griffon autumn 2010

THE “Victory Starts Here”

Published in the interest of the 108th Training Command • Vol 34.3 Fall 2010

2 • THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010

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From the Commanding General...From the Commanding General...

Raise the Bar, Blaze the Trail, Build on Strength

By Brig. Gen. Robert P. StallCommanding General

108th Training Command (IET)

This is the fi rst column I am writ-ing for “The Griffon” as the new commander of the 108th Training Command (IET), having changed command with Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III on June 5. I am very proud and humbled to be entrusted with this responsibility.

As a general offi cer, I have been the Deputy Commanding General, 80th Training Command (TASS) as well as Commanding General of the 98th Training Division (IET). I have commanded at the platoon, com-pany, battalion, and brigade levels previously, the latter two in Kosovo and Iraq. On the civilian side, I have been the president of two hospitals, and held lead administrator posi-tions at division and department levels for nearly my entire career.

I have some thoughts about leadership and the kind of leaders I think are successful and want to see in the command. Leadership is values driven, and loyalty, duty, re-spect, selfl ess service, honor, integri-ty and personal courage should be more than words … they are our code. Leaders lead best when they understand that they are entrusted with accomplishing the mission, while at the same time, having the welfare of their Soldiers and their Families always upper-most in their minds. It is what a gentleman by the name of Ken Jennings calls “Servant Leadership”. The Serving Leader Model is really quite easy and quite effective. I believe in this

model and try to live the principles in my daily interactions with peers and subordinates.

Run to a great purpose — To do the most possible good, strive for the impossible. Beyond self-interest, seek benefi t for all.

Upend the Pyramid — You qual-ify to be fi rst by putting other peo-ple fi rst. You are in charge of princi-pally to charge up others.

Raise the Bar — Set high expecta-tions. The best reach-down is a chal-lenging reach-up.

Blaze the Trail — Make it possi-ble for others to perform well. Your biggest obstacle is the one that hin-ders someone else.

Build on Strength — To address your weaknesses, focus on your strengths. You cannot become the best unless others do too.

I am a believer in coaching, teaching and mentoring our sub-ordinate commanders and junior NCOs. I expect you to take the time in the daily performance of your duties to pull up a chair or head to the motorpool, offi ce, class room or wherever your subordinates are and take the time to talk to them, and more importantly, listen to

them and what is going on. I am also a big believer that the

basic building block is the battalion, and every level above the battal-ion … the brigade, the division and the command, is value added. Let’s make sure that we are value added. We are here to make those battal-ions, those Drill Sergeants, those troops successful in their mission.

Maj. Gen. Mallory passed the 108th Colors to me at an incredibly interesting and challenging time in what is going on in the military and with our republic. We will continue to be challenged by change. We are and will continue to be, an Army in transformation. We will be doing more with less. The missions will stay the same or increase, but our budget will tighten as this Republic works at reducing a rising defi cit.

Through adversity, we will in-novate and we will be successful. We cannot lose focus on who we are, U.S. Army professionals who are part of the generating force and the training base. We provide the best Soldier from the generating force to the operating force, in support of Army force generation.

Victory starts here!

Contents

108th Training Command (IET) • Charlotte, NC • Vol. 34, No. 3 Fall 2010

The Griff on is published four times a year and is an authorized publication for members of the Army. Contents of The Griff on are not necessarily the offi cial views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or the 108th Training Command (IET). The appearance of advertising in this publication, including supplements and inserts, does not in any way constitute an endorsement by the Depart-ment of the Army or Knight Communications, Inc. of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or patronage without regard to the race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affi liation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, use or patron. If a violation or rejection of this equal opportunity policy by an advertiser is confi rmed, the publisher shall refuse to print advertising from that source until the violation is corrected. The Griff on is an unoffi cial publication authorized by AR360-1. Editorial content is prepared, edited, and provided by the Public Aff airs Offi ce of the 108th Training Command (IET). The Griff on is published by Knight Communications, Inc., 10150 Mallard Creek Road, Suite 101, Charlotte, NC, 28262 — a private fi rm in no way con-nected with the Department of the Army, under exclusive written contract with the 108th Training Command (IET). Material for publication may be submitted to: PAO, 1330 Westover Street, Charlotte, NC 28205-5124.

To coordinate news coverage, contact the 108th TrainingCommand Public Affairs Offi ce - 704-227-2820 ext. 4087

2010 Deadlines: Winter Oct. 22 • Spring Jan 8, 2011

Front Cover:(From Top) Staff Sgt. Thomas Dunbar, Lt. Col. Joel Winton, Sgt. David Schulz and Cadet Isaias Lopez practice their skills in Military Orienteer-ing. Selected Soldiers from the 108th Training Command (IET) spent a week in Burlington, Vt. preparing for the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Offi cers (CIOR) competition held in Stavanger, Norway in August. The Interallied Confederation of Reserve Offi cers, commonly referred to by its French acronym CIOR, represents the interests of over 1.3 million reservists across 36 participating nations within and beyond NATO, making it the world’s largest military reserve offi cer or-ganization. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins, 108th Training Com-mand (IET) Public Aff airs

Inside Cover:Chief Warrant Offi cer Tim Friederichs, 108th Training Command (IET), tackles the obstacle course in Burlington, Vt. in preparation for the In-terallied Confederation of Reserve Offi cers (CIOR) competition that was held in Stavanger, Norway in August. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins, 108th Training Command (IET) Public Aff airs

Fall 2010

108th Training Command (IET)Commanding General..................................................................................Brig. Gen. (P) Robert P. StallDeputy Commanding General..................................................................................Col. Timothy WelchCommand Sgt. Maj...........................................................................Command Sgt. Maj. William PayneCommand Chief Warrant Offi cer...........................................................................CW5 Shirley B. MoserSupervisory Chief Executive Offi cer...................................................................................Mr. Larry CruzPublic Aff airs Offi cer........................................................................................................Lt. Col. Chris BlackDeputy Public Aff airs Offi cer..............................................................................................................VacantPublic Aff airs NCOIC/Editor....................................................................Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. CollinsEmail: [email protected]

95th Training Division (IET)Commanding General.........................................................................................Brig. Gen. Roger B. Duff Command Sgt. Maj................................................................................Command Sgt. Maj. Don SmithPublic Aff airs Offi cer.....................................................................................................Cpt. Jennifer CottenPublic Aff airs NCO........................................................................................................Spc. Joshua Flowers

98th Training Division (IET)Commanding General............................................................................Brig. Gen. Dwayne R. EdwardsCommand Sgt. Maj...................................................................Command Sgt. Maj. Milton NewsomePublic Aff airs Offi cer...................................................................................Maj. Joseph Gingold (Acting)Public Aff airs NCO.................................................................................................Staff Sgt. Richard Harris

104th Training Division (LT)Commanding General.........................................................................................Brig. Gen. Daniel L. YorkCommand Sgt. Maj.....................................................................Command Sgt. Maj. Juan M. Loera Jr.Public Aff airs Offi cer.......................................................................................................Maj. Alex JohnsonPublic Aff airs NCO..................................................................................................................................Vacant

From the Commanding General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 3

From the Command Sgt. Maj. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

From the 98th Training Division, Commanding General . . . . . . . . . . 6

From the SCXO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Stalls Takes Leadership of 108th Training Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

From the Command Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Second Army Strong Community Center Opens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Soldiers Honor Fallen Comrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Bergene Follows Sisters ‘On the Trail’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Warrior Forge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Tale of Two Badges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

USAR Drill Sergeants Support ‘Mega Function’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Training Afghan Counterparts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Combatives: Learning to Fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

108th Soldier Inducted into Audie Murphy Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

3rd Brigade Welcomes New Commander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

DLA Joint Reserve Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Commentary: Air Assault Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Army Family heritage rich with Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Griff on Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

108th Soldier Named TRADOC’s Reserve DSOY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

95th Division Soldiers Honored for Roadside Rescue . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Do you want to be a UPAR? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Chaplains Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

‘Duty, Honor, Country’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Soldier’s Gold Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49


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108th Training Command Stands Ready as Force Multiplier

From the Command Sergeant Major...From the Command Sergeant Major...

By Command Sgt. Maj.William J. PayneCommand Sergeant Major


Well it is offi cial, we can take the tape off the door and paint the name on. Brig. Gen. Robert P. Stall has been offi cially nominated for promotion to Maj. Gen. and is the new Commanding General of the 108th Training Command (Initial Entry Training). Congratulations to Brig. Gen. Stall and his wife Nancy and the rest of the Stall clan as he offi cially takes over this position.

Congratulations to Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III as he takes over as Deputy Commanding General of 1st Army. It is good to see that the Army Reserve saw to it that Maj. Gen. Mallory stays engaged in the future of the Army Reserve as we continue to move forward.

Also, I would like to congratulate Brig. Gen. Robert G. Catalanotti, for-mer Commanding General of 98th Training Division for being nomi-nated for Maj. Gen. Additionally he has been nominated as the next Deputy Commanding General (Sup-port) of 8th Army in Korea. I think he will need to pack some of that snivel gear he left in Saudi Arabia.

The 108th and its subordinate units including the 104th Training Division (Leader Training) continue to do great things, to make history and to make news. Staff Sgt. Me-lissa C. Solomon, from the US Army Reserve Drill Sergeant School was selected as the Training and Doc-trine Command (TRADOC) Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year (DSOY). This is the last year of this event at historic Fort Monroe, Va. which is slated to close in 2011 due to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment (BRAC). The for-mer Drill Sergeants of the Year did an outstanding job of keeping this year competitors on their toes. No one knows who the winner is un-til it is announced at the awards ceremony on the fi nal day and this year Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling and

Command Sgt. Maj. John Calpena of the Initial Military Training (IMT) Command did the honors. All of the contestants did a great job, but for the Army Reserves Staff Sgt. Solo-mon was selected the best of the best. And she competed with four impacted wisdom teeth that she had extracted shortly after winning the competition!

Staff Sgt. Mark Mercer, 95th Train-ing Division (IET), won the 108th Training Command Best Warrior Competition in the NCO catego-ry and went on to represent the command in the US Army Reserve Command (USARC) Best Warrior Competition. He represented the command in an outstanding man-ner. Staff Sgt. Mercer fi nished in the top percentage of almost every cat-egory of the competition but unfor-tunately did not make the podium.

Spc. David Jacobi, 98th Train-ing Division (IET), was the Train-ing Command winner in the junior enlisted category. He was unable to complete in the USARC BWC be-cause he was scheduled to deploy. He would have made a great com-petitor for the competition but be-cause of his other commitment the 108th Training Command had no representative on the junior enlist-ed portion of the competition.

Command Sergeants Major, please check the status of your con-testants in the future to ensure that we do not run into this confl ict. It is unfortunate that we denied an-other Soldier the opportunity to compete because of this situation.

Many thanks go out to all of the 108th Soldiers, whose support of the USARC BWC made it happen! This includes Sgt. Maj. Larry Welch and the staff of Regional Training Center – Central at Fort McCoy, Wis. and 1st Sgt. Gregory Dirks and all of the Drill Sergeants from across the command, who helped run ranges, handled the testing of the Warrior Skills, conducted the Combatives Competition and staffed the awards dinner on Friday evening. It made me proud to see all of our Soldiers leading the way.

We continue to do great things at all of the Army’s Training Bases, Fort Jackson, S.C., Fort Knox, Ky., Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Leonard Wood Mo. and Fort Sill, Okla. The Regional Training Centers and Task Force Marshall continue to get our re-serve Soldiers and Sailors ready for deployment to today’s modern bat-tlefi eld. This years Reserve Offi cer Training Corps camp at Fort Lewis, Wash., was another success. Our Soldiers continue to support what was formerly the Multi National Se-curity Transition Command – Iraq, the Saudi Arabia mission and the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) Mission. The Army Reserve Drill Ser-

geant School is having another suc-cessful year continuing to fi ll our formations with new, highly quali-fi ed and motivated drill sergeants.

In a new component to the ANA mission added this year, six of our female Drill Sergeants, a female 1st Sgt. and a female company com-mander are in Afghanistan training the very fi rst female Soldiers in the Afghanistan National Army.

David Wood, the Chief Military Correspondent of Politics Daily wrote about this historic event in an article dated July 19, 2010 en-titled: Americans: Empower Women. Taliban: Kill Women. All of you need to research that article, read it and be so very proud of what these fi ne Soldiers and as well as all of our Sol-diers are doing.

Some of you may have heard the rumor that TRADOC and IMT are looking at combining the Army Drill Sergeant School and the Army Reserve Drill Sergeant School as part of The Army School System. It looks like this is going to happen; we are just in the process of work-ing out the details. Fort Jackson has assigned the Reserve Drill Sergeant School one of its recently renovat-ed rolling pin barracks in anticipa-tion of this occurring.

The 108th Training Command (Initial Entry Training) just complet-ed our annual Battle Focus Readi-ness Review (BFRR) with USARC and fortunately there is a lot more good news than there was bad this year. If our projections work out for the year we should between 80 percent and 85 percent total overall

qualifi ed Drill Sergeant strength. I want to thank all of you and your subordinate units for all the hard work you have done of the last 18 months to make this happen. With another good year and we could be at 100 percent Drill Sergeant strength, something that I have nev-er seen in my reserve career.

But there is still much to be done, NCOERS, NCOES, APFT, Weap-ons Qualifi cation, the USARC Pre Command Course for both offi cers and their battle buddy First Ser-geants and Command Sergeants Major all continue to be hot issues though some categories were sig-nifi cant improvements over last year.

And a surprise to me, we have 26 new Soldiers across the com-mand that need to be scheduled for Initial Military Training. If you have any of these Soldiers in your formations, please get them sched-uled for training as soon as possible. Medical Readiness continues to be our weakest category and because of that this year the Training Com-mand is putting special emphasis on Medical Readiness.

So thank you so very much for what you do! It is only through your selfl ess service and dedication and those of your Soldiers that we continue to be one of the outstand-ing commands in the United States Army Reserve standing ready to be a force multiplier for TRADOC and Initial Military Training Commands. I’ll see you on the trail.

Victory Starts Here!


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It was great seeing you all in San Antonio recently at our annual Full Time Support Conference. As I mentioned there and I’ll reiter-ate now; it’s great having the 104th Training Division (Leader Train-ing) joining our ranks. If we were an NFL team, we would have the makings of a Super Bowl contender with all the talent we have at our Command Headquarters’ (yes, we do) the Drill Sergeant School, the 95TH Training Division (IET) the 98TH Training Division (IET) and the 104th Training Division (LT).

I would challenge you all to stay true to our conference theme of “Leaders of Change/Customer Fo-cus” and work day in and day out to make this the absolute best orga-nization in the United States Army

Reserve. Again, I want to take a moment

to welcome Brig. Gen. Stall and his family to the 108th as he has recently been offi cially nominat-ed and selected to command the 108th Training Command and will soon pin on his second star.

I’ve got Maj. Jimmie Niblettbethel actively looking for our next confer-ence site which right now, is shap-ing up to be San Diego, Calif. Of course, we’ll have to run the num-bers and see how things work out. At present, it appears that some-time in August 2011 will be the op-timal timeframe.

We’ll be looking to fi ll the SCXO position at the 95th Training Divi-sion sometime soon and so I would encourage all you stellar GS-12’s to throw your name in the hat. I can’t help but tell you all how proud I am of our FTS workforce and the dedication, loyalty and quality of work you all are producing.

As the fi scal year comes to an end, let’s look back at any lessons learned and apply such to future operations to ensure we are mov-ing forward in a timely and effi cient manner.

I look forward to seeing you all on our upcoming travels through-out the remainder of this fi scal year and next year. Stay mission focused and positive and we’ll see you all on the high ground!

“The Flag is Moving Forward!”

From the desk of the SCXO...From the desk of the SCXO...

Leaders of Change and Customer Focused

Brig. Gen. Dwayne Edwards98th Training Division (IET)

Commanding General

I want to thank all of the Sol-diers and civilians of the 98th Training Division (IET) for the warm welcome I received when I became a member of the divi-sion back in June. As you know, I assumed command of the 98th on June 4 in a small ceremony held at Ft. Jackson, S.C. Brig. Gen.

Robert Stall assumed command of the 108th Training Command (IET) in a ceremony held the fol-lowing day.

My position as the 98th Divi-sion commander is in an acting status, pending the general of-fi cer board results to be released later this year. Nevertheless, I am very excited to be here and look forward to a very busy Fall. The 98th continues to support several of our mobilized compa-nies at Ft. Benning, Ga., Ft. Jack-son, S.C., and Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. at the Army Training Centers there. We have nearly 200 Sol-diers mobilized at Ft. Dix, N.J., Ft. McCoy, Wis., and Ft. Hunter-Ligget, Calf. supporting Army Re-serve Training Centers. We also have 47 Soldiers at Ft. Dix today preparing for a one year deploy-ment to Iraq that begins later in the Fall.

Next year’s mission schedule looks to be equally as challeng-ing as this year’s. I thank each and every one of you for the great work you’ve been doing and look forward to meeting you as I visit the division units. Take care and Be Safe.

98th Training Division (IET)welcomes new Commander

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By Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins108th Training Command (IET)

Public Affairs

In marching with Army tradition, the moving of command respon-sibility went on when Brig. Gen. Robert P. Stall took command of the 108th Training Command (IET), headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., from Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III, on June 5 at Fort Jackson, S.C.

The change of command, held at Hilton Field, was attended by military personnel, family mem-bers, civilian employees, and guests. The key note speaker for the event was Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, Deputy Commanding General, Initial Mili-tary Training, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command.

“Thank you for joining us in this celebration, a celebration of the contribution of service of Ma-jor General Mallory and his wife Mary as they led this unit in excel-lence since 2007, during a time of war, during a time of two surges and a time of excessive demands. It is also a celebration in welcom-ing Rob and Nancy Stall as the new command team of the 108th,” said Hertling.

Mallory said his personal journey in command had been a joy and he relied on a vast support network of family, friends and co-workers.

“I want to pay tribute to the of-fi cers and non-commissioned of-fi cers who have been instrumental in developing me as a Soldier and leader, especially my NCO com-mand team, culminating with my battle buddy Command Sergeant Major Joe Payne. My burden was light as it was shared with a highly professional staff at the 108th Train-ing Command and three superb division commanders, Brigadier General Roger Duff of the 95th Training Division, Brigadier Gen-eral Rob Stall, of the 98th Training Division, and Brigadier General Dan York of the 104th Training Division and their respective staffs and com-mand teams,” said Mallory.

Mallory added he was proud to have been part of the 108th Train-ing Command for 29 of his 33 years in uniform, but it was time to pass the torch to new leadership.

“Brigadier General Rob Stall is just the man to take the 108th Training Command to new levels of readiness and relevance, I wish you

Stall takes leadership of 108th Training Command

Brig. Gen. Robert Stall assumed command of the 108th Training Command (IET) June 5, 2010 at Fort Jackson, S.C. Stall previously served as the Commanding General, 98th Training Division (IET) based in Rochester, N.Y. Photo by Maj. Mike Harvey, 108th Training Command (IET)

(L to R) 108th Training Command (IET) Chief of Staff Col. Fred Woerner, incoming 108th Training Command (IET) Commanding General Robert P. Stall and outgoing 108th Training Com-mand (IET) Commanding General, Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III conduct Inspection of the Troops at Fort Jackson, S.C., during the 108th Training Command (IET) Change of Command held June 5. Photo by Maj. Mike Harvey, 108th Training Command (IET)


all good luck and God Speed, victory starts here and I salute you,” said Mallory.

Hertling said the time Stall spent as Deputy Commanding General of the 80th Training Command and Commanding General of the 98th Training Division contributes to him being extremely well suited to lead the 108th Training Com-mand.

“I feel humbled to be part of such a historic, successful, transformational command that is poised to continue to shape the future. Command is a privilege. It is entrusted to an offi cer for a brief period of time it’s about placing the mis-sion and Soldiers above self by taking our values and habits and living them,” said Stall.

Stall added he looked for-ward to meeting and working with each and every Soldier in the 108th Training Command.

“I thank you for giving me this opportunity and thank you for the trust you’ve given me. Major General Mallory thank you for giving me a great team, Lieutenant Gen-eral Hertling thank you for giving me this opportunity,” said Stall.

Brig. Gen. Stall entered the U.S. Army Reserve in 1983; he is a grad-uate of the U.S. Army War College.

His undergraduate degree is in Mar-keting from John Carroll University and he earned a master of Busi-ness Administration from Cleveland State University.

Brig. Gen. Stall’s awards and deco-rations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meri-torious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf

clusters, Army Commendation Med-al, Army Achievement Medal, Com-bat Action Badge, Special Forces Tab, Novice Parachutist Wings and German Parachutist Wings-Bronze.

As part of the Army Reserve transformation, the 108th Division (IT) was re-designated as the 108th Training Command (IET) with command of

all Army Reserve Drill Sergeant units nationwide comprising the 95th Training Division (IET) and the 98th Training Division (IET) totaling over

10,000 Soldiers. The 108th Training Command most recently assumed command of the 104th Division with responsibilities to augment the

U.S. Army Cadet Command mission of training ROTC cadets as the Army’s future leaders. Colors from all three divisions were on the parade

fi eld during the 108th Training Command (IET) Change of Command held June 5, at Ft. Jackson, S.C. Photo by Maj. Mike Harvey, 108th Training

Command (IET)

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By Command Chief WarrantOfficer Shirley Moser108th Training Command (IET)

Recently, I received a copy of the book, “The 108th Training Com-mand: A History of Embracing In-novation and Shaping the Future”, what a very interesting and ex-citing history that we, “the 108th Training Command” Soldiers, have. Each of us, as we journey along our course, faces unbelievable ob-stacles, challenges and missions. How the Soldiers achieved those missions were history in the mak-ing. There were times that circum-stances were so challenging that some Soldiers left the units due to transformation; units organized, re-organized, downsized, and upsized. Soldiers were called to active duty doing the tasks they had practiced for many years as reservists and were heroes upon on their return from their missions. What a great command the 108th has been. Our

Soldiers and their leadership, stam-ina, integrity, and good works were put to the test.

I realize our Warrant Offi cers need to write their story. Most of the offi cers, noncommissioned of-fi cers, and enlisted Soldiers were involved in situations and units that had missions and challenges that could be defi ned and put into words. There are documents, train-ing records, unit members, NCODP, ODP, academies, schools, deploy-ments, and orders to use for writ-ing the 108th’s history. Piece by piece, I am sure it was not an easy task for Lt. Col. Voris McBurnette to assimilate the contents and get it published, and I think he really did an outstanding job. Still, I did not see anything specifi c about war-rant offi cers and their history in the 108th.

I did not want this story to be about me and my experiences, but I felt it should be about the warrant offi cers and what their stories were as they decided to become a war-rant offi cer. How they forged their way through the experience to get the job.

Most warrant offi cers have a history as an enlisted Soldier, commissioned offi cer, as prior ser-vice or with a different military component. I spent 17 years as an enlisted Soldier, 18 years as a 108th Training Command unit administra-tor (short time in the 120th), while serving as a reservist with a total of 35 years of service. Warrant offi cers are the only group that “grow their own” and spend a lot of time men-toring those we want to join our corps.

Times are changing as I learned when I went to the First Annual

Warrant Offi cer Summit at Fort Rucker, Ala. in May. This is another story and one reason I am having a Warrant Offi cer Workshop in Au-gust 2010. I eagerly await for our warrant offi cers, commanders, and command sergeants major to know what we have in store for them and the changes we hope to bring to our units. Deputy Command Chief Warrant Offi cer, 108th Train-ing Command, Karen Kay has been a tremendous asset in assisting me while I put together all the parts for this exciting workshop. The speakers will “Focus on the Future” and inform those attending about the Warrant Offi cer Program of the future. Command Chief Warrant Of-fi cer Thompson, US Army Reserve, will be a guest speaker.

The stories I was given to put in the history book were amazing and made me realize that it wasn’t just me that had a wide and rambling road to follow in becoming a war-rant offi cer. I learned a lot about

how hard it was for our warrants to get to the point of attending War-rant Offi cer Candidate School. How they too had to give up a lot and have a strong desire to become a warrant.

The history covered Vietnam to deploying to Iraq, covering all the wars and serving in all the capaci-ties. I can not stress enough that the warrant offi cer legacy is chang-ing and that we have to stay on top of the issues.

