perspectives magazine summer 2010

8/9/2019 Perspectives Magazine Summer 2010

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2/32P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010

contentsEFMPp. 6

Academy Renamingp. 10

Stable Theaterp. 21

FEATURE STO RY:

Survivor Outreach Services p. 4

3

4

6

7

Commander/Publisher

MG Reuben D. Jones

Command Sergeant Major

CSM Abe Vega

Director, Public Affairs

Edward Johnson

Creative Director

Edward Griffin, Jr.

Perspectives is produced by the Public Affairs Office of the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command under the authority ofthe commander and AR 215-1, MWR Nonappropriated Fund Activities and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Activities. Perspectives isalso available online at www.armymwr.com.

Purpose: to provide information about Army Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and activities and to share ideas and bestpractices. Views and opinions are those of the authors. The mention or appearance of commercial vendors and/or their logos neitherimplies nor constitutes federal endorsement of products or services.

Family and MWR

PERSPECTIVESVolume 1, No. 2

SUMMER 2010

ON THE COVERMG Reuben D. Jones discussesstrategies with LTG RickLynch at the Family andMWR Command HQ inAlexandria, VA.

Photo illustration by Rob McIlvaine

Commanding Generals Letter

Survivor Outreach Services (SOS)

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)Making Good on its Promise

Family and MWR Employees Professional Development Program

MWR Customer Service Program

Family and MWR Renaming the Academy

Unveiling the New Family and MWR Logo

Fort Knox Family Information Center

Promoting the U.S. Army Soldier Show

Operation Excellence

Bambergs Stable Theater

Deployed Soldier Becomes Honorary Coach

Recreation Accreditation

Army Entertainment Summit

10

12

14

17

20

21

9

23

24

29

U.S. Army Soldier Showp. 17


3/32Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E

Commanding Generals LetterMG Reuben D. Jones

Welcome to the second edition of the Family and MWR Perspectives Magazine. As the Commanding

General of the Armys Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, I am very passionate

and committed to ensure the total Army Community (Soldiers, Civilians, Families, and Retirees)

receive the best possible programs and services to enhance their strength and resilience. One approach

is to proactively develop, maintain and incorporate our support of resiliency within our plans. We

must optimize their ability to adapt to stress and promote total wellness of mind, body, and spirit.

We will provide the best care, support and services for the Army Community by improving quality

of life through initiatives such as the Installation Management Campaign Plan, the Army

Family Covenant, Army Community Covenant, the Army Family Action Plan and

the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program. The Family and MWR programs

and services we provide promote resiliency and serve as an outlet for the Army

Community to deal with the daily pressures of a military lifestyle.

The strain of multiple deployments and other stress factors may continue into the future.

We, as the Family and MWR providers, must think of new ideas to enhance resiliency initiatives.

Together, as one team, we can make a huge difference for those Soldiers, Families, Civilians

and Retirees who sacrifice so much to defend our nation and our freedom. They deserve

the best and that is exactly what we will provide to them. Give it your best effort!

Reuben D. Jones

Major General, USA

Commanding

People First, Mission Always

FOLLOW

MEON

TWITTER!

www.Twitter.com/MGReubenJones



Survivor Outreach Services Program

Committed to Families of the Fallen

By Rob McIlvaine

FMWRC Public Affairs

U.S. Army Chief of Staff, GEN

George W. Casey, Jr., who

lost his father, MG George

W. Casey, in Vietnam on

July 1970, developed the idea for a better

support system for Survivors of fallen service

members in late 2006.

He knew he couldnt do it alone.

Following a 2007 Gold StarRemembrance Ceremony in the Pentagon,

one of the first to hear his call for help

was Donna Engeman, a Survivor and a

dedicated Army spouse for 23 years who lost

her husband, Army Chief Warrant Officer

John Engeman, when he was killed May

2006 in Iraq.

I was standing outside the ceremony in

the hallway of the Pentagon, thinking to

myself, if I ever get a chance to tell the

Army what I think and suddenly I found

myself standing alongside GEN Casey.

I told him in so many words that this

whole casualty assistance process stinks,

Engeman said.

She turned to walk away, figuring he

would fix it.

Dont walk away, Casey called out to

her. Youre going to help me fix it.

Two years later, Casey and Engeman and

about 55 other Survivors met at the Survivor

Outreach Services Summit to take stock of

how far theyve come and how far theyvegot to go.

There is clearly and rightly a lot of pain

in this room, but solutions arent going to

happen overnight. As you leave this summit,

spread your arms and bring in others, Casey

told the Survivors who attended the October

2009 SOS Summit.

Obviously, the issues weve heard [this

week] means we havent been doing enough

for our Survivors, Casey said.

Julia Compton Moore, wife of LTC

(Ret.) Hal Moore, is a U.S. Army daughter,

wife and mother, who was depicted in

the film We Were Soldiers by actress

Madeleine Stowe. She was one of the first to

plant seeds of improvement.

In November 1965, Moore and 450 menof the 1st Battalion, 7th Calvary were

dropped by helicopter into a small clearing

in the Ia Drang Valley and were immediately

surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese

Soldiers.

Through the efforts and complaints

given by Julia in the aftermath of this battle,

the Army set up survivor support networks

and casualty notification teams consisting

of uniformed officers, which are still in use

today.

If it hadnt been for leaders like Mrs

Moore who saw a need for change and spoke

up, wed still be dealing with casualties in the

same manner depicted in the film, Engeman

said, referring to the Armys former practice

of sending notification via telegrams, oftendelivered by cab drivers.

SOS, launched two years ago, is an

Army-wide program designed to provide

dedicated and comprehensive suppor

to Survivors of deceased Soldiers with

dedicated resources, and a commitment to

providing first class service for as long as

the Family desires. Improved resourcing at

Casualty Assistance Centers ensures those

who work with Survivors are well-traine

and knowledgeable about the myriad of

Army Chief of Staff, GEN George W. Casey, Jr., who lost his father in Vietnam, speaks to

Survivors from across the country at the 2nd annual summit of FMWRCs Survivors Outreach

Services in Arlington, Va.

Photo by Rob McIlvaine, FMWRC Public Affairs



By expanding and improving services to

Families of the fallen, SOS ensures a holistic

and multi-agency approach that provides

comprehensive and consistent levels of

service at the installation level and across

all components to reach geographically

dispersed Families.

The program is a joint effort with

collaboration from Installation Management

Command (IMCOM), Family and Morale,

Welfare and Recreation Command

(FMWRC), the Casualty and Mortuary

Affairs Operation Center (CMAOC), the

Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

To ensure Survivors receive ongoing

support, SOS support coordinators areavailable in Army Community Service

centers. These coordinators provide

long-term support throughout the grief

process, coordinate support groups, provide

information and referral services, coordinate

child care as needed, and provide other

services as required.

At last years summit, Lynn McCollum,

FMWRC Director of Family Programs,

emphasized the work thats been done over

the past year, based on the gaps identified at

the first summit, and identified the needsher staff are currently addressing.

Weve added 50 support coordinators

for the Active Army, eight for the Reserve,

and our plan is to hire 108 for the Army

National Guard who will be stationed at

Army Community Services (ACS) centers,

regional Reserve Readiness commands and

Joint Force headquarters in all 50 states and

four U.S. territories.

At Casualty Assistance Centers, weve

added 35 benefits coordinators, and

at ACS centers, weve added financial

consultants. Weve also added 30 trainers at

CAC to better train Casualty Officers and

Notification Officers, McCollum said.

Other recently added benefits and

entitlements for Survivors, McCollum said,

include extending housing benefits to 365

days after the time of death. Survivors living

off the installation are now provided one

year of basic allowance for housing.

One of the other changes is a new, web-based, SOS information portal, now

accessible through Army OneSource.

To help bring resources to you, we are

developing a virtual world in cyberspace

so its easier for Survivors to connect with

others, McCollum said.

Social networking, resource links, and a

monitored feedback loop to respond to

Survivor queries and provide support is

currently available. At full operational

capability the virtual world space will be a

place for Survivors to connect and meet ina secure, private, on-line environment, such

as a virtual world chapel that will enable

Survivors to obtain chaplain support on-line.

