crusader - MILCOM Advertising Agency

Transcription

CRUSADER
Take a
trip to
Venice,
discover
romance
Vol. 8, No. 19
See Page 10
Serving the 98th ASG and the 235th, 279th, 280th and 417th BSBs – Army communities of excellence
October 6, 2000
Ansbach • Bad Kissingen • Bamberg • Giebelstadt • Illesheim • Kitzingen • Schweinfurt • Wuerzburg
Victory Strike sets
up for deep attack
with 2,500 soldiers
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
More than 2,500 soldiers head to Poland this
week for a massive advanced attack aviation
exercise dubbed Victory Strike.
The 11th Aviation Regiment in Illesheim,
supported by elements throughout the European
region, will shoot off live hellfire missiles and
test their deployment capabilities during the
deep-attack exercise.
“This exercise is unprecedented,” said Col.
Rick Rife, 11th Avn. Regt. commander.
“It is unmatched in scope, magnitude and
resources,” he said.
The Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, or EDRE, will test soldiers from an initial
alert through mission execution in what V Corps
officials hope will become an annual training
event.
“The Polish landscape is unfamiliar, providing a variation in terrain and simulating an
actual deployment,” said Ali Bettencourt, V
Corps spokesperson.
Segments of the 12th Aviation Brigade, the
30th Medical Brigade and 3rd COSCOM will
play support roles in the exercise.
‘It is unmatched in scope,
magnitude and resources.’
Col. Rick Rife
Polish air defense units and the 69th Air
Defense Artillery with missile batteries and
sophisticated radar will play the role of opposing
forces.
“The Polish defenders with their modified
Soviet equipment will challenge aviators in a
different sector,” said Col. Jack Faires, 69th
ADA commander.
The American air defense will bring the
Patriot and new Sentinel radar systems together
for the first time in an Army exercise.
“While we’ve worked extensively with the
Air Force, Army aviators in this theater have
never had a capstone exercise,” Faires said.
Soldiers will practice deployment methods by
air and rail, using 12 trains to carry soldiers and
equipment to the Drawsko Pomorskie training
area.
Uniform prices change
AAFES still holds
prices – no mark-up
by Olivia Feher
CRUSADER
Every year the Defense
Supply Center, Pa., reevaluates issue uniform
prices. This price is based
on costs of material, labor,
distribution and warehousing.
“These adjustments up
or down must be done in
October at the beginning of
the new fiscal year,” said
Ursula Roldan, Wuerzburg Roldan
Consolidated Exchange,
military clothing sales store retail manager.
What this means is that regardless of any
changes, prices are still kept at cost with no
mark-up.
“The majority of our items will go down a few
cents. The exception is the battle dress uniform, which will go up 20 cents. In addition,
some TA-50 items will go up a few cents. The
new physical fitness uniform stays the same at
$8.65 for sweatpants and $7.60 for sweatshirts,”
Roldan said.
In addition to the basic assortment of issue
items, Army & Air Force Exchange ServiceEurope, or AAFES, offers optional items procured from commercial sources and sold at
normal mark-up prices, with earnings benefiting
morale, welfare and recreation programs. This in
turn helps improve the quality of life for everyone in the community.
“Customers are reminded if the local military clothing sales store doesn’t carry issue
items, one can use the AAFES web site at
www.aafes.com to buy issue uniform items,”
Roldan said.
Community focus
Who we blame for
drug problems
● Parents/family 35%
● Drug users
20%
● Drug laws
18%
● Popular culture 16%
● Others
Souce: Family Research Council
11%
By: Olivia Feher
Craddock takes command
Christy Schutte
Brig. Gen. Bantz Craddock, left, assumes command of the 1st Infantry Division
Sept. 27 in Wuerzburg as Maj. Gen. John Abizaid, right, stepped down after 13
months. Abizaid, who was pinned with his third star, moves on to the Pentagon.
Craddock comes to the division from 7th Army Training Command, Grafenwoehr. He is accompanied by his wife, Linda. They have two children, Zachary
and Amanda. Lt. Gen. James Riley, V Corps commander, Heildelberg, middle,
looks on.
417th tops in USAREUR
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
The 417th BSB has one hundred thousand
reasons to celebrate.
The battalion that includes Kitzingen, Wuerzburg and Giebelstadt won first place in the
USAREUR Army Communities of Excellence
competition.
The battalion will receive $100,000 as a
major command winner and enter the next level
of competition at Department of the Army.
The 279th BSB in Bamberg took second place
and a $50,000 prize, dropping from the first
place spot they’ve held for the last two years.
“I congratulate the 417th BSB, they worked
hard for the honor and they deserve it,” said
Eduard Mayer, Bamberg’s strategic business
planner. Both communities will use their win-
nings for quality of life improvements.
Department of the Army examiners will make
a site visit to the 417th BSB later this year.
“They will verify and clarify the information
in the submission packet,” said Jennifer Marton,
417th BSB ACOE coordinator.
Marton said the win confirms the 417th BSB
is on the right track and credits the success to the
key process teams that were chartered to help the
battalion achieve its strategic goals.
“The key process teams develop improvement strategies, listen to customer comments
and partner with outside organizations to enhance the quality of products and services we
provide our customers,” Marton said.
The 235th BSB placed third and the 280th
placed fifth. Nineteen organizations competed in
the competition.
The 69th looks to the future
by Mickie Eichmeier
69th Signal Battalion
Lt. Col. Michael Bradley, 69th Signal
Battalion commander, took over the reins
June 26 with an eye towards long-range
planning and a vision that pro-actively
supports customers’ requirements.
The mission of the battalion is to provide
the 98th and 100th area support groups and
their six base support battalions with the
continuous sustaining base information
management support.
“Our mission is to provide the best
possible service to our customers through Bradley
innovative use of current and emerging technologies. We need to
anticipate what the war fighters will need and be prepared to
provide the required support,” Bradley said.
The 69th Signal Battalion provides military phone service,
telecommunications, records management, official mail, and
automation support to all communities and units within the 98th
and 100th ASGs. The battalion is constantly working on projects
to upgrade community telecommunication systems.
One of these projects is supporting the restationing effort of
the 12th Aviation Brigade from Wiesbaden to Giebelstadt. The
battalion had been installing and upgrading the communication
infrastructure at Giebelstadt to support the brigade as it moves
into its buildings.
Envisioning another significant improvement in customer
support, Bradley led an effort to consolidate the Wuerzburg
Regional Service Center, or RSC, by relocating their offices in
the old Starlight Club on Leighton Barracks. This move puts all
of the RSC into one location and customers will be able to take
advantage of one-stop customer service for all information
technology issues.
Telephone numbers will stay the same except for the prefix,
which will change to 350 instead of 351.
“I’m no stranger to this area. This is my third tour in the
Bavaria region and my family and I are glad to be back.
Wuerzburg is a great area and we look forward to being part of
the community for the next two years,” Bradley said.
See and be seen – keep your car lights on
Team of Teams!
Be part
of fall
cleanup
and give a
helping hand
With autumn just around the corner we must increase our
efforts to make our communities and housing areas look really
great and tidy for the winter.
Fall cleanup is an annual activity that is traditional in all our
communities.
If soldiers and family members pitch in and give a little more
time and elbow grease, our communities will shine. If everyone
contributes, it does make a difference. I know that we can make
our community cleanups successful.
Like everything else that happens in our communities, we will
plan and coordinate the coming cleanup days, making certain
that each community and housing area is ready to get to work.
Community leaders, area and stairwell coordinators, and
many others are preparing for these designated cleanup days.
They’re helping to make sure the required tools, materials and
other items required to clean, beautify and enhance are available.
Thumbs up – Thumbs down
Thumbs up to Customer Service
employees at the Schweinfurt PX. I
bought a DVD last March, but I lost
the receipt and needed a repair done.
Jenna Longo searched through hundreds of
receipts to find mine so I could get my DVD
player repaired. Thank you.
Charles Jones, Schweinfurt
Thumbs up to the gentleman at the
Schweinfurt AAFES gas station Sept. 12 who
literally ran down my car to stop me and inform
me that I had left my wallet and registration on
top of my car’s roof as I drove off. Thanks for the
extra effort to do the right thing.
Lt. Col. James Waring
Thumbs up to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field
Artillery, for allowing the MWR to utilize their
track park for the German-American Volksfest.
This allowed maximum force protection procedures to remain in place, providing a safe and
easily accessible fest site. This also allowed
parking and business as usual on Ledward
Barracks during this big event.
Dave Luellwitz, Schweinfurt
Thumbs up to all who participated in the
rugby tournament in August. It was a big
success and an incredible step for the recognition of the sport to the soldiers serving in
EUCOM. Huge thumbs up to Capt. Kavanaugh
for organizing the entire event.
Spec. George Bond, Schweinfurt
Thumbs up to Andrews Federal Credit
union in Schweinfurt, AAFES Wuerzburg,
USO Schweinfurt, the 280th BSB Family
Support Division, Business Operation Division, Community Recreation Division and
Dwight Boykin for their generous donations to
the Schweinfurt Enlisted Spouses’ Club. The
Street talk:
Maj. Denise Costa, U.S. Army
Health Clinic, Storck Barracks,
Illesheim
“The first thing that
comes to mind is
Friendly’s ice cream and
big shopping malls. In
restaraunts, I miss having high chairs with
straps and I miss being
close to the beach.”
support that was given to our club assisted in
making this year’s open house a true success.
Alexis Santana, Schweinfurt
Thumbs up to Christl Mueller, the dental
assistant at the Schweinfurt Dental Clinic. I had
my teeth cleaned and she did a wonderful job.
She was very professional and she spent a lot of
time doing the job well. I can tell she is a person
who loves her job.
Cristina Denny, Schweinfurt
Thumbs up to soldiers from the 1st Infantry
Division’s Division Support Command for the
fantastic job they did sponsoring USAREUR’s
Expert Field Medical Badge, or EFMB, testing
Sept. 5-15 at Schweinfurt. More than 100
soldiers from throughout the division were also
invaluable as they served as casualties during the
testing.
Lt. Col. Todd Dombroski, Wuerzburg
Thumbs down to Ansbach American
High School. They set their open
house from 1-3 p.m., making it
difficult for soldiers and working
parents to attend. I hope they will be more in
tune with the community in the future.
Beth Gunter, Illesheim
❋ ❋ ❋
“Thumbs up – Thumbs down” is about people who do a
good job. It’s also about people who need to be more
considerate of others. This column is not about institutions,
units, agencies or situations that could be subject to legal
action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Submissions must be brief and include the writer’s name
and telephone number. The identity of the submitter will be
published along with the comments.
Send comments to Thumbs up – Thumbs down;
CRUSADER; 98th ASG PAO; Unit 26622; APO AE 09244.
Or bring them to room 216, building 208, Faulenberg
Kaserne, Wuerzburg. Phone-in submissions are not
accepted.
GERALD E. FEGUSON JR.
Colonel, Armor
98th Area Support Group Commander
Hispanic heritage gains
special cultural month as
a week was too short
by LuEy Corbett
279th BSB Equal Opportunity Officer
Commentary
The Spaniards were the first Europeans to
set foot in the New World. Spanish military
personnel, the conquistadors, did much of the
exploration and settlement of North and South
America.
Hispanics have participated in every war
the United States has fought in, starting with
the Revolutionary War, and there are 38
Hispanic Medal of Honor recipients.
Air Force Col. Gil Coronado thought it was
unfair to try to recognize nearly 500 years of
Hispanic heritage and culture in one week, so
he did something about it. He lobbied Congress, prominent Hispanic figures and
national organizations non-stop for nearly
three years before his dream came true.
In 1989, congress finally passed a measure
and the president signed it into law, creating
Hispanic Heritage Month to be celebrated
from Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 every year. Coronado
got his chance to fight for a month-long
observance in 1985 when he was assigned to
the Inter-American Defense Board, a group
representing 20 Central and South American
countries, in Washington, D.C.
