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Vol. 30, No. 28 October 18, 2013

Find Garrison on Facebook, Twitter and Flickr!www.facebook.com/DetrickUSAGwww.twitter.com/DetrickUSAGwww.flickr.com/DetrickUSAG

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Social Media What’s Inside

Child Development CenterRecertifies, p.3

Fort Detrick Soldiers Runfor Suicide Prevention, p.6

A Bittersweet Farewell asEllen Strock Retires, p.10

SIDNEY HINDSSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR TO THE STANDARD

Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Stuart, U.S.Army Medical Research and Materiel Com-mand, addressed For Detrick enlisted Sol-diers and Noncommissioned Officers atthe Odom Fitness Center, Oct. 3, discuss-ing topics ranging from suicide preventionto the ongoing furlough and the govern-ment shutdown.

Speakers took turns at the podium dis-cussing topics of importance to the en-listed assembly. Lectures ranged fromchallenges facing the military in light ofthe furlough, to quizzes on suicide preven-tion, and discussions on Sexual Harass-ment and Rape Prevention.

Stuart stressed the importance of NCOsremaining “professionals both on and offduty” in regard to their behavior towardsone another, in and out of the workplace.He also encouraged them to make the most

of their education benefits to further them-selves as individuals and as future leaders.

“Town halls allow us to educate andenlighten the Soldiers,” said Stuart. “It’simportant to give the Soldiers the word onleadership; lots of the information that isdisseminated electronically may not makeit all the way out to them.”

Stuart also presented awards to individ-uals for outstanding service.

“I think it’s important for us to get achance to meet the senior NCOs in per-son, because sometimes we don’t knowwho they are,” said Sgt. Dereck Abbey ofthe U.S. Army Medical Research Instituteof Infectious Diseases. “I also think it ishelpful to hear the information about sui-cide awareness and SHARP from the NCOsthemselves.”

This was Stuart’s final Fort Detrick townhall address, as he will be changing respon-sibility later this month.

Stuart Addresses Soldiers at Town Hall Meeting

Command Sgt. Maj. Kevin Stuart, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Com-mand’s Command Sgt. Maj., talks to enlisted Soldiers and NoncommissionedOfficers during his final town hall, Oct. 3. Stuart will retire at the end of Oct.

Oct. 25: Fort Detrick library will be holding a movienight in Bldg. 1520, Room 143, starting at 7:30 p.m. Ad-mission is free for all. For more information call (301)619-2892/2839.

Oct. 26: BOSS is hosting trips to see the WalkervilleGhost Train at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. For information call(301) 619-7717/2892.

Oct. 26: CYSS is hosting a trip to King’s Dominion;busses will leave at 12 p.m., registration is $38 per CYSSmember. Those interested are encouraged to bring extramoney for food, and expect to return to Bldg 949 at 12a.m. For information call (301) 619-2901.

Nov. 1: There will be a Halloween party at the Com-munity Activities Center, Bldg 1529. Free admission forall, with food available for purchase on-location. For in-formation call (301) 619-4079.

Fort Detrick HalloweenEvents Schedule

Enlisted Soldiers and Noncommissioned Officers from across Fort Detrick gath-ered at the Odom Fitness Center Oct. 3 for the final NCO town hall with CommandSgt. Maj. Stuart, Command Sgt. Maj. of U.S. Army Medical Research and MaterielCommand. During the town hall Stuart stressed the importance of professional-ism for NCOs. Photos by Sidney Hinds

2 Fort Detrick StandardOctober 18, 2013 Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

Command StaffMaj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho Jr.

Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical

Research and Materiel Command

and Fort Detrick

Col. Steven P. MiddlecampU.S. Army Garrison commander

Editorial StaffPAO Staff

The STANDARD is an authorized unofficial newspaper,published every two weeks under the provisions of AR360-1 for the military and civilians at Fort Detrick. Circula-tion is 7,000. The STANDARD is a commercial enterprisenewspaper printed by Comprint Military Publications, 9030Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md., 20877, a private firm,in no way connected with the United States Government orDepartment of Defense. The contents of the STANDARD donot necessarily reflect the official views or endorsement ofthe U.S. Government, the Department of Defense or the U.S.Army. The appearance of advertising in this publication, in-cluding inserts and supplements, do not constitute endorse-

ment of DoD. Everything advertised in this publication shallbe made available for purchase, use or patronage withoutregard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or anyother nonmerit characteristic of the purchaser, user or patron.Editorial content is prepared and edited by the Fort DetrickPublic Affairs Office, 810 Schreider Street, Fort Detrick, Md.21702-5000. Editorial Offices are in Bldg. 810, Suite 004,telephone 301-619-2018; e-mail: [email protected].