My dream is to have all of the warrant offi cers know and mentor those around them. Making histo-ry is what our warrant offi cers do. What an amazing history we have and what an amazing journey it has been for those who have gone this route.

Thanks to all those who partici-pated in writing this story. Keep up the good work. I look forward to adding more interesting history to our book from all of you!

The History of the 108th Training Command Warrant Offi cer


Are you aiming to become a

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By Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell81st Regional Support Command

Public Affairs

BREVARD, N.C. — Tucked away at the entrance of the Pisgah Nation-al Forest in western North Caro-lina, the small community of about 6,000 residents welcomed the na-tion’s second Army Strong Commu-nity Center during a grand opening ceremony May 15.

Several hundred Soldiers, veter-ans, family members, business own-ers and community leaders helped launch the second community-based center fi lled with resources not only to take care of Army Re-serve families but all military fami-lies seeking assistance.

“Thank you for hosting us in God’s country,” Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, Chief, Army Reserve said dur-ing the early-morning ceremony. “I’m glad to be here to celebrate what America is really about. For me, at least, it brings you back home to places like Brevard, N.C., and to see really what the strength of America is. It’s not in Washington D.C. It’s not in the halls of Congress. It’s in Bre-vard, N.C., and other small communities across America.”

The center, only the second of its kind, with the other located in Roches-ter, N.Y., will be re-sourced and staffed to give military fami-lies and veterans the information, services and support they would otherwise have to drive to a major military base to fi nd.

Located more than 160 miles from Fort Jackson, S.C., and more than 250 miles from Fort Bragg, N.C., Brevard was selected because of its remote location from a major mili-tary installation, said Stultz.

“If you build it they will come,” said Stultz, quoting a famous line from the movie, “Field of Dreams.”

When the Brevard community was selected as the second loca-tion, Stultz said everyone asked him and his Family Programs staff, “Why Brevard?”

“Why not,” he responded. “Why wouldn’t we choose Brevard? We said Soldiers and family members need help there.”

During the past several months, more than a hundred families have walked through the Brevard Army Strong Community Center to ask

questions, get information, or fi nd comfort in knowing someone is there to help.

Stultz said what was unique about the Brevard location dur-ing its short history is that one-third of the families walk-ing through the door were active-duty families seeking assistance.

Stultz gave full credit for the community center concept to his wife, Laura.

“We have to bring the installa-tions to the Soldiers and their com-munities, because they don’t have a Fort Campbell; they don’t have a Fort Drum; they don’t have Fort Hood in Brevard, N.C., so we have to bring it to them,” he said. That’s what this Army Strong Community Center does, Stultz said.

“It establishes, for us, a center

that says, ‘If you are military in western North Carolina, we are here for you,’” he said. “We are here to take care of you. We are here to offer services. We are here to fi nd solutions.”

Stultz said today was about bring-ing a community and the military together to draw upon one anoth-er’s strengths.

To be successful as a military and against the fi ght against terror, Stultz said he needed four things: a Soldier, that Soldier’s family, the

Soldier’s employer and a supportive community.

“A community, like Brevard, has to be there for that Soldier and that Soldier’s family – especially when I take that Soldier away,” he said.

For the Army Reserve family, the center is a place where the commu-nity can plug in, according to Stultz.

By Shultz’s side was his wife Lau-ra. She recalled past diffi culties as a wife left behind as her husband de-ployed to Iraq and alone with four children.

Laura said she remembered not being able to attend numerous fam-ily readiness group meetings be-

cause of the distance to travel and the life as a temporary single mom.

“I knew there was something missing,” she said. “I didn’t feel con-nected.”

All that changed when her hus-band was sworn in as Chief, Army Reserve in May 2006.

“I said this is it. This is my chance,” she said about helping families left behind while their spouses deploy overseas. “I wanted to bring a military installation to the communities.”

Laura said she was happy to as-sist opening in the Army Reserve’s second center and hopes there will be many more in the future.

From small things like wash-ing a pregnant woman’s car while

her husband is overseas to being there for the big things, Laura envi-sioned local com-munities coming together with area military resi-dents and helping those in need.

“I have ev-ery confi dence that the people of North Carolina will step up and support their local military fami-lies,” she said.

Air Force veteran and Brevard mayor Jimmy Harris pledged his community’s support for the new center during the ceremony.

“Families are important, and they make a difference in the lives of Soldiers,” he said. “When I am

amongst you, and I see these fl ags and these volunteers in uniform, I am a proud American. I am proud of being a part of something that is this good.”

Harris said the residents of Bre-vard will stand tall and are commit-ted to the Army Strong Community Center.

“We will stand and support you in this mission,” he told Stultz. “We are proud that we were selected -- this is a blessing.”

Army Reserve opens second Army Strong Community Center

Maj. Gen. James Mallory III, former commanding general, of the Army Reserve’s 108th Training Command, based out of Charlotte, N.C., sings the Army

Song during the grand opening of the Army Reserve’s Army Strong Community Center located in Brevard, N.C. on May 15. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell,

81st Regional Support Command Public Aff airs.

A Soldier in formation holds on to the ceremony program while Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, Chief, Army Reserve, speaks during the grand opening of the Army Reserve’s Army Strong Community Center located in Brevard, N.C. on May 15. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Bell, 81st Regional Support Com-mand Public Aff airs.


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98th Training Division Soldiers Honor Fallen ComradesBy Col. Paul WegmanChief of Staff

98th Training Division (IET)

Brig. Gen. Robert Stall, former commanding general, of the 98th Training Division (IET) hosted the Division Memorial Ceremony dur-ing the Headquarters battle assem-bly on May 2. The annual ceremony honors fi ve 98th Training Division Soldiers killed in action during the division’s deployment to Iraq from 2004-2005.

Lt. Col. Terrence Crowe of Grand Island, N.Y. was killed in action on June 7, 2005 in Tal Afar, Iraq. He was 44 years old. Crowe was an Infantry offi cer and a 17 year veteran, the last seven of which were spent in the 98th Division. He is survived by his parents, his son Jeremiah, now 22, and daughter Clara, now 20.

Master Sgt. Paul Karpowich of Bridgeport, Pa. was killed in action on December 21, 2004 in Mosul, Iraq. He was 30 years old. Karpow-ich was an Infantry Soldier and a 13 year Army veteran. He spent nine of those years with the 98th Division, and eventually became a Senior Drill Sergeant. He is survived by his wife, Amanda, his parents, a brother and two sisters.

Sgt. 1st Class Robert Derenda of Ledbetter, Ky. was killed in action on August 5, 2005 in Rubiah, Iraq. He was 42 years old. Derenda was a graduate of The Citadel and a twen-ty year veteran. He is survived by his parents and sister.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Dill of Tonawanda, N.Y. was killed in ac-tion on April 4, 2005 in Balad Ruz, Iraq. He was 28. Dill was a veteran of the 24th Mech and Desert Storm. He is survived by his wife, Dawn, his parents, and two sisters.

Sgt. Lawrence Roukey of West-brooke, Maine was killed in action on 26 April 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq. He was 33 years old. Roukey served for three years in the Army after high school and reenlisted after the 9-11 attacks. He was assigned to the 98th Division when he deployed to Iraq. He is survived by his wife, Ryann, his son, Nicholas, now six years old, and his step-daughter So-nya, now 19.

During the ceremony, as more than 150 Soldiers and veterans looked on, Stall reminded those in attendance of one of the major te-nets of the Soldier’s Creed, “I Will Never Leave a Fallen Comrade.”

“This portion of the creed rings true even years later,” said Stall, “be-cause we will never forget these Soldiers and their Families, and what they gave to us and what they gave to their country.”

Stall vowed the annual memorial ceremony would continue indefi -nitely, citing the example of con-temporary British Soldiers who, in 2003, discovered a WWI cemetery in central Iraq hosting the remains of the British Mesopotamian Expe-

ditionary Force. The British Soldiers cleaned and

refurbished the cemetery, and hold regular memorial services there in honor of their fallen comrades, past and present.

Col. Todd Arnold, 98th Training Division (IET) deputy commander, said in an emotional speech that he was privileged to have known the fi ve Soldiers who lost their lives. He quoted Gen. George Patton, “Mourn not for these fallen Soldiers, but thank God that such men lived.”

Command Sgt. Milt Newsome, 98th Training Division (IET) com-mand sergeant major said to re-member and honor the sacrifi ces made by these Soldiers, and to honor them by our actions as well as our words.

Stall closed the ceremony by quoting the words of Rudyard Ki-

(L to R) Brig. Gen. Rob-ert Stall, former com-manding general, of the 98th Training Division (IET), Col. Todd Arnold, 98th Training Division (IET) deputy command-er, Command Sgt. Milt Newsome, 98th Training Division (IET) command sergeant major, Lt. Col. (Chaplain) Robert Searle, 98th Training Division (IET) division chaplain listen as Col. Paul Wegman, 98th Training Division (IET), chief of staff addresses Soldiers and guests during the Division Me-morial Ceremony held in Rochester, N.Y. Photo by Staff Sgt. Richard Har-ris, 98th Training Division (IET) Public Aff airs Offi ce.

pling in his poem, The Recessional. “Lest we forget…lest we forget…”

The 98th Division has pledged to remember.


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Bergene follows Sisters ‘On the Trail’Story by Capt. Jennifer K. Cotten95th Training Division

Public Affairs Officer

The Army Reserve has spent the last several years transforming from a strategic to an operational force. During that time, Command Sgt. Maj. Renata C. Bergene, 2nd Bri-gade, 95th Training Division (IET) has been able to refl ect back over her military career and point to an equally impactful Army transforma-tion.

Following in her sisters’ foot-steps, Bergene joined the Army in 1978 since she already consid-ered herself a verifi able “tomboy.” Bergene fi gured that if her sisters could handle the Army, then she could too and so she was off to Fort Jackson, S.C. During this time,

Command Sgt. Maj. Bergene along with Soldiers of 2nd Brigade, 95th Training Division (IET) that competed in the 95th Best Warrior Competition in March, 2010 at Ft. Knox, Ky. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins, 108th Training Command (IET) Public Aff airs Offi ce

the Army had begun its fi rst co-ed basic combat training cycles that year at Fort Jackson and Bergene was among the female Soldiers present for that historic moment.

Despite scoring higher than her male counterparts on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Bat-tery, Bergene said she was limited in her training opportunities be-cause she was female. She had al-ways had an affi nity for vocational skills like construction, but was not allowed to choose a Military Oc-

Pvt. Renata Bergene attends one of the fi rst co-ed basic training cycles held at Ft. Jackson, S.C. in 1978. Photo courtesy by Command Sgt. Maj. Renata C. Bergene, 2nd Brigade, 95th Training Division (IET)

Drill Sgt. Renata Bergene serving at Fort Leonard, Mo. years before she would be-come the fi rst female Senior Drill Sergeant at Fort Sill, Okla. in 1995. Photo courtesy by Command Sgt. Maj. Renata C. Bergene, 2nd Brigade, 95th Training Division (IET)


cupational Specialty (MOS) such as engineering because it was viewed as a male skill. Instead, she was di-rected toward food service for her Advanced Individual Training.

As Bergene’s military career pro-gressed, she would continue to pave the way for females by en-tering the Drill Sergeant school in 1984. Even though she had now become a bona fi de Drill Sergeant, she stated that her newfound skills were essentially irrelevant. Male Soldiers still viewed her as a female and not a Soldier. When she showed up for her fi rst day of duty as a Drill Sergeant, she recalled a Soldier that told her ‘we don’t have female Drill Sergeants.’ Bergene promptly re-plied, “According to my orders you do.”

Bergene had become all too fa-miliar with this type of attitude be-cause her sister had met with the same resistance at Fort Benning, Ga. Her sister was never allowed to function as a Drill Sergeant but in-stead was made to sit at a desk and do staff work. In spite of the hostile environment, Bergene stood her ground and began training Soldiers. Once she began working the trail as a Drill Sergeant, it would only take a few weeks for Soldiers to re-alize there was nothing that a male Drill Sergeant could do that she couldn’t do.

A lot of other doors were opened by Command Sgt. Maj. Ber-gene during her military career. Some of her accomplishments in-clude being the fi rst female select-ed to run the 104th Division Drill Sergeant School in 1994 and serv-ing as the fi rst female senior Drill Sergeant at Fort Sill, Okla. in 1995.

Command Sgt. Maj. Bergene said women have so many more op-portunities in today’s Army than they did when she and her sisters entered. MOS and specialty training that once was closed to women are now open. “A female truck mechan-ic was unheard of when I entered the military,” she said. But today women hold these positions in ad-dition to many others.

What women are able to achieve and have achieved in the Army to-day is in large part due to the likes of Command Sgt. Maj. Bergene and many other women who helped transform a traditional military mindset through their persever-ance and tenacity. Bergene stated, “In the past fi ve years, I haven’t seen where male/female matters.” That is transformation that every Soldier can agree on.

Command Sgt. Maj. Bergene, 2nd Brigade, 95th Training Division (IET) and 95th Training Division (IET) Com-mand Sgt. Maj. Don Smith check the status of contestants from the range tower during the 95th Best Warrior Competition in March, 2010 at Ft. Knox, Ky. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins, 108th Training Command (IET) Public Aff airs Offi ce


Warrior Forge: 95th Division trains and supports CadetsStory by Capt. Jennifer K. Cotten95th Training Division (IET)

Public Affairs Officer

The Reserve Offi cer Training Corps (ROTC) cadets roared in ex-citement at the thunderous boom of the Paladin during the powerful display of U.S. weapons capabilities put on at the 2010 Warrior Forge Leadership Development and As-sessment Course (LDAC).

LDAC is the most important training event for a ROTC cadet. Each cadet rotates through a 29-day rigorous training program designed to develop and assess their lead-ership capabilities. The cadets are evaluated and these evaluations play an important role in determin-ing a cadet’s commissioning oppor-tunities.

Warrior Forge reached an all time high this year training ap-proximately 6,500 cadets. Included in this number were U.S. Military Academy and allied nation cadets, and Reserve and Guard offi cer can-didates.

“Over 3,600 soldiers from the U.S. Army Cadet Command, Forces Command and Army Reserve facili-tate this world-class training event,” Brig. Gen. Roger Duff , commanding general, 95th Training Division (IET) speaks to division Soldiers as they await the arrival of cadets on

the U.S. weapons range where they will be met with a dramatic display of U.S. fi repower. Photo by Capt. Jennifer Cotten, 95th Training Divi-sion (IET) Public Aff airs Offi cer. (see Warrior Forge page 18)


CARVER ONE

Cadets have the opportunity to become familiar with many of the U.S. weapons. Here they learn the proper technique for fi ring the AT4. Photo by Capt. Jennifer Cotten, 95th Training Division (IET) Public Aff airs Offi cer.


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Warrior Forge(Continued from page 16)

said Col. Paul J. Wood, Warrior Forge commander.

Among the 3,600, were hundreds of Army Reserve Soldiers from the 95th Training Division (IET). Ele-ments of the 95th were tasked to provide training at several of the committee sites including Maneu-ver, Chemical Biological Radiologi-cal and Nuclear (CBRN), First Aid and U.S. Weapons.

Many other individual division Soldiers served in support capaci-ties such as transportation, protocol and supply.

“During the height of Warrior Forge, over 10,000 cadets and cad-re members were on the ground which made it U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command’s largest event in the contiguous United States,” said Wood.

First Sgt. Leon Lane, 1/329, 4th Brigade said his unit received the initial tasking to provide 100 per-sonnel to conduct tactics training for the maneuver committee in sup-port of Warrior Forge.

However, due to current mobi-lizations and deployments, 1/329 and several other units were short necessary personnel to conduct the training and had to go outside their respective units to recruit manpow-er to complete the missions.

Lane said his unit sought support from others within 4th Brigade and eventually 3rd Brigade and were of-fered aid without hesitation.

Once units fi lled their ranks, they spent “months preparing for the missions at home station,” said Sgt. First Class Antonio Andrews, 1/334, 4th Brigade (U.S. Weapons Commit-tee).

Since many Drill Sergeants from the 3rd and 4th Brigades were ac-

customed to training privates in an initial entry training (IET) environ-ment who have no military expe-rience, training cadets at Warrior Forge presented a new challenge.

Sgt. First Class Stacey Camden, 1/329, 4th Brigade, (Maneuver Com-mittee) said, “It was a nice change of pace from the traditional respon-sibility of training IET Soldiers and was a great opportunity for Soldiers of the 95th to have a positive infl u-ence on the leaders of tomorrow’s Army.”

Camden added the experience al-lowed recent graduates of the Drill Sergeant School the opportunity to hone their instructional skills.

Because of the nature of the re-lationship between offi cers and NCO’s, the committee trainers needed to use a different approach to training.

Sgt. First Class Dean Shaw, 1/334, 4th Brigade (U.S. Weapons Com-mittee) said, “We are less aggressive with cadets than we are privates.”

The intent was to build a strong foundation for future success in the role between offi cers and NCO’s. Sgt. First Class Juan Rodriquez, 1/334, 4th Brigade, (U.S. Weapons Committee), said the training ap-proach used “let cadets know they could ask NCO’s questions.”

Rodriquez said in the beginning cadets may have been intimidated, but eventually would become com-fortable with the NCO’s.

During Warrior Forge, each com-mittee had specifi c goals. At the maneuver site, Lane said cadets learned hand and arm signals, oper-ations orders, troop leading proce-dures, patrol base operations, radio procedures, call for fi re, and tactics and battle drills.

“I feel the mission was an overall success and allowed the Soldiers of the 3rd and 4th Brigades to excel

within a new environment,” said Lane.

Lane added the cadets seemed very receptive and appreciative of the knowledge and experience our Soldiers shared during the training on the maneuver lanes.

As cadets arrived at the U.S. weapons range, they witnessed a display of fi repower which also included the .50 caliber machine gun, M249 squad automatic weap-on (SAW), M240B machine gun, M203 grenade launcher, AT4 rocket launcher and Claymore mine.

Division Soldiers serving as U.S. Weapons range cadre provided the cadets with hands-on experience in fi ring the SAW, M240B, M203 and AT4. Staff Sgt. Walter Marks, 1/334, 4th Brigade said this gave the ca-dets a good opportunity to familiar-ize themselves with the weapons systems and not be afraid of the weapons.

With record numbers at Warrior Forge, approximately 230 cadets per day were trained on the range. Sgt. First Class Michael Beck, 1/334, 4th Brigade, who has participated in the event for 10 years, said this year’s event was by far the most in-tense in his experience. He said the days on the range were long.

Warrior Forge came to a close in August. It showed new opportuni-ties to division Soldiers and allowed them to help shape the future lead-ers of the Army.

Sgt. First Class Ryan Spadanuda, 3/334, 4th Brigade, (Maneuver Com-mittee) said, “The mission went well. It was such an important mis-sion because we played a vital role in the success of the cadets and their future as offi cers. The training we provided helped them to learn team building and good leadership traits that will hopefully be carried with them through their careers.”

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The tale of Two BadgesBy Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins108th Training Command (IET) Public Affairs

During the week, 28 year old Jeffrey Rios, of New York, wears a uniform and a badge, the badge of a

City of New York Department Cor-rections Offi cer. He is also an Army reservist and recently picked up another badge: the Drill Sergeant Identifi cation Badge, which he will

now wear on his Army Combat Uni-form coat jacket.

Rios was named Distinguished Hon-or Graduate of the United States Army Reserve Drill Ser-geant School Class 004-10 at Fort Jack-son, S.C. on July 10. He was also award-ed a bronze Drill Sergeant statue and the Army Com-mendation Medal for being named top graduate from a class of over 50 Drill Sergeant Candidates.

“Since I joined the Army I always looked up to my Drill Sergeants that I had in my basic training com-pany, I’ve always wanted to train other Soldiers and to share my ex-periences as an NCO,” said Rios.

It is a long way from New York City to South Carolina, but Rios had his family’s blessing and encourage-ment. “My wife and son supported me 100 percent by coming here to Ft. Jackson and the Drill Sergeant School,” said Rios.

Although a native of Yonkers, Rios now calls Queens, a borough of New York City, home. “My par-ents were born in Puerto Rico and I was born in New York. I’ve only been to Puerto Rico once and that was when I was very young,” said Rios, “I’d like to go back someday but haven’t had the time yet.” Rios attended school in the “Big Apple” and says he had made a plan for his future at a young age. “I’ve always wanted to serve my country since I was a little kid and knew I wanted

to be in the military,” said Rios. When he was 21 years old he

joined the Army and the ranks of the Military Police Corps. “I joined in February 2004 and did my OSUT (One Station Unit Training) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri for the MOS 31 Echo,” said Rios.

After graduating advanced indi-vidual training he was assigned to Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., a little over 250 miles north of Ft. Leonard Wood at the United States Disci-plinary Barracks, the Department of Defense’s only maximum security prison. He served the remainder of his active duty commitment as an Internment/Resettlement Special-ist. An Internment/Resettlement Specialist in the Army is primarily responsible for day-to-day opera-tions in a military confi nement or correctional facility or detention or internment facility.

Rios left active duty service in February 2008 and returned home to New York. His training as a mili-tary policeman paid off as he ap-

(L to R) Staff Sgt. Jeff rey Rios, Distinguished Honor Graduate, Sgt. Luis Badillo, Deputy Commandant’s Leadership Award and Staff Sgt. Thomas A. Summerford, Honor Graduate, were the top three graduates for Class 004-10 (Option 5) at Ft. Jackson, S.C. in July 2010. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins, 108th Training Command (IET) Public Aff airs.

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plied and was selected as a candidate for the City of New York Department of Correction Training Academy. As his ci-vilian career in was taking off he still felt something was absent from his life. “I missed the military and decided to join the Army Reserve in July 2008,” said Rios.

Originally assigned to the 423rd Mili-tary Police Company in Long Island, N.Y. he served with the unit until January 2010 and then transferred to the 2nd Battalion, 417th Regiment, 4th Brigade, 98th Training Division (IET) based out of Fort Totten, N.Y. “It’s a very small unit, we have about twenty Soldiers assigned and are looking for people to join us,” said Rios.

After securing his position in the Army Reserve he had to knock out his candidate training with the City of New York Department of Correction. The can-didate training is 16-weeks compared to the eight weeks of initial entry training Soldiers receive.

“It was kind of like basic training; you have classroom work and hands on work. It’s physical, we have combat-ives training and we go to the range and also take a physical fi tness test. The only good thing about the academy is you get to go home at night,” said Rios, “I learned all of my skills for Riker’s Island from my training at Ft. Leavenworth while I was in the Army.”

Riker’s Island is New York City’s main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the main-land Bronx, adjacent to the runways of

LaGuardia Airport. The jail complex, operated by the New York City De-partment of Correction, has a staff of 10,000 offi cers and 1,500 civilians to control an inmate population of 14,000. “If someone has received their sentence and it’s a year or less they serve their time at Riker’s,” said Rios, “or if they are waiting to be sentenced.”

Rios said he faced some challeng-es at the USAR Drill Sergeant School. “I was expecting it to be a lot harder from stories I heard. The hardest part I think would be learning and memo-rizing the modules in such a short time, when you have CQ and other stuff going on. You’re nervous doing the modules; you don’t want to mess it up because after the third time you get kicked out of the school.” He said the cadre was very helpful and profes-sional. “If you had a question they were always there to help you out.”

As for his future goals Rios said, “I want to get at least one deployment under my belt, hopefully with a MITT team and be promoted to sergeant fi rst class. He also wants go back to college and get a Bachelors degree in the Law Enforcement fi eld.”

One of “New York’s Boldest” is also interested in becoming a Drill Sergeant Leader. “I would defi nitely come back as a Drill Sergeant Leader; I just want more experience fi rst going out on the trail, doing different missions, so I can get fi rsthand experience. I would like to dedicate myself to training future Soldiers,” said Rios.

Staff Sgt. Jeff rey Rios was named Distinguished Honor Graduate, Class 004-10 (Option 5) at Ft. Jackson, S.C. in July 2010. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Marty A. Collins, 108th Training Command (IET) Public Aff airs.


