Repair-a-Bear Clinic

COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
Veterans at
Breakfast
group hosts annual
cookout n 3B
FORT BLISS BUGLE • August 4, 2016 • 1B
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Fort Bliss is El Paso and
El Paso is Fort Bliss.
Motorcycle
safety:
An interview with
the expert n 6B
Warrior
winners
Bliss veterans place
n 11B
Things to do ...
Plaza Classic Film Festival: The
Plaza Classic Film Festival, which takes
place today thru Aug. 14, was created
in 2008 to celebrate our rich cinema history and rekindle the joy of communal
film going – exemplified by the historic
and restored Plaza Theatre. Buy tickets
at http://plazaclassic.com. 231-1100
Framing Bliss Art Workshops:
Check out Framing Bliss’ Painting 2 Art
Workshop from 5-8 p.m. today, and
from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the Trading Post, 1717 Marshall Road on West
Fort Bliss. The workshop is open to DOD
ID cardholders 15 and older. The fee is
$15 for active-duty and $20 for all other
DOD ID cardholders; supplies included.
Registrations is required and can be
done at Framing Bliss. Payment due at
registration. 568-5563
Gardening 101: The El Paso Master
Gardeners lead a workshop from 4-5:30
p.m. Friday on why it is important to
start your fall and winter gardening now.
Takes place at the El Paso Multipurpose
Center, 9031 Viscount. elpasotexas.
gov/gardenep or 212-0115
Repair-a-Bear Clinic
Abigail Meyer / Fort Bliss Bugle Staff
Sam Morningstar, 11, watches as Pfc. Briana Kemnitz, 80th Civil Affairs Battalion, repairs the eyebrows of his Crash Bandicoot stuffed animal at the Fort Bliss
Veterinary Clinic here July 28.
Veterinary Clinic technicians operate on ‘rare’ specimens, get vital training
Natalie Hinojos / Bliss Now Magazine
T
Fort Bliss Bugle Staff
he Fort Bliss Veterinary Clinic operated on a rare specimen here July
28. “Crash,” the beloved pet of a
military dependent, needed surgical repairs
to his eyebrows and other minor wounds. The
veterinary technicians had never worked on a
bandicoot before, but in this case, that wasn’t
an issue since Crash was plush and filled with
stuffing.
Sam Morningstar, 11, was extremely grateful for the 2nd Annual Repair-a-Bear Clinic
that gave children a one-day chance to bring
in toys that needed repairs.
“I wanted to get my two Crash Bandicoot
plushes fixed up. Crash Bandicoot, I can go
on and on all day, telling you about everything about Crash Bandicoot,” Sam said.
“They have some holes and the eyebrows
were falling apart a little bit, I don’t know
how that happened …”
Sam got into the Crash Bandicoot PlayStation games through his father, Sgt. 1st Class
Jason Morningstar, assigned to the 80th Civil
Affairs Battalion here, and they searched and
searched to find a stuffed version of the mascot.
“They don’t make Crash Bandicoot anything anymore, so we had to search Japanese
websites,” Jason Morningstar said. “It took
us about a year to find one and two years to
find the other one because no one sells them
anymore.”
Because they are so hard to come by, Sam
keeps a close eye on the two he has, one large
and the other small.
“Well, they are precious to me – very, very
precious,” Sam said.
Helping children fix special toys is just one
of the benefits of the Repair-a-Bear Clinic.
“Essentially the goal is to give animal
health technicians and veterinary food inspectors hands on time with the surgical instruments as well as the suturing,” said Dr.
(Capt.) Daniel Bland, officer in charge of the
Fort Bliss clinic and acting branch chief. “At
the same time, we’re using expired suture
materials instead of just throwing it away,
putting it into a landfill, we’re actually finding another use for it and reducing waste.”
The technicians use actual suture techniques when repairing the toys, and while it
may be different than a living thing, it still
keeps their skills fresh. The 80th CA Bn. had
their combat medics come in to get some
practice as well.