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NICK MINECCIUSAG PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Oct. 31 is less than two weeks away. People of allages will don costumes, from the simple to the sub-lime, with children going door-to-door to trick ortreat. Traditional activities also include bonfires, cos-tume parties, visiting “haunted houses” and carvingjack-o-lanterns.

Where did the unofficial holiday of Halloween start?Halloween, a word that is actually a shortening

of All Hallows’ Evening, has its origins in the ancientCeltic festival known as Samhain. The festival of Sam-hain, pronounced “sah-win,” is a celebration of theend of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Duringthis time ancient pagans would take stock of suppliesand prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believedthat on Oct. 31, the boundaries between the worldsof the living and the dead overlapped, with the deadcoming back to life and cause havoc such as sicknessor damaging crops.

Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt tomimic the evil spirits or appease them. Dressing up

in costumes and begging door-to-door can be tracedto the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassail-ing. Trick-or-treating has a strong connection to thelate medieval practice of “souling,” a time when thepoor would go door-to-door on Hallowmas (Nov. 1),receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on AllSouls Day (Nov. 2).

There is no evidence that souling was practiced inAmerica, as it was in Britain or Ireland, and the ear-liest documented reference to ritual begging on Hal-loween in North America was in 1911, when a newspa-per in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, reported that it wasnormal for smaller children to take to the streets onHalloween between 6 and 7 p.m., visiting shops andneighbors to be rewarded with nuts and candies fortheir rhymes and songs.

The popularity of trick or treating, an activity forchildren on or around Halloween in which they pro-ceed from house to house in costumes, asking fortreats such as confectionery with the question, “Trickor treat?” become a widespread practice in the 1930s,with the earliest known uses in print of the term “trickor treat” appearing in 1934, with the “trick” part of

“trick or treat” is a threat to play a trick on the home-owner or his property if no treat is given.

Trick-or-treating spread from the western Unit-ed States toward the eastern seaboard during the1930s, but beginning in 1942 sugar rationing due toWorld War II caused the activity to decline. It wasnot until the rationing ended in 1947 the new tra-dition reemerged. It gained national attention Oc-tober 1947 when the children’s magazines Jack andJill and Children’s Activities, mentioned it. This wasfollowed by stories about it on radio programs, TheJack Benny Show and The Adventures of Ozzie andHarriet in 1948.

Trick-or-treating became firmly established inpopular culture by 1952, when Walt Disney portrayedit in the cartoon “Trick or Treat,” and UNICEF firstconducted a national campaign for children to raisefunds for the charity while trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating is one of the main traditions ofHalloween. It has become socially expected that if onelives in a neighborhood with children, one should pur-chase treats in preparation for trick-or-treaters.

Or one should prepare to suffer a trick...

Halloween Is Close, But Why AreGhosts and Goblins Wandering About?

Due to lack of pharmacy staffing, beginning Oct. 21, Barquist hourswill be reduced to 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with closure at lunch fromnoon to 1 p.m. in order to accommodate a pharmacy staff traveling fromFort Meade to cover the Barquist Pharmacy.

The Barquist Clinic will be closed on the following dates:Oct. 18: 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m.Nov. 22: 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Dec. 12: 11:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Barquist ArmyHealth Clinic Updates

3Fort Detrick StandardOctober 18, 2013Sustaining a community of excellence through restoration, environmental stewardship and workforce development

HEATHER MCDOWELL DUONGMRMC PUBLIC AFFAIRS

The Fort Detrick Child DevelopmentCenter recertified its accreditation with theNational Association for the Education ofYoung Children Sept. 26. Accreditation distin-guishes the CDC from other early childhoodprograms by demonstrating the center’s com-mitment to a higher, more stringent standardin teaching and caring for its children.

NAEYC accreditation must be renewedevery five years. According to CDC directorCathy Box, NAEYC inspectors give the CDCa two-to-three month window when theywill conduct an unannounced inspectionof the facility as part of the recertificationprogram. Box shared that she was unfazedat the prospect of inspectors dropping by atany given time.