While the Summit indicated there is

more work to be done, Army leadership, at

the most senior levels, is clearly dedicated to

ensure Survivors needs are met.

LTG Rick Lynch, IMCOM

commanding general, has put his full suppor

behind SOS by making the program one

of his top priorities. The U.S. Army wants

Survivors to remain an integral part of the

Army Family for as long as they desire.

In a recent speech, Donna Engeman

used the solemn words of a 1948 Archibald

MacLeish poem entitled The Young Dead

Soldiers Do Not Speak.

This poem spoke to me early in my

career with SOS because I feared that by not

remembering the Fallen and their Families

we were not giving meaning to those deaths

Freedom is so very costly, and those deathsare the receipts, Engeman said.

She read the poem (excerpt follows):

They say,

We were young. We have di

Remember us.

They say,

We have done what we could

But until it is finished it is not done.

They say,

We have given our lives

But until it is finished no one can know

what our lives gave.Were telling our Soldiers that they

wont be forgotten, and our actions wit

SOS give meaning to that, Engeman said.

SOS support coordinators are available in Army Community Service centers. These coordinators provide long-term support

throughout the grief process, coordinate support groups, provide information and referral services, coordinate child care as

needed and provide other services as required.

I was standing outside the

ceremony in the hallway of the

Pentagon, thinking to myself,

if I ever get a chance to tell

the Army what I think...

and suddenly I found myselfalongside of GEN Casey.

Donna Engeman, Survivor

Army Vice Chief of Staff, GEN Peter W. Chiarel

li speaks with Hampton and Jane Caughman,

parents who survived the loss of their son, at

the 2009 Survivors Outreach Services Summit.


available benefits.

For more information: Hal Snyder, SOS ProgramManager, at [email protected]



Making Good on Its Promise

By Rob McIlvaine


The U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and

Recreation Command recently conducted the second

Exceptional Family Member Program Summit to

enhance services for Family members with special needs,

keeping the promise of the Army Family Covenant.

Active duty Soldiers enroll in the program when they have a

Family member who has a physical, emotional, developmental or

intellectual disorder requiring specialized services so their needs can

be considered in the military personnel assignment process.

The Army EFMP leads the uniformed services and the Nation

through a model of support for Soldiers and Families with special

needs by connecting and supplementing existing national networks of

support and services with local military and civilian resources, LTG

Rick Lynch, IMCOM commander, said.

A mandatory enrollment program, EFMP works with other

military and civilian agencies to provide comprehensive and

coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical and

personnel services to Families with special needs.

The needs of EFMP are great, and much work remains to bedone, particularly in the areas of communication and program

standardization. We must have seamless program standardization

from garrison to garrison, Sharon Fields, FMWRC EFMP Manager,

said.

This EFMP vision has been in the works for the past year and is

scheduled for a July 2010 implementation.

With many garrisons becoming joint-based communities, this

standardization should work seamlessly for EFMP Families

throughout the Department of Defense.

Efforts are ongoing to help EFMP Families transition smoothly

to communities where their special needs will be met with

comprehensive and coordinated services. Soldiers can then focus on

mission readiness, knowing their Families needs are met.

The command knows what s needed. When LTG Lynch visits a

garrison, he always pulls together a focus group of parents who are

enrolled in EFMP because he wants to hear their concerns and

suggestions to make the program better, Fields said.

According to one mother, EFMP is wasting no time in making

good on its promise. SFC Fernice Morton, Fort Lewis, Washington

Equal Opportunity Advisor, has a son enrolled in EFMP.

I was selected to go to the EFMP Summit after attending an

EFMP workshop at Fort Lewis, Wash. While there, I was in respite

care transition between contractors and the Army Community

Service staff was always available to assist me every step of the way,

Morton said.

Antoinette Hill is also a volunteer who is also the spouse of a

retired Soldier with a daughter enrolled in EFMP.

I have witnessed the evolution of this program for more than 30

years and the stars are aligned for great potential. While the nation

is focused on the military, we are focused on collaborative EFMP

partnerships and the partners are stepping up. Families, Warriors and

Survivors are better served and EFMP better fulfills the promises of

the Army Family Covenant, Hill said.

Families need to remember where to get helpful information.Army Community Service works hand in hand with the EFMP

at the medical facility. While the medical services are responsible

for the enrollment paperwork, at ACS we provide everything else

[support, information and links] you need, Susan Moyer, Army

Community Services EFMP Manager at Fort Carson, Colo., said.

According to Moyer, services that parents and individuals are

searching for are right at their fingertips. ACS is like a yellow pages

for special needs information.

As the EFMP Summit drew to a close, LTG Lynch summed up

the way ahead.

Take care of our Soldiers and Families, one Family at a time. To

do this, weve got to fix this program so it works better and we haveto get the word out. When I was a young commander, no one told

me about EFMP. I had to learn about it on my own, Lynch said

In the near future, FMWRC EFMP will implement a system tha

fully supports Families with special needs at five pilot locations: For

Belvoir, Va.; Fort Campbell, Ky; USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany

Fort Leavenworth, Kan.; and Fort Lewis-McChord, Wash.

Also in the near future, the Army will identify whats required for

joint services to participate in this program.

For more information: visit Family Programs at www.myarmyresource.com

ACS is like a yellow pages forspecial needs information.

Susan Moyer,

EFMP Manager, Fort Carson



Professional Development ProgramHelps Employees Plan Successful Career

By Rob McIlvaineFMWRC Public Affairs

W

ith the increased

emphasis on workforce

development and training,

the MG Robert M. JoyceFamily and MWR Academy has developed

the Professional Development Program.

This is a set of web-based tools to

empower all Family and MWR employees to

plan for a successful career in our enterprise,

FMWR Academy Deputy Director Janis

Smith said.

The PDP has tools to help employees

and program managers make informed

decisions about selecting specific training

needs necessary for their staff, based on the

knowledge, skills and abilities needed to be

proficient in their career fields.

These tools are now available at the

Academys website, www.mwraonline.com.The PDP is available to all employees

upon registration. Just log on the site, select

My Records and then click on PDP and

then Current PDP, Smith said.

The Current PDP includes employee

personal information, a brief job description

and the competencies required to be

proficient on the job. The competencies are

supported by knowledge, skills and abilities

with associated learning resources.

One of the reasons Family and MWR

supervisors have embraced the PDP is

because it provides multiple resources to

assist in employee development, Smith said

Anita Payne-Landgraf, CYSS

coordinator at USAG Grafenwoehr

Germany, liked the added benefit o

employee empowerment. The PDP provides

a library of more than 1,500 position profile

so anyone looking to improve their current

skills or climb the career ladder now has the

tools to help them make informed decisions

I will fully utilize this tool throughou

the organization. I especially like the

resource list linked to each competency. Thi

is a great way to empower employees toward

self-development, and its a super too

that will help make my job easier, Payne-

Landgraf said.

After employees select learning element

in collaboration with their supervisors, the

PDP has the capability to automatically

capture the selections and populate an

IMCOM-approved Individual DevelopmenPlan form. This form is a five-year plan fo

professional growth and development.

Derek McKinley, Business Manager a

USAG Ansbach, Germany, is excited abou

this programs development.

I think this is a great way to develop

IDPs. It will also allow employees to contro

their own careers. If they are more motivated

this will give them direction to continue

their development, McKinley said.

Supervisors have access to a module to

Diane Carr, an instructor at MG Robert M. Joyce Family and MWR Academy, instructs a

class of 18 students in Foundations of Marketing, broken up into four groups. Here she

discusses branding with a group who nicknamed themselves The Real Army Wives as

they brainstorm CYSS youth and teen sports programs. Since the academys inception,

more than 28,400 Family and MWR employees have been trained at all levels in various

FMWR program areas. (Clockwise from left) Melissa Wells of Ft. Campbell, Ky.; Gia Oney of

Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany; Kim Huston of Ft. Bragg, N.C.; and Kathryn Hacker of Ft.

Richardson, Alaska.


This is a set of web-based tools,

to empower all Family and MWR

employees to plan for a successful

career in our enterprise.

