Articles

State, military law enforcement officers train on Fort Richardson to keep youth drug free

Post children make connection to history through artwork

VA sees increase in loan volume

Excalibur artillery round deemed ‘amazingly accurate’

Army fires first round from cannon prototype on FCS chassis

News Briefs

Program Executive Office Soldier launches surveys

New Chemical-Biological Warfare Exposures Web site launched

VA announces increased compensation now available for some veterans

U.S. military vows to find missing service members

Army looks to communicate through brain waves

Military research on invisibility is not science fiction

Protect yourself from mortgage fraud, predatory lenders

Prepare, polite, professional: The 1-25th SBCT is ready for its deployment to Iraq

Reflections on the Stryker brigade’s deployment

Are military parents too tough on their children?

Education helps Wainwright chef whip up experience

Agencies look at revamping medical boards

Take steps to check cholesterol at the door

Organizations take the pledge to combat childhood obesity

Eat on the run, make healthy food choices

New TRICARE payment process

TRICARE serves as sustainable ally during cancer battle

Road worries- Alaska Soldiers risk lives, careers by driving under the influence

C/84th engineers post flag football championship 25-20

Support your deployed Soldier by walking to Iraq, back

Army tests Warrior Adventure Quest to help save Soldiers’ lives

Photo Specials: 

• Richardson’s 164th MPs return from Iraq deployment

• Winter Safety Week educates Fort Wainwright families

MWR Events

Fort Wainwright Compass

Fort Richardson Compass

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Speak Up How do you relieve stress when your spouse is deployed?

Erica Calvillo "Bingo baby.  I go to bingo.  I work two jobs to keep busy, and I hand out with the girls

Molly and James Huggins "I sew...I learned how during my husband's first deployment.  I made curtains for every window and duvets for the whole house.

Annelisa Judi "I work out everyday.  I make sure to do something for me, so I can be a better mom.  If I am not happy, by kids aren't happy."

Amy Phares "I will include my husband's son in anything I do.  I work out, play board games, stay connected with family on the phone and go fishing."

Kim Borbely "I take college classes to keep me busy and work towards my degree."

Willie Anders III "I am a musician.  I am into music.  I create , produce, and write music.  I also play videogames with my son.

There’s more to resisting drugs than just saying “no.”  “It’s about gaining decision making skills that can last a lifetime,” said Naomi Sweetman, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education state coordinator and executive director. “What most people don’t realize is D.A.R.E is more than a ‘just say no’ program.” Life is all about making choices and through the D.A.R.E. program, children are taught, from kindergarten to high school, how to make good choices when it comes to drugs and drinking alcohol, Sweetman said. Monday through Oct. 10,  20 law enforcement officers and village public safety officers from all over Alaska, to include military law enforcement personnel from Eielson and Elmendorf Air Force bases, Fort Greely, Fort Wainwright and Fort Richardson, will participate in D.A.R.E. training to become certified to teach the D.A.R.E. program in their local communities. Full Story

The lines in her face and hands tell a story. The worry reflected in the depths of her eyes tells a tale. The simple imagery of this historic photo has the power to stop people in their tracks, said Leslie Gale, the Ursa Minor Elementary School librarian. “Migrant Mother and Children” by Dorothea Lange (1936) is just that kind of photo, Gale said. Once they see it, it’s also the kind of photo that makes children ask a lot of questions, she said. Like, “What’s the story behind this photo? Why are they there?” And, “Why does she look so sad?”  Lange’s photo is being used to teach modern day children about history and civics in an innovative way. It’s part of a large collection of artwork, photos, building designs, textiles and essays provided free of charge from a grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Picturing America Program. Full Story

WASHINGTON – More service members and veterans are using their Department of Veterans Affairs home loan guaranty benefit, as VA’s loan program remains a strong option in today’s housing market. VA is experiencing a significant increase in home loan volume, with more than 162,000 home loan guaranties provided this year, an increase of more than 31 percent over the same period last year. “VA attributes this increase to the favorable terms traditionally offered with VA loans and the elimination of many no-downpayment products in the conventional mortgage market,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. Full Story