“Everyday needs to feel like inspectors aregoing to conduct a walk-through of the pro-gram,” said Box. “If you are running a NAEYCprogram, you are implementing the highstandards set through accreditation daily.”

During the Center’s most recent inspec-tion, NAEYC representatives visited class-rooms and observed sessions. They assessedall aspects of the learning environment fromcleanliness practices such as whether the

kids washed their hands upon arrival, tohow teachers engaged with the children. Forexample, the inspectors observed whetherteachers asked open-ended questions thatencouraged thought and imagination.

“Accreditation helps parents picking apre-school or other early childhood educa-tion program feel confident that they are en-rolling their child in a program that meetsnational quality standards,” said Box.

Box noted the Fort Detrick CDC has lowerchild-teacher ratios, which promotes better

Child Development CenterRecertifies National Accreditation

Child Development Center students Aleis-ter Heuther (left) and Aaron Payton (right)sort shapes into groups under TeacherValerieWoodward’s close supervision.

Ava Morales paints a work of art at the Fort Detrick Child Development Center.Photos by Heather McDowell DuongSee RECERTIFY, continued on page 9

CAREE VANDER LINDENUSAMRIID PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Col. Andrea M. Stahl, deputy command-er of the U.S. Army Medical Research Insti-tute of Infectious Diseases, is the recipientof the 2013 Trailblazer Award sponsored bythe Frederick County Commission for Wom-en. She will be honored at the fifth annualMaryland Women’s Conference on Satur-day, Oct. 26, at the Holiday Inn and Confer-ence Center in Frederick, Md.

“This is the first time we’ve presentedthis award to a member of the military,” saidLinda Roth, FCCFW president. “In additionto being a successful Army officer, COL Stahlhandles the responsibilities of any workingwoman with a family. She is an inspiration toour young people who may be considering aprofessional career in the military services.”

According to her official biography,Stahl joined the U.S. Army at 22 as a 2nd Lt.Shortly thereafter, she was posted to Germa-ny and spent over two years with the 42ndMedical Company, 30th Medical Group.Upon returning to the U.S., she worked fortwo years as a medical assistant at the Wal-ter Reed Army Medical Center. This was fol-lowed by a four-year period during whichshe pursued and received a Ph.D. in physi-ology at Yale University as part of an Armyscholarship program.

After receiving her Ph.D., Stahl workedas a Clinical Research Assistant at WalterReed for three years and then returned toGermany for four years, where she was theChief Officer overseeing several areas of theLandstuhl Regional Medical Center clini-cal laboratory. In 2004, she was posted toUSAMRIID, the Army’s medical biodefenselaboratory at Fort Detrick, Md. She servedthere as a Principal Investigator for one year

and then became the Division Chief of theToxicology Division.

In 2009, she became the first femaleCommander of the U. S. Army Center forEnvironmental Health Research at Fort De-trick. Upon promotion to Colonel, she be-came the first female Deputy Commanderof USAMRIID, a subordinate laboratory ofthe U.S. Army Medical Research and Mate-riel Command. In this position, Stahl man-ages the Institute’s operating budget and itsworkforce of over 800 military, civilian, andcontract personnel, directing research thatleads to medical solutions to some of theworld’s most lethal diseases.

Stahl is the recipient of numerous militaryawards and decorations, to include the ArmyMeritorious Service Medal, the Army Com-mendation Medal, the Army AchievementMedal, and the Meritorious Unit Award.She has received The Surgeon General’s “A”professional proficiency designator, and hasbeen inducted into the Army Medical De-partment’s Order of Military Medical Merit.She is married to Army Col. Sidney R. HindsII, M.D., and has three children.

“Col. Stahl is an example of how far awoman can go today in achieving a respect-ed, meaningful career while balancing theobligations of family,” said USAMRIID’sTheresa Smith, who nominated COL Stahlfor the award. “She truly has been a trail-blazer for women officers in the U.S. ArmyMedical Service Corps.”

FCCFW is a non-partisan organizationthat advises Frederick County governmenton issues affecting women and families, ac-cording to Roth. Each year, the group alsosponsors the Maryland Women’s Confer-ence and selects one person to be recog-nized as a “trailblazer” for women in thearea. The theme of this year’s conference

is “Jobs, Health, Money: Helping WomenHave It All!”