Janis Smith,

Academy Deputy Director



assist in coaching and managing their

employeesthe Supervisor Console. This

tool includes a list of every employee they

supervise, their transcripts, PDPs, IDPs

and other documentation. This snapshot

of employees development is helpful in

monitoring training completion.

This will help me as a supervisor to

better prepare myself, not only for my career

development program but also to help

subordinates prepare for their future career with Family and MWR, and its a good

tool to track training, said Eugene Woods,

Financial Readiness Manager, USAG

Bamberg, Germany.

Because the PDP is web-based, it is

available to Family and MWR employees

worldwide, at any time.

Douglas Banks, Assistant Business

Manager, USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany,

believes it will make his job easier in an

environment with a high turnover of staff.

This will be a great training and

organizational tool to develop employees

career paths, Banks said. Although theyrotate in and out every year or two, its a

good centralized location to keep track

of their development plans, Banks said.

The fact that its internet-based means th

employees wont have to start over at their

new duty station.

Through the second quarter of this year

Family and MWR Academy staff have

trained 1,561 supervisors and 459 other key

staff at 45 garrisons.

PDP training for the remaining

Garrisons will be completed by the end o

this year, through either on-site or virtua

sessions.

This is a great way to empower employees toward self-development,

and its a super tool that will help make my job easier.

Payne-Landgraf

CYSS coordinator, USAG Grafenwoehr, Germany

FAMILY AND MWR EMPLOYEE AND CUSTOMER COVENANT

EMPLOYEE COVENANT

Taking care of our customers begins with taking care of you,

our employees.

We are committed to providing a strong, supportive environment

where you can thrive.

To that end, we promise to position you for success with:

A robust orientation to welcome you to the Family and

MWR team

Clear performance standards for service excellence

Formal and informal training to develop your skills

Performance support tools to assist you on the job

A holistic program of recognition and incentives to reward

excellent service

Career development opportunities to reach your full potential

CUSTOMER COVENANT

We are committed to providing quality through service

excellence to our Soldiers and Families commensurate with the

quality of their service to our Nation.

We understand that we create value for our customers through

predictable, consistent, efficient and customer-focused service

To that end, we promise our customers they will:

Always be respected and treated as individuals who are valued

Receive a prompt and friendly greeting in a professional and

courteous manner Experience aesthetically-pleasing facilities

Receive timely, accurate and helpful information

Be offered high quality products and services

Have an opportunity to provide feedback

For more Information: Jason Bell, FMWRC Academy, (703) 275-5056, [email protected]

For more information in using the PDP, several job aidand tutorials are available to assist you in the Perfor-mance Support menu at www.mwraonline.com.



Family and MWR CustomerService Program

By Rob McIlvaine


The Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation

Command recently developed a comprehensive, holistic

Customer Service Program to create and sustain a

customer service culture within FMWRC activities. The

Army Senior Executive Leadership approved the program in Fiscal

Year 2009 and implementation is now underway. This is a dedicated

Family and MWR program to better position employees for success

in serving our customers, in support of the Army Family Covenant.

The initiative establishes 30 customer service coordinators,centrally-funded by FMWRC, who are strategically located across

garrisons worldwide in support of Family and MWR programs.

These coordinators will support Family and MWR Directors

in implementing, monitoring and sustaining the standardized

enterprise program, which aims to increase customer participation

and satisfaction, increase employee job satisfaction, retain high-

performing employees, and sustain employee engagement and

commitment.

Taking care of Soldiers, Families and our Civilian Workforce is a

priority. To that end, MG Reuben D. Jones, Commander, FMWRC,

signed the first Family and MWR Employee and Customer

Covenant, Jan. 25, 2010. This covenant is a promise of excellence to

both employees and customers.

It is a symbol of the commitment we will make to doing busines

a bit differently, understanding the way to provide excellent service

to Soldiers and Families is through our employees, said Mr. Rich

Gorman, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, at the firs

signing event.

According to Gorman, signing events will take place at every

garrison to reinforce Family and MWRs commitment to theemployees and customers we serve every day.

It is a symbol of the commitment we will maketo doing business a bit differently, understanding

the way to provide excellent service to Soldiers

and Families is through our employees.

Mr. Rich Gorman

FMWRC, Chief Operating Officer

MG Reuben D. Jones, FMWR

Commanding General,

signs the Family and MWR

Employee and Customer

Covenant as senior leaders

and 15 newly-hired custome

service coordinators look on

Photo by Eduardo Alejandro,FMWRC Marketing


10/32| P E R S P E C T I V E S Summer 2010

Academy Renamed to HonorArmy Visionary

By Rob McIlvaineFMWRC Public Affairs

The Family and Morale, Welfare

and Recreation Academy

officially became the MG

Robert M. Joyce Family and

MWR Academy during a May 27, 2010,

ceremony. The re-naming ceremony

took place to honor Joyce, who originally

established the Academy to provide Army-

wide training programs for the U.S. Army

Community and Family Support Center

staff.

As commander of USACFSC (now

known as FMWRC), MG Joyce established

policy that would put the command on

track to operate on business principles, while

adding immeasurably to the quality of life

required to sustain an all-volunteer force,

said Rich Gorman, Executive Director and

Chief Operating Officer, FMWRC, in his

letter of support for re-naming the Academyto the IMCOM commander in Oct. 2009.

Joining Gorman in his endorsement

were former CSFC commanders MG (Ret.)

John G. Meyer, Jr. and MG (Ret.) Craig B.

Whelden, along with the current FMWRC

Commander, MG Reuben D. Jones. The

IMCOM Commander, LTG Rick Lynch,

approved the request.

This request is based on MG Joyces

vision, commitment and service to Soldiers,

Families and the MWR workforce during

his 38 years of distinguished service in the

U.S. Army and to the Nation, Jones said.

When MG Robert M. Joyce became the

first commander of the CSFC, he established

the groundwork which would eventually

transform the Armys Morale, Welfare and

Recreation programs into more efficient

operations.

In a paper presented to LTG Allen K.

Ono, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for

Personnel, which outlined his vision, Joyce

clearly stated his reasons for, benefits derivedfrom and methodology for achieving his

goals.

The Army has changed. Soldiers no

longer live in squad barracks with personal

possessions limited to what would fitin

a wall locker and footlockerand they are

trained consumers. We may not be offering

them what they will perceive to be conditions

representative of the relatively affluent,

high-expectation society from which they

have come to us, Joyce said.

Joyces 16-page paper took GEN (Ret.)

John A. Wickhams white paper, The

Army Family, which Wickham and former

Secretary of the Army, Jack Marsh, signed

on Aug. 15, 1983, to a new level with his

vision.

The Chief of Staff s 1983 White

Paper...-reflects a powerful and compelling

commitment to a human goal, unprecedented

not only in its scale, but in its underlying,

unique institutional commitment. Many of

its precepts are totally within the capabilityof the Army to achieve; success will require

the exercise of continuous strong leadership

throughout the chain of command

Examples are a strong sponsorship program

and installation support for families o

deployed Soldiers, Joyce continued in hi

paper.

Ono responded on Sept. 3, 1987: Bob

I-just read your paper on the Army quality

of life programs and arrangement of the

future. Your presentation is clear, thought-

provoking, imaginative, bold It will take

time, perseverance and patience awaiting

opportunities to introduce elements one at a

time. Thank you. You gave me the vision and

inspiration to build a better Army.

Joyce was not one to leave his goals t

chance, nor one to consider himself above

learning and growing, activities he pursued

until his final days here on earth.

Born on Oct. 2, 1928, in Cleveland

Ohio, he graduated from the United State

Mrs. Virginia Ginny Joyce, along with MG Reuben D. Jones, unveil the MG Robert M.

Joyce Family and MWR Academy plaque at the Academy renaming ceremony, May 27. Mrs.

Joyce was joined by her family and friends, who traveled from Hawaii, Ohio and Florida.




Military Academy at West Point in 1953

and then stormed ahead, first as a field

artillery commander, and for the rest of his

life as a student of learning. He received an

MBA from George Washington University

in Washington, D.C., and continued his

studies at the Armed Forces Staff College

in Norfolk, Va., the Industrial College of

the Armed Forces and seminars at Harvard

University and the UCLA Business

Management School.