His job put him in contact with congressmen and other influential leaders. Also
in his free time, Coronado started pushing
to establish Hispanic Heritage Month. Whenever Coronado mentioned the idea, he stated
everyone agreed it should be done, but
nobody did anything about it. But Coronado
refused to give up. He took his idea to the
League of United Latin American Citizens,
American GI Forum, senators, representatives
and prominent Hispanics. They all promised
support, but things did not start moving until
he submitted his recommendation and justification to Representative Esteban Torres (DCalifornia), then chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Representative Torres liked the idea, and
Coronado spent his free time over the next 18
months working with the caucus staff, rewriting and strengthening the justification and
lobbying major national Hispanic organizations.
Finally, Rep. Torres got the go-ahead on the
congressional agenda. Expanding it would
afford the nation time to properly observe and
coordinate events and activities to commemorate Hispanic Heritage, culture and
accomplishments.
Rep. Esteban Torres’ recommendation before the House of Representatives received
overwhelming support.
What do you miss most about America that you can’t get in Germany?
Eddie Collazo, concessionaire,
Warner Barracks, Bamberg
“I miss going boating in
New York. It’s great to
head out on the Hudson
River to Long Island
Sound and spend an
entire day on the water. In
Germany, you need a
license for everything,
and it’s costly as well.”
Spec. George Bond, 280th
Base Support Battalion, Ledward Barracks, Schweinfurt.
“I miss the American
shopping malls. I think
that here in Germany
there are not so many
stores that have a wide
selection of clothes. The
stores I’m used to are
nonexistent here in Germany.”
CRUSADER
Ansbach • Bad Kissingen • Bamberg • Giebelstadt • Illesheim • Kitzingen • Schweinfurt • Wuerzburg
Producer: MILCOM Advertising Agency
Roswitha Lehner
Zeilaeckerstrasse 35 · 92637 Weiden
Telephone (0961) 67050-0 (Mo–Th 7.00 am–3.30 pm)
Telefax (0961) 67050-32
e-Mail for paid advertisements: [email protected]
Free classifieds (0931) 2964397 · Fax Crusader (0931) 2964626
2
Directorates of public works, or DPWs, and other agencies in
each base support battalion have been preparing and laying the
groundwork to ensure this fall’s efforts are well supported.
Soldiers, civilians, family members and units must contribute
to make a real difference. Community pride starts with each of
us.
Whether we pick up a piece of trash, report an eyesore to DPW
or just don’t litter, let’s contribute to making our communities
clean places we can be proud of.
Team of Teams!
Crusader, October 6, 2000
SFC Sharie Knudson, Company
D, 701st Main Support Battalion, Harvey Barracks, Kitzingen
“I miss my family, they
have not joined me here
yet, other than that, I
haven’t been here long
enough to miss anything.”
MSgt. Jerry Johnson, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 11th Aviation Regiment, Storck Barracks, Illesheim
Spec. George Irizarry, Headquarters and Headquarters
Company, 82nd Engineer Battalion, Warner Barracks, Bamberg
“I miss all the different
football games, especially the important ones,
like the Vikings. I also
miss competitive gas
prices.”
“What I miss about
Puerto Rico are the
beautiful beaches. I also
miss spending time with
my parents since they’re
getting older.”
The “CRUSADER” is an authorized unofficial newspaper, published every two weeks under
the provisions of AR 360-81 for the members of the 98th Area Support Group.
The “CRUSADER” is a commercial enterprise newspaper printed by the “MILCOM
Advertising Agency”, a private firm, in no way connected with the United States
Government or Department of Defense.
The contents of the “CRUSADER” do not necessarily reflect the official views or
endorsement of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army or the 98th
Area Support Group.
The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts and supplements, does
not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense.
Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or
patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status,
physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit characteristic of the
purchaser, user of patron.
Circulation is 24,000 copies per issue.
Editorial content is provided, prepared and edited by the Public Affairs Office of the 98th
Area Support Group. The 98th ASG hot line is 351-4800 or (0931) 296-4800.
The editorial offices are located in building 208, Faulenberg Kaserne, Wuerzburg,
telephone 351-4564 or (0931) 2964564.
Mailing address:
Editor – The CRUSADER, 98th ASG-PAO, Unit 26622, APO AE 09244.
email: [email protected]
Photos by CRUSADER staff
Spec. Brian Kessler, Company
B, 9th Engineer Battalion, Ledward Barracks, Schweinfurt.
Kurt Soholt, Outdoor Recreation, Harvey Barracks, Kitzingen
“I miss football programs. Here in Germany I
can’t watch the New York
Yankees, and also I miss
the Superbowl commercials that are my favorites.”
“I miss Cinnabons,
Orange Julius and quality
bookstores. I also miss
not being close to my
family and friends.”
The Ansbach, editorial office is located in building 5257, Barton Barracks, Ansbach,
telephone 468-7649 or (0981) 183649.
The Bamberg editorial office is located in building 7089, Warner Barracks, Bamberg,
telephone 469-7581 or (0951) 3007581.
The Kitzingen editorial office is located in building 145, Harvey Barracks, telephone 3558575 or (09321) 305575.
The Schweinfurt editorial office is located in Robertson Hall, Ledward Barracks,
Schweinfurt, telephone 354-6381 or (09721) 966381.
98th Area Support Group Commander . . Col. Gerald E. Ferguson Jr.
98th ASG Public Affairs Officer . . . . . . . . . Donald Klinger
Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Feher
Assistant Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christy Schutte
Journalist (Ansbach) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Journalist (Bamberg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cheryl Boujnida
Journalist (Schweinfurt) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Heeter
Journalist (Kitzingen). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Soule
Proofreader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sigrid Peña
Reader contributions are welcome but will be published at the discretion of the editor.
235th Base Support Battalion: Ansbach, Illesheim
Participate in
Red Ribbon Week
Essays and all photos to be entered in the
contests are due at Youth Services teen
center Oct. 10. Auditions for the talent
show will be held in the high school cafeteria Oct. 12 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Middle
school poster contest starts Oct. 16. Posters
will be on display at the teen center all
week. Sheet painting and ribbon hanging
will take place at the teen center after
school Oct. 19. Wear red socks day at the
high school is Oct. 23. Wear red shoes day
is Oct. 24. Wear red hat day is Oct. 25. Wear
red shirt day is Oct. 26. Wear red outfit day
is Oct. 27. Talent show and party at high
school will take place Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m.
For more information, call the high school
at 467-2808 or (09802) 832808.
Trick or treat?
Trick or Treating will take place on
Halloween, Oct. 31, from 6 to 10 p.m. in the
235th BSB. Children under age 12 must be
supervised by an adult.
Car care
hours change
The Illesheim AAFES Car Care Center
has new hours. They are as follows: MonFri 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m. to 2
p.m. For more information, call 467-4424
or (09841) 8880.
Illesheim Army Airfield lights up
by Christy Schutte
CRUSADER
The Illesheim airfield is earning its bragging
rights. By the end of October, the airfield will
have the most modern airfield infrastructure
Army-wide.
Robert Rodriguez, Illesheim Airfield manager, said upgrades for the entire airfield began
in 1998. The first project, costing $700,000, was
to have the runway completely rebuilt.
“It had been closed since 1988 because it was
in such bad shape with huge potholes. The new
runway, which is 3,000 feet long and 140 feet
wide, was completed in six months,” he said.
Rodriguez’s next step was to contact NATO in
Heidelberg and lobby them for the money to pay
for new runway and approach lighting. NATO
agreed to pay 85 percent of the $1.3 million
project.
“Work began in July and will be completed by
October 16. There will be runway lighting at the
sides and front of the runway and approach
lighting at the end of the runway. These lighting
standards will give the airfield Instrument
Meteorological Conditions, or IMC. It is important that as technology moves ahead so does
the level of lighting, and when it’s completed the
airfield will be the only Army airfield worldwide
with this newest standard of lighting.”
The new lighting system is encouraging news
for pilots.
“It will definitely be helpful when coming in
to land. The weather conditions here in
Germany, especially the thick fog, cause poor
visibility,” said Capt. Darren King, Troop C, 6th
Squadron, 6th Cavalry, Illesheim.
The helicopter refueling facility, fully computerized and one of a kind in Germany, is also
getting a new addition. A building will be added
where a backup generator will be installed.
“If the airfield ever loses power, the generator
will be able to power everything for one week,
making the airfield fully functional,” Rodriguez
said.
The last upgrades will be done on the airfield
control tower and will be completed in October.
“A new tower is going to be rebuilt using the
beams of the present tower. There will be more
rooms, additional floors, an office, radio room,
break room, heating, air conditioning and toilets.
It will be much nicer than the present one,”
Rodriguez said.
Using the support beams of the present
tower, a new control tower will be built.
The tower stairwell will also be fully
enclosed.
Film service closes
processing services
Illesheim Recreation Center film processing services will end Sept. 30. No new
film orders will be processed after this date.
All orders processed before this date must
be picked up no later than Oct. 15. This
service termination will be permanent.
Attend Resumix class
at ACS
Need help with Resumix? Katterbach
Army Community Service, or ACS, offers
classes every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to
11:30 a.m. Call 467-2833 or (09802)
832833 to register.
Join a Venture Crew
Young adults ages 14 to 20 are invited to
start a Venture Crew. No experience necessary, just the desire to plan and enjoy the
program. Contact Ms. Huggins at 467-4683
or (09165) 844.
Use education center
computers
The Illesheim Education Center now has
three computers in the learning center for
soldiers to do Army correspondence and
school research. Call the center at 467-4750
for details.
235th BSB
The Crusader, 235th Base Support Battalion, editorial office is located in building 5257, Barton Barracks, telephone 468-7649 or (0981) 183649. Mailing
address is PAO, Crusader, 235th Base Support Battalion, CMR 463, APO AE 09177.
Internet web site address http:\\www.ansbach.
army.mil
The 235th BSB hot line is 468-7800 or (0981)
183800. The patient liaison number is (09841) 83512.
235th BSB
Commander .............................. Lt. Col. Cindy Connally
Public Affairs Officer ............................ Frauke Davis
Journalist ............................................ Kristy Snedden
Photos by Christy Schutte
After a morning flight, an Apache helicopter is refueled by two fuel handlers.
One of the 72 one-ton foundations for
runway lighting is placed in the
trenching. There is a total of 12,000 feet
of trenching to lay the cabling for all of
the lighting.
Recreation center adds new deck
Illesheim community
can relax outdoors
SSgt. Tony
Sparks and
CWO 3 Jeff
Marler, HHT,
6th Bn., 6th
Cav., PFC Eric
Chavez, HHD,
7th Bn., 159th
Avn., and Sgt.
Nicki Beck,
Trp. D, 6th Bn.,
6th Cav., put
in the floor
planks of the
new deck in
Illesheim.
by Kristy Snedden
CRUSADER
With the Hispanic Heritage Festival as its
debut, the Illesheim Recreation Center on Storck
Barracks plans to show off a new addition – an
outdoor deck.
“It will be a nice outdoor café area. A place
where people can sit outside and enjoy themselves,” said Michelle Dunham, Area Support
Team, or AST, commander, Illesheim.
The idea spurred by Illesheim residents was at
first a community project. The work was to be
done by the AST with the help of a few summer
hires. But when the planning and approval
stages took longer than expected, summer was
gone and so was the AST summer help. The
AST turned to the department of public works
for help and got it.
“The AST was in dire need of manpower and
knowledge on the deck project, and we assisted
them,” said SSgt. Edwin Alicea, construction
Lisa Soule
NCOIC for DPW, 235th BSB, Ansbach.
SSgt. Alicea, MSgt. Mark Hayes, and CWO 3
Jeff Marler, deputy AST commander, started
construction on the deck in August.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without
them,” Dunham stated.
