In memory of our fallen soldiers - 70th Infantry Division Association

Memorial Day: In memory of our fallen soldiers
Collins spoke of Memorial
Day's history. Memorial Day, he
said, began after the Civil War. It
was formerly named Decoration
Day, and families went to graveyards to place remembrances on
the graves of soldiers of both the
North and South.
Collins said his great-grandfather served as a sergeant with
the Indiana Volunteer Infantry,
lost his arm in the Battle of
Corinth, Miss., and was later
buried in Little Rock, Ark.
Subsequent expansion of the
holiday was meant to recognize
those who have sacrificed in
other conflicts, so that we might
enjoy freedom. A national moment of remembrance was an
idea developed by Carmella
LaSpada after she talked to
children in 1996 about the
meaning of this day, who thought
it was "the day the pool opens."
The concept of the national
moment of remembrance was to
silently pause at 3 p.m. for one
minute to remember the Americans who have died in service to
the United States.
With the vast majority of the
nation's youth lacking a wealth of
knowledge about the military and
the importance of serving their
country, memorials are essential
to educate our youngsters on
past lessons. Monuments like
the one at Floral Hills stand
across the
nation and
in veterans'
cemeteries
around the
world. They
are used to
teach others
about our
history and
general, 70th RSC, presents the to insure
Story and photos by Capt. Tonja
Williams, 70th RSC Public Affairs
Office
Memorial Day 2001: On this
day we celebrate the memories
of many soldiers who lost their
lives fighting for our freedom. In
cemeteries across the nation
and overseas, families and
friends pay their respect by
laying flowers and posting flags
on soldiers' graves. A fallen
soldier was once a father or a
mother, a son or a daughter, a
brother or a sister, a husband or
a wife, an aunt or an uncle, a
cousin or a friend. To say the
very least, fallen soldiers are
missed by many.
Maj. Gen. James M. Collins,
commanding general, 70th RSC,
reflected on that very fact in his
speech to those attending the
Memorial Day Ceremonies at Fir
Lane Cemetery, in Spanaway,
Wash., and Floral Hills Cemetery
in Lynnwood, Wash., presented
by Sno-King Chapter 423,
Vietnam Veterans of America
and Purdy and Walters, the
company that owns Floral Hills.
In his speech, Collins expounded on three key points. He
wanted us, as a nation of people,
to know we have been blessed
with abundance and peace; that
Memorial Day is a time to remember with reverence; and for
us to look forward with hope.
Maj. Gen. James Collins, commanding
U.S. flag to family members during a Memorial Day ceremony at Floral
Hills Cemetary, lynnwood, Wash.
2
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) John Johnson, 70th RSC,
gave the invocation at the Memorial Day ceremony in Floral Hills Cemetery, lynnwood,
Wash.
that we have a conscience about
the past.
The general's speech brought to
the forefront that our nation today
enjoys peace and relative prosperity due to the great efforts of the
armed forces in providing a continued, vigilant watch and protecting
national interests. Collins also
stressed the fact that many young
people today have not served, nor
do they know the value of service,
in our armed forces. But, with the
assistance of programs such as
high school and college ROTC,
today's youth can explore, learn
and appreciate more about the
armed forces.
After his speech at Floral Hills,
Collins, with great honor, participated in a military funeral on the
cemetery grounds. He and members of Sno-King Chapter 423
presented American flags to surviving family members of soldiers who
had not yet received a military
funeral, while "Taps" played and a
21-gun salute by the Sno-King
Vietnam Veterans honor guard
echoed in the background.
***
a May/June 2001, Three Star Final
70th ID Pilgrimage to France ....................... 4
Contractors meet; discuss
changes, challenges of
restructured Army
New 70th RSC CG's coin .............................. 5
by Capt. Tonja Williams, 70th RSC Public Affairs
Office
What's Inside
Fire fighting with the 907th Eng. Det. ......... 6
Connelly awards: 659th still cookin' ........... 8
Wanna be an officer? .................................. 10
Travel cards: new rules, new fees ............. 11
Geronimo eludes Capt. Crawford ............. 14
70th athletes earn "German" gold ............ 15
Task Force Aurora, Guatemala .................. 16
Desert Shield/Storm certificates ............... 16
Cover art
Pte. James Callen, 659th Eng. Co.
food service specialist, slices and
dices potatoes for the annual Philip
A. Connelly cooking competition in
May at Fairchild Air Force Base,
Wash. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gary
Ogilvie, 304th Mobile Public Affairs
Detachment.
***
'r----------------------1
Willm $~
MAY/JUN 2001
[JllEJC!j~ Volume 34/2
The Three Star Final is an unofficial publication under the provisions of AR 360-1 ,
published bimonthly by the Public Affairs Office, 70th U.S. Army Regional Support Com·
rnand. The telephone numbers are (BOO) 347-2735, extension 3026, and (206) 28!-3026.
Views and opinions expressed in the Three Star Final are not necessarily those of the
Department of the Army. The Three Star Final is produced using offset lithography with a
circulation of 4,000. We welcome letters to the editor and encourage sub mission of articles
and photos. The editor retains editorial discretion. Address submissions to:
HQ, 70th RSC, ATIN: AFRC-CWA-PA
(Three Star Final)
4570 Texas Way W.
Fort Lawton, WA 98199-5000
E-mail: [email protected]
Public Affairs Officer.................... .. ........................................Capt. Tonja Williams
Deputy Public Affairs Officer................................................................ Pam Briola
Editor, Three Star Finai. ................................ ..... .......... .. Staff Sgt. Sheila Tunney
Office Staff..................... .............. ....Scott Handley, Master Sgt. Nestor Tamayao
J
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
The 70'h RSC hosted the annual Fort Dix Directorate
of Contracting (DOC) Cell Team Leaders Conference
May 15 to 17.
The purpose of the conference was threefold: to
continue building relationships with all who are in the
contracting field to include the DOC and his support staff
at Fort Dix and headquarters United States Army Reserve Command (HQ USARC); to discuss important
contracting issues; and to develop strategies to carry us
into the future.
Participants included the team leaders of all the DOC
cells in the Army Reserve in the United States and Puerto
Rico. Also in attendance was the Fort Dix DOC, Marv
Kastberg, who heads the Contract Support Division, and
his staff, Pamela Lutz, Ray Blauvelt and Beth Mendell.
The representative from USARC was Bill Kelley, office of
the Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics. Tom Bonorden, 70'h
RSC chief executive officer, welcomed the group with
opening remarks .
This year's guest speakers were Edward G. Elgart,
acting deputy assistant secretary of the Army for procurement, and Beverly Wozniak, director, Fort Dix Civilian
Personnel Advisory Center.
Elgart spoke on Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld's reviews and the political realities of making
major changes in force structure. He said any new major
weapons systems or force structure changes must meet
evolving national needs and foreign threats, and would
require existing systems to change.
New Base Realignment and Closures (BRAG) were
also discussed. Facilities with little or no relevance would
close, and money saved would be reprogrammed for
force modernization .
Elgart also said that one of his desires in contracting
was to see the dollar limits on micropurchases raised
considerably. (IMPAC card purchases are currently
restricted to those under $2500.) Realistically, he said ,
the limit would be raised to $10,000, but he would like to
see them go higher. Elgart wants to expand credit card
use for payment issues such as payment for goods and
services now handled by MIPR.