Joyce was a Soldiers Soldier. During the

1960s and following his formal education,

he served in Vietnam with the 1st Infantry

Division, after which he was appointed

commander of the U.S. Army Personnel

Center in Germany from 1968 to 1970. Hethen served as a staff officer in the Adjutant

Generals Office in Washington, D.C.

Following his command of the 1st

Personnel Command in Europe, Joyce

became the Deputy Adjutant General of

the U.S. Army in 1979. He was appointed

the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army in

1981, a position he held until 1984, when he

assumed the first command of the CFSC, a

position he held until his retirement in 1987.

Out of his own educational experiences,

lifelong love of learning and a desire to bringMWR staff up to date with current business

models and further their education in the

MWR field, MG Joyce ordered the creation

of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation

Academy.

After retirement from the Army, he

enrolled in the Corcoran College of Art

and Design in Washington, D.C., where

he furthered his artistic skills as a painter

and portraitist. He also became involved

in renovations of historical homes in the

DuPont Circle area of Washington, D.C.

In Sept. 1989, Joyce was elected to

membership in the Academy of Senior

Professionals at Eckerd College in St.

Petersburg, Fla. While at Eckerd, he was

involved in research, lecturing and student

administration, as well as membership in the

Creative Arts Collegium.

Since its establishment in 1987, with

class instruction beginning a year later, the

Academys location has moved several times

until the current doors opened on it s current

location in Alexandria, Virginia. Next year

the Academy will move again, to Fort Sam

Houston, Texas, into a building designed to

the Academys specifications.

Because of BRAC law, the mandatorydeadline for completion of the Academys

new building at Fort Sam Houston, Texas,

is Sept. 2011.

While the address has changed, the

Academys goals still reflect Joyces original

vision.

Before the original academy doors

opened, Joyce wanted to attain

organizational and management goals that

would be uniform, standard, simple and

flexible, he wrote in a Feb. 1985, Joint

Message.The goal is to develop a career

management system for MWR personnel.

The objectives require that the system

developed do the following: attain

organizational and management goals,

provide for adequate training, maintain

Appropriated Funds funding, promote

improved productivity, provide APF

manpower spaces for MWR, preserve

MACOM (Major Army Command)

prerogatives, preserve employee benefits,

follow Army leadership and Army o

excellence policies, improve service to

Soldiers and Families, maintain legality

satisfy congressional mandates (funding)

protect union interests, incorporate

employee concerns, be affordable, be

competitive professionally (career ladder)

provide a proactive working atmosphere

provide for special employment (spouses

veterans, Family members), and establis

forecasting needs methodology.

Continuing in his letter to LTG Ono

Joyce summed up what CSFC strived fo

each day:

Military installations are not evil, no

are they intentionally dehumanizing; neithe

are they cradles of free enterprise like therest of American society. It is the proposition

of this paper that the only things wrong with

them are things that could be improved by

prudent inculcation of free enterprise values

further, that we can better provide for the

needs of the Army Family by application

of free enterprise principles; and finally tha

if we truly intend to protect the most vita

aspects of the military career and at the same

time produce more self-reliant, proud and

loyal Soldiers, we had better get on with

updating our vision of what the military lifeought to be like in contemporary America.

Although he succumbed to cancer on

Oct. 11, 2008, the memory of MG Rober

M. Joyce, thanks to the Army Memoria

Program, will live on with this fitting tribute

to his lifes goals for Soldiers and thei

Families by re-naming the academy in hi

honor.

MG Joyce is survived by his wife, Mrs

Virginia Joyce, their five children and six

grandchildren.

The MG Robert M. Joyce Family and MWR Academy is a full-fledged brick and mortar institution

of professional learning and career development. The Academy includes numerous subject

matter experts in various areas of U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation

activities. Nearly 100 courses are offered at the Academy through online or classroom formats.

Currently, 39 courses have received college credit recommendations from the American

Council on Education (ACE) and graduates are increasingly transferring them to colleges and

universities to receive college credits. Since its inception, more than 28,400 FMWRC employees

have been trained in various program areas, at numerous levels. Today, the Academy continuesto provide cutting-edge, online learning and performance support tools.

For more information: https://www.mwraonline.com/index.asp

MG Robert M. Joyce



Family and MWR Logo HasChanged to Reflect Customer Base

By Rob McIlvaine


Major General Reuben D. Jones, Family and MWR

commanding general, unveiled the new Family

and MWR logo on April 24, 2010, at the U.S.

Army Soldier Show.

As brand ambassadors, Family and MWR Marketing offices will

assist other Family and MWR programs and services as they

transition from the old to new brand over the next two years.

The improved design, which has replaced For All Of Your Life

with Soldiers Families Retirees Civilians, will be phased in over 24

months to minimize costs.

In the early 80s a study by a public relations firm advised the

Army that Soldiers and their Families had persistent confusion abou

what MWR meant because the brand at each installation looked and

sounded different.

Over the last two decades, what was once Special Servicesa

small branch of the U.S. Army primarily managing the club system

has grown to become the multi-billion-dollar Family and MWR

Command, which manages virtually every aspect of Family support

Our customers are important to us,and we wanted to integrate them

directly into the logo.

MG Reuben D. Jones

FMWRC Commanding General



child care, youth services, and recreational programming for the

Army.Along the way, logos representing the command have morphed

from the old Community and Family Support Center logo (some

still refer to it as the recycling symbol), to the hemisphere logo, and

finally, the full globe were familiar with today.

Complicating the issue are a multitude of logos for individual

programs and activities within the command, including, but not

limited to, distinctive logos for Better Opportunities for Single

Soldiers; Child, Youth and School Services; Army Community

Service; Army Lodging; Armed Forces Recreation Centers; and a

host of others.

Adding to this complexity is the designation of FMWRC as asubordinate command to the Installation Management Command

(which recently unveiled a new logo for their organization) and the

sweeping organizational changes across the Army. FMWRC has been

gathering information on brand awareness and obtaining feedback to

provide relevant and factual data and assist in this important decision.

Multiple focus groups and surveys were conducted with enlisted

Soldiers, officers, spouses, retirees and civilian employees. In the end,

it was determined the resources devoted to building brand equity over

the past decade were a good investment. Focus groups recognized

the brand as related to traditional MWR activities primarily

recreational and entertainment activities, where the logo is most

frequently used. However, the groups were unclear on the intended

audience and customer base. In many cases, they didnt associate

the logo with other services such as Family Readiness Groups,

Child, Youth and School Services, and other more Family-oriented

programs and services offered by the command.

A redesign wasnt called for, but a change was needed to help

connect with our customers in a more relevant manner.

Our customers are important to us, Jones said, and we wanted

to integrate them directly into the logo.

The change, according to FMWRC leadership, was brought

about to strengthen the Family and MWR brand identity and provide

a logo that reflects the entire Family and MWR audience: Soldiers,

Families, Retirees and Civilians.

This initiative will provide stability and familiarity during these

times of operational and organizational change. It will also allow

FMWRC to reduce customer and employee confusion over Family

and MWR identity and re-educate our internal and external

customers, Jones said.

Though the change to the logo is small, ensuring the new logos

roll-out is done in a fiscally responsible manner is key. FMWRC

Directorates at the installation level still remember the impact of

replacing the hemisphere with the full globe logo less than a decadeago, and the memory of the cost of the name change required when

the unit became a command less than four years ago is still fresh.

Jones said FMWRC is unable to provide additional financia

support for costs incurred as a result of this logo change. This is one

of the reasons garrisons have up to two years to change out those

items that are more costly, such as signage and displays.

We encourage garrisons to deplete existing inventory o

promotional materials first, and over the next two years, phase out

temporary and permanent signage, working to reach an end state of

new logo signage by May 1, 2012, Jones said.

With such a long phasing period, budgeting can be forecastedto cover these expenses, he said.

The Marketing Directorate at headquarters will provide enterprise

buys and assist Directors of Family and MWR Programsand thei

marketing staffsmuch as possible during the transition.

The command is also using this opportunity to clarify confusion

still evident from the name change that took place when the command

became subordinate to IMCOM, more specifically, the verbal and

written references to FMWRC and the acronym.

When referencing the command organization, always speak o

write FMWRC or Family and MWR Command.

