizon Theater Security Cooperation mission; they recognize it as a special opportunity to share a common culture. “Since we are able to speak in Spanish with the local population, our job here goes beyond the construction of a building,” said Velazquez. “We are really making a connection with the Guatemalan people.” WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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Photos on this page by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
Spc. Christopher Bryan tries to avoid a sideways kick while inoculating a bull at a remote farm in Chicojil, Guatemala, during a recent veterinary medical readiness training exercise.
Capt. (Dr.) Daniel Skirvin, left, looks on as Staff Sgt. Jorge Gomez-Rangel, center, and Spc. Christopher Bryan prepare an inoculation for a bull at a remote farm in Chicojil, Guatemala, during a veterinary medical readiness training exercise conducted during Beyond the Horizon 2012. 24
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Staff Sgt. Jorge Gomez-Rangel reaches into a pen to give a shot to a pig during a veterinary medical readiness training exercise conducted during Beyond the Horizon 2011.
CHICOJL, Guatemala
House Calls in Guatemala
by Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
Dr. Daniel Skirvin’s
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photo illustration
civilian career may have gone to the dogs, but at least during his mission here in support of Beyond the Horizon 2012, his military career has taken more of a turn toward bulls, pigs and chickens. As a veterinarian who typically treats house pets in his civilian career, Skirvin’s assignment to the 1019th Medical Detachment in Garden Grove, Calif., recently helped to expand his patient base. The mission took Capt. Skirvin, Staff Sgt. Jorge Gomez-Rangel and Spc. Christopher Bryan to some of the most remote areas of Central Guatemala as part of an effort to immunize and treat farm animals for disease. The three-Soldier team traveled up mountainsides, through cornfields and sometimes as far as an hour’s walk from the nearest road to as many as 60 homes and farmyards every day, resulting in an estimated 600 house calls by the end of a two-week deployment. “What we’re doing is really important, because for these people, these animals are what they have, financially,” he said. “If we can make these animals a little more healthy, that will give them a little more protein in their diets and also a little more that they can sell. And that is a big deal in terms of making their lives a little better.” Providing that service — particularly when the patients are less than willing — requires a special touch. Skirvin’s team works hand in hand with Guatemalan veterinary technicians to steady the animals, tie bulls to trees when possible, and steer clear of angry kicks. “Sometimes, especially when there are no trees, it can be a little like a rodeo,” Skirvin said. The team also depends on local officials to translate for them as they give farmers supplies of powdered vitamins and medications. Bryan, a military food inspector, said he enjoys the experience he’s gaining during his first veterinary medical readiness training exercise here. “We’re helping the people keep their animals healthy so they have a better food supply, and they’re really grateful,” he said. Gomez-Wrangle, with 27 years of military service under his belt, said he can’t imagine a more gratifying mission. “I see the results,” he said. “It helps, and I like helping people.” Providing that outreach is a major objective of the Beyond the Horizon mission, one of U.S. Southern Command’s largest annual humanitarian and civic assistance efforts. 25
The jumpmaster’s command cuts through the roar of four Rolls-Royce turboprop engines.
“Indoor personnel, stand up!” Four Soldiers repeat the order and rise to their feet inside the rumbling belly of the Marine C-130J Super Hercules. The men’s bulky green packs strapped to their backs and waists rub against their gray T-shirts and black running shorts.
“Hook up!” The men clip themselves to a cable that extends nearly the length of the plane’s cargo bay.
“Check static lines!” The jumpmaster continues to bark the orders that prompt the Soldiers through the remaining tasks as they shuffle toward the aircraft’s hydraulic ramp that had lowered minutes earlier to reveal a sunlit sky. Soldiers inspect one another’s gear one last time, tugging straps and pulling packs. The concentration etched on faces testifies to lives being in the balance. Before taking the leap, the rear-most Soldier slaps the hip of the man in front of him and shouts, “Okay!” The process ripples forward until the lead Soldier in the four-man stick clasps hands with the jumpmaster.
‘CHUTE’F
Photo by Staff Sgt. Rob Smith, 824th Transportation Company
“Go! Go! Go!”
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By Spc. John L. Carkeet IV 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
’FOR THESEA An airborne Soldier takes a “leap of faith” out of a Marine C-130J Super Hercules airlifter. More than 30 Soldiers splashed into Tampa Bay, Fla., and were then plucked out by their seaborne comrades operating various fast boats. The paratroopers—most of whom hailed from the 421st Quartermaster Company (Light Airdrop Supply) and 861st Quartermaster Co. (Airdrop Supply) reconvened aboard the U.S. Army Vessel New Orleans, an LCU-2000 landing craft commanded by the 824th Transportation Co. (Heavy Boat).
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Photo by Spc. Dana Hamel, 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS)
Photo by Spc. John L. Carkeet IV, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
Standing in the cargo bay of a Marine C-130J Super Hercules as it circles less than 1,500 feet above MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Capt. Lee Barry, commander of the 861st Quartermaster Company. (AS) inspects the cables that he and his fellow airborne Soldiers would use during their water jump into Tampa Bay.
Location: TAMPA, Fla.