USAMRIID’s mission is to protect thewarfighter from biological threats and to beprepared to investigate disease outbreaksor threats to public health. Research con-ducted at USAMRIID leads to medical so-lutions—vaccines, drugs, diagnostics, andinformation—that benefit both military

personnel and civilians. The Institute playsa key role as the lead military medical re-search laboratory for the Defense ThreatReduction Agency’s Joint Science and Tech-nology Office for Chemical and BiologicalDefense. USAMRIID is a subordinate labo-ratory of the U.S. Army Medical Researchand Materiel Command.

USAMRIID Deputy Commander to Receive 2013Trailblazer Award at Maryland Women’s Conference

Col. Andrea M. Stahl, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseasesdeputy commander

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CAPT. SEUNGHO KANG6TH MEDICAL LOGISTICSMANAGEMENT CENTER

Six soldiers from 6th Medical LogisticsManagement Center Detachment 12 arrivedhome Oct. 10 after a 9-month deploymentin support of U.S. Army Medical MaterielCenter-Southwest Asia.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho Jr., com-mander of USAMRMC and Fort Detrick,joined 6th MLMC Commander Col. Anthony

R. Nesbitt to welcome the team. USAMRMCCommand Sgt. Maj. Kevin B. Stuart and 6thMLMC Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Rodriguezalso represented command leadership whocelebrated the return of the servicemembers.

6th MLMC has provided detachmentrotations since 2003 in order to providemedical logistics and maintenance sup-port throughout the U.S. Central Commandarea of operation. During the deployment,Detachment 12 managed medical materieldistributions for SWA theaters.

6th MLMC TeamReturns from Deployment

Six Soldiers from the 6th Medical Logistics Management Center Detachment 12arrived home Oct. 10 after a 9-month deployment in support of the U.S. ArmyMedi-cal Materiel Center-Southwest Asia mission. Returning soldiers included (picturedwith 6th MLMC Commander Col. Anthony R. Nesbitt): Lt. Col. Victor A. Suarez, Maj.Bradley D. Ladd, Capt. Chenyeh Huang, Master Sgt. Dajuan D. Lowery, Sgt. 1stClass Derrick J. Bostic, and Staff Sgt. Justin W. Vanhoy.

Photo courtesy 6th MLMC

DANNIELE MCKNIGHTFORT DETRICK FMWR

This year’s annual Fort Detrick Fall Fish-ing Rodeo was held Oct. 12 at Nallin Pond,and was sponsored by Fort Detrick’s Fam-ily and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.Although the weather was rainy and cold,49 fishing enthusiasts still came out to testtheir skills, covering all age groups, with theyoungest angler only 2 years old.

One family was able to catch enough fishfor several dinners. Abigail and Hunter Mc-Glaughlin each caught more than 60-inchesin total fish for their age. Their father, Char-lie McGlaughlin, finished second behind hisfather-in-law, Bob Harne. Harne is an em-ployee at the FMWR, and he regularly bringsboth his grandchildren and other familymembers to the annual event.

Otherwinnerswere: TonyAusherman, Sha-naMeushaw,AndrewKapac,TonyBentz, JaredRodgers and Sam Wilson in the youth catego-ries; and Doug Novak, Charlie McGlaughlinand BobHarne in the adult category.

Prior to the fishing rodeo the pond wasstocked with 400 rainbow trout, which willprovide many chances for people to enjoyfishing for months to come. There are also20 silver-tagged fish in the pond, and ifcaught they should be brought to the Auto-motive Skills Center to claim a prize.

Fishing permits are required on Fort De-trick and can be purchased at the Automo-tive Skills Center for $5.

For more information on fishing pro-grams at Fort Detrick call (301) 619-4079.

Anglers Gather forFall Fishing Rodeo

Bob Harne, an employeewith Fort Det-rick Family andMorale, Welfare & Recre-ation, displays his first place adult winnerplaque from the fall fishing rodeo, along-side his grandson, Hunter MacGaughlin.

Photo courtesy Danniele McKnight

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We live in an increasingly mobile world,with more and more people possessingtechnology that allows them to use the In-ternet on the go. Beneficiaries can accesstheir TRICARE benefits and benefit infor-mation on their mobile devices through avariety of mobile applications and mobile-optimized sites.