He discussed at length the move to further professionalize the acquisition corps by emphasizing continuous education and setting a goal requiring new-hire
(continued on page 5)
Correction:
In the March/April 2001 issue of the Three Star Final,
the 175th Transportation Company, Tacoma, Wash., was
omitted in the list of units operating Army Reserve landing
craft in the article, "Puget Thunder transforming the Port
of Tacoma."
The 175th deployed five vessels during the exercisenearly all of the landing craft-as well as a floating
machine shop.
3
John Haller, 70th Infantry Division veteran and member of the 70th lnf. Div. Association, and Joe Thompson, son of a 70th lnf. Div. veteran,
visit the graves at Epinal American Military Cemetery in France. Many of the graves are those of 70th lnf. Div. soldiers. Haller was looking for
the grave of a soldier whom, he said, he told to keep his head down - but the soldier didn't.
Open arms welcome 70th ID pilgrims to France
Story and photos by Sgt. 1st Class
Pam Brio/a, 4?h Military History
Detachment
The citizens of the United States
have not, in recent history, been
occupied by a cruel conqueror.
We've never had our homes
bombed into piles of rubble, gone
without warmth or food for any long
periods of time, or been deprived of
our freedom.
Therefore, it is very difficult for
us to understand just how precious
our present freedom is.
There's no question that the
people in the small villages of the
Vosges Mountains of France
understand the precious gift they
received when .the soldiers of the
70th Infantry Division liberated them
56 years ago.
In May, the citizens of these
villages took off work, put on their
Sunday best, and turned out to
greet their returning 70th Int. Div.
heroes with songs, toasts, wreathlaying ceremonies at monuments,
bands and speeches. From French
World War II veterans wearing their
war decorations to small children
released from school for a "holiday,"
the villagers celebrated the small
4
group of 70th Int. Div. soldiers'
return.
As someone who has sworn to
defend the Constitution of the
United States, it was a very moving
experience to be in the center of
the whirlwind of attention around
these men and to witness the
esteem , respect and honor with
which they are regarded.
It seems that when soldiers are
involved in a conflict as intense and
horrible as World War II , years later
some feel the need to return to the
former battlefields as a form of
closure.
Others in the 70th Int. Div. made
friends during the war and have
been trading visits for years.
For many reasons, the soldiers
of the 70th Int. Div., now an association of veterans, have returned to
Germany and France every other
year for about the last 20 years.
It is amazing to those of us
accustomed to a jaded American
reaction to Memorial and Veterans
Days, that this many years later the
70th still receives heroes' welcome!
Even their former enemies - men
from the 6th Mountain SS Division
- have made peace with the past
and the men of the 70th Int. Div.
:J
Representatives from the German
division visited with the soldiers and
placed a spray at the St. Avoid
American Military Cemetery with a
wreath-laying ceremony.
This year's tour- the 2001
Pilgrimage Tour - began May 8
and ended May 24. I joined the
group in Cochem, Germany, on
May 13. My mission as a history
unit soldier was to record memories
of 70th Int. Div. soldiers as they
toured old battle sites and present
day monuments.
On the 15th, the group headed
for Saarbrucken aboard a chartered
bus. It seemed ironically appropriate that Saarbrucken, these soldiers' goal during their World War II
offensive to cross the Saar River
into the land that Hitler had declared "sacred ," would be our
"base" for forays into France. ·
Although these towns and little
villages are very close to
Saarbrucken - for example,
Forbach is only three miles away,
as the crow flies - one cannot
drive "straight" there. It is a circuitous trip, at best. I looked at those
hillsides, which are densely forested, and wondered what it must
have been like for these troopers to
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
have slogged through snow and
then mud, in the coldest winter in
Europe in 50 years. Many of them
suffered trench foot and frost bite.
Another told me one of his most
memorable stories - of being
given a message to take back to
the squad after his patrol had
pushed almost all the way into
Saarbrucken, and of having to
follow a communications wire up a
forested slope in the dark. His
biggest fear, he said, next to being
shot by a German patrol, was the
shu mines so generously planted
throughout the area.
On the 151h, there was also a
somber wreath-laying ceremony in
Epinal American Military Cemetery
under cloudy skies. Bill Bergren of
the 70th read the poignant John
McCrae poem, "In Flanders Fields."
Afterward, several of the veterans took turns reading the names
of fellow 70th Int. Oiv. soldiers who
had been killed. This scene was
repeated a few days later in St.
Avoid American Military Cemetery. I
felt honored to have been asked to
help carry the wreath at the head of
the column of veterans marching
into the cemetery for the solemn
ceremonies.
On the first morning the group
met with the Lorrain Automobile
Club in Behren. The Automobile
Club was quite a shock for this
novice 701h 10 pilgrim- here was a
line of smart-looking but obviously
World War 11-era "00 green" jeeps,
and standing next to them, young
people dressed in World War 11-era
uniforms, and adorned with the ?O'h
Int. Oiv. patch! The Lorraine Auto
Club members restore these jeeps
as a hobby. They also reenact
World War II battles in their uniforms. Many of them were friends
with the visiting veterans. I learned
that each time the 701h veterans
came as a group, the auto club
members accompanied them.
These volunteers formed a
convoy and led the way for the bus
with the veterans from town to town
- Lixing, Grossbliederstroff,
Oeting, Forbach, Wingen-surModer, Phillipsbourg, Alsting,
Zinzing, Kerbach, Spicheren,
Bousbach - towns I had read
about in the veterans' accounts of
their battles on their website, but
could not locate on maps in my
atlas because they are so small.
Each of the veterans on the
2001 Pilgrimage tour shared some
of their memories with me. In future
issues of this publication, I will
share these stories with our readers. I hope that you will enjoy these
stories and photos as much as I did
gathering them.
Andy McMahon, 70th Infantry Division veteran and member of the 70th lnf. Div. Association,
visits with Thomas Kirsch, a member of the Lorraine Auto Club. The French auto club restores WWII-era vehicles and members reenact WWII battles in their era uniforms. They wear
the 70th lnf. Div. patch to honor their liberators. Kirsch lives in Spicheren, near the original
70th lnf. Div. "patch" monument.
u May/June 2001, Three Star Final
Contracting changes
(continued from page 3)
contracting personnel to be college
graduates with 24 hours of business
related credits.
Wozniak discussed the feasibility
of converting team leaders to full
supervisors, and gave a presentation
on the many issues and challenges
facing team leaders in the area of
personnel management.
John Shields, 70th RSC contracting cell team leader said, "It is always
beneficial to the taxpayer when
smarter, more efficient ways of
purchasing are shared among a
group of professionals that represent
the many different geographical
regions that the Army Reserve
inhabits."
Addressing how contracting cell
leader conferences impact the
community, Shields said, "The
bottom-line is that at any conference,
there is benefit to all parties. Not only
does the Army and the Army Reserve
benefit from the training and networking that is done at these conferences, but the community and our
soldiers receive just as much benefit.
Trained and knowledgeable contracting teams save money and allow
meaningful contracting decisions
based on the best business practices
to be employed."
***
The 70th RSC CG's coin got a
remake thanks to Sgt. 1st
Class Thomas Johnson, 70th
RSC Headquarters Co.
Johnson redesigned the coin
to include the Trailblazer
patch, a tribute to the 70th
Infantry Division where the
70th RSC gets its roots.