T
A Zodiac, laden with supplies and connected to a parachute, rolls off the ramp of a Marine C-130J Super Hercules as it flies 800 feet above Tampa Bay, Fla. Soldiers from the 421st Quartermaster Company (LAS) and the 361st Engineering Co. prepped and packed the Zodiacs for their heavenly descent, while troops from the 465th Engineering Co. constructed the combat-expendable platforms mounted on each raft. 28
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he lead Soldier takes a step, then another. On the third he drops off the ramp, plummeting downward. A breathless second passes before a parachute pops open and the freefall slows to a cascade toward the glimmering ocean below as the next airborne warrior takes his leap of faith. Hundreds of men and women from every branch of America’s military participated in a recent joint airborne and water recovery operation off the coast of Tampa, Fla. The exercise tested new equipment and methods to drop Soldiers and supplies from the air and retrieve them from the sea. Staff Sgt. Joseph Kiernan, unit administrator for the 421st Quartermaster Company (Light Airdrop Supply) based out of Fort Valley, Ga., molded this training mission to mimic a real-world scenario.
“This event demonstrated how we can resupply Soldiers at sea just as well as Soldiers on the ground,” said Kiernan. “Doing this requires precise coordination between aerial and maritime units that know little about what the other does.” The logistics associated with this operation attracted air, land and naval units throughout the country. The Army Reserve’s presence included parachute riggers from the 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS) and 861st Quartermaster Co. (AS), constructors from the 465th and 361st Engineering Companies, and maritime Soldiers from the 824th Transportation Co. (Heavy Boat). “It was challenge communicating the needs and capabilities of units with very different missions,” said Kiernan. “It was a greater challenge bringing everyone together. We had to transport more than 100 Soldiers from several companies almost 400 miles to the staging area” at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Photo by Maj. John Adams, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
One of these Soldiers was 1st Lt. Justin A. Carmack, commander of the 861st Quartermaster Co. (AS) out of Louisville, Ky. “This [mission] was unlike any other jump I’ve done before,” said Carmack. “There were no maps or clear points of reference for a water drop zone, and it wasn’t possible to personally recon the area.” Despite the lack of tangible intel, Carmack and his fellow airborne Soldiers welcomed the challenge. “There’s no substitute for training like this,” said Carmack. The operation began in earnest when the United States Army Vessel New Orleans departed its home port in Tampa as the sun peeked over the choppy bay. The 175-foot LCU-2000 class landing craft utility boat chugged toward its open water destination secured by the Joint Communication Support Element, a conglomeration of service members specialized in enhancing communication networks for complex logistical operations. Navy fast boats zipped past the New Orleans to clear the drop zone of fishing boats, pleasure craft, cargo ships and other obstructions. Other Navy and Coast Guard vessels stood by for a possible medical evacuation. Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth E. Monroe, first mate on the USAV New Orleans, described how he and his crew entered “uncharted waters.” “This boat was built to lift on, lift off, roll on and roll off personnel and equipment,” said Monroe. “It’s not designed as a tactical staging area and dive platform, but the crew made modifications to better adapt our boat to this special mission.” While Monroe and his crew of more than 80 Soldiers, sailors and civilians unloaded recovery boats and prepped the New Orleans for new arrivals from the sky, a C-130J Super Hercules airlifter took off from nearby MacDill AFB.
“This event demonstrated how we can resupply Soldiers at sea just as well as Soldiers on the ground.” — Staff Sgt. Joseph Kiernan, unit administrator, 421st Quartermaster Company (LAS)
A Navy fast boat approaches Spc. Eric C. Heron, a parachute rigger for the 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS), seconds before splashdown. Heron and 29 other airborne Soldiers from the 421st Quartermaster Co. and the 861st Quartermaster Co. (AS) jumped out of a Marine C-130J Super Hercules airlifter.
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Photo by Spc. John L. Carkeet IV, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
Photo by Maj. John Adams, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
Soldiers operating one of the USAV New Orleans’ fast boats pull Capt. Terry K. Kirkwood, commander of the 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS), out of the water. Scores of service members from every military branch participated in this battle assembly that mimicked a tactical combat scenario.
The crew of the U.S. Army Vessel New Orleans arrives at its home port in Tampa, Fla., after completing a safe and successful aerial resupply and maritime recovery training mission. With more than 2,500 square feet of cargo space on its wheel deck, this 175-foot long, LCU-2000 landing craft served as the primary staging area during the exercise. The USAV New Orleans is commanded and operated by Soldiers from the 824th Transportation Company (Heavy Boat).
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Loaded with two Zodiacs — inflatable rafts boasting outboard engines — laden with supplies, the plane leveled out and began circling around the drop zone. With less than 800 feet separating wings from water, the crew opened the rear cargo doors and cut the lines securing the boats and their custom platforms built by the 465th Engineering Co. Gravity and the plane’s roller skate-like wheels did the rest as the Zodiacs slid out of the cargo bay and into Tampa Bay. The first Zodiac hit the water with a terrific — albeit doomed — splash.