From taking out top al-Qaida operatives to safely firing within 50 meters of dismounted infantrymen, the Picatinny Excalibur projectile is already paying dividends a year after its initial fielding to Soldiers. When Excalibur first debuted in Iraq in May 2007, it became the Army’s first all-weather, precision-guided artillery round. While the Excalibur Program Office at Picatinny estimates approximately 70 of the ground-breaking Excalibur rounds have been fired in Iraq, Capt. Victor Scharstein of Alpha Battery, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, commanded one of the original units to field the round. Full Story

YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. — The Future Combat Systems program successfully fired the first artillery projectile from the manned ground vehicle non-line-of-sight cannon prototype Sept. 23. The successful firing of the projectile is a milestone for the program, said Lt. Col. Robert McVay, Army product manager for NLOS-C. “This marks the first 155-mm round fired from a fully automated howitzer mounted on an FCS hybrid-electric chassis and remotely commanded through its on-board computers and controls,” he said. The NLOS-C has the ability to rapidly deliver precision munitions in both urban and conventional battle space, officials said, adding it is the lead prototype in the Army’s family of eight FCS manned ground vehicles. Full Story

• $7,500 reward offered for identification of vandals

• Raven’s Roost storage property must be relocated

• Donations for Combined Federal Campaign continue

• There is still time to register to vote in the Nov. 4 election

• Service members protected from rental foreclosures

Full Story

FORT BELVOIR, Va – The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Soldier has launched an Internet-based survey system to support its mission to incorporate Soldier feedback into everything it does. More than 30 surveys, announced on Army Knowledge Online and available to Soldiers through a link on the PEO Soldier Web site at peosoldier.army.mil, are designed to give Soldiers a forum to communicate their thoughts and suggestions up the chain of command. The surveys cover everything from clothing and individual equipment — gloves, goggles and battering rams — to individual and crew-served weapons, such as the M-4 carbine and the M-110 sniper system. Full Story

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The Department of Defense Force Health Protection and Readiness Directorate has launched the Chemical-Biological Warfare Exposures Web site to provide service members, veterans, their families and the public with information on the testing of chemical and biological warfare agents from 1942 to 1975. The Web site presents sections on World War II, Project 112/SHAD (Shipboard Hazard and Defense) and the Cold War. To evaluate the ability of U.S. forces to fight on a chemical and biological battlefield, DoD carried out testing programs. In some programs, service members were present but not test subjects; and in other programs, they were volunteer human subjects.   Full Story

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced changes in the way VA will evaluate traumatic brain injuries and burn scars for purposes of determining the appropriate level of compensation veterans receive for these injuries.  “These important regulatory changes will allow VA decision makers to better assess the consequences of these injuries and ensure veterans are properly compensated for their residual effects,” stated Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.  Full Story

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military never stops searching for service members reported as captured or missing during the Global War on Terrorism or those missing from past wars. “The combatant commanders that are out in the field today are working to find any service members who are missing in the current conflicts” in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Air Force Capt. Mary R. Olsen, a public affairs officer for the Pentagon’s POW/MIA Office in Arlington, Va. No U.S. service members, she said, are now listed as missing or captured during operations in Afghanistan.  Full Story

WASHINGTON — The 1982 Clint Eastwood thriller “Firefox” seemed like the ultimate military science fiction story: A former Vietnam War pilot steals a state-of-the-art Soviet fighter plane armed with weapons controlled solely by thought. More than 25 years later, the Army is funding research to explore the futuristic concept of using brain waves to communicate. The Army Research Office awarded a $4-million grant in mid-August to lay the scientific foundation it hopes will someday enable Soldiers in the field to communicate through a deliberate thought process. Full Story

WASHINGTON — Invisibility has long existed in the realm of imagination and fantasy, but for Army scientists and researchers studying ways to apply the latest technology to save Soldiers’ lives, fantasy is slowly becoming a reality. Dr. Richard Hammond, a theoretical physicist who works in Optical Physics and Imaging Science at the U.S. Army’s Research Office, participated in a roundtable to discuss the developments in the field of negative index materials research and meta materials. Developing research in these areas is making light reflect in ways it never has before – with extraordinary effect. Full Story

