February 2, 2012 FREE COPY

Hey, Soldier:

Did you Know?

Valentines for VetsComplimentary concert open

to the public; tickets required.Live in concert with perform-ance by The Platters, Feb. 17 at7:30 p.m. at the Jackson Con-vention Complex at 105 E.Pascagoula St. Jackson, MS.

Concert open to public andtickets required. Call 601-364-1391.

Gov’s Job FairFriday, Feb. 3 VA Medical

Center, Jackson. 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.Open ONLY to Military Vets,Spouses and Dependents. NoAdmission Fee. Additional infocontact Dept. of Veterans Af-fairs at 601-364-7049.

Tax centerCamp Shelby’s Income Tax

Center opened Feb. 2 and offersfree income tax services inbldg. 1485. Open 9 a.m. to 2p.m. Mon., Tues., and Thurs.and from 9 a.m. to noon onWed. and Fri. (closed week-ends) “Appt-Only” basis. Willtake appointments through Apr.12, 2012. Call 601-558-2190 toset appt. Walk-ins not accepted.Call Cpt. R.L. Edwards 601-558-2348.

USM ‘Military Night’USM will host military ap-

preciation night during theLady Eagles vs. Marshall bas-ketball game. Feb. 23 @ 7 p.m.All active, reserve, retire mem-bers may buy $2 tickets at thePat Ferlise Center or at the gatewith military ID.

Vehicle decalsThe 2012 vehicle decals are

now available for issue at theMP desk located on the Northside of building 6606.

Decals are available 24/7. In order to obtain a decal,

you must have with you a validdriver's license, current proof ofinsurance, valid vehicle regis-tration, and a completed copyof your application.

No exceptions will be madefor expired or invalid documen-tation.

Decals will only be issued tofull-time personnel assigned toCamp Shelby and contractorswith a contract exceeding 90days.

Decals are not authorized forsoldiers in IDT or AT status.

Please call 601-558-2232with any questions.

Chapel servicesNoon Day at the Chapel on

CSJFTC Wednesdays from11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. An op-portunity for encouraging oneanother in Praise and Worship.Call Chaplain (Maj.) TerryPartin.

See SOLDIER, Page 2

By STAFF SGT. LaTASHA WILLIAMSCamp Shelby Public Affairs

Brig. Gen. Augustus L. Collinswas appointed as Adjutant General ofMississippi during a news conferencein Jackson, Jan.11.

The newly elected Governor ofMississippi Phil Bryant made the an-nouncement.

“The National Guard is an essen-tial part of the fighting force onwhich our country relies. More thanever, it is the force that makes yourfellow Mississippians proud beyondwords. When you call out the guard,you call out America,” said Bryantaddressing the crowd. “Today, theman I have chosen to lead those12,500 brave men and women has

served in the Mississippi NationalGuard with distinction for 30 years.That man is Brig. Gen. Augustus L.Collins.”

Collins commanded the 155thBrigade Combat Team of the Missis-sippi Army National Guard duringOperation Iraqi Freedom in 2005.Bryant said that mobilization wasMississippi’s largest since WWII.

Under his leadership, the unitachieved great success while sta-tioned in the hostile area known asthe “Triangle of Death.” While de-ployed, Collins became Mississippi’sfirst African American general.

“I stand here before you becausethe Lord ordered the steps thatbrought me to this place,” saidCollins.

Bryant told the audience that theformer First U.S. Army Commander,Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, calledCollins one of the best general offi-cers in which he had worked withduring his 37 years in the Army.

“Collins has earned many awardsand distinctions throughout his ca-reer, including the Legion of Merit,the Meritorious Service Medal andthe Mississippi Magnolia Cross. Hisdedicated service has won him the re-spect and admiration of his superiorsand peers,” said Bryant.

He has served recently as the Ex-ecutive Vice President of MINACTInc., a private company that special-izes in training and developing youngadults.

In 2007, Collins was nominated by

Gov. Haley Barbour to serve as oneof the three commissioners for theMississippi Workers’ CompensationCommission.

Collins retired from the UnitedStates Army October of 2007. Heserved in various positions with theMississippi National Guard and theActive Army at all levels from Com-pany Command to Major ArmyCommand, including his final assign-ment as Director of Mobilization atUnited States Army Forces Com-mand at Fort McPherson, Ga.

“I think it is wonderful and he is sodeserving of this position,” saidCollins’ wife Debra as she held backtears.

Collins appointed MS Adjutant General

See COLLINS, Page 3

By STAFF SGT. KENNY HATTENCamp Shelby Public Affairs

158th Infantry Brigade Com-mander Col. Christopher S.Forbes hosted a change of re-sponsibility ceremony Jan. 20 atCamp Shelby Joint Forces Train-ing Center where Sgt. Maj.Robert G. Todd relinquished re-sponsibility to Command Sgt.Maj. William L. Gardner II.

“Sgt. Maj. Todd is an ab-solutely phenomenal leader andNCO, everything you could wantin a command sergeant major, butthe Army is made to take lossesand keep moving forward,” saidForbes. “We’re blessed with tal-ent and that’s what we have todaywith Gardner coming in, anothergreat, perfect example of aleader.”

Gardner is a native of CocoaBeach, Fla., and previouslyserved as the battalion commandsergeant major of the 4th Battal-ion, 320th Field Artillery at Fort

Campbell, Ky. He received his orders to report

for duty with the 158th at CampShelby during his recent deploy-ment to Afghanistan.

“My Family and I are very ex-cited. Everyone we’ve met hasbeen wonderful and very accom-modating,” said Gardner. “Thesouthern hospitality and charm isdefinitely in full effect here inHattiesburg and the transitionwith the brigade team here hasbeen wonderful.”

After two years of service withthe 158th at Camp Shelby, Toddis now slated to report to CampCasey, Korea, as the battalioncommand sergeant major for the1st Battalion, 72nd Armor Regi-ment.

“As the Command SergeantMajor, it is my duty to build con-fidence between the Soldiers andmyself, and my goal has alwaysbeen to take care of my Soldiers,”

158th holds ʻChange of Responsibilityʼ cere-

CHANGE OFRESPONSIBILITY...

Outgoing Command Sgt.Maj. Robert G. Todd,

left, of the 158thInfantry Brigade,

passes the unit flag toBrigade Commander

Col. Christopher S.Forbes during the

traditional change ofresponsibility ceremony

at Camp Shelby JointForces Training Center.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Kenny HattenCamp Shelby Public Affairs

See 158th CHANGE, Page 3

U.S. Army photo by Sandy AtesADJUTANT GENERAL... Congratulations to Brig. Gen. Augustus L. “Leon” Collins on his selection as the new adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard. Picturedare (left to right) Brig. Gen. Collins, Mrs. Deborah Collins, Governor Phil Bryant, Mrs. Karen Freeman and Maj. Gen. William L. Freeman, Jr. Collinsʼ swearing in ceremonywas conducted at the Office of the Adjutant General prior to Gov. Bryantʼs announcement of Collins as the new adjutant general.