The first mobile tool people should knowabout is the mobile version of TRICARE.mil,accessible on mobile devices including tab-lets and smartphones. Simply type www.tricare.mil into a mobile device’s browser toget benefit and contact information. Ben-eficiaries can download educational mate-rials, view episodes of TRICARE TV, listen topodcasts, read TRICARE news, find contactinformation for different regions and plans,submit benefit questions and access costs,plans, referrals and other information spe-cific to their plan.

Each of the TRICARE regional contrac-tors also has their own mobile site or app.Health Net, the North Region contractor,operates www.hnfs.com/go/mobile, whichallows beneficiaries to locate TRICARE-authorized providers and access resourcesincluding contact information and infor-mation about benefits, claims and eligibil-

ity. The South Region contractor, HumanaMilitary, has a mobile site at m.humana-military.com. Humana Military Mobile of-fers links to a provider locator, a search toolfor urgent care centers and eligibility andplan information.

In the West Region, UnitedHealth Mili-tary & Veterans has a mobile app for mobiledevices called “OptumizeMe.” This app en-courages healthy lifestyles by letting userschallenge other users to health and fitnessgoals on their smartphones. OptumizeMelets users track their own progress and postthe results to Facebook. Beneficiaries candownload OptumizeMe from iTunes or theGoogle Play store.

The TRICARE pharmacy contractor Ex-press Scripts, Inc. offers both a mobile site,www.express-scripts.com/mobile, and anapp called Express Rx. These allow ben-eficiaries to get benefit information, starthome delivery of their prescriptions, checkorder status, order prescription refills andfind a nearby network pharmacy. They evenhave information about drugs and potentialside effects. Beneficiaries must register withESI before using the mobile site by going towww.express-scripts.com/activate.

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SIDNEY HINDSSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

TO THE STANDARD

Fort Detrick service membersgathered in front of Bldg. 810 Oct.4 for a 3-mile run to raise aware-ness about suicide prevention.

Participants arrived in the dark,early morning hours, some withchildren and pets who ran along-side them. Soldiers ran in forma-tion with their respective organi-zations from the Blue & Grey fieldto Nallin pond and back again.A second group of participantswalked laps around the field whilethe run was underway.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalhospoke to runners after the com-pletion of the exercise, thankingthem all for their participation.He also spoke at length about theimportance of suicide preventionwithin the armed services, andencouraged service members to

be vigilant for the warning signsin colleagues who might be feelingdepressed or isolated. Caravalhostressed that no one is immune tothe desperation that leads many totake their own lives.

The run took place in spite ofthe ongoing furlough that has puta stop to many other organizedevents on post. Caravalho andCommand Sgt. Maj. Kevin Stuartexplained that the run was impor-tant as a camaraderie-strength-ening exercise that would aid themembers of Fort Detrick in sui-cide prevention. More than 190U.S. servicemen and women havecommitted suicide this year alone,and in 2012 over 300 Soldiers tooktheir own lives.

Military guidelines on suicideencourage Soldiers to listen to theproblems of others who may bethinking about suicide, and to befirm in getting them the help of atrained therapist.

Fort Detrick Soldiers Run for Suicide Prevention

Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravalho Jr, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command commandinggeneral (left), addresses the more than 190 service members and family members who participat-ed in a run for suicide prevention, Oct. 4. Photo by Sidney Hinds


JENNIFER BENSONUSAG PAO

October is Breast CancerAwareness Month. Breast canceris the second-most common causeof cancer-related death in Ameri-can women. According to JohnsHopkins Medicine, it is estimatedthat this year in the United States,some 233,000 women will be di-agnosed with the disease, and ap-proximately 40,000 will die of it. Ifdetected early, treatment can savethousands of lives.

During October, physiciansand public health officials encour-age women who are 40 and older(before age 40 for African-Amer-icans) to speak with their physi-cians about breast cancer, and thebenefits and risks of screening.

Melanie Skeens, a mother oftwo from Frederick, Md., has beenpart of the Fort Detrick Commu-nity since 1989. She worked for14 years with Child, Youth andSchool Services, and now works asthe outreach coordinator for theEnvironmental Management Of-fice. Melanie was diagnosed withbreast cancer in 2012.

In this Q-and-A session, Mela-nie tells about her breast cancer di-agnosis and how it changed her life.

Q: When were you diagnosedand what went through your mindwhen you heard the word cancer?