“It was a very positive response from everybody involved. It gives our Soldiers time
to interact with the public and the community
Paint N’ Pour: The Library After Hours
presents Paint N’ Pour, a social painting
class at the Mickelsen Community Library from 6-8 p.m. Friday. Get together
with friends and paint an acrylic masterpiece in a staff-led class. Must register
and pay at the library to secure spot.
One person may pay for multiple participants. Cost: $20 (includes supplies
and one glass of wine, additional wine
available for purchase cash only). Open
to DOD ID cardholders 21 and older.
Wear appropriate clothing for painting.
No children allowed, and no refund for
missed sessions. 568-1902
Fort Bliss Tour Bus: Want to learn
more about West, Central and East Fort
Bliss? Then join Army Community Service for a free bus tour from 2-3:30 p.m.
Friday or Aug. 19. Meet at the ACS
building, 2494 Ricker Road on West
Fort Bliss. Tours are twice a month and
childcare vouchers will be provided.
Must register for the tour online at www.
bliss.armymwr.com. 569-4227, ext. 0
A little girl watches as a Spc. Shantell Lloyd stiches up her toy during the Repair-a-Bear Clinic at the Fort
Bliss Veterinary Clinic here July 28.
By Abigail Meyer
Inflatable Game Night: Exceptional
Family Member Program families, are
you ready for Inflatable Game Night?
All EFMP families are invited to a night
of fun from 5:30-7 p.m. Friday at the
Army Community Service building,
2494 Ricker Road on West Fort Bliss.
Games are provided or bring your own
to play. To sign up visit www.bliss.armymwr.com, search Inflatable Game
Night. 569-47227, ext. 5
Abigail Meyer / Fort Bliss Bugle Staf
Spc. Phlistity Bruce, right, assigned to the Fort
Bliss Veterinary Clinic, hands “Hugs” back to MiKaela Kenny after repairing the stuffed bear’s ear
during the Repair-a-Bear Clinic at the Fort Bliss
Veterinary Clinic here July 28.
and it’s kind of like an open house for the
community,” Bland said.
The Fort Bliss Veterinary Clinic offers services for Department of Defense identification cardholders, except contractors or Army
civilians. Active-duty personnel, their dependents and retirees are the main people that
can use the services.
“The whole intent of the clinic is public
health. You can prevent a lot more diseases
in the time it takes to treat one,” Bland said.
“Vaccinations are really the main focus and
prevention care.”
For Sam, he was just happy to leave the
clinic with his treasured toys repaired and
good as new.
“I think it’s nice that they’re doing all this.
I appreciate it!” Sam said.
Art walk and ghost tour: Friday,
the First Friday of the Month Art Walk
in Historic San Elizario features art galleries open in the evening, appetizers,
refreshments and music. Don’t miss the
“Movie On the Wall” at sundown. Free.
Sign up for the San Elizario Ghost Tour
at 10 p.m. for $15. www.sanelizariohistoricdistrict.org or 851-0093
Rock the Fort: Fort Bliss, get ready to
Rock the Fort. Enjoy a day out as rock
bands perform Saturday at Biggs Park,
11388 Sergeant Major Blvd. on Central Fort Bliss. Gates open at 4 p.m. All
That Remains will be headlining, along
with Icon for Hire and special guests.
For those 21 and older there is a beer
garden, which includes 10 beer samples and preferred tent seating for $15.
Open to the public. Free. 588-8247
El Paso Chihuahuas: The El Paso
Chihuahuas take on the Fresno Grizzlies Sunday-Wednesday at Southwest
University Park, 1 Ballpark Plaza. Cost:
$5 lawn seating; reserved seats begin at
$12 in advance. www.milb.com/index.
jsp?sid=t4904 or 533-2273
2B • August 4, 2016 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
Fort Bliss holds annual
PK-12 Education Fair
By Abigail Meyer
Fort Bliss Bugle Staff
Alexis Wilgus and her husband, Pfc. Josh
Wilgus, just moved to El Paso from Fort Gordon, Georgia. They’re navigating their first
permanent change of station and sending their
daughter, Shiloh, to school for the first time,
so they have lots of questions. All their school
questions were answered at the PK-12 Education Fair at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center here July 27.