GI Bill transferThe Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill pro-

vides for a transfer of education benefitsto family members. Family membersmust be in DEERS and eligible Soldiersmust make the transfer prior to retire-ment. Failure to transfer before retire-ment will terminate the capability tomake the transfer.

All Ranks ClubCurrently undergoing renovations.

Business hours are still the same, butparking is limited.

Credit Union openCS Federal Credit Union is now open

for business in new location at Ware-house Ave., bldg 82. Hours of operationare from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon. - Fri.,drive thru opens at 8 a.m. Call 601-544-5421/601-558-2599.

Internet opportunitiesCamp Shelby has an Internet Café lo-

cated on 26th Street bldg 2614 and thehours of operations are Monday- Friday8 a. m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday andSunday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. which is free tothe Soldiers.

The American Grill has internet serv-ice available but there is a fee. Thehours of operations are Monday – Fri-day 8 a.m.-7p.m. Saturday and Sunday11 a.m – 4 p.m.

JAG’s new homeThe Judge Advocate General’s office

has moved to bldg 1485. All contactnumbers are the same. Contact Maj.Ronald McBay.

ASVAB practicePractice GT exams are available at

the education center. Appointment re-quired. The GT score is one of the mostimportant line scores computed from aSoldier’s results on the ASVAB test.

For more information contact Mr.Junkins at john.junkins1@us.army.milor 601-558-2029.

Troop storeNow accepting online applications

for retail positions. Friendly dispositionand flexible hours.

Apply online at www.aafes.com.Background check is required. AAFESis an EOE employer.

Poster IdeasIf you have an idea for a new suicide

prevention poster or video, please putyour idea on paper and send it to us oreither drop by and present it to us. Con-tact Lt. Col. Constance Essex at (601)558-2538.

Deployment storiesCmd. Sgt. Maj. (Retired) Ray Cordell

is now working for Lifetime networkand he is looking for locations to filmthe next season of their Homecomingsseries.

If you have Soldiers returning fromdeployment and want to get in on thisopportunity to tell your Army stories,please contact Ray atray.cordell@ymail.com or call (916)409-5076 or (443) 370-3291.

Education CenterDefense Language Proficiency Tests

(DLPTs) are available (computerized) atthe CSJFTC-DPCA Education center.

For more information contact the ed-ucation center for more complete infor-mation on DLPTs and Oral ProficiencyInterviews (OPI). @ 601-558-2029bldg. 1813 on 18 Street.

ATM HoursNew ATM hours at billeting will be

Monday - Friday 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Saturday- Sunday 7:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m.ATM can also be found at Post Ex-change and Camp Shelby Federal CreditUnion.

American Red CrossThe American Red Cross Service to

Armed Forces (SAF) Program ensuresthat emergency messages are verifiedand delivered to the proper authoritiesregardless of how far away the servicemember may be.

Effective June 13, 2011 a single callto send urgent messages to a servicemember can be made to 877-272-7337(U.S. toll free).

Officer AssociationThe Officer Association will have a

meeting at 7 a.m. on Dec. 16 at the All-Ranks Club.

For more information, call Maj. PatLowery at 601-558-2062.

Tell us your storyThe Reveille wants your story! The

Reveille highlights an Officer, Noncom-missioned Officer, Enlisted Soldier anda Civilian in every edition.

Tell us about your job at CampShelby. Tell us about your military ca-reer, background, hobbies or accom-plishments.

If you are interested in telling yourstory, contact the CSJFTC Public Af-fairs Office at 601-558-2271 or 601-558-2835.

The Reveille wants to highlight yourFamily in a Family Corner article forspecial achievements and events.

Whether you’re a contractor, DACivilian or Soldier, the Reveille wantsto highlight your Family member’s lat-est news. Contact CSJFTC Public Af-fairs Office at 601-558-2271 or601-558-2835.

NCO AssociationA raffle for a Honda Fourtrax Four-

man 500 FE with tilt bed trailer will beheld April 21, 2012. Tickets are $10each or 12 for $100. For more informa-tion, contact Master Sgt. Timothy BoPlunk, 662-902-4650 or visitwww.msncoa.org.

Welcome, members of the 27th In-fantry Brigade Combat Team, NewYork Army National Guard, as you

begin your mobilization training with us. Itis an honor and a pleasure to assist Amer-ica’s finest as you embark on your journey insupport of America’s continued fight forfreedom.

The mobilization mission continues tomove forward as we welcome the 869th Ver-tical Construction Engineer Company,Florida Army National Guard; the 3-20thSpecial Forces Company A, B, C and Dcomprised of Army National Guard Soldiersfrom Mississippi, Florida, North Carolinaand Illinois; the 781st Transportation Com-pany, Alabama Army National Guard; the179th Ordinance Company, Kansas ArmyNational Guard; the 1157th TransportationCompany, Wisconsin Army National Guard;the 444th Chemical Company, Illinois ArmyNational Guard and the 210th Military Po-lice Company, Michigan Army NationalGuard.

Continue the standard of excellence incustomer service, training, and support as weassist these units for their upcoming mission

readiness.Team, help me welcome home members of

the 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team,Oklahoma Army National Guard; 204th The-ater Airfield Operations Group, LouisianaArmy National Guard and the 418th MilitaryPolice Company, Florida Army NationalGuard.

Thank you, comrades, for your service andsacrifice during the past months as youserved your country, state and communitywith honor and distinction during ongoingOverseas Contingency Operations.

Remember, we are only as strong as ourweakest link.

Take a special interest in your Soldiers andcivilian employees.

Strive for excellence through training, pro-fessional development and continuing educa-tion opportunities. Know your team.

Take interest in their goals for your organ-ization and for their Families. Rememberthat sometimes in life there are challengesand triumphs.

Educate your team on the available re-sources right here at Camp Shelby that canassist with challenges that Soldiers and their

Families might face. Some challenges can be as simple as edu-

cation opportunities, needing assistance tofill out college scholarship applications andfinancial planning while other challengescan be as serious as domestic violence, sex-ual assault or attempted suicide.

Regardless of the situation, the Guard isFamily and there are resources to help alltypes of concerns before the challenge be-comes a serious life or death situation. Gethelp if you need it and always look ahead fora brighter tomorrow.

Prevention and education is key to ensuretomorrow’s success.

Thanks to all of you for your dedicatedsupport as we continue the mission of mobi-lizing and demobilizing American Heroes.

It is an honor and a privilege to assistAmerica’s finest patriots as they embark ontheir journey for the continued fight for free-dom. Thank you for all that you do and keepup the good work.

May God continue to bless you, your Fam-ilies, and this great country that we are solucky to have the honor to serve.

“SOLDIERS FIRST!”

Boots on ground increase as the mobilization mission continues

Col. Steve Parham

Page 2 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Thursday, February 2, 2012

Col. Steve Parham ....................CS Commander

Maj. Deidre Musgrave ........................PA Officer

Staff Sgt. Jackquline Moore................PA NCOIC

Staff Sgt. Latasha Williams ....................PA NCO

Staff Sgt. Kenny Hatten..........................PA NCO

Dana Elise Smith ..........................Videographer

deidre.musgrave@us.army.mil

601-467-1064 601-558-2835

SOLDIERContinued from Page 1

Among his many achieve-ments, Collins was also hon-ored as a 2007 inductee intothe University of Missis-sippi’s Alumni Hall of Fameand was the 2006 MississippiTrailblazer of the Year. He isa 2006 inductee into the Mis-sissippi Military AcademyOfficer Candidate School’sHall of Fame.