Horror stories about victims of predatory lending are everywhere in the media these days. Abusive or “predatory” lenders target people who have high equity in their homes, but may not have a great deal of available cash. Predatory lenders usually offer sky-high interest rate loans with high fees. Predatory lending takes unfair advantage of consumers by providing loans they cannot afford. These loans have deceptive, unclear and high-cost terms which could ultimately lead to the loss of their home. Most predatory loans occur in the sub-prime market. Full Story

As an infantry sergeant major, I’ve obviously been in the Army a long time. I’ve served with all kinds of units, but my first experience with a Stryker unit was in 2003, when I was a sergeant major at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La. The brigade came from Fort Lewis, Wash., and did very well, so I was pretty impressed with the Stryker Soldiers. They definitely earned my respect.  It’s our job at the JRTC to give the unit the hardest challenge its ever had so it can exercise all its systems. That Stryker unit came in, and they overwhelmed us pretty quick.  Full Story

As a 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team veteran, I have to admit to having mixed emotions during the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Sept. 11 deployment ceremony. Many Soldiers from my old unit — 2nd Battalion, 8th Field Artillery Regiment — often ask me about my staying back. “Are you coming with us?” they ask. The question is usually posed in a humorous tone. However — just as often — the inquisitor is serious. It can be a tough question to answer for a former Soldier who understands the principles of duty to country. Full Story

I have been judged and found wanting in the “Court of Mommy Opinion” at our bus stop. This time I committed the unpardonable act of making my freshman in high school walk to school. That’s right. He missed the bus, so I made him walk 1.62 miles across flat ground under a blue sky to get to school. I know, I know. I ought to be shot. Or at least yelled at. “But what if he is late?” asked the lawyer mom. “Then he’ll be late,” I said. “It’s his life. His tardiness. His detention. He’ll deal with it.” Full Story

Pfc. Jason Schmidt was an executive chef, a sous-chef and a banquet chef in Philadelphia, Maryland, New York and Florida before he entered the Army. Now the 25th Brigade Support Battalion Soldier from Fort Wainwright can add the title of certified culinarian to his resume after attending food service training at Fort Lee, Virginia. “It was mostly a refresher for me, getting me back up to speed. Guys who have been chefs for 10 years, 15 years and 20 years even, can’t pass this test. To take the classes, test and get certified by the American Culinary Federation, it keeps your knife sharp,” Schmidt said.  Full Story

WASHINGTON — Some 400 representatives from the Army, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Labor and Social Security Administration, among others, met in Leesburg, Va., last week to discuss ways to improve the care of wounded and ill Soldiers. Many of the discussions centered on revamping the Medical Evaluation Board process by which wounded and ill Soldiers are screened to determine whether or not they’re able to continue to serve, said Brig. Gen. Gary Cheek, the Army’s assistant surgeon general for Warrior Care and Transition. “Members of the MEB determine whether or not a Soldier is fit or unfit for service,” Cheek said.  Full Story

FORT LEE, Va. — You are what you eat is so true when it comes to controlling cholesterol. Instead of a hamburger with french fries, how about grilled salmon and a baked sweet potato for dinner? Eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, soluble fiber, nuts, olive oil and plant stanols or sterols can help lower cholesterol. With high cholesterol being one of the major risk factors for heart disease, controlling those levels is important for a healthy heart. Go fish - Salmon and other cold-water fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which have cholesterol-lowering benefits. Omega 3 fatty acids also help the heart by reducing blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. Research shows for those who have had a heart attack, fish oil, which has omega-3 fatty acids, reduces the risk of sudden death. Full Story

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — In the past decade childhood obesity rates have risen to epidemic proportions. The United States surgeon general is encouraging all Americans to “take the pledge” to combat childhood obesity, and this includes families of the uniformed services. TRICARE, the Defense Commissary Agency, Military OneSource and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service are partnering with Health and Human Services on a Human Resources and Services Administration initiative to raise awareness of the problem among military families and encourage them to take the pledge during National Children’s Health Month in October. The partnership is aimed at increasing the effectiveness of healthy lifestyle campaign programs within the Department of Defense. Full Story