5
70th Fire Fighters:
Battling blazes as a team
Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Sheila
Tunney, 70th RSC Public Affairs
Office
NORTH BEND, Wash.-The
enemy takes on a different form
when it comes to training for the
9071h Engineer Detachment,
Yakima. They face what most
people run away from: FIRE.
"You have to be a little bit
insane to do this," said Sgt. Mike
Renault, 9071h training NCO,
who acted as incident commander here during unit training
at the Washington State Fire
Training Academy.
Maybe that explains why
there are so few fire fighting
units in the Army. "There are 20
to 25 units within the total Army,
including National Guard and
active component," Renault
said, "We fight what everybody
else fears."
Despite the inherent danger
involved, unit members travel
great distances to drill with the
907th according to Staff Sgt.
John Cochran, detachment
sergeant.
"I can teach them how to
fight fires, but I can't give them
the heart and desire and will to
be here. Many of our guys drive
two or three hours to get to drill.
We have one soldier who travels
about 300 miles. I told the
soldiers last night that it speaks
very highly of them that they've
got it inside themselves to push
that hard," said Cochran.
Although the 907th's primary
mission during wartime is to
serve on a flight line, they are
responding to various fire see-
smooth, and everybody's fine."
The same instructors stay
with the unit throughout the
training, Schroer said, which
builds rapport and allows everyone to get to know each other's
"niches." Nearly 20 hours of
training are squeezed into the
unit's 35-hour stay at the academy. "They came in last night.
While they were unloading, we
ran a couple of dumpster fires to
catch them off guard," said
Schroer.
One of Schroer's responsibilities this weekend is to manipulate training fires. Managing
each gas-rigged prop from a
valve control station outside the
fire "pit," Schroer is testing-and
training-the 907 1h on attacking
fires smartly and safely.
Inside the gravel-lined pit,
fire has engulfed the first in a
row of three parked cars , thanks
Most people run out of
burning buildings ...
---Sgt Mike Renault
narios here. From burning cars
to aircraft or a burning building,
the troops are improving their
fire safety and control skills.
"After a year of not being
here, it's always a little rusty in
the beginning," said Paul
Schroer, one of two academy
fire instructors working with
three teams from the 90Th.
"Everybody's trying to figure out
the trucks and the hydrants.
They start out rough, but by the
time we're finished with them at
night, the gears are really
One Down ...The car prop was just one of many exercises fire fighting teams from the 907th
Engineer Detachment , Yakima, Wash., faced when t!ley traveled to the Washington State Fire
Training Academy in April.
6
J
Top: Rescuing their own ... During a fire at
the helicopter prop, this fire fighter suffered "smoke inhalation," and was taken
out of play by exercise evaluators. Above:
On the airfield ... The 907th's fire fighting
mission is to provide services on an airfield. Here, the first team responds to a
nearly engulfed "helicopter."
May/June 2001 , Three Star Final
Training future leaders ... Spc. Justin Townley acts as incident commander during an "airfield
fire" at the Washington State Fire Training Academy.
to Doug Larson, Schroer's fellow
instructor, who ignited the prop
with a propane torch ...
As two three-man teams
attack the car from either side
with hand-held hoses to suppress the blaze, tiny jets of fire
underneath the chassis seem to
rise up and dance forward
toward new life at the next car.
There the fire eagerly reaches
toward the volatile engine compartment and then rages toward
the sky. Responding again, the
teams choreograph their own
movements to control a fire that
seems to have a mind of its
own ...
"It's set up as close as can
be as where you'd have a fire
[on a car]," said Schroer, of the
network of gas pipes in the pit.
From his vantage point, Schroer
tests the abilities of the 90Th
teams to put out the blazes, and
observes their skill in functioning
properly as a team.
The unit will attack these
parked cars several times before
moving on to the academy's
helicopter prop. Immediately
after each fire, the academy
instructors quickly review with
the teams involved what went
right and what went wrong.
But the instructors aren't the
only ones scrutinizing the 907 1h's
performance this weekend. The
unit is also undergoing a lanes
evaluation by trainers from the
J
3rd Battalion, 364 1h Training
Support Brigade, Fort Lewis.
The evaluators, Capt. John
Castillo and Sgt. 1st Class
Anthony Taylor, also led the unit
through after action reviews.
Each fire fighter has an opportunity to describe what went on
during the particular fire, what
was good about their reaction to
the fire, and what needs improvement.
"There's a lot of opportunity
for us to pass on lessons
learned to all the other
firefighters we work with," said
Castillo. The evaluators said
they support 14 Army firefighting
units and are able to keep their
own skills sharp by actually
participating in training.
"We also get to train with the
unit. We went down to Portland
with this unit; we went through
F15 training and C5 training,"
said Taylor.
The unit's trip to Portland,
Ore., in March, as well as their
training here, will help prepare
the 907th for their annual training at Fort Bliss, Texas, this
summer. During "Roving Sands,"
the unit's real world mission will
be to operate a fourth truck at
Biggs Airfield to accommodate
increased air traffic during the
exercise. But they aren't stopping there.
"We're also trying to get
scheduled to go through the
Military Operations in Urban
Terrain (MOUT) facility at Fort
Lewis," Cochran said." The
philosophy behind it is to get
ready for Kosovo or a contingency that simulates a town."
The unit seems to be readying itself for any contingency, but
that is only to protect lives-their
own and others. "It's more of a
'family thing' than a lot of different types of military units that
I've seen. With the fire service,
you've got to have 100 percent
confidence in the guys behind
you ... You've got to know that
they can save you and that you
can save them," said Cochran.
Maybe that's why they're the
only ones who are willing to run
toward a fire.
***
Clearing the mask ...907th Eng. Det. fire fighter takes a moment to clear his mask. Protecting
themselves from danger--so they can continue to fight the fire--is a big lesson stressed during training.
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
7
70th RSC advisors Chief Warrant Officer Walt Hart,
Lt. Col. Frank McDunnah, and George Hensley,
assist Spc. James Callen (center), 659th Eng. Co.
food service specialist, in preparing cover for the
remaining mess section equipment prior to the
evaluation. "Teamwork is the real reason the 659th
Eng. Co. was selected as the 70th RSC Philip A.
Connelly Awards Program representative for both
2000 and 2001. This unit's food service staff works
well together, and they're an excellent team," said
Hensley.
After several long days of setting-up, meal preparations and being
reviewed by a USARC evaluator, the "Fighting 659th," led by Staff
Sgt. Glennis De Cloedt, and from left to right Pte. James Whitsett,
Spc. James Callen, and Pte. Laura Becherini, prepares to march on
Orlando, Fla., where final Connelly competition winners will be announced.
Mess in' with the
Keeping the pots and pans clean
and sterile fell into the hands of KPs
Pvt. Andrew Hass and Pvt. Edward
Bremer, both heavy equipment operators, 659th Eng. Co.
Left: Pte. Laura Becherini sifts cake flour for lemon cake which was part of a
determined by USARC tor the competition. Every unit participating in the Crmr•~lllv
petition will be preparing the same meal for the evaluators to judge. Above: Pte.