“The time that I am in of-fice, you can expect nothingless than my best efforts. Mybest efforts combined withyour best efforts will be thebest that can be found any-where in this Nation,” saidCollins.

He spoke of the horrifictragedies of 9/11, saying wehave to be prepared for any-thing.

“We have to be prepared forthe next hurricane, tornado,ice storm or any other naturalor man-made disaster,” saidCollins.

Collins’ wife Debra andoldest son William, 26, werethere to show support. His

youngest son Benjamin, 19,was unable to attend due tosemester exams at the Univer-sity of Mississippi.

The Director of InformationManagement in Jackson and

the Information Technologydepartment at North East Mis-sissippi Community Collegemade it possible for his par-ents to witness the announce-ment via teleconference.

Thursday, February 2, 2012 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Page 3

COLLINSContinued from Page 1

Staff Sgt. Kenny Hatten/Camp Shelby Public AffairsCONGRATULATIONS... Col. Steve Parham, Camp Shelby JointForces Training Center Post Commander, congratulates Brig. Gen. Au-gustus L. Collins after he is appointed to the position of Adjutant Gen-eral of Mississippi during a press conference held in Jackson, Jan. 11.

said Todd, as he addressed the guests duringthe ceremony. “To Col. Forbes, thank you forallowing me to serve with you, to the ser-geant major of the battalion, thank you foryour support and mentorship, and to the Sol-diers, I hope I served you well, for you aretruly America’s best.”

The 158th Infantry Brigade mobilizes,trains, validates, and deploys Reserve Com-ponent units in accordance with combatantcommanders, Department of the Army, andU.S. Army Forces Command to prepare unitsfor combat operations.

When directed by First Army DivisionEast, they provide training oversight andsupport to enhance National Guard and Re-serve units’ readiness for wartime require-ments.

158th CHANGEContinued from Page 1

CHANGE OF RESPONSIBILITY... 158th Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Christopher S. Forbes passesthe unit flag to incoming Command Sgt. Maj. William L. Gardner II during the traditional change of respon-sibility ceremony at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center.

Page 4 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Thursday, February 2, 2012

By CHAPLAIN (Capt.) TERRY D. HILL, Sr.158th Infantry Brigade Chaplain

According to Psychology Todaymagazine, a little anxiety isgood, even necessary, and is a

great motivator to get us to plan welland perform.

Yet too much anxiety can be dis-abling. For millions of people, worrydisrupts everyday life, restricting it orovershadowing it entirely.

An estimated 15 percent of Ameri-cans suffer from one anxiety disorderor another. These include generalizedanxiety, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder or flat out panicattacks.

How do you know if you’re worry-ing too much? When anxiety movesbeyond an occasional wave of appre-hension to become a constant anddominating force in your life, you needto take steps to curb anxiety.

Sometimes anxiety explodes into apanic attack, marked by a general feel-ing of terror. A person engulfed in apanic attack usually experiences a rac-ing or pounding heart, sometimes evenpain or heaviness in the chest. Breath-ing becomes difficult. The body trem-bles and the hands become clammy.Which are cold and damp sweatyhands.

The person may notice tingling intheir hands and feet, sometimes in theirarms and legs. They may start to feellight-headed.

Jesus addresses the subject of worry(anxiety) in the Sermon on the Mount.Matthew 6:26-34 gives us the mostcomprehensive discussion about worryin the New Testament.

Therefore I say unto you, Take nothought for your life, what ye shall eat,or what ye shall drink; nor yet for yourbody, what ye shall put on. Is not thelife more than meat, and the body than

raiment? Behold the fowl of the air, forthey sow not, neither do they reap, norgather into barns; yet your heavenlyFather feedeth them, Are ye not muchbetter than they? Which of you by tak-ing thought can add one cubit to hisstature? And why take ye thought forraiment? Wherefore, if God so clothedthe grass of the field, which today is,and to morrow is cast into the oven,shall he not much more clothe you, Oye of little faith? Therefore take nothought, saying, What shall we eat?Or, What shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For afterall these things do the Gentiles seek.

(Note: The word “Gentile” is a refer-ence to unbelievers who trust in thisworld’s system, i.e. their jobs and bankaccounts, while the followers of Christalready know that if it weren’t forChrist one could do nothing).

For your heavenly Father knoweththat ye have need of all these things.But seek ye first the kingdom of Godand his righteousness; and all thesethings shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for to mor-row: for the morrow shall take thoughtfor the things of itself.

The bottom line of the above-men-tioned passages is that we need to takeour focus off of people, circumstances,and things and seek first the kingdomof God and his righteousness (Matthew6: 33, KJV).

The Greek word for “seek” meansto “earnestly strive after.”

Not only does Jesus want us toearnestly seek after the kingdom, Healso wants us to place His kingdomand His righteousness in the numberone slot.

The problem today is that Jesus isstill in second, third, or fourth place inour lives, which is the main reason thatwe are worrying. If you put Him firstHe will put you first.

First Peter 5:7 says, “Casting allyour care upon Him; for He careth foryou.” Look what follows in the nextverse, “Be sober, be vigilant; becauseyour adversary the devil, as a roaringlion, walketh about, seeking whom hemay devour:” When your thoughts turninto worry, look who is waiting topounce on you.

Jesus is keenly aware that ourthoughts are tied up with the affairs ofthis world (what am I going to put on,what will I eat, what will I drink, whatwill happen to me in the future, andwhat will happen to my family andfriends, etc.).

The object here is to get your mindoff of your problems and get yourmind focused on the source of your re-covery and or provision, which isJesus.

This is precisely the reason that allbelievers should develop a strongprayer life modeled after the admon-ishments of Jesus in Matthew Chapter6.

When our thoughts are focused onHis plan to care for our needs, it is thenthat we can bear fruit. “I am the vine,ye are the branches: He that abideth inme, and I in him, the same bringethforth much fruit: for without me yecan do nothing.” (John 15:5, KJV).

If you happen to be someone who isoverwhelmed with anxiety issues oryou happen to notice that you are ex-hibiting signs of anxiety do not attemptto self-medicate yourself with drugsand alcohol. At your earliest conven-ience, contact the Chaplain’s Office at601-549-9703, Military OneSource at1-800-342-9647, Military Family LifeConsultants at 601-466-6353, TRI-CARE at 1-800-444-5445, and othercivilian providers who can helpcounter the stress commonly associatedwith military life and the deploymentcycle.

The following worship opportunities areavailable through Camp Shelby JointForces Training Center.

ON POSTGeneral ProtestantSunday, 9 a.m., Greer ChapelSunday, 12:30 p.m., Greer Chapel

Catholic MassSaturday, 2 p.m., Greer Chapel

(Confessions at 1:30 p.m.)

Sunday, 2 p.m., Greer Chapel(Confessions at 1:30 p.m.)