Along with the deck there will be a window
connecting to the kitchen for ordering.
Dunham said that the idea is to get everybody
in the community to come out and enjoy the
facility.
“The center’s primary focus is to support the
single soldiers, but it is also a community
resource,” he said.
Soldiers, volunteers remember prisoners of war
by Kristy Snedden
CRUSADER
As soldiers from the 235th BSB came to eat lunch at the
Barton Barracks dining facility, or DFAC, on Sept. 15, they were
greeted by two ladies handing out yellow ribbons. Most did not
know that it was National Prisoners’ of War, or POW,
Recognition Day.
“When we walked up to the women, that was the first I had
heard of it,” said 1st Sgt. Enos Hollingsworth, Company D, 1st
Battalion, 1st Aviation, Katterbach.
“Our message today is awareness. People need to remember
that freedom isn’t free. We can’t forget about the people who
gave their life or who are lost,” said Simone Cieslewski, 5th
Platoon, 1st Military Police Company, family readiness group, or
FRG.
POW Recognition Day is a day meant to commemorate and
honor America’s prisoners of war and those still missing and
unaccounted for from our nation’s wars. Cieslewski first got
involved with POW issues through Operation Just Cause, after
coming across some information on the Internet.
“Our FRG adopted a POW, which means you pick any
missing person in action from any branch of service. You can
even pick which state to choose from. Then you publicize
information about that POW by building a web page, wearing a
bracelet or just talking to people,” she said.
The FRG decided to start a web page, but they didn’t stop
there. Once they found out there were no activities planned for
POW Recognition Day, Cieslewski, with help from fellow FRG
member Beth Rohr, printed up information booklets about
POWs to hand out to everyone passing through the DFAC for
lunch.
“A lot of people weren’t even aware that today was POW
Recognition Day or what it is about, so I think we educated a few
people,” Cieslewski said.
Cieslewski hopes the information will keep spreading once
soldiers leave the DFAC.
“When they go back to Katterbach and others see the yellow
ribbons, hopefully they’ll ask what they’re for and awareness
will spread that way too,” she said.
1st Sgt. Carlos Thomas, Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st
Aviation, Katterbach, plans to wear his ribbon all day.
“When they were saying, this is for POWs and MIAs, I put a
ribbon on. I think it’s important to bring the issue to everyone’s
attention,” he said.
3
279th Base Support Battalion: Bamberg
Attend open house
Join the child development center, or
CDC, staff for a tour
of the newly constructed and renovated facility. All
community members
are invited Oct. 11
from 6-7 p.m. The
CDC is located across
the street from the
279th BSB command
Chambers
building. Stop by and
enjoy complimentary cake and punch. Staff
will be available to answer concerns and
questions. For more information, call
Elaine Chambers at 469-8789 or (0951)
3008789.
Rock to country tunes
Listen to boot stompin’ country music at
the Rod and Gun Club’s customer appreciation night Oct. 13 from 9 p.m.-2 a.m.
Enjoy complimentary food while it lasts.
For more information, call 469-7583 or
(0951) 3007583.
Watch award winning play
at Stable Theater
Bamberg’s Stable Theater presents the
award-winning Fort Shafter Army Community Readers’ Theater production of
“The Last Night of the Ballyhoo” Oct. 10 at
7 p.m. Admission prices are $6 for adults
and $4 for children ages 6-18. Children
under 6 years of age may not attend the
performance. For more information, call
469-8647 or (0951) 3008647.
Chill to jazzy music
If you’re a jazz buff, then don’t miss out
on a live band performing jazz tunes at the
Seven Hills Paradise Club Oct. 14 from
9 p.m.-2 a.m. Cover charge is $3. For
more information, call 469-7556 or (0951)
3007556.
Get children to read
Get your children excited about reading
at an Army Community Service class Oct.
11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Learn which books
are age-appropriate and how activities can
enhance the reading experience. To sign up,
call 469-7777 or (0951) 3007777.
Check out hispanic books
at library
Stop by the library to check out books on
Hispanic American contributions and learn
more. Strapped for time? Visit several
websites to discover more about Hispanic
Heritage Month at http://www.hisp.com,
http://latinoweb.com,
and
http://www.mercado.com. For more information, call 469-1740 or (0951) 3001740.
Lion-hearted soldiers play games
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
Dragons beware of slayers out there.
“There’s something moving behind that door.
Perhaps it’s a vicious ogre waiting to tear you
from limb to limb. Or a horde of zombies
thirsting for blood or maybe a terrifying dragon
ready to engulf you in a maelstrom of fire.”
No, it’s not a movie – it’s an excerpt from the
latest dungeons and dragons adventure game.
Soldiers lined up recently to purchase the
newest edition of Dungeons and Dragons
distributed by Periodical Management Group to
Bamberg’s Army and Air Force Exchange
Services BookMark. They also got first-hand
playing tips from David Gross, Dungeons’
magazine editor in chief, who visited the
BookMark to sign books and copies of the game.
“It was time for Dungeons and Dragons to
make some changes. The new edition teaches
new players the ropes of the game,” Gross said.
He explained that the game is a cross between
a board game and extemporaneous drama played
in one’s mind.
“It’s like telling each other a story. The thrill
in playing is the mystery of the unknown such as
opening a chest, reading a scroll, and exploring
a forest. It’s action-packed fantasy,” he added.
Conceptualized in Wisconsin, Dungeons and
Cheryl Boujnida
Left to right, David Gross, Dungeons’ magazine editor in chief, describes playing
tactics to Pvt. 1 Daniel Jackson, Pvt.2 Jacob Feuerborn, Pvt. 1 Jacob Newton and
Greg Mullis.
Dragons has a following of more than a million
players. Long-time, serious players have gone
on to accept writing and design positions with
“Wizards of the Coast,” producers of Dungeons
and Dragons. “Two of the guys were in the
Army. It’s the perfect transition for players to
find their dream job,” Gross said.
Roused by discovery, a young soldier
explained why he’s drawn to the game. “The
thrill of Dungeons and Dragons is creativity of
your mind. I get together with friends and we
play for four or five hours at a time. It’s amazing
at times,” said Pvt. 1 Daniel Jackson.
The latest game poses challenges to veteran
players because all the rules were changed.
“It’s way beyond what I ever knew and it
keeps getting better,” said Greg Mullis.
He pointed out that he’s able to get more use
out of his books then he would get out of a
computer game.
Young and old tour Warner Barracks
German grandparents,
kids visit Americans
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
They didn’t meet “Rambo,” but there was still
plenty of action.
More than 55 German children, ages 4-9, and
their grandparents from the Catholic Landvolkshochschule in Burg Feuerstein, famous for its
seminars, visited Warner Barracks Sept. 6.
The tour, initiated by the Catholic school, was
designed to educate youngsters and elderly in
their awareness of world affairs. Warner
Barracks served as international setting for
Germans to meet Americans and take a peek at
their lifestyles.
Touring 82nd Engineer Battalion’s motor
pool for a closer look at military vehicles, tiny
hands fingered the tracks of armored tanks and
children bellowed excitedly.
“The best part is seeing the tanks up close.
This is one of the best days in my life,” said
Steffen Braeuning, a 9-year-old student.
Another highlight that proved to be a crowdpleaser was a remote control bridge used for
amphibious training. Children gleefully traipsed
over it before heading out to the child development center, or CDC, for hands-on activities.
Squeezing purple playdough through his
hands, 5-year-old Patrick Bauer grinned. He
paid careful attention to a playdough concoction
that was made at CDC of flour, water and food
coloring. All children left toting a recipe for
playdough in hand.
“It was an eye opener for many. It’s important
for our people and our culture to know what’s
going on in today’s world – we need to know the
meaning of freedom,” said Heiner Neuner, chief,
Catholic Landvolkshochschule.
He explained that German children and
grandparents had spent one week exploring
sociological and political aspects of society, and
that they had also visited a German handicapped
school.
Cheryl Boujnida
A German grandmother watches her
grandson make playdough cookies.
“It’s important that we know how the other
half lives,” he said.
Honoring soldiers
Russell Lovmo, Veterans of Foreign Wars, or
VFW, Post 10592 commander, and Col. James
Chambers, 7th Corps Support Group commander, place a wreath at Desert Storm
Memorial Park Sept. 15. Bamberg Post 10592
and Erlangen Post 3885 honored American
prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
Chambers spoke to a crowd of 50 people and
said that very few of America’s fighting forces
ever gave thought to spending years of their
lives treated little better than caged animals.
And yet, despite the suffering and nightmares,
those who became POWs embody the essence
of what we stand for as Americans.
279th BSB
The Crusader, 279th Base Support Battalion, editorial office is located in building 7089, room 423,
Warner Barracks, Bamberg, telephone 469-7581 or
(0951) 3007581. Mailing address is PAO, Crusader,
279th Base Support Battalion, Unit 27535, Warner
Barracks, APO AE 09139.
3004800. Patient liaison number is (0951) 3007492.
Internet web site 279th BSB:
http://www.bamberg.army.mil
279th BSB
Commander ............................. Lt. Col. Winston Lewis
Public Affairs Officer .......................... Renate Bohlen
Journalist ........................................... Cheryl Boujnida
Cheryl Boujnida
Bamberg kids plug into Power Hour Program
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
Bamberg youth are plugged in.
Operating computers for study purposes, youth are taking part
in the Power Hour Program at the teen lounge and the zone. The
program provides kids a place to research homework through the
use of computers.
Hours of operation have been extended by youth services at
the teen lounge and the zone to accommodate the power hour,
fostered by Boys and Girls Club of America.
“Kids think of the center as a hangout place, but it’s not, we’re
striving to establish positive learning environments for them,”
said Duane Kozel, youth services program manager.
He noted that good study habits are instilled over a period
4
of time.
“If you do something for 21 hours per
month it automatically becomes a habit.
Good study habits will pay off in the long
run for youth, it may carry over into their
young adulthood,” said Colin Cornell, team
program manager.
Acquiring better study skills is only one
of the perks associated with power hour,
kids get cool giveaways to boot. “Kids earn
points for coming. They could win free
movie tickets, bowling games, Army and
Air Force Exchange Service gift certificates, trips, or even a sport bag,” said Cornell
Maria Lamas, teen lounge recreation aid.
Many students have already begun racking up points on their
power hour cards. “It’s great to get a free movie pass, but we
benefit from the concept as well. Last week, I met someone who
helped me with a physics problem, and this week I was able to
help a friend with an algebra problem,” said Kit Thorpe, high
school junior.
“Surfing the Internet for research work isn’t cheap when you
have to do it at home,” she added.
Make use of the power hour at the zone Mon-Fri, 3-4 p.m. and
5-6 p.m. For more information, call the zone at 469-7469 or
(0951) 3007469. At the teen lounge, the power hour is offered
Mon, Tue and Wed from 6-7 p.m. For more information, call the
teen lounge at 469-8557 or (0951) 3008557.
280th Base Support Battalion: Bad Kissingen, Schweinfurt
Preschoolers enjoy games
Preschoolers ages
3-5 can enjoy an hour
filled with creative
games, stories and
crafts at the Ledward
Library, building 242,
every Tuesday morning from 10-11 a.m.
The program runs from
September through
May and is free. For
more information,
Bayha
call Kristy Bayha, the
librarian, at 354-1740 or (09721) 961740.
G-A fest brings cultures closer
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
Music, carnival rides, beer and pretzels are
just some of the things offered at the GermanAmerican Volkfest at the 1st Battalion, 7th Field
Artillery’s track park on Ledward Barracks.
The fest, which started Sept. 15, lasted
through Sept. 24 and showcased German and
American food with treats like German pretzels
and fish, American ice cream, steaks and
hamburgers.
“It’s my fourth year in Schweinfurt coordinating the fest, and it has been a good opportunity for better relationships with the German community,” said David Luellwitz, 280th
BSB Business Operations Division director.