When referencing command programs and services, speak o

write Family and MWR. FMWR is not acceptable.

When referencing DFMWR, speak or write DFMWR o

Director Family and MWR.

Marketing has prepared a brand policy memo and is updating the

Family and MWR branded advertising campaign. These tools will be

provided to the garrisons late summer 2010.

Meanwhile, garrisons should visit www.mwrbrandcentral.com for

new usage guidelines, voice and written guidelines, photos, layou

templates and a whole host of additional resources and tools.

Our customers are our number one priority and including them

in our tagline emphasizes this point, said Joseph Rayzor, FMWRC

Director of Marketing. Utilizing the existing and familiar blue world

logo with the new red tagline also allows us to maximize brand equity

while simultaneously moving the brand to the next level.

Stay a step ahead: Visit www.mwrbrandcentral.com

for the latest information on new logo usage and

brand implementation.

MG Reuben D. Jones unveils new Family and MWR logo at the U.S. Army Soldier Show, April 24.

Photo by Rob McIlvaine FMWRC Public Affairs



Families Joining the Army HaveExperienced Shoulders to Lean onThroughout Training and Beyond

By Rob McIlvaine


The Army has come a long way

from the days when new

recruits primarily consisted

of young, single men. During

these economic times, the Army now

welcomes older, married men and women

with children, and the Families and spousesof these prospective recruits are no longer

content to sit in the background during the

recruitment process.

Up until a few years ago, incoming

Soldiers only had the local Army recruiter

to answer their questions. All that changed

when the Future Soldier Center began

operations in May, 2006, at the U.S. Army

Recruiting Command. The goal was to

reduce attrition occurring between signing

up and shipping off to basic training.

With FSC, the recruiter, who often

wasnt aware of a potential recruits personal

problems, such as a high school seniors

trouble with English, now has a backup

team of recruiters many of whom are the

spouses of retired NCOs to screen calls

and keep interest alive from that first call to

active enlistment, said Cyber/FSC Branch

Manager John Dunlosky, a former guidance

counselor.

When the Future Soldier Center first

began making direct phone calls to future

Soldiers, the staff often found themselves

speaking with the spouse or Family member.

Through these direct interactions, it became

obvious the spouses had many questions.

The FSC began to look at ways to

provide better service to meet the needs of

these Family members before and after their

new Soldier departed for basic training.

In response to this demand, the Family

Information Center was formed with the

goal of becoming a one-stop source of

available information for future spouses and

Family members as they embark on their

new lifestyle.

During direct contact with a new

spouse, FIC reps can uncover issues

which could lead to a future Soldier not

shipping. These issues are forwarded to the

owning recruiting station and local chain

of command so they can determine if any

action is necessary, Dunlosky said.

This direct notification and open

communication between the FIC and the

field has helped to provide an opportunity

for early intervention, resulting in the

successful sustainment of the Soldier.

The earlier a new Soldier and Family

member can become aware of the Army

Family and what it means to be a part of

the Army team, the greater the propensity

that this new Soldier will honor their

commitment to enlist and successfully ship

to training, Dunlosky said.

And with many spouses and Family

members living far off base, FSC provided

the connection needed to not only know

the programs and benefits available, but also

to have that valuable connection to their

husband, wife, son or daughter, all thanks to

The Army One Source program

provides excellent information and

assistance for most day-to-day

issues. Soldiers and their Families

can visit www.armyonesource.com or

call 1-800-464-8107 for assistance.

Not unlike engineers at a NASA control room, 45 representatives in the Future Soldier Center

regularly communicate with prospective Soldiers. Within this group at Headquarters, U.S. Army

Recruiting Command, Fort Knox, Ky., four current or retired senior leader spouses, collectively

known as the Family Information Center, bring a wide array of experiences and background to

share with the new spouse through phone calls, emails, online live-chat and social networking

and blogging.




to the Army Family Covenant.

These arent empty words. Thiscovenant is fully embraced by the recruiters

who are themselves current or retired senior

leader spouses, whove walked the walk and

talked the talk, Dunlosky said.

All FIC representatives have experience

with Family Readiness Groups and Army

Family Team Building support actions.

Theyve been through multiple

deployments, PCS moves, kids changing

schools, job changes and searches, and much

more, which lends instant credibility to

their conversations with the young spouses

asking those very same types of questions,

Dunlosky said.

Its important that the reps are truly

experienced and prepared to helpnot just

a phone operator reading off a script.

The FIC reps are the face of Family

programs to a spouse and they are the first

introduction to how the Army will take care

of the Family, said J.C. Abney, Deputy to

the Commanding General, Family and

Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.

Armed with the realization that theirFamily is being taken care of, the new

Soldier can move forward to training much

more confident knowing their spouse has

someone to turn to for support and answers,

Dunlosky said.

During 2009, future Soldiers who had a

spouse actively participating in the FIC

program experienced a 98.5% ship success

rate. Currently, more than 1,000 married

future Soldiers ship on a monthly basis.

The choice to participate in FIC

enrollment is completely voluntary. It

is open only to validated future Soldier

spouses. This controlled registration and

membership creates a unique community

inwhich the spouse feels secure and confidentin interacting and asking questions.

The FIC conducts their communications

through telephone calls, emails, online

live-chat and social networking, such as

blogging through the www.armyfic.com

website. Here, future Army spouses an

Family members can become part of a

steadily growing and extremely active online

community. In the event of an emergency, al

new spouses are provided a hotline number

available 24/7.

More than 2,300 new spouses haveenrolled in the FIC program in 2010

according to Dunlosky.

Those numbers could incr

dramatically; on April 1 alone, 41,000

Soldiers were waiting to ship out. Of those

5,500 are married.

FIC representative Cindy Smith

frequently asks callers, If tomorrow is your

ship date, would you be ready to go?

The questions posed to Cindy b

incoming Family members range in topic

from TRICARE and PCSing, to when am

I getting my orders? and what should my

Soldier bring to basic training?

The reps get the names of married future

Soldiers from FSC and then send out email

with answers to a number of commo

questions, such as how long they will be

away from their spouses, or if a spouse is

scheduled to accompany their Soldier, wha

child care assistance is available.

This facility, at U.S. Army Recruitin

Command, is staffed with 45 representatives

with more than 400 years of combine

Army experience, spanning 65 differen

military occupation specialties. Some of the

staff speak Korean, Spanish and Chinese to

Family members of new recruits waiting to ship to basic training dont have to wait

to learn about the Army Family and whats in store for them when they join their

Soldier at his or her permanent duty station. The Future Soldier and Family

Information Centers are available to answer questions and provide support before

the prospective Soldier even swears the oath of enlistment.

When the FIC reps provide spouses with usefulinformation about what it means to be a part of the Army

Family, this helps to reconfirm the potential recruitsdecision to join and make the Army their home.

Ed Jarriel, FIC Program Manager

Cindy Smith, who has worked at the Family

Information Center at Ft. Knox for two years,

brings over two decades of military experi-

ence as an Army spouse and mom to future

spouses wanting to know more about what it

means to be a member of the Army Family.


the Army Family Covenant.



better serve many of the international

Cindy Smith, who has worked at FIC for

two years, is married to a now retired 1SG

who served 25 years. All three of their

children are in the military: one son served as

a tanker for eight years and earned a Bronze

Star for his service in Fallujah, a city in the

Iraqi province of Al Anbar; another son has

been an Air Force crew chief for eight years;

and her daughter is a CPT in the Air Force,

serving at the Pentagon.

Rosemary Deckard, another FIC rep,served as an Army MP and is married to a

MSG now serving at the Inspector Generals

office for USAREC Headquarters. She was

also an Army recruiter for 15 years, as well as

an FRG leader.

We try to give a welcoming experience.

Throughout this process of us explaining

and reassuring, the spouses seem to blossom,

and in turn, want to help others, Deckard

said.

Not only has the program had a positive

impact on retentionfrom signing to ship

dateits creating a stronger Army Family

once the recruit has completed training.

Many spouses who have been supported

by FIC have stepped forward to be involved

in unit support groups, thanks in part to the

Army Family Team Building classes offered

through Army OneSource. Some are even

becoming mentors for new Army spouses.