Whitsett prepares ingredients for mushroom gravy to top grilled pork chops, while
Warrant Officer Charles Mitchell, USARC Philip A. Connelly Award evaluator, looks
"We are looking for their ability to produce the food in a sanitary manner, a hot meal th
is going to be accepted by the troops-and one that is of excellent quality," said MitchE
Right: Pte. James Whitsett demonstrates the proper technique for cooking pork cho1
that can be cut with a plastic fork. " I have enjoyed cooking for more than ten years," sa
Whitsett.
659th Engineer Co
8
Right: Pfc. Laura Becherini
makes up doggy-faced
soldier bags, so even the
troops who could not come in
person to eat were able to
partake of the fine meal.
When asked why it is good to
be the cook, Becherini said,
"Everyone is nice to you
because we cook the food,
and no one wants to mess
with the cooks."
Staff Sgt. Glenn is De Cloedt receives a hearty handshake
and congratulations from her commander, Capt. Kyle
Olmstead, on being the 70th RSC's best field kitchen in
this year's Philip A. Connelly Awards held for this region on May 11, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane,
Wash.
est:
Right: Chief Warrant
Officer Walt Hart, 70'"
RSC advisor, receives a
steaming cup of beef
barley soup from Pte.
Laura Becherini.
Becherini who frequently
travels more than 500
miles round trip from
Bellingham, Wash., to
drill with the 659th Eng.
Co., in Spokane. "I travel
this far because I love
the people I work with;
its like a family," said
Becherini.
Pvt. Kristina Jones (left) and Pfc. Melisa Lopez, 659th Eng. Co. concrete
and asphalt equipment operators, break for lunch prepared by the 659th's
award-winning mess section at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. "Their food
is always good, especially their deserts, and they are contenders for this
competition," said Lopez
any v1es for Connelly award
Photo story by Sgt. 1st Class Gary Ogilvie, 304th Mobile Public Affairs Det.
9
Looking for a few good ... officers
and an annual board in December for
officer candidate school packets.
by S taff Sg t. Sheila Tunney, 70th
RSC Public Affairs Office
The board
If you are interested in becoming
a 70th RSC commissioned officer
and ROTC is not an option , then '
getting a direct appointment or
attending officer candidate school
(OCS) may be one of the roads to
follow.
The 70th RSC officer branch
handles and encourages applications
for both types of commissions to help
fill the RSC's estimated 30 percent
junior officer vacancies. The first
thing individuals must do to apply for
either one of these programs is to get
application instructions from their
unit.
'The units have the information on
how to put a packet together, so they
just give it to the soldier," said
Suzanne Barnes, military personnel
management specialist, 70th RSC
officer branch . "I make direct contact
with soldiers and help them put the
packet together.
"Then I work with the units to see
if they have a position for the soldier,
and ensure the unit is willing to hold
that slot for them. "
Once the packet is complete and
a position for the applicant is secured, Barnes schedules the individual to appear before an RSC
interview board. "Essentially we hold
a board every quarter-although it's
not published because some quarters we don't get any packets,"
Barnes said.
Recommended packets are then
forwarded for screening and boarding
by Army Reserve Personnel Command (AR-PERSCOM) in St. Louis.
AR-PERSCOM holds quarterly
boards in May, August, November,
and January for direct appointments,
PLU 'pleased' to have Collins speak
TACOMA, Wash.-Pacific Lutheran University saw its first commissioning
ceremony as a "h~st ROTC battalion" on May 26. The featured speaker for the
cere.mony was MaJ. Gen. James M. Collins, commanding general, 70th
Reg1onal Support Command, Fort Lawton.
No longer under the auspices of Seattle University, PLU commissioned 16
cadets as second lieutenants in various Army branches. Less than three
weeks earlier, PLU's board of regents voted to approve the battalion's host
status.
The ceremony opened with Cadet Rosemary Reed singing the "Star
Spangled Banner." Reed was followed by Collins.
Th.e P~U ROTC ~adre and cadets were pleased to have Collins, according
to ~aJ. ~1chael BroUJI!ette, the university's ROTC officer in charge.
Havmg an exceptional PLU alumnus is a double honor to the program, the
school, and for the commissioning lieutenants," Brouillette said. Collins earned
a master of arts degree in social sciences from the university in 1978.
:Th~re are three things as leaders you must do," Collins advised. 'Train,
mamtam, and take care of soldiers. Train to be ready .. .maintain the things you
train on because they wear
out after so much training,
and take care of your
soldiers. This is most
important for any leader.
You must advocate on their
behalf for everything they
are trying to achieve. Be a
promoter."
While 15 of the 16
cadets were recruited to
active duty positions, it is
expected many will find
their way back to the Army
A family affair...2nd Lt. Derek Hudson was one of 16
cadets whose "butter bars" were pinned on by family Reserve.
***
members during Pacific Lutheran University's first
ROTC commissioning ceremony in May. (Photo by Staff
Sgt. Sheila Tunney, 70th RSC)
10
:::J
Applicants will physically appear
before the RSC interview board which
is comprised of three officers- major
or above. At least one of the officers
must hold the branch the candidates
seek to join.
The boards are much different than
a soldier-of-the-year board , according
to Barnes.
"It's not trivia kinds of questions.
It's much more like a job interview.
We're trying to determine their suitability to be an officer and the experience
and education they can bring to the
officer corps," Barnes said.
"It is a two-part board. First, the
soldier is required to answer questions
such as: Why do you think you 'd be a
good officer? What kind of experiences do you have? Tell us about the
most difficult situation you 've faced
and how did you handle it?' said
Barnes.
The applicant is then given a short
break while the board members score
those answers. When the soldier
returns to the board for part two, he's
asked to provide specific information
on his educational background and job
experience.
"The board wants to know the hard
details of what you will bring to the
officer corps during the second part.
It's a time-consuming process. The
one we did in January took about four
and half hours for three candidates "
Barnes said .
'
OCS or direct
Deciding which route to take
should depend on the individual's
experience , education , age and time
available according to Barnes.
"OCS is better for someone who
has not been in the military for very
long and does not have a lot of
leadership experience ," said Barnes.
"For direct appointments, you want ,
them to have worked their way up
through the ranks . They've been
through NCOES, PLDC , and BNCOC .
They have more leadership skills and
abilities.
"Direct appointment is quicker if
you're getting close to the age cut-off
of 32 1/2 years when you're appointed , although that can be waived ."
***
(Editor's note: Civilian education requirements vary for both programs. Individuals
interested in applying should review the
current year memorandum of instruction
at their units to determine their eligibility.)
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
Credit cards: Delinquent payments cause changes
Delinquent government travel credit
card accounts have grown to the point
of creating problems between the
Department of Defense and the Bank
of America. To ease tensions, new
contract terms for the travel cards were
negotiated which are more favorable to
the bank. The department issued its
policy on the changes on June 14.
Among the changes are late
payment charges, automatic payments
by Defense Finance Accounting
System to the bank, and possible
delinquent account recovery through
salary offset procedures.
'Travel card delinquency problems
can often be traced to cardholder
abuses," said Kathy Dunn, the primary
701h RSC Agency Program Coordinator
(APC) for government travel cards.
"Although the travel card account is in
the individual's name, every government travel cardholder signed a
statement that they would pay the
bank within 30 days of the closing date
on the statement. They also agreed
they would only use the card for official
duty validated by travel orders. The
cardholder should keep their government travel card separate from personal credit cards to avoid accidental
use while not on TDY."