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USAR Drill Sergeants support ‘Mega Function’By 2nd Lt. Dan Maher3-385th, 4th Brigade, 98th Training Div. (IET)

In May, nearly 400 future Soldiers assembled at Doughboy Field at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL), N.J. for a “Mega Function.” The event was hosted by the Mid Atlantic Recruiting Battalion com-manded by Lt. Col. Harry Wood-mansee. The massive assembly of civilians was turned over to the Drill Sergeants of the 3-385th, 4th Bde., 98th Training Division (IET), who endeavored to train these men and women in an effort to prepare them for the rigors of basic training.

The day’s events began with a battalion formation and a short,

but energetic physical fi tness run, complete with cadence callers and motivational chants. Next, the fu-ture Soldiers were given instruction in Drill and Ceremonies -- the basic positions and movements -- to give these civilians-in-transformation a feeling for moving as a single unit.

The day’s training also included basic land navigation and hands-on experience with the M240B ma-chine gun and M249 light machine gun. The weapons systems were brought to the site by 98th Training Division Drill Sergeants assigned to Regional Training Center-East. Sgt. 1st Class Richard Clark and his staff gave discussions on the weapons

capabilities and facilitated the event.

A barbeque lunch of ham-burgers and hot dogs was prepared for the future Soldiers. The Drill Ser-geants then conducted push-up and sit-up com-petitions and

the roar from the future Soldiers was deafening. The level of muscle-failure, sweat and shaking limbs was an indicator of the level of motivation these men and women achieved. The day concluded with the always entertaining, “Get-Diz-zy” drill, where participants spin around a baseball bat, and then at-tempt to run in a straight line. The last exercise reminded everyone that there was much fun to be had along with the serious business of soldiering.

“We got some much-needed ex-ercise,” said Oscar Maldanado of the South Jersey “Hitmen.”

Cpt. Charles Phillips, command-ing offi cer, of the South Jersey Re-cruiting Company, said some future Soldiers signed on as late as last week while some have been signed on for a year and are shipping out next month. “They’re at varying skill levels and have various back-grounds.” He spoke of one 39 year-old recruit who left a corporate job in order to “give something back” to the country.

The “Hitmen” were just one of the four companies participat-ing in the days events. The other three units sported the nicknames “Newark Knights”, “Central Jersey Pathfi nders” and “North Jersey War-

The new recruits have a little fun at Doughboy Field during the “Mega Function” event held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB-MDL), N.J. Courtesy Photo


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A future Soldier listens intently as a USAR Drill Sgt. explains the capabilities of the M240B machine gun. Courtesy Photo.

riors”. Sgt. 1st Class Harold Urrutia, Delta Company, 3-385th, said “These guys are motivated! Their recruit-ers must be doing a great job prep-ping them for basic training.”

Preparation for basic training was only part of the purpose of the event. The Drill Sergeants and recruiters recognize the sacrifi ce and risks that these future Soldiers are taking by enlisting when our country is at war, and they took this unique time to congratulate and ac-cept these future warriors. Wheth-er it was an opportunity to handle U.S. weapons systems, a motiva-tional physical fi tness run around the pristine fi elds at JB-MDL, or a barbeque served up at the picnic grounds, the men and women, who are slated to ship out shortly, were treated to a memorable day.

“When it comes to recruiting, we have to think outside the box,” Woodmansee, battalion commander of the Mid Atlantic region, “ This as one example of a non-traditional training event that keeps future Soldiers focused on their goals and keeps their desire to serve alive and well.” U.S. Army Reserve Drill Ser-geants are uniquely positioned to support this type of event. In a con-cept promoted by 1st Sgt. Randolph Weltch, Delta Company, 3-385th, a company of Drill Sergeants could be permanently assigned to JB-MDL. In the eight short hours on Saturday with the future Soldiers, the Drill Sergeants of the 3-385th shared insights and combat survival skills with these men and women who were not only responsive, but very appreciative. “The Drills gave me straight answers to a lot of questions,”said Anthony Taylor, from the South Jersey “Hitmen.” Weltch, one of the masterminds behind the union of recruiters and Drill Ser-geants is working to establish a resi-dent Drill Sergeant company at JB-MDL. Those interested in learning more about becoming a U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, the U.S. Ar-

my’s premiere trainers of our future warriors should contact Weltch at (551) 221-0696 or [email protected].

Drill Sgt. Daniel Cruz, 3-385th, 4th Bde., 98th Training Division (IET) counts the push-ups of a future Soldier during the “Mega Function” event. Courtesy Photo.


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Reserve Drill Sergeants volunteer to trainAfghan counterpartsBy Lyndsey BornCourtesy of The 1st Infantry

Division Post, Staff writer

FORT RILEY, Kan.— More than half of Military Transition Team Class 70 is made up of drill ser-geants, all Reserve Soldiers from the 95th Division. The group volun-teered for the mission to mentor members of the Afghan police and Army.

The 24 drill sergeants and 12 support staff will be the sixth group from the 95th to head to Af-ghanistan.

The mission that has been as-signed is drill sergeant specifi c because the drill sergeants will be mentors for the Afghan Drill Ser-geant School and at basic combat training sites, said Col. Rodolfo Vil-larreal, G-3 for the 95th Div.

The drill sergeants left civilian careers and Family members to mo-bilize to Oklahoma City for their Soldier Readiness Processing before they came to Fort Riley, Villarreal said.

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Sgt. Maj. Manuel Borrego is a cap-tain in the Wichita Falls, Texas, po-lice department. This will be his fi rst deployment into a war zone.

“I have been in the Army for a long time, and most of it has been during peace time. This is an op-portunity for me to do my part over there, to take my turn and work for my country,” Borrego said.

For another volunteer, Staff Sgt. Clayton Gorton, this will be his sec-ond deployment.

“It’s my job to serve my coun-try, and I just wanted to do my part again,” Gorton said. “I have a lot of friends who volunteered for this mission. I wanted to go with them to help train the Afghan Army.”

Villarreal was on hand to observe the class during its last week before graduation and said the drill ser-geants are ready for their deploy-ment.

“They got pretty much all of the training they are going to need for overseas,” Villarreal said. “As drill sergeants we are the primary train-ers and uniquely outfi tted to be the trainers in theater, especially with the Afghan Soldiers.” The drill ser-geants graduated from their train-ing May 28 at Camp Funston. A short ceremony was held for Family members and friends to see the Sol-diers before they deployed.

Maj. Gen. Charles Gorton, com-mander of 81st Regional Support Command, attended to watch his son, Staff Sgt. Clayton Gorton, grad-uate with Class 70.

“I feel ambiguous about it. As a Soldier I am really proud of him, and I am confi dent he will do well. He has been trained well,” Maj. Gen. Gorton, said. “On the other hand, as a father, you always feel some trepi-dation about sending your son off into harm’s way, so it’s kind of hard, but I am real proud of him.”

After graduation, Sgt. 1st Class Bryce Holmes said, he never thought he would be training and mentoring Afghan Soldiers.

“My goal was to become a drill sergeant to train our troops,” Hol-mes said. “I would like to see a third world country to be able to be more productive themselves. I think going over and being able to train their Army will be a great ex-perience.”

For two years, Holmes said, he

The Soldiers of Military Transition Team Class 70 prepare themselves May 19 as they listen for the next command during their training. The team includes more than 20 drill sergeants who will deploy to Afghanistan to train and mentor the Afghan Army. Photo by Lyndsey Born, The 1st Infantry Division Post.


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Drill sergeants and support staff from Military Transition Team Class 70 salute during their graduation ceremony May 28 at Camp Funston. The drill sergeants will deploy to Afghanistan to mentor and train its army. Photo by Lyndsey Born, The 1st Infantry Division Post.

has been trying to deploy to give active duty Soldiers a break.

Although, he said, he is readyto deploy, he is nervous to leave his Family. The youngest of Holmes three children thinks he is leaving to get monsters, he said.

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Combatives: Learning to FightBy Capt. Nicholas Thomas4th Bde.,1st Battalion., 390th

Regiment, 98th Training Division (IET)

In 2002, the Army adopted the Modern Army Combatives program. The program was developed with two basic principles in mind: 1. The winner of the hand to hand fi ght in combat is the one whose buddy shows up fi rst with a gun. 2. The defi ning characteristic of a warrior is the willingness to close with the enemy. As Soldiers we all under-stand the fi rst principle, even if you win the fi ght, if his buddy shows up with a rifl e you still lose. The sec-ond philosophy has been adopted as a theme for Army training and is often referred to as Warriorization.

The 1/390th located in Amherst, N.Y, has followed the guidance of its commander, Lt. Col. Peter Vanderland. The unit has incorpo-rated combatives training into near-ly every battle assembly since Octo-ber 2009. Seeing the duty company dragging out the wrestling mats on Sunday afternoon has become a common scene on battle assembly weekends.

The frequency of combatives training at the 1/390th has two pur-poses: to train the trainer and to de-velop Soldiers who are capable and

confi dent in close combat. This not only improves the unit’s ability to teach combatives but also improves individual Soldier readiness.

As a battalion that often performs annual training during the basic training phase of Engineer OSUT (One Station Unit Training), the Drill Sergeants of the 1/390th are expected to know combatives and teach it to trainees who, in many cases, have never been in a fi ght in their life.

The monthly combatives train-ing also improves the overall fi tness level of the unit and, more impor-tantly, gives the Drill Sergeants the confi dence and competence to work with young trainees in the ini-tial military training environment. The train the trainer aspect of the monthly combatives helps to en-sure the 1/390th is providing fi rst rate Drill Sergeants to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. for annual training mis-sions.

The second benefi t of frequent Combatives training is developing close combat warriors. The current operational climate of the U.S. Army requires Soldiers to be more com-petent in close combat than ever before.

“Combatives training is a way to

“warriorize” our Soldiers and ensure they are rel-evant weapons in the fi ght. Warrioriza-tion is all about teaching a Sol-dier to fi ght and survive in any situation, whether with their assigned weapon or left with only themselves as a weapon,” said Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, deputy commanding general, for Ini-tial Military Training.

1st Sgt. Anthony Kuhn, 1/390th, is a level four certifi ed combatives instructor, who develops and is the primary instructor for the monthly combatives training.

Affectionately known as “Kuhn-batives,” he has trained Soldiers for more than a year and a half during battle assembly. A level one instruc-tor certifi cation course was con-ducted in the summer of 2009 and

Kuhn is currently coordinating a level two certifi cation course for June of this year and is expecting maximum participation.

Warfi ghters who are competent in close combat as well as with their weapon are quickly becoming the goal of the modern Army. Com-batives is a major aspect of that goal and the 1/390th has embraced this focus and is leading the way in training warriors.

1st Sgt. Anthony Kuhn, 1/390’s resident Combatives instructor, teaches Drill Sergeants and Drill Sergeant Candidates, the fi ner points of US Army Combatives at Battle Assembly in Amherst, NY. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Donald Hunter, 1st Battalion, 390th Regiment, 4th Brigade, 98th Div (IT).


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108th Soldier inducted into Audie Murphy ClubBy Sgt. Neil W. McCabeXVIII Airborne Corps

Public Affairs Office

Members of one of the Army’s most prestigious societies, named in honor of the nation’s most deco-rated Soldier, welcomed three Non-commissioned offi cers inducted Friday at Memorial Hall here.

The new members of the Fort Bragg chapter of the Sgt. Audie Mur-phy Club are: Sgt. 1st Class Renee Nolin, Headquarters, 108th Train-ing Command; Staff Sgt. Carrie A. Brown, 3rd Bn., 27th Field Artil-

lery Regiment, 18th Fires Bde., and Staff Sgt. Loren A., Headquarter and Headquarters Company, Headquar-ters and Higher Headquarters Com-pany, 20th Engineer Bde.

Membership in the SAMC sepa-rates out the best of the best Non-commissioned offi cers in today’s Army, said Command Sgt. Maj. Earl L. Rice, the XVIII Airborne Corps’ senior NCO in his remarks at the ceremony.

The Soldiers of the SAMC are a major reason why the NCO Corps is growing in respect and responsi-bility, he said.

“Our Soldiers expect you to lead from the front—always have and always will,” said Rice after leading a round of applause for the induct-ees.

Rice, joined by retire XVIII Air-borne Corps Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew McFallon, presented each of the NCO’s with an impact Army Commendation Medal, a U.S. Forces Command Certifi cate of Achieve-ment and the large pewter medal-lion with the profi le of Audie Mur-phy. Spouses received a certifi cate of a appreciation signed by the Rice and Lt. Gen. Frank G. Helmick,

the corps commanding general. The two men were the offi cial hosts of the event.

McFallon was the featured speaker and for the presentations he stood in for Helmick, who was attending a memorial service for a fallen Soldier, which Rice left for immediately after the ceremony.

In his own remarks, recalling the themes of the club and Murphy’s own life, McFallon said, “Inductees, you are the keepers of our stan-dards. I challenge you to keep us trained, ready and accept nothing less than excellence—and to be ever watchful over our Soldiers and their families.”

Each of the inductees were fi rst recommended by an existing mem-ber of the club, then survived three selection boards at the battalion, brigade and division or corps-level.

Brown said she was selected on her second attempt. After her fi rst attempt, her fi rst sergeant told her with the news. “He told me that the board said of the six NCO’s, two were distinguished enough for se-lection, but they only one of them.”

Although the native of Ripley, N.Y., was impressive, her Army Physical Fitness Test score of 252, was short of the at least 270 the SAMC expected, she said.

Determined to make on her next try, the health service technician focused on physical training dur-ing her deployment to FOB Salerno, Afghanistan, she said. “I became a gym rat,” she said. “In my last PT test, I scored a 271 right before I


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came home, so when I got back I immediately started asking with the next Audie Murphy board was be-ing held.”

Nolin, a Reserve Soldier, was ac-tually selected by through the Fort Jackson, S.C., chapter while she was mobilized for a tour as a drill in-structor, she said.

A native of Columbus, Ga., No-lin said she told the board that she has always strived to example set by Murphy, who as a staff sergeant, repeatedly turned down battlefi eld commissions, so the World War II hero could remain close to his men.

One example she gave the board was when she was deployed to Iraq in 2003 before the Army had formalized its program for allow-ing Soldiers to take leave while as-signed to the theater, and had set up a lottery system, she said.

With a four-month-old at home, Nolin said she was thrilled to get one of the slots to go home, but before she could leave one of her Soldiers begged her for her seat, so he could fl y home and talk his wife out of leaving him.

Recognizing her role as an NCO, she gave up her trip home to her own family, and the Soldier was able to save his marriage, she said. “They still send me a Christmas card every year.”

At the rehearsal the previous day, Rice joked about having to see Gernhardt again because the Ash-ville, N.C. native, is also the current XVIII Airborne Corps NCO of the Year.

Gernhardt, who is the NCO-in-charge of his unit’s geospatial analy-sis section, said that the Murphy boards were heavy on scenario based questions that challenged how well he knew his Soldiers.

“It is not a board you can study for. You either live it or you don’t.”

Sergeant 1st Class Renee Nolin, 108th Training Com-mand (IET), is congratulated June 25, by XVIII Airborne Corps Command Sgt. Maj. Earl. L. Rice after her induc-tion into the post chapter of the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club held at Memorial Hall. Photo by Sgt. Neil W. McCabe, XVIII Airborne Corps Public Aff airs Offi ce.


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3rd Brigade welcomes new CommanderBy Sgt. Travis Edwards80th Training Command Public Affairs

During a change-of-command ceremony Saturday at Fort Belvoir’s Wells Field House, the Soldiers of the 3rd Brigade (Professional De-velopment), 104th Division (Leader Training) hailed a new commander, and bid farewell to another.

Col. Antonio Morales replaced Col. Phillip Churn in an event hosted by Brig. Gen. Daniel York, commanding general of the 104th Training Division. The ceremony in-cluded a color guard of Old Guard Soldiers from Fort Myer and sev-

eral battalion formations from the brigade.

“I’m an idea guy,” said York, after the passing of the colors from com-mander to commander. “During teleconferences when I fi rst took command of this division, I use to talk with Col. Churn … and he’d beat me to ideas that I thought were mine. He’s innovative and very intel-ligent. He was already in-synch with the command. I’ve seen Col. Churn’s success and what his team has built here. I expect Col. Morales to build upon that foundation.”

The 3rd Brigade “Night Fighters”

are charged with supporting and training the next generation of of-fi cers in ROTC for the U.S. Army, the National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.

“I was raised to believe in hard work and strong family values,” Mo-rales said. “Three key components of my command philosophy are commitment, teamwork and bal-ance. There is a difference between involvement and commitment - I won’t be just involved in this unit, I’ll be committed in everything we

do. Phillip, rest assured, I will take care of your Soldiers and this unit.”

Outgoing com-mander Churn’s next assignment is to deploy in June to Afghanistan to serve as a senior U.S. Commander to an Afghan gen-eral responsible for detainee op-erations.

“It has been my privilege to lead, and, more impor-tantly, to serve you over the past 30 months,” Churn said. “We have worked hard together to make this the best brigade in the division.”

Left to right: Incoming commander of the 3rd Brigade of the 104th Training Division Col. Antonio Morales accepts the unit guidon from the commanding general of the 104th Training Division Brig. Gen. Daniel York during a change of commander ceremony here Saturday at Wells Field House. Courtesy Photo by Janet Davis.


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DLA Joint Reserve Force: Reservists’ readiness rates on the riseBy Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Sater, Defense Logistics Agency Joint Reserve Force

FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Readiness statistics for the Defense Logistics Agency’s Joint Reserve Force are on the rise thanks to the agency’s an-nual four-day joint reserve training and readiness exercise, held April 29 through May 2 at Fort Eustis, Va.

Known as the JRTRX, this year’s iteration is the fourth such exercise for DLA’s reserve force. About 150 DLA reservists of all services partic-ipated, as well as about 50 Soldiers from the Army Reserve’s 915th

Contracting Support Battalion out of Baltimore, who piggy-backed on the exercise.

“Our goal this year was a mea-surable increase in readiness,” said Army Lt. Col. Mark Asher, DLA Joint Reserve Force director of training and JRTRX director.

To that end, Asher said, the ex-ercise included such events as medical processing, physical fi t-ness testing, and weapons qualifi ca-tion – items tracked by the military services that specifi cally refl ect a reservist’s eligibility to deploy. The

schedule also included topics on every training plan, regardless of service branch.

Planners said the emphasis for this year’s exercise aligned with the DLA director’s vision of an ever-evolving, high-performing, custom-er-focused and globally responsive workforce, capable of supporting warfi ghters at home and abroad. For DLA reservists, being globally responsive includes readiness to de-ploy and support the DLA mission at war, they explained.

Navy Rear Adm. Ray English, di-rector of DLA’s Joint Reserve Force, addressed all participants at the exercise in-briefi ng. “All services – seriously – have become operation-alized,” he said. “You are going to be recalled and deployed overseas. That’s what you signed up for in DLA.

English urged the reservists to put their game faces on as they par-ticipated in the exercise’s scenarios and training.

“The purpose of this exercise is to provide good training to prepare you for mobilization. Take advan-tage of the opportunity and get into the mindset of: ‘I am deployed to Forward Operation Base JRTRX.’ Flip that switch. Get into that mind-set,” he said

The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, based in Battle Creek, Mich., led a scenario-based exercise on the fi rst day to spot-light the DRMS mission in a con-tingency operation. After an intro-duction to demilitarization policies and procedures and excess prop-erty disposal, participants were instructed to imagine themselves at an Iraqi forward operating base, faced with a quantity of abandoned

military property. They were then tasked with assessing the material and making the appropriate deci-sion as to its deposition.

Army Reserve Capt. Mark Hamp-ton, recently off active duty and a new team member of Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, said he found the emphasis on mobiliza-tion and the DRMS exercise to be particularly helpful.

“We’re getting information about the specifi c jobs we’ll be doing in Iraq and Afghanistan – good train-ing on what you’d do downrange,” he said.

The second and third days of the exercise emphasized theater-specif-ic individual readiness tasks, known as TSIRTs, including weapon famil-iarization and fi ring, fi eld fi rst aid, movement under fi re, and impro-vised-explosive-device awareness.

DLA Marine reservists served as instructors and safety represen-tatives at the M-9 and M-16 rang-es. Participating Army reservists achieved 100 percent qualifi cation, while Navy and Air Force reservists had the opportunity to shoot the Army’s course of fi re for familiariza-tion.

In addition to TSIRT, this year’s JRTRX included a land navigation exercise, using a compass and map to locate specifi c points in a dense-ly wooded area. DLA Marine reserv-ists also taught the course, a subject unfamiliar to many of the agency’s Sailors and Airmen.

Marine Staff Sgt. Andre Joseph, assigned to the Marine DLA Detach-ment, assisted with the land naviga-tion course and the range-fi ring for the exercise.

“I was impressed,” Joseph said. “With the tools we gave them, [all


participants] executed the land navigation and shot [their weap-ons] well.”

DLA reservists also had their fi rst opportunity to use Fort Eustis’s Humvee Egress Assistance Trainer, or HEAT. Humvee rollover accidents account for numerous injuries in contingency operations, and the HEAT recreates the physical sensa-tion of a rollover to train service members to quickly respond and exit the vehicle safely.

Another new addition, the Lead-ership Reaction Course, challenged small teams of reservists to accom-plish highly physical tasks, such as transferring the team loaded down with a crate of ammunition or a simulated wounded Soldier over a barrier within a set time limit. Participants said the tasks required teamwork – leading and following – as well as creativity, ingenuity and strength to accomplish.

Finally, some Sailors and Airmen had the opportunity to complete fi rearms familiarization through the Engagement Skills Trainer 2000, an electronic system used by the Army to provide initial and sustainment marksmanship training. The EST 2000 augmented the actual weap-ons training that took place on the fi ring range.

Concurrent with training, the Navy, Army and Air Force conduct-ed physical fi tness tests, and Army and Air Force personnel completed some pre-deployment processing, including medical screening, im-munizations and blood tests. For the fi rst time, Fort Belvoir’s DeWitt Army Community Hospital provid-ed assistance with Soldier-readiness processing. The Air Force Reserve’s 610th Aerospace Medicine Squad-ron, from Langley Air Force Base, Va., also processed Air Force reserv-ists for their annual physicals.

“We did a good job of getting 180-plus people through three days of training that could have fi lled six days,” Asher said. “It was like a Ru-bik’s Cube … lots of moving parts. You twist it one way, and it affects everything else.”

Asher also appreciated the sup-port and cooperation of a number of other agencies, starting with the various DLA fi eld activities to which the reservists belong. DeW-itt Army Community Hospital here supported the soldier readiness processing. The 325th Combat Sup-port Hospital (U.S. Army Reserve), Kansas City, Mo., provided medics to teach fi rst aid. The 318th Support Battalion (U.S. Army Reserve), Fort Meade, Md., contributed a dozen drill instructors to assist in the fi eld training at Fort Eustis.

In spite of the challenges of coor-dinating with reservists and various civilian and military agencies, the planning team members said they felt the exercise was a success.

“We met our target,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Onofrio Margioni, Joint Re-serve Force training exercise plan-ner, who is slated to be next year’s JRTRX director. “Our reservists won’t be ‘cold’ when they report to their pre-mobilization site for combat-skills training. This supple-mental training we provide at the JRTRX is mission-critical for DLA deployers, giving them the tools to be better prepared.”

Joseph, in his fi rst joint billet, said the exercise was a prime opportu-nity for bringing together the indi-vidual strengths from each of the military services.

“Every service is different,” Jo-seph said, and the JRTRX provided “a chance to bring the unit togeth-er – one team getting the mission completed.”

Drill Sergeants from the 98th Training Division (IET) assisted with the Defense Logistics Agency’s Joint Reserve Force annual four-day joint reserve training and readiness exer-cise, held at Fort Eustis, Va. Courtesy Photo.

Drill Sergeants from the 98th Training Division (IET) assisted with the Defense Logistics Agency’s Joint Reserve Force annual four-day joint reserve training and readiness exer-cise, held at Fort Eustis, Va. Courtesy Photo.


Commentary: Air Assault TrainingBy Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wilbur108th Training Command (IET)

The Air Assault class MTT01-10 was a rigorous two week course that was both physically and men-tally challenging. This course is taught by “black shirts”, all Ser-geants and Staff Sergeants, who are very profi cient and competent at their jobs. They are all professionals and can reference page number and paragraph, any answer from the Air Assault handbook.