For Jewish, Latter-day Saints and Mus-lim services, please contact the PostChaplain for assistance at 558-2378.

OFF POST*Transportation provided for Jewish,

Episcopal, Lutheran, Muslim servicesONLY (due to time scheduling) Unitsare responsible for arranging trans-portation by calling 601-558-2622.

LutheranSunday, 8 a.m., St. John LutheranChurch, 2001 Hardy Street, 601-583-4898.

Latter-day Saints

Sunday, 9 a.m., Latter-day SaintsMeeting House, 1618 Broadway Dr.,601-268-2438/ Hall: 601-268-9706.Contact the Post Chaplain.EpiscopalSunday, 8 a.m., Trinity Episcopal, 509West Pine St., 601-544-5551

JewishFriday at Temple BʼNai Israel at 801Mamie Street, 601-545-3871. Every

Friday at 6 p.m.

MuslimContact Post Chaplain

OthersChurch of God at Bellevue, Hwy. 589,HattiesburgJesus Christ of LDS, 2215 BroadwayDrive, Hattiesburg

CAMP SHELBY AREA WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

What are you worried about?

Thursday, Feburary 2, 2012 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Page 5

By CMD. SGT. MAJ. STEVEN CHANCELLORCSJFTC Command Sergeant Major

Team, help me welcome Command Sgt.Maj. William L. Gardner, II, his wife,Julie, and children, Kara and Ryan.

Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Gardner, of Cocoa Beach,Fla., is the incoming commander of the 158thInfantry Brigade.

Welcome to the team.Love is in the air. We are just a week away

from Valentine’s Day. I recommend you have something special for

your significant other to show how much youappreciate them for being in your life and notjust on Valentine’s Day. A simple “I love you”can go a long way.

For some of you, the Mardi Gras season hasalready begun.

Mardi Gras can be a great festival time toenjoy time with Family and friends. Alwayspractice safety at all times. Be responsible, donot drink and drive. Always have a designateddriver. When possible use the buddy system.

Team, if you attended the automated boardsystem class that I presented at the post theateryou should now be aware that the promotionsystem has changed tremendously.

It’s your responsibility to ensure that all ofyour documents are updated and in order. Someof the things that can affect your status for apromotion include NCOERS, APFT, weaponqualifications, military schools and civiliancontinued education.

Ensure your enlisted records brief is updated.You alone are responsible for your career by en-suring documents are correct and filed on time.

It is also important that you are aware of thestandards for taking a Department of the Armyphoto.

I recommend that you research Army Regu-lation 640-30, Photographs for Military HumanResources Records, and also Army Regulation670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uni-forms and Insignia.

Welcome members of the 27th Infantry

Brigade Combat Team, New York Army Na-tional Guard. Team, let’s give these Soldiers theoutstanding mobilization training that CampShelby is known for.

I want to wish a fond farewell to Sgt. Maj.Robert G. Todd. I wish you, your wife Amy andyour children Layne and Devyn all the best inyour future endeavors.

Thank you to Sgt. Maj. Todd for your dedi-cation and service to our nation through thetraining and mobilization efforts that ensuremission success for the steadfast troops headedinto harm’s way as we continue the fight forfreedom in Overseas Contingency Operations.

Let’s continue setting the standard and livingup to the Army Values. God bless each andevery one of you and your Families.

Soldiers First!

Cmd. Sgt. Maj. Chancellor

COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR’S CORNER

Welcome CSM Gardner

Page 6 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Thursday, February 2, 2012

By DANA ELISE SMITHCamp Shelby Public Affairs

Staff Sgt. Leonard Charles Glynn,Jr. was promoted to his current rank atthe Medical Task Force Shelby Sol-dier’s Readiness Process Complex onJan. 5. He was pinned by Col. Christo-pher Castle, commander at Dwight D.Eisenhower Army Medical Center.

Glynn has been mobilized at CampShelby Joint Forces Training Centeralmost two months, serving as theMedical Protection System Coordina-tor.

His job is to ensure access for per-

sonnel to the databases for Soldierreadiness.

Glynn is a native of Seale, Ala. anda member of the 7223rd InstallationMedical Support Unit Mobile head-quartered in Alabama.

He currently has nine and a halfyears of service. During his service, hecompleted a one year mobilization atFort Dix, N.J.

He said he was influenced to jointhe military when learning about theInterservice Physician Assistant Pro-

gram, a program that provides trainingin the medical field. He decided topursue other available training oppo-tunities.

Glynn completed the U.S. ArmyPractical Nurse Course at Fort Gor-don, Ga. and the Healthcare SpecialistCourse at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

He earned a bachelor’s degree inbiomedical science from Auburn Uni-versity located in Auburn, Ala. in May2010.

Glynn’s family consists of his par-ents, Lt. Col. Leonard Charles Glynn,Sr. and Cindy Glynn, as well as twosisters, Katherine and Natalie.

Staff Sgt. Glynn receives promotion

Staff Sgt. LaTasha Williams/Camp Shelby Public AffairsGlynnʼs new rank was pinned by Col. Christopher Castle, commander at DwightD. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, at Medical Task Force Shelby SoldierReadiness Process building on Jan. 5.

By DANA ELISE SMITHCamp Shelby Public Affairs

The 158th Infantry Brigade and177th Armored Brigade Equal Op-portunity Offices held a commemo-ration ceremony in honor of Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Re-gional Training Institute auditoriumlocated at Camp Shelby Joint ForcesTraining Center on Jan. 11.

The ceremony opened with a can-dlelight vigil by members of the158th Infantry Brigade and 177thArmored Brigade.

The keynote speaker was Capt.George Feagins, chief of the counterimprovised explosive devices teamof the 3rd Battalion, 315th EngineerRegiment, 158th Inf. Bde.

He said that being a native ofBirmingham, Ala., gave him the op-portunity to learn firsthand accountsof relatives who experienced thecivil rights movement.

“Birmingham was the heart of the

civil rights movement. I heard manystories from my grandparents,cousins and in-laws about the trialsand tribulations of that time,” saidFeagins.

He started by presenting a powerpoint slideshow of the civil rightsmovement.

“You can pass laws that give free-dom but you cannot change themindset of the people overnight,”said Feagins.

He said that even though AfricanAmericans were granted citizenshipand the right to vote throughout theyears, laws were not fully enforcedor upheld.

Feagins also said that discrimina-tion was not limited to AfricanAmerican men. Discrimination af-fected women, Asians, Chinese andJapanese citizens.

“If you were not a white male, youwere discriminated against,” he said.

Feagins then went on to speakabout Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s

life. The civil rights leader was bornMichael Luther King, Jr. butchanged his first name to Martin toafter Martin Luther, the 16th Cen-tury monk also known as “Father ofthe Reformation.”

Feagins continued to highlightKing’s non-violent approach to civilrights and his most influentialspeeches. He pointed out modernday influential figures in entertain-ment, business, sports and politicswho are men and women of AfricanAmerican, Hispanic and Asian de-scent.

Feagins closed his keynote ad-dress by presenting a personal photoof his comrades in arms that repre-sent all races and both genders.

