Survey says Spouses give high marks...2011/03/24 · Saving Abel performs at 7 p.m. April 6 and actor and singer Gary Sinise and his band, the Lt. Dan Band, hit the stage at DFMWR

by Alison Legall and William BradnerFamily, Morale, Welfare andRecreation Command

Data from the 2010 Surveyof Army Families indicates anincreased satisfaction withmilitary life, despite the currentoperational tempo, according toFamily and Morale, Welfare andRecreation officials.

The survey was based on arandom selection of civilianspouses of active-duty Soldiers,chosen to represent the Army.

Since the last survey,completed in 2005, there hasbeen an increase in the numberof spouses who indicate theirSoldiers’ plans to stay in the Armybeyond their present obligation.Additionally, there has been anincrease in the number of spouseswho are satisfied with the kind oflife they can have in the Armyand the respect the Army showsSoldiers and spouses.

“We’re very happy to see,through hard data, that we’re

making progress in improvingthe quality of life forSoldiers and their Families,”said Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch,commanding general, InstallationManage ment Command.

The data suggests thatSoldiers, their spouses andFamilies are resilient in the faceof the demands that the Armyplaces on their lives, especiallywith the increasing number ofdeployments and time away fromFamily. Sixty percent of spousesreport that they are adjustingeasily to the reunion with theirSoldier following deployment ortime away from the Family.

Additional data shows thatdespite ongoing conflicts,budgetary restraints and multipledeployments, 60 percent ofcivilian spouses of active-dutySoldiers are satisfied with theArmy as a way of life andbelieve their Family has adjustedwell to the demands of beingan Army Family.

Mountaineer staff

The Fort Carson community will be treated to two free concertsthe first week in early April at the Special Events Center.

Saving Abel performs at 7 p.m. April 6 and actor and singerGary Sinise and his band, the Lt. Dan Band, hit the stage at

DFMWR hostsfree concerts

Page 6

CommunityCommunity HappeningsHappenings

Page 11 Page 29

IINNSSIIDDEE

MilitaryMilitary

Vol. 69 No. 12 March 24, 2011

Word of the month: Community

See Survey on Page 4

See Concerts on Page 4

Photo by Spc. Samantha B. Koss

Brothers in armsChief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Sivels, 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 4th Infantry Division, receives a warm welcome home from his battalioncommander, Lt. Col. Scott Taylor, as he disembarks the plane at the Arrival/Departure AirControl Group March 11. Taylor returned to the A/DACG about 10 hours after his arrivalfrom Iraq to welcome home the battalion’s final flight. More than 3,500 3rd BCT warriorsreturned to the Mountain Post in March following a yearlong deployment to Iraq. For moreon the brigade’s return to Fort Carson, see pages 20-21.

Survey says ...

Spouses givehigh marks

2 MOUNTAINEER — March 24, 2011

AFAP resolves quality-of-life issuesby Lt. Gen. Rick LynchCommanding general, Installation Management Command

I often say you can read about history or make history. This year, the voices of Soldiers, civilians andFamilies that have contributed to the Army Family Action Plan process were heard and history was made at the 27th Annual AFAP General Officer SteeringCommittee held the first week of February.

Senior Army leaders and program representatives fromacross the Army resolved 17 of 40 quality-of-life issues,making great strides in support of our wounded warriors andFamilies. These issues originally identified by AFAP repre-sentatives at the unit or installation level will make life betterfor Soldiers, their Families and civilians for years to come.

Qualified wounded warrior job applicants now receivegreater visibility in the federal government hiring process.Major accomplishments include the integration of the U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Resume Inventory,http://VetSuccess.gov, into the Army recruitment processand the designation of human resource specialists as veteranemployment coordinators. To learn more about this issue,visit the Army OneSource website at https://www.myarmyonesource.com/familyprogramsandservices/ andsearch for issue number 617.

Through issue number 610 we have expanded treatmentfor traumatic brain injury patients. TBI screening, identification, treatment and rehabilitation services are nowin place at each Army medical treatment facility. To date,TBI programs at 40 facilities have achieved full validation,10 have achieved initial validation and the remaining programs will receive full validation by this month.

Wounded warriors will benefit from the availability ofstandardized respite care for their caregivers through TRICAREand VA, issue number 630, and through the establishment of the Army Wounded Warrior Support Network, issue number 632. The AWWSN is a support program that connectsseverely wounded, injured and ill Soldiers and their Families to a network of resources in the local community.

Three initiatives were completed in the Family supportcategory. These initiatives provide for more affordable child care to those who need it the most, issue number

566; TRICARE coveragefor children up to age 26,issue number 632; and apolicy revision that requiresinitial military trainingSoldiers with exceptionalFamily members to receivenew assignment instructionsif the “outside of continentalU.S. travel approval authority” has not notifiedthe Soldier of the availabilityof EFM services 30 daysprior to the Soldier’s graduation, issue number 639.

Ten of the 17 issues resolved were designated as unattainable due to resource or legislative constraints.Although the AFAP recommendations were unattainable,progress was made on many of the issues. An example ofthis is the increase in administrative and permanent-changeof-station weight allowances for privates-corporals andsergeants first class-sergeants major, establishment of ahardship-based increase to PCS weight allowance, and 500 pounds of spouse professional weight allowance. Tolearn more, visit our website and search for issue 457.

The Army will continue to work the issues, but theAFAP is your program. I encourage you to learn more aboutthe AFAP process by visiting the Army OneSource websiteat https://www.myarmyonesource.com/familyprogramsandservices/familyprograms/armyfamilyactionplan. From hereyou can follow the progress on issues that are currentlybeing worked by selecting “Active Issue Search” at the bottom of the page and then search by issue number or bykeyword. The website also allows you to submit a new issuedirectly to your garrison or command’s AFAP process andprovides brochures, articles and videos to download. Youcan also download the “HQDA AFAP Issue Search” application for free on your iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

My next article in this series will review the 16 newquality-of-life issues AFAP delegates identified as being themost critical and our need as an Army community to identifyinefficient, redundant or obsolete Family programs so wecan redirect those resources to where we truly need them.

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Lynch

‘Warhorse’ ready to answer nation’s callCommentary by Col. John S. KolasheskiCommander, 2nd Brigade CombatTeam, 4th Infantry Division

The “Warhorse” Brigade is readyto deploy. For the past 18 months,Warhorse trained hard and well toanswer the nation’s call.

We held mounted, collective field exercises at Piñon Canyon andFort Carson; trainedindividuals, squads andplatoons on fire andmaneuver, using severalweapon systems;trained company, battalion and brigadestaffs during commandpost exercises; educatedour ranks about governance, economics,development, rule oflaw, language, culturalawareness, negotiationsand combating terrorism; and validatedour training in February at the JointReadiness Training Center at FortPolk, La. This summer we’ll use our

training when we answer the nation’scall in Afghanistan.

Although the 2nd Brigade CombatTeam, 4th Infantry Division, like manyothers, is modular and ready to deploy to serve with any division headquarters, preparing to deployrequired the efforts of the entire 4thInfantry Division, Mission SupportElement, Fort Carson garrison command and the community. I’d like

to take this opportunityto thank and recognizethose organizationsthat have helpedWarhorse prepare forour upcoming missionin Afghanistan. Like an actor receiving anOscar, I apologize in advance for anyoneI’ve missed.

Col. James J.Mingus and his staffin 4th BCT, 4th Inf.Div., have been ourFort Carson battle

buddies since their return fromAfghanistan. Without their support andcooperation, we would not be nearly as

prepared for combat as we are now. TheSoldiers of 4th Brigade served as ourtrainer/mentors and role-players duringfield training at Fort Carson this summer and fall. More recently, 4thBrigade provided Soldiers to be role-players at our JRTC rotation. The 4th Brigade Soldiers were outstanding acting as Afghan National Army andAfghan National Police servicemembers.

Col. Jeffery Martindale and his staffin 1st BCT have been our long-distancebattle buddies. He and his team havebeen exceptionally accommodatingand flexible with predeployment sitesurveys, video teleconferences and e-mails. Their advice has guided our training program to ensure ourSoldiers are best prepared for theopportunities and challenges ahead.

Maj. Gen. David G. Perkins, commanding general, U.S. Division-North and 4th Inf. Div., and his headquarters, even while deployed,have remained accessible and helpful.Although a world away, the divisionstaff is as close as a phone call or e-mail.Their ability to keep an eye and ear

Kolasheski

See Kolasheski on Page 4

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Story and photo by Dustin SengerMountaineer staff

Three Soldiers from IndividualReplacement Training Company, 4thInfantry Division, travel Friday to WhiteSands Missile Range, N.M., for the 22ndAnnual Bataan Memorial Death March.

Sgt. Kevin Jenkins, Spc. RoyWasbotten and Spc. James Clark willjoin thousands of participants fromaround the world Sunday during the

Bataan Memorial Death March. They’llpush through 26.2 miles of dusty desertterrain to pay tribute to starved andabused World War II prisoners who haddefended the Philippines.

A self-described avid researcher ofmilitary history, Wasbotten looksforward to shaking hands with Bataansurvivors at the event.

“I just wanted to meet the sur-vivors,” said Wasbotten. “I want to thankthem for their service and sacrifice. It’llbe a great honor to meet them.”

The abuse that unfolded followingthe Battle of Bataan in 1942 is describedas “one of the worst atrocities in modernwartime history,” according to anexplanation of the Bataan Death Marchat http://www.army.mil/asianpacificsoldiers/history/bataan.html.

The Japanese military conducted aforced transfer of about 75,000 Filipinoand U.S. prisoners of war. Guardedgroups stepped off April 9, 1942, at thesouthern end of the Bataan Peninsula,en route to Camp O’Donnell, 65 milesaway. For about five days, Japaneseguards beat their emaciated anddehydrated prisoners.

During the walk to the TarlacProvince, thousands of prisoners died bybullets and bayonets, and some escapedinto the jungle. Japanese guards shotFilipino civilians handing water andrations to the passing prisoners.

The Japanese crammed 60,000survivors into Camp O’Donnell, aformer Philippine army campdesigned to accommodate 10,000people, according to the Army historywebsite. The crowded and f ilthyconditions had hardly any runningwater, meager food rations and nomedical care. Prisoners began to

perish at a rate of 400 per day.Two-thirds of the U.S. prisoners who

survived the long march later died inJapanese custody leading to the U.S.Army liberation of Bataan prisoners.

“I want to honor them — it’s amemorial event,” said Jenkins, surrounded by layers of sandstone ridgesat Red Rock Canyon three weeks beforethe 22nd Annual Bataan MemorialDeath March. Jenkins, Wasbotten andClark spent several sub-freezingSaturday mornings preparing for thememorial march off post.

The Soldiers started training forthe 26.2-mile test of stamina in Januarywith a focus on improved runningpower. In February, they introducedextended hikes with stuffed rucksacks.Throughout March, they’ve attackedthe hills of Red Rock Canyon, Gardenof the Gods, Cheyenne Mountain andPikes Peak.

They have incorporated a lot ofcalf muscle exercises in anticipationfor the infamous “sand pit.” The pitcontains some of the course’s mostchallenging terrain, according tomarathon training materials, whichwarn of “steep-banked arroyos filledwith ankle-deep sand.”