Zero day started with about 237 candidates at 0235. We stood anx-iously information as the Black Shirts gave us instructions on the days coming events. We were called up by last name/ last four to receive a roster number that indicated our squad and number in the squad. As we ran down over the hill to our new formation the level of inten-sity rose dramatically. I, as well as several others, one a Special Forces major, were suddenly swarmed on by four or fi ve Black Shirts. We were doing fl utter kicks, push-ups, and bear crawling on the pavement try-ing to get to the formation with as little abuse as possible. Later that morning we negotiated the obstacle course and immediately following, the two mile run in ACU’s which

had to be completed in 18 minutes or less. At around 1200 or so, we received our fi rst meal of the day, an MRE. But most of us were elated; we had made it into the course.

Though zero day and day one were very stressful physically, the rest of the course was both physi-cally and mentally demanding also. Phase one testing consisted of a 50 question multiple choice test and a hands on performance test con-sisting of Air Assault hand and arm signals.

I and most Soldiers found phase two to be most challenging. Phase two consisted of sling load opera-tions and we needed to learn the capacities of different aircraft and the capacities of the equipment used for external sling loads. As well, we had to learn how to rig the loads and inspect the loads. The phase two testing consisted of an-other 50 question multiple choice test and the dreaded hands on per-formance test. I would estimate that eighty fi ve percent or so of AA can-didates received a fi rst time no go on one of the loads they inspected. We had four loads to inspect with two minutes per load to fi nd three out of four defi ciencies. I received a fi rst time go on all four loads.

I thought phase three was the

most fun but equally challenging both physically and technically. This phase consisted of fast roping and rappelling off a fi fty four foot tower and UH-60 from ninety to one hun-dred ten feet. We spent three days practicing techniques such as a combat lock, tying a swiss seat to standard in ninety seconds or less and learning to belay.

Our last event was the twelve mile ruck march on graduation day. We had to complete the event in

three hours or less with a manda-tory water point every three hours. I completed mine in two hours and forty minutes with the fastest time being one hour and fi fty minutes.

I’m very proud to wear the Air Assault wings as I accomplished this all on my own. I think this mili-tary training also offers more than just the particular skill learned. It increases your knowledge base and gives you experience you can share with other Soldiers.

(L to R) Staff Sgt. Aaron Bayhon, Staff Sgt. Michael Beers and Sgt. 1st Class Mark Wilbur display their certifi cates after completing the Sabalauski Air Assault School at Ft. Campbell, Ky. Courtesy Photo.


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Army Family heritage rich with serviceBy Spc. Seth Barham

2nd BCT PAO, 4th Inf. Div.

FORT CARSON, Colo. — When re-tired Lt. Col. Peter Kaley raised his right hand to be commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1956, he un-knowingly began a Family tradition of Army service in the Field Artil-lery Branch.

Six members of the Kaley Fami-ly—retired Lt. Col. Peter Kaley and his sons, Kevin, Shawn, Richard, Da-vid and Michael Kaley, chose to be

leaders and experts in the science of fi re support systems; commis-sioned fi eld artillery offi cers.

On Jan. 4, Peter and his wife, Mau-ra, watched their fourth son, David, become the fi fth Kaley promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

David is the only son still on ac-tive duty and currently serves as the battalion executive offi cer of 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.

When asked what it meant to see his son pro-moted and gain another lieutenant colonel in the Kaley Family, Peter said, “It makes me proud, very proud.” Although Peter served for 21 years and raised his boys around the military, he and his wife, Maura, said they never forced the military lifestyle on their children. Instead they let the boys choose for themselves.

“We heard about par-ents pushing their chil-dren into a certain career fi eld, and we did not want to do that to our boys,” Pe-

Maura Kaley, mother of Lt. Col. David Kaley, executive offi cer, 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, pins the rank of lieutenant colonel onto her son’s beret during a promotion ceremony Jan. 4. David is the fi fth member of the Kaley Family to achieve the rank of lieutenant colonel. Six members of the Kaley Family – retired Lt. Col. Peter Kaley and his sons, Kevin, Shawn, Richard, David and Michael Kaley served as commissioned fi eld artillery offi cers, building more than fi ve decades of service to the Army and the nation. Photo courtesy of Leigh Anne Rambus.


ter said. “We wanted them to make their own decisions and they did.”

The Kaley boys agreed with their father’s sentiments.

“Our father never pushed us into the military,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Kaley, commander, 1st Battalion, 355th Regiment, 1st Brigade, 95th Division (Institutional Training), U.S. Army Reserve. “Both he and mom provided guidance, discipline and inspiration, and let us do our own thing,”

Lt. Col. Richard Kaley of the Rhode Island National Guard echoed his brother Kevin’s thoughts.

“Military life permeated every-thing … our school, neighborhood, friends, shopping, etc.; and it is a good lifestyle, surrounded by peo-ple that share the same values of Family, service to nation, and physi-cal fi tness,” he said.

In addition to all of the Kaleys serving as artillery offi cers, they were also commissioned through ROTC programs at their respective colleges.

Lt. Col. Shawn Kaley, executive offi cer, 4th Cavalry Brigade, First Army Division East, Fort Knox, Ky., said after he decided to join the ROTC program at Syracuse Univer-sity, the rest of his career choices fell into place.

Shawn also emphasized that his father did not infl uence his deci-sion to serve.

“Dad never encouraged, nor co-erced us into joining the Army,” he said. Peter and Maura’s youngest son, former Capt. Michael Kaley, now works for a major computer company in Austin, Texas.

The Kaleys do not believe they are part of any sort of Army legacy;

however, they all say they are proud of what their Family has accom-plished and continues to accom-plish in service of their country.

“To have all of us become a part of that small percentage of Ameri-cans who serve our country is something special,” David said. “I take pride in what my Family has done, and how we have been able to be part of a bigger team.”

Returning with the brigade after completing a recent deployment to Iraq, Lt. Col. David Kaley is prepar-ing to assume a new assignment as an instructor for a joint fi res support team at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The Kaley brothers, Lt. Col. Shawn Kaley, left, Capt. Michael Kaley, Lt. Col. Kevin Kaley, Lt. Col. Richard Kaley, and Lt. Col. David Kaley, pose for a holiday photo at Thanksgiving 1993 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Along with their father, retired Lt. Col. Peter Kaley, they were all commissioned as artillery offi cers in the Army. The Kaley Family – retired Lt. Col. Peter Kaley and sons, served as commissioned fi eld artillery offi cers, building more than fi ve decades of service to the Army and the nation. Photo courtesy of Maura Kaley.


PLEASE PRINT ALL INFORMATION CLEARLY

NEW APPLICATION RENEWAL LIFE TIME MEMBERSHIP $108.00

Name:_______________________________________________________ Rank:_________________ /MR/MRS/MS/MISS

(as you wish it to appear on your Certificate) (Optional) (Circle one)

Address:________________________________________________________________ Phone # ( _)____________________

Cell phone # ( ) _____ Fax # ( )______________________

City:_____________________________________________ State: ______Zip code______________

EMAIL ADDRESS___________________________________________________________________________________________

(Please Print Clearly)

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Date of service with the 108th

Division: From: _____________________To:__________________________

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.

The 108th Training Division (IT), and now the 108th Training Command (IET), has always been supported by The Griffon Asso-ciation. The Griffon Association is comprised of current and former members of the 108th who want to

keep in contact long after their of-fi cial duties have ended. Historically, the Griffon Association also pro-vided college scholarships for the children of members. The Griffon Association has gone through times of high membership and frequent

activity, but also through some peri-ods of inactivity.

Under the leadership of Maj. Gen. (retired) Skip McCartney, the Grif-fon Association is transforming into a newer and more relevant organi-zation. The new Griffon Association has a 12 member executive board and the Board of Directors believe a new and broader mission is need-ed for the Griffon As-sociation. The new mission encompasses six areas of focus: social, professional updates, gen-eral support, family sup-port, scholar-ships, along with a subscription to “The Griffon”.

The Griffon Association will pro-mote opportunities for members to gather and socialize in an informal setting. The next Griffon Associa-tion cookout will be held Saturday October 16 at Reedy Creek Park in Charlotte, N.C. The 108th is no lon-ger a Carolinas centric command, so as the association grows to in-corporate members in other states, one could expect for social events to occur in other regions of the country with active memberships.

One of the needs most often ex-pressed by retired members is the desire to learn more about current

changes in the 108th and its mis-sion.

During future 108th Training Command commander conferenc-es, the Griffon Association may have their annual meeting at the same lo-cation so briefi ngs and educational seminars can be included utilizing the expertise of 108th active ser-vice members.

Many retirees stated they missed the camaraderie of the military, of course, but also missed knowing how the 108th was being utilized as an important force in our Nation’s de-fense.

Given the num-ber of retirees in the association, there was is also a need for person-al advice on how to navigate bu-reaucratic systems such as pension services and Tricare.

Finally, all Griffon Association members will receive a subscrip-tion to the 108th Training Com-mands quarterly publication, “The Griffon”, as well as having their children eligible for college scholar-ships.

If you are interested in joining the Griffon Association, please mail the application included in this is-sue of The Griffon, or email Wallace Holston at [email protected].

Griffon Association honors Soldiers with awards, scholarships

The 108th Griffon Association, Inc. Scholarship A P P L I C A T I ON

Name____________________________________________________________________ SSN ___________________________ Date of Birth______________ Male Female (circle one) Address_________________________________________________________________ Telephone ____________________email address _______________________________ High School____________________________________ Graduation Date_____________

Address_____________________________________________________________ College or Technical School Attending____________________________________ Address ____________________________________________________________ Name of Parent (Member of 108th Command Group)_____________________________ Address of Parent_____________________________________________________ Signature _________________________________________ Date of Application__________________________________ Please attach cover letter, copy of transcript and three letters of recommendation.

Extracurricular activities may be listed on the back of the application or within the cover letter. Applications must be received by August 1, 2010 for the 2010-2011 academic year.

ON A SEPARATE SHEET PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS AND ATTACH TO THIS APPLICATION:

1. What are your educational goals?

2. In today’s society, what do you consider to be the characteristics of a good role

model? Who has been a role model in your life?

Mail to: The 108th Griffon Association, Inc., PO Box 3348, Asheboro, NC 27204

Membership Application108th Griffon Association, Inc.

The 108th GriffonAssociation, Inc.

PO Box 3348Asheboro, NC 27204

Please include a check or money order for $10 or $108 for life membership (no cash please) payable to 108th Griffon Association, Inc.Please allow six to eight weeks for your *certificate to arrive at your mailing address.Please share this information with anyone who is eligible.

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The next Griffon Association

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Saturday October 16 at

Reedy Creek Park

in Charlotte, N.C.


accomplish.”Command Sgt. Maj. Travis Williams, commandant of the 108th Training Com-mand’s USAR Drill Sergeant School, said he wasn’t sur-prised Solomon won the competition.

“She always gives 100 per-cent,” Williams said. “When you think of Army Values, she represents every one of them. We knew she put in a lot of hard work, and we’re excited about how well she did. We expected her to rep-resent us well, and she did.”

Solomon said the most en-joyable part of the competi-tion was talking and inter-acting with the Army’s best of the best.

(see Reserve Drill Sergeant 42)

108th Soldier named TRADOC’s Reserve Drill Sergeant of the YearBy Chris RasmussenFort Jackson Leader

FORT JACKSON, SC — Fort Jackson Staff Sgt. Melissa Solomon recently won the title of Army Reserve Drill Sergeant of Year following a week-long series of physically and men-tally challenging tests.

Solomon, who is a drill sergeant leader at the 108th Training Com-mand’s Reserve Drill Sergeant School, said she was completely surprised when it was announced she had won the Reserve competi-tion.

“It was a very trying week,” she said. “I didn’t think I had won. Ev-eryone there was a great competi-tor.”

Eight drill sergeants — fi ve ac-tive duty and three Reserve drill sergeants representing each Basic Combat Training installation — went head-to-head June 12-19 at Fort Eustis and Fort Monroe, Va. to determine the Army’s top active duty and Reserve drill sergeant.

Competitors were tested on marksmanship on various weap-on systems, physical fi tness, battle drills and warrior tasks, land naviga-tion, urban orienteering and their ability to counsel new Soldiers.

“You never knew what you were being evaluated on,” Solomon said. “The toughest part was not know-ing what would happen next. Ev-erything was kept secret from us.”

One night during the competi-tion, drill sergeants were wakened at 3 a.m. and sent on a 30-mile road march before taking a physical training test.

“It was tough taking a PT test with blisters and a worn-out back from marching 30 miles with a full ruck sack,” she said. “You have to push yourself to the limit.”Competitors also took seven writ-ten exams, wrote four essays and stood before a review board.

Solomon, who was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal, will receive the Ralph Haines Jr. Award at the Pentagon at a later date. Haines was the commander of the Continental Army, which is the predecessor of TRADOC.

In addition to awards, numerous gifts and gift certifi cates, the Fort Jackson-based drill sergeant will spend a year at TRADOC serving as a liaison between drill sergeants and Initial Entry Training command-ers.

Solomon, of Tallahassee, Fla., will travel to all IET installations to ob-serve training and make sure it is being conducted to standard. She said she was looking forward to traveling and seeing how all the other IET installations function.

“I will have the infl uence to add or take away battle drills. Every-thing I complained about on the trail I can now have an infl uence on,” Solomon said. “When I move up to TRADOC, I will see the big pic-ture of what the Army is trying to

Staff Sgt. Melissa Solomon, with the 108th Training Division, focuses on completing the Army Physical Fitness Test during this year’s Drill Sergeant of the Year competition. Courtesy Photo by Sgt. Angelica Golindano, TRADOC.


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95th Division Soldiers honored for roadside rescueBy Spc. Joshua Flowers

95th Training Division (IET) Public Affairs

With all the great work that Sol-diers are doing overseas, it’s often easy to overlook the contributions they are making here at home. From hurricane relief efforts and building projects to service and education programs, Army Soldiers have dedicated their time and skills to serving their respective com-munities in whatever way possible, sometimes putting their personal safety at risk.

On March 20, 2010, during what was one of Oklahoma’s worst win-ters on record, reserve Soldiers Staff Sgt. Catherine Gallegos and Sgt. Jenna Carty, both of the 95th Training Division’s G3 section, braved the icy roads and rescued an injured motorist on their way to battle assembly in Oklahoma City.

“These two fi ne Soldiers epito-mize selfl ess service in the truest form,” 95th Training Division Head-quarters Commander Maj. Lora Neal said. “Both stopped to help this motorist without regard to their own comfort or busy sched-ule and I am so proud of them as Soldiers and admire them as hu-man beings.”

For their efforts, both sergeants received a host of awards including a Commander’s Coin from former 108th Commanding General Maj. Gen. James Mallory III, a citation from Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry and an Army Achievement

Staff Sgt. Catherine Gallegos (left) and Sgt. Jenna Carty (right) display their citations from Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. The two soldiers rescued a stranded motorist last March after the civilian had hit a patch of ice and wrecked her vehicle. Photo by Spc. Joshua Flowers, 75th Training Division (IET) Public Aff airs.


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day,” Carty said. “I hit a patch of ice [on the road] and slid about 30 feet and nearly went into the ditch my-self!”

That’s when she noticed a black vehicle overturned in the ditch line. Seeing that the driver’s headlights were still on, she stopped her truck and investigated. When she came alongside the vehicle, Carty found a woman trapped inside pleading for help. Along with a civilian sa-maritan, they were able to free the woman from the wreck by pulling her out through the vehicle’s sun-roof.

Gallegos came upon the accident shortly thereafter and assisted Carty with caring for the injured woman until an ambulance arrived. Notice-ably rattled from the wreck and complaining of head and neck pain, the woman’s condition worried the two Soldiers. After waiting for more than an hour for help to ar-rive, Gallegos decided to personally take the woman to a nearby hospi-tal.

The woman never personally identifi ed herself to either of the Soldiers and was unavailable for comment.

Despite the treacherous road conditions and other dangers in-volved, Carty said it was her own personal experience that com-pelled her to stop and investigate the wreck.

“I just had a bad feeling about it,” she said. “I was in an accident once and was knocked out for over an hour before somebody ever stopped to help me, so I had to make sure there wasn’t anyone still inside [the vehicle].”

Staff Sgt. Catherine Gallegos receives the Army Achievement Medal from 95th Training Division (IET) Commanding General Brig. Gen. Roger Duff for aiding a stranded motorist last March. Photo by Spc. Joshua Flowers, 75th Training Division (IET) Public Aff airs.

Sgt. Jenna Carty was awarded the Army Achievement Medal by 95th Training Division (IET) Commanding General Brig. Gen. Roger Duff for rescuing a civilian from an over-turned vehicle last March. Photo by Spc. Joshua Flowers, 75th Training Division (IET) Public Aff airs.


“Just to see and talk about how they trained Soldiers was a very re-warding experience,” she said.

Before returning to Fort Jackson last week, Solomon received a four-day pass to visit her mother who, she said, is a fan.

“My mom is my biggest sup-porter,” she said. “I am not sure she knew what I had to endure. But once she ... read about it she had a better understanding of what I had to go through.”

Solomon, who was born in Mil-waukee, Wis., completed her Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson in 2002 and her Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Ga., which included health care specialist and licensed practical nurse training.

“My ultimate goal is to fi nish my master’s and teach nursing,” she said. “I have always loved teaching and training people.”

Staff Sgt. Melissa Solomon will spend a year at TRADOC serving as a liaison between drill sergeants and Initial Entry Training commanders. Photo Credit: File photo.

Reserve Drill Sergeant of the Year(Continued from page 39)

Do you want to be a Unit Public Affairs Representative?As the 108th Training Command

(IET) continues to grow, it will be diffi cult for the Public Affairs Staff to visit each brigade, battalion and company to cover news events. Public Affairs is the responsibility of commanders and Soldiers alike. The PAO is kicking off the Unit Public Affairs Program (UPAR), which will allow any Soldier to be the addi-tional eyes and ears for your unit and the PAO. By volunteering you will assume the duties of UPAR as an additional duty. The Public Af-fairs Offi ce will hold training ses-sions and workshops during battle assembly (BA) to meet, train, and certify you as an UPAR.

Do you enjoy taking pictures?You can be the historian for your

unit. As a Unit Public Affairs Rep-resentative (UPAR) you will take

pictures of newsworthy events and submit them along with stories to the 108th Training Command PAO for review and possible submis-sion in the 108th Training Com-mand publication, “The Griffon” and 108th Training Command Website.

Do you enjoy writing?You can report the news as it oc-

curs at your unit training events, SRP, deployments, or Family day ac-tivities.

Are You?• Familiar with your organization• Independent and dependable• Able to communicate well• Well organized

Are you able to?• Maintain a bulletin board with

command information items.

• Publicize unit partici-pation in community projects or activities.

• Serve as the public af-fairs point of contact for your unit.

• Maintain contact with the 108th Training Command (IET) Public Affairs Offi ce

• Keep your command-er advised of your ac-tivities.

Are you ready?Contact Sgt. 1st

Class Marty Collins at [email protected] or Lt. Col. Chris Black at [email protected] or phone 704-227-2820 ext. 4087 for more information.


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Chaplains Corner...Chaplains Corner...By Cpt. (Chaplain)Jameson M. Williams108th Training Command (IET)

When I think back to my years at Hancock County High School, in Hancock Ky., my mind goes back to those long trips in the school bus to basketball games. The play-ers would all sit in the back and the cheerleaders in the front of the yel-low transport. I was neither. I can’t shoot a basketball to save my life and, well, male cheerleaders were not yet en vogue at my high school. I was the one and only mascot.

I tried out for the job and was given the honor of playing the part of the HCHS Hornet. I was red and gray and had a tail with a pointed arrow at the end. From the inside

it was dark and smelled of games gone by. The tail was the favor-ite target of the young people to use guerrilla tactics to attempt to remove. My favorite trick was to run at full speed across the gym fl oor and slide as far as I could on my belly. I was good at playing the character of the hornet and played the role for all four years of high school. I had the energy and the charisma to energize the crowd. I found that I had the courage to play that role well when people could not see my face. I was acting the part. That was not me that was the hornet doing those things.

Integrity can be defi ned as doing the right thing even when no one is watching. I think back to my mas-cot days and I consider whether or

not I could have done that if the world knew who I was. Integrity challenges us to be consistent in all situations.

We in the Army deal with this is-sue on the value level. Integrity is one of our core values that drives what we do and who we are. Integ-rity is defi ned as doing what is right in the legal and moral senses. Doing the right thing when we face per-sonal cost is hard. It is rare that one can be found that will do the right thing in secret and at great per-sonal cost. As Citizen Soldiers, we are called to integrity in the tasks we undertake both as civilians and as Soldiers. We are not to wear the green suit for a weekend a month and abandon all of the values when our dog tags are removed.

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“Duty, Honor, Country”Soldiers receive General Douglas MacArthur Leadership AwardBy Capt. Jennifer K. Cotten95th Training Division, Public Affairs Officer

Capt. Igor V. Dubinsky, 3/334, 4th Brigade and Capt. Aaron L. Hoffman, HQ, 2d Brigade, were among 28 sol-diers honored at the 23rd Annual

General Douglas MacArthur Leader-ship Award ceremony on May 6 at the Pentagon.

The award program began in 1987 and was designed to promote effective junior leadership in the

Army. Company grade offi cers are selected based on how well they embody the words that Gen. Doug-las MacArthur spoke in a speech to cadets of West Point on May 12, 1962:

The winners of the 23rd Annual General Douglas MacArthur Leadership award pose with Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., center, and Dr. Juan Montero from the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation, Norfolk, Virginia, May 6, at the Pentagon. Recipients included 14 active-duty, seven Army Reserve, and seven National Guard offi cers. Each received an engraved 15-pound bronze bust of MacArthur. Courtesy Photo by Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown.

“Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverent-ly dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying points: to

(see MacArthur Award 48)

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MacArthur Leadership Award(Continued from page 46)

build courage when courage seems to fail; to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith; to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”

Dubinsky, who is mobilized with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Fort Benning, Ga., said, “It is a great hon-or to receive this very prestigious award and be a part of the tradition that Gen. Douglas MacArthur stood for.” He was nominated by his bat-talion commander, Lt. Col. Richard Brownrigg.

A large contingency of Dubin-sky’s family and friends descended on D.C. for the ceremony. Accord-ing to Igor’s mother, Larisa Dubin-sky, he joined the Reserve after law school because of his patriotism.

“We love him so much. It’s an in-describable feeling what he brings to the family,” Ms. Dubinsky said. “He is so patriotic, so smart and never brags about what he has achieved.”

Hoffman, an 18 year veteran of the Reserve, serves as the assistant S3 for 2d Brigade and was nominat-ed by his Brigade Commander, Col. William Snyder. Hoffman said, “It is a big honor and I feel honored to be a recipient.”

Hoffman recognizes the huge roll played by drill sergeants and the importance of engaging soldiers. He states that if drill sergeants strive to provide the best possible training then young Soldiers and ultimately the Army as a whole will be the benefi ciary.

“I looked at the list and there are not a lot of people who receive this award,” Hoffman remarked.

In fact, only 13 offi cers and one warrant offi cer from the Active Army; six offi cers and one warrant offi cer from the Guard; and six of-fi cers and one warrant offi cer from the Reserve are fortunate enough to receive this award annually.

Hoffman was very excited to have his son, Luke, make the trip with him.

“I can’t wait to see how big the award is,” Luke exclaimed.

Recipients are given an engraved 15-pound bronze bust of Gen. Douglas MacArthur complete with its own carrying case.

The events are coordinated by the Army G1 and the MacArthur Memorial Foundation and include a reception, tour of the Pentagon and award ceremony.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. and Dr. Juan Montero of the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation presented the awards.

Gen. Casey lauded the Soldiers for their commitment to leadership and esprit de corps, but it is only fi tting that MacArthur should have the fi nal word.

“Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the Na-tion will be destroyed, that the very obsession of your public service must be Duty, Honor, Country.”


Second, a Warrant Offi cer appli-cant must meet seven administra-tive requirements. The seven ad-ministrative requirements are:

1. Must be a US Citizen.2. Must have a General Techni-

cal (GT) score of 110 or higher (No waivers).