Likewise, Jeff Temple, 280th BSB director
Learn German or
other languages
The Schweinfurt adult education school
has started registration for German classes
at all levels. Many other classes are offered
too, such as English and other languages.
Courses last four months and are all taught
by native-language teachers. To register, go
to Friedrich-Rueckert-Bau, Martin-LutherPlatz 20, 97421 Schweinfurt. For more
information, call (09721) 51476 where they
speak English.
Community welcomes
newcomers
of community activities, said, “I would like to
continue with the fest program in the future and
also would like to expand the number of
activities.”
Some individuals braved the karaoke tent,
featuring German and American songs, where
they could show off their vocal skills.
A percentage of the money generated during
the fest is used to renovate buildings and to pay
for new equipment. Participating units and other
private organizations, such as the American Red
Cross and Boy Scouts, use the opportunity to
raise money for their organizations, unit funds
and charities in the Schweinfurt community.
“An average of 4,000 people visited the fest
on weekdays and 10,000 on weekends,” Luellwitz said.
Photos by Cristina Denny
A German band plays for the opening of
the G-A fall fest Sept. 15 at Ledward
Barracks.
A welcome coffee for newcomers takes
place at the Bradley Inn every Tuesday and
Thursday from 2:30-3:30 p.m. The coffee
gives newcomers the opportunity to ask
questions about the community and the
programs available. It’s held in the firstfloor kitchen.
Learn to use
the Internet
Internet classes for beginners are offered
at the Ledward Library. Class size is limited
to six people and reservations are recommended. For more information, call 3541740 or (09721) 961740.
Relax and have lunch
with variety
The Community Club on Conn Barracks
offers lunch Mon-Fri from 11:30 a.m.-1:30
p.m. Mon is cook’s choice, Tue is Mexican,
Wed is Italian, Thu is Soul food and Fri is
fish. If you are bringing a large group,
please reserve in advance. For more information, call 353-8398 or (09721) 968398.
Visit the Black Forest
by bus
The United Service Organization, or
USO, plans a trip to the Black Forest Oct.
14. The bus departs Ledward at 5:30 a.m.
and returns at 8:00 p.m. on the same day.
Cost is $25 for adults and $20 for children.
For more information, call 354-6711 or
(09721) 804600.
280th BSB
The Crusader, 280th Base Support Battalion, editorial office is located in Robertson Hall on Ledward
Barracks, Schweinfurt, telephone 354-6381 or (09721)
966381. Mailing address is PAO, Crusader, 280th Base
Support Battalion, CMR 457, APO AE 09033.
964800.
Internet web site 280th BSB:
http://www.schweinfurt.army.mil
280th BSB
Commander ........................... Lt. Col. Timothy Gorrell
Public Affairs Officer ................................ George Ohl
Journalists ................................................. Mark Heeter
Cristina Denny
Lt. Col. Timothy Gorrell, 280th BSB
commander, tastes the first beer at the
opening of the fest.
A group of local German and American fest goers enjoy a beer during the fall fest.
FAP helps prevent
domestic violence
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
October is the domestic violence prevention
month. The Army Community Service Family
Advocacy Program, or FAP, promotes community awareness and education in the Schweinfurt community.
The FAP is taking a strong stand to make the
community aware of the many resources they
have to help families.
“We teach classes on the
symptoms of abuse and
how to recognize the problems. If you suspect a
family is involved in domestic violence, we are
here to help,” said Clara
Schueler, family advocacy
manager for the community.
“We teach everyone in
the community, soldiers, Schueler
family members, civilians,
school principals, teachers, counselors and
contractors. We offer seminars and briefings
almost every month,” Schueler said.
Likewise, Rachel Henry, social work super-
visor at the Schweinfurt Health Clinic, said, “A
general treatment plan is offered that includes
anger management classes, parenting classes
and marital therapy. All classes are tailored
according to the different needs of the individual. Some of the classes are group therapy,
others are individualized.
“The approach to treatment is interdisciplinary, we need the involvement of the entire
community to be effective.”
Starting in October, the FAP will provide the
community with a victim advocate who will
explain the resources available to a domestic
violence victim as well as the counseling
process.
“Domestic violence is a very sensitive issue,
there is still a lot of stigma attached to it, and a
lot of fear,” Schueler said.
“If you know someone who is experiencing
some family problems, don’t be afraid to refer
the victim to us,” she said.
The normal procedure to report a domestic
violence accident is either to call the military
police, or the FAP at 354-7057 or (09721)
967057, or a social worker at 354-6276 or
(09721) 966276.
Kelly Grant
Blooming best
Manuela Perry, family member, 1st
Military Police Company, prunes
flowers in front of her house in
Yorktown Village. Her blossoming
yard was recently honored as Yard
of the Quarter. This was the third
time Perry’s yard was chosen for the
award. Tenants in building 533, stairwell L, in Askren Manor and building
300, stairwell 19, in Daley Village
were also honored.
Don’t let financial emergencies ruin well-being
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
The Army Emergency Relief’s, or AER’s, mission is to
provide emergency financial assistance to active duty soldiers,
single or married, and their dependents. Soldiers retired from
active duty for longevity or physical disability and their dependents, soldiers who retired at age 60 and their dependents,
surviving spouses and orphans of soldiers who died while on
active duty or after they retired are all eligible for assistance.
Initially the AER was intended to give financial assistance to
soldiers in cases of emergency leave due to illness or death of
parents, grandparents, etc. AER can provide assistance with
travel, funeral expenses, lodging and food.
“We also offer James Ursano scholarships for high school
6
dependent children of soldiers going to college. Up to $1,700 is
offered each academic year. It used to be a pilot program only in
Germany. Now it is also being offered in Korea and Japan,” said
Mike Bunker, Army Emergency Relief officer.
AER can also assist with medical and dental expenses, rent
and utilities.
“AER is here to take care of our own. We are the first resource
for the soldiers. A soldier, before getting into more debt, should
come to see us and ask for help,” said Frank Collazo, consumer
affairs and financial assistance manager at Army Community
Service.
“Another program is the Spouse Education Assistance Program that helps Army families with the costs of post secondary
undergraduate-level education and vocational training to prepare
spouses for the job market.
Assistance will be awarded to pay up to half the cost of tuition
per term based on relative financial need, as evidenced by
income, assets, family size and special financial obligations.
Assistance offered can be a maximum of $350.00 each academic
term,” Collazo said.
The assistance money must be used to assist with tuition, fees,
books and supplies. The spouse education assistance is a grant,
which means one doesn’t have to repay it.
In order to start the process, a soldier has to submit a leave and
earnings statement to the AER office.
In case of emergency leave, the AER needs a Red Cross
message. The application must also be signed by the soldier’s
commander.
417th Base Support Battalion: Giebelstadt, Kitzingen, Wuerzburg
Prevent fires
All fire stations in
the 417th BSB will
have open houses
during fire prevention
week Oct. 8-14 according to Markus
Groetsch, fire inspector. Fire fighters will
demonstrate
their
trucks and equipment
at childcare centers
and schools. Fire exGroetsch
tinguisher classes are
set at the Kitzingen and Giebelstadt fire
stations Oct. 10 and 12 at 2 p.m. Classes
will also be held at the U.S. Army Hospital,
Wuerzburg, tennis court Oct. 11 at 1 and
1:50 p.m. and at the Faulenberg Kaserne
wash rack Oct. 13 at 2:45 p.m. For more
information, call Groetsch at 350-7396.
SSSC closes
Plan your purchases at the Self Service
Supply Center on Faulenberg Kaserne. The
store will close for semi-annual inventory
Oct. 23 and re-open Nov. 3. The store will
re-open under a new name, Uncle Sam’s
Club, and will accept letters of intent or
IMPAC cards for purchases.
Celebrate Hispanic culture
Discover Hispanic heritage in a family
celebration at Wuerzburg Elementary
School Oct. 14 from 3-7 p.m. Listen to
Hispanic music, watch a dance performance, a fashion show, and browse cultural
displays. For more information, contact
Jackie Reece at 355-8550 or (09321)
305550.
Puff it out
Club Beyond members will tackle
powder-puff football at the Wuerzburg
football field Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m. It’s not
too late to join Club Beyond. Middle school
students meet in the school Monday afternoons from 3-4:30 p.m. High school meetings are in the school Wednesday evenings
from 6-7:30 p.m. For more information,
call Marty McCarty at 350-7360 or (0931)
8897360.
Shop at bazaar
Stock up on holiday gifts at the Kitzingen international bazaar in the Harvey Barracks Physical Fitness Center Oct. 13-15.
Doors open Fri at 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat
from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sun from 11 a.m.4 p.m.
Visit field dentist
Soldiers and family members in Giebelstadt can take advantage of extra dental
appointments during a field dental exercise
Oct. 23-27. To schedule an exam or routine
filling appointment, call 352-7515 or
(09334) 877515.
417th BSB
The Crusader, 417th Base Support Battalion, editorial office is located in building 145, Harvey Barracks,
telephone 355-8575 or (09321) 305575. Mailing
address is PAO, Crusader, 417th Base Support Battalion, Unit 26124, APO AE 09031.
305999.
Phone numbers for patient liaisons are: Kitzingen,
355-8415 or (09321) 305415; Wuerzburg and Giebelstadt, call the 67th Combat Support Hospital, 350-3874
or (0931) 8043874.
417th BSB
Commander ............................ Lt. Col. Frank Wheeler
Public Affairs Officer ........................... Gabriele Drake
Journalist ..................................................... Lisa Soule
Big Windy moves Belgian mail
Fuel strike calls
choppers to action
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
Big Windy saved the day for the Chievres,
Belgium, military community.
Two Chinook helicopters from Company F,
159th Aviation Regiment, hauled 18,000 pounds
of mail stranded in Frankfurt due to the Belgian
fuel strike.
Four pilots and four crewmembers brought in
the packages and letters and took the community’s outgoing mail back to Frankfurt.
“We were prepared to run the mail as long as
necessary, but as it turns out, the situation was
resolved,” said Maj. Keith Meeker, company
commander.
“It was great to be able to do something with
the immediate and tangible results of helping our
fellow service members,” said CWO 3 Paul
Morse.
As the only Chinook unit in Europe, the
company gets some unique tasks. The flexible
airframe and large capacity of the aircraft put
them in high demand.
They recently rescued an Apache helicopter
that sank into a muddy field in Hungary. Last
Sgt. Joe Cooper, crew chief, prepares the Chinook helicopter for take off.
February they provided transportation for Vice
President Al Gore. The company handles all
presidential and vice presidential operations in
the European theater.
The unit handles the odd assignments that
come along, while supporting training missions
and maintaining a forward deployment in Macedonia.
Lisa Soule
Meeker, who has been in command four
months, said the company runs at full tilt. “We
are so spread out, I have yet to see the whole
company all together in one formation.”
Although the unit’s operation tempo runs
high, Meeker said morale runs high. “We do a
lot, and we do it well. That spirit binds us and
makes us a cohesive team.”
Joy up your life with little things
by Olivia Feher
CRUSADER
“Wow! I feel good! If you don’t start your day
feeling these words, you don’t have enough joy
in your life,” say Kathie Hightower and Holly
Scherer, two family advocacy experts from the
United States who want to joy up your life.
At a four-hour seminar at the Cantigny Club
on Leighton Barracks, these two wonder women
got their message of joyful living across to a
roomful of eager attendees.
“The basics to joyful living are learn what the
little things are that bring you joy, learn what you
want to do with your life, laugh often, choose to
be joyful, and take care of yourself. That’s all
you need,” said Kathie Hightower.
It didn’t take long for the message of taking
joy breaks every day to get across.