“It’s very helpful because we’re new to the
military, he enlisted just last year, so things
like this really help us to get integrated because having small children we don’t know
what to do,” Alexis Wilgus said.
They’re getting a head start on the school
year and were able to talk to representatives
from the school Shiloh will attend for prekindergarten. That’s exactly what the hosts of the
fair hope families get out of it.
“For our families, it’s a one-stop-shop, they
don’t have to browse the internet for all sorts
of questions,” said Simone Hendricks, a Child,
Youth and School Services school liaison officer and organizer of the fair. “They can come
here if they have questions about shot records,
child services is here, if they have questions
about transportation, they’re here to tell them
about what to expect.”
Maj. Gen. Pat White, 1st Armored Division
and Fort Bliss commanding general, and his
wife, Emma, attended the event, and White
opened the 15th annual fair by encouraging
families be involved in education choices.
“So I look at this as an opportunity. You can
make decisions that are informed or you can
just wing it, and winging it normally isn’t very
good for your children, so please take advantage of all the resources that are here today,”
said White, who has three children. “I always
found it very beneficial to be personally involved in what was going on with my child.”
During the event, students received awards
for an art competition and dancers from
Staff Sgt. Walter Johnson, in uniform, and his
wife Cindy, next to him, talk about educational
opportunities for their children, Alex and Walter,
at the PK-12 Education Fair at the Centennial
Banquet and Conference Center here July 27.
SKIESUnlimited ballet and folklorico programs performed.
More than 100 different vendors from public, private and home schools, after school
programs, dual language schools and community resources were present, providing information to families such as like the Wilgus
family.
“We’re young parents so this is great, things
like this mean a lot,” Wilgus said. “We visited
the school that she’s going to be going to already and they were very helpful, so actually
we’ve gotten everything we need.”
Families who missed out on this year’s
education fair are encouraged to contact the
School Liaison Office at 569-5064 with any
questions.
“So if they are curious about what school
they’re zoned for or have questions about
schools and they couldn’t make it here, call
the school liaison office, we are always glad
to help our parents,” Hendricks said.
Photos by Abigail Meyer / Fort Bliss Bugle Staff
Maj. Gen. Pat White, left,1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss commanding general, and his wife, Emma,
second from left, speak to Kyleigh Medard, in black, and her family after she won an award for her
artwork at the PK-12 Education Fair at the Centennial Banquet and Conference Center July 27.
Children in the SKIESUnlimited ballet class perform during the 15th annual PK-12 Education Fair at the
Centennial Banquet and Conference Center here July 27.
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Veterans at Breakfast
group hosts annual cookout
By Abigail Meyer
Fort Bliss Bugle Staff
Veterans at Breakfast is a local organization that provides a comfortable atmosphere
for veterans to gather, socialize and network.
It started in 2010, when founder Dan Webb, a
former Army first sergeant, had a vision.
“What motivated me to start this program,
actually, was a veteran friend of mine had
passed and he was a veteran that did not want
to engage in structural programs, like VFW,
or American Legion. When he passed, and it
was about three days before they found him in
his apartment,” said Dan Webb, founder of the
Veterans at Breakfast Group. “So what I said
was, we should have a coming together of veterans and veterans should be given an option so
that they will not have to feel confined by social groups and they can simply meet for breakfast and talk about things that only veterans can
relate to over coffee and breakfast.”
Over the years, the group has grown from
just one member to 250 on the rolls.
“We wanted to give the veterans an option that they would meet in a social setting,
but with the objective of making sure that any
needs that veterans have, any concerns- we are
able to address those and invite folks who are
the subject matter experts on those issues to
come in and talk to our veterans,” Webb said.
The group participates in many community
events and hosts a cookout once a year.