Once the Soldiers shipped to training,

we were officially done communicating with

them. But it became obvious that the spouseswanted to stay involved, Dunlosky said.

Mentors, once theyre on the ground,

can provide the correct information about

what to expect, Deckard said, adding this

is something thats been lacking when

informing spouses about their future duty

station.

Now were able to follow the new

Soldiers and their Families from enlistment

through BT and AIT and then to their first

duty station, Deckard said.

Mentors link up with Family Readiness

Group leaders who now can be alerted

to incoming spouses requiring child care,

help with school enrollment and available

employment opportunities.

And once the FRG leaders know about

the incoming spouses, they can meet the

Families at the gate or in a reception area,

Dunlosky said.

We currently have 14 mentors located

in Germany, Alaska, Hawaii, Ft. Lewis, Ft.

Bragg, Ft. Drum, Korea, Ft. Benning even White Sands Missile Range, Dunlosky

said.

My goal is to have multiple mentors at

each installation. In fact, in a pretty short

time, I expect to have five or six mentors at

every duty station, Dunlosky said.

Amee Jones and her husband have been

married almost five years. They enlisted in

the Army last September and they have one

two-year-old child.

When I first joined FIC, I was amazed

how out of touch and unprepared I was.

But thanks to Cindy and Rosemary, I was

quickly brought up to speed. And to become

better informed, I took all of the AFTB

classes and the mentor training. It covers a

range of things from the way the Army is

structured to proper etiquette and leadership

skills, Jones said.

She is now a mentor at Ft. Drum.

I am their friend and an information

source for them. They do not need to come

here in fear of what do I do now? They can

meet with me or the other mentor and get

the help they need to make this transition

smoother, Jones said.

Jones says that a spouse can feel

disconnected regardless of whether he or she

lives on or off the installation. She counsels

new spouses to get involvednot just on the

installation, but in the community, as well.

The important thing is to step over your

fears and ask questions, she said. I went

to my ACS and they had all the answers

I needed and more. I recommend Family

members and spouses take AFTB classes

at their installation, because they not only

provide information about the Army but also

about the installation, and which programs

are available to help with certain problems.

Realizing that others have gone through

the same worries and fears, and knowingtheres people at the Family Information

Center, Army Community Service, Family

Readiness Groups and mentors available

helps.

Jones believes spouses feel lost goin

through the process of joining the Army

and arriving at their first duty station. While

Soldiers are away training, their spouses

have minimal contact with them. But the

Army Family Covenant continues to work

to make the process smoother.

FIC is here because of the Army FamilyCovenant. There are programs available to

dependants free of charge because of this

covenant. It is important for spouses and

other dependants to understand that there

are benefits out there and why they are

there. AFC is the only way we can voice

our concerns, attempt to make change for

the better and get our issues resolved, Jone

said.

The Army Family Covenant became a

commitment in October 2007, with

the message to provide a quality of lifecommensurate with their service. This

statement cannot become a clich. Our

Soldiers are facing dangers every day they

serve, Abney said.

Our commitment at Family and MWR

Command needs to be just as strong as the

Soldiers commitment on the battlefield, he

continued.

Knowing their Families feel secure in

their new lifestyle, thanks to the covenant

the FIC reps who helped them get started in

their new lifestyle and the mentors at their

home garrison, the Soldier can concentrate

completely on his or her mission.

When the FIC reps provide spouse

with useful information about what it means

to be a part of the Army Family, this helps to

reconfirm the potential recruits decision to

join and make the Army their home.

Our commitment at Family and MWRCommand needs to be just as strong as theSoldiers commitment on the battlefield.

J.C. Abney, Deputy to the Comm ander, FMWRC

better serve many of the international callers.

For more information: Contact your loca

recruiting station or ACS office.


17/32Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V ESummer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S

Calling AllEmployees to

Help Promotethe U.S. ArmySoldier Show

By Tim Hipps


The need to aggressively market, promote and publicize

Army Entertainment Divisions marquee event

the U.S. Army Soldier Show should be high on

every Director of Family and Morale, Welfare and

Recreations just do it list, particularly when the show is headed to

their installation.

Senior leadership at the Armys Family and Morale, Welfare and

Recreation Command believe no seat should be vacant for this

entertainment for the Soldier, by the Soldier. The goal of the U.S.

Army Soldier Show, which provides suitable entertainment for

Family members of all ages, is to attract standing-room-only crowds

wherever the troops perform.

You should be using a packed house as a method to raise

awareness about other Family and MWR activities on your garrison,

said Carrie Pollard, an FMWRC Marketing Account Manager. You

should enhance the event with your local information, so that while

they are getting the big picture and seeing talented Soldiers and the

feel-good of the Soldier Show, they can also learn about local Family

and MWR programming and find out where they can get involved.

A packed house increases brand loyalty towards FMWRC,

Pollard said, and each person attending is a person who might come

back and use other facilities and attend other events and activities.

A plethora of Soldier Show material is available to editors of

installation newspapers, magazines and websites. Visit www.ArmyMWR.com and click on Rec & Leisure, Entertainment, U.S.

Army Soldier Show and then Media Kit, for a schedule and a preview

of the 2010 Soldier Show, which can be localized to your location

with show dates, times and sites. It also lists cast and crew member

and includes both bios and photos.

If your installation has a Soldier among the cast or crew, crafting

an article about that performer or technicianpreferably before th

show comes to townwill give their friends, co-workers or member

of their unit, additional incentive to attend.

If a cast or crew member comes from your hometown and they

have a great story, or were stationed at your Army garrison, you can

make that a bigger story, Pollard said. Play it up in your promotion

and play it up in your ads. Thats how you build a loyal fan base

We want you to build loyal customers who will grow the fan base

Remind readers and viewers that its their fellow Soldiers on stage o

behind the scenes making it happen.

The media kit includes enough high-resolution photographs t

wrap around a preview article for a double-truck layout of a broad

sheet or tabloid-style newspaper. By running material at least two

or three weeks prior to the show arriving at your installation, youre

planting the seed. Remind readers again with shorter articles or stand

alone photos as the performance date draws closer and use feature

about local cast and crew the week of the show to peek interest again

and draw traffic through the doors.

This strategy worked well at Fort Campbell, where seating i

scarce, in spite of the fact the installation runs three shows over th

course of two days.We tease early, but really hit it hard on the days leading up to the

event, said Melissa Schaffner, Fort Campbells Director of Family

and MWR.

Generational research tells us people dont make decisions abou

what they are going to do until they see if something better is going

to come along, so youve got to keep hitting the audience with mor

information in the 48 hours prior to the event. Thats something I

think is really important, especially when youre talking about the 18

to 25-year-old market of Soldiers and young Families.

In addition to cast and bios, the media kit found at www

ArmyMWR.com also features information about Soldier Show

Who makes the decision about what theFamilies are going to do? The spouses doSo all my data about all my events is goingout to the spouses at home in their in-box.

Melissa Schaffner, Fort Campbell Marketing

SSG Kamisha Edwards of Fort Hood, Texas, sings Party in the USA during rehearsals

2010 U.S. Army Soldier Show at Wallace Theater on Fort Belvoir, Va.

Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs



operations, cast selection, history and sponsorship all great

information for additional articles and publicity. While this is the

27th season of the modern era of the U.S. Army Soldier Show, many

in the militarys ever-changing demographic are not aware of what

the show is all about.

We assume people know what the U.S. Army Soldier Show is,

but they do not, Pollard said. I cant tell you the number of times

people have asked me, What is the Soldier Show? It sounds kind ofboring. Is it a bunch of briefings or what is it? I think weve gotten

away from telling people what the Soldier Show is and we really need

to get back to the basics because we have a lot of turnover.

The people who came to the Soldier Show in 2000 either arent

coming any more or are loyal customers, Pollard said. But we need

to grow the base. So how do we get new customers?

We have to remind everyone what it is again and make it exciting.

Thats my goal: to re-teach new audiences.

Pollard says one audience often missed is right outside the

installations gates.

Go out to recruiting stations and invite them to the Soldier

Show. Have them invite any recruiters or potential recruits who comethrough. What a cool way to say, Hey, are you thinking about joining

the Army? Come to our Soldier Show next Saturday night and see

what the Army is about, see talented Soldiers having fun in their

career. Open it up to your local community and invite high school

students and their Families.