Sgt. Kevin Jenkinsand Spc. Roy

Wasbotten, bothfrom Individual

ReplacementTraining Company,

4th Infantry Division,hike through Red

Rock Canyon inColorado Springs

March 5, training forthe 22nd Annual

Bataan MemorialDeath March held at

White Sands MissileRange, N.M., Sunday.

Soldiers head southwest to honor POWs


toward us while engaged in Iraq is impressive andappreciated.

Brig. Gen. James H. Doty,acting senior commander, 4thInf. Div. and Fort Carson, andthe Mission Support Elementhave done some heavy liftingfor the brigade. They helpedplace our vehicles in adminis-trative storage; coordinatedlanguage education; resourcedland, weapons, ammunitionand equipment for numerousmobile training teams; provided several Soldier readiness processing appointments; adjusted thedates for our rapid fielding initiative equipment issue;assisted in the transfers of nondeployable Soldiers; andapproved funding for educational opportunities hereand outside Fort Carson.

Col. Robert F.McLaughlin, garrison commander, and his team

truly make Fort Carson the “Family First Post.” TheFamily and Morale, Welfareand Recreation system at Fort Carson is second tonone. The equipment rentals,trips and post activities areremarkable and give ourSoldiers and Families accessto all Colorado has to offer.The garrison supportsSoldiers and Families leadingup to, during and afterdeployments. ArmyCommunity Service offersdozens of classes and programs to help empowerFamily members.

The local community, asalways, has been a championof Fort Carson and 2ndBrigade. The city of Trinidadput together a four-day program to teach our leadersabout how small governmentsare organized and administered. The HomeDepot provided basic construction courses for ourSoldiers to help keep them safeon the Afghanistan base camps.

Target taught leaders aboutsupply chain management at its Pueblo distributioncenter. Local businesses continue to recognize ourSoldiers with donations and discounts.

Finally, we could not havedone any of this without theloving support of our Families.The strength of our Familiesmakes our Army strong. Thepatience, flexibility andresiliency of our Familiesallow us to train and remainfocused on our mission. As weall know, preparing to deployrequires sacrifices. Thankfullyour Families understand thatthose sacrifices are in the bestinterest of their Soldiers.

We trained here as oneteam and we will continue theongoing successes with ourAfghan, international andinteragency partners as oneteam. We are optimistic and confident about ourdeployment to Afghanistan,thanks to the support wereceived at Fort Carson.

from Page 2

Kolasheski

7 p.m. April 8. There is open admission and no tickets arerequired for the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare andRecreation-sponsored events.

“DFMWR is honored to have the two bands come to FortCarson to entertain our Soldiers and Families,” said AnnEdinger, DFMWR Events and Entertainment chief.

She noted both bands are military-oriented, having playedfor Soldiers in many locations including Iraq.

“Each band brings a different style of music, but both willput on concerts well worth attending,” she said.

Edinger said partnerships with KILO radio, for Saving Able,and the USO, for the Lt. Dan Band, make it possible forDFMWR to present the “talented musicians.”

Saving Abel released three albums from 2006-2010;their 2010 album is titled “Miss America.” Their 2008 hit“Addicted” created a name for the band in the internationalrock music industry. The band has been on tours withNickelback, Hinder, Papa Roach, Creed, Filter andDrowning Pool.

Over the past seven years, Sinise and the Lt. Dan Bandhave entertained thousands of troops and military Families inthe U.S., Japan, South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. The bandcovers everything from Stevie Wonder and Jimi Hendrixclassics to contemporary songs by Kelly Clarkson,Evanescence, Beyonce, Lonestar and the Zac Brown Band.

For more information about the concerts call 526-1867 orvisit http://www.mwrfortcarson.com or “CarsonMWRevents”on Facebook.

from Page 1

Concerts

“In the past four years, we’ve put a lot of effort intoprograms and services that support Soldiers and theirFamilies,” said J.C. Abney, deputy to the FMWRCcommander. “The Army made a promise to our entireArmy family that we’d provide them a quality of lifecommensurate with their service through the ArmyFamily Covenant, and these survey results prove we’remaking a difference.”

More than three-fifths, 61.5 percent, of spousesreported that the demands the Army makes of Familymembers is either not a problem or only a slightproblem, and less than one-fifth, 13.5 percent,reported it is a serious or very seriousproblem. In general, spouses wereable to handle tasks related to theirpaid job and volunteer work well orvery well; three-fourths, 77 percent,managed working at their paid jobwell or very well and about one-half,56 percent, handled doing their regularwork and additional volunteer work48 percent well or very well.

“The survey results show we’removing in the right direction, butthis is no time to rest on our laurels,”said Maj. Gen. Reuben D. Jones,FMWR commander. “We’ve made acommitment, through the Army Family Covenant,and we’ll continue to live up to that commitment by

being responsive and supportive to the Soldiers andFamilies who sacrifice so much for our nation.”

A majority of officer spouses, 88.4 percent;and enlisted spouses, 79.8 percent; reported thatthey managed well or very well taking care oftheir children’s health while the Soldier spousewas deployed.

Though the data justifies what Army leadershipsuspected about the resiliency of Army Families, it alsoreveals that Army life is not without its challenges.

One spouse wrote, “I love the Army, but it is ahard life for both Soldier and spouse. I am an Armybrat and sometimes have trouble understanding thatmy Family and I may not always come first … so, Ido not know how (spouses) who were not brought up

in the military do it.”Not all the data was positive.

It also indicated that spousesare unhappy with the currentdeployment cycle, and wantlonger dwell times betweentheir spouses’ deployments.

Army Chief of Staff Gen.George W. Casey Jr. has alreadypromised longer dwell times,stating in a recent IMCOM townhall meeting that he plans toincrease dwell times to two yearsin the near future.

While such a move is welcome news for Soldiers and Families, it’s justone step in creating a more resilient, capable total

Army family. A multi-agency workgroup isdeep into the process of addressing resiliency andcoping capabilities through the ComprehensiveSoldier and Family Fitness programs whichidentify — either through awareness campaigns orself-assessment — Soldiers and Family memberswho are having diff iculty coping, and offeringprograms, support and counseling services to helpimprove their resiliency.

Compared to the previous survey of ArmyFamilies, spouses indicated they are currently morelikely to have experienced emotional or nervousproblems — 15 percent in 2005 and 19 percent in2010 — and marital problems — 11 percent in 2005and 14 percent in 2010.

“Resiliency — for Soldiers and Family members— is high on my list of priorities,” Lynch said. “TheComprehensive Fitness programs are meant to beall-inclusive, addressing the spiritual, emotional,Family and physical fitness levels of our Army,”Lynch said.

Data received through the Survey of ArmyFamilies provides information to Army leadership toplan, formulate and improve policies and programswhich benefit Army Families.

“We’ll be taking a hard look at this data,” Jonessaid, “to determine where to focus our efforts in thefuture. We’re not done; the survey results don’t meanwe’ve completed the mission.”

To read more results from this year and previousversions of the Survey of Army Families, visit http://mwrbrandcentral.com/HOMEPAGE/research.html.

from Page 1

Survey

We’re notdone; the survey resultsdon’t meanwe’ve completedthe mission.

‘’— Maj. Gen. Reuben D. Jones


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Engineers introduce sanitation vehicleStory and photo by 1st Lt. Christopher Painter3rd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rdAdvise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division

CAMP ADDER, Iraq — For nearly a year, routeclearance teams assigned to 3rdBattalion, 29th Field ArtilleryRegiment, 3rd Advise and AssistBrigade, 4th Infantry Division,have been vigilantly clearingand reconnoitering Route Tampaday and night, investigatingdebris and suspicious dirt piles.

The two platoons attachedto 3rd Bn., 29th FA Reg., beganusing the interim high mobilityengineer excavator for the firsttime this month. The IHMEE,as it is called by Soldiers,clears debris along the highwaythat could potentially concealimprovised explosive devices.

“The machine can crushand pickup a concrete barrieror remove a large berm thatcould conceal an anti-armorIED. The IHMEE definitelyadds capabilities to our patrol,”said Sgt. Jason Jones, IHMEEoperator and spotter.

Both platoons’ route clearance teams recognizedthe need for route clean-up, after meetings with theircounterparts in the Iraqi highway patrol and Iraqi army.

By detecting changes in the amount of debrisalong the highway, the route clearance teamsdetermined that debris that could be used for IED

concealment should be removed or cleared.After weeks of coordination and research, Chief

Warrant Officer 3 John Waterman, an electronicwarfare officer assigned to 3rd Bn., 29th FA Reg.,assisted the Camp Adder electronic warfare shop indesigning a counter-IED system for the IHMEE.

On its maiden voyage outside the wire, the IHMEEperformed beyond expectations,said Sgt. Thomas Sturtz,IHMEE operator. The IHMEEsanitized 22 kilometers ofhighway and removed morethan 20 bucket loads of materialthat could be used to hideroadside bombs.

Sturtz sees the IHMEE as apowerful enabler for route-clearance operations.

“The IHMEE allows us toremove the large amounts oftrash and debris that we note aspart of our change detectionduring missions,” said Sturtz.

Not only does the vehicleaid route-clearance operations,it improves the Iraqis’ perceptionof U.S. forces, as the engineersuse the IHMEE to make thehighway safer for everyone whotravels on it.

The engineer platoon from 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, attached to 3rd Bn., 29th FieldArtillery Reg., uses an interim high mobility engineer excavator to remove a concrete barrier fromthe shoulder of Route Tampa.


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Story and photo by 2nd Lt. Kenneth J. Park3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry RegimentPublic Affairs Office, 4th BrigadeCombat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Developing platoon-level planning,resourcing and execution was the focus ofthe 3rd Squadron, 61st CavalryRegiment’s two weeks of field training atFort Carson beginning Feb. 28.

Emphasis was placed on platoonleadership, as the 4th Brigade CombatTeam, 4th Infantry Division, unit plannedand executed three scenarios simulatingreal-world situations, preparing officersand their Soldiers for future deployments.

In addition to receiving and planningtheir missions, the Soldiers reacted to anever-changing tactical situation asplanned routes proved difficult, communi-cation became problematic and enemyforces were encountered.

This training exercise was the firsttime many of these Soldiers had workedtogether at the platoon level, havingstarted team-level training in Novemberand completing squad-level training inFebruary. This was also the first time

many of the junior leaders were able tolead their platoons out in the field,learning many valuable leadershiplessons along the way.

“I can’t do everything by myself,” said2nd Lt. Andrew Powell, Troop A platoonleader. “Just because I’m a platoon leader… doesn’t mean that I know how to doeverything. My platoon’s productivity willincrease with my ability to delegate.”

To enhance the realism of the training,difficult terrain was selected, often requiringarduous, multiple-hour foot marches.

Lt. Michael C. Moore, a Troop Bplatoon leader, said the training “provideda realistic training environment in termsof terrain and overall enemy situationthat is similar to what we’ll encounterwhen we deploy.”

The training of young leaders in arealistic environment prepared the warriorsfor leadership in a combat zone. Despitethe challenges of facing a clever enemy,daunting mountains and steep valleys, theSoldiers proved to be resilient, flexible,motivated and well-trained. As thesquadron prepares for more difficultchallenges, it will assuredly draw often fromthe lessons learned during this training.

Soldiers with 1st Platoon, Troop A, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4thBrigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, assault across an objectivetaken from enemy Soldiers during a platoon lane training exercise at FortCarson March 2.