3. Must be a high school graduate or have a GED (No waivers).

4. Must have a Secret security clearance (interim Secret is ac-ceptable to apply).

5. Must pass the standard 3-event Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet height/weight standards. (Applicants requiring the APFT waiver must have a profi le and physi-cal dated within 12 months of application submission.)

6. Must pass the appointment physical for technicians

7. Must have 12 months remain-ing on their enlistment con-tract.

Third, the applicant must meet the minimum prerequisite require-ments for the Warrant Offi cer MOS for which they will apply.

The minimum prerequisite re-quirements for 920A, Property Ac-counting Technician, are:

• Must be SGT or above.• Must submit copies of ALL

potential, technical training and ed-ucation, extended career path, and challenging assignments.

Based on the January 2010 Pay Scale, the base pay comparison between a SSG and WO2 with 10 years’ time in service is $1007. Be-tween SSG and CW3 with 16 years of service the difference is $1101. Between MSG and CW4 with 20 years of service the difference is $1477. The retirement pay compar-ison between CW3 and SFC with 20 years of service is 50%; between

CW4 and MSG with 24 years of ser-vice the difference is 60%; and be-tween CW5 and SGM with 30 years of service the difference is 75%.

G-1Warrant Offi cer Career Opportunities for 920A, Property Accounting Technician and 420A Human Resources TechnicianBy Maj. Peggy McManus, G1108th Training Command (IET)

and

Chief Warrant Officer Karen Kay108th Training Command (IET)

On 1 October 2009, the 108th Training Command (IET) converted fi fty four (01A00) Branch Immate-rial Captain positions to Warrant Offi cer, 920A, Property Account-ability Technician positions. On 16 October 2010, the Command will convert fi fty fi ve Captain positions to Warrant Offi cer 420A, Human Resource Technician positions. The conversion facilitates the Army Re-serve’s shortage of Captains, pro-vides an opportunity to grow the Warrant Offi cer ranks and has the potential to break up the bottle-neck in the enlisted promotion system.

The Warrant Offi cer Rank is a small, elite group that makes up only 2% of the Army and only 15% of the Offi cer Rank. Some of the career advantages of joining the Warrant Offi cer Ranks is better pay and retirement, faster promotion

A comparison of promotion potential puts the Warrant Offi cer Rank well in the lead. Promotion potential is 28.7% to SFC, 8.7% to 1SG/MSG and 7.9% to SGM/CSM compared to 99% to CW2, 93% to CW3 and 94% to CW4.

Where to StartFirst, a Warrant Offi cer applicant

must have experience in the en-listed feeder Military Occupation-al Specialty (MOS). The enlisted feeder MOS for 920A, Property Ac-

counting Technician, is either 92Y or 68J. The enlisted feeder MOS for 420A, Human Resources Technician is 42A/42F. (see Nuggets page 50)

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Nuggets(Continued from page 49)

NCOERs. The preponderance of the NCOERs must refl ect outstanding and exceptional duty performance ratings noted with “among the best” ratings by the Rater and “successful” and “superior” ratings by the Se-nior Rater.

• Must possess six semester hours of composition-based English (Grade of C or better) from an accredited institution of higher learning. Successful completion of the College Lev-el Examination Program (CLEP) in English Composition or Freshman College Composition is acceptable. A memorandum signed by an Army Education Center offi cial which certifi es that the college or university is an Army accredited institution of higher learning is required.

• Must possess a minimum of fi ve most recent years documented experience in MOS 92Y or 68J. Civilian experience related to MOS 92Y will be taken into consideration.

• Must possess a Letter of Rec-ommendation from a Senior Property Accounting Techni-cian that attests to your techni-cal and tactical competence in MOS 92Y or 68J.

The minimum prerequisite re-quirements for 420A, Human Re-sources Technician, are:

• Must be SGT or above. • Must be a BNCOC Graduate.• Must have a Primary MOS

(PMOS) of 42A/F. Applicants that can show Army human resource experience without award of the required feeder MOS must submit strong unit justifi cation as to why applicant has not or cannot be awarded feeder MOS. Consideration will be given to Full-time Unit Tech-nicians (GS/AGR) applicants with at least 5 years of out-standing documented and eval-

uated Human Resource (HR) experience. Copies of evalua-tions documenting HR experi-ence must be submitted.

• Must possess a minimum of four (4) years operational ex-perience, of which 18 months specifi es leadership experience supervising Soldiers in Hu-man Resource operations that are documented on NCOERs. Practical experience acquired from military/civilian positions may be substituted provided the experience is documented by employee evaluations and determined to be equivalent to military experience. A portion of practical experience require-ment may be waived for appli-cants who have a degree in Hu-man Resource Management or Business Administration from an accredited academic institu-tion. Credit can be granted as follows: A Bachelor degree may offset up to 1 years of practi-cal experience; A Master degree may offset up to 2 years of practical experience. The ap-plicant’s grade point average (GPA) must be at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale to qualify for experi-ence substitution and must be indicated on school transcript.

• Must submit no less than fi ve (5) NCOERs that refl ect out-standing duty performance ratings in HR operations. Out-standing duty performance is considered as exceeding the standard (Excellence) and is rated by the rater (Part V.a) as ‘Among the Best’ with excep-tionally strong remarks by the Senior Rater - not merely fully capable performance.

• Must have a minimum of 30 semester hours from an ac-credited academic institution which includes at least six (6) semester hours of college level English.

• Must submit a request for APFT (three-event) waiver must be submitted when applicant per-forms less than all three (3)


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PT events. A copy of a current DA Form 5500 must also be submitted when the applicant does not meet weight require-ments.

Comments from CW5 Candis R. Martin, RC QM Warrant Offi cer Proponent, Offi ce of the Quartermaster General

“Our goal is to provide the Army with the most technically compe-tent and professionally motivated Quartermaster Warrant Offi cer Corps. To achieve this, our respon-sibility is to encourage and recruit from our ranks, those mid-career NCOs who have demonstrated that they are a cut above their contem-poraries and have the potential to meet the demanding challenges of serving as a Quartermaster Warrant Offi cer.

“Common trends we see in WO accession packets that fall short of the Quartermaster prerequisites include:

1. The lack of experience. At Quartermaster we require “must possess fi ve most recent years documented experience in the feeder MOS for which the soldier is applying.” This week alone, I had two packets were the soldiers had less than 24 months working within the feeder MOS. Advice I am ready to offer to any potential appli-cant is -- a Warrant Offi cer is (and becomes) the technical

expert at what we know and do......not what we want to be-come. In other words....if you are working as an MP NCO, I suggest you become the best MP NCO you can, or cross over to a QM MOS and expand on that experience.

2. The lack of quality NCOERs. If you refer back to the QM Goal -- we look for the “cut above”. We do not lower our standards to meet our objectives. More than a year ago, we (collec-tively a team of QM WO SMEs along with the QM General) rewrote our prerequisites. We took out the word “waiver”. I certainly understand there are some circumstances where-by a waiver is necessary and required, however, the word waiver should be by exception and not the norm.

3. Composition-based English. We understand that the War-rant Offi cer is required to ef-fectively communicate in order to effectively become that technical expert. We require six semester hours of composi-tion-based English (Grade of C or better) for all of our QM WO MOSs. A college transcript from an accredited university/col-lege is required as proof that the college course was actually

(see Nuggets page 52)

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in the form of classroom and not credit granted from work/life experience. Additionally, we will accept successful com-pletion of the College Level Ex-amination Program (CLEP).

“Thanks to the 108th Training Command team for their efforts in Warrant Offi cer recruiting!”

Comments from Scott B. Hagar, CW5,

AG, Chief Warrant Offi cer of the AG Corps

“As with every branch, the AG Corps goal is to provide the Army with the most technical and tacti-cally competent AG Warrant Offi -cers. In order to ensure we meet that goal, we aggressively recruit from the mid-grade/career NCO ranks—NCOs that have demon-strated that they are “3 percen-ters.” What I mean by this is that historically, only three percent of the enlisted force will ever achieve two things and those are the ranks

of SGM/CSM or accession into the Warrant Offi cer Corps. This de-mands that we scrutinize and ana-lyze every application to ensure that only those with the potential to meet the rigorous requirements and challenges today’s AG Warrant Offi cers face on a daily basis.”

For more information about the exciting and challenging career as a Warrant Offi cer and about how to submit a Warrant Offi cer Appli-cation packet, visit the US Army Recruiting Command – Warrant Of-

fi cer Recruiting Information site at: http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/index.htm.

108th Training Command (IET)920A Vacancies

Unit City State

0323 REGT 4 BN (-) MAXWELL AFB AL

0518 REGT 4 BN (TS) HQ (-) MAXWELL AFB AL

0379 REGT 2 BN (TS) (-) NORTH LITTLE ROCK AR

0415 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) PHOENIX AZ

0413 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) RIVERSIDE CA

0415 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) FRENCH CAMP CA

0417 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) WATERBURY CT

0321 REGT 2 BN (BCT) HHD PERRINE FL

0098 TNG DIV 1 BDE HQ (IET) COLUMBUS GA

0323 REGT 3 BN (BCT) (-) ATHENS GA

0334 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) GRANITE CITY IL

0330 REGT 2 BN (IN OSUT) (-) FOREST PARK IL

0329 REGT 1 BN (IN OSUT) (-) BLOOMINGTON IN

0330 REGT 1 BN (IN OSUT) (-) FORT WAYNE IN

0095 TNG DIV (IET) 3 BDE LEXINGTON KY

0397 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) LEXINGTON KY

0397 REGT 3 BN (CAV) (-) CORBIN KY

0398 REGT 2 BN (AR) (-) MADISONVILLE KY

0398 REGT 3 BN (BCT) (-) PADUCAH KY

0378 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) MONROE LA

0378 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) LAFAYETTE LA

0318 REGT 3 BN (MP/OSUT) (-) FORT MEADE MD

0330 REGT 3 BN (IN OSUT) (-) WATERFORD MI

0323 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) LUMBERTON NC

0518 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) ASHEVILLE NC

0518 REGT 3 BN (BCT) (-) HICKORY NC

0108 TRAINING COMMAND (IET) CHARLOTTE NC

0377 REGT 2 BN (-) LINCOLN NE

0417 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) PENNSAUKEN NJ

0385 REGT 3 BN (BCT) (-) EDISON NJ

0389 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) SCHENECTADY NY

0389 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) ITHACA NY

0390 REGT 1 BN (EN OSUT) (-) BUFFALO NY

0354 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) TULSA OK

0414 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) EUGENE OR

0321 REGT 1 BN(BCT/IN OSUT)(-) FORT JACKSON SC

0321 REGT 3 BN (TS) (-) FORT JACKSON SC

0354 REGT 2 BN (BCT) HQ (-) GRAND PRAIRE TX

0355 REGT 1 BN (-) ROUND ROCK TX

0414 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) SALT LAKE CITY UT

0317 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) SUFFOLK VA

0317 REGT 2 BN (BCT) (-) LYNCHBURG VA

0320 REGT 1 BN (BCT) (-) ABINGDON VA

0095 TNG DIV 2 BDE HQ (IET) VANCOUVER WA

0354 REGT 3 BN (TS) (-) VANCOUVER WA

0415 REGT 3 BN (BCT) (-) SPOKANE WA

0334 REGT 3 BN (BCT) MILWAUKEE WI

0339 REGT 3 BN (BCT) NEENAH WI


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G-2Do you need a SecurityClearance?

Many Soldiers are unsure if they are required to have a Security Clearance. It is the policy of the 108th Training Command that ev-ery Soldier SFC and above hold at least a Secret clearance. Soldiers can check to see if their MOS(s) re-quire a Security Clearance by going into 2X Citizen and pulling up their record. There will be a box on the right that will list the Primary, Secondary and Additional MOS(s) the Soldier holds and if there is a Security Clearance required. The Soldier’s current Security Clearance will be in the center of the screen in the Retention/Readiness area. If you need a Security Clearance or have questions, contact your unit Security Manager.

G-4The Army will place the new

Army Service Uniform (ASU) items in the Soldier’s clothing bag for ini-tial entry Soldiers in 4th Quarter, FY 2010. The mandatory posses-sion date for the new ASU items is 4th Quarter, FY 14. The ASU items will be available to Army Reserve Soldier through KYLOC in calendar year 2014.

G-6What’s the latest buzz?

Defense Connect Online (DCO) is being used for web conferencing and information sharing all across the 108th Training Command.

What is DCO? Defense Connect Online is DISA’s latest online e-col-laboration tool. It is a personal web communication tool that enables you to have real-time, online meet-ings whenever you want. It also integrates the ability to share and annotate your screen (including selected documents and presenta-tions), conduct a phone conference and broadcast live video from your web camera for effi cient and pro-ductive online meetings.

DCO provides you with a person-al online meeting room in which up to 15 people (including the host) can collaborate via the web in real time. Meeting rooms allow you to share your computer screen, use text chat, broadcast live video and review meeting notes.

Anybody can set up a web con-ferencing session by scheduling a meeting online and sending the session details to the attendees. Sessions can be scheduled well in advance or on short notice.

What are the system require-ments? Many network factors af-fect the performance of the DCO applications. Each attendee can choose My Connection Speed from the Meeting menu and select one of the following: Modem (dial-up), DSL/Cable or LAN. To take part in a

meeting you must have the follow-ing: a browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape Naviga-tor, etc.), the Adobe Flash Player plug-in, the Adobe Connect brows-er add-in, and an Internet connec-tion. The Connect Add-in can be obtained during a meeting when you attempt to use a capability that requires it, or it can be down-loaded in advance (recommended) from https://connect.dco.dod.mil/common/help/en/support/addin-download.htm. DCO works with the current version of most popular operating systems (see the web site for the most current versions).

Where do I sign up? https://www.dco.dod.mil. All new users to DCO have to register to gain access. Registration requires a DoD-issued Common Access Card (CAC) and a personal computer with the proper system confi gurations. Users are advised to run a diagnostic check, well in advance of the fi rst meeting, to make sure their PC is properly confi gured.

Where can I fi nd training? Train-ing for DCO can be found on their website. Users have the option of taking the training using their On-Demand Training or the Live Train-ing. When you register you will receive an email stating when the next Live Training is scheduled. The main difference is that the On-De-mand Training is self paced.

What are some features of DCO? DCO has user resources and techni-cal support, Instant Messaging, Web Conferencing and Chat Rooms.

• The user resources section is devoted to assisting users to navigate their way through DCO features. It includes the

DCO quick reference guide, fre-quently asked questions, down-loads and plugins, live train-

ing and the DCO Community Forum.

(see Nuggets page 54)



• Instant Messaging (IM) allows users to connect online with colleagues swiftly with an electronic message that pops up directly on their comput-er screen. The IM capability streamlines electronic com-munication in live chat session that is quick and effi cient.

• Web Conferencing allows us-ers to view or search for meet-

ings and use computer audio and visual capabilities, such as microphones and web cams, so they can meet face-to-face in real-time. Users can designate a meeting chair and assign hi-erarchical access controls, use slides and fi les during the meet-ing and send certain types of fi les (PowerPoint slides, photos, Adobe PDF’s or general Flash content) to meeting partici-pants. It also provides a white-board capability for a more vi-

sual collaboration session.• The Chat rooms bring instant

communication to the edge, allowing large organizations, directorates, small groups, or even just two people to quickly discuss a variety of issues, top-ics and or project requirements through a dialogue that can be saved and archived.

Well, that’s DCO in a nutshell. It’s proving to be a great collabora-tion tool that is connecting soldiers throughout our nation-wide com-

mand, but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s the site, https://www.dco.dod.mil. Sign up and give it a try.

Family ProgramsBy Erin SchaefferFamily Programs Assistant,


As a Family Programs Assistant for the 108th Training Command (IET), I would like to make our Families aware of activities within Family Programs including the Fam-ily Data Soldier Worksheet; what it is, why it is important, and what it can do for our Families.

The 108th Training Command Family Programs held their fi rst Chain of Command Training in Dal-las, Texas August 8-10. The Chain of Command Training is used to in-crease unit’s leadership awareness of Army Reserve Family Programs. The training included teams that consisted of the unit Commander, the Command Sgt. Maj. the Family Readiness Leader and the Family Readiness Group Leaders. For infor-mation on future Family Program training events to include train-ing for volunteers, please visit the 108th Family Program Page in AKO at https://www.us.army.mil/suite/page/633833.

If you wish to get involved as a volunteer or to fi nd out about resources available to you please


contact the Family Programs offi ce at your unit. For the 98th Train-ing Division, please contact Diane Johnson at 716-633-8461 x 268 or Juanita Johnson at 540-982-1412 x 1044; for the 95th Training Division please contact Paddee Muncy at 580-355-5500 x225; for the 104th Training Division, please contact Jane Neuharth at 255-966-5875.

All Soldiers: Please ensure that all 108th Training Command Sol-diers have fi lled out the Family Data Worksheet in AKO (formerly USAR Form 107-R). To access the Fam-ily Data Soldier Worksheet in AKO please go to https://www.us.army.mil/suite/page/633833.This is a vital resource for the Family Pro-grams offi ce, as the information provided on each Soldiers work-sheet is utilized to assist Families of mobilized Soldiers in times of need. We also use this information to keep in touch with the deployed Soldier’s Families, ensure the Fami-lies know we are here to help them and answer any questions. Please keep the USAR411 Fort Family cri-sis call number available 24/7/365 (1-866-345-8248). You can also contact USAR411 Fort Family with general questions and help via email at [email protected] or visit the website at www.USAR411.org. https://safety.army.mil and check out the New POV/POM Toolbox.

Internal Review

Got Missing Equipment?It’s no secret that the Army has

many internal controls in place to mitigate risks to the organiza-tion. Virtually every Army Regu-lation has specifi c guidance and/or checklists on how to assess the organizations internal controls. The various ARs governing business in each area establishes comprehen-sive requirements for management actions relating to internal controls. The guidance on internal controls is an environment for managers to provide reasonable assurance that internal controls are in place to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in the administration of programs. In fact, it is a requirement IAW AR 11-2 that commanders assess their unit’s programs to determine if adequate internal controls are in place and working. Additionally, command-ers must annually report results of these “tests” through their chain to the Commanding General.

So, you ask “what’s the point”? The point is that we oftentimes wonder, how equipment suddenly becomes missing. How can we be missing something when controls are defi ned to help us keep from losing? How many times have we heard “it was here yesterday”? But yet we cannot help asking, “did you check yesterday”? In most cases, controls were defi ned, but not in place. Internal controls certainly cannot make an organization suc-cessful, but the lack of controls can

be, and commonly is, the cause of an organizations failure.

Commanders and managers have always been aware of the re-ality of the above statement. The Army certainly has formalized their interest in the Army internal con-trol framework by issuing specifi c guidelines for commanders to fol-low. As a result, examination em-phasis on controls is increasing at an accelerated pace. If you haven’t already you will soon see regula-tory criticism on the lack of con-trol emphasis in your policies and procedures. Overall responsibility for the internal control framework within an organization rests with managers. However, it’s the com-manders responsible for setting up the workfl ows who put the proper controls in the right places for each workfl ow. This of course means understanding the potential risks involved in the various activities of their command and then installing the proper and necessary controls.

Controls throughout the Com-mand and in every section need to be installed, reviewed and tested on an annual basis IAW AR 11-2. Set-ting up a workfl ow with the proper controls is only the fi rst step. As time passes turnover and lack of follow up tend to weaken controls or they disappear entirely without the knowledge of the Commanders or supervisors responsible. Written procedures alone do not guarantee that the controls continue to oper-ate as intended. It takes follow up, monitoring and testing (auditing). Commanders and supervisors take notice; things may not be being

done the way you think they are. Don’t wait for the examination, au-dit or the loss of equipment to fi nd

out. Remember, what gets checked, gets done.

www.thegriff on108.comwww.thegriff on108.com56 • THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010

Visit us online www.thegriffon108.comVisit us online www.thegriffon108.com

Inside This IssueInside This Issue57 AMSCUS57 AMSCUS58 Faith-Based Education58 Faith-Based Education60 MyCAA60 MyCAA61 Career Moves61 Career Moves63 Homeschool Options63 Homeschool Options66 Travel the USA66 Travel the USA

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Culver Military: Educating and training teens for leadership since 1894By Doug HaberlandCommunications Office

Steeped in a heritage that dates back 116 years, Culver Military Academy is a progressive college-preparatory boarding school that uses the military model to educate and train high school boys in prac-tical leadership. While maintaining its focus on academic, athletic, and extracurricular excellence, CMA integrates hands-on leadership with every campus endeavor. Like Culver Girls Academy, its female counter-part, CMA empowers its students with unparalleled responsibility and authority to help execute the mission of the school and develop leaders of character. While the simi-larities with the nation’s service academies are striking, our gradu-ates largely pursue civilian careers.

Culver’s military system prepares boys for success by teaching prin-ciples of leadership – integrity, dis-cipline, manners, respect – and the classical virtues of wisdom, cour-age, moderation, and justice. And it develops the traits and characteris-tics necessary to become a success-ful person – self-confi dence, disci-pline, commitment, responsibility, ethical behavior, and hard work. All incoming cadets participate in the New Cadet System, a one-year pro-gram designed to develop students into capable members of the Corps of Cadets through a structured regi-men of duties and responsibilities.

Located in Culver, Ind., on the state’s second-largest natural lake, Culver Military Academy and Cul-ver Girls Academy comprise Cul-ver Academies. While the leader-ship opportunities are respective to each school, young men and women share the advantages of a co-educational program in most ar-eas of school life, including academ-

ics, athletics, spirituality, and the fi ne arts.

The Academies have an annual enrollment of about 800 students (450 cadets and 350 girls) repre-senting annually about 40 states and 25 countries.From its inception in 1894, Culver Military Academy has remained committed to the education of the whole person. The traditions and rich history of Cul-ver continue to infl uence how the leadership system and education in the classical virtues are taught today. When it was fi rst introduced, the leadership system, which was based on a military model, was in place to prepare the young men of Culver to serve their country. While it is still effective in provid-ing skills for those graduates who wish to pursue a career in the military, it more aptly provides es-sential and valuable leadership les-sons for students who will go on to more traditional careers within our increasingly global community. Re-sponsibility, accountability, service and teamwork are all bedrocks of a Culver education that will benefi t each graduate in everyday life, no matter what path he/she chooses.

Many leadership positions are available to CMA cadets within the barracks. Each barrack houses a battalion or segment of a battalion, each with its own unique history, identity, and personality. Infantry, Artillery, and Squadron compose the three battalions within CMA, and each battalion is divided into specifi c units. Company A, B, and C make up the Infantry, and Battery A, B, and C are within the Artillery, while the Squadron is divided up of Troop A, Troop B, and the Band.

All staff members – including several who are retired military – of CMA strive to serve as positive role

models for the cadets, choosing to embrace and embody the Culver mission. In the classrooms, on the athletic fi elds, and in the barracks, the faculty and staff challenge the young men of Culver to be respon-sible leaders and embrace every opportunity to develop mind, body, and spirit.

In addition to a nationally recog-nized program in academics and leadership, Culver Academies have developed a number of distinct programs and opportunities that enhance a student’s opportunity to excel at college and in a career. Among these are:

• The Global Studies Institute pro-vides an unprecedented oppor-tunity to communicate across cultures and oceans with think-ers, scholars, and leaders. The GSI also has an exchange pro-gram in China with the Shang-hai Foreign Language School.

• Through the interaction with successful entrepreneurs, fi eld trips, and challenging compe-titions, students involved with The School for the Entrepre-neur gain a deeper understand-ing of creativity and innovation in the marketplace and an ap-preciation for the entrepreneur-ial spirit.

• Since 1897, Equitation has

played an integral role in the Culver program, providing a distinguished tradition through a unique educational opportu-nity. With more than 90 horses, Culver offers comprehensive in-struction in beginning, interme-diate, and advanced equitation, as well as in horse training and stable management. Polo, rough riding, and jumping are available in the newly renovated Vaughn Equestrian Center. CMA’s Black Horse Troop has appeared in 15 Presidential Inaugural Parades and the Equestriennes (the CGA equivalent) in six.

Extracurricular opportunities at the Academies include more than 40 clubs and organizations, and more than a dozen instrumental and vocal performance groups. Cul-ver fi elds 55 interscholastic athletic teams at the freshman, junior var-sity, and varsity levels in such sports as lacrosse, hockey, rugby, crew, and sailing; club and leisure-time sports, plus a host of intramurals and other activities.