A: I was diagnosed on July 10,2012. I was in shock. It wasn’t un-til I received the results from thesurgery that everything really setin. To hear “you have advancedstage breast cancer that spread toyour lymph nodes” is not some-thing anyone ever prepares for orthinks will happen to them. Im-mediately, I started thinking theworst. “What about my kids, myfamily, my friends?” “Am I goingto make it through this?” But I re-alized I had a lot to fight for, fam-ily and friends that were there forme and counting on me, so I puton my boxing gloves and foughtlike hell.

Q: What do you think keptyour spirits up while you werefighting for life?

A: I am still fighting, but goingthrough all the surgeries, chemo-therapy, radiation, pain, etc., itwas extremely difficult to remainpositive. It was a daily struggle,and some days I felt uncharacter-istically defeated. But I realizedthat there was a plan for me, a planbigger than any of us can see, andthat all of this is just a tiny pieceto a giant puzzle. I didn’t walk thisjourney alone. I was fortunate tohave the support of so many peo-ple, support from my immediatefamily, all of my friends and mywork family. I was able to remainpositive because of their love andsupport. I will be forever grateful

to everyone who fought this battlewith me.

The amount of support I re-ceived from the Fort Detrick Com-munity was astounding. Everyoneat Fort Detrick made sure my spir-its were up, and stayed up throughthis entire process. Simple thingssuch as daily phone calls, cards,and care packages, all the way todonated leave, made all the differ-ence, and I could not have doneit without them. I will be forevergrateful to everyone here, my sonKyler, my daughter Brandi, myparents and especially my friendsKristen Haga, Michelle Morales,Susan Treadwell, Stacey Sumnerand my “Pink Sister” Krista McK-enzie McElwain. They put on theirboxing gloves and made sure Ididn’t fight this battle alone. Theirlove and support kept me strong.

Q: What have you learnedthrough this process?

A: As ironic as this sounds, Itreat this whole process as a bless-ing. I was chosen to fight this bat-tle and through it I have learned toembrace life, family and friends.I’ve learned to live life to the full-est, in the present moment, andappreciate all the little things thatso many people take for granted.Don’t let life pass you by.

Q: What would you like to sayto others that may have a friendor family member going throughcancer or to someone who justgot the diagnosis themselves?

A: For those that may knowsomeone going through any kind

of battle, cancer or otherwise: noteveryone is willing to talk abouttheir battle, but you can be therefor them in so many ways. Reachout to them and be there for themin any and every way possible.No one should have to walk thejourney alone. There are so manyways you can reach out and help,to include phone calls, cards,meals, fundraisers, car rides, etc.From the moment someone isdiagnosed, it is an overwhelmingexperience, comprised of lots ofappointments and huge financialburdens, and to have the supportfrom those around you makes allthe difference in the world.

To someone battling cancer, Iwould say keep your head up andnomatterwhat, stay positive, you’renot alone. There is an incredible“Sisterhood” out there. You maynot be ready to talk about it, butreach out to your friends, family,church, doctors, support groups,etc., somany people are willing andready to fight this fight with you.You don’t have to do it alone.

Fifteen months, numerous sur-geries, chemotherapy, radiation,and targeted therapies later thisfight is still not over for me, but Iam now able to say I am cancer-free. I am fortunate enough tocall myself a “Survivor.” Early de-tection is the key, I cannot stressenough to get on-time, regularmammograms.

Q: What’s next for you?A: Living what I learned. Liv-

ing life to the fullest, in the pres-ent moment, and appreciating allthe little things life has to offer.Something I’m very excited aboutis, next month, I start training tobecome a mentor through theSurvivors Outreach Support Pro-gram through Frederick MemorialHospital. I want to offer supportto women currently going throughtreatment for breast cancer. I hopeto make a difference in someone’slife, and their treatments the way

my friends, family and co-workerswere through mine.

While most people are aware ofbreast cancer, many forget to takethe steps to have a plan to detectthe disease in its early stages andencourage others to do the same.Remember, early detection is im-perative and although October istagged as Breast Cancer Aware-ness Month, detection, preven-tion and awareness should remainprevalent all year.

One Woman’s Story of Hope and Survival

Melanie Skeens. Photos by Kyler Skeens

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

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SENITTA CONYERSINSTALLATION SAFETY MANAGEMENT OFFICE

In a few short weeks, our kids will excitedly put on theircostumes, ring doorbells and possibly even perform a funnytrick for treats. These are childhood memories and tradi-tions that will be shared for years to come. Please encour-age your children, family and friends to follow our instal-lation’s safety rules to promote a fun and safe Halloween!