Cav Soldiers trainat platoon level

March 24, 2011 — MOUNTAINEER

Miscellaneous

Threat Awareness and Reporting Program — AllDepartment of the Army personnel must attend threatawareness training at least annually, according to ArmyRegulation 381-12. The Rocky Mountain Field Officeprovides TARP briefings to ensure everyone understandsthe threat toward the U.S. Army and counterpartforces, technologies and critical information. Call526-4810 or 1065 to schedule a unit TARP brief.Sergeant Audie Murphy Club — The Fort CarsonSergeant Audie Murphy Club meets the third Tuesdayof each month at the Family Connection Center from11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The SAMC is open to allactive members and those interested in becoming futureSAMC members. The club was originally a U.S. ForcesCommand organization of elite noncommissioned officers but is now an Armywide program for individualswho have met the criteria and have proven themselvesto be outstanding NCOs through a board/leadershipprocess. For more information contact the SAMCpresident, Staff Sgt. Thomas Witt, at 526-5661.U.S. Army Warrant Officer Association — PikesPeak Silver Chapter meets at noon April 14 at the WolfDining Facility, building 1444. All warrant officers —active, retired and former — are invited to attend. Visithttp://www.pikespeakwoa.org for more information.“Marketing Yourself for a Second Career” — TheArmy Career and Alumni Program sponsors a once-a-year lecture at Fort Carson regarding transition.The Military Officers Association of Americapresents the lecture June 8 from 9-11:30 a.m. inMcMahon Auditorium, building 1517, featuringretired Air Force colonel Dan Koslov, now a deputydirector of transition services on MOAA’s nationalstaff. The presentation includes information on theretirement decision itself, employer perceptions, jobcompetition, resumes, cover letters, job search,networking, career fairs, interview techniques, salarynegotiation, benefits packages and the current jobmarket. The presentation is geared toward officers andsenior enlisted, but all ranks are welcome; spousesare highly encouraged to attend. All who attend willreceive a free copy of the lecturer’s companionbook. For more information, call Leonardo Martinezat 524-7310 or Pauline Hamamoto at 526-1002. Defense Travel System and Government TravelCard — The Mission Support Element G8 TravelOffice is open Monday-Friday from 7-11:30 a.m. and12:30-4 p.m. Use of the GTC in conjunction withleave at the temporary duty point is no longerauthorized; the provision that allowed its use waseliminated in August. By eliminating the authorization,the continued use of the GTC for personal expenses isprohibited. Individuals have to check out of the hoteland return any rental car (if necessary) and thenregister or rent a car using their personal chargecards. For more information contact Debora Parks,G8 Resource Management director, at 526-1858.Casualty Assistance Center — provides training forunits, Family readiness groups, care teams and otherinterested parties regarding casualty operations, personaleffects, predeployment preparedness and estateplanning. For more information call Jean Graves at 526-5613 or e-mail [email protected] Evaluation and Training Team —COMET provides commanders at all levels with aresponsive maintenance and supply assessment andtraining tool that improves the combat effectiveness,readiness and efficiency of their units’ logisticalprograms. The team identifies supply and maintenanceweaknesses and problems, and provides individual/unitreinforcement training based on assessments. Resultsremain confidential for the unit commander only. Theteam provides assistance in the majority of maintenanceand supply management areas with one-on-one

training, and by conducting follow-up visits. The teamalso conducts classes to help strengthen supply skillsand improve maintenance readiness. For moreinformation contact Tim Howarth at 503-3095 ore-mail [email protected] services — The Directorate of Public Works isresponsible for a wide variety of services on FortCarson. Services range from repair and maintenanceof facilities to equipping units with a sweeper andcleaning motor pools. Listed below are phonenumbers and points of contact for services:

• Facility repair/service orders — Fort CarsonSupport Services service order desk can be reachedat 526-5345. Use this number for emergencies orroutine tasks and for reporting wind damage, damagedtraffic signs or other facility damage.

• Refuse/trash and recycling — Call Eric Baileyat 719-491-0218 or e-mail [email protected] when needing trash containers, trash isoverflowing or emergency service is required.

• Facility custodial services — Call H.D.“Woody” Wood at 526-1854 or e-mail [email protected] for service needs or to reportcomplaints.

• Elevator maintenance — Call Bryan Dorcey at526-6670 or e-mail [email protected].

• Motor pool sludge removal/disposal — CallDennis Frost at 526-6997 or e-mail [email protected].

• Repair and utility/self-help — Call Gary Grantat 526-5844 or e-mail [email protected] this number to obtain self-help tools andequipment or a motorized sweeper.

• Base operations contracting officer repre-sentative — Call Terry Hagen at 526-9262 or [email protected] for questions on snowremoval, grounds maintenance and contractor responseto service orders.

• Portable latrines — Call Jerald Just at524-0786 or e-mail [email protected] request latrines, for service or to report damagedor overturned latrines.

The Fort Carson Trial Defense Service office — isable to help Soldiers 24/7 and is located at building1430, room 240. During duty hours, Soldiers shouldcall 526-4563. The 24-hour phone number for afterhours, holidays and weekends is 719-358-3275.Questions can also be submitted by e-mail [email protected]. Know your rights.

Briefings

Casualty Notification/Assistance Officer training— is held April 19-21 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in theFamily Readiness Center, building 6237, room 104.This training is required for all Soldiers asked toperform this solemn duty. Per Army Regulation600-8-1, this duty is limited to those in the ranks ofsergeant first class to command sergeant major,chief warrant officer 2-5 and captain and above. Noreservations are required to attend training. Classesoffered on a first-come, first-served basis. For moreinformation call Jean Graves at 526-5613/5614.Retirement briefings — are held from 8 a.m. tonoon the second and third Wednesday of each monthat the Joel Hefley Community Center conferenceroom, 6800 Prussman Ave. The Retirement ServicesOffice recommends spouses accompany Soldiers tothe briefing. Call 526-2840 for more information.Reassignment briefings — are held Tuesdays forSoldiers heading overseas and Thursdays for personnel being reassigned stateside. The briefingsare held in building 1129, Freedom Performing ArtsCenter; sign in is at 6:45 a.m. and briefings start at7 a.m. Soldiers do not need to bring a copy of theirorders, but must bring a pen to complete forms. Call526-4730/4588 for more information.ETS briefings — for enlisted personnel are held thefirst and third Wednesday of each month. Briefing signin begins at 7 a.m. at the Soldier Readiness Building,building 1042, room 244, on a first-come, first-servedbasis. Soldiers must be within 120 days of theirexpiration term of service, but must attend the briefingno later than 30 days prior to their ETS or start oftransition leave. Call 526-2240/8458 for details. Army ROTC Green to Gold briefings — are heldTuesdays at noon at the education center, building 1117,

room 120. For more information call University ofColorado-Colorado Springs Army ROTC at 262-3475.Special Forces briefings — are held Wednesdays inbuilding 1217, room 305, from 10-11 a.m., noon to 1p.m. and 5-6 p.m. Soldiers must be specialist to staffsergeant from any military occupational specialty,have a general technical score of at least 100, be aU.S. citizen, score 229 or higher on the ArmyPhysical Fitness Test, and pass a Special Forcesphysical. Call 524-1461 or visit the website athttp://www.bragg.army.mil/sorb. Hours of Operation

DFAC hours — Fort Carson dining facilities operateunder the following hours:

• Wolf — Thursday, 7-9 a.m. (breakfast), 11:30a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), no dinner. Closed Friday-Monday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 a.m. (breakfast),11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), 5-6:30 p.m. (dinner).

• Raiders — Thursday, 7-9 a.m. (breakfast),11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), 5-6:30 p.m. (dinner).Friday-Monday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (brunch), 5-6:30 p.m.(supper). Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 a.m. (breakfast),11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), 5-6:30 p.m. (dinner).

• 10th SFG (A) — Thursday, 7-9 a.m. (breakfast),11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), no dinner. Closed Friday-Monday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 a.m. (breakfast),11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), 5-6:30 p.m. (dinner).

• Butts Army Airfield — Thursday, 7-9 a.m.(breakfast), 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), no dinner.Closed Friday-Monday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 a.m.(breakfast), 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (lunch), 5-6:30 p.m.(dinner).Claims Office hours — are Mondays-Fridays from 9a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. The Claims Office is locatedon the first floor of building 6222, 1633 MekongStreet. Shipment under Full Replacement Valueclaimants must submit their Department of DefenseForm 1840R to the carrier within 75 days. Shipmentunder Defense Personal Property Program claimantsmust log into the Defense Personal Property System athttp://www.move.mil and report all the items onlinewithin 75 days. Under both shipments, claims must besubmitted within nine months directly with carriers toreceive full replacement value for missing anddestroyed items. All other claims should be submitted toFort Carson Claims Office within two years of the dateof delivery or date of incident. For more informationcall the Fort Carson Claims Office at 526-1355.Central Issue Facility regular business hours — arelisted below. Call 526-3321 to make appointments.

In-processing Mondays-Thursdays from 7:30-10:30 a.m.Initial issuesMondays-Thursdays from12:30-3 p.m.Partial issuesMondays-Thursdays from 12:30-3 p.m.Cash sales/report of surveyMondays-Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.Direct exchangeMondays-Thursdays from 12:30-3 p.m.Partial turn-insMondays-Thursdays from 12:30-3 p.m.Full turn-insMondays-Thursdays from 7:30-10:30 a.m.Unit issues and turn-insCall 526-5512/6477 for approval.

Education Center hours of operation — TheMountain Post Training and Education Center, building1117, 526-2124, hours are as follows:

• Counselor Support Center — Mon days-Thursdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Fridays 11 a.m.to 4:30 p.m.

• Army Learning Center — Mondays-Thursdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Defense Activity for NontraditionalEducation Support and Army PersonnelTesting/eArmyU testing — Mondays-Fridays7:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:15-4:15 p.m.Medical Activity Correspondence Departmentoffice hours — The Correspondence (Release ofInformation) Office in the Patient AdministrationDivision hours are Mondays-Wednesdays andFridays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closedThursdays and federal holidays. Call 526-7322 or526-7284 for more information.

BOSS meetings areheld the first and thirdWednesday of each monthat the Foxhole, formerlyAlternate Escapes, at 10a.m. For information, call524-BOSS.

7

Story and photos by Andrea SutherlandMountaineer staff

Last week Soldiers from 62nd Sapper Company,4th Engineer Battalion, completed their first fieldtraining exercise since gaining more than 25 Soldiersfrom 569th Mobility Augmentation Company andHeadquarters and Headquarters Company.

“This is a good, fresh start for this company,”said Sgt. Ben Olson, 3rd Platoon, who has been withthe “Reapers” since 2006. “We’re starting fromscratch and building up. We’re progressing a lot fasterthan we thought.”

From March 9-18, 94 Soldiers participated inroute- and room-clearing exercises as well asdemolitions.

Soldiers practiced building and detonating linear,silhouette and water impulse charges. Staff Sgt.Jamon Reagan, who recently completed the UrbanMaster Breacher Course at Marine Corps Base CampLejeune, N.C., taught the Soldiers in the field.

“This is probably the first time some of theseguys have done stuff like this,” Reagan said. “We’retrying to make sure they’re safe and give them thebasic fundamentals and make sure they understandthe preciseness that’s needed in the real world.”