The 70th's comptroller office is now
conducting a review of repetitive local
purchases with government travel
cards to see if charges were made
near the home of record of cardholders
not in a TDY status.
'There is a pattern of delinquent
payments by cardholders who use
their card locally for personal use.
Whether or not they pay on time,
personal use represents abuse of the
government travel card. Repeat
offenders-and their supervisors-will
receive warning notices. We will close
the accounts of habitual offenders,"
Dunn said.
Most notable among the travel card
program changes is that DFAS will
automatically send the entire lodging
and reimbursable expenses amount
claimed by the traveler to the Bank of
America if they neglect to indicate
otherwise in block 1 of DD Form 13512 (travel voucher). Travelers would be
wise to check their payments to ensure
they are reimbursed fully, and contact
DFAS about problems with the
voucher.
Bank of America may now charge
fees for late payments (75 days past
due) and returned checks. These fees
a
Tips for Travelers
*
are not reimbursable to the cardholder.
Additionally, if the card must be
expedited to a location when not lost,
stolen or unusable, the bank may
charge a $20 fee. This fee is reimbursable on the DD Form 1351-2, and the
taxpayer bears the cost.
DFAS may also implement a salary
offset to collect delinquent account
balances.
The changes came about despite
improved tracking and payment
measures by DFAS.
Timeliness of travel payments has
improved significantly in recent months
according to Dunn, who also said
DFAS has a web site where travelers
can track the receipt and progress of
their travel payments. The site, https://
portal.ssg.gunter.af.mil/tpq2/, provides
the order number, travel dates, date
the claim was received, payment
amount and date, method of payment,
travel office code, and a phone number
to call for questions about the claim.
"As reimbursements are processed
more efficiently, travelers who need to
use the government travel card have
no excuse not to pay their travel card
bill on time," said Dunn. "DFAS has
proven that payment of properly
completed and documented vouchers,
is made within 10 working days of
receipt. The most frequent cause of
delayed payment for travel is late
submittal of travel claims, even though
each travel order directs the traveler to
submit their claim within five working
days after return from TDY."
***
TRAVEL VOUCHER OR SUBVOUCHER
Before departing for temporary
duty, travelers should check the
maximum per diem rate for that city at
the Per Diem Committee web site,
http://www.dtic.mil/perdiem, then make
sure that their meals and lodging do
not exceed those rates. (Requests
from Army Reservists to exceed per
diem rates must be forwarded to the
U.S. Army Reserve Command for
approval, and these requests are often
denied.)
*reservations
Call 1-800-GOARMY1 to make
for lodging at TDY
locations included in Lodging Success
Program areas. These locations are
listed on the Army lodging web site,
http://trol. redstone .army. mil/mwr/
lodging/acrc_lsp_main.html. If the
traveler is given a control number for a
waiver, it should be added to the
remarks of the TDY order.
*should
When on extended TDY, travelers
file a partial voucher periodically. If they use the split disbursement
option, the travel card account will be
paid directly by DFAS which eliminates
the problem of not being home to
receive the account statement and
make the payment on time. Increases
to credit limits which are required for
extended TDY can be approved only
by Kathy Dunn, primary 70th RSC
travel card APC or Ray Patterson, the
alternate.
*andTodelayed
decrease travel voucher errors
payments to the Bank of
America, highlight the split disbursement amount on the voucher. Travelers should keep all their TDY receipts,
so they can calculate the exact amount
to be disbursed to the Bank of
America. Travelers, their supervisors
and approving officers should carefully
review the voucher for completeness
and accuracy before signing.
*
8 D~YnJolt TEW'HONE HUMIISI '
AI!~
COOt
11. ORCANlZATION AHO STATION
_. May/June 2001, Three Star Final
If the hotel will not waive taxes, the
tax should not be included in the
lodging cost of block 15 on the travel
voucher. Instead, taxes should be
listed as a reimbursable expense in
block 16. The same is true for any
energy surcharges.
11
,
Education Update
Awards and Decorations
Eye on EO
MGIB increases proposed
The U.S. House of Representatives
endorsed legislation in June that over the
next three years would increase by 70
percent benefits to veterans and Reservists using the Montgomery Gl Bill. From
the House, the bill will be forwarded to the
Senate for further consideration.
The New York Times reported that
Representative Chris Smith of New
Jersey, who chairs the House Veterans'
Affairs Committee, estimated the increased benefits would also increase the
number of MGIB participants by more
than 40 percent.
Upon complete implementation of the
bill, an individual currently entitled to the
maximum benefit could receive $39,600
for his or her education. The current
maximum is $23,000.
Free Money For College
Military.com's education services has
a listing of $300 million in scholarship
funds. All personnel in the military
community, including dependents, are
encouraged to search the scholarship
database. In addition to the scholarship
search available, the site's educational
services also provides comprehensive
and updated information on educational
benefits, such as the Gl Bill, Veterans
Educational Assistance Program (VEAP),
and Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program. To access
these education services, visit:
www.military.com/Careers/Education.
Tuition Assistance
2001 funds are still available at the 70th
RSC for tuition assistance (TA) for classes
that start before Oct. 1. More than
$100,000 has been paid this year to
educate 70th soldiers in pursuit of higher
academic and trade degrees and certifications. There is still $50,000 available to
cover fall term classes.
Troop program unit members are
eligible to receive up to $3500 per fiscal
year in TA from the Army. Soldiers can use
this to offset costs up to 75 percent or $187
per semester hour (whichever is lower), on
a course-by-course basis for classes that
are part of the soldier's educational goals.
Quarter-hour funding is limited to $125,
and clock-hour to $12.50.
The tuition assistance cannot be used
for any extra school fees, however, course
instructional, laboratory and shop fees are
covered. Students must also use theTA for
classes that are not already covered under
the Montgomery Gl Bill.
TPU soldiers should contact the 70th
RSC Education Services Specialist, Chuck
Corbin at 1-800-347-2735, extension 3140,
for program guidelines and to be counseled to establish eligibility for TA for their
educational goal.
12
Equal Opportunity News
Meritorious Service Medal
COL Stanley Flemming, 396th CSH
LTC Karen Jennings, 385th TC Bn
COL Alvin Wright, 7229th MSU
CSM Deanne Bacon, 385th TC Bn
SGM Robert Scott, 1395th TTB
MSG Plutarco Cedeno, 6250th USAH
CPT Dean Ratty, 185th TC Co
CW3 Noel Murray, 654th ASG
MAJ Scott Zipprich, 70th RSC
LTC Suzette Reyes, 6250th USAH
COL Steven Miller, 70th RSC
SSG Steve Carson, 654th ASG
SFC Winford Mack, 70th RSC
CPT Alan Smith, 6250th USAH
LTC Therese Virgona, 6250th USAH
LTC Elizabeth Hawkins, 6250th USAH
LTC Russell Timms, 807th MD Co
MSG Paul Christensen, 70th RSC
SFC Jimmy Marrison, 659th EN Co
MAJ George Solomon, 70th RSC
LTC Terrance Kabunuck, 70th RSC
LTC Ruben Rodriguez, 476th CM Bn
1SG Patrick McGrady, 959th CRC Co
CPT Earnest Jones, 70th RSC
MSG Stephen Sutterfield, 654th ASG
MAJ Edward Loughrey, 2122d GSU
MAJ Gina Hatcher, 2122 GSU
Ill
Army Commendation Medal
SGT Lori Stepper, 70th RSC
CPT Carl Every, 654th ASG
MSG Robert Ireland, 70th RSC
SSG Elizabeth Johnson, 70th RSC
SGT Tracy Brunson, 321 st EN Bn
LTC Wanda Good, 70th RSC
SFC Michel Malarz-Tripp, 70th RSC
CPT Daniel Benz, 315th MP Det
SSG Sheri Murphy, 70th RSC
MSG Byron Doo, 70th RSC
(Editor's note: The listing of awards will be
a regular feature of the Three Star Final.