I always love bringing my friends and Family who dont work for

Family and MWR to the show. When you bring someone from the

outside and watch their expressions and how excited they are about

those Soldiers, they walk out of the theater with a newfound pride

and they become new loyal customers.

Another piece of the media kit explains the philosophy, mission

and history of FMWRC, which provides more programs and services

than most Soldiers and Family members realize. Information can also

be expanded upon and localized to promote several other programs

and activities on each and every installation, in addition to the Soldier

Show itself.

The venues walls, trophy cases and parking lots are all marketing

opportunities. If you get more folks to the U.S. Army Soldier Show,

you can lead them to more Family and MWR programs and activities.

Put up a plasma TV in the lobby and roll digital signs of your

local events, Pollard suggested. Have a representative discuss

upcoming local events with people waiting in the lobby or put a flyer

in seats inviting audience members to a special event coming up at

your local garrison.

Consider handing out coupons or samples. Promote everything

for example, if you have a display under a tent advertising a Family

and MWR program or activity, remember to put a sign on the tent

itself saying Rent this tent for your backyard event!

Newspaper articles and posters are effective, but dont forget to

approach local radio and television stations about public service

announcements for the showparticularly in smaller markets.

Social media is another avenue to promote the Soldier Show.

In the few months I have had U.S. Army Fort Carson on

Facebook, we now have over 2,000 fans, and not all are from the

installation, said Douglas Rule, the Public Affairs Command

Information Chief at Fort Carson, Colo. Were also using Twitter

If you have video on YouTube, let the people know so they can link i

on their sites. The same goes for photos on Flickr.

Rule also uses CSFreshInk.com, where small talk is a big deal. I

is produced by The Gazette, the daily newspaper in Colorado Springs

The Denver Post has a similar site called YourHub.com, an on-lin

newspaper of sorts that is becoming increasingly popular.We can do stories they call them blogs right on major news

sources websites, Rule said.

Incorporate side campaigns, such as the Army Family and

Community Covenants, Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, and I. A.M

STRONGthe latter two of which are 2010 U.S. Army Soldie

Show sponsorsto give another angle to the pre-event coverage.

Play snippets on garrison television programming, or run you

own PowerPoint or video presentations on large screen TV

wherever people are standing in line at facilities.

Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers is a big supporter of th

Soldier Show. Get them involved by asking them to pitch in and help

promote the show through their communications channels. The local Family Readiness Support Assistant should also b

called upon to help promote the event.

Go to the lead person on top of all those garrison FRSAs,

Schaffner said. I e-mail her every press release and every flier

getting information to her digitally and then she shoots it out to

all the other brigades, which goes to the battalions, which goes to the

companies, which gets out to the FRG leaders, and they send it on

to their POCs.

Who makes the decision about what the Families are going to

do? The spouses do, Schaffner explained. So all my data about al

my events is going out to the spouses at home in their in-box by

sending it to one person, and thats the lead FRSA because she ha

the connections to all those FRG leaders via e-mail. It goes out like

crazy. Pretty cool stuff. You just have to know who that person is and

SPC David Plasterer of Camp Hovey, Korea, and PFC Andrew Clouse

of Fort Gordon, Ga., perform Walking on Sunshine during rehearsal

at Wallace Theater on Fort Belvoir, Va.

Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs


19/32Summer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V ESummer 2010 P E R S P E C T I V E S

make them a friend. Its about relationship building.

VIP performances should be pitched as such, but dont forget to

make sure the rest of the community is still fully aware of the

opportunity. Dont offend or frighten away people by making a big

deal about the VIP treatment, and never list seating as being limited.

If a potential patron is waffling on attending, the perception of anoverflow crowd and/or limited seating will sway the decision against

you.

Schaffner learned this lesson the hard way.

We have a 700-seat theater and we usually get three shows out of

the Soldier Show and we are pretty much full every time. Schaffner

said. In the past, we ticketed it by giving out free business card-sized

tickets through our Leisure Travel office in the main PX so people

knew they had guaranteed seats.

But people took tickets and then something better came along

and they didnt go, and that left empty seats. So instead of ticketing,

now we just say first-come, first-served

and they start lining up out the door. W

have to have fire department and polic

support all around our theater for traffi

control and to make sure the line is not ou

in the street. Its huge, Schaffner added.

After all, it is a free show, and wher

offered, concessions are usually affordabl

When it comes to concessioconsider offering them discounted o

free: what better way to lure away die

hard fans of major pizza chains than wit

samples and coupons for the on-pos

establishments?

Do not forget to lean on the Defens

Commissary Agency and Army and A

Force Exchange Service to help promot

the show in stores and gas stations on pos

Ask to have the show announced over th

intercom to shoppers.

This year, for the first time, werputting up a poster in all of the AAFE

facilities, funded and distributed from

headquarters, Pollard said. That

something new. But local marketers ca

take it a step further, especially if theyr

willing to do the leg work.

When the Soldier Show is comin

customers shouldnt be able to walk int

a Family and MWR facility anywher

on post without seeing a poster, Pollar

said. It takes time, and effort, and a littl

money to print the posters, but its wort

the effortespecially if you use this as a

opportunity to cross promote other Famil

and MWR programs and activities.

Off-post businesses will also proudl

display Soldier Show posters. The use o

electronic marquees to greet people as the

drive onto nearly every installation is another great way to promot

the Soldier Show. Of course, there is always word of mouth.

We underestimate a personal invitation, Pollard said. Havin

employees personally invite customers is huge and dont forget t

use RecTrac to send customers a Save the Date message.Bottom line: it is up to you and yours to help pack the house

Then you can relax and enjoy the show, all the while knowing yo

did your part to support the U.S. Army Soldier Show and your othe

installation Family and MWR programs, too.

Its a free night out, Schaffner concluded. And you feel goo

about your country. Hooah!

For more information visit www.mwrbrandcentral.com

MARKETING TIPS FOR PROMOTING THE

Cross-promote with other Family and MWR programs on your garrison.

Feature local cast and crew members in articles, posters and advertisements.

Run stories or photos in the garrison paper every week before the show, up to

three weeks in advance.

Use social media to reach the younger audiences.

Remember, not everyone knows what the show is. Educate your customers.

Invite recruiters: Encourage them to invite potential recruits or local JROTC

units.

Ask locally-owned radio stations or local cable stations to run PSAs.

Use major medias smaller outletsincluding online calendars and blogs.

Involve the local Family Readiness Group leaders.

Offer free or discounted concessions.

Put up posters everywhere, including AAFES, the Commissary and franchised

retail and food activities on post.

Ask off-post civilian establishments to display posters.

Use relationships with sponsors.

people dont make decisions about what they are going to do

until they see if something better is going to come along, so youvegot to keep hitting them with it in the 48 hours prior to the event.

Melissa Schaffner, Marketing Director, Fort Campbell

SOLDIER SHOW ON YOUR INSTALLATION



Fort Benning Rolls OutOperation Excellence

Donna Hyatt

Ft. Benning Marketing

Fort Bennings Family and MWR

Directorate recently rolled out

Operation Excellence, providing

managers and key personnel an

initial one-day intensive training session

geared toward providing first-class service.

Following a philosophy of leadership,

teamwork and problem-solving resulting

in continuous improvement, Operation

Excellence focuses on the needs of thecustomer by empowering employees and

optimizing existing activities.

Providing excellent service to Soldiers

and Families falls right in line with Fort

Bennings Commanding General, MG

Michael Ferriters post mission priorities

of enhancing the quality of life for Soldiers

and Families, operating in a climate of

teamwork, discipline, standards and safety,

while demonstrating inspired leadership.

When I go into any place on Fort

Benning, whether its a training site,

shoppette, one of the clubs or wherever I go,

I always look at that place from the eyes of a

Private, said Ferriter, speaking to members

of one training session. These men and

women are the best in the country and so

are you. They deserve dignity and respect,

energy and enthusiasm from our actions. I

also want you to realize that the day is morefun when were having fun.

By stressing the need to continually

improve by forging a stronger teamwork

atmosphere, Operation Excellence relies

heavily on customer feedback. The

Interactive Customer Evaluation (ICE)

system is strongly promoted on post.