Prac t ic ing thesetactics now will serveSoldiers of the 62nd wellas they are set to deploylater this year.

“The biggest mis-conception is that we justcome out here and blowstuff up,” said 2nd Lt.Beau Hilland, 2ndPlatoon. “It’s actuallyvery calculated. Every -thing has a purpose.”

In addition to demo-lition exercises, Soldiersin the 62nd honed theirroute-clearing skills.

“It’s a simple processbut it’s easy to growcomplacent, and that’swhen people can gethurt,” said 1st Lt. AdamYork, 1st Platoon.“Every body’s trained todo everything. We changeup the jobs to help prevent complacency.”

York said the convoy,made up of Humvees,Huskies and a BuffaloMedium Mine ProtectedVehicle, drove five toseven miles per hour,scanning the roads for“anything that looked

out of place.”“When the Iraq

War first started wedid a lot of thingswrong,” said York,explaining thatSoldiers tasked withroute clearance spedalong roads insteadof driving slowly andcautiously.

“If you drivetoo fast and an(improvised explo-sive device) hits, itcan flip the truck,”said York, referringto the Humvee.

York also ex -plained the advancesin vehicle technologysince the start of thewars in Iraq andAfghanistan.

“The Buffalo has a V-shaped hull intended todeflect the blast. It also has an arm with a scoopand a spike to poke at anything that looks like anIED,” York said. “The Husky has radar and a giantmetal detector. It let’s us know there is somethingon the ground.”

Capt. Mike Custer, 62nd Sapper Companycommander, said his Soldiers did well in the field andwill be ready for their deployment.

“The field training exercise was importantbecause it allowed the Soldiers time to train on theirmission for the upcoming deployment,” Custer said.

Just as important for the young company were therelationships the Soldiers formed.

“This training exercise was designed to allow allthe new Soldiers in each platoon to come together anddevelop tactics, techniques and procedures thatthey will utilize once deployed to search and clearroadside bombs downrange,” Custer said.

“You can do tactics, you can do training, butthese guys have to learn about each other as Soldiersand as people,” said 2nd Lt. Timothy Jeffcoach,3rd Platoon. “Being out here for 10 days withoutshowering, you learn a lot about each other.”


Spc. Kilfrank Sigrah, 2nd Platoon, 62nd Sapper Company, 4th Engineer Battalion,practices a ballistic breach as Staff Sgt. Jamon Reagan observes. Reagan recentlycompleted the Urban Master Breacher Course at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune,N.C., and served as the subject-matter expert at the field training exercise.

Fresh start for 62nd Sapper Company

Members of 2nd Platoon, 62nd Sapper Company,4th Engineer Battalion, detonate a linear chargeat a field training exercise March 17.

You cando tactics,you can dotraining,but theseguys haveto learnabout eachother asSoldiersand as people.

‘

’— 2nd Lt. Timothy Jeffcoach


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Photo by Spc. April York

Train to fightMedics from 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th InfantryDivision, conduct a training mission on Forward Operating Base Sword at the Joint ReadinessTraining Center, Fort Polk, La., Feb. 14. The Feb. 4-25 training was designed to replicate battlefieldconditions to prepare the brigade for its upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. JRTC challengedthe brigade across the full spectrum of operations from defeating improvised explosive devices,searching villages, interacting with Afghan civilians, advising and mentoring the Afghan NationalSecurity Forces and facing the media.

2nd BCT learnsto negotiateby Maj. Kevin Toner2nd Brigade Combat TeamPublic Affairs Officer, 4th Infantry Division

The West PointNegotiation Project teamtaught Soldiers the strategiesand nuances for successfulnegotiations March 8-11 at theElkhorn Conference Center.

The students weremembers of the 2nd BrigadeCombat Team, 4th InfantryDivision, Security ForceAssistance Teams who willultimately advise and mentorAfghan military forces andpolitical leaders.

“Anytime we engage withthe people of Afghanistan it’sgoing to be a type of negotiation.We now have a better ideaon how to prepare for thoseengagements so both partiesleave as winners,” said Sgt. 1stClass Christopher Welch, aninfantryman serving on an SFAT.

The training providedinsight to understanding the

different ways to negotiate,said 1st Lt. Marcello DiGerlando.

“The typical way I haveseen negotiating is my father atthe fruit market. Now I’mdiscovering different elementsof negotiations … options,interests. There are multipleelements in negotiations thatI didn’t know existed beforenow,” he said.

“The purpose of the WPNPis to enhance the ability of U.S.military small unit leaders toconduct negotiations in thecomplex and challenging situa-tions they face in both combatand peace,” said Maj. AramDonigian, instructor and projectmember from West Point’sDepartment of BehavioralSciences and Leadership.

The training laid thefoundation for enhancednegotiations when the unitdeploys to Afghanistan.

“If you know how to prepare then you are going to bea better negotiator,” said Welch.


Daughters dance with their heroesStory and photos by Spc. Samantha B. KossMountaineer staff

Three-hundred-forty-three servicemembersand their princesses slipped on their dancingshoes for the fifth annual Father-Daughter Dance Saturday at the Colorado Springs Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The dance was open from 6-9 p.m. for allmilitary services. Fathers and their daughtersgathered in the banquet hall to spend an eveningfull of eating and dancing.

“My daughters were so excited for thedance,” said Staff Sgt. Chris Mountjoy,Headquarters and Headquarters Company,Warrior Transition Battalion, who has danced

with his daughters Coralynn, 6, and Cerabeth, 5,at the past four Father-Daughter Dances. “Theylove to have their hair and nails done … this islike a fairy-tale ball to them,” Mountjoy added.

Daughters dressed up in ball dresses, corsages, tiaras and gloves while their fathers woretheir military dress uniforms or suits and ties.

“Realizing what these Families go through… and what these guys come home from, it’s great to see them have this opportunity tobond with their daughters,” said E.D. Rucker,military outreach coordinator at the SoutheastYMCA, sponsor of the event. “To me, that bond says everything,” Rucker added.

“Many Soldiers recently returned from deployment just in time to enjoy thedance,” Rucker said of the spike in ticket

sales the last week. Dads took pictures of their

daughters dancing with theirfriends while others showed off their moves as the disc jockey played the “ChickenDance,” the “Macarena” and the “Cuban Shuffle.”

The music slowed down for family favorites like“Butterfly Kisses” toward the end of the evening.

The dance ended as somedaughters were carried out intheir daddies’ arms, tired from the excitement of the evening.

“They (Coralynn andCerabeth) are ready for bed after all that dancing,” Mountjoysaid as he left the dance.

Left:Servicemembersand their daughtersenjoy a lesson inline dancing from a Zumba instructor,during the Father-Daughter Dance atthe Crowne PlazaHotel banquet hall.

Above: Sgt.Jeremy Barnhart,

Warrior TransitionBattalion, and

daughter Kayleigh,12, enjoyed quality

time togetherslow dancing

to the song“Butterfly Kisses”during the Father-

Daughter DanceSaturday at the

Crowne PlazaHotel banquet hall.

A Soldier and his princess share a dance Saturday at the CrownePlaza Hotel in Colorado Springs.


Additional questions about Fort Carson Club Beyond:

Event honors volunteersby Devin FisherMountaineer editor

Nearly 2,400 registered MountainPost volunteers logged a combined147,532 hours in 2010, saving Fort Carson an estimated $2.4 million, according to the Fort Carsonvolunteer coordinator.

Army Community Service honorsits volunteer force with a free barbecue April 12 from 11 a.m. to1:30 p.m. in the ACS and commissarypicnic area in celebration of NationalVolunteer Week held April 10-16.

“We want to formally say ‘thankyou’ (to our volunteers) for what theydo … and let them know we don’t take them for granted,” said JoeyBautista, volunteer coordinator.

He said this year’s theme,“Celebrating Fort Carson Volunteers inAction,” reflects the power volunteershave to inspire the people they help, as well as inspire others to serve.

Noting each volunteer has an actualjob description explaining his duties, he said they sometimes can becometransparent among paid employees.

“We appreciate what they do …they are a tremendous benefit to FortCarson and we want it to be knownthat they are there for a reason andaugment the paid employees,” he said.

Volunteers serve in various community programs that impact thequality of life and well-being of theyouth and adults who live, work andplay at Fort Carson, Bautista said.

“Many community and Familysupport programs would not be able to provide the programs and serviceswithout valuable contributions of our volunteers,” he said.

Bautista noted that volunteers arespread throughout the post to includeFamily readiness groups, ACS,American Red Cross, installationchapels, the thrift shop and USO.

He said Fort Carson Army

Volunteer Corps uses NationalVolunteer Week as its spring-board to honor post volunteers.Bautista encourages allorganizations to honor itsvolunteers to includecoordinating with theVolunteer Corps toobtain certificates of appreciation and formally present them to the volunteers.

A May 17 awards ceremony and lunch atElkhorn Conference Centercaps off the annual volunteerrecognition as senior leadershippresents the Columbine VolunteerAward of Excellence, ExemplaryVolunteer Award of Excellence, Youth Volunteer of the Year and theVolunteer of the Year awards.

National Volunteer Week beganin 1974 when President RichardNixon signed an executive order

establishing the week as an annualcelebration of volunteering.

Call the Fort Carson ArmyVolunteer Corps office at 526-4590/1082 for more information about volunteer opportunities on post.


Claims against the estate — With deepest regret tothe Family of Pfc. Travis Roark, deceased. Anyonehaving claims or indebtedness to his estate shouldcontact 2nd Lt. Benjamin Ritzema at 616-540-4532.Claims against the estate — With deepest regret tothe Family of Spc. William Templeton, deceased.Anyone having claims or indebtedness to his estateshould contact 1st Lt. Patrick Buchan at 704-779-5674.Youth career fair cancelled — The Fort CarsonYouth Services Center career fair Friday from 1-3p.m. has been cancelled.Thank TRICARE physician on Doctors’ Day —More than 180,000 TRICARE providers serve themilitary community in the West Region. The com-munity they support has the opportunity to say“thank you” Wednesday on National Doctors’ Day. TRICARE asks its patients to give a “shout-out”on Facebook to doctors who have made an impactin their lives. Log onto the TriWest HealthcareAlliance Facebook page and share what makes the doctor special. Find the Facebook page athttp://www.facebook.com/triwest, and click on the “Love Your Doc” tab on the left. Fundraising auction and casino night — The FortCarson Officers’ Spouses’ Club holds its annual casinonight fundraiser April 2 from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Elkhorn Conference Center. “Viva Las Carson”features a night of charitable casino-type games, silentauctions, a raise the paddle pledge donation, enter -tainment and food for purchase while raising moneyfor the club’s welfare and scholarship fund. Ticketscan be purchased at fc(underscore)[email protected] for $10 prior to the event or $12 at event. Welfare fund assists Allen Rose Memorial — TheFort Carson Officers’ Spouses’ Club March welfarefund will be donated to the Allen Rose Memorial fundto assist the late tow truck driver’s family. The FCOSCis a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering andencouraging a spirit of community responsibility atFort Carson in order to promote social, recreational,cultural and educational activities among its members.Financial contributions should be sent to: Attn: MarchWelfare Donation, Fort Carson Officers’ Spouses’Club, P.O. Box 12886, Colorado Springs, CO 80902.E-mail questions to fc(underscore)[email protected] sales — can be held on post the first and thirdSaturdays of the month, April through December.Fort Carson residents set up their items in front oftheir homes. Single Soldiers and military Familieswho reside off post can participate by setting up inthe Beacon Elementary School parking lot. Yardsales are organized and conducted by the installationMayoral Program, the Directorate of Public WorksHousing Liaison Office and the Balfour BeattyFamily Housing Office. Call the Mayoral Program at 526-8303 or Army Community Service at 526-4590 for more information. Weight management program — The wellness center launches a “Group Balance Lifestyle” weightmanagement program April 14. The program useslifestyle interventions such as self-monitoring,behavior modification, recognition of food cues andtriggers, increasing activity and good nutrition. Thefour-month program is open to all Department ofDefense TRICARE beneficiaries 18 and older witha body mass index greater than 25. Classes meet at11:30 a.m. once per month for one hour at theMountain Post Wellness Center located in the ArmyCommunity Service building. Participants will alsohave lab tests and their results monitored. The program has proven successful in long-term weightmanagement, helping users keep off excess weight, according to wellness center officials. Callthe wellness center at 526-3887 to register.ESCO Craft fair — The Enlisted SpousesCharitable Organization hosts a craft fair featuringlocal vendors and crafters from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.April 30. Entry fee is $2 or a coat donation.Proceeds will go back into the Fort Carson community. Contact the craft fair chairperson at719-351-3970 or [email protected] formore information.Donated annual leave for Fort Carson civilian