“We don’t laugh enough, and laughing is one
of the best methods of boosting your energy
level. So how do we go about learning to laugh
again? There are many ways of doing this and
one of the simplest is to prepare a list of things
you enjoy doing, especially those things you can
do in a short time. However, it’s important to
write them down, otherwise you forget,” said
Holly Scherer.
One of the best ideas that were thrown out to
add joy and energy to your life was the fishbowl
idea. Have your family fill a fishbowl with slips
of paper with different things you want to do for
an afternoon written on them. Then, when
there’s a free afternoon, just pick out a slip and
do whatever it says. This saves time because
there’s no discussion on where to go or what to
do.
“Know what you want, not what other people
want for you. This is very important. If you’re
not sure, dream. Dream about what your perfect
day and environment would be like, with
absolutely no limitation. Once you know what
that is, start listing things in your ideal day that
you already have in your life. It’s amazing just
how many of those things are already there,”
Hightower said.
Setting goals was another important basic. If
goals aren’t set, they can’t be achieved.
Olivia Feher
Miranda Serra, left, family member, Company B, 126th Infantry, Schweinfurt, takes a
joy break with Kathie Hightower during the joyful living seminar Sept. 28 on Leighton
Barracks.
“It’s really a shifting of attitudes, too. Attitude
is a little thing that makes a big difference. It’s
not achieving the goal that matters, it’s what you
pick up on the road,” Scherer said.
Hightower maintains that you should bombard yourself with positives. For most of us,
80 percent of our life is positive and 20 percent
is negative, and far too many of us focus on the
negative.
“When you do this, your life becomes negative and you attract other negative people. Think
positive and the opposite applies. I’m not saying
that negative things don’t happen, of course they
do, but the small ways of adding joy to your life
help tremendously,” Hightower said.
If you want to bring more joy into you life,
write to [email protected] or call (253) 7618161.
Cantigny Club adopts alternative food services
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
European cuisine is coming to the Cantigny Club in Wuerzburg.
Outside caterers will now provide food service at special
events hosted in the club.
The catering initiative, which will provide customers with a
variety of food options, took effect Oct. 1 when the club discontinued its own food service operation.
“The change should be transparent to customers. They can
still book their events, and a catering coordinator will help them
with the catering arrangements,” said Rick Randall, 417th BSB
director of community activities.
Under this new concept, the caterer will provide all prepared
8
foods, utensils, tablecloths and any other requirement the
customer may have.
The club had been offering a Sunday brunch and Wednesday
“family night” dinners, but attendance was not high enough to
continue the services. “The Cantigny Club lost money last year
in their food operation,” Randall said.
He added that local competition and an inability to turn a
profit forced the recent decision.
“Diners have so many choices, both on and off post. Families
with young kids like the fast food options. Plus, there are
numerous restaurants on the local economy offering international options, to include an Outback Steak House that will
open soon.”
Closing the food service operation has the Cantigny Club
following in the footsteps of other area clubs.
Late last year, Kitzingen’s Woodland Inn stopped serving
food. The Starlite Club in Wuerzburg closed its doors alltogether
in August. In the same month, Tony’s Place, a contracted lunch
spot with games and video machines, closed on Harvey Barracks.
Even so, Randall said plans are in the works to open a short
order grill at the Woodland Inn. They may even attempt a oncea-month Sunday brunch.
“The idea is to gradually develop a program that can be
supported by the community. We need to start small and see what
the customer base will support,” he said.
Giebelstadt’s Red Baron Club and Larson Barracks’s
EndZone Club will continue to serve food, though neither is
flourishing.
Closing out the books at
the end of the fiscal year
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
Tiptoe under the big top
Circus Krone
Trainer Patricia Zerbini presents her elephants at the Circus Krone at the
Talavera festival grounds from Oct. 13-22. Circus Krone, the largest circus in
Europe, performs workdays at 3:30 and 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 and 7 p.m. The
circus is home to almost 400 people and more than 250 animals.
It was new year’s eve for the money
crunchers.
Last Saturday night, accountants, budget
analysts, resource managers and contracting
officers worked well past midnight to close the
books at the end of the fiscal year.
The pressure was building days before the
Sept. 30 deadline as teams validated the year’s
documents and obligated remaining funds.
“It’s a little stressful, it’s highly intense, but I
love it,” said James Robertson, supervisory
budget analyst for 1st Infantry Division.
“In my dating days, I would never tell a girl I
was an accountant or a budget analyst. It didn’t
seem glamorous or exciting enough. It didn’t
quite compare to being a Wall Street broker. But
taking care of the customer and interfacing with
peers in other commands is very rewarding, and
of course, we control money – and that can make
you a very popular person at times,” he said.
Robertson spent the eve of the new fiscal year
in Heidelberg with representatives from all the V
Corps subordinate commands. Other non-corps
units gathered in Kaiserslautern, while the 98th
ASG resource management staff teamed up with
regional contracting officers in Wuerzburg.
“As midnight rolled around the globe, leftover money became available. Asia ran out first,
and what they couldn’t spend was pulled back,”
said Randy Hamilton, contracting officer.
When spare funding became available, the
contracting office was prepared to spend it.
Several projects waiting for contracts stood
ready for signature.
“The only catch is the contracts were prepared
subject to availability of funds. If funds came
through, we could sign them before midnight,
and then the work could begin,” Hamilton said.
But even when the midnight hour rolled
around, the adrenaline was still pumping, and
the work cranked on.
“I’m sure there was a bottle of champagne
floating around somewhere, but we stayed busy
through the early morning hours of Oct. 1,” said
Joseph Nagy, director of the 98th ASG Resource
Management.
“The work didn’t end until the final reports
were sent to USAREUR, reviewed, and we
confirmed that we had proper accountability for
all fiscal year 2000 funds,” Nagy said.
Task force recommends soldiers have many skills
Training to be more
focused on core job
by Joe Burlas
Army News Service
The Army Development System, or ADS, XXI task force is
preparing to present its final recommendations on how to improve the current enlisted and warrant officer personnel management systems.
“The environment in which our soldiers serve today can be
characterized as one of rapid and continuous change. There is no
one clear enemy, and our traditional roles keep expanding.
Equipment modernization and changes to our doctrine and
structure must be anticipated to keep pace,” said Col. Dave
Cutler, ADS XXI director.
He added that the Army currently relies on institutional
training to prepare soldiers for their assigned jobs, the equipment
they use and the missions they receive.
“Change in the operational environment occurs faster than we
can react with institutional training programs. Soldiers
repeatedly demonstrate the ability to adapt to new environments
and learn new skills,” Cutler said.
Recognizing this adaptability, the task force is recommending
that institutional training be more focused on the core job competencies that comprise a soldier’s military occupational specialty, or MOS.
“Army branch proponents have independently initiated
actions that may reduce the 241 MOSs currently in the Army to
200. This creates larger pools of soldiers, keeping war-fighting
units manned at 100 percent,” Cutler said.
ADS XXI also advocates providing NCOs with published,
approved career development plans. This may include placing
greater emphasis on directed self-development beyond the
required institutional Army schools and providing the proper
resources for that development.
Other enlisted personnel management recommendations
include developing a web-based automated personnel management system and improving unit readiness reporting with a
system that better captures soldiers’ deployment histories.
Take a romantic trip to Venice, the island city
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Built on
more than 100 islands, the city’s architecture is a mixture of
Renaissance, Byzantine and Gothic styles. In Venice, as in no
other city, the reality proves to be yet more impressive than the
publicity.
Romantics simply must travel in vaporetti, the city’s water
buses, or take a gondola to cross the width of the Grand Canal in
truly romantic style. There are many other attractions, such as
museums, concerts and the Venetian carnival, to enjoy.
The best time of year to visit is during the spring and fall when
the weather is cooler and the crowds are fewer.
Among the many places to visit, Piazza S. Marco is worth a
stop. One of the most precious Christian relics, the body of St.
Mark was recovered by a miracle and buried beneath the Basilica
di San Marco. The church is a gem of Venice and a symbol of the
power and wealth that Venice once attained. The outside is
elaborately decorated with beautiful marble and amazing
mosaics, including one from the 13th century.
Palazzo Ducale, the residence of the Doge up to the fall of the
Venetian Republic in 1797, represents the highest and richest
symbol of Venetian civilization, cultural, military, political and
economic history: From the great halls dedicated to political life
and the precious rooms of the Doge’s apartments to the dark
prisons and places of torture and the luminous loggias on the
Piazza. These are just some of the rooms a visitor can tour.
The little island of Murano, 20 minutes away from Venice, is
very renowned for the glass blowing production that dates back
to the Roman age. Today, for the visitors who come to Murano,
the furnace structures have remained unaltered over time, and
new technology is seen only in small details. The artworks range
from crystal bottles and vases and blown glass masks and
sculptures to glass jewels called Murrina. Murrina is an ancient
handicraft glass jewel made with many colorful glass pieces.
Venice is only an 8-hour drive from Schweinfurt. It’s
advisable to leave the car parked in Mestre, which is only 20
minutes from Venice, since both open and covered parking in
Mestre costs a fraction of what it costs to leave the car in Venice.
Venice can be reached by train (departure every 5-10 minutes) or
by numerous buses.
To make hotel reservations, http://travel.yahoo.com offers
many options, whether you want to stay in Venice or 20 minutes
away in Mestre. It’s wisest to book your place at least one month
in advance if you plan to go to Venice in June, July or August.
Walks along narrow callis, or paths, across the 400
bridges that span the 114 canals are enchanting.
The Doge’s Palace one of the world’s most beautiful public buildings. The interior rooms are adorned with
paintings, frescos, sculptures, and carvings by famous Italian artists like Tintoretto, Veronese, Titian, and
Tiepolo.
10
The facade of St. Mark’s is a synthesis of Byzantine,
Romanesque, and Gothic elements.
New engineer chief continues improvements
Barracks
projects,
family
housing
and
community
facilities
initiatives
all continue
Construction
workers make
way for mail
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
Construction workers on Harvey Barracks are making way for the mail.
The old outdoor recreation center, building 156, will serve as the hub for 417th BSB
mail operations by next summer, replacing
the current Wuerzburg collection point on
Faulenberg Kaserne.
Project manager Harry Gebhardt, 98th
ASG directorate of public works, said the
roughly half-million dollar project should
be complete in June 2001.
Capt. Daniel Gray, 38th Postal Company
commander, said the new location will
improve working conditions for his soldiers.
“We will have a better operations floor
with a new registry room, accountable mail
room and a bigger re-direct area,” Gray
said.
The new location will also give mail
trucks more off-loading space with overhangs to protect mail from rain.
About 4,100 square feet of space in the
east side of the building will be converted
to house the mail platoon. The west side of
the building belongs to the Department of
Defense Dependents School’s computer
school and is not included in the project.
The outdoor recreation center vacated
the building in July when it moved near the
Harvey Barracks Shoppette in building
132.
“The new outdoor recreation location
gives us increased visibility and improved
customer access,” said Kurt Soholt, recreation manager.
Renovations on the new center continue
as construction workers punch access
entries between the different offices.
The Better Opportunities for Single
Soldiers, or BOSS, program is co-located
with the recreation facility.
Hello to everyone in the 1st Infantry Division and the 98th
Area Support Group! On Nov. 1, I will begin to serve the 98th
ASG as your new director of public works.
I previously served in Munich as the U.S. liaison officer to the
German Army Engineer School, and this tour in Wuerzburg will
mark my fifth tour in Germany.
I look forward to working with my staff and the BSB DPWs
in the 98th ASG to provide excellent services in engineering and
housing support to all our customers.
What is the 98th ASG DPW doing for you? Just look around
your barracks, housing areas and community facilities, and you
will see numerous projects to improve the soldiers’ and their
families’ quality of life today and tomorrow.
Some examples of various ongoing projects throughout the
area are the new fire training center near Soldiers’ Lake in
Ansbach; expansion, new construction and renovation of the
child development center in Bamberg; the new bank on Ledward
Barracks in Schweinfurt; and the latest update on the pedestrian
zone on Leighton Barracks in Wuerzburg.