“From what you can see here,King left lasting impacts on theworld today,” he said.

Col. Christopher Forbes presentedFeagins with a framed Certificate ofAppreciation at the close of the cer-emony.

Feagins gives keynote speech at Martin Luther King Jr. Day ceremony

Sgt. Belynda Faulkner/UPAR, 177th Armored BrigadeCANDLELIGHT VIGIL... Members of the 158th Infantry Brigade and 177th ArmoredBrigade open the Martin Luther King, Jr. commemoration ceremony with a candlelightvigil at the Regional Training Institution auditorium on Jan. 11.

By SGT. KENNY HATTENCamp Shelby Public Affairs

Representatives of the Mis-sissippi Army National Guardrecognized the hard work anddedication of the Temple Bap-tist Church Military FamilyMinistry at a ceremony heldin Hattiesburg on Sunday, Jan.22.

“We’re here to present aBronze Eagle award to Tem-ple Baptist Church and theMississippi DistinguishedCivilian Service Award toMrs. Dianne Herrington forall of their support to the Mis-sissippi Army NationalGuard,” said Col. JohnRhodes, commander of the155th Brigade Combat Team.

Rhodes said that the part-nership between the 155thBCT and the ministry groupbegan around 2008, and hasgrown to encompass unitsfrom across Mississippi,thanks to the efforts of Her-rington and the rest of theministry team at Temple.

“We came to Temple ini-tially to ask about having ourYellow Ribbon ceremonyhere, which they obviouslyagreed to, and it basicallygrew from there,” saidRhodes. “As time went by,more units from the 155thwere integrated into the min-istry, and then other units likethe 184th Expeditionary Sus-tainment Command were get-ting involved, so this ministrytruly reaches beyond the Hat-tiesburg area to the entire stateof Mississippi.”

Temple Missions PastorPhilip Slusher said that gettinginvolved in the Yellow Rib-bon Program and participatingin sendoff ceremonies gener-ated a lot of interest in volun-teer opportunities throughoutthe church.

“At one point we had to de-cide just how big we weregoing to let this ministrygrow, because it basically

took off on its own,” saidSlusher, “but the prevailingthought was that we will sup-port Soldiers and their Fami-lies as we can, wherever theyare.”

Herrington was very sur-prised to be presented with theprestigious award, which wassigned by former GovernorHaley Barbour and previousMississippi Adjutant GeneralMaj. Gen. William L. Free-man.

“Our whole church hasbeen involved over the yearsin helping to buy things for

care packages, packing andshipping boxes, baking cook-ies to be shipped, and I wouldexpect that we have servedwell over 1,000 MississippiArmy National Guard Fami-lies in one way or anotherover the past three years,” saidHerrington. “Of course, weappreciate the recognition forwhat we do, but we want togive all the honor and thanksto our Soldiers and their Fam-ilies. We have a great group ofvolunteers here and we loveour Soldiers and their Fami-lies.”

Page 8 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Thursday, February 2, 2012

Staff Sgt. Kenny Hatten/Camp Shelby Public AffairsBRONZE EAGLE... Col. John Rhodes, commander of the MississippiArmy National Guardʼs 155th Brigade Combat Team, presents theBronze Eagle award to Missions Pastor Philip Slusher at a ceremonyheld at Hattiesburgʼs Temple Baptist Church on Jan. 22.

MilitaryFamily

ministryhonored

Staff Sgt. Kenny Hatten/Camp Shelby Public AffairsDISTINGUISHED HONOR... Col. John Rhodes, commander of theMississippi Army National Guardʼs 155th Brigade Combat team, pres-ents the Mississippi Distinguished Civilian Service award to Mrs. Di-anne Herrington for her work in the Temple Military Family Ministry.

Thursday, Feburary 2, 2012 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Page 9

By DANA ELISE SMITHCamp Shelby Public Affairs

Sandra Henderson resides in Lumberton andworks as an education assistant at the EducationCenter at Camp Shelby Joint Forces TrainingCenter. Her duties include helping Soldiers tomake the most use of their educational benefits.

Henderson graduated from Mississippi GulfCoast Community College in Perkinston, with anassociate degree in 1982.

She went on to graduate from the Universityof Southern Mississippi in 1984 with a bache-lor’s degree in Criminal Justice. In 1992, she ob-tained an additional bachelor’s degree inEducation from Thomas College located inThomasville, Ga.

Henderson previously served in the military.She enlisted in the regular Army Signal Corps in1984 and was immediately stationed in Germanyuntil 1991. She deployed overseas in support ofOperation Desert Storm to Saudi Arabia, Iraq andKuwait from 1990 to 1991. When her servicecame to a close, she had achieved the rank ofCaptain.

She is married to retired Lt. Col. James Hen-derson, who has served in the U.S. Army Quar-termaster Corps for 21 years. He currently worksas a consultant for the Army.

They have two sons; Anthony, 24, who is achef in New Orleans, and her son, Aaron, 22,who lives locally, is a senior at the University ofSouthern Mississippi.

She is involved in many community organiza-tions. She is a proud member of the Purvis BookClub and the Order of the Eastern Star of theMason Fraternity.

She has been a volunteer for the American RedCross since 2005.

In her spare time, Henderson enjoys traveling,entertaining, watching football, reading andspending time with family and friends.

Henderson aids Soldiers’ education

Sandra Henderson serves as an education assis-tant at CSJFTCʼs Education Center.

CIVILIAN PROFILE Editor’s Note: Hereis a note from Brig.

Gen. (Ret.) BobbyThornton, the previous

Installation DeputyCommander at Camp

Shelby Joint ForcesTraining Center. Per

his request, after the re-cent lost of his motherin a house fire and forthe continued support

and prayers for his fa-ther who is still recov-

ering in the hospital:

Perhaps you sent a lovely card, or sat quietly in a chair. Perhaps you sent the beautiful flowers, we saw sitting there.

Perhaps you spoke the kindest words, as any friend could say. Perhaps you were not there at all, just thought of us that day.

To our Camp Shelby Family:

Whatever you did to console our hearts we thank you so muchfor whatever part. Thank you for your continued prayers, love andsupport for our family.

– Sincerely, Bobby and Dixie Thornton

By DANA ELISE SMITHCamp Shelby Public Affairs

Capt. Scott A. Singleton, a native of HuberHeights, Ohio, serves as the Deputy Commanderfor Administration for Medical Task ForceShelby at Camp Shelby Joint Forces TrainingCenter.

His duties include working with the Militaryand Civilian Personnel, Patient Administrationand Information Management and Contractingsections.

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ex-ercise science and human performance fromMiddle Tennessee State University, located inMurfreesboro, Tenn., in 2006.

Singleton currently has 10 years of militaryservice. He obtained a Military OccupationalSpecialty in Fire Direction Control for the Mul-tiple Launch Rocket System before he changedhis MOS to an Operating Room Specialist.

Singleton was commissioned in 2006 with anarea of concentration in Health Services Admin-istration.

He deployed to Iraq from 2007 to 2009 andserved as the Battle Captain and Battalion Med-ical Officer with 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Di-vision headquartered at Fort Campbell.