For more information, contact the Of-fi ce of Admissions at (574) 842-7100 or [email protected]. The mailing ad-dress is 1300 Academy Road #157, Culver, Ind. 46511 or visit the website at www.culver.org.

www.thegriff on108.comwww.thegriff on108.com58 • THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 FAITH-BASED EDUCATION

Special Advertising Supplement THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 • 59

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Value of a faith-based educationA college education not only

takes you to the next level profes-sionally, but can foster personal en-richment. For some, this is achieved by studying under a faith-based program.

For active duty Air Force cap-tain and mother Aubrie Jones, it was how she grew in her faith that served as evidence that a Christian education was right for her.

“I have grown so much closer to God and have been active in help-ing others to fi nd peace and hap-piness,” said Jones, who is pursuing her graduate degree in counseling. She said the school is “perfect for those looking to advance them-selves spiritually and educationally.”

Liberty University Online is a private, non-profi t Christian univer-sity and part of the World’s Largest Christian University, with courses taught from a biblical perspective. It enrolls more than 50,000 stu-dents, nearly one-third of which are military. Additionally, LU Online was named one of America’s top mili-tary friendly schools by Military Ad-vanced Education.

Online community and supportOne advantage of studying with

an online, Christian university is the community among professors and classmates. Although students may fi nd themselves spread around the world, they have access to a net-work of friends and fellow students.

For military spouse Molly Larson, who earned her Bachelor of Sci-ence in Criminal Justice from LU Online, it was the close connection with her classmates that set her faith-based education apart from other schools.

“I was surrounded by classmates and by professors — even at such a distance — who I knew would pray for me during the rough times and celebrate with me as I achieved my goals little by little.”

LU Online has established Liberty Online Ministries, a website that in-cludes spiritual resources, as well as an online pastor and staff who pray for each student by name.

Kevin Conner, LU Online Cam-pus Pastor and Director of Student Development talks with military students on a regular basis and is struck by their self-sacrifi cing out-look on life.

“Liberty Online Ministries has the privilege of receiving prayer requests from our armed forces,” he said. “Those in uniform often ask for prayer, not for themselves, but for family or friends.”

“It is further evidence of the self-less lives they live. We are honored to lift our armed forces up in prayer and be a support and help to them.”

Christian worldviewStudents at a faith-based insti-

tution receive encouraging, infor-mative instruction taught from a Christian worldview. Whether a student of religion or business, with an education founded on faith stu-dents have access to resources and professors dedicated to spiritual en-richment and encouragement.

“I found an advertisement for Liberty on a devotional website and thought it might fi t my needs,” said Sean Schmitt of North Las Ve-gas. “Little did I know that Liberty University Online would be such a spiritually uplifting and supportive place. I feel that Liberty is the right fi t for me.”

For faith-based institutions, stu-dents can study in an environment that refl ects and affi rms their per-sonal values and beliefs. Liberty University is founded on an unwav-ering and uncompromising com-mitment to the university’s doctri-nal statement based on the Bible.

“LU Online provided me the op-portunity to grow spiritually and to come to understand the truth more clearly,” said Michelle Shiplet of

Robinsville, N.C. Liberty University Online offers

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For more information, visit www.LU-online.com.

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www.thegriff on108.comwww.thegriff on108.com60 • THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 MyCAA

The new MyCAABy Reggie Revis

It’s back — a new iteration of the immensely popular MyCAA program for military spouses is be-ing re-started October 25 after a six-month hiatus. During that pe-riod, only spouses whose MyCAA account was already active and in place could hope to get approved for fi nancial awards benefi ts for education assistance.

The re-vamped MyCAA program will be a similar, but scaled down version of the old model: instead of being open to a spouse of any ac-tive duty person, the program will now be available only to spouses of personnel in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2. The fi nancial benefi t changed to a maximum of $4,000 with a fi scal year cap of $2,000 and will be limited to as-sociate degrees, certifi cation and licensures. Waivers will be avail-able for spouses pursuing licen-sure or certifi cation up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000. The focus will be on acquiring certifi ca-tions which will lead to portable, in-demand jobs. Additionally, if a ser-vice member is in an alert or demo-bilization period, a spouse will not be able to use the MyCAA benefi t. Spouses will have three years from the start date of their fi rst course to fi nish their program of study.

What hasn’t changed is that prospective participants in the program will continue to be able to choose from a wide variety of courses in healthcare, business, IT, trades, fi nance, hospitality and other categories. The list of schools and other education entities partici-pating in the program is long and many of them will likely be adding course offerings as interest war-rants as they’ve done in the past.

Launched in November 2007 as a joint demonstration project with the Department of Labor, the MyCAA (Military Spouse Career Advancement Account) program was an immediate hit. The original intent of the program was to equip spouses of junior service personnel for portable careers. Initially avail-able in eight states, the program ex-panded worldwide in March, 2009 — now overseen by the Depart-ment of Defense—and included all pay grades and offered more exten-sive education choices.

Ironically, the popularity of the program as it previously existed turned out to be its undoing—requests for fi nancial assistance gradually crept to about 10,000 spouses per month. Soon, as word-of-mouth about the program spread from Augusta to Twentynine Palms to Wiesbaden, the system found itself struggling with exponential requests for program approval. In January alone, Military One Source counselors who had the responsi-bility of approving individuals for the program had to fi eld 70,000 re-

quests from spouses who obviously were thrilled to be able to take ad-vantage of what was seen as a great opportunity — having up to $6,000 towards a certifi cation, licensure or degree awarded in their behalf. In most cases, certifi cation exams and course materials were included in the cost (that’s likely to continue with the new arrangement).

Facing system over-load, the program was curtailed on Feb. 16, resuming in mid-March, but only for spouses previously registered and approved — a number that amounted to over 136,000 military husbands and wives. Over $215 mil-lion worth of MyCAA benefi ts have been paid thus far this year with a signifi cant increase planned for 2011.

The amended eligibility require-ments for the program didn’t make everyone turn cartwheels, but many spouses saw a perfect win-dow of opportunity to get closer to their career goals and take full ad-vantage of the MyCAA program.

For over 10 years Deborah Fair had been trying to get into the fi eld of Project Man-agement. While working on various projects related to her job as an IT professional, she developed an in-terest in internal processes — how things work and how procedures could be improved. Aware of her skill sets and observing her penchant for analysis, several of her managers recommended she try her hand at Project Manage-ment. Finally, in June of last year Ms. Fair seized an opportunity to realize her dream by enrolling in an online course through the MyCAA program, a course which will lead to Project Management Professional (PMP) certifi cation.

After working nearly eight years as a secretary she moved into the IT fi eld, having taken computer and business courses in Japan. She’d spent a few years in North Carolina where she earned a B.A. degree. When she found out about the MyCAA program and that she could take the Project Management Professional Certifi cation Prep Course, she jumped at the oppor-tunity (the school she chose was Winston-Salem State University, a long-time participating school in the program). She resides in New Bern, N.C. with her husband Julius, a Navy medical-dental surgery tech-nician at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point who had given his wife the heads up about the My-CAA program through an email. Ultimately, she would like to retire with her husband in the Raleigh (NC) area where she will likely put

her training in Project Management to use — perhaps with some tech fi rm in the celebrated Research Tri-angle Park.

Georgia resident Yasmin Wade earned a certifi cation in the Spring as a Medical Offi ce Assistant and shortly thereafter decided to get an additional certifi cation as an Administrative Offi ce Specialist (through Augusta State University). She and her family have been at Fort Gordon since early in the year after moving from Bamberg, Ger-many. Previously, she and her family had spent fi ve years at Fort Hood. With a degree in Criminal Justice and actual experience in retail lost prevention she decided to shift her focus in a different direction. She’d had some EMT training and deter-mined that acquiring work skills suitable for the medical offi ce en-vironment would likely be a good idea for a mobile military spouse such as herself.

“I found out about the MyCAA program through an FRG group in Germany and decided this was a worthwhile program. Any avail-

able money is great when it comes to education,” she adds. A busy mother who is very involved in activities with her two teenage sons, Yasmin found that the online option worked very well for her. She volun-teers with the Red Cross in the Augusta area and would like to work part-time for now — until her

boys are a bit older. At that point she’ll be looking in earnest for full-time employment in a medical environment. Married for 16 years, the Lakeland, Florida native is fo-cused on developing more com-petitive offi ce skills so that she will be better prepared to handle the responsibilities expected in a busy, modern medical offi ce. Having dual certifi cations in offi ce procedures will likely make her a more attrac-tive prospect to potential employ-ers and provide her with “career portability” the original intent of the MyCAA program.

Although highly motivated for success, neither spouse would have been able to participate in the MyCAA program if the new rules had been in place back when they fi rst applied for approval; Ms. Fair’s husband is an E-6 and Ms. Wade’s husband is an E-7 — pay grades too high for qualifi cation under the new rules. Timing being everything, the new adjustments will be a closed door for those whose spous-es have recently been promoted into a higher pay grade or for those who’d hoped to obtain academic degrees but will be prohibited due to the program’s scaled down fund-

ing. It is expected that corporations and private businesses will step up and provide funding sources for those ineligible for MyCAA fi nan-cial awards benefi ts. Military One Source counselors will be playing a larger role in assisting all spouses in getting the funding they need to complete their education choices by directing them to available op-tions.

If all goes as planned, the MyCAA program will not likely experience another shut down as it did back in February. In fact, the DoD is looking long-term with an expected pay-out of $250 million in fi nancial awards for the next year or so before sta-bilizing at about $190 million per year going forward.

As some spouses found out the hard way, procrastination can be frustrating and costly. But thou-sands more were like Deborah Fair and Yasmin Wade who saw an op-portunity to arm themselves with a certifi cation which could lead to a career, regardless of where they might move in the future. Most cer-tifi cation programs can be com-pleted well within a 12-month time frame — some in less than three or four months depending on the student’s discipline. Courses gener-ally are online, a feature that has worked out extremely well for spouses currently in the program. The online, self-paced model allevi-ates the fear of not being able to complete a course due to PCS (fam-ily relocation).

Spouses wanting more informa-tion concerning portable educa-tional pathways and the benefi ts of certifi cations and licensures can call to speak with a Training Advisor at 800-371-2963. They will be ready to discuss your background and explore the best career paths for you and your family. Once you have decided upon your in demand, por-table career choice, you are encour-aged to visit the offi cial MyCAA web portal (https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/default.aspx) where you can create an account and get additional information regarding the program.

As military spouse Catherine Turillo exclaims, “I need to do this for my children and myself! What if the unthinkable happens — a seri-ous injury, my husband dies in the line of duty, or even divorce? I’ve got to be prepared to take care of my family.” So, make the call to a Training Advisor at 1- 800-371-2963 to get started today!

For more information on getting started with your future, please see our ad on the inside back cover and give us a call at 800.371.2963 or email [email protected]. We will be happy to assist you in get-ting started with your educational and career goals.

Reggie Revis is a North Carolina native with over 30 years in the media, market-ing and education fi elds.

Deborah Fair


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CAREER MOVES

Schneider National Looks to Truck Driver TrainingSchools and U.S. Military for Quality CandidatesSymposium BringsTogether Nation’s Truck Driver Training Schools and U.S. Military to Provide Careers

As the world economy continues to show signs of sustained improve-ment and growth, transportation companies like Schneider National are adjusting their approach to hir-ing new truck drivers. The goal for Schneider, one of the largest truck-load carriers in the United States, is to bring together truck driver train-ing schools and military organiza-tions and provide new employment opportunities for separating sol-diers, Reservists and Guard mem-bers.

Schneider remains focused on fi lling professional driver positions with experienced drivers to main-tain its driver fl eet of 13,000 driv-ers. In addition, the company is also aggressively pursuing graduates from truck driver training schools across the United States.

Last month, Schneider hosted a Truck Driver Training School Sym-posium, which brought together representatives from the military, the Department of Labor and more than 300 truck driving schools across the U.S. The goal: discuss ways to effectively work together to create a new, robust pipeline of qualifi ed truck driver candidates as the market of available drivers tightens. This is important as recent data indicate the trucking indus-try is currently short about 30,000 drivers. In 2011, that number is pro-jected to climb to 200,000 drivers.

“The objective of the groups gathered here was exactly the same,” noted Mike Hinz, vice presi-dent of driver recruiting at Sch-neider National. “From the U.S. military to the Department of Labor to the truck driver training schools to a carrier like Schneider Nation-al, we all want one thing: to put America back to work in good-pay-ing jobs with good, enduring com-panies. Working together, we can make that happen.”

A large component of the sym-posium was focused on providing career opportunities for separating military and current Reservists. Pre-sentations and workshops provided overviews of military career coun-seling networks, sources of funding (for soldiers, Reservists and Guard members) and included representa-tives of the Employer Partnership Offi ce of the Armed Forces (EPO).

The EPO collaborates with indus-tries, like transportation, to match skill sets between soldiers and pri-vate-sector jobs.

“We’re working closely with partners like Schneider and the driver training schools,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Harris, EPO project offi cer. “Together we will be able to capi-talize on shared training opportuni-ties and streamline the credential-ing process. The goal is to provide a shared workforce; offering our veterans, Reservists and National Guard Soldiers a continuum of careers while assisting industry re-cruitment as the economy recov-ers.”

“We have every intention of hir-ing the best-qualifi ed candidates, and that’s what the organizations assembled at the symposium will deliver,” said Hinz. “We are look-ing to the military and truck driver training schools to bring us their best, and, in turn, we promise to provide the most rewarding career opportunities the industry has to offer.”

Veterans exploring opportuni-ties with Schneider National will be surprised at the job of today’s driver. No longer committed to weeks away from home, more than 70 percent of Schneider’s drivers get home weekly or better with

pay ranging from $38,000-75,000 per year (based on experience) and benefi ts including health, den-tal and life insurance along with a

company-matched 401(k) program. A G.I. Jobs Top Military-Friendly

(see Schneider page 62)

www.thegriff on108.comwww.thegriff on108.com62 • THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 CAREER MOVES

Schneider(Continued from page 61)

Employer, Schneider National has a long-standing commitment to hir-ing veterans and has been recog-nized by the Department of De-fense, the Enlisted Association of National Guard of the United States and many other organizations. “I know from fi rst-hand experience that Schneider is a military-friendly company,” added Hinz, an Army vet-eran. “Former or separating soldiers will experience a similar sense of pride and teamwork that we all en-joyed from our time of service to this country.”

As Schneider continues to work

with the military and truck driver training schools, it has developed a Separating Military section on its Web site: www.schneiderjobs.com. The Web site allows candidates to search for truck driver training schools in their area and provides links to the schools for additional information.

Truck driving school representa-tives at the symposium agreed that collaboration is key to moving peo-ple back into the workforce. Eddie A. Mullins, director of training and safety at Southern State Commu-nity College Truck Driving Academy

in Ohio, said “We were honored to have been invited to the sympo-sium. The information shared at this event is critical for individuals seek-ing a quality education at a Sch-neider National-approved school. This symposium proves that Sch-neider continues to take the lead in our industry. We look forward to a continued partnership with Sch-neider and attending more events such as this.”

Schneider National, Inc. is a pre-mier provider of truckload, logistics and intermodal services. Serving more than two-thirds of the FOR-

TUNE 500 companies, Schneider National offers the broadest portfo-lio of services in the industry. The company’s transportation and logis-tics solutions include Van Truckload, Dedicated, Regional, Bulk, Inter-modal, Transportation Management, Supply Chain Management, Ware-housing and International Logistics services.

Headquartered in Green Bay, Wis., Sch-neider National is a $2.9 billion company and has provided expert transportation and logistics solutions for 75 years. For more information, visit www.schneider-jobs.com.

Special Advertising Supplement THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 • 63HOMESCHOOLING OPTIONS

What about culture?By Melonie Kennedy

When it comes to incorporating foreign language studies into the homeschool, families have dozens of great reasons for their choice. For military homeschoolers, some special situations may create an infl uence on the choice that the average civilian doesn’t encounter. Those of us stationed overseas may choose a target language based on communicating with neighbors or local nationals in off-base situations. The family of a linguist may choose a target language based on what will encourage higher maintenance of the service member’s skill set.

What if you don’t fall into one of these categories, but instead have chosen a target language because of a child’s interest, to be more mar-ketable on the job front, or simply because you believe it is necessary for your child’s education to be well-rounded? You may feel that it’s not possible to learn “everything” you need to know to become a fl uent speaker just from working on educational tasks – you want to hear the music, taste the food, and get to know the people who speak your chosen language. Have no fear; you don’t need a passport or a plane ticket to learn more and practice your language skills on real people. You don’t even have to re-quest a PCS to another country!

Here are the many ways our fam-ily has dabbled in learning about various cultures in addition to our “home” study with the standard ho-meschooling resources:

Contact your local or state Cham-ber of Commerce. They often have a schedule of events that are hosted by various cultural agencies. They’ll also have the contact informa-tion so you can learn more about groups that meet to support im-migrants and help them share their culture with people in the area. That’s how we found the amazing Jewish Food Festival & Craft Faire when we lived near Monterey, CA, as well as a Greek festival and an Italian festival! We all went home still tapping our toes to traditional music numbers and with bellies full of wonderful new foods we’d tried.

Hit the library. In addition to the regular books (for all ages) one would think of, ask your librarian for DVDs about specifi c countries and ethnicities. One series we have really enjoyed is the shows from the Families of the World collection. These are narrated from a child’s perspective, but they can be inter-esting for the whole family. Don’t forget to grab some CDs of music by artists from countries that rep-resent the many ways your target language is used!

Don’t ignore military bases! The military community is so diverse it’s amazing. Even if you aren’t in a language-focused MOS, there may be base resources you can make good use of. With a high concen-

tration of foreign language speak-ers who are married to service members, there may even be folks on your local base who can point you to civilian gatherings as well or who are already familiar with your target language/culture. Then there are the military’s own programs: the Defense Language Institute (DLI) on the Presidio of Monterey, CA, offers huge multicultural expe-riences that are a hit for civilians and military alike. The students get an opportunity to practice their newfound language skills, of course; but the teachers and administra-tors are a resource that is often left untapped by those not in the know. Look in the phone book. It may sound a little simple, but it’s often one of the most forgotten steps. Look for listings of cultural halls, foreign language-focused church congregations, and community

centers for speakers of your target language. Cultural holidays can be great learning experiences for your family; but be sure to ask the hosts about any restrictions (cameras, proper attire, etc) before attending.

Contact the guidance counsel-ors of local high schools and col-leges. Any school that hosts foreign exchange students can put you in touch with home stay agencies that may be hosting upcoming events and adventures. The schools them-selves may host multi-cultural days open to the public as well.

Check those college class fl y-ers! Some community colleges and universities offer “enrichment only” classes where students can learn to cook Thai food, practice conversa-tional Korean, or go on “shopping” fi eld trips to areas with a large Ger-man, Filipino, or Chinese popula-tion. Most of these classes are open

to teens; ask the instructor if young-er children are welcome as well. Some colleges will allow younger students with a parent or guardian present as long as the applicable fees are paid.

Pay a visit to base spouse clubs. As with the FRG, the spouses in-volved in these organizations have connections – and they represent a much broader scope than that of your own unit’s family resource group. While standard protocols for fraternization should of course be observed, most people are hap-py to provide a “heads up” about local cultural events, tidbits about places they’ve lived, or favorite reci-pes from their country or region.

Melonie Kennedy is a military wife and mother of two. Her family is currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Catch her blogging at Wandering Quail Road (http://meloniek.blogspot.com).


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HOMESCHOOLING OPTIONS

Toddlers and homeschooling – making it workBy Melonie Kennedy

While some families are send-ing their children off on the bus or dropping them off at the preschool or daycare, most homeschool-ing families are trying to incor-porate toddlers and preschoolers into their daily learning activities. This can lead to some interesting and exciting multi-age learning, of

course, but it can also lead to exas-peration or frustration for parents and school-aged children who are trying to “work around” a little one who’s interested in one thing: get-ting hands-on!

Not all activities are developmen-tally appropriate for wee ones to be involved in, nor are they always safe for them. Obviously when your high school chemistry student is

mixing ingredients in the kitchen, you need your toddler to be busy elsewhere. Howls of dismay may follow, however, if you’re not ad-equately prepared to distract and delight the children who cannot join in every moment.

Try these tips for keeping the ho-meschool day going while helping the “Little” feel involved, and keep-ing everyone learning:

Search teacher stores for devel-opmentally appropriate learning toys and tools that your toddler can use while older children are doing focused lessons. Keep these items stored separately from your tod-dler’s “regular” toys so they are a special treat – the attraction may last a little longer that way! Person-ally I’ve found some winning items at Lakeshore Learning (www.Lake-shoreLearning.com) and similar stores, as they market to preschools and daycares as well as school-age teachers.

Include toddlers and preschool-ers in daily lessons when possible. Music appreciation, foreign lan-guage study, and art lessons can be adapted for people of all ages. If your eight-year-old is attempting to paint her own version of Monet’s Water Lilies, try giving your toddler a cup of water and a paintbrush along with a dark colored piece of construction paper. He can “paint” to his heart’s delight and when the water is dried, he can start all over again. Any spills are easy sponge right up, too.

Consider unit studies that incor-porate activities for a multitude of ages and abilities. If you’re check-ing out books about frogs and dis-section for your middle schooler, help your four-year-old fi nd some story books about frogs and tad-poles. Raise tadpoles together as a family after going on a nature hike, with plenty of sunscreen and snacks to keep the youngest family members calm and happy. Make up some homemade play dough and tint it green – make frogs and let your child use a plastic knife to “dissect” safely at the table while your older child is dissecting at a higher, but visible, location. (Stan-dard safety rules should always ap-ply, of course.) Your toddler will feel involved, but you’ll be nearby to assist whoever needs your help with the next cut.

If your family is large enough, split off into pairs or groups for learning planned and led by older children. One family I know has six children, and the eldest is fre-quently called upon by her young-er siblings for new ideas and the rules to games. Her kindergarten-aged brothers particularly delight in her leadership and encourage-ment, and the split allows Mom to spend one on one time with the second grader, toddler, or baby as necessary. You never know when a sibling’s spontaneous idea will win more minds and hearts than

a lesson planned out when Mom and Dad were just looking for busy work – and older children will ben-efi t greatly from passing on their knowledge. Don’t we all learn bet-ter when we teach a skill or fact to someone else?

Get involved with a local MOPS or MOMS Club group, or a similar venture. It’s not just the “big kids” who need to head out to activities with peers. While family togeth-erness is vital for military fami-lies, who frequently face TDY and deployment schedules, it’s also important to let your kids make friends of all ages. If a group isn’t already in place, talk to your unit or post chaplain about starting a MOPS group or a preschool/nurs-ery school co-op. My toddler loves the fact that our new homeschool group has a handful of boys and girls his age; the fun isn’t just for his big sister anymore!

When all else fails, just take a break! If a little one needs some one-on-one time, it’s perfectly ac-ceptable to start your elementary student on reading practice instead of a face-to-face math session. Let your toddler rock to sleep in your lap while your son reads a chapter from Swiss Family Robinson aloud. If your high schooler needs to prac-tice her piano piece, invite your preschooler to grab some color-ful scarves and dance to the music. Better yet, have everyone grab a scarf, mask, or cape and call it ho-meschool PE for the whole family!

Remember military-specifi c re-sources such as hourly care at local CDCs and FCCs. There’s no shame in signing your toddler or pre-schooler up for a few hours with base childcare providers so you can tackle Trigonometry with your high schooler! In fact, if your service member is deployed, you may be eligible for free childcare during the deployment, as well as before departure and during reintegra-tion periods. Hourly childcare can also be handy for those fi eld trips to sites that don’t allow younger kids due to safety concerns. Check with your FRG leadership or your unit chaplain for more information, or drop by your local CDC and ask them about their hourly care op-tions.

Public school teachers don’t always make it to every page in a workbook if they leave time in the day and year for interesting discus-sions and thoughtful questions; there’s no reason we homeschool parents can’t allow ourselves a little leeway and let everyone enjoy the biggest perk of homeschooling: time together as a family, living and learning with days of love.

Melonie Kennedy is a military wife, a homeschooling mother, and a freelance writer/editor. You can catch her blogging at Wandering Quail Road (http://melo-niek.blogspot.com).