FORT LEE, Va. — Eating out is a daily habit for many of us as we commute to work, drop off the children at sports and rush to the many activities that fill our lives. We often find ourselves eating at least one meal a day at a restaurant or fast-food establishment. Yet, meals eaten away from home are higher in total calories, fat and saturated fat, and lower in calcium, fiber and iron than meals eaten at home. On average, we consume about 300 calories more a day when we eat out than when eating meals at home. Therefore, it makes sense to try eating more meals at home. The Dietary Guidelines recommends making smart food choices and watching portion sizes wherever you are – at the grocery store, at work, in your favorite restaurant or running errands. Full Story

TRICARE rules are expected to change regarding how your TRICARE Prime enrollment fees are paid. As early as 2010, Prime beneficiaries will need to begin making their enrollment fee payments via electronic means. However, not everyone pays enrollment fees, so please note whether this applies to you: You do pay fees if you are enrolled in TRICARE Prime as a retired service member, the family of a retired service member, a survivor or an eligible former spouse. You do not pay fees if you are enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Prime Remote as an active-duty service member, the family of an active-duty service member or a transitional survivor of an active-duty service member. There are also no fees associated with standard coverage.  Full Story

A little over a year ago, the lives of a TRICARE beneficiary family were unpleasantly interrupted. Jeff and Sharon LaPan would receive the shock of a lifetime. Their daughter was a full-time college student at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and part-time employee at a local restaurant. An excellent student, Ashley LaPan maintained a heavier course load than most students, studied hard and earned top grades. Her life, too, would be disrupted by the fear and shock inherent when illness threatens life. Looking back at the beginning of their journey, Sharon LaPan recalls how the family found out her daughter had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.   Full Story

Driving under the influence (DUI) stops of Fort Richardson, Fort Wainwright personnel climb to 141 for the year. Fort Richardson: 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment; 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment; 725th Brigade Support Battalion; 84th Engineer Battalion; 98th Maintenance Company; and Warrior Transition Unit. Fort Wainwright: 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment  Full Story

The C Company, 84th Engineer Battalion team scored on every offensive possession and held on to defeat the 725th Brigade Support Battalion team 25-20 and take the Fort Richardson intramural flag football title Sept. 18 at the Buckner Physical Fitness Center field. The Engineers rolled undefeated through the eight-team tourney, sending the 725th BSB to the loser’s bracket in a semi-final game Sept. 16. BSB defeated the 4th Quartermaster team 34-12 in the final loser’s bracket game for a second chance at the engineers. After losing their first game to the eventual champions, the 4th QM team, seeded eighth in the initial tournament standings, finished in third place after a three-game winning streak led them through the loser’s bracket. Full Story

A program that had its beginnings in Wuerzberg, Germany, has swept the globe and was recently adopted at Fort Wainwright and embraced by more than 250 family members, civilians and Soldiers. The globe-trotting activity so many have pledged to participate in is the “Walk to Iraq and Back” program, which officially began Sept. 5 at Fort Wainwright’s Army Community Service birthday celebration. The Walk to Iraq and Back program is a way for family members, friends and civilians to show support of deployed Soldiers and to keep active while their loved ones are away, said Mary Cheney, the Army Family Team Building and Army Family Action Plan program manager at ACS. Full Story

Ten minutes prior to his accident, he had been pulled over by a local police officer for traveling 84 in a 55 mph zone.

While no one can definitively say why the Soldier refused to slow down even after being warned by law enforcement, Army officials believe this accident and hundreds of similar accidents have a common link. Soldiers returning to garrison life after extended combat deployments are having difficulty adjusting and are seeking the adrenaline rush they’ve grown accustomed to in combat environments.

 Full Story

Photo Specials:

Richardson’s 164th MPs return from Iraq deployment | Winter Safety Week educates Fort Wainwright families

MWR Events | Fort Wainwright Compass| Fort Richardson Compass

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