“The payload snapped off the chute during freefall,” Kiernan explained. “Luckily, the [Zodiac] stayed afloat and one of the recovery boats towed it back to [the USAV New Orleans] for inspection.” The second Zodiac glided safely into the sea, but the recovery team could not fire up the boat’s engine. “The delivery of the boats was not a complete success, but the training we derived out of this incident ensures that the mission as a whole was a success,” said Kiernan. “We could have dropped sandbags equal to the weight of the Zodiacs,” added Capt. Terry K. Kirkwood, commander of the 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS). “Despite the risks we dropped the real thing as proof that we train the way we fight.” While service members on the surface retrieved the rafts, the C-130J returned to MacDill AFB where more than 30 Airborne Soldiers, photographers and other observers awaited anxiously to take part in the second phase of the operation. Minutes later the Super Hercules roared above the flotilla at 1,500 feet and, as the sun reached its apex, the plane loosed green parachutes that blossomed beneath a blue sky. “It was a dream jump,” recalled Carmack. “Seeing nothing but blue water… it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.” With 16 jumps to his name, Kirkwood was more impressed with the mission’s scope rather than its scenery. “I consider every jump unique, whether we drop into the ocean or desert,” said Kirkwood just before boarding the plane that would mark his last jump as the 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS)’s
— Capt. Terry K. Kirkwood, commander 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS)
photo illustration
commander. “The sheer number of elements involved from the Army [active and reserve], Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard is what makes this mission stand out.” Soldiers and sailors powered up various small craft and plucked from the waves those comrades who had splashed into the sea. After exchanging high fives and handshakes, the boats changed course and sped toward their “mother ship.” As the Super Hercules waggled its wings and lined up for its final approach into MacDill AFB, the crew of the USAV New Orleans gave the soaked guests a warm “welcome aboard.” A few men staggered onto the deck with minor
Photo by Spc. John L. Carkeet IV, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
ABOVE: Cpl. Zachary Horsley, a loadmaster from the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 352 (VMGR-352 “Raiders”), sits on the open ramp of a C-130J Super Hercules airlifter as it circles over Tampa Bay, Fla. LEFT: A fellow airborne Soldier gives Spc. Eric C. Heron, a parachute rigger for the 421st Quartermaster Company (Light Airdrop Supply), a helping hand as they prepare for the water jump off the coast of Tampa, Fla. Heron and 29 other airborne Soldiers from the 421st Quartermaster Co. (LAS) and the 861st Quartermaster Co. (AS) participated in this joint service battle assembly that mimicked a real-world resupply scenario.
cuts and bruises caused by unpredictable wind gusts. Nevertheless, every returning Soldier, sailor, airman and marine shared credit in the accomplished mission. “This is an inherently dangerous event,” said Kiernan. “To return home free from injury is a testament to our military’s pride and professionalism.” The Army Reserve leveraged joint resources and applied knowledge from classes and manuals to the field — or, in this case, air and sea — of battle. From a tactical standpoint, the audacious training exercise fell short due to one Zodiac’s fateful freefall. From a strategic perspective, this mission demonstrates the unlimited potential of the joint operational force. WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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PhotoS by Maj. John Adams, 143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)
“We could have dropped sandbags…. Despite the risks we dropped the real thing as proof that we train the way we fight.”
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photo By Timothy L. Hale, Army Reserve Command Public Affairs
Best Warrior candidates exit a UH-60 Blackhawk during the helicopter lift mystery event at the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition at Fort McCoy, Wis. on July 16, 2012. This year’s Best Warrior competition will determine the top noncommissioned officer and junior enlisted Soldier who will represent the Army Reserve in the Department of the Army Best Warrior competition in October at Fort Lee, Va.
LEFT: Spc. Daniel Chavez from Pollock Pines, Calif., operating room specialist with the 352nd Combat Support Hospital representing the 807th Medical Command, finishes putting on and taking off his Mission Oriented Protective Posture suit and mask, during the warrior tasks drills at the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., July 16.
photo by Spc. Benjamin John, 364th PAOC
BELOW: A Soldier competing in the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition waits to start his next test at the hand grenade qualification course July 16 at Fort McCoy, Wis. Competitors had two chances to hit each of six targets.
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photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
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photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
Sgt. Jonathan Stoltz, a petroleum supply specialist with 2nd Battalion, 330th Infantry Regiment, moves down a road July 18 during the ruck march at the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., Stoltz, a Rockford, Ill., native, is representing the 108th Training Command in the competition.
is.
McCoy, W rt o F t: r o p Field Re July 16-20
s ’ e v r e s e R The Army
s r o i r r a W t s e B Public Affairs d n a m m o C e rv y Rese othy L. Hale, Arm
By Tim
e to an end. , months in the making, has com The ultimate week of challenges , it is one of the most and mental limits of each Soldier l sica phy the t tes to ed ign Des ing a wide cross-section Though many came, represent anticipated events of the year. ent the Army Reserve the ultimate warriors to repres as ed erg em two y onl a, eric of Am winners and take a behind n this October. Let's meet the in the next level of competitio together. ff at Fort McCoy, Wis., put it all the scenes look at how the sta
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Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell, Joint Public Affairs Support Element
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LEFT AND INSET: Minutes before sunrise and dripping with sweat, Spc. Michael Swan, a track vehicle repairer from Gurley, Ala., assigned to the 335th Signal Command (Theater), takes a break to regroup and double-check his grid points at the night land navigation course during the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition at Fort McCoy, Wis., July 17. BELOW: Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Rios, a corrections specialist with the 84th Training Command, rests before he qualifies with his M4 carbine, July 18, at the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition. Rios is a native of South Ozone Park, N.Y.