employees — is currently being accepted for the following civilians under the Voluntary LeaveTransfer Program. The employees who have exhaustedall available leave because of medical emergenciesand are currently accepting leave donations areAnthony Jackson and James Kwasniewski,Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization andSecurity; and Jennifer Taylor and Daniel Tyner,Directorate of Emergency Services. To donate annual leave under VLTP, contact the GarrisonResource Management Office at 526-1841/ 1839 [email protected] to obtain formOMP-630A, “Request to Donate Annual Leave,” or the OMP-630B for an outside agency.Physical exam services moves — The clinic is now located in building 1056, next to the SoldierReadiness center off O’Connell Boulevard. The clinic is open 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m.Monday-Friday. Soldiers requiring physical examservices must report to the new location Monday.For more information call 526-7170.Legal Assistance Office — services are open to allSoldiers, Family members and retirees. Servicesinclude preparation of wills, powers of attorney, namechanges and stepchild adoptions. The office also offerscounseling and provides advice for individuals dealingwith landlord/tenant, military administrative, tax, family law and consumer issues, as well as counsel and representation of Soldiers going through medical and physical evaluation boards. The office is openfrom 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Appointments are scheduled by calling the last duty day of the week, normally a Friday, at 9 a.m.Sign-up for walk-in appointments are availableMonday and Thursday beginning at 11:30 a.m. TheLegal Assistance Office offers a divorce/separationvideo briefing followed by a general question-and-answer session Monday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m.and Thursday at 2 p.m. Attorneys cannot representclients in divorce proceedings in court, however, areferral list of private attorneys is available. Call 526-5572/5573 for more information. Sexual Assault Awareness Month luncheon — will be held at 11:45 a.m. April 6 in the ElkhornConference Center. Maj. Gen. Gina Farrisee, commander, U.S. Army Human Resources Command,will speak on the theme “Hurts one … affects all.”The event, sponsored by Sexual Harassment/AssaultResponse and Prevention, costs $6 per person.Sexual Assault Awareness Month denim day, a rapeprevention education campaign that asks communitymembers, elected officials and students to wear jeansas a visible means of protest against misconceptionsthat surround sexual assault, is April 27. Free tax service — During tax season, the FortCarson Tax Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. The center isalso open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 19 and April9. Staffed by IRS-certified personnel, the center will prepare and electronically file tax returns freeof charge for Soldiers, retirees and their Familymembers. The center is located at 9480 WildernessRoad — from Titus Boulevard turn onto Butts Road;at traffic circle turn right and the new facility will beon the left. To schedule an appointment, call 524-1013or e-mail [email protected]. Walk-insaccepted on a space-available basis. State Highway 115 construction — The ColoradoDepartment of Transportation will be conducting a construction project through October on StateHighway 115 outside of Fort Carson’s Gate 5. Theproject includes widening the highway from two to four lanes, new turning and acceleration lanes, anew traffic signal outside of Gate 5 and realigningPine Oaks Road to intersect with Titus Boulevard.The existing highway will remain in a two-lane configuration; however, drivers can expect shoulderclosures and occasional traffic stops to allow construction traffic to safely cross roadways. Traffic delays are possible. For more information,call the DPW traffic planning at 526-9267.Retirement ceremony — The next Fort Carsonmonthly retirement ceremony takes place

Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Special Events Center.The ceremony honors the careers of retiring Soldiersand the sacrifices of their spouses.Nutrition counseling and classes — The EvansArmy Community Hospital Nutrition Care Divisionoffers nutrition counseling on a healthy diet,weight loss or gain, high cholesterol, hypertension,diabetes, sports nutrition and other nutrition-relateddiseases or illnesses. Nutrition classes includeheart-healthy/lipid, weight loss, pregnancy nutrition, commissary tour/ healthy shopping andsports nutrition (upon request). To schedule anappointment call the TRICARE appointment line at 719-457-2273. To register for a class, call theNutrition Care Division at 526-7290.Army Emergency Relief college aid — AERoffers two stateside financial aid programs to assist children and spouses of active, retired anddeceased Soldiers pursue their education.Dependent children may apply for assistance up to$3,500 per year under the Maj. Gen. James UrsanoScholarship Program for full-time students underage 23 at the end of the academic year, at anundergraduate, technical or vocational institutionaccredited by the Department of Education and isawarded annually up to four academic years.Spouses may apply for assistance up to $2,500 peryear under the AER Stateside Spouse EducationAssistance Program for spouses of active-duty andretired Soldiers, and widows of Soldiers who diedeither on active duty or in a retired status, and are residing in the U.S. Applications, which mustbe submitted, are available through April 1 athttp://www.aerhq.org. Scholarships for housing residents — BalfourBeatty Communities Foundation is accepting academic scholarship applications for the 2011-2012academic year through April 15 to reward highschool and undergraduate students of military members residing in Family housing in need offinancial assistance and recognizing their educationaland leadership efforts. Scholarships are valued up to $2,500. The application, details and requirementscan be found at http://www.bbcommunitiesfoundation.org.


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Emergencies are inevitable and can bring a financial burden to an already stressful situation— that’s why the Army Emergency Relief was established.

AER is a program designed to assist Soldiers,Family members and retirees when emergencies arise.

Mary Braxton, Financial Readiness Programmanager, said AER is for any unforeseen emergencysuch as initial rent and deposit, utilities to preventdisconnect, food assistance, emergency travel forimmediate Family members and funeral expenses.

Since February 1942, AER has distributed more than $1.2 billion in financial assistance.

AER’s annual fundraising campaign for 2011 runsMarch 1 through May 15. Last year’s goal for Fort

Carson’s AER fundraising campaign was $225,000for Soldiers and military Families — $212,000 wasraised, said Terri Hein, AER assistant loan officer.

Braxton said the financial goal for 2011 is$250,000. Each year the financial need within themilitary community increases.

Fort Carson’s AER section disbursed $149,867in grant assistance and $1,439,956 in loan assistance,for a total of $1,589,823 dispersed to Fort CarsonSoldiers and their Family members last year.

Financial relief can be given by loans or grants on a case-by-case basis, Hein said.

“Grants are given when there is no way, nomeans, no how for repayment,” Braxton said. “Andloans are provided at zero percent interest.”

“These are Soldiers’ dollars … our main goal is to manage and provide those dollars upon requestat the best of our ability,” Braxton said.

Hein said the program is beneficial to the military community because it helps alleviate the financial hardships that Soldiers and Familiesface on a continual basis.

“If a Soldier knows that they have someone orsomewhere to turn if they are facing a financialemergency, then they are more apt to be focused on their mission,” Braxton said.

Braxton said contributions can be given by cash, check or allotment, the minimum amount fordonation is $1 and anything that someone wants to contribute is most welcome.

“It’s a very valid and valuable program and wedo ask that each Soldier consider contributing to this campaign,” Braxton said.

Contact Army Community Service at 526-4590or visit http://www.aerhq.org for more informationabout the AER program or to contribute.


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Catholic Stations of the Cross is held at5:30 p.m. Fridays through April 22 atSoldiers’ Memorial Chapel. A potlucksoup supper follows.

Protestant Way of the Cross is held atnoon Fridays through April 22 atProvider Chapel.

Trail West Family Camp — Enjoy a week of fun, relaxation and reconnection with your family in Buena Vista May 29-June 4 or Aug. 7-13. Register at http://www.militaryfamilycamp.younglife.org. Call 526-5279 for more information.

Jewish Lunch and Learn with Chap.(Maj.) Howard Fields, Wednesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at Provider Chapel.For more information call 526-8263.

Protestant Women of the Chapel — meet Tuesdays 9-11:30 a.m. at Soldiers’Memorial Chapel. For more information e-mail [email protected].

Catholic Women of the Chapel — meetFridays 9-11 a.m. at Soldiers’ MemorialChapel. First Friday Mass is at noon at theCatholic Center locatedin the Citadel Mall. Forquestions or informationcontact KirstenSimonsgaard at 719-284-0182 or the parish office at 526-5769.

Family Dinner and aMovie Night — is thefirst Friday of eachmonth, sponsored bythe Gospel Serviceat Prussman Chapel.

Dinner is at 6 p.m., movie at 7 p.m. Formore information call Gary Neal at719-217-7600.

AWANA — Ages 3-12 meet 5:30-7 p.m. and teens meet 5-7 p.m.Thursdays at Soldiers’ MemorialChapel. Registration is at Soldiers’

Memorial Chapel southentrance or by contacting Heidi

McAllister, director of religious education, [email protected]. Volunteers are

also needed for the program.

Chapel ScheduleROMAN CATHOLIC

Day Time Service Chapel Location Contact PersonSaturday 5 p.m. Mass Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Cecilia Croft/526-5769Sunday 8:15-8:45 a.m. Reconciliation Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Cecilia Croft/526-5769Sunday 9:15 a.m. Mass Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Cecilia Croft/526-5769Sunday 10:30 a.m. CRE Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Pat Treacy/524-2458Sunday 10:30 a.m. RCIA Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Pat Treacy/524-2458Sunday 11 a.m. Mass Healer Evans Army Hospital Fr. Nwatawali/526-7347Mon-Fri 11:45 a.m. Mass Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Cecilia Croft/526-5769Tues/Thurs noon Mass Healer Evans Army Hospital Fr. Nwatawali/526-7347

PROTESTANTFriday 4:30 p.m. Intercessory prayer, Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Chap. Stuart/524-4316

Bible StudySunday 9 a.m. Protestant Healer Evans Army Hospital Chap. Roberts/526-7387Sunday 9 a.m. Liturgical Service Provider Barkeley & Ellis Chap. Mitchell/650-8042Sunday 9:15 a.m. Sunday School Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Heidi McAllister/526-5744Sunday 9:30 a.m. Sunday School Prussman Barkeley & Prussman Heidi McAllister/526-5744Sunday 10:50 a.m. Protestant Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Chap. Stuart/524-4316Sunday 11 a.m. Protestant/Gospel Prussman Barkeley & Prussman Ursula Pittman/503-1104Sunday 11 a.m. Chapel Next Veterans Magrath & Titus Chap. Way/339-0845Tuesday 9:20 a.m., 5:50 p.m. PWOC Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Chap. Stuart/524-4316Sunday 2:30-4:30p.m. Youth ministry Soldiers’ Nelson & Martinez Heidi McAllister/526-5744

JEWISHFor information and a schedule of Jewish Sabbath services, call the U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel at 333-2636.