- Ensure children are always supervised. Take advantageof this family time and enjoy the festivities together.

- Limit children to the housing area where you reside, orimmediate surrounding area.

- Review the pre-planned areas of travel for children oldenough to go out alone, and ensure all means of commu-nication are known and working. Set a curfew for childrentrick-or-treating without supervision.

- Only visit residences with lighted entryways that indi-cate they are handing out treats.

- Use only sidewalks and crosswalks and never cut acrossthe grass.

- Costume masks or head coverings should not block orrestrict vision, movement, or trail on the ground.

- Apply reflective tape to costumes and props.- Discuss the importance of not entering anyone’s home

or eating any candy or treats until safely returning home.The Fort Detrick Provost Marshall Office along with the

Public Affairs Office will inform our community of the des-ignated times to trick-or-treat.

Let’s continue working together to keep our families andchildren safe on Fort Detrick. For more information on Hal-loween and Seasonal Safety visit us at: http://www.detrick.army.mil/safety/fallSafety.cfm.

Halloween Fun andSafety at Fort Detrick

APRIL FINNENFDA PAO AND NICBR PACRS MEMBER

From neuro-implantation to supercomputing to medicalcountermeasure research, the Food and Drug Administra-tion has a lab for that. Members of the National InteragencyConfederation for Biological Research met in September atFDA’s Silver Spring, Md. headquarters, where NICBR lead-ers toured cutting-edge FDA research facilities, including anew biosafety level 3 lab and vivarium, which are still underconstruction.

Organized by the FDA Office of Counterterrorism andEmerging Threats, the tour introduced attendees to FDAscientists from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Re-search, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research,and Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

“FDA joined NICBR as a partner in 2012. We share NIC-BR’s vision for enhanced interagency collaboration to betterprotect our nation from biological threats,” said tour hostDr. Luciana Borio, FDA Assistant Commissioner for Coun-terterrorism Policy and Director of OCET.

NICBR comprises nine federal member organiza-tions engaged in biological research associated withFort Detrick.

NICBR Executive SteeringCommittee Visits FDA

For more news from other basesaround the Washington, D.C. area,

visitwww.dcmilitary.com

Watching Wizards Do Their MagicChildren from the Fort Det-rick Roger Mason Basket-ball Camp attended a pre-season game between theWashington Wizards andMiami Heat, Oct. 15, at theVerizon Center in Washing-ton, DC. The young playershad the opportunity to siton the sidelines during thepregame warm-ups, andgreet the players as theymade their way onto thecourt before the game. TheWizards beat the defendingNBA champion Heat 100-82.Photo by Lanessa Hill

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01040820


ELLEN CROWNUSAMRMC PAO

The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisi-tion Activity Information Management Of-fice is upgrading USAMRMC’s procurementsystem, which will affect purchase requestprocessing Oct. 11 - 31.

After completing a purchase request ormodification in the General Fund EnterpriseBusiness System, all USAMRAA customerswill have to submit their approved purchaserequests manually via email to PR Central,according to USAMRAA procurement ana-lyst Karen Goldstein.

USAMRAA customers should send theirapproved purchase requests to: [email protected].

Goldstein added that distribution of con-tract awards andmodifications will continue,

withUSAMRAA IMO sending contract awardsand modifications directly to MEDCOM Re-source Management for actions in GFEBS.

“GFEBS will not be affected during thisupgrade period,” explained Goldstein.“What is affected temporarily is the connec-tion of GFEBS to the Procurement Desktop-Defense (PD 2), which is the system that isbeing upgraded.”

The PD 2 will receive a hardware up-grade, which will increase the volume oftransactions it can handle and improve itsoverall efficiency.

“The older system could take up to anhour to generate one contract award ormod-ification document,” said Goldstein. “Thehardware upgrade will cut that time in half.”

She added, “After we test the integrations,this will be a significant improvement for oursystem. The effort will be well worth it.”

USAMRMC Upgrades Procurement System

teacher and child interactions. She addedthe center understands that children learnbest through play and offers a wide varietyof activities in and out of the classroom.

“It’s amazing what a child can learn play-ing at a water table and combining two col-ors or observing butterflies at our butterflypavilion,” she said.

In addition to its NAEYC accreditation,the Fort Detrick CDC is U.S. Departmentof Defense certified and undergoes annualArmy Child, Youth and School inspections.