ers BWC WinStn aff Sgt. Jeffrey Rios, NCO of the Year
the winners
Spc. Michael Swa n, Soldier of the yea
r
photo by Spc. Benjamin John, 364th PAOC
A corrections specialist and a track vehi cle repairer were named the Noncom missioned Officer and Soldier of the Year resp ectively at the 2012 Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition held at Fort McCoy, Wis ., July 16–20. The winners were announced July 20 by Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Schultz, the Army Reserve’s top enlisted Sold ier, at an award ceremony held at the American Legion in Sparta, Wis. Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Rios, a native of Ozo ne Park, N.Y., was named the NCO of the Year. He represented the 84th Trainin g Command in the competition. Spc. Michael Swan, a native of Gur ley, Ala., was named the SoY represen ting the 335th Signal Command (Theater) in the competition. Rios and Swan will go on to represen t the Army Reserve in the Departm ent of the Army Best Warrior Competit ion in October at Fort Lee, Va. Months in the making, the ultimate week of challenges was designed to test the physical and mental limits of each Warrior-Citizen who represented a wide cross-section of Ame rica. The 21 noncommissioned officers and 22 junior enlisted Soldiers competing were faced with training events designed by U.S. Army Reserve Com mand staff and training cadre from across the Army Reserve. Lt. Gen. Jeffrey W. Talley, Chief of the Army Reserve, said the 43 NCOs and Soldiers competing this year discovered that the competition was not for the faint of heart. “As you found out, there’s no wimp factor here,” Talley said. “This is a well-rou nded, tough competition that tries and tests the skills that make our Warrior-Citizens ‘Army Strong’.”
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Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell, Joint Public Affairs Support Element
Troops compete in the 2-mile run event during the Army Physical Fitness Test at Fort McCoy, Wis., July 16. The APFT is the first event of a grueling weeklong competition that will determine which two Soldiers will represent the USAR at next level of competition.
ing. the best of the best never saw it com When the winners were announced, e. nam n they called his Swan said he had to take a breath whe ty ‘Michael Swan’,” he said. “I was pret said they after gasp “That was a deep struck by that.” both their respective titles had the two The focus and drive that earned them Swan said he plans on focusing on any winners considering their next steps. on making y Reserve competition and working shortcomings he had during the Arm artment of the Army competition. those events better for him at the Dep me, Swan said. “Whatever they throw at on,” k “That’s what I’m going to wor and ly sical phy up elf mys level and bring I’m going to come out there to the next mentally.” he was this year’s competition. Like Swan, Rios praised his fellow competitors in el y-lev Arm the for He plans to train every day also shocked at the announcement. competition later this year. going to try the hardest that I can.” “I’m going try my best,” Rios said. “I’m d-level here, and at their previous comman That’s what all 43 competitors did — ask. d coul ne f is concerned, that’s all anyo competitions. And, as far as the Chie tal men and sical phy have endured the “I’m proud of every one of you who ey. Tall said ” rior, rve Best War challenges it takes to be an Army Rese
Spc. Adam Engel, a civil affairs specialist with the 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, takes a breath during the ruck march. Engel, a Webster, N.Y., native, is representing the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command.
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel C. Alexander, an electronic maintenance chief from Salt Lake City, assigned to 96th Sustainment Brigade, 79th Sustainment Support Command, flashes two fingers for how many laps he’s completed during the Army Physical Fitness Test. Alexander was the first Soldier to finish the 2-mile run with a time of 11:25.
Spc. Nathan Eilenfeldt, a health care specialist with the 463rd Engineer Battalion takes up a position behind cover as he fires on his target during the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition at Fort McCoy, Wis.
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Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
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Photo by Staff Sgt. Peter Ford, 211th MPAD
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Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell, Joint Public Affairs Support Element
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Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
Receiving Honors:
Best Warrior runner-up (Non-Commissioned Officer category): Sgt. Orval Emery, a chemical operations specialist representing the 377th Theater Support Command, from Wichita, Kan.
Best Warrior runner-up (Soldier category): Spc. Ivan Pimentel, a human resources specialist representing the 75th Training Division, from Modesto, Calif.
Highest Army Physical Fitness Score:
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Spc. Lucas Delay, a military policeman representing the 200th Military Police Command, from Davison, Mich.
Highest Weapons Qualification: Spc. Carl Best, an intelligence analyst representing the Military Intelligence Readiness Command, from Lincolnshire, Ill.
NCO Combatives Winner and overall combatives champion: Sgt. Anthony Mitchell, a public affairs broadcast specialist representing the 3rd Medical Deployment Support Command, from Chicago, Ill.
Soldier Combatives Winner:
TOP LEFT: Before sunrise, drill sergeants assigned to the 108th Training Division, grade competitors during push-ups for the Army Physical Fitness Test. LOWER LEFT: Spc. Austin Okorn, a petroleum supply specialist, assigned to the 842nd Quarter Master Company, 877th Troop Sustainment Command, drags a life-sized dummy during the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition. The competitors had to fire two different types of weapons, perform a ‘buddy drag’ and evacuate a casualty at this particular range.
PHOTO BY Sgt. Debrah Saunders, 366th MPAD
Spc. Dustin Chavez, an operating room specialist representing the 807th Medical Deployment Support Command, from Pollock Pines, Calif.
ABOVE: Spc. Jonathan P. Chacon, an ammunition specialist with the 163rd Ordnance Company, takes a foot to the face from his opponent during the Modern Army Combatives tournament. Chacon, a Bassett, Calif., native, is representing the 79th Sustainment Support Command.