WICCASunday 2 p.m. Provider Chapel, Building 1350, Barkeley and Ellis [email protected]

White Mountain Warriors LodgeWhite Mountain Warriors Lodge ceremonies (He Ska Akicita Inipi) are offered to military, Family members and Department of Defense personnel. These lodges are traditional Lakota spiritual ceremonies for cleansing, purification and prayer, and are fully sanctioned and supported by the Fort Carson command chaplain. MichaelHackwith is the spiritual adviser. The next lodge will be Saturday at Turkey Creek at 2 p.m. with a potluck to follow at Soldier’s Memorial Chapel. For information anddirections call Hackwith or Wendy Chunn-Hackwith at 285-5240 or [email protected].

Daily Bible readings: To assist in regularScripture reading, the following Scriptures are recommended. TheseScriptures are part of the common daily lectionary, which is designed topresent the entire Bible over a three-year cycle.

Thursday — Psalms 107 & Luke 10-11Friday — Psalms 108 & Luke 12-13Saturday — Psalms 109 & Luke 14-15Sunday — Psalms 110 & Luke 16-17Monday — Psalms 111 & Luke 18-19Tuesday — Psalms 112 & Luke 20-21Wednesday — Psalms 113 & Luke 22March 31 — Isaiah 64:1-9 & Luke 23-24

by Chap. (Capt.) Wesley Gornall2nd Battalion, 12th InfantryRegiment, 4th Brigade CombatTeam, 4th Infantry Division

By now you have probably seenthe vivid scenes of destruction inJapan. Estimates are running at 10,000people dead and 1 million peoplewithout water and food. The Japanesepremier is calling the tragedy theworst since World War II. These tragicevents always bring questions of howwe are supposed to respond to suchsituations in our lives.

Habakkuk was facing a situationsimilar to what the nation of Japan isfacing today, although for totally different reasons. We may not facedevastation on this scale, but ultimatelywe will all face difficulties whentragedy strikes in our lives. How do we handle life when tough timesturn our lives upside down?

Habakkuk was told by God thatbecause of Judah’s sin, God will usethe Babylonians to punish them. TheBabylonian army was fierce. It was a swift and devastating army that left destruction and ruin in its path.Habakkuk was appalled that Godwould use such a cruel army to render

judgment upon his chosen people. He had to reconcile God’s holinesswith his actions.

Habakkuk was a lot like us todaywhen bad events come our way. TheBible says that his heart pounded, hislips quivered, decay crept into hisbones and his legs trembled. Thatdoesn’t sound like a guy who has itall together. It is OK to have fear in our lives and yet still have joy inour Lord. Habbakuk is open andhonest that he feared the arrival ofthe invading army that will destroyhomes, kill people and produce an economic, as well as a political, collapse. In fact Habakkuk 3:17 says,“Though the fig tree does not bud andthere are no grapes on the vine, theolive crops fail and the fields produceno food, that there are no sheep andcattle around to eat and to sell.” Theinvading Babylonians will sweep in like a tsunami wave and will leavedestruction in their path.

Yet, somehow, Habbakuk has hope.In fact, he says that he will rejoice.Habbakuk 3:18 says, “Yet I will rejoicein the Lord, I will be joyful in God mysavior.” He can say this because hetrusts that God, even in his wrath, willhave mercy (Habbakuk 3:2). Earlier in

the book, God tells Habakkuk that therighteous will live by his faith. That isthe key to handling the devastatingtimes in our lives. It is to walk by faithin the Lord. It is easy to walk with theLord in good times, but what happenswhen we are going through surgery, aloved one has cancer, we lose a buddyto a roadside bomb, or our spouses arenot home to help with our sick child?

Habakkuk shows us that it is possible, even under such conditions,to be in a state of actual rejoicing inChrist. I am not talking about rejoicingin the difficult circumstances. We can be sad, even fearful, but we canalso know a peace and security that

God is with us. He will never leave us.And he will help us survive anything.

One writer has said, “If our single,all-embracing passion is to makemuch of Christ in life and death and ifthe life that magnifies him most is thelife of costly love, then life is risk andrisk is right. To run from it is to wasteyour life.” Upon hearing of the comingof the Babylonians, Habakkuk did not rent a U-Haul and move to Egypt.No, he chose to trust in the Lord andto walk by faith through the trial.

What about you? What are youfacing? Like Habakkuk, you canchoose to walk by faith in the Lord in spite of dire circumstances.

Walk in faith through trials

“Yet I will rejoice in theLord, I will be joyful inGod my savior.”

— Habakkuk 3:18



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Law protects renters by Capt. Alfredo N. Foster, Jr.Chief, Legal Assistance Office

In the state of Colorado, when landlords rentresidential property to the public, the landlord mustwarrant that the property is fit for human habitation,also known as a warranty of habitability.

In other words, the property the landlord is trying to rent must maintain adequate plumbing,gas, hot water, a sewage disposal system, heating facilities, electrical lighting and locks, and be free from infestation of rodents or vermin.Additionally, the property must be free from any hazards that could pose a danger to the tenant’slife, safety or health.

If a tenant believes a breach of the warranty ofhabitability has occurred, the tenant must providethe landlord with notice to fix the problem. Afterthe landlord receives notice of the inadequacies listed above, the landlord has an additional five daysto fix the problem; no less than 10 days total.

If the landlord fails to fix the problem in therequired timeframe, the tenant then has the option to terminate the rental agreement by returning possession of the rental property back to the landlord. Additionally, the tenant may recover damages directly arising from the breach in warrantyof habitability in a court of law. However, it should

be noted that in order for the warranty of habitabilityto apply, none of the damage listed above can be the result of misconduct by the tenant, a memberof the tenant’s household, a guest of the tenant or a person under the tenant’s direct control.

Some landlords try to incorporate, within thelease, clauses waiving or modifying a tenant’s rightfor protection under the warranty of habitability.Waivers or modifications of this warranty are in violation of state law and are void. State legislature has deemed actions such as these indirect conflict with public policy.

Soldiers and Family members who believe their landlord has

violated their rights under the warranty of habitability,

should call the Legal AssistanceOffice at 526-5572 for

additional guidance before taking any action on their own.

Carson hostsDave Ramsey,financial expoMountaineer staff

Dave Ramsey, a financial author,radio host, television personality andmotivational speaker, holds a free seminar for the Fort Carson communityfrom 5:30-7 p.m. Friday in the SpecialEvents Center, building 1829.

The seminar is free, but tickets arerequired, one ticket per individual.Reserve tickets at Army CommunityService, building 1526. Soldiers canobtain tickets through their battalioncommand financial noncommissionedofficer. The overflow location, with live video feedback, is McMahonAuditorium, building 1517.

ACS holds a financial expo at theSEC from 1-4 p.m. Friday. The eventprovides an opportunity for Fort Carsoncommunity members to make informedfinancial decisions on topics to includeVeterans Affairs home loans, ThriftSavings Plan, retirement and investing,according to ACS officials.

Both events are open to all military and Department of Defenseidentification cardholders. For moreinformation call ACS at 526-4590.


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Health wise

Spring into nutritionmonth with ‘baby steps’by Chris HalagardaNavy fitness and performance enhancement dietitian

FORT LEE, Va. — National NutritionMonth, celebrated each March, provides anopportunity for Americans to choose to begin a healthy diet, lose weight and keep theweight off for good.

Weight loss is one of the most difficultpersonal challenges a person can face. It’s aphysical struggle as much as a mental andemotional struggle. And, if it isn’t hard enough,many people actually succeed at losing weight,only to put the lost weight back on. This temporary weight loss and weight gain is avicious cycle called “yo-yo dieting,” which canbe frustrating, demoralizing and unhealthy.

It is proven that “regular” people have succeeded at losing weight and keeping it offwithout taking dangerous supplements, partici-pating in any extreme weight loss measures orrevealing their entire life on a reality show.

The National Weight Control Registry,http://www.nwcr.ws, is a study that has looked at more than 5,000 adults who havesuccessfully lost 30 or more pounds and keptif off for more than a year. On average, themembers have lost more than 66 pounds andkept it off for more than five years.

How have they succeeded at such a hardlife challenge? Actually, they took “baby steps,”which added up to giant leaps. First, 98 percentof all 5,000 plus participants modified theirfood intake in some way. Most of the successfulweight losers reported decreasing their overallcalories, following a lower-fat diet and doinghigh levels of physical activity. More specifically,90 percent of the participants walked at least 60 minutes each day and cut back on their TV time to less than 10 hours a week.

To keep the weight off, all the participants

continued with a similar, but less-strict versionof their original program. Another interestingfact that these participants followed was thatmore than three quarters of the successful losers— 3,900 people out of 5,000 — ate breakfast.

Obviously, breakfast is difficult for manypeople because it interferes with sleep, gettingthe kids ready for school, feeding the dog andgetting ready for work. Remember though,breakfast does not have to be a four-course mealwith juice, cereal, toast, butter, sausage and eggs.

Breakfast needs to be just that, a “break”from the overnight “fast.” It’s a meal or snackthat provides nutrients, which help the body andmind work effectively and efficiently. A goodbreakfast can be an apple with peanut butter, acup of oatmeal with blueberries, a slice of wholewheat toast with peanut butter and banana slicesor something as simple as a granola bar, a cup of yogurt or a glass of low-fat milk.

Feel free to think outside the cereal box.Breakfast can be leftover whole-wheat pastaand low-fat meatballs from last night’s dinner,or the rice and beans from yesterday’s lunch or a turkey sandwich. Skip the high-fat choicesoffered at the drive-through window and head to the commissary to stock up on simple,yet inexpensive, breakfast foods. Remember, a healthy breakfast with a variety of colorswill prime the body and mind for peak performance while reducing the chances ofbinge eating later in the day.

Calcium can helpprevent colon cancerby Shari LopatinTriWest Healthcare Alliance

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer amongmen and women in the United States, according to theAmerican Cancer Society.

Experts agree that one of the best ways to survive colon cancer is to find it early — through screening.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a screening test, called a colonoscopy, only once every 10 years, after age 50. Therefore, TRICARE covers one colonoscopy every 10 years for ben-eficiaries ages 50 years and older.

The top five foods that help prevent the disease are listedbelow in observance of Colon Cancer Awareness Month:

• Dairy products (such as yogurt or milk) —According to the American Cancer Society, several studieshave shown that foods high in calcium may help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Dairy products are some of the bestsources of calcium.

• Broccoli and cauliflower — These veggies belong toa food group called “cruciferous vegetables,” which are partof the cabbage family. The American Cancer Society saysthese foods contain certain compounds that may reduce the risk of cancer in general, including colon.

• Spinach and asparagus — The American DieteticAssociation says that spinach and asparagus contain highamounts of folate. Too little folate, according to the AmericanCancer Society, may increase the risk of colon cancer.