Many of the awards listed above were presented up to one year ago. The above list
was compiled by the 70th RSC DCSPER
awards section. Award approving authorities that would like their awards listed in the
Three Star Final should forward name, rank,
type of award and unit for each award to
the public affairs office by email to
Sheila.M. Tunney@ usarc-emh2.army.mil.)
~
I
Robert Sato was the featured
speaker at the 70th RSC Asian
American Pacific Islanders Heritage
Month Observance on May 24. Sato
was born and reared on a farm near
Puyallup and Sumner, Wash., of
parents who emigrated from Japan.
During World War II, Sato served
with the famed 442nd Regimental
Combat Team in France and Italy. The
Army unit was comprised entirely of
Japanese-American citizens, and was
the Army's most decorated for its size
and length of service. Sato spoke of
the humiliation he suffered as a young
man interned in a Japanese concentration camp, and the reason-despite
his confinement-he decided to
volunteer to fight for the United States.
He emphasized that no American
should be measured by their race or
ancestry, but rather, by their character.
Upon his release from active duty,
he returned to school and became a
civil engineer. While working for the
Army Corps of Engineers he served as
project manager for design and
construction of the Libby Dam in
Western Montana and many other
flood control navigation projects in the
Pacific Northwest.
Sato's older brother served in the
Pacific as an Army intelligence officer.
His younger brother was appointed to
a position as deputy assistant secretary of defense in 1958 and later
served as inspector general for
Veterans Affairs.
Mr. Sato is the immediate past
Commander of the Nisei Veterans
Committee, Seattle.
For more information on Japanese
Americans during World War II, visit
these web sites: sfmuseum.org;
lib.washington.edu; and geocities.com/
Athens/8420/main. html.
-Bud Ray, 70th RSC EOIEEO
Specialist
***
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
News briefs
TSP opens to military
Members of the uniformed
services , including the Reserve
components, will be eligible to
contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan
(TSP) starting Oct. 9, 2001. The
retirement and investment plan has
served civilian government workers
since 1987. During the open enrollment season , Oct. 9 to Dec. 8,
military members may sign up to
contribute up to seven percent of
their pre-tax basic pay plus up to
100 percent of special , incentive or
bonus pay. Deductions for the
account will not be taken until Jan .
2002.
Contributing to the plan will not
affect the normal military retirement. Government civilians already
contributing to TSP may have two
separate accounts, because the
TSP record keeper must maintain
separate accounts for civilians and
military participants.
Additional information about the
plan will be available on the TSP
web site, http://www.tsp.gov, in
Sep. 2001.
Reserve benefits 2001 NOAA
Billeting: Priorities changed in
April in favor of Reservists who need
billeting to attend inactive duty for
training (lOT). Section 663 of the
2001 National Defense Authorization
Act authorizes the use of military
billeting for Reservists travelling 50 or
more miles for IDT on the same basis
as active duty members travelling on
orders.
Space-Required Travel: Reservists travelling to annual training or IDT
can now fly space-required on military
aircraft between their home and place
of duty, including overseas. (Section
384) .
Funeral Honors: The act authorizes Reservists to be compensated
at the inactive duty training rate rather
than at the $50 stipend level. (Section
575) .
Retirement Points: The number
of IDT points creditable toward
retirement each year raised from 75
to 90. (Section 655).
A summary of all the 2001 NOAA
benefits for the military services can
be viewed at the National Military
Family Association Inc.'s web site,
http://www.nmfa.org/NDAA.html.
I.J
Environmental Compliance
Training
Do you know what "ECO" stands for? It
stands for Environmental Compliance
Officer. As an ECO, you will work with
your unit commander to ensure
environmental compliance with local,
state and federal policies. If you are
concerned about the environment and
want to help your unit and the Army
Reserve stay within environmental
guidelines, then becoming an ECO is
right for you. As an ECO, you will
benefit from paid training in a variety of
environmental issues. If you currently
hold an ECO appointment, and have
not received any training, then now is
the time to get some. The 70th RSC
Environmental Division is sponsoring
unit ECO training at two locations this
year. The first class will be held August
25-26 in the Seattle area. The second
class will be held September 8-9 in
Boise, Idaho. For further details,
contact Sgt. 1st Class Robert O'Neal ,
70th RSC environmental coordinator at
(206) 281-3297 or e-mail him at
robert.l.oneal@ usarc-emh2.army.mil.
You can also contact Ryan Weller,
environmental contractor at (206) 3012009/[email protected].
New TRICARE dental plan for
Reserve families
Members of the Selected Reserve
and Individual Ready Reserve, along
with their family members, may enroll
in United Concordia's TRICARE
Dental Program (TOP). TOP replaced
the former TRICARE Family Member
Dental Plan (TFMDP) on Feb. 1. The
new program offers an increase in
benefits to include all Reserve
members and has slightly lower
premiums than the TFMDP. Individuals who were already enrolled in the
TFMDP were automatically transferred to the new plan on Feb. 1. The
TOP is similar to civilian group dental
plans and covers most dental care,
including exams, cleanings, x-rays,
fillings, crowns, orthodontics, root
canals, and oral surgery services.
For additional information on TOP,
contact United Concordia at 1-800866-8499 or visit their web site, http:/
/www.ucci.com.
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
The 70th RSC Honor Guard stands ready to
present U.S. flags to retirees during retirement ceremony in June.
70th retirement ceremony
The 70th RSC headquarters company held a formal retirement ceremony in June for four of its long-time
soldiers. More than 200 people
attended. The ceremony included
members of the unit, as well as family
members and friends. Each retiree
was presented a plaque, a
commander's coin, and a U.S. flag.
Spouses of the retirees were also
presented certificates of appreciation
for their support during the soldiers'
career. 70th RSC Chief of Staff, Col.
Stanley Flemming, who spoke during
the company's formation after the
ceremony, stressed how important it
was to recognize the contributions
and sacrifices these individuals have
made to the Army Reserve over a
long period of time.
Fort Lewis, 'closed' post
On June 1 Fort Lewis became a
closed post. Vehicles that do not
have a Department of Defense
sticker must register at the visitors'
gate. Stickers are available for
military personnel by mail from the
70th RSC DCSPER Service Center,
Fort Lawton. For information on
obtaining a sticker, call the center at
1-800-347-2735, extension 3299 .
Pier 23 groundbreaking
A groundbreaking ceremony for the
new Army Reserve center and marine
maintenance facility at Pier 23, Port of
Tacoma, Wash. , will be held on Sep. 9
at 10:30 a.m. and last approximately
one hour. The new facility will be for
Reservists and civilians of the 385th
Transportation Battalion and Area
Maintenance Support Activity 137 who
have been working in substandard
conditions since the demolition of the
previous Reserve center several years
ago. Construction of the project will
begin in October 2001 .