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WARRIOR–CITIZEN Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
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Soldiers competing in the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition start the ruck march on the morning of July 18 at Fort McCoy, Wis. After two early mornings and long days, competitors started the 9-kilometer course at 5:30 a.m.
behind the scenes
over for a group of meetings and site visits are Fort Bragg, N.C. Months of coordination USARC headquarters at the m fro s cer offi ed on my Reserve Command’s noncommissi d “Mitch” Prater, U.S. Ar har Ric ing and j. Ma t. Sg to g Accordin s and hours of work plann , the investment in dollar jor rth it. wo ma ll nt we s gea wa ser n ns itio tio pet era op Best Warrior com ve ser Re my Ar S. of U. 2 executing the 201 ter, who was in charge s and then some,” said Pra nity to use training dollar “It’s worth every nickel op n. “We have the portu itio pet com the r’s at k yea s loo thi g you overseein event. When t is more like a training that to have a competition tha mands, it’s the only event com the of all s sse cro ich wh , ing nn resources and pla e a vested interest in.” all of our commands hav n highlights the best of the Best Warrior competitio the d and sai ter Pra , end In the America’s warrior-citizens n serving in the ranks of me o wo wh er and ldi n So me 0 and ,00 O 205 top NC e at the next level— the r prepares them to compet of the Army Best Warrio ent tm par De the at ve ser Re my Ar the will represent r. ise competition later this yea enough experience, expert r history, we’ve generated the d sai ter Pra ” “For the first time in ou rts. nterpa to compete with our cou y and wealth of knowledge a message about the qualit ds sen o als t bu re osu exp for ly on t no is competition . experts from across the of Army Reserve Soldiers technical subject matter ir More than 160 tactical and isted Soldiers through the t 43 NCOs and junior enl entire Army Reserve pu ek-long competition. last year’s Army-level paces in the grueling, we event started weeks after r’s yea s thi for ing nn pla The ir sponsors and training reviews from warriors, the ion act erAft n. itio pet com more challenging than to make this year’s event cadre were incorporated its predecessors.
LEFT: Spc. Eric Jobb, a motor transportation operator with 5th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, searches for a point at a land navigation course. Jobb, a Richmond, Va., native, is representing the 11th Theater Aviation Command in the competition.
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Burrell, Joint Public Affairs Support Element
Spc. Ahlam Gutierrez, an Army bandperson from San Diego, assigned to the 63rd Regional Support Command, grimaces during the sit-up event of the Army Physical Fitness Test. WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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Soldiers competing in the 2012 U.S. Army Reserve Best Warrior competition walk to the start of the hand grenade qualification course at Fort McCoy, Wis. The competitors, many of whom hadn’t qualified with hand grenades since basic training, had the opportunity to score points and earn a grenade qualification badge.
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
Photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
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, 364th PAOC . Benjamin John photo by Spc
ABOVE LEFT: Spc. Carl Best from Lincolnshire, Ill., is a intelligence analyst with the 378th Military Intelligence Battalion representing the Military Intelligence Readiness Command, puts on his Mission Oriented Protective Posture suit and mask during the warrior tasks drills. ABOVE RIGHT: Spc. Ahlam Gutierrez, a trumpet player with the 800th Army Band, grimaces as a medic works on his back following a match at the Modern Army Combatives tournament. RIGHT: Cpl. Lance Clifford, representing the 416th Theater Engineer Command, tries for one more push-up as Sgt. 1st Class Ruth Morris, a drill sergeant assigned to the 108th Training Division, keeps count during the push-up event of the Army Physical Fitness Test.
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Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marisol Hernandez, 416th ESC
photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Boyer, 352nd CACOM
Sgt. order,” said Master for our operations ll er ce th ge ng to ni g an in pl yth ’s this year started putting ever and aining section and its Tr l vis e ua sit vid e “In November we di ad In m , /7 its USARC G-3 y Reserve un e m th Ar th ar’s nt wi , ye re t ng ffe las di Lo d th on Richar o worked dinated wi rsonnel. Long, wh said the team coor pe ng d Lo r. an r. tte tes de be ra lea cto ion m re tit tea pe oy di ake this year’s com orts with Fort McC t el have strived to m r than Departmen synchronized its eff nn tte rso be pe it t e or ak pp m su to e th nt all wa id “I ion . sa , id tit m sa pe m The co planning tea n be,” Long sending forward.” is the best that it ca ry best that we’re ve ition, personal e “I want to make th un th m ve am ha s, on we rtation, weap that we know po so ns . . tra . g y m rin Ar cu e se th s of clude l challenge that in d range support. en ns, and medical an is a massive logistica tio ica un m rative NCO, has be m co g, lodgin ining and administ tra n so rri ga equipment, meals, oy cC swell, Fort M Master Sgt. Paul Ca years. e ability to house, r for the past three rio e competition is th ar th W r fo st e Be ac g pl l tin or ea id pp su at makes McCoy an e-art facilities. Caswell said that wh uity with them that its with state-of-th un t ien ns tra in and enough contin tra lks fo e es over th move and th wi e oy has really bent gh experienc er said. “Fort McC at “We’ve gotten enou Pr l,” ee wh e th to reinvent now we don’t have ated our needs.” lized sure that they facilit e ining and a centra ak m backwards to state-of-the-art tra e g rv in se in Re tra y t m es Ar lat e th have the Fort McCoy offers tition. The ranges pe m co e th st ho to . location in the U.S o have honed their d by personnel wh ne r an m e ar d an s aid ing environment fo ing a realistic train techniques, provid — an NCO the warriors. nity for two people rtu po op an is s hi “T away saying Soldier — to walk ted lis en or ni ju a d an he said. the Army Reserve,” they are the best of bo no dy else get exposure that “They’re going to They’ll get tio t media atten n. ge ll wi ey Th t. ge will t to see most tention. They’ll ge the command’s at id. all the units,” he sa of the country and y m Ar e th of e fac “They become the e . “Leaders will com id sa er at Pr e,” rv Rese .” ain m ldiers will re and go, but the So