His job was to report directly to the com-

mander on unit medicalreadiness issues.

Singleton has beenserving at CSJFTC sinceJuly 2009. He said thathe misses his Family andfriends at home, espe-cially his nine-year-oldson, Jordan.

“I miss my Familyand friends, my son, es-pecially. We don’t real-ize how much we’vesacrificed until the littleone at home says, ‘I missyou daddy’,” said Sin-gleton.

He spends much ofhis spare time with hisfiancé, Bryanna ReneeThomes, who is servingwith the Medical Battalion Training Site atCSJFTC.

“We enjoy working out at Versus Strength andConditioning and participating in mud runs, 5ks,and other fun runs - more for the fact that we canpush each other’s face in the mud and keep onrunning,” said Singleton.

He plans to wed Thomes in June of this year.

Singleton is Deputy Commander ofCamp Shelby’s Medical Task Force

Medical Task ForceShelbyʼs Capt. Scott

Anthony Singleton andMedical Battalion

Training Siteʼs Capt.Bryanna Renee

Thomes plan to wedin June of this year.

Capt. Scott Anthony Singleton and Capt. Bryanna Renee Thomes were engaged on May 13, 2011. Sin-gleton is currently assigned to the Medical Task Force Shelby and Thomes is assigned to the MedicalBattalion Training Site at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center. Scott Singleton is the son of HarryP. Singleton and Mary M. Giffen of Huber Heights, Ohio. Other Family members include his brother, PaulM. Singleton, and nephew, Brandon Singleton. Scott Singleton has one son, Jordan Scott Singleton.Thomes is the daughter of Bruce and Kim Thomes of Litchfield, Minn. and has two sisters, Tiffany Humbleand MacKenzie Thomes. “The best decision I ever made was to propose to Bryanna. She has shownme so much about the kind of person I want to be and I feel Iʼve become a better person because of her,”said Scott Singelton. “I knew in my heart that Scott was someone special when I first met him. He hasbrought so much to my life and encourages me to be a better person every day. Most of all, I know thatno matter how rough the day is, he can make me laugh every day,” said Bryanna Thomes. The coupleplans to wed on the beach in Destin, Fla. on June 16, 2012

Singleton-Thomes

HHDA awardsThe Historic Hattiesburg Down-town Association will hold its an-nual meeting and awardsluncheon from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.Thursday, Feb. 2, at the HistoricDepot, 308 Newman Street. Thekeynote speaker is Hattiesburgʼsnative son, Charles “Wick” Moor-man, president, chairman andCEO of Norfolk Southern Corpo-ration. Tickets for the luncheonare $20 and reservations are re-quired. For information,601.583.4329.

Heritage UMC■ The African Childrenʼs Choir

is coming back to Hattiesburg fora 6 p.m. Wed., Feb. 8, perform-ance at Heritage UnitedMethodist Church.

The African Childrenʼs Choir ismade up of some of the neediestand most vulnerable children intheir countries. Many have lostone or both parents to poverty ordisease. The ACC helps thesechildren break away from theeveryday cycle of poverty and

hopelessness. The ACC performed to a

standing-room-only congregationat the church in March of 2011.

The church is located at 3Baracuda Dr. at the corner ofHwy. 98. Senior pastor is theRev. Dr. Tommy Artmann.

Spay/Neuter SpecialJan. 23 - Feb. 3 – Have your

pets from Lamar County spayedor neutered at The Spay &Neuter Clinic in Hattiesburg for adonation of any amount! Resi-

dents of Lamar County can paywhat they can to have their cat ordog fixed.

Cats check in at 7:30 am, anddogs check in at 7:45 am. Ap-pointments are required. Call An-gela or Brittany at The Spay &Neuter Clinic at 601-544-5678between 8 am and 5 pm toschedule an appointment.

The Spay/Neuter Clinic is lo-cated at 5360 US Highway 49 Sin the Marketplace Antiquesbuilding.

Genealogy MeetingSouth Mississippi Genealogi-

cal & Historical Society will holdits regular monthly meeting oat 7p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 107Park Avenue, in the rear of theHattiesburg Water Department.Nelda Lawler, director of the Hat-tiesburg Family History Center,will present information abouttheir holdings and how to accessand use information at the localcenter and on the recently up-dated Family Search web site.

The Society library will beopen for use before the meetingat 6 p.m. Visitors welcome.

In concertDollywood's own “Kingdom

Heirs” will make a special concerttour to Mississippi. Event isscheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday,Feb. 10, Okahola Baptist Church,3889 Old Hwy 11. Reserve yourtickets today, 601-466-4343.

Chi Omega teaThe Hattiesburg Area Chi

Omega Alumnae Group will holda Valentine's tea for alumnae andtheir daughters at 10 a.m. Satur-

day, Feb. 11, at Southern OaksHouse and Gardens.

For details, contact AliciaMcLemore at aliciabeth72@wm-connect.com or 601-382-1350.

Petal CWJCThe Petal Christian Women's

Job Corps will begin its fall ses-sion on Feb. 13. This is a 10-week course, meeting from 9a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday -Wednesday. Job-readiness skills,in-cluding basic computer key-boarding, and life skills, includingBible study and money manage-ment, will be offered. For more in-formation, contact Karen Byrd at601-325-7276.

Black History BowlThe Theta Sigma Omega

Chapter of Alpha Kappa AlphaInc. will host its 2012 Black His-tory Bowls at 10 a.m. Saturday,Feb. 18, (preliminary rounds) andSaturday, Feb. 25 (final rounds).The Bowls will be located at theHattiesburg, Petal, & ForrestCounty Library, 329 Hardy Street,Hattiesburg. The Bowl is an aca-demic competition open to youthin grades 5 to 12. Light refresh-ments will be served.

Arts awardsThe Mississippi Arts Commis-

sion will host the 24th annualGovernorʼs Awards for Excel-lence in the Arts at 1 p.m. Thurs-day, Feb. 16, at Wells MemorialUnited Methodist Church in Jack-son.

This event spotlights Missis-sippiʼs outstanding cultural re-sources and honors those whocontribute to the state through

their vision and creativity. AltheaJerome of Hattiesburg will behonored with the Arts in Educa-tion award.

Dulcimer FestivalThe Southern Strings 2012

Dulcimer Festival & Deep SouthDulcimer Competition will be heldFeb. 23-24 in the Thomas FineArts Center on the William CareyUniversity Campus in Hatties-burg.

The event will be Feb. 24-25with pre-festival jam on Feb. 23.

Many well-known instructorsincluding Bruce Ford, MountainDulcimer Instructor and Compe-tition Judge; Dan Landrum, Ham-mered Dulcimer Instructor andCompetition Judge; Bob Taunton,Bass Dulcimer builder and in-structor and Rick Long, Psalterybuilder, performer and instructor;and Lonnie Brown, Mountain Dul-cimer Instructor, specializing inGospel Hymns. Lee Cagle, ofTennessee will serve as a Ham-mered Dulcimer Judge during thecompetition.