As you will see in more detail in the following articles, the
BSB DPW staffs are working hard every day to improve the
facilities where you live and work.
With all construction projects, some inconveniences in terms
of barracks and housing availability or traffic interruptions will
occur. Please be patient – it’s not the intent of the DPW to disrupt
where you live or work.
You will continue to see many improvements during the next
several years in all our communities in terms of housing,
recreational and workplace facilities.
As you move into new barracks or new family housing, I ask
that you take care of these facilities so that the future generations
of soldiers and families will also be able to enjoy the newer, firstclass surroundings!
Finally, the DPW staffs at the ASG and BSB levels want
to continue to receive excellent feedback on what you see right
or wrong in your community. Sometimes the best ideas are
small projects that will make your area that much better or
safer in the BSB. Please send your ideas or thoughts to
[email protected].
RICHARD B. HOOK
Lieutenant Colonel, Engineer
Director of Public Works
Leighton pedestrian area progresses
by Olivia Feher
CRUSADER
The first phase of the three-part construction
plan for the pedestrian area on Leighton Barracks, Wuerzburg, is well underway.
“We are right on target with the road construction phase between the junction of Victory
Park and Rottendorfer Strasse,” said Maj.
Joseph Moore, 417th BSB DPW director.
“This part of the road construction is almost
complete and has already eased traffic circulation and improved safety in the area,” Moore
said.
The next phase of the project, which is the
pedestrian area itself, will see work start in front
of building 10. At the moment, this area houses
the furniture store, BookMark and the movie
theater.
Recruiting office open
“The recruiting office, located at the far left
end of the building, is complete and already
open for business,” said Bill Holz, 417th BSB
DPW deputy director.
“The theater, that was also included in this
phase, had the whole lobby renovated to include
access for handicapped persons and the addition
of a handicapped toilet, plus a new electrical
system and fire alarms. Also, a new snack bar
was added to give customers more choice from
an extended menu. The first weekend it opened,
Sept. 1, it drew a record crowd of 2,500 and was
completely sold out,” Holz said.
Food court additions
“The intention is to relocate Subway to the
food court in the post exchange and use the
remaining space in the old food court for new
retail concessions. We’re also looking at moving
the launderette from building 12 into this area.
However, this is a tentative plan and will not take
place until next year,” said Anthony Sowell,
Wuerzburg Consolidated Exchange general
manager.
“The third and last stage of construction will
be rearranging the parking spaces in front of
what was the old post exchange. Spaces will be
made larger to better accommodate a normal
American family car. Also, the present bus stop
will be relocated to a more central position,”
Moore said.
Although the reconstruction work inconveniences customers, everything possible is
being done to keep this to a minimum.
Walkway set
When this last phase starts, after the winter
break, the new walkway from BookMark to the
post exchange will start and should be complete
by March 2001.
“We would also like to add an automatic teller
machine and a video drop-off somewhere in the
pedestrian area. The whole project will be
landscaped with trees, picnic tables and kiosks,
and will make walking from the post exchange
to the theater or BookMark simpler and safer,”
Moore said.
The commercial hub of Leighton Barracks
will then become more pedestrian friendly.
“The whole project is about improving the
shopping experience for Americans in Bavaria,”
Moore said.
When construction is finished early next year,
the main road will run from the front gate past
the post exchange to the back gate.
Photos by Olivia Feher
Construction workers repave the road
outside the old food mall.
SFC Ross Scott, left, recruiter in charge of the new station, enlists Andrew Hearn
Sept. 19 while his parents, MSgt. Stuart Hearn and his wife, Donna, look on.
ASG’s first major success towards privatization
by John Reichert
Directorate of Public Works
The utility privatization at Marshall Heights family housing in
Kitzingen was the first major success story in a long process
towards the 98th ASG’s goal.
After a three-year process, the contracts were signed in midAugust. Marshall Heights was the first of approximately
40 different contracts that are being considered for utility privatization within the ASG.
Marshall Heights was processed first since the systems were
failing and require numerous repairs each year. Utility privatization transfers the responsibility to operate, repair and
renew the utility systems from the DPWs to the German utility
supplier, usually Stadtwerke, or city works, and changes re-
sponsibility from the edge of the installation to the first switch or
valve inside each building.
For Marshall Heights, the supplier will now start designing the
repair and replacement work needed to prepare for construction
starting in the spring of 2001.
We have started the privatization process in all BSBs by
discussing with the German utility suppliers about what the U.S.
Army expects as a result.
We include the electricity, gas, water and heating supply
systems, and the system most needing repairs – the sewer
disposal system. The key players in this process are the BSB and
ASG DPWs, and DCSENG and Contracting Office, Wuerzburg,
staff.
The German utility suppliers sent us a proposal on how they
expect to do business, and we are evaluating the proposals to
ensure the US Army gets the best economic and technical deal
possible. We have received proposals back from the suppliers in
Schweinfurt and Bamberg.
One of these proposals is for the conversion of the coal-fired
central heating plant at Bamberg, the last major coal plant in
USAREUR, to a gas-fired operation.
For the residents of Marshall Heights, there is no change in
reporting any problems. If a resident has a problem with any of
their utilities, they still call the work reception office at 355-8555
or (09321) 303555 or go to the 417th BSB DPW facilities
engineer web site at www.bsbdpw.kitzingen.army.mil. The
facilities engineer office will determine if the cause is inside or
outside the building and will call the proper persons to repair the
problem.
Center expands to accommodate children
Child development gets major upgrade
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
Photos by Cheryl Boujnida
A construction worker digs dirt to put
between newly laid cobblestones.
Childcare in Bamberg is no longer an issue.
Expansion, new construction and renovations
to the child development center, or CDC, has
created 38 additional childcare slots for less than
a million dollars.
Prior to the upgrade, there were 64 full-time
slots, but now, the center boasts 72 full-time and
30 part-time preschool openings.
Construction, which began in Feb. 2000 and
was completed in Sept. 2000, wasn’t an easy feat.
“One of the biggest challenges was keeping
the center operational during the construction
phases. But, it’s the nature of our business to
provide for our customers, and we were able to
do just that,” said Mary Jo Lohrenz, child and
youth services director.
She explained that the center was relocated to
Bamberg Elementary School in the summer, so
interior renovations could be completed.
“It’s been hard on staff who had to help
relocate services to the elementary school. They
started packing after CDC closed at 6 p.m.,
moved boxes, unpacked, and were ready to greet
children at 5:30 a.m. the next day. They’ve been
super,” she said.
Renovations to the existing CDC building
were essential and improvements had to comply
with USAREUR standards.
“There are special construction requirements
when a facility is used for children. Electrical
outlets were installed above an average child’s
height, ramps were constructed in the infant
room for fire evacuation, and bathrooms were
installed in each room of the center,” said HansJuergen Betz, chief, engineer planning and
service division.
A modern, glass walkway trimmed in red
aluminum, was constructed to join the former
CDC to an additional preschool room, which
served as a fire truck garage for many years.
“The walkway has a streamlined look and it
will serve as a reception area for parents who are
dropping off their children and office spaces for
CDC staff,” Betz said.
Next year, children will be swinging from a
new set of monkey bars. Plans are underway to
construct an additional playground and renovate
the existing play area.
Newly purchased, bright colored furniture
accents construction improvements.
“Parents absolutely love the new look – it’s
been completely transformed. It’s a very positive
environment now,” said Elaine Chambers, CDC
director.
Community members are invited to tour the
newly-fashioned CDC at an open house Oct. 11
at 6 p.m.
Heinz Drechsler lays fresh cement before he places cobblestones on the walkway.
Full-day preschooler Chevon Saba, 4,
mixes up water fun in the child development center addition.
Juergen Richter measures and marks
boards for the child development center’s new entry way.
Operating a forklift, Josef Reichel discards excess debris during the final phases of construction.
Two new Askren Manor
buildings ready on time
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
Buildings 518 and 519 in Askren Manor,
Schweinfurt, have been completely renovated
just in time for residents to begin moving in
during the week of Sept. 18. Work started in July
1999 and ended Aug. 4.
“This is the first part of a project to renovate
all the buildings in Askren Manor that is
scheduled to be completed by 2010,” said Peter
Voss, 280th BSB DPW facilities management
branch chief.
“We are in the process of doing the final
cleaning of the apartments, and are moving
stoves, refrigerators, washers and dryers into
them,” Voss said.
A total of 36 apartments have received a
facelift. All the utility lines, such as heating, cold
water and electrical wires were replaced.
“New kitchens and bathrooms were also installed. A central fire alarm system and smoke
detectors were placed in the buildings, which
have 110 and 220 voltage electrical outlets in
every room as well as telephone lines being
installed in bedrooms,” Voss said.
The buildings were completed on time, and
the contractor kept the costs within the estimate,
he added.
Trevor Jordan, 280th BSB DPW deputy
director agreed.
“The contractor was on time and did a good
job in renovating building 518.
“When you do renovation work, it’s very
important to rely on a good contractor, and we
had good experience with ours in the past when
they renovated building 19 on Conn Barracks,”
Jordan said.
The total cost of renovating the first two
buildings was $1.9 million.
Cristina Denny
Peter Voss shows off a newly renovated bathroom in building 518, Askren Manor,
Schweinfurt.
One of the first bank customers waits her
turn for a free teller.
Walter Franze, a contract worker, puts the finishing touches on a desk in the new bank building.
New bank opens on Ledward
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
The new Community Bank opened to customers on Sept. 21 at 11:00 a.m. after ten months
of renovations.
Edgar Bieber, 280th BSB DPW chief of engineering plans and services, explained that
remodeling was a team effort.
“DPW engineers designed the remodeling
and contracted it to Holzmann, a German construction company. The project went very
smoothly, the contractor was very supportive,
and the relationship between bank staff and us
was professional,” Bieber said.
“The bank was in a very unfunctional condition – no major renovations were made in the
last twenty years. We demolished all the old
suspended ceilings, coverings and walls, and
changed the layout of the bank to be more
functional,” he said.
“The new functional layout of the facility is
more oriented towards the customer. It enhances
the efficiency of the bank operations and also
customer privacy and customer service,” said
Trevor Jordan, 280th BSB DPW deputy director.
New sanitary facilities as well as a new
kitchen were built inside the bank. Also, the safe
room was renovated, a new heating and air
conditioning system along with a new counter
and big new window for more light was added.
The project also added additional offices and
separation walls to make more room for the
employees.
The outside of the bank was completely
renovated as well, starting with the canopy and
the pavement at the main entrance which are
completely new.
The total cost for the project was $290,000.
The civil engineer designer is Frank Fronzek, the
electrical designer is Klaus-Dieter Jones, the
‘The project went very
smoothly, the contractor
was very supportive, and
the relationship between
bank staff and us was
professional.’
– Edgar Bieber
heating and sanitary designer is Gerald Gleichmann; and the inspector of construction is KarlHeinz Kickuth. All engineers are from the engineering division of DPW.
Andre Wachtev measures wood planking
for the inside of the walls of the bank.
Bamberg housing gets
major renovation work
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
It’s spreading.
The $6 million project to renovate Flynn
family housing has taken over neighborhoods
on Warner Barracks in Bamberg.
Parking lots have been blocked to lay fresh
tar and increase parking, sidewalks repaved,
streets narrowed, and landscaping is currently
underway.
Exterior construction has ceased on Lindenanger Street, but it’s become a reality for
Maple, Elm and Poplar street residents.
Cheryl Boujnida
Contract workers measure concrete
walls for a parking lot construction
project in family housing.
If the construction
doesn’t shake you up,
then the replacement of
the sewage lines at the
same time will surely get
your attention.