PHOTO By Timothy L. Hale, Army Reserve Command Public Affairs
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l t. 1st Class Danie ABOVE LEFT: Sg erations op ort pp su a er, Alexand with the 96th platoon sergeant de, catches his Sustainment Briga . ing the ruck march ish fin er aft ath bre t. Anthony ABOVE RIGHT: Sg Dustin Chavez, Mitchell, puts Spc. g the Modern rin du r ba arm an in Tournament. Army Combatives Chicago, Ill., of e tiv na Mitchell, a st Journalist, ca ad is a Military Bro Medical 3rd the to d ne sig as ort Command. Deployment Supp ime winner of this o-t tw t firs He is the ning in 2010. win ly event, previous gan Romine, BELOW: Spc. Lo Analyst with ce en llig a 35F/Inte and Headquarters ers Headquart ining an Comp y, 86th Tra the Division, stops on roadside during the to 10km ruck march , rehydrate. Romine of e tiv a na Fennimore, Wis., is representing the 84th Training Command.
PHOTO By Timothy L. Hale, Army Reserve Command Public Affairs WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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trained + ready By Melissa Russell, Army Photo by Ryan Morton, ASA-Dix Public Affairs
Reserve Communications
virtual combat training
not just fun and games Fort Bragg, N.C. — As contingency operations draw down, the Army is racing against time, available dollars and land space for ways to preserve the vital and often perishable skill sets gained by our battle-tested force. Lt. Col. Kevin Brown, training support systems branch chief at U.S. Army Reserve Command, is betting virtual games and simulations are the solution. From medical training to battlefield simulation, games and simulations can be used across the spectrum for virtually any military occupational specialty in the Army. According to Brown, the successful incorporation of gaming into training strategy has the potential to save the Army billions of dollars. Brown, who provides training aids and devices for individual and collective training use, said the fielding of Virtual Battle Space 2 was a huge step forward in the training arena. The Army gaming system debuted more than three years ago, and can also be used for individual and collective training. “The goal now is to take systems like Virtual Battle Space 2 to the next level,” said Brown, “to allow for simultaneous virtual gaming/ training from multiple locations.” With units and commands dispersed across multiple states, the Army Reserve has a vested interest in testing the theory. Brown and a team from Distributed Learning Systems traveled to a Digital Training Facility—a classroom set up for web-based personal and professional education, and virtual training—in Jacksonville, Fla., to test the concept with another DTF located in Richmond, Va. Their success resulted in what would be designated as the first-ever distributive training session of VBS2 in the United States Army.
Winder, Ga. resident, Staff Sgt. Miguel Roman, 1188th Deployment and Distribution Support Battalion, navigates through a scenario on the Virtual Battle Space 2 system at Army Support Activity-Dix. The web-based simulation training was conducted prior to mobilization for the Decatur, Georgia-based unit.
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Since then, larger scale sessions have been conducted, and the only limitation Brown sees is the amount of hardware, software and distributive capacity available. “We’ve enhanced the capability so we can increase the numbers of Soldiers we train in a single session even if they’re clear across the country,” said Brown. “And in these economic times, we need to find ways to maximize virtual training and gaming.” Still, the idea that games and simulations could compare to live training is not without its detractors. “There are doubters, because
settings and resolutions in the game connectivity—so that this kind of distributive capability can be worked into future training of platoon, company or Expeditionary Sustainment Command-sized elements, possibly in conjunction with a Combat Support Training Exercise or Warrior Exercise. This is a G-3/7 goal for next year. The Army Reserve is concurrently spearheading a related program— the Distributive Simulations Capability. The Army Reserve’s 75th Mission Training Division (Mission Command) is taking the lead on the program that will provide a cloud capability that enables their
“The goal now is to take systems like Virtual Battle Space 2 to the next level, to allow for simultaneous virtual gaming/training from multiple locations.” — Lt. Col. Kevin Brown, training support systems branch chief, U.S. Army Reserve Command
there are people who only believe in live training,” said Brown. “But the reality is that virtual training doesn't relieve that requirement— it just gives the commander the ability to rehearse, refine and master the ‘crawl’ and ‘walk’ phases of training, so when they do get to a live event they will be more proficient.” Another benefit of the gaming system is that VBS2’s after action review capability allows leadership to film all events of the scenario, including sounds and commands, and play back any given sequence of events. “No one remembers every detail that took place in a live exercise,” said Brown. “In VBS2 it’s recorded, so we can replay the total scenario. You will see the tracer round and who fired on the sniper first.” Brown said the Army Reserve is working to overcome limitations and kinks—