13
P04t
Crawford uses Apache scouts
in quest for Geronimo
by Lt. Col. Doug Schnelle, Commander, Army Reserve Intelligence
Support Center North Central, Fort
Sheridan, fll.
In 1866, the eyes of the United
States turned from the agony of the
Southland and Civil War, and returned toward the welcomed promise
of the unrealized potential of the
West. The West offered many the
promise of new fortune and limitless
possibilities. The Trans-Continental
Railroad, the riches of California
farmland , and the potential of trade in
the Pacific beckoned countless
adventurers and entrepreneurs who
would no longer be restrained by the
limits of life in the comfortable Eastern United States. Between 1860 and
1870, one million Americans moved
west and settled in the western states
or territories. By 1880 another two
and a half million were added to the
census of the lands of the West, the
lands beyond the Mississippi.
But before the West could realize
its potential it had to be conquered.
The western nomadic tribes of Sioux
and Cheyenne on the Northern
plains, the Commanches of the
Southern plains and the Apaches of
the mountains of the great Southwest
would oppose this irresistible immigration. So, the U.S. Army was
charged to go West before the
settlers to confront tribesmen that
Army General Philip Sheridan once
referred to as the "finest light cavalry
in the world ."
Within the Army's ranks were a
small number of capable junior
officers from the East. Many were
Civil War veterans and could provide
the small unit leadership to positively
effect the cohesion of the troops that
made the campaigns of their leaders
Crook, Miles and Mackenzie, possible
and successful. Among these officers
was Capt. Emmet Crawford.
Crawford was born in Philadelphia, Pa., on Sept. 6, 1844. At 17, he
answered President Lincoln 's call to
"save the Union" and enlisted as a
private in Company F, 71 st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry Regiment. It
was here that Crawford experienced
14
the ferocity of combat against the
famed Army of Northern Virginia
under the indomitable leadership of
Robert E. Lee . He fought with his
regiment during the battles of
Fredericksburg, Antietam and
Gettsyburg. He later served in the
197th Pennsylvania Volunteer
Infantry Regiment as a first sergeant
and received a commission as a
lieutenant, assigned to the 13th
Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry in
Tennessee. It was here that Crawford
learned the lessons of humanity and
dignity for soldiers of another race
and culture that would serve him well
during his service in later Apache
campaigns.
Crawford emerged from the Civil
War determined to become a professional soldier. He was first assigned
to the 39th Infantry Regiment, one of
four segregated black regiments
organized by the United States. He
also saw service along the Texas
border during the Reconstruction Era
of the post-war South. When the four
black infantry regiments were reorganized into two in 1869, Crawford was
reassigned to the U.S. 3rd Cavalry
Regiment. In this horse cavalry
regiment, Crawford would perfect his
skills as a soldier. He campaigned
against Apaches in the baking sun of
the American Southwest and fought
against the Sioux in the frigid cold of
Montana.
Crawford first served with the 3rd
Cav. Reg. in 1870 in the Arizona
Territory, then moved with his regiment to the northern plains in 1872,
campaigning against the Sioux, under
the command of Brig. Gen. George
Crook. In 1882, as a cavalry captain ,
Crawford returned to the Arizona
Territory with his regiment and began
to campaign against the Apaches. In
September 1882, Crook again took
command of the Department of
Arizona, and knowing of Crawford's
abilities, assigned him as the commander of the San Carlos Apache
Reservation . He was to ensure the
government's dealings with the
Apache nation were fair and honest.
Crawford was to maintain the peace
and try to influence the Apache
~
culture toward farming. In addition ,
Crawford was tasked to recruit and
train Apaches as scouts for the Army.
Crawford first campaigned with
Apache Scouts in 1883. He learned
about the rugged terrain of the
Southwest, the nature of Indian
warfare in the mountains, the capabilities of the scouts, and the limitations of regular Army soldiers in
these arduous campaigns.
In late 1885, the last drama of the
Apache wars was played out on the
vast stage that is the American
Southwest and northern Mexico.
Crook determined from previous
campaigns that the regular Army
would lack efficiency in the effort to
defeat the Apache Geronimo.
He reorganized his forces and
created two battalions consisting
largely of Apache scouts to be a
mobile striking force. They were
organized to find Geronimo and
capture or kill him . They were to "take
up the trail and follow it to the end."
Crawford supported this reorganization of the forces to be fielded , and
felt that Regular Army forces , under
their state of training and physical
capacity, were a burden . They could
not endure the hardships and maintain the speed of the scouts. By late
1885, the depredations of Geronimo's
Apache renegades had become
intolerable, and on Dec. 11 , 1885,
Crook ordered Crawford's Apache
scouts into Mexico to find and destroy
the raiding bands.
Crawford and three white officers,
one surgeon and 150 Apache scouts
began the last Apache expedition in
the long history of the Indian wars.
Each scout wore only a faded blue
uniform shirt and a light loin cloth .
Their hair was bound in the traditional
Apache turban , and each walked
silently in moccasins. The officers
looked much the same, except for
having shorter hair. They traveled
mostly at night and entered a mountainous region of Mexico known as
the Espinosa del Diablo or the
"Devil's Backbone." The area was
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
extremely rugged and almost tropical
palm trees could be seen at river
bottoms. On Jan. 8, 1886, Crawford's
scouts discovered a trail they believed would lead to Geronimo's
camp. Crawford and his scouts spent
the next 48 hours without sleep
moving toward their objective. The
move was so difficult over this rugged
terrain that the scouts' clothes were
literally torn to shreds.
At last, on Jan. 10, 1886, 200
miles inside Mexico, along the Aros
River, Crawford found Geronimo's
camp. A night assault routed
Geronimo and his warriors. Later that
day, Geronimo sent an old woman
into the now scout-occupied camp
asking for a truce and advising
Crawford that Geronimo wanted
peace. Crawford and his scouts,
believing the war to be over, rested
for the first time in many days.
In the early morning hours of Jan.
11 , 1886, Emmett Crawford was
awakened by his scouts and informed
of a Mexican Army patrol approaching . The patrol , believing they had
found a band of hostile Apaches,
opened fire . Crawford climbed a
boulder, stood erect in his blue
uniform, and yelled out, "Soldados
Americanos" Unfortunately, before an
effective cease fire could be established , a Mexican irregular fired his
rifle and the proud captain from
Philadelphia was hit in the head by a
.50 caliber bullet.
Crawford died on Jan. 18, 1886,
and was buried in Mexico. The loss of
Crawford caused Geronimo to
change his mind , and the last Apache
campaign would continue for a while
longer. The end however, was never
in doubt. Crook believed Crawford
was irreplaceable, and that Geronimo
would have surrendered had
Crawford lived.
Today, Capt. Emmet Crawford's
mortal remains rest at Arlington
National Cemetery, a proper place for
this American warrior.
Britton Davis, who served with
Crawford, and later wrote a book
about the Geronimo campaign , would
write in tribute to his fallen comrade,
"Crawford was born a thousand years
too late. Mentally, morally and
physically, he would have been the
ideal knight in King Arthur's Court. He
was an ideal cavalryman and as
devoted to his men as they were to
him. He had a keen sense of humor,
was modest and kindly."