“I’m very proud of our teachers for main-taining the great standards we adhere toand will continue to follow at the center,”said Box.

The next NAEYC inspection will be infive years. Since 1985, NAEYC’s national

accreditation system has set professionalstandards for children from birth to age 8.Its mission is to improve professional prac-tice and working conditions in young chil-dren’s education.

The Fort Detrick Child DevelopmentCenter recertified its accreditation withthe National Association for the Educa-tion of Young Children Sept. 26. NAEYC’snational accreditation system has setprofessional standards for children frombirth to age 8.

RECERTIFY, continued from page 3

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HEATHER MCDOWELL DUONGMRMC PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MRMC bade farewell to Ellen Strock, avalued and long-standing member of itsfamily, who retired from civilian service,and her position as Executive Secretary tothe Commanding General, Sept. 30.

Of her retirement Strock said, “and so be-gins the adventure!”

Strock began her civil service careerat the Naval Air Rework Facility, CherryPoint, N.C., in 1981. She transferred to FortRitchie, Md., in 1988, when her husband,Richard Strock, retired from the MarineCorps. At Fort Ritchie, Strock worked formore than a decade fulfilling a number ofroles including supporting the InspectorGeneral’s office as well as serving as secre-tary to the deputy commander.

Strock transferred to the 7th Signal Com-mand, Fort Detrick, Md., when Fort Ritchieclosed in 1998. That same year she servedas secretary to the chief of staff. Recognizedfor her keen organizational skills, she soon

moved up the ranks and down the hall asthe Executive Secretary to the CommandingGeneral, MRMC, where she remained sup-porting the past five commanding generals.

Working in a fast-paced environment,Strock shared that her greatest challengewas staying abreast of the multitude of criti-cal events the command juggles at any givenmoment. She noted that mastering this taskequipped her to respond to requests for herboss’s time and attention.

When asked about her favorite part of thejob, Strock responded, “the people I had thegood fortune to work with each day.” WhileStrock admits that shewill notmiss the routineof the workday, she will miss her colleagues.

Reminiscing about her time spent at FortDetrick, Strock added that since she first ar-rived, the post had grown in size andmission.

Strock said, “the development of newtechnology and research that produced newways to protect the warfighter, save lives,and heal wounded bodies and minds, andpromote health-it is amazing!”

A Bittersweet Farewellas Ellen Strock, Executive Secretaryto the Commanding General, Retires

Ellen Strock collaborates with Capt. David Kingery while serving as ExecutiveSecretary to the Commanding General. Strock retired from civilian serviceSept. 30.

DANNIELE MCKNIGHTFORT DETRICK FMWR

Operation Rising Star Returns to Fort Det-rickByDannieleMcKnight FortDetrick FMWR

Fort Detrick’s vocal cream of the cropwill belt out tunes at the second roundof Operation Rising Star, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m.at the Fort Detrick Community ActivitiesCenter. This time, audience members alsowill have an opportunity to vie for cash ina separate Spirit Award competition duringthe event.

Likened to themilitary’s version of Amer-ican Idol, Operation Rising Star is an ArmyEntertainment vocal competition that show-cases the talent of Soldiers and their familymembers. Each year garrisons around theworld host local talent contests and send intheir winners’ videos for judging.

Two Soldiers and a military spouse willcompete at on the 25th. On the night of thefinals, organizers will conduct a roll calland register participating units and FamilyReadiness Groups for the Spirit Award com-

petition. A prize of $300 will be granted tothe group displaying the most positive sup-port during the competition.

The theme for this year’s finals is “TheBeatles.” Singers must select and sing asong written by the Beatles followed by asecond song of their choice. The OperationRising Star winner will be determined by a50/50 vote between the judges and the audi-ence. As an added bonus, audience mem-bers will be able to earn one extra ballot forfood purchased during the event, increasingtheir voting power.

At the event’s conclusion organizers willforward a video of the winning performanceto the Family and Morale, Welfare and Rec-reation Command. 12 final contestants willbe selected to enter the Army’s OperationRising Star competition at Fort Sam Hous-ton in early December to compete in the fi-nale performance on the Pentagon Channel.

Army-wide voting of the performancewill determine the lucky winner who willreceive an all expenses paid trip to Cali-fornia to record a CD with a professionalrecording studio.

Operation Rising StarReturns to Fort Detrick

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