“Our 4th annual Veterans at Breakfast cookout is an excellent opportunity to relax, recognize Soldiers and have some fun,” said Dr.
Cliff Ferby, a committee member of the group.
The group uses the event to recognize active-duty personnel or units who do a lot for
the community. This year, they recognized Fort
Bliss’ Sergeant Audie Murphy Club and Sgt.
1st Class Lashawn Albury, vice president of
the club.
“Our motto is- ‘Past and Present United as
One,’” Webb said. “So I decided that every
year we would have as an honoree unit, an ac-
tive unit.”
The ceremony paid tribute to the armed forces and honored a special veteran.
“This year I’m starting something newVeterans at Breakfast Veteran of the Year and
that’s going to be for veterans who exert themselves within the community in terms of addressing veterans’ issues, and who have spent
hours of volunteer service for various things,”
Webb said.
This year’s honoree was Shoshana Johnson,
the first African-American prisoner of war who
was assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company while on active duty. Johnson is active in
El Paso as an advocate for veterans.
Veterans at Breakfast meet every last Thursday of the month at 4201 Skyline at 8 a.m. and
Webb and his committee members ensure veterans know they’re not just a number.
“Myself and other members personally call
all the members every month to remind them,”
Webb said. “Veterans are welcome to come and
when they walk through the door, they are already a member. We are a group that charges
no membership fee.”
For more information, contact retired Command Sgt. Maj. Reginald Ficklin at Reginald.
[email protected], 637-0947 or retired Command
Sgt. Maj. Chuck Taylor at chucktaylor3964@
sbcglobal.net 526-9552.
(Top right) Dan Webb, white shirt, founder of Veterans at Breakfast, presents an award to Sgt. 1st
Class Lashawn Albury, a member of the Fort Bliss
Sergeant Audie Murphy Club, as Command Sgt.
Major Bobby Breeden, Fort Bliss garrison command sergeant major, and Emma Acosta, El Paso’s
District 3 representative, look on at the Veterans
at Breakfast cookout at Biggs Park here Saturday.
(Right) Chuck Taylor, right, a member of the Veterans at Breakfast Group, goes through the buffet
line at the Veterans at Breakfast cookout at Biggs
Park here Saturday.
FORT BLISS BUGLE • August 4, 2016 • 3B
Photos by Abigail Meyer / Fort Bliss Bugle Staff
4B • August 4, 2016 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
Help is here to stop
the cycle of trouble
By Chaplain (Maj.) Edward Jackson
1st Armored Division Family Life Chaplain
Several weeks ago I heard an interesting
story concerning change and the problems
associated with trying to bring about change
in one’s life. The story is about a little boy
who for several days came to school with a
peanut butter and jelly sandwich in his lunch
box, only to complain, “It’s always the same
thing.” His friend, who had been sitting with
him during the week, listened attentively to
his pal, but finally in exasperation the little
friend said, “Why don’t you tell your mother
that you’re tired of peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches?” The little boy looked at his
pal and said, “I can’t, because I’m the one
who’s been fixing the peanut and jelly sandwiches.”
This story is a reflection of what some
Soldiers are doing in reference to resolving
their problems. They continue to make the
same decisions and choices, over and over
again expecting something different to happen, but in all actuality they keep getting
the same results or worse results. They continue to experience failure in their marriage,
failure in their personal life, failure in their
Army career and failure financially. Eventually they become so overwhelmed with life’s
struggles they seek what appears to be an
easy way out. That easy way out tends to fall
along the lines of divorce, suicide, AWOL,
substance abuse, illicit behavior or they just
stop trying all together. But, it doesn’t have
to be that way for the Soldier, family member or Department of Defense civilian who is
willing to step outside of their comfort zone.
Help is only a phone call or an appointment
away.