“It’s a monster of a
project that’s been combined with the city’s
sewage line update. It’s
been uncomfortable for
many residents because Kraus
they have to tolerate the construction phases
one day at a time. But once it’s finished, many
people will be pleasantly surprised at the
outcome,” said Werner Kraus, housing
facilities manager.
Construction is expected to be completed
by December 2001.
“The narrowing of the streets will have
greater impact on motorists – it was like a
highway before. Now people will drive more
slowly through the housing area which makes
it much safer for children,” Kraus said.
Kraus explained that environmental factors
contributed to the city’s desire to replace 50year-old sewer lines.
“Two lines are required, one for sewage
and another for rain water. The installation is
necessary to meet city standards,” he said.
Flynn family housing also reaped the benefits of two new playgrounds.
“They’re world-class playgrounds,” said
Robert Gardner, department of public works
director, referring to playgrounds built on
South Maple Street and across from the
shoppette.
“It hasn’t been easy, but it’s getting better.
It’ll be worth it in the long run because we’ll
have more parking,” said SFC Ralph Craddock, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 54th Engineer Battalion.
Lisa Soule
Wuerzburg Wolves’ Billy Porter and Dustin Stephenson, seniors, get ready for
football practice with a sprint around the new track.
New all-weather track set
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
Wuerzburg’s new track is now prepared to
handle all weather, all events – and all people.
Contractors are finishing up a directorate of
public works, or DPW, project that resurfaced
the running track. It also created areas for field
events, including high, long and triple jump as
well as discus and shot-put.
One of the stipulations for using community
funds to pay for the project was that the entire
community would benefit from it, according to
Stephen Zeman, 417th BSB chief engineer for
plans and services.
“The old cinder track surface was replaced
with a new, state-of-the-art rubber compound
and striped with eight running lanes,” Zeman
said.
The addition of field event sites gives Wuerzburg American High School the opportunity to
host track and field meets on post. The school
hosted past events in a nearby German town,
paying daily rent to sporting facilities, according
to high school coach Duane Werner.
“The new area really adds to the community.
We have used the track for physical education
classes almost daily since school began. It also
gives the Army a chance to host military meets,”
Werner said.
The soft running surface plays an important
role in injury prevention and makes running
more comfortable. “I have bad knees and hips
and I just love running on it,” Werner said.
DPW has made other improvements around
the high school. “We removed some old buildings from behind the school and have done some
landscaping to improve the appearance of the
back of the building,” Zeman said.
Football fans will appreciate the directorate’s
latest endeavor. “We are moving a public toilet
building from the old teen center to the football
field,” Zeman said.
The improvements will make the track facility among the best in Europe, Werner said.
The coach is spearheading some improvements on his own. With the Bad Kreuznach base
preparing to close, Werner said he has first dibs
on their football field’s lighting system.
“If it will work well on the Wuerzburg field,
we will have an added dimension. Imagine
night-time ball games,” he said.
Photos by Christy Schutte
Firefighters work in intense heat to extinguish a simulated bed fire in the first floor room.
Prepared with their gas masks, firefighters are raised
by ladder to the third-story window to eliminate
smoke.
Beat the heat
by Christy Schutte
CRUSADER
Two firefighters work together to raise a
water hose up and over the fire truck.
The completion of a new fire-fighting training
facility near Soldier’s Lake in Ansbach places
the 235th Base Support Battalion as the central
training location for all of USAREUR’s fire
fighters.
The three-story building has two first-floor
rooms, one room on the second floor, one room
on the third floor, and a stairwell. Each area is
equipped with smoke generators and liquid
propane operated fire grills to create realistic
fire-fighting scenarios where temperatures can
range from 350 to 700 degrees Celsius.
“We’ve never had this type of training before.
This gives us the opportunity to train with real
fire under simulated circumstances that are
typical in real-life situations,” said Alexander
Gerhard, fire safety inspector, 235th BSB, Ansbach.
The fire grills in each room are in the shape of
either a bed or a couch, making the simulated
fires more realistic. There is also a 160-pound
dummy that can be used for rescue training.
The safety instructor controls the grills and
smoke with a remote control.
“I can adjust things such as the flame and
how fast it grows, the difficulty level of
extinguishing, the amount of smoke and
ventilation. We have a display panel that shows
the temperature, burning time until water
reaches the flames, and how long extinguishing
the fire takes,” Gerhard said.
Stefan Groetschel, fire chief, 235th BSB, said
the training facility is very safe.
“The instructor has full control and there is
even an emergency stop button which shuts
everything down in three seconds. And because
we use gas fires it is also environmentally safe,”
Groetschel said.
Fire fighters throughout USAREUR will train
in this facility.
The display and control panel gives the
safety instructor complete control of fire,
heat and smoke levels.
“Units will be able to come here at least
once a year. The 235th BSB fire fighters are
authorized to do all of the lesson plans and hold
the actual training. We want to provide the best
service possible,” Groetschel said.
Bamberg invests in school safety
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
Bamberg students got a whiff of fresh tar when they started
back to school this year.
Two construction projects at the Bamberg elementary and
high schools have created safer walking environments for children and additional parking for faculty and parents.
“The 279th BSB has invested considerable resources in new
construction at both schools because the safety of our children is
extremely important. There weren’t any issues prior to the
construction, but it’s better to be pro-active than sorry,” said Lt.
Col. Winston Lewis, 279th BSB commander.
Bus traffic at the schools is controlled via remote now. Three
electronically operated barriers were installed, two at the elementary school and one at the high school, to open and close at
a bus driver’s touch of a button. The barriers are also operable
from the school’s main offices.
“It reduces the number of soldiers who act as safety patrollers
and it’s a lot safer in general,” said Ian Coubrough, elementary
school principal.
The elementary school is also reaping the benefits of 24
additional parking spaces after a new lot was constructed.
“It’s been an on-going concern from parents that there wasn’t
enough parking,” said Will Harris, elementary school support
technician.
Construction workers encountered several unforeseen challenges during parking lot excavation.
“Failing utility lines had to be addressed before construction
could continue. Both the heat and water lines were constantly
leaking, but now everything’s new and there won’t be any more
surprises,” said Hans-Juergen Betz, engineer planning and services division chief.
Betz explained that construction at the schools had to be
finished timely before school sessions began.
New construction additions at the high school include an entry
road for buses only and a closer faculty parking lot.
“It was all squeezed into a two-month time frame. The parking
lot and new road at the high school were finished the Saturday
before school started. It was a tight schedule, but contractors
worked day and night to make it happen,” Betz said.
Holding handicapped signs, contruction workers
prepare to install new parking lot markers.
Photos by Cheryl Boujnida
Bamberg Elementary School students walk safely through the school parking lot.
A contractor grabs a pole from his truck during the
construction of the Bamberg Elementary School
parking lot.
Sports
Meet new people, make
friends through rugby
by Cristina Denny
CRUSADER
The Schweinfurt rugby team is a private one that was
formed two years ago and is part of the German Bavarian
rugby league.
It’s made up of 27 players, 17 of whom have returned
from last year. All players are active duty military with the
exception of two family members.
“Most of our players are soldiers and are very tough and
fit, but they lack experience,” said Timothy Sholtis,
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion,
26th Infantry.
“After returning from Kosovo in the spring, we had 16
new players who had never played before. As this is now
their second season, I expect them to be better integrated
and start playing as a team,” Sholtis said.
Both George Bond, 280th Base Support Battalion, and
Michael Weich, HHC, 1st Bn., 26th Inf., said some of the
players say that in this new season they hope to get better as
a team and win some games.
“I would like to see more commitment on behalf of the
players and would like to establish a true rugby club where
people make a serious commitment to play. In order to win,
players have to understand that it is a team effort. Rugby is
a social sport, we’ve got to get out, see Europe, and meet
new people,” said Aaron Marsch from the same unit.
“Anyone can join our team, we teach everybody even if
they don’t have any experience. We want to have a
diversified team. Right now we have all American players,
but we are interested in having local nationals, too,” Marsch
added.
For more information on the club, call SFC Timothy
Sholtis at 354-6210 or (09721) 966210.
Hit the slopes with new deal
by Lisa Soule
CRUSADER
Kitzingen’s outdoor recreation center has a new plan for ski
rentals this season.
Customers can rent a package that includes skis, boots and
poles and keep them until April 15.
“This is a great opportunity for people who don’t own skis and
for beginners not ready to make the investment,” said Kurt
Soholt, outdoor recreation director.
The packages that range from $110-125 include new, namebrand skis.
Recreation assistant and level III certified Professional Ski
Instructors of America instructor Marc Jarvis said the new skis
are state of the art with a modern hourglass shape.
“These skis are referred to as carving, shape or parabolic.
Their unique shape enhances the ease of turning,” Jarvis said.
“The new skis make learning so much easier. People who have
tried to ski and have had a bad experience should re-visit the
sport, the learning curve has changed,” he said.
The center also rents new name-brand snowboards, however,
they’re not available on the season rental plan.
Soholt said his staff of ski experts can assist the skier whether
they rent skis or have their own.
“We offer professional stone grinding, hot and cold waxing
and ski base repair. We can also mount, re-mount or adjust
bindings,” he said.
For customers who anticipate rentals throughout the winter,
recreation specialists suggest a visit to outdoor recreation for a
custom fit that will stay on file all season.
Customers can also take advantage of a new learn-to-ski
program in January and private and semi-private lessons during
outdoor recreation ski trips.
“Europe has some of the greatest skiing in the world, there are
incredible areas in France and Austria,” Jarvis said.
Lisa Soule
David Burger, recreation assistant, shows off new skis
to Vanessa Crew, family member, Headquarters and
Headquarters Company, 701st Main Support Battalion,
Kitzingen.
For those who want to ski closer to home, he suggests the
Wildflecken area or alpine areas in Oberstdorf, Chiemsee and
Garmisch.
Female students tackle football challenges
Girls suit up and
take to the field
by Cheryl Boujnida
CRUSADER
Cheryl Boujnida
Spec. Dan Chesney films Kim Fain and Tiffany Wells for an Armed Forces Network
news broadcast.
Tackling men comes natural to Tiffany Wells
and Kim Fain.
As high school football players for the Bamberg Barons, they’ve gotten used to chasing
down men and throwing them on the ground.
Wells, a sophomore in her second football
season, has become one of the guys, but she’s
happy to have someone else who understands
her plight.
“It’s great to have another female on the team.
Playing the first season wasn’t easy – it took
some getting used to. I’m inspired to play well,”
Wells said.
She explained that her father played football
in school and that she was following his footsteps to make him proud.
“I don’t want to play sports that are stereotypically associated with girls. I want to try everything,” she said.
“I’ve messed up my back and shattered my
thumb, but its not so bad,” Wells added.
Playing a variety of positions from nose guard
to line backer and offense, Wells finds she’s
more likely to get hurt at practice than at an
actual game.
“At practice, you keep getting hit over and
over. The bottom line is that it’s hard, but it’s a
part of playing the game,” she said.
Head coach Ralph Serpico never anticipated
that he’d see girls strap on shoulder pads and
head out onto the field.
“I don’t think about having females on the
team until we get to an away game and someone
asks me, “Where do we change, coach?” Up
until that point, it doesn’t face me very much.
Everyone is capable of a great future in athletics,” Serpico said.
As a defense lineman, Kim Fain, senior,
described playing football as shocking at first,
but something that she easily got over. “I’ve had
my share of bumps and bruises,” Fain said.
In Fain’s opinion, nothing should stop
females from playing any type of sport that they
want.
“Football has improved my physical stamina.
In the first few weeks, I felt out of shape, but not
now,” she said.
Fain admitted that she’s not a typical tomboy
type.
“I like wearing make-up and dressy clothes,
so it was strange for other students to see me in
my football uniform, but I’m serious, so it’s not
a big deal to them anymore,” Fain said.
“They’re a part of our team and everyone
respects them,” said Justin Bowser, team
captain.