This competition is open toresidents of the six deep southstates of Alabama, Mississippi,Louisiana, Georgia, Tennesseeand Florida. Competition will bein two categories of Dulcimer;Mountain and Hammered, in twoage groups; Adult and Youth.

For more information, visitwww.mississippidulcimer.com

Relay for Life events■ Captainsʼ University – Vol-

untary team captain training willbe held Feb. 2 at SandersonFarms in Laurel. Registration willbegin at 6 p.m., with the training

beginning at 6:30 p.m. The train-ing is available to all team cap-tains. For more information, callCarla Kyzar at 601-441-9724.

■ Hattiesburgʼs event will beheld at Tatum Park on Saturday,April 21, beginning at 3 p.m. Any-one interested in forming a teamor who is interested in contribut-ing or becoming a companysponsor is invited to attend thekick-off meeting or to contactCommittee Chair Sheri Ezell at601-606-1081.

■ USMʼs first independentRelay for Life event will be heldat Pride Field beginning on Fri-day, April 27. For more informa-tion about USMʼs Relay for Life,contact Whitney Stubbs at 601-266-5074.

■ Petalʼs Relay for Life isscheduled for Friday, May 4, atHinton Park, the former RelayPark, beginning at 6 p.m. Formore information, contact Com-mittee Chair Katye Parker at 601-543-9280.

■ Lamar Countyʼs Relay forLife, which is returning to Sumrallthis year, is scheduled for Friday,May 4, at Sumrall High School,beginning at 6 p.m. For more in-formation, contact CommitteeChair Kerri Mauldin at 601-543-8874.

Forrest Multipurpose■ Feb. 3-4 – Monster Motor

Nationals. They are back at theFCMPC again for 2012. The carcrushing, high flying monstertrucks. Come out and watch theshow as these trucks put on ashow. Call 601-583-7500.

Page 10 Camp Shelby REVEILLE Thursday, February 2, 2012

@Email your event to:

beth@hubcityspokes.com

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Belynda FaulknerCHANGE OF COMMAND... Col. Dale C.Kuehl, 177th Armored Brigade com-mander, presents Lt. Col. Rex E. McCul-lough, 1-346th Air Defense Artilleryoutgoing commander, with a MeritoriousService Medal before the unitʼs change ofcommand ceremony at Camp Shelby,Miss., Jan. 19.

1-346th

Camp Shelby Reveille

OUT&ABOUT Thursday, February 2, 2012

11

One of the Pine Belt’s most entertainingevents is just around the corner, as the South-ern Miss Coca Cola Rodeo returns to ForrestCounty’s James Lynn Cartlidge Multipur-pose Center Feb. 17-18. The 27th edition ofthe event will be presented by The Universityof Southern Mississippi’s Department ofRecreational Sports.

Russ Hendley, division vice-president ofHattiesburg Coca-Cola and a Southern Missalum, will serve as the rodeo’s grand mar-shal. Referred to by some fans as the “Great-est Show on Dirt,” it serves as a fundraiserfor Southern Miss scholarships.

“I’m honored and looking forward to serv-ing as the rodeo’s grand marshal,” Hendleysaid. “I’ve enjoyed watching this event growover the years, and as a Southern Miss graduate, it pleasesme to know that it is supporting scholarships to help givestudents the same opportunity for a great education likethe one I received.”

The rodeo will be in the Main Arena of the center, whereit has been held since the facility opened in 1999. Theevent was first presented at the former Southern MissEquestrian Center in 1986.

“We’ve got another great rodeo planned this year,” saidSid Gonsoulin, associate vice president of student affairsand director of recreational sports at Southern Miss. “It’s

going to be a lot of fun for everyone in-volved, and it also helps students at the uni-versity pursue their academic and careergoals. We’re grateful to the event’s fans andsponsors for their support.”

Contestants are awarded both points andcash prizes for competing and placing in theevent’s various categories, with point totalshelping in their pursuit of qualification forthe National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev.

Some of the country’s top professionalcowboys and cowgirls will compete in thelocal event’s categories of competition, in-cluding bareback riding; saddle bronc riding;steer wrestling; team roping; calf roping;women’s barrel racing and bull riding.

Fans of the Southern Miss Coca-ColaRodeo can also look forward to being entertained again byone of the event’s most popular celebrities, six-time Pro-Rodeo Clown of the Year Lecile Harris. Harris has workedrodeos in various capacities for more than half a century,and gives nearly 125 performances a year at the world’sbiggest rodeos.

Rodeo tickets are available at TJ’s Western Ware on U.S.Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. Tickets are $10 and all seatsare reserved. Tickets will also be on sale beginning at 1p.m. the day of the show at the Forrest County Multi-Pur-pose Center.

The February meeting of theHattiesburg Area Daylily Society(HADS) will feature Tim Herring-ton, representing Her-ringtonDaylily Gardens of Dublin, Ga.

The meeting will be at 2 p.m.Sunday, Feb. 19, in the Exten-sion Service Conference Roomat the Forrest County Multipur-pose Center on Hwy. 49 south. Inaddition to the program, themeeting will feature a plant auc-tion, and door prizes.

Refreshments are served priorto the beginning of the meeting.Visitors and new members are al-ways welcome.

Monthly meetings are held thethird Sunday of each month, Sep-tember, October, and Januarythrough May. In addition to regu-lar meetings, key daylily eventswill include the Annual GardenTours, May 28, and the AnnualDaylily Show, Saturday, June 2,at the Lake Terrace ConventionCenter.

The Hattiesburg Area DaylilySociety will host the AmericanHemerocallis Society, Region 14,Spring Meeting, and May 24-26,2012 at the Lake Terrace Con-vention Center. Regional 14 isMississippi and Alabama.

Additional information aboutthe Society and the upcomingmeeting may be obtained by vis-iting the web site at www.hatties-burgdaylily.com.

The Southern Strings 2012Dulcimer Festival & Deep SouthDulcimer Competition will be heldFeb. 23-24 in the Thomas FineArts Center on the William CareyUniversity Campus in Hatties-burg.

The event will be Feb. 24-25with pre-festival jam on Feb. 23.

Many well-known instructorsincluding Bruce Ford, MountainDulcimer Instructor and Compe-tition Judge; Dan Landrum, Ham-mered Dulcimer Instructor andCompetition Judge; Bob Taunton,Bass Dulcimer builder and in-structor and Rick Long, Psalterybuilder, performer and instructor;and Lonnie Brown, Mountain Dul-cimer Instructor, specializing inGospel Hymns. Lee Cagle, ofTennessee will serve as a Ham-mered Dulcimer

Judge during the competition.Beginner – Intermediate - Ad-

vanced classes and General In-structional sessions on Fridayand Saturday.

This competition is open toresidents of the six deep southstates of Alabama, Mississippi,Louisiana, Georgia, Tennesseeand Florida.

For more information, visitwww.mississippidulcimer.com orcontact Karen Mims, 601-583-6424 or 601-606-1848 kom_-dbc@hotmail.com or BethJohn-son bethjohnem-@msn.-com

Daylily meetingfeatures Ga. garden

Dulcimer Festival,Competiton Feb. 22

Columbus preparingfor 72nd pilgrimage

These walls are talking, anddo they ever have stories to tell!Hear them all during the 72ndAnnual Columbus Spring Pilgrim-age March 26 – April 7. Thirteencaptivating days of historic hometours via an authentic double-decker bus, candlelight reenact-ments at Friendship Cemetery,dining, boutique shopping andwalking tours ─ Columbus is acultural crossroads to be savoredby all.