As the 1st Armored Division Family Life
Chaplain here, I have experience in a variety of counseling services available to Soldiers, family members, retirees and DOD
civilians. Some of the counseling services
available through my office are pastoral
counseling, grief counseling, marriage and
premarital counseling, family counseling,
divorce counseling, addiction and recovery
counseling and trauma counseling. These are
just a few of the services that are available to
help people stop repeating the same mistakes
when seeking to resolve their problems.
For those of you who are dealing with
trauma related problems, addictions (porn,
substance abuse, behavior disorder), and
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder concerns, I
would like to introduce to you a proven and
effective method of treating these issues.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. EMDR is a counseling model and
tool that uses an eight-phase protocol counselors use to gather information that will
help determine how to approach and provide
treatment for the client. EMDR engages the
client’s own brain healing mechanisms to
process through traumatic or painful events,
as well as reduce or eliminate addictive behavior. EMDR is on the same level as other
therapeutic models, cognitive behavior therapy, emotionally focused therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
EMDR does not involve reliving disturbing events, just remembering. EMDR does
not erase memories, it helps the brain reprocess them to disconnect them from the disturbing emotions and it helps desensitizes
the individual to the trauma of the memory.
The World Health Organization in 2013 stated that “trauma-focused CBT and EMDR are
the only psychotherapies recommended for
children, adolescents and adults with PTSD.
Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs and DOD (2004, 2010), placed EMDR
therapy in the ‘A’ category as ‘strongly recommended’ for the treatment of trauma.”
EMDR combined with the other counseling tools can be effective to allow members
of the Fort Bliss community to experience
God’s healing in their life and stop the vicious cycle of self-destructive choices. As a
chaplain and pastor, I would like you to reflect on the words of the Lord Jesus in John
8:36: “If the Son therefore shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed.” Give me a call
and start taking the initial steps toward healing and freedom in your life. My office is
located in the 1st AD Chapel and I can be
reached at 781-3197.
FORT BLISS BUGLE • August 4, 2016 • 5B
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Motorcycle safety: An interview with the expert
6B • August 4, 2016 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
By Wendy Brown
Fort Bliss Bugle Editor
Scott Howes, lead motorcycle riding instructor at Fort Bliss, is an expert in motorcycle safety, and he encourages riders to
regularly evaluate and improve their skills.
Fort Bliss offers a variety of motorcycle
safety classes, starting with the Motorcycle
Basic Rider Course and progressing to the
Experienced Rider Course or the Military
Sports Bike Rider Course, depending on the
Soldier’s type of bike. Although Soldiers
are required to take the experienced rider or
sports bike classes within one year after the
basic class, and every five years thereafter,
Howes said he encourages riders to take the
classes every one to two years.
“We want to cruise around and have fun,
but if you look at some people out there
driving around, it doesn’t look like they’re
having fun, because they’re scared,” Howes said. “If you’re scared to ride your bike,
find something else to do. If you’re scared
to come back through the training, that tells
you something, that you don’t have any confidence in your riding.”
To find the class schedule, visit https://
imc.army.mil/airs/.
The following is an interview with Howes, edited for space and clarity.
Q: How many years did you serve with
the El Paso Police Department as a motorcycle officer?
A: I did 25 years, and Rick Hoss, who is
also a motorcycle safety instructor here, was
my partner for many years. We were motorcycle instructors at the department for many
years. We were also investigators, reconstructed accidents and handled many fatalities involving Soldiers over the years. I have
worked at Fort Bliss since 2008.
Q: How many Soldiers have you
trained?
A: We train about 1,300 Soldiers a year
in the basic class. We train close to 2,000
Soldiers a year in all the motorcycle safety
classes combined.
Q: If I wanted to buy a motorcycle to
ride for pleasure and my commute, what
Wendy Brown / Fort Bliss Bugle Editor
Staff Sgt. James Lee, assigned to the 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, participates in the Military
Sports Bike Rider Course here July 22.
would you advise?
A: First, you need to find out if motorcycle riding is for you. Do some research
at a dealer and see what kind of bikes they
have, what parts they have, how they work
and then come through our basic rider class.