five mission training centers to offer distributive training and exercise capabilities across the Army Reserve anywhere a signal can be transmitted and received. “The Army Reserve has geographically dispersed Soldiers, units and commands, and only a fraction of the funding,” said Major General Jimmie Jaye Wells, commander of the 75th Mission Training Division (MC). “Our mission is to provide staff training to ensure Soldiers are proficient at battalion level and above. Distributive training simulation is a means to deliver that capability while reducing travel time and the cost of meals and hotels.” “Once this capability has been achieved, imagine the five Mission Training Centers as major hubs with the ability to provide their capability to our fifty spokes (digital training facilities),” said Wells. “The digital training facilities actually become extensions of the mission training centers for exercise and training-related events as well as offering a day-to-day individual training capability for courseware.” The command is weeks away from providing a proof of principal that could be the catalyst for a transition to extensive use of games and simulations/simulators across the entire Army. Meanwhile, within the USARC G-3/7, an effort is underway to refine current gaming simulation strategies. According to Brown, it very well may involve a look at defining what task in the Army Force Generation cycle could be accomplished in VBS2 to assist unit commanders in achieving their goals in a cost effective and timely manner. “This capability provides us the ability to conduct low-cost, realistic, viable, interesting and enjoyable home-station training at a moment’s notice,” said Brown. “Units that may be separated by miles and/or states now have the ability to train together, possibly without ever having to leave their own reserve centers.” WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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health + wellness story and photos by 1ST Lt. John Quinn, 70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
dental readiness
dentists in honduras NACO, Honduras — Despite rough field conditions, heat indexes in the triple digits and having just half the dentists they expected, the Army Reserve Soldiers of the 912th Dental Company (Area Support) were able to surpass their early patient predictions while on a 10-day dental readiness exercise in Honduras.
According to Bisson, many patients traveled great distances for services ranging from cleanings and fillings to extractions. “I’ve heard some of these people are coming from as far as eight hours away.” “They’re willing to wait in line all day just to get their teeth cleaned and have a dentist take care of them,” said Spc. Alisha Wartluft, a dental hygienist. The exercise combines real-world military skills training with humanitarian aid missions. For Wartluft, who was on her first humanitarian mission, the difference in dental care was striking. “In the U.S., we’re told to go to the dentist twice a year,” Wartluft said. “Here, we had a 42-year-old patient who was at the dentist for the first time. Many people can’t afford to go to the dentist, so they’re grateful to have one.”
“They’re willing to wait in line all day just to get their teeth cleaned and have a dentist take care of them.” — Spc. Alisha Wartluft, dental hygienist, 912th Dental Company (Area Support)
Sgt. 1st Class William Bisson of the 912th Dental Company (Area Support) checks a patient’s teeth on the last day of the company’s dental readiness exercise in Naco, Honduras, July 4. The mission was part of U.S. Army South’s Beyond the Horizon 2012 exercise, which combines military skills training with humanitarian exercises.
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From the start of the U.S. Army South’s Beyond the Horizon exercise, hundreds of Hondurans, from toddlers to the elderly, lined up at the clinic before sunrise. In the first several days, Soldiers saw more than 400 patients. The unit pulled together immediately and far surpassed its initial goal of seeing 800–900 Honduran patients, said Staff Sgt. Tim White, of Columbus, Ohio. “We’ve seen over 1,000 patients even though we only had eight dentists and three hygienists,” White said. “We were supposed to have 15 dentists initially. With seven fewer, this is definitely a big achievement.” That’s a lot of teeth. Sgt. 1st Class William Bisson, of Akron, Ohio, said no patient was turned away for treatment, though due to time constraints, some were given papers to return the following day.
White credited the patient administration department, which met the patients when they came in, triaged them and maintained order in the line, for the successful numbers. Bisson ran the administrative portion of the exercise. His 912th team was supplemented by Soldiers from other units, including Spc. Jonathan Batres, a medic with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 444th Minimal Care Detachment, and Staff Sgt. Henry Tobar, of the Florida National Guard’s 260th Military Intelligence Battalion. Both volunteered to serve as translators throughout the exercise, Bisson said. Perhaps none was more motivated than Maj. Luiz Arzu, a dentist from Chicago, Ill. Arzu was born in nearby San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and still has Family in the area. “A lot of things have changed,” said Arzu, who came to the U.S. more than 40 years ago. “I get a
new command board process
streamlining the Command Board By Lt. Col. Shawn Woodbridge, Army Reserve Communications
sense of pleasure and am grateful to help. I always wanted to come back and help.” Arzu, who plans on returning to the area with an organization that targets malnutrition in children, said he has done a number of procedures and has reinforced the importance of dental hygiene and flossing to his patients. Beyond helping the community, Arzu said the training has been great for his Soldiers who don’t often get hands-on training opportunities like Beyond the Horizon. “Working with patients reinforces all the training they’ve done,” Arzu said. “Now they’ve worked in the field and know they’re able to adapt and overcome. Now that they have done the mission, our younger Soldiers will be able to refresh and recall quickly because of what they’ve done here.”
Army Reserve Col. Donald Begezda (standing) speaks with Col. Thomas Dundon, commander of the 912th Dental Company (Area Support), as he examines a patient during the last day of the dental readiness exercise.