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Make your destination ARKANSAS!Take a tour around Arkansas

this fall and discover a world of unique experiences. From hill country to lake country to river country to blues country to wine country, there is much to enjoy at every turn. Autumn in Arkansas is anything but one-dimensional with a bum-per crop of fall festivals, spe-cial events, the fl amboyant fall foliage, the harvest season and the crisper, downward turn of temperatures. The most popu-lar way to enjoy the splashy color of the fall season is just to get out and do it.

Temperatures are perfect for picnicking, fi shing, water sports, camping, hiking and antiquing. Monthly averages — 74 degrees in September, 64 degrees in October and 52 degrees in November — are ideal for visiting the many festivals and special events scheduled every weekend throughout the season, as well as playing the courses on The Natural State Golf Trail.

This time of year, scenic drives through the Ozarks and Ouachitas offer brilliant panoramic views of fi ery fall color. The Central, Delta, River Val-ley and Timberlands regions round

out the diverse destinations within The Natural State.

With six geographical regions

within the state, peak fall color var-ies from area to area. In most cases, trees begin to take on their fall

wardrobe in the Ozarks in late Sep-tember or early October. Central Ar-

(see Arkansas page 68)

A mason at the Ozark Medieval Fortress works on the castle.


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Richardson’s extensive park and trail systemenables visitors to enjoy a natural se ng as well as a diverse set of recrea onal ac vi es.

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TRAVEL USA

Arkansas(Continued from page 66)

kansas and the Ouachita Mountain area begin changing in early to mid-October. In eastern and southern Arkansas, fall color begins in mid- to late-October. Peak fall color – when the leaves are at their most bril-liant – normally takes place about two or three weeks after the leaves

begin to turn. Fall foliage updates are posted on Arkansas.com during the fall.

Call 800-NATURAL to order your free Vacation Planning Kit. Autumn in Arkansas is an experience long remembered after the brilliant col-ors have faded.

Following are some activities that you won’t want to miss this fall:

Ozark Medieval FortressYou can spend hours or a full day

at this unique attraction. There are only two medieval fortresses cur-rently being built – one is in France and the other is in northern Arkan-sas. This dazzling historic vision is rising in the middle of the Ozark Mountains near Lead Hill about 30 minutes north of Harrison.

A team of architectural experts, working together with historians of the Middle Ages and dedicated ar-tisans, is constructing this full-size, fortifi ed castle with 24-foot-high towers, a drawbridge and six-foot-wide stone walls surrounding an expansive inner courtyard.

This project opened earlier this year and will span 20 years — the time required to build a fortress in the Middle Ages. It is being con-structed with 13th century work methods, techniques and tools. The natural site in the middle of a for-est provides plenty of water, stone, soil, sand and wood, which the con-struction requires.

Visitors witness craftsmen — in-cluding the blacksmith, rope maker, woodcutter and basket weaver —

at work wearing authentic cloth-ing of the 13th century and interact with them to learn about their tools and techniques. For part of each day, the workers respond to ques-tions from guests.

The Ozark Medieval Fortress is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day rain or shine. Ticket prices are $12 for adults 17 and over, $8 for youth 6 to 16 and children 5 and under are free.

For more information, visit ozarkme-dievalfortress.com.

25th Annual Arkansas Bluesand Heritage Festival

Formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival, it is one of the nation’s foremost showcases of blues music. Scheduled for Oct. 7-9, 2010, the event is held in Helena-West Helena on the banks of the Mississippi River. This year’s head-liners include B.B. King, Dr. John & the Lower 911 and Taj Mahal.

Founded in 1986, the fi rst festival was a one-day event, with a small gathering of local residents and a fl atbed truck as a stage. Since then, the music gathering has grown to three days, three stages and tens of thousands of blues enthusiasts con-

2010 2020 2030

Special Advertising Supplement THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 • 69TRAVEL USA

verging on historic downtown Hel-ena-West Helena each year. Several other activities — such as the Ken-neth Freemyer 5K Run, the Blues in Schools program and the Tour da Delta Bicycle Tour — are offspring of the festival.

Helena-West Helena is also home to the Delta Cultural Center, dedi-cated to the history of the Arkan-sas Delta. This region of the state is steeped in rich sights, sounds, people and events. The museum provides interpretation through ex-hibits, educational programs, annual events and guided tours.

The center has two locations: the Depot and the Visitors Center. The Depot exhibits include “A Heritage of Determination” and “Civil War in the Delta,” which gives visitors insight into Union occupation and the Battle of Helena. The Visitors Center, located one block north, features the “Delta Sounds” music exhibit, a live radio studio, chang-ing exhibit space and the Museum Store.

For more information, visit bluesand-heritagefest.com and deltaculturalcenter.com.

Civil War WeekendWalk the streets of Washington

The Ozark National Forest in Arkansas off ers a quiet fall refuge.

that were touched by war on this special weekend of Nov. 6-7. Inter-preters at Historic Washington State Park in southwest Arkansas explain the social and political issues lead-ing up to the struggle, as well as its last two years when Washington was the Confederate Capital of Ar-kansas. Re-enactors present living history demonstrations, including combat scenarios.

Arkansas State Parks and the Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation interpret 1800-1900 for Arkansas’s premier 19th century museum village. The 1874 Court-house serves as the visitor center.

Just eight miles away is the city of Hope, where you fi nd President Bill Clinton’s First Home Museum, Exhibit Center and Museum Store. Free tours are offered of the re-stored home where Bill spent much of his childhood from 1946-56. Pho-to exhibits of young Bill, family and friends, along with a short video entitled “The Man from Hope,” can be seen here.

For more information about the Civil War Weekend, visit historicwashington-statepark.com and to learn more about the fi rst home of our 42nd President, visit clintonchildhoodhomemuseum.com.


All branches of the United States Armed Forces are represented in

the Freedom Museum USA.

Visit the Freedom Museum USA!Visit the Freedom Museum USA!

600 North Hobart StreetPampa, Texas 79065

806.669.6066www.freedommuseumusa.org

Open Tuesday -Saturday noon-4pm

Pampa, Texas also offers:Museums • Historical Sites • Parks

Playgrounds • Trails • Golf • BowlingFishing • Motels • Restaurants

TRAVEL USA

Universal Orlando:the vacation you need

Universal offers

families blockbuster

entertainment, thrills,

refi nement and

over-the-top fun.

There is only one place in the world where you can do all these things in the same day:

• Experience the pulse-pounding thrill of accelerating from zero mph to 45 mph in two seconds – and then go weightless

• Wander through a land with no straight lines

• Test yourself against your deep-est fears – darkness, speed, fi re, the un-known, fl esh-eating scarabs – and come out laughing

• Experience the bliss that comes with three Blue Men, a stage, and some PVC pipe

• Be pampered, re-laxed – or rocked – at the world-class hotel of your choice.

Orlando’s newest vacation desti-nation pushes boundaries and goes where today’s travelers want to go — from exhilarating, high-tech thrill rides unlike any other to luxurious resort hotels that can give guests a whole new outlook on life.

Universal Orlando’s two theme

parks, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, offer some of the most popular attractions ever cre-ated. Its three on-site Loews Hotels, the Portofi no Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and the Loews Royal Pacifi c Resort are among the most highly acclaimed in the industry. And its entertainment complex, Universal CityWalk, offers some of the hottest, most recognizable entertainment experiences in the world.

Everything So Close One key to Universal Orlando’s

success is how easy it is to experi-ence and enjoy everything the des-tination has to offer.

At Universal Orlando, “on-site” ho-tel means just that: the hotels are a stroll or quick water-taxi ride away from the theme parks and the en-tertainment complex, yet provide enough separation so that guests feel they have found the perfect retreat. The closeness of the theme parks to the hotels makes it easy for


guests at Universal Orlando to be on the go or do nothing but relax — all in the same day. It’s a destina-tion where guests can play bocce ball near a semi-private pool at the

luxurious Loews Portofi no Bay Ho-tel in the morning. They can scream their lungs out as they rocket from zero mph to 45 mph in two sec-onds aboard The Incredible Hulk Coaster or experience the thrill of Revenge of the Mummy – the Ride in the afternoon. And they can ex-perience the bliss of a Blue Man Group show in the evening.

World-Class Theme Parks The Universal Orlando experi-

ence begins with its two theme parks. Along with Academy Award-winning producer/director Steven Spielberg as creative consultant, Universal Orlando set out to change the way people think about and enjoy theme park entertainment. Its attractions are based on pop-cul-ture icons and blockbuster fi lms — creating experiences such as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure, Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride and Shrek 4-D at Universal Studios.

The seven themed islands at Is-lands of Adventure are home to some of the most technologically advanced rides and attractions ever made — along with some of the

world’s most be-loved characters, including Cat-in-the-Hat, Spider-Man and the dino-saurs of “Jurassic Park.” And Univer-sal Studios is the theme park where guests “ride the movies.” Its block-buster attractions, Revenge of the Mummy — The Ride and Shrek 4-D are based on blockbuster fi lm concepts and in

close collaboration between Uni-versal’s creative team and each fi lm’s creative team.

New, Compelling, Entertainment Options

Located in Universal Studios, the all-new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a radically-innovative roller coaster that combines hit music, fi rst-ever maneuvers and highly-sophisticated audio and video for a one-of-a-kind ride experience.

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s com-pelling stories and characters — and faithful to the visual landscapes of the fi lms — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will provide visitors with a one-of-a-kind experience complete with multiple attractions, shops and a signature eating estab-lishment. This completely immer-sive environment will transcend generations and bring the won-der and magic of the Harry Potter books and fi lms to life. The Wizard-

(see Universal Orlando page 72)


E X P E R I E N C E

Hawks Cay Resort is pleased to bring back our, now annual, HEROES WELCOME!Stay with us between Aug. 23 – Nov. 30, 2010 and take advantage of room rates starting from $99/night!

For those that dedicate their lives to helping and saving others, our way of saying thank you.Join us as we salute you, our heroes.

Special events & tributes Discounted room rates Endless resort activities

partnering with

Start planning your vacation to the Keys and visit www.hawkscayheroes.com today!

888.443.6393 | 61 Hawks Cay Blvd | Duck Key, FL 33050 Web hawkscay.com Twitter @HawksCayResort Facebook.com/hawkscayresort

TRAVEL USA

Universal Orlando(Continued from page 71)

ing World of Harry Potter opened June 18 at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Blue Man Group, the wildly suc-cessful live entertainment experi-

ence, opened in June 2007 at Uni-versal Orlando Resort. The show combines music, comedy and mul-timedia theatrics to create the bliss-ful party atmosphere that is Blue

Man Group’s trademark.

Nighttime Entertainment and World-Class Hotels

For nighttime excitement, there is Universal CityWalk, a 30-acre nighttime entertainment complex with a collection of some of the most powerful and popular music and entertainment industry icons ever created: Jimmy Buffett’s Mar-garitaville, Emeril’s Orlando, Hard Rock Live and dozens more clubs, restaurants and shops. Helping to round out the entire destination experience are Universal Orlando’s

world-class hotels. The luxurious Loews Portofi no

Bay Hotel, features 750 rooms and re-creates the famed Mediterranean village of the same name; the Hard Rock Hotel features 650 rooms and showcases the unique style of a California mission, complete with Hard Rock touches that range from classic rock ‘n roll memorabilia to bellmen with purple hair. Loews Royal Pacifi c Resort has 1,000 rooms and is designed to be the most exotic hotel in North America — complete with an orchid court and hand-carvings from Bali.

A place in Florida where heroes enjoy R & R with the family.

A place where you can watch penguins swim in the Zoo.

A place where dinner at Clark’s Fish Camp is delish and kitsch.


MORE TO EXPLORE.

When playing on the Northshore,

C o n v e n t i o n & V i s i t o r s B u r e a u

To learn more, ask for our Group Travel Planner DVD. Call 504-731-7083 or TOLL FREE 1-877-572-7474.

C o n v e n t i o n & V i s i t o r s B u r e a u

Enjoy first-class shopping, historical districts, outdoor fun, Farmer’s Markets, exciting nightlife, & our world-renowned food.

Jefferson, a new dimension to the New Orleans experience!

TRAVEL USA

Georgia’s state parks and historic sitesdedicate day to volunteers and visitors

Put away your wallet and pull out your fi shing pole or hiking boots. Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites is offering free admission on Saturday, Sept. 25 as part of Nation-al Public Lands Day. The statewide celebration is a way to thank park visitors and volunteers for their

support of outdoor recreation and historic preservation.

“Georgia’s state parks and histor-ic sites wouldn’t be here without our visitors and supporters,” said State Parks Director Becky Kelley. “Free Day in the Parks is our way of thanking the thousands of people

who volunteer their time, spend their vacations in the parks, or even just visit for the day. We are waiving the parking fee, but of course vol-untary contributions are welcome because they help us preserve Georgia’s public green spaces.”

Sponsored in part by the Coca-Cola Company, the celebration includes dozens of family-friendly events, such as outdoor adventure day at Unicoi, a children’s fi shing rodeo at Indian Springs and pio-neer harvest festival at General Cof-fee. A full calendar of events is post-ed at www.GeorgiaStateParks.org/events. Numerous volunteer proj-ects are being coordinated by the non-profi t Friends of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites with nearly 50 chapters across the state.

On Free Day in the Parks, the reg-

ular $5 parking fee will be waived, historic sites will open their doors for free, and even anglers will not need a fi shing license. September 25 is also National Hunting and Fishing Day, celebrated by the Geor-gia Department of Natural Resourc-es at many events and locations.

“For less than a tank of gas, fami-lies can enjoy a full day of ranger programs, hiking, biking, picnicking,

birding and more,” said Kelley.Modern campsites, fully

equipped cottages, unique yurts and hotel-style lodge rooms provide overnight ac-commodations for outdoor enthusiasts who want to stay for the weekend.

Reservations can be made by calling 800-864-7275. To learn more, visit www.Georgia-StateParks.org.

Amicalola Falls State Park

Vogel State Park


P.O. Box 305 • Helen, Georgia 30545

800-445-2271www.Helendorf.com

The Helendorf River Inn & Suitesis located in the Alpine Village of Helen, Georgia

Easy walk to shops, restaurants and activities

Rooms with balconies on the banks of the river

Enclosed heated poolComplimentary continental breakfastSuites with fi replaces, Jacuzzis and

kitchensLarge meeting and party facilitiesOperated by an Army Brat

Vacations and Reunionswith a Bavarian Touch10% discount

for military!

Folkston, GA 31537 • 912-496-4017cell: 912-276-0701 • fax: 912-496-4106

www.newellresort.com • [email protected]

An Equine Ranch ResortNewell Lodge is an equine facility situated in rural South Georgia. If you’re looking for simpler times, when things were no more complicated than enjoying the morning sunrise, or watching the evening sunset, then Newell Lodge is for you.

• Six fully furnished cabins • Large gazebo • Large screened cooking area • Horseback riding • Buggy rides • Cattle drives • Fishing, boat rides and canoeing • Camping • Star gazing• Nature walks• Photography• Bird watching• Massages• Events

TRAVEL USA

National POW/MIA Recognition Day

John the “Friends of Ander-sonville”, the Na-tional Park Service and the “Chapters of Rolling Thunder”

September 17 and 18, 2010 to hon-or all former Prisoners of War and to remember those still Missing in Action.

In conjunction with the various ceremonies and scheduled activi-ties, “The Vietnam Traveling Memo-rial Wall” will be on display from

September 17-25, 2010.Schedule of Events:Friday, September 17, 2010 • Escort Ride • Opening Ceremonies • MIA Remembrance • Heroes Dinner • Candlelight CeremonySaturday, September 18, 2010 • Escort Ride • POW/MIA Recognition Cer-

emony • SocialFor more information visit www.nps.

gov/ande or www.theridehome.com.For more information on supporting

the park through the Friends of Anderson-ville, visit www.friendsofandersonville.org.


In Clearfi eld County

www.VisitClear eldCounty.org

1-866-GOWILD1-866-GOWILD(1-866-469-4537)

Hike the Back Woods,

Bike the Back Roads,

Explore

the Back Waters.Enjoy the Pennsylvania Wilds in Clear eld County! Here you’ll nd hiking, shing, biking, hunting, geocatching, bird and wildlife watching, canoeing, kayaking and more. Visit our website to plan your trip to Clear eld County. You’ll nd everything you need —lodging, campsites, food, shopping and more.

Jekyll Oceanfront Resort975 North Beachview Drive ÿ Jekyll Island, GA 31527

800.736.1046 ÿ www.jekyllinn.com

You Have Served Us, Now Let Us Serve YouYou

Ask About Our GreatAsk About Our GreatMilitary Rates for Fall!Military Rates for Fall!

SOil FreeBeaches

TRAVEL USA

Fall is here and it’s a great time to get out and enjoy the cool weather while exploring a new destination! Families of all ages and interests will fi nd so much to experience in Charleston, South Carolina. Each

year, Charleston is consistently rat-ed amongst the country’s top travel destinations. Here, you’ll discover scenic beaches, a historic down-town, and a county park system that provides unlimited hours of

recreation at amazing waterparks, fi shing piers, recreational activities, camping, marsh-front vacation cot-tages, and much more!

Seeking an affordable and more adventur-ous alternative to the typical hotel stay, centrally lo-cated to all that Charleston has to offer? James Is-land County Park is your destina-tion.

The CampgroundLooking for

real adventure? Sleep under the stars in the se-cluded camp-ing area at James Island County Park, a secure lo-cation available for primitive and tent camping. Or, enjoy the park’s RV campground, complete with full hook-ups and 24-hour security.

When camping at James Island County Park, you’ll enjoy the luxury of a full-service campground store complete with propane, ice and fi rewood sales, an activity cen-ter, free Wi-Fi, grills, ceramic bath-

houses, a laundry facility, and not to mention, all the fun things to do at James Island County Park. The park’s RV campground features

pull-thru sites, a dump station, wheelchair ac-cessibility and 20/30/50 amp service.

The CottagesNestled

within the natural setting of James Island County Park are ten modern vacation cot-tages, equipped with all the conveniences needed for a relaxing get-away. A perfect gathering spot for families and friends,

the cottages offer a glorious view overlooking the Stono River Marsh. Each cottage has three bedrooms, is fully furnished, and sleeps up to eight people. Cottage amenities in-clude a fully-stocked kitchen, bath-room, linens, phones, television, and a marsh-front screened porch.

Find adventure in Charleston

See HOLIDAY FESTIVAL page 78


If you’re looking for the “South-ern Jewel” everyone is talking about, you’ve fi nally found it! Berke-ley County, South Carolina, locat-ed just minutes from Downtown Charleston and 1 ½ hours from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is cradled in what is quickly becom-ing known as the “emerging new south.”

Embark on an once-in-a-lifetime experience and explore South Carolina’s famous Hell Hole Swamp. Transport yourself back to a time when the elusive General Francis Marion utilized this “swamp shel-ter” to help defeat the British dur-ing the American Revolution. Or, if you prefer, imagine yourself among bootleggers bottling their brews for Al Capone and other infamous mafi a kingpins during the years of prohibition.

The Hell-Hole Outdoor Center offers a variety of unique guided excursions including:

• Canoeing• Kayaking• Hiking• Overnight CampingThe Outdoor Center also offers

storytelling by local authors and educational opportunities at vari-ous times throughout the year. Pri-vate reservations may also be made upon request. Groups are welcome and encouraged!

For more information, an updated event schedule or to make a reservation, call 843-567-4480; e-mail [email protected]; or visit www.palmettoconservation.org.

Cypress GardensAnother true treasure of Berkeley

County is Cypress Gardens. Cypress Gardens features boat rides on a black water swamp amidst bloom-

ing azaleas, camellias and other na-tive fl owers and fl ora featured in the gardens. Cypress Gardens has long been a draw for groups and visitors of all ages. Cypress Gardens has hosted over 16 major movies including The Patriot, Cold Moun-tain and The Notebook, along with the television mini-series North and South and one of its fi rst movies, Swamp Thing.

Take a serene boat ride on the black water swamp, and then visit the Butterfl y House, the Reptile Center and aquarium. Call ahead to book variety of tours which can be customized for your group. Stu-dents and adults alike can enjoy a variety of educational programs: “From Worms to Wings” examines the life cycle and ecology of butter-fl ies using both live and preserved specimens. The lesson continues at the giant butterfl y sculpture and includes a tour of the Butter-fl y House. “Fish Story,” using skulls and mounts, explores the various features of fi sh necessary for their existence underwater. Visitors are also given a tour of our Aquarium to see live examples. “Swamp Sa-fari” offers the rare opportunity to explore a real life swamp. Enjoy a safe ride through the black water as our staff paddles large fl at-bot-tom boats among the cypress trees. Look for alligators, turtles, birds and other active wildlife. “Creature Feature”which provides a guided tour of the Butterfl y House, Aquar-ium, Crocodile Isle, and/or Reptile Center, is another group favorite.

For more information about Berke-ley County, call the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce at 843-761-8238, or visit www.berkeleysc.org. Mentioning this article entitles you to special group dis-counts.

Discover Berkeley County

www.thegriff on108.comwww.thegriff on108.com78 • THE GRIFFON • Fall 2010 TRAVEL USA

James Island County ParkEven though James Island Coun-

ty Park is conveniently located to downtown Charleston and the area’s beaches, visitors may want to stay inside the park to enjoy its endless activities.

This 643-acre park offers miles of paved and unpaved trails wind-ing around creeks and other natural settings. Rent a bike, pedal boat, or kayak, and hit the park for some in-stant adventure. Just footsteps from your campsite or cottage, you’ll fi nd open meadows, walking and biking trails, freshwater lakes and tidal creeks accessible for fi shing and crabbing, a state-of-the-art play-

ground, a seasonal spray play foun-tain, picnic areas, and an off-leash dog park. Up for a challenge? Dare to scale the park’s 50-foot climbing wall, designed to accommodate all ages and abilities. Or, schedule your group for a day on the park’s thrill-ing Challenge Course, the ultimate teambuilding experience.

Plus, the whole family will enjoy exciting special events throughout the year at the park. Each winter, James Island County Park is illumi-nated with the sights of the season at the park’s own Holiday Festival of Lights, featuring millions of twin-kling bulbs on hundreds of shining displays and much more holiday fun. The festival kicks off on No-vember 12, 2010 and runs through January 2, 2011. Planning a spring-time trip? We spice up the spring

Holiday Festival of LightsHoliday Festival of Lights(Continued from page 76)


You Unscripted

Lost: Combat Boots

Found: :Flip-fl ops

The U.S. Virgin Islands would like to show our appreciation for the men and women serving in the military. So we’re making it even easier for them to enjoy the beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters of the USVI. All military personnel will enjoy special offers including a $50 dining certifi cate, $50 retail certifi cate, $50 activity certifi cate and more. Call your travel agent and book your getaway starting May 1st.

Please reference booking code VIMIL10. Limit of 1 (one) $50 restaurant certifi cate, $50 retail certifi cate and $50 activity certifi cate per booking. 5-night minimum hotel stay is required. Offer valid on new bookings made starting May 1 for travel starting May 15. Offer is not valid on preexisting reservations. Military ID must be shown upon hotel check-in to receive offer. ©2010 United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.

DoubleTree Hotel Washington DC – Crystal City300 Army Navy Drive • Arlington, VA 22202703.416.4100 • www.doubletree1.hilton.com

• Largest Precor fi tness center in the area with indoor pool• Area’s only revolving roof top lounge- The Skydome.• 2 blocks from Pentagon City Metro• Complimentary service to Metro and Airport• Unobstructed views of the DC skyline• 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting space

• 2 miles and 5 minute drive to Washington DC• Complimentary shuttle to DCA and Pentagon City Mall and Metro• Complimentary full cooked to order breakfast• Complimentary evening manager’s reception• Spacious two-room suites• Near Washington DC attractions

Embassy Suites Crystal City – National airport1300 Jefferson Davis Hwy. • Arlington, VA 22202703.979.9799 • www.embassysuites1.hilton.com

Proudly serving thosewho serve for our freedom

Call for our special military and government rates.

[email protected]

The Lake Barkley, Kentucky area offers fast access to many waterfronts, marinas, hotels, cabins, campgrounds and inns. The 186,000 acre Land Between the Lakes is just minutes away. Good country food, specialty and antique

shops are all in the quaint downtown Cadiz area.