Weve had ICE, Mystery Shoppers and

detailed service guidance for years, said Al

Gelineau, Fort Bennings Family and MWR

Director, but Operation Excellence is fa

more comprehensive than any training weve

ever held before.

Mystery Shoppers, or anonymous

community members who evaluate and

report on service they receive from garrison

Family and MWR programs, have been

an intergral part of Fort Bennings MWR

program.

Following the shop, evaluators

complete an electronic report that compares

the customers evaluation to comparable

commercial establishments and provides the

results to the garrison.

Empathy and providing service beyond

the norm is stressed repeatedly throughou

the training. Operation Excellence

emphasizes continuous improvement which

not only develops quality human relations

but also reduces operational cost and waste

without affecting quality and timely delivery

of the products and services.According to Sherri Coreano, For

Bennings first Customer Service

Coordinator, the initial session trained

approximately one tenth of Fort Benning

850+ Family and MWR personnel.

Centrally funded by FMWRC and

strategically placed across 30 Army

garrisons, the goals of the Family and MWR

Customer Service Program are increased

customer participation and satisfaction

higher employee job satisfaction, retention o

high-performing employees and continuedemployee engagement and commitment.

Immediate plans are to have every

Family and MWR employee on post take

part in the initial training by the end of the

calendar year. Additional training and a

Family and MWR Employee and Custome

Covenant signing are projected to occur later

in the year.

For more information contact Donna Hyatt, Fort BenningMarketing Office, [email protected]

MG Michael Ferriter explains the importance of Operation Excellence during a Family and MWR

employee training session at Fort Benning.

Courtesy photo



Award-winning Stable TheaterBrings Broadway to Germany

By Simon Hupfer

USAG Bamberg, Marketing

and Rob McIlvaine


The U.S. Army Garrison Bamberg Stable Theater is

known for its award-winning productions. During last

years Tournament of Plays Awards Ceremony, the

theaters March production of Once on this Island

received 22 nominations and five awards.

The Topper golden statues are coveted prizes, awarded annually

to individuals and ensembles from Installation Management

Command-Europe theaters.

About 60 years ago, though, the old brick building held the stables

for the prize-winning horses of COL Claus von Stauffenbergs

German 17th Cavalry Regiment while he was stationed there during

World War II. Stauffenberg, one of the officers who attempted to

assassinate Hitler, was played by Tom Cruise in the film, Operation

Valkyrie, produced by United Artists, 2008.

Rather than the stamping of hooves on cobblestones, the sounds

heard today upon entering might be the tickling of 88s as a pianist

runs up and down the scales.

With posters and flyers lining the old walls, a visitor passing an

office, which could have been a tack room for the cavalry, might

hear Jack Austin, Entertainment Director, discussing the cast of the

upcoming musical The King and I with co-worker James Fredrick.

The little jewel case for American theater and musical culture,

then, has two unique histories.

We really exist by about 100 volunteers who support our show

as actors, technicians, set builders and costume designers, Austin

said. Every year he and the Stable Theater Family, as he calls it, pu

together four to six shows.

These shows are really our bread and butter, Austin said.

The most rewarding aspect about my job is that we can do

something to impact these Families and Soldiers, Austin said. Ou

volunteers sometimes lose themselves here; they enjoy just immersing

in the work. People tell me they feel at home and welcome here.

think because we offer a creative freedom people dont find very easily

in their everyday lives.

The recreational benefit of being part of this creative Family can

be over-estimated, according to Austin.

We had a Soldier approach me before he left Bamberg. He

thanked us effusively, and said we probably saved his life. He had

obviously gone through some difficult times, but here, being

appreciated among fellow performers helped him; here he succeeded

and felt part of a great team, Austin said.

It took Austin some time to realize the importance of appreciating

his volunteers as customers, the second, maybe the first side of my

customer base, as he puts it. The other, of course, is the audienc

Our volunteers sometimes losethemselves here; they enjoy justimmersing in the work. People

tell me they feel at home andwelcome here. I think becausewe offer a creative freedom

people dont find very easily

in their everyday lives.

Jack Austin, Entertainment Director

Production still from the Stable Theater

production, Emma.

Photo courtesy of the Stable Theater



that comes to see the shows, to take instrument lessons, or to use the

practice rooms or the new fully equipped recording studio.

When Austin, 52, became the Entertainment Director for Family

and Morale, Welfare and Recreation at U.S. Army Garrison

Bamberg, Germany, in 2001, he came over as a dependant. His wifehad accepted a job as a therapist with the Army, so he stayed home

and took care of their two daughters.

I was actually Mr. Mom at that time, Austin said.

As a certified architect and operations director of a mid-sized

design firm, he was involved in designing performing arts theaters

around Philadelphia. On occasion, he also

played the piano, bass or percussion in local

theater productions. His skills as musician,

designer and carpenter were welcomed at the

theater in Bamberg where he volunteered for

about a year before applying for his current

position.

Steven Schwartzs Pippin was the first

show I saw on Broadway, the one that lit my

fire for musical theater. So it was also the first show we did here in

Bamberg when I took charge of the entertainment operation, Austin

said. The show was a success and a rewarding experience.

Today, organizing and running special events like the Soldier

Show or 4th of July celebrations also fall within his and assistant

James Fredricks lane, as well as taking care of the bands that tour

military installations, including artists such as Crunk, rapper LiL

Jon, country rock singer Edwin McCain, fun punk band LIT and,

just recently, the Gospel Tour Lift Up your Spirit.

We documented 24,000 contact hours in the last twelv

monthsface time with our customerswith a staff of two,

Austin said with pride. Being proud of the communitys talent als

manifests itself in the record that Bamberg Stable Theater holdsThirteen Topper Awardsthe U.S. Armys Oscar for entertainmen

productionsdecorate the Theaters entry area for their production

of Little Women in 2007.

The seed for the high quality standard was planted partly by th

First Infantry Division Band stationed in Bamberg until 2006. Bu

the talent came from outside the band, befor

and since.

We are always awed by the talent tha

comes through Bamberg. And just when i

seems so many are moving out, a new group

arrives. We are working hard to keep the good

reputation we have built since shortly before

arrived. In fact, one of our own, CPT Donald

Williamson, won 2nd place in the 2009

Operation Rising Star, Austin said.

When reaching out for new performers for the Stable Theate

Family in the Bamberg community, he reveals his recipe for success:

Its not so much the number of programs and the amount o

money you spend on your productions. Its providing the opportunity

and the freedom for people who meet here to create something grea

together.

For more information: [email protected]

Thirteen Topper Awardsthe U.S. Armys Oscar for

entertainment productionsdecorate the Theaters entry

area for their production ofLittle Women in 2007.

Production still from the Stable Theater production of Once on this Island.

Photo courtesy of the Stable Theater



Youth Baseball Team Adopts Deployed

Lieutenant as Honorary Coach

Reprinted with permission

National Organization for Youth Sports

As a disabled veteran of the

United States Army, Tom

Melani is always looking for

ways to show his support to

deployed military personnel overseas.

That is why, when he got the idea from

the National Alliance for Youth Sports

(NAYS) to adopt a deployed military

member from his community to serve as his

teams honorary coach, he acted quickly toget his team involved.

Melani had already become friendly with

Bryan Schmidt, a friend of his neighbor who

happened to be a First Lieutenant serving in

Iraq with the U.S. Army, and was eager to

show his appreciation any way he could.

Melani named Schmidt the Honorary

Military Coach of his 7- to 8-year-old

Rookie Dodgers from the Longwood, Fla.,

Babe Ruth baseball league. Along with

receiving care packages full of useful supplies

and being included on all team emails,

Coach Schmidt has been communicating

with the Rookie Dodgers through the teams

Facebook group, where he receives game

recaps and updates on everyones progress.

Bryan is good friends with my neighbor

and has become a friend of mine, said

Melani. He was selected after I talked about

this with my neighbor and we thought that

Bryan would benefit from our support. He

was deployed to Iraq soon after getting

married last year.

In an effort to provide support and boost

morale to deployed individuals overseas,

NAYS has been

perspectives magazine summer 2010

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