• Whole-grain breads and pasta — Whole-grainfoods are high in fiber, which helps food move fasterthough the digestive track, according to the AmericanDietetic Association. High-fiber foods also have many antioxidants, which help protect against severalcancers, one of them colon.

• Strawberries: Strawberries are packed with fiber,vitamin C and folate — all nutrients that both theAmerican Dietetic Association and American DieteticAssociation say help reduce the risk of colon cancer. They make a great breakfast or snack fruit, too.

Visit http://www.triwest.com/colon for more informationon colon cancer prevention.

ResourcesLearn more about National Nutrition Month and ways to help promote good nutrition at home,

school or work at http://www.eatright.org/nnm.

Visit Ask the Dietitian athttp://www.commissaries.com

for information on making healthy choices and to post questions on the DeCA Dietitian Forum.

21March 24, 2011 — MOUNTAINEER20 MOUNTAINEER — March 24, 2011

Layout by Jeanne Mazerall

Darryl Goddard Jr., 12,sings the national anthemduring a welcome-homeceremony inside theSpecial Events Center at Fort Carson, March 1.His father, Chief WarrantOfficer 2 Darryl Goddard,had just returned with260 Soldiers from 3rdBrigade Combat Team,4th Infantry Division.

Photo by Dustin Senger

Spc. Cody Warren, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, holdshis son, Logan, during a welcome-home ceremony March 1 inside theSpecial Events Center. Families and friends embraced 260 Soldiers from3rd BCT following their one-year deployment supporting Operation NewDawn. Warren had returned home on leave three months ago, just in timeto witness his son’s birth.

Photo by Spc. Samantha Koss

Colorado Patriot Guard Riders applaud the arrival of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Soldiers March 11 at the Arrival/Departure Air Control Group, Colorado Springs Airport.

by Dustin SengerMountaineer staff

More than 400 Soldiers from 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 4th Infantry Division, returned to Fort Carson March 12-13, during the “Iron”Brigade’s final main-body redeployment flights.

Col. James E. Rainey, 3rd BCT commander,and Command Sgt. Major Miles S. Wilsonuncased the brigade’s colors inside the SpecialEvents Center March 13, in front of 237 Soldierspatiently standing at the position of attention. The ceremonial unfurling of the flag marked theunit’s return to the Mountain Post.

Nearly 4,000 Soldiers from 3rd BCT, 4th Inf.Div., returned to Fort Carson in March, accordingto brigade officials. The walls and ceiling insidethe Special Events Center had collected hundredsof colorful “welcome home” banners since thefirst 3rd BCT group returned in February.

Rainey and Wilson cased their unit’s colors atFort Carson March 3, 2010, ahead of the brigade’sdeployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Theunit progressively took responsibility of foursouthern provinces in Iraq, prior to the switch to Operation New Dawn in September, whichmarked the end of U.S. combat operations.

The “Iron” Brigade advised and assistedIraqi military and security organizations, commanded convoys and cleared routes. TheSoldiers transitioned the authority of 19 militarybases to Iraqi commanders and finished $15.5million in infrastructure projects, according to a Fort Carson official.

Brig. Gen. James H. Doty Jr., acting seniorcommander, 4th Inf. Div. and Fort Carson,explained the brigade’s achievements at the uncasing ceremony, and then thanked the Soldiers’Families for their resiliency. Hundreds of the relatives and friends had filled the facing bleachers, ready to reconnect with their Soldiers.

After the general’s remarks, the SpecialEvents Center echoed with a collective renditionof “The Army Goes Rolling Along.” Like otherloved ones, Jaime Schildt eagerly awaited theArmy song’s final refrain. Her daughter, Jasmine,asked “where’s daddy?”

“I’m glad to be back,” said Sgt. 1st ClassErik Schildt, following the military formation’sdismissal. He had Jasmine, 4, smiling in hisarms. “I’m just happy to be reunited.”

The Schildts said they’ll spend a few daysrelaxing and plan to visit Las Vegas andDisneyland, and then family in Hawaii.

Bob Tallerdy walked across the congestedauditorium, shaking the Soldiers’ hands in appreciation. His Colorado Patriot Guard Rider’svest had a sergeant chevron, the rank he wore as a 4th Inf. Div. ranger in Vietnam 40 years ago. He said his flight home in 1970 was greetedby violence from war protestors.

“They are receiving gratitude, respect, pride,”Tallerdy said about today’s veterans of war.“They aren’t afraid to walk downtown … peoplewill shake their hands and welcome them home.”

Tallerdy says he attends every redeploymentceremony at Fort Carson “to show the Soldiersrespect — they need all the support they canget.” Another pin on his vest stated: “It’s nevertoo late to welcome home.”


Families and friends welcome home237 Soldiers from 3rd BrigadeCombat Team, 4th Infantry Division,inside the Special Events Center,March 13, following the brigade’sone-year deployment to Iraq.

Photo by Andrea Sutherland

Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, fall in, eager to greet Family members at a March 9 welcome-home ceremony.

Mission complete



Police highlight

Provost Marshal Office

Police, firefighters and paramedics with theDirectorate of Emergency Services are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to various life-threatening situations.

The preservation of life is the top priority forthese professionals. On numerous occasions, theProvost Marshal Office has received reports ofemergency service personnel being delayed inresponding to an incident by vehicles failing toyield the right of way.

The most recent was a bomb threat at the post exchange where numerous police, firefightersand paramedics responded. One patrol reportedthat they were nearly hit in an intersection by a

government van which failed to yield. The patrolvehicle had lights and sirens blaring and avoidedan accident when the driver slowed down to clearthe intersection. A patrol traveling north onSpecker Avenue responding to the same incidentreported four different vehicles which failed to pulloff to the side of the road and allow an emergencyvehicle to pass.

Luckily, the bomb threat was a hoax, but what if it wasn’t? What if there was an explosion?Can five minutes make a difference? What wouldhave happened if the emergency vehicle operatorsweren’t so observant and properly trained?

When it’s their loved one, everyone wonderswhy it took so long for help to arrive. But when it’s not, many can’t take the time to pull over and

yield to emergency vehicles. Do you want to beresponsible for a life because you were too busy orjust not paying attention?

When approached by emergency vehicleswith lights and sirens on, drivers of vehicles“shall yield the right of way and, where possible,shall immediately clear the farthest left-hand lanelawfully available to through traffic,” according to the 42-4-705, Colorado Revised Statutes. Thestatute continues, “Drivers shall drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to,the right-hand edge or curb of a roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain inthat position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.”

Yield right of way to emergency vehicles




Story and photos by Walt JohnsonMountaineer staff

It was the last team selected to participate in the Rocky Mountain MilitaryInvitational basketball tournament held onpost Saturday and Sunday. At the end of the tournament, the team membersstood tall as the new Rocky Mountainsbasketball champions.

The team, designated “Fort Carson 2,”was able to enter the tournament afterBuckley Air Force Base could not field a team.

In order to complete the five tournament field, Kareem Brathwaite,Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation intramural sportsdirector, decided to allow the team to enter the field after Buckley could notcompete due to military commitments.

The team, coached by StephanieTimmons, was primarily made up of players that represented the post.The team took advantage of the court time,going through the tournament undefeatedwith a number of impressive showings.

The tournament began with the “FortCarson 1” team taking on the eventual runner-up, Peterson Air Force BaseSabres. In an exciting contest, the Carsonteam edged the Sabres, sending thePeterson team into the losers’ bracket.

Normally when a team goes into thelosers’ bracket in a tournament of this

nature, it is not a good sign. The Petersonteam knew it would have to fight its wayback into contention for a championship,and it did just that by going through the rest of the tournament undefeated, setting up a championship match againstFort Carson 2.

In the second round of the tournament,the two post teams faced off. Fort Carson 2 defeated Fort Carson 1, earninga trip to the championship round of the tournament.

Fort Carson 2 was so dominant in itsvictory over Fort Carson 1 that it seemedto be a foregone conclusion that whoevercame out of the losers’ bracket would havea difficult time defeating this team. Ledby Ed Jackson and Kenneth McKinley,Fort Carson 2 was a team of quick, athletic and confident players.

The team from Peterson was not fazedby the thought of having to face the eventual champions should it survive thelosers’ bracket. The Peterson team rolledthrough the losers’ bracket to set up thechampionship round against Fort Carson 2.

It turned out the Peterson team hadexpended too much energy to get to the championship round and did not have enough gas left in the tank to defeatthe talented post team. In the title game, Fort Carson 2 used a hot-shootingfirst half then followed that up in the second half with an equally dominant performance to earn the title.

Post team captures military title

Fort Carson’s Ed Jackson, 15, dunks the ball during championship gameaction Sunday at the Special Events Center.

Fort Carson 2 team member Kenneth McKinley drives to the basket Sunday during the title game ofthe Rocky Mountain Military Invitational at the Special Events Center.

Fort Carson 1 team member Calvin Anderson makes an acrobatic movearound Demetrius Nixon of Peterson Air Force Base during action Saturdayat Garcia Physical Fitness Center.


On the Bench

Rockies salute militarywith discounted ticketsby Walt JohnsonMountaineer staff

The Colorado Rockies offer militarymembers special ticket buys for the upcoming season.

There will be plenty of chances in April to catch major league baseball action at CoorsField in Denver.

Military personnel can purchase discounttickets in the outfield box, pavilion and upperreserved infield/outfield area for their Family and friends for four series in April.

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be theopposition for games April 2 at 6:10 p.m. and at 1:10 p.m. April 3. The Los Angeles Dodgerswill be the opposition April 5 at 6:40 p.m. andApril 6 at 1:10 p.m. The Rockies host the SanFrancisco Giants April 20 at 1:10 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be the oppositionApril 29 at 6:40 p.m., April 30 at 6:10 p.m. andMay 1 at 1:10 p.m. Tickets will be sold for $14each (with a $3.50 service charge per order), adiscount from the usual range of $20-$38. Totake advantage of the offer, call the Rockies at303-ROCKIES, ask for the military discountand provide reference number 21231126. Thisoffer is not available on a walk-up basis.

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox have

designated May 14 as Fort CarsonAppreciation Night.

The Colorado Rockies Triple-A affiliatehosts the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas CityRoyals) at 5:05 p.m. at Security Service Field in Colorado Springs. There will also be a military appreciation night June 9 when theSky Sox host the Reno Aces, affiliate of theArizona Diamondbacks, at 7:05 p.m.

The Sky Sox open their regular seasonhome schedule April 7 at 6:05 p.m. when theyhost the Tuscon Padres, the Triple-A affiliateof the San Diego Padres.

Members of the Mountain Post are againpreparing to help raise funds to cure diabetes.

Jonathan Ward, an officer assigned to thepost, is putting together a cycling team that will participate in the Southern Colorado Tour de Cure in May in Woodland Park. Therace will be one of 80 held in 43 states to support the campaign to find a cure for diabetes.

According to race organizers, the eventfeatures four routes: a family ride which consists of 14 miles; a 50-mile ride out andback to Deckers; an 86-mile ride whichincludes 6,100 feet of climbing hills; and amountain bike trail route. Anyone interested

Photo by Walt Johnson

All-star shooter Fountain-Fort Carson High School’s Chris Davis shoots overthe defense of Harrison High School’s Xavier Ford duringaction Friday at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs.Davis helped the 5A boys defeat the 4A boys.