Stroll from room to room atTemple Heights and hear ladiesin 19th Century dress relate theevents of their daily lives. The riv-eting tale of the origins of our na-tionʼs Memorial Day celebrationcan be heard at Twelve Gables.

After his escape from a Unionprison, 16-year-old Bud Harrishid in the attic of Whitehall, wherehis mother baked a pumpkin piefor an ailing Yankee soldier.Amazing Amzi Love is still occu-pied by descendants of the origi-nal builder.

Elaborate Rococo-style fur-nishings and the stunning wallpa-per and floor coverings ofRosedale are truly mesmerizing.

Other unsurpassed architec-tural marvels include Bryn Bella,Bask-erville Manor and WhiteArches. Lush gardens and a pro-fusion of flowers greet visitors toRose-wood Manor. The interiordécor is awash in a palette of col-ors that echo the rich hues of oneof the largest collections of fineporcelain in the world. Magnifi-cent Waverley Mansion is a stepback into the era of the im-mensely wealthy cotton plan-ter.This is living history at its finest;all are private homes, not muse-ums.

By night, the eveningʼs enter-tainment is equally dramatic.Candle lights flicker along thepathways of Friendship Ceme-tery as Tales of the Crypt unfold.Actors portray the lives of thoseinterred within, providing glimp-ses into the cityʼs intriguing past.

Other special events duringPilgrimage include: The OpeningBlock Party, Noon Tunes, Arti-sans Alley & Living History, Pil-grimage 10K Race, ChurchTours, and the Mayorʼs Unity Pic-nic.

Donʼt forget to stop by the Ten-nessee Williams Welcome Cen-ter. Maps and tickets for allevents are available at theColumbus Convention & VisitorsBureau, 117 3rd Street South,just off Main Street.

Zoo celebratesValentine’s Day

Love is in the air at the Hat-tiesburg Zoo this Valentineʼs Daywith an alternative to the tradi-tional forms of celebration. Intrue Zoo fashion, families are in-vited to share this holiday withtheir children for what promisesto be a fun and memorableevening for all.

Beginning at 5:30 p.m. onValentineʼs Day, Feb. 14, the Zoowill host a limited number ofguests for its first “A Family Affairat the Zoo,” an event designedspecifically so parents can enjoya unique Valentineʼs Day experi-ence with their kids.

At the heart of the event willbe a special program that ex-plores love in the animal king-dom throughout family units.“The love relationship among an-imals is a very interesting topic.While some animals may danceor sing to attract their mate, oth-ers have rituals that would seembizarre by human standards.The parent-child and sibling rela-tionships are also remarkable in-teractions that we will discussduring our Valentineʼs event,”said Krissy Hamilton, educationCurator.

In addition to the special pro-gram, tickets to the event willalso include a Valentine-themedmeal, animal encounters andtrain and carousel rides. “At theZoo we are focused on providingunique and quality educationalentertainment for families.Valentineʼs Day is typicallysomething reserved for adultsonly, but we thought this eventwould offer an alternative to thenorm that our guests would enjoy– celebrating with your kids, too,”said Rick Taylor, Executive Di-rector of the Hattiesburg Tourismand Convention Commissions.“Our education programs arevery popular at the Zoo, andevents like this give us an oppor-tunity to take the educationalcomponent a step further with abroader group of people who weserve.”

Tickets to “A Family Affair atthe Zoo” are $12 for adults and$6 for children 12 and under. Tomake reservations, contact Zoostaff at 601-545-4576.

The Mississippi Showchoir Contest,hosted by Pearl River CommunityCollege, will bring singers anddancers from more than 30 middle,junior and senior high schools to Hat-tiesburg this first weekend in Febru-ary.

The contest begins Friday, Feb. 3,and will conclude with the awardingof the Grand Prize Saturday night,Feb. 4. The contest will be held in theThomas Fine Arts Center on the cam-pus of William Carey University inHattiesburg.

Tickets are $6 for Friday night, $6for Saturday’s preliminary competi-tion and $6 for final competition or$10 for both Saturday competitions.

Performances by showchoirs fromClass A schools will be from 3 to 6:25p.m. Friday. Participating showchoirsare Variations, South Forrest Atten-dance; Dixie on Stage, Dixie Atten-dance; One Life, Clinton ChristianAcad.; Velocity, Purvis Middle; NewEdition, Pearl River Cent. Middle ;Showtime, Jackson Acad.; CenterStage, W. Jones Middle; and TigerVibe, NE Jones Middle.

Following a dinner break, Class AAschools will take the stage. They in-clude Ambassadors, Clinton Jr. High;Showtimers, Petal Middle; Infusion,S. Jones Middle; Exclusive, ColumbiaAcad.; Fusion, Jackson Prep; andBrio, Brandon Middle.

The Voices, an elite ensemble of 12PRCC students, will perform while

the judges tally the scores. Awards willbe presented at 10:30 p.m. Friday.

Saturday will be a full day of com-petition, starting with Class A schoolsat 7:55 to 10 a.m. They are Extreme,Clinton Christian Acad.; Entourage,Stone High; Orange Sensations,Wayne Co. High; Variations, S. For-rest Attend. and Innergy, Pisgah High.

Women’s Division competition willrun from 10:15 to 11:55 a.m. Perform-

ers include Synergy, Brookwood, Ala.,High; Aggie Accents, Forrest Co.Agricultural; Innovations, Petal High;and New Edition, S. Jones High.

Preliminary awards (first, second,third) will be presented at 12 p.m.

Class AA competition will be from1 to 3:05 p.m. for Legacy, SumrallHigh; Central Attraction, Pearl RiverCentral; Encore, Jackson Acad.; Pre-miers, Columbia Acad.; and Imagina-tion, W. Jones High.

RiverRoad, PRCC’s showchoir, willpresent an exhibition at 3:10 p.m.

Competition for Class AAA will runfrom 3:30 to 6:25 p.m. Performers areCenterstage!, Oak Grove High; At-tache, Clinton High; Gold Horizons,NE Jones High; Soundsations, PetalHigh; Company, S. Jones High; andReveillon, Jackson Prep.

The Voices will perform at 6:25p.m. followed by the awards cere-mony for Class AA and AAA at 6:40p.m.

The five showchoirs with the topscores will compete again, beginningat 7:55 p.m. Three finalists in solocompetition will also compete.

Awards will be presented at 10:40p.m. Saturday. Showchoir awards willbe Grand Champion, first, second,third and fourth runners- up; outstand-ing visual performance, outstandingvocal performance and outstandingshow design. Solo awards will beGrand Champion, first and secondrunners-up.

PRCC to host showchoir competition

Send your Arts andCalendar events tobeth@hubcityspokes.com

USM Coca-Cola bucks in Feb. 16-17

Lecile Harris