We start out by going over the controls in the
classrooms or learning how to start it up. It’s
very basic and it moves up from there. It’s
not for everybody. You’ll find out quickly if
it’s not for you. Not everybody passes because it’s a difficult class. One of the prerequisites is being able to ride a bicycle.
Q: What is the most encouraging thing
about the Fort Bliss rider population?
A: The mandatory training and the backing from the commands. Also, the advanced
training. If you look in the civilian world,
they probably teach very few classes because once you’ve taken the most basic,
most people just forget about training and
they’re on their own. Here it’s mandatory.
Q: What is the most discouraging thing
to you about the Fort Bliss rider population?
A: Soldiers don’t take advantage of the
training classes we have here, which are free
and count as the Soldier’s duty station for the
workday. Also, commands need to be more
vigilant to see if Soldiers have the training
they require.
Q: Which rider skills are the most difficult for beginners to master?
A: Probably how to steer the motorcycle.
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One of the hardest things for them to comprehend is counter steering. If you get up to
10, 12, 15 mph, on a single-track vehicle, the
only way to make it lean to go to the right, is
to push forward on the right handgrip, which
is confusing, because if I push forward on
the right handgrip, the wheel goes left. That
makes the bike lean to the right and it goes
right. It’s very difficult for riders to understand that. Even experienced riders still
don’t understand it, and that’s why we get
into a lot of trouble and you have all these
crashes at corners. You see a lot of crashes
and fatalities on corners because they don’t
get counter steering.
Q: What are the most significant differences a rider new to El Paso will likely
encounter here versus elsewhere?
A: Probably the weather; you can ride 365
days a year here. We also have a lot of sand
here, so you’ve got to be ready on corners to
handle sand on the road or rocks. It gets very
hot here, and places in the road fixed with tar
can get soft like putty. That can be dangerous
on a motorcycle.
Q: If I were a unit motorcycle mentor,
what could I do to improve my effectiveness?
A: There’s a lot of information on the
Army Combat Readiness Center website
(at https://safety.army.mil) and that’s where
I refer mentors. They should be inspecting
bikes, all the people under their command.
They should be doing period checks on the
list. If you do a mentorship ride, ensure you
evaluate riders and work on specific skills.
Q: What makes a safe, alert, successful
and accident-free rider?
A: One of the things they’ve got to have is
good risk management. We teach a lot of that
in the sport bike class here. I’m going over
their skill level and their risk taking level. If
you’re risk taking is up here and your skill
level is down here, you’re going to wind up
in the hospital. So you have to mitigate that.
Know your risks. How good a rider are you?
People think they’re good riders, but when
See MOTORCYCLE Page 7B
FORT BLISS BUGLE • August 4, 2016 • 7B
Photos by Wendy Brown / Fort Bliss Bugle Editor
Jorge Arellano, left, Fort Bliss motorcycle safety instructor, directs
Staff Sgt. James Lee, assigned to the 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, during the Military Sports Bike Rider Course here July 22.
(Left) Master Sgt. Michael Duke, front, assigned to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, Spc. Marvin Bethea, middle, 2nd Battalion,
501st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Armored Division, and Staff Sgt. James Lee, back, assigned to the 86th Expeditionary Signal Battalion participate in the Military Sports Bike Rider
Course here July 22.
MOTORCYCLE Continued from Page 6B
they get out on the course, I see something
entirely different.
Q: If you were an adviser to the senior
commander, what would you tell him
about our rider population?
A: It’s necessary to evaluate them. They
need to get them into training. They should
be tested. We have a test at the end of the basic rider class, but those skills are perishable.
If you don’t practice them, you lose them.
Q: What should a beginner look for in
a bike?
A: A beginner needs to start out on a bike
suited for them, a small bike. You need to get
something you can handle. Start out small,
size and fit. When you get a big bike, it’s too
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big for you and you can barely reach the controls and you’re scared to ride it, you’re not
learning anything, you’re getting worse.
Q: What would you say is the most neglected routine motorcycle maintenance
item?