Come experience the relaxing hospitalityCome experience the relaxing hospitality

of true Kentucky charmof true Kentucky charm

TRAVEL USA

with James Island County Park’s an-nual Lowcountry Cajun Festival on April 3, 2011, and the East Coast Ca-noe and Kayak Festival April 15-17.

When the weather warms up, Splash Zone, located within James Island County Park, brings the Ca-ribbean to Charleston with island-style play structures and slides. Plus, James Island County Park is located just ten minutes from the beach. And, on select summer evenings, live evening reggae concerts will bring the islands right to you.

All this and more is right at the doorstep of your tent, RV, or cottage when you stay at the James Island County Park campground! Plus, after enjoying all the park has to of-fer, we welcome you to visit other areas of Charleston by hopping on our round-trip shuttle.

Stay with us!Call 843-795-7275 to check availability

or to make a reservation at the James Is-land County Park Campground and Cot-tages. Our staff will be eager to assist you. Clubs, groups, and caravans are welcome visitors.

For more information on the camp-ground, the cottages, James Island County Park, or all of the other great Charleston County Park and Recreation Commis-sion’s parks and events, call 843-795-4FUN (4386) or visit www.ccprc.com. Let yourself go!


OCEAN CITY, MDLooking for a vacation you can enjoy more? Come to a place with more to enjoy. With beautiful beaches, a great boardwalk, delicious seafood, championship golf, water sports and more–you’ll never run out of things to do.

visit ococean.com or call 1.800.OC.OCEAN.1.800.626.2326.

TRAVEL USA

The City of Kings Mountain will host the an-nual “Gateway Festival” on Saturday, Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. -5 p.m. throughout the downtown area. This event is a celebration of Kings Mountain being designated in 2000 as “The Gateway City” by the Department of Interior and the National Park Service to all three area parks — Crowder’s Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain State Park and Kings Mountain National Military Park.

This annual Kings Mountain fall festival high-lights the history of the victorious battle site (which Thomas Jefferson declared, “... the turn-ing point of the Revolutionary War”) with a reenactment of a redcoats and patriots cannon battle and an encampment showcasing the Co-lonial period. Throughout the downtown area Bluegrass, Folk, Celtic, Old Time Gospel and

Americana music will fi ll the air from the Ga-zebo and North Stage.

“Crafter’s Alley,” with a variety of art and craft vendors, will be located on Rail-road Avenue and, just around the corner on Gold Street, will be a Classic car show. Patri-ots Park will have free miniature train rides, games and amusement rides for the children and, in addition to a variety of food ven-dors, the perennial favorite “Cute Crit-

ters Competition,” a pet beauty contest, will take place at the Gazebo. With a theme of “Putting Power in our Hands,” the City Electric Depart-ment will celebrate Public Power Week with a customer appreciation exhibit featuring educa-tional information, games and prizes. There will be a lineman’s rodeo and Mayor Rick Murphrey will be competing in a simulated rescue opera-

Visit Kings Mountain for the Gateway Festival

336.597.2689 www.visitroxboronc.com

1. Sip the Wine2. Catch a Show3. Go Cycling4. Taste the Cuisine

5. Take a Hike6. Go Roller Skating7. Hit the Links8. Camp Out

9. See a Drag Race10. Go Fishing

Relax!


The Holiday Inn University Executive Park is proud to offer special military rates for all of our Soldiers traveling to the Charlotte area.

Holiday Inn University Executive Park8520 University Executive Park Drive • Charlotte, NC 28262

704-547-0999 • www.hicharlotteu.comLocated off exit 45A on I-85 off of W.T. Harris Blvd.

Complimentary Wi-Fi

Executive Level

173 Guest Rooms and 1 Suite

24 Hour Fitness Center

Outdoor Pool

University Patio and Grille

Full Business Center

Th omasville, NC — A Great Place for R&R

From where we sit you can see it all!Thomasville Tourism • 800-611-9907 • www.thomasvilletourism.com

Home of the North Carolina

Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Historic Walking Trails

Unique Civil War Cemetary

TRAVEL USA

Come celebrate Kings Mountain’s Gateway FestivalCome celebrate Kings Mountain’s Gateway FestivalOctober 9th 10am —5pm

Kings Mountain, NC

[email protected]

reenactmentsarts and crafts vendors

art competitionfolk music

museum exhibits and more!

The Gateway Festival highlights the history of a victorious Revolutionary War battle site with a reenactment of a redcoats and patriots cannon battle and an encampment showcasing the Colonial Period.

The Historical Museum is also featuring the Honor Our Veterans- Remembering World War II exhibit.

Mountain Art Depot and back to the Gazebo. Free parking is available at all venues and down-town parking lots. An information booth will be located at the corner of Railroad and Gold Streets.

For additional information visit www.cityofkm.com or call 704-734-0333.

tion at the site in Patriots Park. At the Kings Mountain Historical Museum,

Revolutionary War re-enactors with the South Fork Militia and other re-enactor groups will encamp, share living history through demon-strations and conduct tours of the Barber Log House and the Cornwell Home on the Com-mons behind the Museum. Inside at the Mu-seum will be “Honor Our Veterans — Remem-bering World War II” exhibit. Central United Methodist will open the Christian Activity Cen-ter until 3:00 pm and will host a Souper Satur-day lunch, craft and baked goods sale.

The Southern Arts Society will host the annual art competition, “Gateways to the South,” relating to Southern history and culture with an exhibit at the Kings Mountain Art Depot.

The “Mountaineer Trolley” will run continu-ously during the festival between the Gazebo at Patriots Park, the Kings Mountain Historical Museum and Com-mons, Central United Methodist Church and cruise through the Central School Histor-ic District to the Kings


Mother nature’s Mother nature’s spectacular showspectacular show

Surrounded by Shenandoah Na-tional Park and the George Wash-ington National Forest Front Royal, Virginia lights up with the bright yellows, rich reds and oranges of the harvest season. Recognized as the Gateway to Shenandoah Na-

tional Park and the Canoe Capital of Virginia, Front Royal provides an ideal base for enjoying the region’s fall foliage, outdoor adventures and historic past.

Front Royal is an easy drive from our Nation’s Capital in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, 70 miles west of Washington, DC off Inter-state 66. Make the Front Royal Visitor Center and Downtown Front Royal one of your fi rst stops in town, followed by a stroll down Main Street for a slice of small-town Americana.

Autumn means great outdooradventure!

“Leaf-peepers” and birders will fi nd a unique way to enjoy fall foliage without the crowds pad-dling down the gentle waters of the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Two outfi tters, Down River and Front Royal Canoe Companies rent out canoes, kayaks and rafts for fl oating down the Shenandoah. Rates include convenient shuttle service along routes ranging from three miles to 40-mile overnights.

For those seeking the birds-eye view, Blue Ridge Hot Air Balloons offers a one-hour aerial tour, fol-lowed by the traditional cham-pagne toast upon landing. Cass Avi-ation will have you soaring above the tree-tops with a scenic airplane ride over the Shenandoah River and Shenandoah National Park..

For those who prefer to be a part of the action on foot- hundreds of miles of hiking trails lace their way across the area. Shenandoah Na-tional Park, the Tuscarora Trail, and the world-renowned Appalachian National Scenic Trail offer count-less loops (and primitive overnight shelters) for hikers, and backpack-ers of all levels. Pack a picnic and head to Shenandoah River State Park; with 5.6 miles of meandering river frontage along the south fork of the Shenandoah River the mostly wooded rolling, mountainous land features easy day hikes and sce-nic vistas. The George Washington National Forest is a go-to spot for mountain biking, hiking, fi shing and camping but not to be left out is hawk watching, cross-country


Thank You for Your Service!

Stay with us anytime and receive a 10% discount!Use promo code MILITARY.

Active military ID required upon check-in.

Vacation Rentals and Investment Properties

1915 Wolf Ridge Road Mars Hill, North Carolina

877-828-9653 www.scenicwolfresort.com

3 & 4 bedroom log homesand townhousesEnclosed heatedswimming pool with slideMeeting roomsPrivate golf courseOff site horseback riding & whitewater rafting

TRAVEL USA

skiing, horseback riding and nature photography.

A bounty of festivals awaitsyou in Front Royal

Plan your getaway in conjunction with any and all of our fall festivals.

Virginia Air Show, Sept 11, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Front Royal-Warren Coun-ty Airport. This year’s air show fea-tures the renowned Flying Circus, military aircraft, hot air balloons, gyro copter, glider, para-sail, heli-copter, barn storming, wing walker, and biplane demonstrations, acro-batics, and fl ights. Plus, there are antique auto, aircraft displays, food, and just plain fun. www.virginiaair-show.com

Dancing Downtown, Sept 25, 6–10 p.m. Enjoy live music and dancing at the Town Commons in Downtown Front Royal. To benefi t Downtown Front Royal, Inc.

Shagging on the Shenandoah, Oct 2, Noon – 5 p.m. Dance to the music of Bill Deal’s Original Rhon-dels along the banks of the Shenan-doah River! Enjoy NC BBQ, bever-ages and dessert. $45 adults/$20 students/$100 for families of 5.

Autumn Conservation Festival, Oct 2-3. Bring your family for a day of fun, tours, and activities at the National Zoo’s Conservation Biol-ogy Institute in Front Royal, Vir-ginia, the only time each year this facility is open to the public. www.fonz.org

The 40th Annual Festival of Leaves, Oct 9, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Come enjoy Front Royal at its best as 2010

marks the 40th year of the Warren Heritage Society’s Festival of Leaves. The Festival takes place in historic downtown Front Royal on Chester and Main Streets. Bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, big band, and choir music represent some of the musi-cal entertainment. Other highlights include reenactments and short plays. Come enjoy Heritage Square on the grounds of the Warren Heri-tage Society at 101 Chester Street where you will fi nd museums, tours of our historic homes - Belle Boyd Cottage (Front Royal home of Con-federate spy Belle Boyd) and 18th century Balthis House - and their outbuildings, re-enactors, living his-tory demonstrations, crafts people, apple butter making, and a black-smith. www.festivalofl eaves.com

Take part in the Brew and Blues Festival, Oct 16, Noon – 6 p.m., Downtown Front Royal. Enjoy Blues music, microbrew tastings, crafters, traditonal festival vendors and craftsman demonstrations at this havest festival. www.frontroyal-chamber.com

Front Royal looks forward to hosting you and your family with a rich menu of activities in any sea-son. Accommodations range from camping and cabin rentals to gen-teel bed and breakfasts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to modern hotels and mo-tels. Military discounts are plenti-ful, so be sure to enquire.

For complete information and to view our interactive Visitors Guide visit www.discoverfrontroyal.com.


By Bob O’ConnorAssistant Director, Jefferson CountyConvention and Visitors Bureau

Jefferson County West Virginia where you can “Discover It All” wel-comes all members of the 108th Training Command. We are the per-fect spot for your rest and relax-ation, especially in the fall.

We are proud of what you do to vigilantly protect our many free-doms. Your federal service is much appreciated here.

Jefferson County, West Virginia provides for a dichotomy of restful experiences. You can just complete-

ly “veg out” here, or you can jump into a myriad of the outdoor recre-ation or history experiences.

If you come here and turn off your cell phone – you will be lost to the world. You will be so close to Washington DC……yet it will feel you are a million miles away. You can slow down to the speed of SLOW – SLOWER – SLOWEST (take your pick) and do absolutely nothing. You may get used to doing absolutely nothing at such a beauti-ful place. Or you may fi nd out after rushing around for so many years, your system is really uncomfortable

at such a slow speed. Either way, we are the perfect spot for both.

If it is history you are looking for, September 18, 2010 provides a unique opportunity to visit and tour four of the Washington homes in the county. George Washing-ton’s family lived here – in west-ern Virginia (today West Virginia). They owned fourteen homes. Seven still exist. Four will be open that day including Beallair, Harewood, Happy Retreat and Claymont Court. All four can be toured for a $25.00 ticket for each person. Informa-tion may be found on line at www.

friendsofhappyretreat.org . The September 18 event is part of the Charles Town Heritage Festival on that same day in downtown Charles Town.

You can watch the leaves change — a spectacular site particularly overlooking the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers at Harpers Ferry. “Leaf peeping” is a favorite October “sport” in Jefferson County right up there in intensity with bird watch-ing, tubing, and the like.

October also has the 24th annual West Virginia Breeder’s Classic thor-oughbred horse racing program, the richest racing program in the entire state. This year’s Breeder’s Classic takes place at Charles Town Races on October 16. Parking is free — watching the horses run is free — but you may want to place a few bets and cheer for your favor-ite horse.

If you want just a “tad” more ex-citement, try your hand at the new table games at the new Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. In addition to 5,000 slot machines, Charles Town now has Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, Mini-Bacca-rat, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Big Six Wheel and Texas Hold Em. The casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Horse racing occurs Wednesday

Biking, hiking, kayaking and lots more!


www.Hello-WV.com 866-HELLO-WV

In 1989, the Secretary of the Army designated Morgan s̓ Grove as the

birthplace of the United States Army.

ef

Discover It All!

Appetizer Grill with German Sausages • German Beers, Wines and Spiced Cider • Traditional German Buffet

Hot and Cold Banquet Tables • Roasted PigLive German Oompah Band!

Nightly Rates begin at $225.00 +tax, per night/2 people Oktoberfest is included in your overnight lodging,

alcoholic beverages are extra.

OktoberfestWeekends at Mountain Lake!

Mountain Lake hosts our 22nd Anniversary of this celebration of Autumn with Toasting, Feasting, and Music!

Sept 18 & 25 • Oct 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23, 29-30$35.00 adults • $17.50 children • non-refundable

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED. Call 800-346-3334 • www.mountainlakehotel.com

Note: for Oktoberfest participants not staying at

Mountain Lake, reservations may be made Mon-Fri

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ticket price non-refundable.

Halloween Costume Contest

October 30 with Prizes!

115 Hotel Circle, Pembroke, VA

Bedford Welcome Center • Bedford, VA877-447-3257 • www.visitbedford.com

Remembering Their Valor, Fidelity and Sacri ceDiscover The National D-Day Memorial, overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountainsand the town that lost the most citizens per-capita in the United States at D-Day.The Memorial honors the Americans and all of the Allied forces involved. Near The Memorial is Thomas Jefferson’s retreat Poplar Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Smith Mountain Lake and the Booker T. Washington National Monument.Open daily except on Mondays.

TRAVEL USA

through Saturday nights and on Sunday afternoon.

If you like water sports, we are a Mecca for water sports with every-thing from rafting and Kayaking to canoeing and tubing. The Shenan-doah and Potomac Rivers join here at Harpers Ferry providing all kinds of experiences for all levels and ages of persons looking for soft ad-venture.

If it is dining that interests you, we can provide you with four diamond dining, the Epic Buffet, quaint fi ne cafes, and just about anything else you might be seeking. The downtowns of both Harpers Ferry and Shepherdstown provide ten or so restaurant choices all in a small area.

If you are into musical entertain-ment, Thursday nights are always a good time to visit O’Hurley’s Gen-eral Store in Shepherdstown. Every Thursday night musicians head to O’Hurley’s for a jam session – which is free and open to the pub-lic. Rocking chairs are provided, but seating is limited.

Our accommodations in Jeffer-son County cover the spectrum from historic inn, resort, bed and breakfast to camping or staying at

a cabin at the KOA Kampground. Please call ahead for reservations especially if you are planning a weekend in the fall.

If you need help developing your itinerary, or have questions, please call us at the Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 304-535-2627. And then Discover It All! in Wild and Wonderful Jefferson County West Virginia.

Bob O’Connor is the assistant di-rector of the Jefferson County Con-vention and Visitors Bureau. He is a historian and a published author of

four civil war books. You can visit his website at www.boboconnor-books.com.

Plenty of Outdoor ActivitiesThe convergence of the two

rivers provides outstanding recre-ational opportunities. The area was recently cited by a Baltimore Maga-zine as the “Best Close-In Recre-ation Vista.”

You can bike along the Chesa-peake and Ohio Canal, hike the trails, raft, tub, canoe or kayak here. No matter what your level of ex-citement, there’s something for ev-eryone.

The river activities are Class I, II, and III — pretty tame compared to rafting at the Gulley and New Riv-ers further into West Virginia’s inte-rior, but exciting just the same. Pro-fessional rafting companies have been providing safe experiences on the rivers for decades.

Our hiking trails range from fl at and short to steep and challenging. The Appalachian Trail crosses West Virginia at Harpers Ferry where you can visit the Appalachian Trail Conservancy at the mid-point of the 2,174 mile trail from Georgia to Maine. The hike to the top of Mary-

land Heights over-looking Harpers Ferry is strenuous, but the view is outstanding.

Bird watching is outstanding. On any given day the selec-tion of birds you might seen range from the Baltimore Oriole to the Pileated Woodpecker, from the Bald Eagle and Great Blue Heron to hun-dreds of song birds, fi nches and sparrows.

For those interested in gaming and horse racing, you can’t get any better than Charles Town Races and Slots. With thoroughbred horse racing fi ve times a week and over 5000 slots, Charles Town Races and Slots has something for everyone. And as of this summer, 2010, table games will be open for business. Those games include Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, Mini-Bacca-rat, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Big Six Wheel and Texas Hold Em.

Our accommodations range from

a Resort to small and delightful bed and breakfasts and everything in between. Choose from Jacuzzi suites, indoor swimming pool, ho-tels with restaurants and lounges, or a quiet inn in the country.

Delicious food is available in vari-ous places. We have a four diamond restaurant, local favorites, and most anything else you might like — fea-turing everything from Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, steak, crab cakes, spaghetti, pizza or most anything else.

Come visit us. Stay a weekend or a week. You’ll fi nd us “laid back” and with a pace slower than per-haps what you might be used to.

Your cell phone may not work in parts of our county — but if you are on an R&R, that may not be a bad thing at all. In fact, you may not want to go home after you have sampled what we offer every day of the year.

For information please visit our web-site at www.hello-wv.com. Or call us at 866-HELLO-WV.

Bob O’Connor is a historian and au-thor of four Civil War books. His website has more information on those books. It is found at www.boboconnorbooks.com. He is the Assistant Director of the Jefferson County Convention and Visitors Bureau in Harpers Ferry.

Avis features GM vehicles. ©2009 Avis Rent A Car System, LLC 17515

Free Weekend Day Terms and Conditions: Offer of one weekend day free applies to the time and mileage charges only of the thirdconsecutive day of a minimum three day weekend rental on an intermediate (group C) through a full-size four-door (group E) car. Taxes,concession recovery fees, vehicle license recovery fee, customer facility charges ($10/contract in CA) may apply and are extra.Optional products such as LDW ($29.99/day or less, except in Louisiana $49.99/day) and refueling are extra. Weekend rental periodbegins Thursday, and car must be returned by Monday 11:59 p.m. or a higher rate will apply. A Saturday night keep is required.Cannot be used for one-way rentals; one coupon per rental. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other coupon, promotionor offer except your Leisure Pass discount. Coupon valid at participating Avis locations in the contiguous U.S. and Canada (excludingthe New York Metro area). An advance reservation is required. Offer may not be available during holiday and other blackout periods.Offer is subject to vehicle availability at the time of reservation and may not be available on some rates at some times. For reservationsmade on avis.com, free day will be applied at time of rental. Renter must meet Avis age, driver and credit requirements. Minimum

$20 Off Weekly Rental Terms and Conditions: Coupon valid on an intermediate (group C) through a full-size four-door (group E)car. Offer may not apply to all makes or models. Dollars off applies to the time and mileage charges only on a minimum five consecutiveday rental period. Taxes, concession recovery fees, vehicle license recovery fee, customer facility charges ($10/contract in CA) mayapply and are extra. Optional products such as LDW ($29.99/day or less, except in Louisiana $49.99/day) and refueling are extra.One coupon per rental. An advance reservation is required. May not be used in conjunction with any other coupon, promotion oroffer except your Leisure Pass discount. Coupon valid at participating Avis locations in the contiguous U.S. and Canada. Offer subjectto vehicle availability at time of reservation and may not be available on some rates at some times. For reservations made on avis.com,dollars off will be applied at time of rental. Renter must meet Avis age, driver and credit requirements. Minimum age may vary by

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location. An additional daily surcharge may apply for renters under 25 years old. Rental must begin by 12/31/10.

ADVERTISER INDEX

Adrenaline Outdoors 48Alamogordo CVB 67All South Federal Credit Union 18Allied Business Schools 54America’s Best Franchising 78American Hero Flag Case 11American InterContinental University 7American Medical Technology 28American Military University 3Americus-Andersonville CVB 75Arkansas Parks & Tourism 66Armed Forces Insurance 23Army Surplus Warehouse 52AT&T 13Atlanta History Center 75Auburn University 25Avis Rent-A-Car 86Barton County Community College 33Bay Area Houston CVB 67Bedford Tourism 85Bennettsville Tourism 78Berkley County Chamber 77Biltmore Hotel 78Brown Mackie College 40Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute 31 Carol Davis Thermals 50Carrot Top Industries 52Charleston County Parks & Recreation 76Chimney Rock Park 82Christendom College 59Christian Brothers University 31City of Kings Mountain 81Clay County Division of Tourism 72Clearfi eld County CVB 76Continental Academy 64Copperas Cove 68Culver Academies 57Cypress Gardens 77DHS Systems 49DMS Gear 48Doc Shiff er 51DoubleTree/Embassy Suites Crystal City 79Drexel University 35Drury University 32Everglades University 27Felician College 28FindMyMattress.com 46First Citizens Bank 43Florida Institute of Technology 25Fort Hays State University 27Front Royal Department of Tourism 83Gardner-Webb University 40Geico 2

George Washington University 5Graduate School, The 21Grand Canyon University 9Grantham University 53Greenville Chamber CVB 69Hamden-Sydney College 29Hawks Cay Resorts 72Heart Rate Inc. 22Helendorf Inn, The 75HemCon Medical Technologies 18Higher Ed Growth 37Holiday Inn University 81Home School Foundation, The 63Independence University 53Indiana Wesleyan University 24Irwin Sales 50Jackson Area CVB 81Jan Dils, Attorney at Law 14Jeff erson County WV CVB 85Jeff erson LA CVB 74Jekyll Oceanfront Resort 76Jones International University 11Kettlebells USA 50Keystone High School 64Kingsville CVB 70Lake Barkley-Cadiz/Trigg County CVB 79Larado CVB 70Lewisville CVB 68Liberty University 58Limestone College 30Max Performance Supplements 48McKinney CVB 70Medex Supply 47Mercy College 39Methodist University 22Miami International University of Art & Design 35Military Gun Supply 51Military Hire 61Milliken & Company 51Mirror Lite 48Mountain Lake Conservancy & Hotel 85Muskingum University 36National Aviation Academy 42NBC Universal Orlando 71New River Gorge CVB 85New York Institute of Technology 19Newell Lodge 75Newman University 59North Myrtle Beach Chamber 77Norwich University 6Old Schoolhouse Magazine, The 65Pampa Chamber 70Petrogen 10Person County Tourism 80Pinnacle Pointe Hospital 20Pirate’s Dinner Adventure 71Protrain 87Richardson CVB 67Riverside Military Academy 57Robert Morris University 34Sacred Rocks Reserve 67Scenic Wolf Lodge 83Schneider National 62Sevierville CVB 83Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training 6Spalding University 41St. Tammany Parish CVB 74Sugarfoot Arch Supports 51Sullivan University 37Sunset Vistas Beachfront Suites 20Texas A&M University 36Texas Insoles 50Thomasville Tourism 81Thompson Outdoor Supply 50Tippmann 16, 17Titanic Museum 82Town of Ocean City 80TRSi Institute 24TUI University 88U.S. Security Associates 61U.S. Virgin Islands 79University of Alabama 55University of Connecticut 27University of Maine System 31University of Management and Technology 54University of Northwestern Ohio 55University Of Richmond 36University of South Carolina 32University of the Incarnate Word 26USAA 44, 45Vatterott Education 31Virginia Beach CVB 84Visit Jacksonville 73Visit Lubbock 69Walt Disney 15Washington State University 27West Volusia Tourism Bureau 72Western Kentucky University 30Wet ‘n’ Wild 71Whirlpool 86

griffon autumn 2010

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