See Bench on Page 27


Photo by Walt Johnson

Defensive stop Ed Jackson, 34, Fort Carson All Stars forward, applies defense to Colorado Kings player Curtis Roundtree,15, as he attempts to drive to the basket during the All Stars contest with the Kings Monday at the PepsiCenter in Denver. The Kings defeated the cold-shooting All Stars 99-76.

in participating with the Mountain Post team shouldcontact Ward at 315-406-8529.

Members of the Fort Carson community willhave a chance to compete in the first event of theHeroes Series in April.

The Fort Carson Adventure Program and Educationand the Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation host a mountain bike race at CheyenneMountain State Park April 16.

The race is the first in the Heroes Series, being hostedby DFMWR to help promote a fitness lifestyle. The race,open to military and civilian members, features four age categories. Race officials say this race is good forfirst-time racers and features beginning or intermediatedistances so people can get acclimated to the program.

The entry fee for the event is $5 for all Departmentof Defense identification cardholders and $20 for those without an ID card. For more information, visithttp://www.mwrfortcarson.com/recreation-and-sports.php or call Trevor McConnell, Carlton Lane or Emily Hanson at 526-5176.

The Fort Carson Women’s Golf Association hostsits annual opening season coffee April 5 at 9 a.m.

The club hosts the event at the Cheyenne ShadowsGolf Course on post to kick off the 2011 golfing season. Weather permitting, the club will play nineholes of golf following the coffee. The club is lookingfor new members, both military and civilian. Localcommunity members interested in attending the eventshould enter the post through Gate 1 off Highway 115.Community members will need to present a valid driver’slicense, current proof of car insurance and registrationto enter the post. Contact Jody LeBrasseat 576-0346 or Gay Mackey at 527-0255 for more information.

from page 26

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Story and photos by Nel LampeMountaineer staff

T he Garden of the Gods Park is aspectacular local attraction thatattracts visitors from around the

world. On the west side of ColoradoSprings, the reddish sandstone rockscan be seen from many parts of the city. The rocks, now vertical, wereforced upright by erosion millions of years ago.

People have always been drawn to the Garden of the Gods. Evidencehas shown that the area was inhabitedor visited at least 3,000 years ago.Members of the Ute tribe wintered near the red rocks for many years.

The founder ofColorado Springs, Gen.William Palmer, selected a site for his own homenorth of the Garden of the Gods, which also hassome of the red rocks.

Palmer’s friend, CharlesEliott Perkins, head of the Burlington Railroad,bought 240 acres of theGarden of the Gods in1879, intending to build

a summer home. Although he never built that home, he did buy additional acreage and allowed people to visit the property.

When Perkins died in 1909, hisheirs donated the property to the city ofColorado Springs with the stipulationthat it remain free to the public.

First time visitors should stop at the free Visitor and Nature Center,1805 N. 30th St., just across from the

Garden of the Gods main entrance. The center has murals, photographs and exhibits that depict prehistory andmore recent events, as well as educational exhibits. Exhibits also portray the park’s wildlife and plants.

A topographic model of the Garden of the Gods helps visitorsunderstand the park.

There are free naturalist-led dailywalks. Call the visitor’s center at 634-6666 for information about thewalks and a schedule of lectures thatare presented in the visitor center.

Volunteers in the center hand outGarden of the Gods maps and areknowledgeable about hiking trails.

The question, “How Did Those RedRocks Get There?” is often heard. Thatquestion is answered in a 14-minutefilm shown in the center. Tickets cost$5 for adults and $2.50 for children.It’s shown every half hour.

Another question often asked is

March 24, 2011

Places to see in thePikes Peak area.

See Garden of the Gods on Page 30

Gateway rocks frame Pikes Peak in this viewof the Garden of the Gods Park, an imagepopular on calendars and post cards .

The Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center draws a crowd Saturday. Visitors explore thegift shop and educational displays while waiting for the next film showing.

How didthose redrocks getthere?

Permit requiredDon’t be tempted to climb the rocks even if others

are doing so. Rock scrambling — climbing more than 10 feet above the base of the valley without technicalequipment — is illegal. Scramblers are subject to a $500 fine and/or jail time. If rescue is necessary, scramblers may have to pay rescue costs.

However, technical climbing is allowed within the rules: technical climbers must get a permit at thevisitor center, have proper technical equipment and follow rules and regulations. Regulations are available at http://www.gardenofgods.com .

about climbing the rocks. Technical climbing is permitted by parties of two or more peopleusing proper equipment. Technical climbersmust have a permit, obtained at the center.

Rock scrambling — climbing more than 10 feet above the base of a rock is prohibited.

Almost every year someone is injured in aclimbing incident or must be rescued.

At the rock climbing desk in the center, rock climbers may obtain a permit for technicalclimbing. First time rock climbers can arrangefor a guided rock climb. Climbing equipment is provided, said Isaac Hamilton, lead guide and instructor, who has 16 years climbing experience. “We can have you on a rock in 45 minutes,” he said.

The rock climbing company is a partner withthe center. Rock climb session prices depend onthe number of climbers: a group of five costs$80 per person and 10 climbers get a $40 perperson price. There’s a 20 percent military discount. Call 632-5822 for information.

The iconic view of Gateway rocks framingPikes Peak can be seen from the visitor center

terrace — a great photoopportunity.

There are two gift shopsin the visitor center, featuringbooks about Colorado sightsand history, Colorado gifts,photographs, posters, maps,calendars and postcards.

A snack bar offers buffalo burgers and otherlunch and snack items.

After the visitor centerexploration, pick up a freemap and take a drive aroundthe park. There are a fewpull-offs and a parking lotnear the Kissing Camels rockformation that allows visitorsto explore nearby trails.

The map lists picnic table and grill locations. Popular stops are Balanced Rock and

nearby Steamboat Rock. Other significant rockformations are listed on the map.

Bus tours are available during the summer,leaving from the visitor center. For $5 for adults and $2.50 per child, visitors can take anarrated tour through the park.

There’s also a Segway tourthrough the park. Tours start at thevisitor center, and include instructionand a guided tour. Call 800-755-0935for a reservation and information.

Horseback rides in the park are provided by The Academy

Riding Stables, 633-5667. Earth Day will be marked April 16 at the

Garden of the Gods center, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.There will be children’s activities a chemicalmagic show, guided nature walks, AmericanIndian dancers and a hot dog stand.

Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, next to the park entrance, will observe Arbor Day withactivities and free admission.

The Garden of the Gods Park can bereached by taking Interstate 25 north to Gardenof the Gods Road, then head west. Follow signs to the 30th Street entrance. Or take thesouthern entry via Highway 24 west to ManitouSprings, then follow signs to the park.


Just the Facts• TRAVEL TIME — 20 minutes

• FOR AGES — anyone

• TYPE — scenic park

• FUN FACTOR — ★★★★★(Out of 5 stars)

• WALLET DAMAGE — FREE

$ = Less than $20$ $ = $ 21 t o $ 4 0

$ $ $ = $ 41 t o $ 6 0$ $ $ $ = $ 61 t o $ 8 0

(BASED ON A FAMILY OF FOUR)

from Page 29

Garden of the Gods

Isaac Hamilton watches Jessica Morehouse and Spc. ZacharyCondon, 4th Infantry Division, complete a climbing permit.

A family explores a Colorado history display on the first floor of the visitorcenter at Garden of the Gods Park Saturday.

A bicycler passes the entrance gate to the Garden of the Gods Park. The park is popular with runnersand hikers and has several trails.

Steamboat Rock, left and Balanced Rock are two popular tourist rock formations in the Garden of the Gods Park. Thecity park is free to everyone.

March 24, 2011 — MOUNTAINEER 31

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Pikes Peak CenterUpcoming events at the Pikes Peak

Center for the Performing Arts at 190 S.Cascade, include: Jim Brickman Sunday at 4 p.m.; Lewis Black Thursday1 at 7 p.m.; Colorado Springs Philharmonic April 9-10 and again April 16-17;, DavidSedaris performs April 23 at 8 p.m.,Imagination Celebration: Pippi Longstockingis on stage at 7 p.m. April 26; The Moodylues is May 8 at 7 p.m. and “Grease” is on stage May 11-12 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are sold at King Sooper stores, the World Arena or Pikes Peak Center box offices and by phone at 520-SHOW or 866-464-2626.

Total Money Makeover LIVEDave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover

LIVE is Saturday at 1 p.m. at the World Arena. Military members may buy tickets for$19 each by calling 888-227-3223 or online at http://www.daveramsey.com.

Bach concertThe annual Bach Celebration Concert

is April 3 at 3 p.m. at the First Christian Church at Cascade and Platte avenues. A free-will offering will be taken and a reception follows the concert.

Tickets for U.S. Women’s OpenHalf-price tickets are available for

military members for the U.S. Women’s Open Championship at the Broadmoor July 4-10. Military deals include daily

tickets at $22.50 each, a four-pack of any one-day tickets for $70, and a trophyclub package is $125. Military ticket orders must be placed online athttp://www.2011uswomensopen.com.

Fine arts theaterThe Fine Arts Repertory group presents “The

Women” at the Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays through April 10. Call the boxoffice at 634-5583 for tickets or information.

Air Force Academy theater“The Alley Cats” is the next production

in Arnold Hall Theater April 3 at the Air Force Academy. Call the box office at 333-4497 for tickets.

Aero Club open houseThe Peterson Air Force Base Aero Club

holds an open house April 2, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be cockpit tours, food andinformation about funding flight training. Rides with a certified flight instructor in a club aircraft are available for $30 per person; call 556-4310 to reserve a ride time. Department of Defense identification cardholders are eligible to join the Aero Club, which is at Hangar 133 on HamiltonAvenue. In case of inclement weather, the alternate date for the open house is April 23.

Denver Art MuseumThe Denver Art Museum has reopened

the American Indian art galleries and is

conducting tours through the recently remodeled exhibit. Tours are at 3 p.m.Sundayand 2 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. The tours are free with paid admission to the museum, which is in downtown Denver at 100 W. 14th Avenue Parkway.

TheatreworksTheatreworks presents “The Seagull”

April 21-May 8 at Dusty Loo Bon VivantTheatre, 3955 Regent Circle at the Universityof Colorado at Colorado Springs. Call 255-3232 for tickets and information.

Real pirates exhibitA special exhibit is in the Denver Museum

of Nature and Science, “Real Pirates: Theuntold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship toPirate Ship,” through Aug. 21. The exhibit tellsthe story of the Whydah, a pirate ship that sank in 1717. It was discovered in 1984. Theexhibition features 200 artifacts from the shipwreck, including coins, cannons andweapons. The special exhibit costs $22 foradults and $13 for students. The Denver Museumof Nature and Science is in Denver’s City Park,at 1001 Colorado Ave., call 303-370-6000.

Earth DayCelebrate Earth Day at the Garden of the

Gods visitor center, April 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.,with activities, birds of prey, Native Americandancers and a magic show. Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site, next to the park, has freeadmission on Earth Day.

— Compiled by Nel Lampe


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40 MOUNTAINEER — March 24, 201140 MOUNTAINEER — March 24, 2011

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Survey says Spouses give high marks...2011/03/24 · Saving Abel performs at 7 p.m. April 6 and actor and singer Gary Sinise and his band, the Lt. Dan Band, hit the stage at DFMWR