Roundup
Attend championship games
The 235th BSB company-level volleyball
championships will be held at the Katterbach
Fitness Center Oct. 14 and 15. Games begin both
days at 10 a.m. The 235th BSB company-level
flag football championships will be held at the
Katterbach football field Oct. 21 and 22. Games
begin both days at 10 a.m.
Watch football
Bamberg High School’s football team, the
Barons, are playing at Pendleton Field Oct. 6 at
7 p.m. and Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. Show up and support
your team. Food and beverages will be available
for purchase. For more information, call 4698874 or (0931) 3008974.
Play unit basketball
Sign your unit up for Bamberg’s basketball
season now. To register, bring a letter of intent
signed by the unit commander, a team roster, and
dates that your team is unable to play for military
reasons. To combine units, pre-approval from
JFK Gym staff is required. For more information, call 469-7597 or (0951) 3007597.
Join aerobics classes
The Kessler Fitness Center or Ledward
Barracks offers aerobics classes every Tuesday
and Thursday evening from 6-7 p.m. For more
information, call 354-6735 or (09721) 85077.
Hike the Zugspitze
Hike the Zugspitze with the 417th BSB Outdoor Recreation Oct. 14. The trek begins at the
Olympic stadium to a glacier-carved gorge with
an overnight in a rustic hut. Catch a cable car for
the trip to the top. An $89 fee covers transportation, admission, cable car tickets, breakfast
and guide. To sign up, call 355-8629 or (09321)
305629.
Shoot, score, goal
Christy Schutte
Nine-year-old John Davisson, wearing orange, shoots and scores a goal for his
team, the Giebelstadt Cougars. Giebelstadt defeated Wuerzburg 4-0. The
Cougars are 3-0 so far this season.
15
Health & Fitness 2000
Be cancer conscious
October is Breast Cancer Awareness
Month and a number of activities aimed at
increasing awareness are planned. Volunteers armed with a wealth of information
will staff a display at the Wuerzburg Post
Exchange Oct. 12 and 16. Dr. (Capt.) Mark
Ervin, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center,
will address “Breast Health: A Primer for
Patients” at a BCAM luncheon Oct. 19 at
the Cantigny Club on Leighton Barracks.
The luncheon cost is $10 and begins at
11:30 a.m. Mammogram screenings will be
held at U.S. Army Hospital, Wuerzburg, all
day Oct. 20, National Mammography Day.
Screenings will also be made the morning
of Oct. 23 and the afternoon of Oct. 25.
Women who desire a screening must schedule through the family practice clinic at
350-3854 or (0931) 8043854.
Ready for the slopes?
Downhill skiing is primarily an anaerobic activity that demands strength, flexibility, and muscle endurance. The leg and
thigh muscles in downhill skiing perform
high intensity activity for short periods. To
prepare, try a cross-training program that
mixes quick, powerful bursts of activity
with low intensity types of exercises. The
more muscle groups you work through a
variety of range-of-motion exercises the
better off you’ll be when the first snow
falls. It helps reduce injury and develops
muscle balance by strengthening all major
muscle groups, with emphasis on strengthening the quadriceps that protect the knee.
‘Being aware saved my life’
Local school teacher
beats breast cancer
by Roger Teel
U.S. Army Hospital, Wuerzburg
”It was just a couple of specks, about the size
of a pinhead. You could barely see it,” recalled
Carol Lanigan of her bi-annual mammogram
taken in Phoenix in July 1999.
“My doctor told me not to worry, but stressed
that I follow up on it in the next six months.”
Lanigan, a third grade teacher for the past 20
years at Wuerzburg Elementary School, filed the
episode away.
A follow-up biopsy was performed at the U.S.
Army Hospital, Wuerzburg, Dec. 8. Lanigan
said it shook her up.
“The hardest part, of course, is waiting,” she
said. Her biopsy results came back Dec. 21. The
news wasn’t good.
“I had breast cancer. I had DCIS, or ductal
carcinoma in situ. It’s a common form of breast
cancer and only discernable by mammogram.”
Breast cancer is the most common form of
cancer in women, the second leading cause of
death (behind lung cancer). As Lanigan attests,
early detection is vital.
“Having a regular mammography screening saved
my life,” she asserted,
adding that the experience
changed her life.
“I had to make a decision. My doctors couldn’t
make it for me, but told me
I could have either radiation treatment or a mastectomy.”
After hours of personal Lanigan
research, soul searching
and talking with her family, she opted for the
mastectomy.
“It was the best solution for me,” she ex-
plained. “Once you have radiation treatment,
should the cancer ever return you have no option
but to have the breast removed.
“My only question was: ‘When will I play
golf again?’ They said I’d be ready when the
season began,” Lanigan said.
“I also wanted a replacement breast implant at
the same time as my surgery. So my doctor, Dr.
(Maj.) John Sayles, brought in Dr. (Col.) Robert
Wilson, a plastic surgeon at that time from
Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center. Both
were great, and Wilson said he would begin a
breast implant right away.”
Lanigan’s left breast was removed Jan. 21.
Wilson inserted a pouch to develop a cavity after
the surgery, then put in an implant in March.
After a final checkup April 26, Lanigan was
cleared to return to her life, to include golf.
Her advice to others is “Don’t deny that breast
cancer can strike. Be aware. Have regular mammography screenings and learn how to perform
self-breast exams.”
Sgt. Flint
Schuller
hydrates with
a little help
from his
friends, Spec.
Michael
Myers, right,
holding a
saline
solution bag
above
Schuller’s
head on an
M-16 rifle,
and Spec.
John
Simmonds.
The three are
from 299th
Forward
Support
Battalion,
Schweinfurt.
Target a day to quit
A key to successfully quit smoking is to
target one day to put the habit aside. Many
Americans choose the day of the annual
Great American Smokeout, which is Nov.
16 this year. By preparing for that day,
tapering off and incorporating constructive
habits into your daily regimen, helps smokers develop a timeline for quitting.
Red Ribbon kicks off
An aerobathon at the Leighton Fitness
Center Oct. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
kicks off Red Ribbon Week activities in the
417th BSB. In Schweinfurt, registration for
a 5-kilometer fun run/walk begins at 10:30
a.m. on Conn Barracks. The run/walk begins at 11 a.m. Kids and pets are welcome
to join in the fun.
Rummage for sale
A rummage sale, sponsored by the
Wuerzburg Dental Activity, will be held in
the Leighton Dental Clinic parking area
Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Refreshments
available. For information, call Maj. David
Hembree at 352-7203 or (09334) 877203.
Roger Teel
Soldiers ‘earn’ difficult EFMB
by Roger Teel
U.S. Army Hospital, Wuerzburg
Health & Fitness 2000
Health and Fitness 2000 is a monthly
supplement to the CRUSADER cosponsored by the 98th ASG and the U.S.
Army Hospital, Wuerzburg. Editorial office is in the U.S. Army Hospital, Wuerzburg, room 4NE10, phone 350-2296 or
(0931) 8042296. Mailing address is
Commander, U.S. Army Hospital, Attn:
Public Affairs Office, Unit 26610, APO AE
09244.
Hospital
Commander ........ Col. Bernard DeKoning
Public Affairs Officer .............. Roger Teel
Health Promotions
Coordinator ..................... Candance Jones
98th ASG Health
Promotions Coordinator ............ Lisa Reid
Two weeks of grueling Expert Field Medical
Badge, or EFMB, testing at Camp Robertson,
the local training area north of Schweinfurt,
ended Sept. 15 with 22 soldiers earning the
coveted badge during the 1st Infantry Division’s
annual testing of military medics.
“That’s right, they earned it,” said MSgt.
Roderick Marshall, a member of the test board
that certified and validated the testing.
Candidates from throughout U.S. Army,
Europe – 372 of them – arrived Sept. 5 for a oneweek train-up prior to the physical and mental
EFMB challenge. Tasks included a lengthy
written test, emergency medical treatment, or
EMT, techniques, communication, land navigation, and more. The challenge ended with a
dehydrating 20-kilometer road march with full
rucksack.
Attrition hit critical mass during the written
exam. Sixty-three percent passed, better than the
Army average but still high, according to mem-
bers of the test board.
Night land navigation was the most difficult
task, wiping out nearly 70 percent of the
candidates.
“The first night 58 soldiers went out and only
six came back,” reported Lt. Col. Todd Dombroski, division surgeon and director of the test
board. A similar wipe-out occurred every evening as another group of candidates plotted their
way through the course.
“I’d say night land navigation was the
hardest,” said Sgt. Flint Schuller, Co. E, 701st
Main Support Battalion, Kitzingen, who is
attached to the 299th Forward Support Battalion
in Schweinfurt.
For 1st Lt. Marie Perrault, 67th Combat Support Hospital, Wuerzburg, completing the 20kilometer road march and earning the badge was
personal vindication.
“I was too tired and worn out last time. But
this time I made it with 10 minutes to spare,” she
said.
Perrault had the highest score on the written
test and received a division coin from Col. Dale
Granger, commander, Division Support Command. Capt. Reono Bertagnolli, 11th Aviation
Regiment, was honor graduate, and Capt. Christopher Alger, 226th Medical Battalion, was the
fastest road marcher. Granger also gave them
coins and pinned the distinctive badge on all
who earned it.
EFMB recipients are: Spec. Chad Cassidy,
Europe Regional Med. Cmd. or ERMC; Spec.
Daniel Conkel, ERMC; Sgt. Michael Dennis,
ERMC; SSgt. William Dicker and SSgt. Juan
Dometriz, 421st Med. Bn.; Spec. Ryan Emlinger, ERMC; 1st Lt. Robert Geddie, 421st
Med. Bn.; Sgt. Justin Hansen, E Co., 123rd Main
Spt. Bn.; Maj. Luis Muniz, 299th Fwd. Spt. Bn.;
Sgt. Jorge Rubio, ERMC; Sgt. Mark Schiffinger,
201st Fwd. Spt. Bn.; Schuller, SSgt. Ronald
Singer, 100th Med. Bn.; 1st Lt. Ken Spicer, 67th
CSH; Spec. Robert Trice, Schweinfurt Health
Clinic; Capt. Jack Thompson III, 93rd Med. Bn.;
Spec. Jason Vandeneynde, 100th Med. Bn.; and
SSgt. Richard Watson, 47th Fwd. Spt. Bn.
Non-medical personnel need medical training, too
by Dr. (Lt. Col.) Todd Dombroski
1st Infantry Division Surgeon
While driving recently near Vilseck, a young German motorcyclist ran into my car. My wife and I were not hurt, but the biker
had several minor injuries.
As I was getting out my medical bag to treat the young
German, an Army medic and a combat lifesaver from 3rd
Brigade jumped out of their cars behind me and started treating
his injuries. I could not have been more proud as I watched these
soldiers assess and treat the biker’s wounds.
Reflecting on this incident raises a few questions. While it is
German law to have a first aid kit in every automobile, how many
of us can actually assess and treat an injury on the highway?
16
How many can correctly perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation,
or CPR? How many of our babysitters have had CPR and first
aid instruction and can perform it correctly in an emergency?
There are many opportunities for instruction in health and
safety. Perhaps the best source is each community Red Cross
office. If you don’t know how to find your local office, call the
Wuerzburg Red Cross at 350-3325 or (0931) 8043325. If local
community organizations do not meet your training needs,
consult your unit medical officer. Other medical training may be
available.
Training our full-time medical personnel is important, but
trained people are not always at the scene of an accident. This is
why the Army has the Combat Lifesaver Program that trains
non-medical Army people in many lifesaving first aid
procedures. Our medics also give CPR training to soldiers in
their unit. Personally, I think every non-medical soldier should
take these two courses (combat lifesaver and CPR), and I
encourage every unit to provide these courses to as many soldiers
as possible.
This training may someday save a life.

crusader - MILCOM Advertising Agency

Transcription

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