A: Tires. Before we go out to the range
every day with the bikes, we do what we
call the Texas Commission on Law Enforce-
ment Standards and Education, or TCLEOSE, which is the inspection they have to
do on their bikes, inspect tires, cables, lights
– everything on the motorcycle. We do that
before we go to the range, and if they don’t
pass, they go home. One of the biggest
things we have to send people home for are
bald tires.
8B • August 4, 2016 • FORT BLISS BUGLE
Becoming a dad
7,000 miles from home
By Army Sgt. Walter H. Lowell
17th Sustainment Brigade, Nevada Army National Guard
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait— It’s a tale as
old as time- Soldiers bidding farewell to their
families to serve in a faraway land. Even with
technology and the ability to video chat with
loved ones, men and women serving in the
armed forces face the same reality as their predecessors from wars past- it is hard being away
from home.
This is especially
true for a father who’s
away for the birth of his
first child. Four Nevada
Army National Guardsmen deployed to the
Middle East with the
17th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Sustainment
Ave, daughter of Command, have expeStaff Sgt. Kevin rienced this emotional
Reed, was born Feb. roller coaster in the last
few months.
17.
“My girlfriend just called me and told me we
are having [the] baby,” said Army Spc. Julio
Ramirez, a wheeled vehicle mechanic with the
17th Sust. Bde.
Ramirez had made arrangements to go on
leave to return to Las Vegas for his daughter’s
birth, but he learned that the doctor would be
inducing labor a few weeks earlier than expected.
“I want to be there to see it happen,” Ramirez
said. “I don’t want to miss it.”
First Impressions
Staff Sgt. Kevin Reed, an information technology specialist with 17th Sust. Bde., was
overseas when his daughter Ave was born Feb.
17.
“Right when I first got home (on leave), I got
to see my baby girl,” Reed said. “I can’t really
describe the feeling.”
“It’s amazing to have your first child and
(what I felt) the first time I held my little girl,”
said Army Sgt. Sean Holm, a chaplain’s assistant with 17th Sust. Bde., whose daughter Adeline was born April 24.
“She went into labor early, so I had to scramble to get an early flight,” Holm said. “I ended
up getting there a day after she was born.”
Sleepless Nights, Joy
Holm said arriving late was a blessing in disguise, because he was able to spend his time
helping his wife with his daughter, rather than
only having a few days to help after the birth.
“I didn’t get a lot of sleep,” Reed said,
“Newborns are up when they want to be up and
eat when they want to eat.”
“I thought the Army would prepare me for
sleep deprivation, but it’s nothing like having a
newborn,” Holm said.
“It took some adjusting because I was still
getting used to the time, so I was kind of sleeping at weird times,” said Staff Sgt. Bryan Jovel,
an automated logistical specialist with the 17
Courtesy Photos
Spc. Julio Ramirez, a wheeled vehicle mechanic who’s currently deployed to the Middle East
with the 17th Sustainment Brigade, 1st Theater
Support Command, holds his daughter, Isabella,
born June 8.
Sgt. Sean Holm, a chaplain assistant who’s currently deployed to the Middle East with the 17th
Sust. Bde., 1st TSC, holds his daughter, Adeline,
born April 24.
Sust. Bde. and father to Brooklyn, who was
born on April 15.
Balancing Mission, Family
The Soldiers had to return to the Middle East
after their approved leave period came to an
end.
“It was hard to leave my wife and newborn
baby,” Holm said. “I knew I had to come back
here. I don’t get to go home until the mission
out here is done. The sooner I get back here, the
sooner I get to go back home.”
Reed said he uses any chance he gets to talk
to his daughter.
“The internet connection now is much better,” Reed said. “It’s hard being away from
them, but with technology, it’s as if you’re right
there with them too, and the time will go by so
quick while you’re here.”
“You have to take it one day at a time,”
Ramirez said.
Ramirez was able to make it back in time for
the birth of his daughter, Isabella. She was born
June 8.
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