Reserve component colonel and lieutenant colonels eligible for the Army Promotion List and the Army Medical Department Boards in Fiscal Year 13 will have to square away their packets sooner than they may have anticipated. According to Col. Barbara Owens, Army Reserve G-1, moving the promotion boards to January (APL) and February (AMEDD) significantly improves both the promotion and the command board process. “Holding the promotion boards in May and July did not allow sufficient time to process results prior to the command boards,” said Owens. “The modification narrows the command board’s focus to promotable officers only, allowing the board to hone in on the best selection from a pool of qualified applicants.” “This is a positive step to improving the process, ensuring we assign commanders properly,” said Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith, director of Army Reserve Human Capital Core Enterprise. “The previous timeline created self-inflicted administrative delays in both processing and finalizing command assignments.” Smith noted that the absence of timely notification often resulted in newly promotable lieutenant colonels declining a previously accepted lieutenant colonel command position in favor of a promotion. This circumstance caused re-slating of the vacated position and caused additional delays and turbulence in command positions. Conducting two promotion boards for each grade and competitive category in the condensed timeframe will benefit promotion of non-select officers by providing a quick re-look rather than waiting another year for the next promotion opportunity. The date-of-rank of promotable officers will not be affected as a result of the promotion board date change. The MILPER messages of the changes impacting O6 and O5 APL and AMEDD boards beginning in FY13 will be published in October. Though there is sufficient time to submit the required documents for the January and February boards, due to the condensed timeframe between the FY12 and FY13 promotion boards there may be less time to impact board files, such as additional OERs.
For the upcoming promotion board dates for FY13 see the Human Resources Command website:
https://www.hrc.army.mil/tagd/FY13%20 Army%20Selection%20Board%20Schedule WARRIOR–CITIZEN
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health + wellness
suicide prevention
A Soldier at Joint Base Lewis-McChord looks at the new PE Coach app, a mobile app from the National Center For Telehealth and Technology. Soldiers can use the recently released Department of Defense smart phone applications to anonymously address anxiety, stress, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
new mobile apps help troubled warriors cope story and photo by
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. —
Joseph Jimenez, DoD National
Warriors don’t like to admit problems with stress, anxiety, depression or even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. If they did, many don’t know whom to trust with their problem, or just try to bury it. Now, two new, smart mobile applications can help individuals cope with those challenges of military life. Recently released from the Defense Department’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology on Joint Base Lewis–McChord, LifeArmor and Prolonged Exposure Coach are two very different mobile apps with a common purpose: help the warrior. LifeArmor has 17 behavioral topics about military life many people find difficult to talk about. “We hope an anonymous source of credible information will help many people facing difficult situations in their military careers,” said Dr. Robert Ciulla, T2 clinical psychologist. “We wanted to get this information to each member of our military community and use the popularity of the smartphone to reach them.” Ciulla led the development of Afterdeployment.org in 2008. The Web site was developed to help service members returning from combat deployments. Ciulla said the success of the Web site led to the development of the app that fits better in the lifestyle of a mobile military population.
Center for Telehealth & Technology Public Affairs
“We hope an anonymous source of credible information will help many people facing difficult situations in their military careers.” — Dr. Robert Ciulla, T2 clinical psychologist
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WARRIOR–CITIZEN
LifeArmor’s behavioral topics are: alcohol and drugs, anger, anxiety, depression, Families and friendships, Families with kids, life stress, mild traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, physical injury, post-traumatic stress, resilience, sleep, spirituality, stigma, tobacco and work adjustment. Each topic has four sections with information, assessments, videos with personal stories and interactive exercises to develop coping skills. Ciulla said the assessments are useful, but are not intended to be the sole basis for conclusions about a user’s mental health status and should not replace professional counseling. While LifeArmor is an app for individual learning and management of symptoms, the PE Coach mobile app was developed to be used by a patient who is being treated for PTSD by a clinician or therapist. PE Coach is the first mobile app designed for PTSD therapy. T2 worked with the Veterans Administration for two years to develop the app. Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD is used by the DOD and VA. Like LifeArmor, PE Coach was developed to use the popularity of the smartphone. “We worked with a broad and diverse group of psychologists in the DOD and VA who are treating PTSD patients with prolonged exposure therapy,” said Dr. Greg Reger, clinical psychologist in T2’s Innovative Technology Applications division. “We wanted to help our patients in the therapy and make it easier for providers to deliver this treatment. PE Coach does both.” Prolonged exposure is a widely used therapy that helps a patient process a trauma memory to reduce the distress and avoidance caused by the trauma. During the therapy, the patient revisits the memory with a therapist. As the memory is emotionally processed, anxiety decreases. The therapy also helps the patient confront avoided situations that trigger memories of the trauma. Dr. Jonathon Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said, “We have shared this app with our military healthcare providers and hope that many individuals who are receiving PE therapy will find it useful.”
More information about T2 is available at www.t2health.org.
Behind every Soldier is a strong support team
Use them to prevent suicide
Counselor Battle Buddies
Family
Chain of Command Coach
Chaplain
Physician
www.militaryonesource.com l 1.800.342.9647 N a t i o n a l S u i c i d e P r e v e n t i o n L i f e l i n e 1 . 8 0 0 . 2 7 3 . T A L K ( 8 2WARRIOR–CITIZEN 55)
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