That is a proper epitaph for a
soldier-and an American hero.
J
70th athletes achieve German gold
By (}apt. Micki Satta, 7th Bde.11.04th
Trammg Dw. and Staff Sgt. Shetla
Tunney, 70th RSC PAO
What do you get when you spend the
weekend running, jumping, swimming,
weightlifting, shooting and marching?
You get the American version of the
German Armed Forces Efficiency Test
(GAFET), perhaps a medal, but most
likely, some sore muscles or blisters.
Sgt. First Class Brian Dinsmore,
operations sergeant, 654th Area Support
Group, Tumwater, Wash., and Capt.
Elizabeth Prekker, commander, 30oth
Transportation Detachment, Fort Lewis,
Wash ., participated in a GAFET sponsored by the 3d Corps Support Command
in Des Moines, Iowa, in May. Prekker's
husband, Staff Sgt. Richard Prekker, an
active duty soldier assigned to I Corps
Command Group, Fort Lewis, also
participated.
The GAFET is sponsored each year by
the 3d and gives U.S. troops the opportunity to earn a distinctive foreign qualification badge that can be worn on the Class
A and Dress Blue uniforms. To earn the
badge, soldiers must pass five swimming,
track and field or weightlifting events, as
well as complete a timed road march and
shoot at least three of five targets in the
pistol event. German soldiers complete
these events separately throughout the
year and must qualify each year.
Both Dinsmore and the Prekkers are
more physically active than the average
Gl, and on a regular basis compete or
participate in a variety of athletic events.
The Prekkers recently completed the
Master Fitness Trainers Course and
competed in the Seattle to Portland bike
ride and the Sound to Narrows run . Both
felt that doing the GAFET would be a
natural progression in their fitness
accomplishments.
Capt. Prekker trained for the event for
several months. Having had the couple's
second child a few months earlier, she
was still concerned about the road
march. She spent many hours marching
around Gray Army Airfield. Her dedication
paid off, Capt. Prekker earned a gold
badge at the GAFET.
The couple also honed their marksmanship skills at Fort Lewis. Staff Sgt.
Prekker missed one round during the
pistol event which dropped him into the
silver category.
"I was a little dissapointed that I
missed one round at the range," he said,
"but the silver GAFET is still quite an
accomplishment. I was very glad I could
be there and encourage my wife on the
road march. I'm very proud that she
earned the gold. She worked hard, and
she deserved it."
Dinsmore is also an accomplished
athlete. He too earned a gold badge at
the event. "I do a lot of athletic events
throughout the year. I coached a high
school track team, so I'm good at all the
track events-1 know how to do them with
good technique," he said.
He recently won the Oregon State Tae
Kwon Do competition and participates in
the Scottish Highland Games along with
canoeing, running and biking. The
decision to do the GAFET was easy.
"A couple of my coworkers brought it
to my attention, so I started pursuing it
and got interested in it a few months out. I
like to do different types of athletic events.
They're fun to me, so it was a really cool
opportunity," said Dinsmore.
Going above and beyond what was
required of the test, Dinsmore, 41 ,
completed six extra track and field events
all of which were in a lower age category.
''The standards weren't that much
harder than my age group, and I knew I
could meet them, so I did the young
man's events," said Dinsmore.
For his extra efforts, Dinsmore was
presented a $200 savings bond from the
United States Automobile Association
who were on hand during the games to
recognize soldiers who put forth outstanding effort.
Both Dinsmore and the Prekkers were
awarded the German Armed Forces
Efficiency Badge and a certificate printed
in English and German.
Capt. Elizabeth Prekker and her husband,
Staff Sgt. Richard Prekker march with 22·
pound ruck sacks during the German Armed
Forces Efficiency Test given by the 3d Corps
Su ort Command in Des Moines Iowa.
May, Sgt. 1st
Brian Dinsmore, 654th
Area Support Group, takes a breather before
finishing and taking home a gold German
Armed Forces Efficienc bad e.
May/June 2001, Three Star Final
***
15
70th soldiers see task force's impact in Guatemala
Task Force Aurora, Guatemala,
got good reviews by two volunteers
from the 6th Legal Support Organization, Fort Lawton, Wash., who spent
17 days training there in February
and March.
Sgt. 1st Class Kim Maxfield, legal
NCO, and Maj. Brad Bales, S-1 and
trial counsel prosecutor, went during
different timeframes, but both came
back with the same feeling of having
helped--in their small way--a nation
which is still recovering from Hurricane Mitch, which struck in the fall of
1998.
The task force staff was controlled
by the 65th Regional Support Command, Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico.
Ninety percent of the troops involved
come from Reserve components.
When news of the short tour
opportunities for legal professionals
reached their unit, they both were
eager to volunteer.
"I had been on a task force
duration staff in Panama in the '90s,"
said Maxfield. "It was a really good
experience, so I volunteered."
During Maxfield's 17 days in
Guatemala, there was plenty of legal
work to be done.
"We did a few Article 15s, claims,
powers of attorney and an investigation," Maxfield said." The hardest part
. was doing the Article 15s. I haven't
done one since AIT (advanced
individual training). Anything we
needed such as regulations, we could
pull right off of the Internet."
Both Maxfield and Bales were able
to brush up on their military legal
duties supporting New Horizon
troops. But that was just the legal
aspect of it. They also had an opportunity to visit sites where U.S. and
Guatemalan troops were making
major civic improvements.
"We got to go out to the job sites
where Army, Air Force and Marine
Corps engineers from the U.S. were
helped by Guatemalan engineers and
military police in building schools and
wells," said Maxfield.
Echoing Maxfield's sentiments,
Bales said , "The work was very
interesting in this case. We actually
got to see the impact on the local
community. The schools the engineers built replaced run-down buildings that were basically made out of
scrap materials."
As a civilian Bales works as a
Seattle deputy prosecuting attorney
assigned to a special assault unit for
victims of sexually motivated felonies.
"It was a nice change from prosecuting and putting people in jail.
There, you get the satisfaction of
getting the victim away from the
abuser, but (in Guatemala) it was a
different kind of satisfaction seeing
those schools being built," said Bales.
Desert Shield and Desert
Storm 1Oth anniversary
certificates available
The Army Reserve would like
to issue 1Oth anniversary commemorative certificates to Operations Desert Shield and Desert
Storm veterans to recognize their
contributions and sacrifice.
Hundreds of certificates were
forwarded to the 70th RSC Public
Affairs Office for distribution. To
obtain a completed certificate,
individuals (or units) may submit a
copy of the DO Form 214 which
shows service during Operations
Desert Shield and/or Desert
Storm, along with a complete
mailing address to the Public
Affairs Office, 70th Regional
Support Command, 4570 Texas
Way West, Fort Lawton, WA
98199, or fax to (206) 281-3093.
***
.
Guatemalan children gather at their old "schoolhouse" in
the village of Arrozol in March. The schoolhouse, made
primarily of scrap materials, was replaced as part of a
humanitarian assistance project for victims of Hurricane
Mitch during Operation New Horizons.
The new schoolhouse at Arrozol, Guatemala, is a far cry
from its predecessor pictured above. Army, Air Force and
Marine soldiers from both active and reserve components,
joined by Guatemalan forces, provided the manpower to
build the school for Task Force Aurora during Operation
New Horizons. (Photos by Maj. Brad Bales)